JP2015081896A - Submergence detection device and battery unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a submergence detection device excellent in assemblability and a battery unit including the same.SOLUTION: A submergence detection device 17 includes: a plurality of conductive members 72 each formed into a rod shape, each having one end provided with a water detection electrode section 71 and an opposite end portion to the electrode section 71 provided with a connection terminal 75 electrically connected to a control board 12 contained in a storage case 16; and an insulating lower support 73 integrating the conductive members 72 to be distanced from one another at positions closer to the electrode sections 71 rather than the connection terminals 75, protruding the electrode sections 71 downward, supporting the conductive members 72 in a state of protruding the connection terminals 75 upward, and attached to an attachment portion 37 within the storage case 16.

Description

  The present invention relates to a submergence detection device and a battery unit, and more particularly to a submergence detection device that detects a submergence state in order to protect electronic components and a battery unit including the submergence detection device.

  Conventionally, a battery unit in which an assembled battery module including a plurality of single cells is housed in a case together with a control board or the like is known. In recent years, vehicles equipped with such battery units have been put into practical use. In a vehicle equipped with a battery unit, a submergence sensor is installed in the case of the battery unit, and when the vehicle is immersed in water, the assembled battery is immersed before the assembled battery module is immersed in water based on the detection signal of the submergence sensor. Processing such as stopping the charge / discharge function of the module is performed. Various types of submersion sensors to be attached to an in-vehicle battery unit have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a submergence sensor that includes a sensor substrate having a submergence detection terminal on a substrate surface, and a control substrate that is electrically connected to the submergence detection terminal through a communication line and receives a detection signal from the submergence detection terminal. Has been. In this submergence sensor, the sensor substrate is disposed at a position spaced below the control substrate.

  Further, the document 1 discloses a submergence sensor in which three conductive parts as submergence detection terminals are sequentially arranged in a shape protruding downward from the lower surface of the control board. This submerged sensor has a bar-like conductive part, one end of which is joined to the control board by soldering or the like, and the other end is suspended toward the case. In addition, the base part near the control board in all the conductive parts is supported by a resin connector and the connector is fixed to the control board, and the middle part of all the conductive parts is connected to the battery case or the smoke exhaust duct. The structure supported by the resin connector provided integrally with a part is also disclosed.

JP 2013-170943 A

  However, in the case where the submergence detection terminal on the sensor substrate and the control substrate are electrically connected by a flexible and flexible member such as a communication line, it is difficult to join the control substrate. Further, in the case of a configuration in which one end of the conductive portion of the rod-shaped body is joined to the control board and the other end is suspended toward the case, the conductive portion needs to be attached to the control board first. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the conductive portion is attached to the substrate, when the conductive portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the substrate surface is disposed at a desired position on the bottom of the case, the surrounding portion may be hit and the handling is difficult. Concerned.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has as its main object to provide a submergence detection device having a good assembly property and a battery unit including the same.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.

  The present invention relates to a submergence detection device (17) mounted in a storage case (16). The invention according to claim 1 is formed in a rod shape, and is provided with an electrode part (71) for water detection at one end, and accommodated in the accommodation case at an end opposite to the electrode part. A plurality of conductive members (72) provided with connection terminals (75) to be electrically connected to the circuit board, and the plurality of conductive members at positions closer to the electrode portions than the connection terminals. The conductive members are integrated in a state of being separated from each other, the electrode portions are protruded downward, the plurality of conductive members are supported in a state of protruding the connection terminals, and the mounting portions in the housing case An insulating lower support (73) attached to (37).

  In the above configuration, the conductive members as a plurality of rod-shaped bodies are integrally supported by the insulating lower support portion, and the lower support portion can be attached to the attachment portion in the case in the supported state. Yes. By doing so, the submergence detecting device can be attached to the attachment portion in the case, with the plurality of conductive members having the electrode portions and the attachment portion with respect to the case as one component, before the circuit board. Easy. Further, when electrically connecting the conductive member and the circuit board, direct assembly is possible without interposing other members. Therefore, according to the said structure, the assembly | attachment property of components can be made favorable.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of a battery unit. The perspective view which shows the whole assembled battery module. The perspective view which shows the whole submergence sensor. The front view of a submergence sensor. The side view of a submergence sensor.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the case where it actualizes to the power supply system mounted in a vehicle is shown. The power supply system of this embodiment includes a power storage unit as a power source for supplying electric power to various on-vehicle electric loads, and controls charging and discharging in the power storage unit. The vehicle in the present embodiment includes a generator that generates power by being driven by an engine that is an internal combustion engine. The power storage unit is charged by the power generated by the generator, and in this embodiment, includes a lead storage battery and a lithium ion storage battery. Hereinafter, a battery unit of a lithium ion storage battery (hereinafter also simply referred to as “battery unit”) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the vertical direction of the battery unit 10 is defined with reference to FIG. 1 in which the battery unit 10 is installed on a horizontal plane.

<Battery unit 10>
As shown in FIG. 1, the battery unit 10 includes an assembled battery module 11 having a plurality of single cells, a control board 12 that controls charging / discharging of the assembled battery module 11, a housing case 16 including a base 14 and a cover 15. And a submergence sensor 17 as a submergence detection device for detecting a submergence state. The battery unit 10 is protected from the outside by a housing case 16, and the assembled battery module 11, the control board 12, the submersion sensor 17, and the like are housed in the housing case 16. The assembled battery module 11 and the control board 12 are arranged to face each other above the base 14 so that the assembled battery module 11 is on the lower side and the control board 12 is on the upper side. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the battery unit 10 will be described in detail.

<Container case 16>
The base 14 of the housing case 16 is made of a metal material such as aluminum. The base 14 includes a substantially rectangular bottom plate portion 21, a standing wall portion 22 provided upright from the bottom plate portion 21, and a plurality of fixing portions 23 that fix each member. The upper surface of the bottom plate portion 21 is a module placement portion on which the assembled battery module 11 is placed. When the assembled battery module 11 is placed, the assembled battery module 11 is surrounded by the standing wall portion 22. It is in a state. The fixing portion 23 has a shape protruding upward from the bottom plate portion 21, and a screw hole is provided at an upper end portion thereof. The assembled battery module 11 and the control board 12 are fixed to each fixing portion 23 with fixing screws N in a state where they are assembled at predetermined positions.

  The cover 15 is made of a metal material such as aluminum. The cover 15 includes a top plate portion 24 that covers the control board 12 from above, and a hanging wall portion 25 that extends downward from the top plate portion 24. The top plate portion 24 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a hanging wall portion 25 is formed so as to surround the periphery or the vicinity of the periphery. In three side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the top plate portion 24, the tip end portion 25a of the drooping wall portion 25 is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 21 of the base 14, and in the remaining one side surface, the drooping wall portion 25 The distal end portion 25 b is separated from the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 21. A terminal block that is electrically connected to an in-vehicle generator or the like, or a connector 26 that is electrically connected to the in-vehicle ECU, from the gap between the tip 25b of the drooping wall portion 25 and the bottom plate portion 21. Exposed outside. Note that the base 14 and the cover 15 of the housing case 16 may be formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

<Battery module 11>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembled battery module 11 is assembled to a plurality of (in this embodiment, five) unit cells 31, a battery case 32 that accommodates these unit cells 31, and the battery case 32. An insulating cover 51, and a body 61 assembled to the insulating cover 51 on the opposite side of the battery case 32. Each of the plurality of unit cells 31 is a thin lithium ion storage battery having a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

Battery case 32
The battery case 32 is a battery housing member that arranges a plurality of unit cells 31 in a predetermined stacked state, and is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin having insulation properties. Specifically, the battery case 32 includes a lower plate portion 33 that is a lower surface portion of the assembled battery module 11, an upper plate portion 34 that is an upper surface portion of the assembled battery module 11, a lower plate portion 33, and an upper plate portion 34. Are connected to each other, and an outer peripheral plate portion 35 serving as an outer peripheral portion of the battery case 32, a partition plate portion 36 for partitioning the inside of the battery case 32, and a sensor attachment portion 37 for attaching the submergence sensor 17. The battery case 32 includes a lower plate portion 33, an upper plate portion 34, and an outer peripheral plate portion 35 that form a frame that accommodates the unit cell 31, and is partitioned in the vertical and horizontal directions by a partition plate portion 36. In addition, a plurality (5 in this embodiment) of battery accommodating spaces are formed. In each battery housing space, a plurality of unit cells 31 are housed one by one, and the plurality of unit cells 31 are integrated to form an assembled battery. In the present embodiment, the assembled battery composed of five unit cells 31 is divided into a three-tier battery group G1 and a two-tier battery group G2.

  The assembled battery module 11 is provided with a restraining plate 13 that restrains the battery case 32 from above. The restraint plate 13 is made of a highly rigid metal plate that has a plate shape and a predetermined thickness. In the present embodiment, the restraint plate 13 has a bent shape in accordance with the step shape on the upper surface of the battery case 32. The constraining plate 13 is formed with a through hole penetrating in the thickness direction. The constraining plate 13 is fixed to the base 14 by being screwed in a state where the through hole is in contact with the fixing portion 23 of the base 14. It is fixed against.

  The sensor attachment portion 37 is provided integrally with the outer peripheral plate portion 35 outside the side surface portion of the battery case 32 and is formed of the same material (for example, synthetic resin) as the battery case 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor mounting portion 37 includes a pair of projecting plate portions 38 that project laterally from the outer peripheral plate portion 35, and a connecting plate portion 39 that connects the pair of projecting plate portions 38 at the lower end portions. Have.

  The pair of protruding plate portions 38 are arranged to face each other in a state of being separated from each other in accordance with the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the submersion sensor 17. The connecting plate portion 39 connects the lower end portions of the pair of protruding plate portions 38 at a position separating the opening R. In the present embodiment, the lower end portion of each protruding plate portion 38 is positioned below the lower plate portion 33 of the battery case 32, whereby the connecting plate portion 39 is located lower than the lower plate portion 33 of the battery case 32. It is located slightly below. The upper surface of the connecting plate portion 39 is a sensor placement portion on which the submersion sensor 17 is placed. In the present embodiment, a columnar sensor mounting table 41 is provided on the upper surface of the connecting plate portion 39, and a part of the submersion sensor 17 is mounted on the upper surface of the sensor mounting table 41. In the state where the submergence sensor 17 is placed, three of the four sides surrounding the submergence sensor 17 are surrounded by the pair of protruding plate portions 38 and the outer peripheral plate portion 35. In each of the pair of protruding plate portions 38, a columnar column portion 43 that extends from the lower end portion of the protruding plate portion 38 to the upper end portion is provided on each of the opposed surfaces at an intermediate portion in a direction away from the outer peripheral plate portion 35. It is provided integrally with the part 38.

  At the lower end portion of each projecting plate portion 38, an overhang portion 42 that projects in a direction toward the opening R between the connecting plate portion 39 and the outer peripheral plate portion 35 is provided. The bottom surface of the overhang portion 42 serves as a latch receiving portion 44 that is a receiver side when the submersion sensor 17 is fixed by snap fitting. The height of the uppermost surface of the overhang portion 42 is the same as the upper surface of the sensor mounting table 41, and when the submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor mounting portion 37, the sensor mounting table 41 and the overhang portion 42. The submergence sensor 17 is supported from below by the upper surface.

・ Insulation cover 51
The insulating cover 51 is formed of an insulating material, and is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP resin), PP resin containing filler and talc. The insulating cover 51 is provided with a plurality of openings (10 in this embodiment) according to the positions of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each unit cell 31. In a state where the insulating cover 51 is assembled to the battery case 32, the terminals of the single cells 31 are inserted into the plurality of openings.

  In the assembled state of the insulating cover 51, a plurality of bus bars are respectively attached to the openings. By the plurality of bus bars, the cells 31 adjacent in the vertical and horizontal directions are connected in series. In addition, among the plurality of unit cells 31 connected in series, the positive terminal of the unit cell 31 located at the end is connected to the control board 12 by the bus bar, and the negative terminal of the unit cell 31 located at the opposite end is It is connected to the ground (for example, vehicle body) by a bus bar. Each bus bar is integrally provided with a voltage detection terminal 53 protruding to the opposite side of the battery case 32.

・ Body 61
The body 61 is made of a material having heat resistance, and is made of, for example, polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS), polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT), various resins to which a flame retardant is added, or the like. The body 61 is provided with a through-hole through which the fixing screw passes, and the body 61 is insulated by being screwed in a state where the through-hole is brought into contact with the screw hole provided in the insulating cover 51. It is fixed to the cover 51.

  The body 61 is provided with a voltage output path for outputting the terminal voltage of each unit cell 31 to the control board 12. Specifically, a plurality of metal conductors 54 are insert-molded in the body 61 as conductive members that form voltage output paths. One end of each metal conductor 54 protrudes in the horizontal direction from the side surface of the body 61, and the protrusion serves as an electrode side connection terminal 55 connected to each voltage detection terminal 53 of the unit cell 31. . Further, the end of each metal conductor 54 opposite to the electrode side connection terminal 55 extends upward and protrudes from the body 61, and serves as a board side connection terminal 56 connected to the control board 12. The metal conductor 54 is electrically connected to the electrode-side connection terminal 55 and the board-side connection terminal 56, whereby the detection voltage of each single cell 31 detected by the voltage detection terminal 53 is output to the control board 12. The connection between the metal conductor 54 and each terminal is performed by, for example, soldering, welding, bonding, screwing, or the like. In each metal conductor 54, an intermediate portion of the portion protruding from the body 61 is held by a terminal holding portion 57 formed integrally with the upper portion of the body 61.

<Control board 12>
The control board 12 has a printed board, on which a predetermined circuit pattern is formed and various electronic components are mounted. The electronic component to be mounted includes a CPU (control arithmetic element) as a control unit that executes processing for charge / discharge control of the assembled battery module 11 and the like. A connector 26 is fixed to the control board 12 by a fixing screw M. The CPU provided on the control board 12 is electrically connected to the connector 26. Further, a through hole through which the connection terminal of the submergence sensor 17 is inserted is formed in the control board 12. In the present embodiment, the position of the sensor mounting portion 37 to which the submergence sensor 17 is attached and the position of the through hole through which the connection terminal of the submergence sensor 17 is inserted are shifted in plan view.

<Submerged sensor 17>
The submergence sensor 17 is a detection unit that detects that the battery unit 10 has been submerged by detecting the water that has entered the battery unit 10. The submergence sensor 17 includes a plurality of conductive members 72 having water detection electrode portions 71 and a lower support portion 73 that integrally supports the plurality of conductive members 72.

-Conductive member 72
The conductive member 72 is a rod-shaped conductor (bus bar). The conductive member 72 includes a first conductor portion 73A having a rectangular cross section that forms a portion from one end portion to a predetermined intermediate position, and a portion that extends from the intermediate position to the other end portion. The second conductor portion 73B has a smaller cross-sectional area than 73A. The first conductor portion 73A and the second conductor portion 73B are integrated, and are formed, for example, by stamping a metal plate (such as a copper plate) having excellent conductivity. The submergence sensor 17 according to the present embodiment is provided with three conductive members as the conductive members 72. The conductive member 72 is not limited to a rectangular cross section, and may be, for example, a circular shape.

  In each conductive member 72, an electrode portion 71 for water detection is provided at an end portion constituted by the first conductor portion 73A among both end portions. Each electrode part 71 is a conductor plate, and has a pair of maximum surfaces having the maximum area on the outer peripheral surface. An end portion of the conductive member 72 opposite to the electrode portion 71 is a connection terminal 75 that is electrically connected to the control board 12. Each connection terminal 75 is inserted into a through hole of the control board 12 and is electrically connected to the control board 12 by being soldered.

-Lower support part 73
The lower support 73 is formed by integrating a plurality of conductive members 72, and is formed of an insulating and elastic material, specifically, a synthetic resin such as PP resin or PP resin containing filler or talc. Yes. In the present embodiment, the plurality of conductive members 72 and the lower support portion 73 are integrated by insert molding. The lower support portion 73 supports each conductive member 72 in a state where each electrode portion 71 protrudes downward and the connection terminal 75 protrudes upward, and the plurality of conductive members 72 are more than the connection terminals 75. It is provided at a position close to the electrode portion 71. The lower support portion 73 includes a main body portion 81 that supports the plurality of conductive members 72, a positioning portion 82 that determines the height position of the electrode portion 71, and a fixed portion 83 that is fixed to the sensor mounting portion 37. ing.

  The main body 81 supports the plurality of conductive members 72 in a state where they are separated from each other and in a state where the respective conductive members 72 are vertically penetrated. The plurality of conductive members 72 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 81, and are arranged in a state where the maximum surface of each electrode portion 71 is oriented in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 81. The lower end portions of these electrode portions 71 have the same height in the plurality of electrode portions 71.

  The positioning portion 82 is provided on each of a pair of side surfaces located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the main body 81 and connected to an arm portion 84 extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body 81. The positioning portion 82 includes a pair of first leg plate portions 85 extending downward, a pair of pedestal portions 86 provided on the lower ends of the pair of first leg plate portions 85 and placed on the sensor attachment portion 37, have.

  The first leg plate portion 85 is widened downward in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 81. The pedestal portion 86 has a substantially quadrangular shape, and has a pair of maximum surfaces with the largest area on the outer peripheral surface. One of the pair of maximum surfaces is the bottom surface of the pedestal portion 86 and is a contact surface that is in contact with the upper surfaces of the sensor mounting table 41 and the overhanging portion 42 provided in the sensor mounting portion 37. . The plurality of conductive members 72 are incorporated in the main body portion 81 in a state where the lower end portion of the electrode portion 71 is disposed below the lower surface of the positioning portion 82 (lower surface of the pedestal portion 86). In a state where the pedestal portion 86 is mounted on the sensor mounting table 41, the plurality of electrode portions 71 are positioned immediately above the opening R.

  When the submersion sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment portion 37, the pedestal portion 86 is placed on the sensor placement table 41 and the overhang portion 42. Thereby, the height of the electrode part 71 from the lower surface of the bottom plate part 21 is positioned at a predetermined height. In the present embodiment, when the submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment part 37, the height from the lower surface of the bottom plate part 21 is the same between the lower plate part 33 of the battery case 32 and the pedestal part 86 of the submergence sensor 17. The height H0 of the upper surface of the sensor mounting table 41 and the overhanging portion 42 is designed so as to be the height. Further, the lower end portions of the electrode portions 71 in the plurality of conductive members 72 are disposed below the lower surface of the pedestal portion 86. Thereby, in a state where the submergence sensor 17 is attached, the lower end portion of each electrode portion 71 is disposed above the lower surface of the housing case 16 and below the lower surface of the battery case 32. .

  On the outer side surface of the pedestal portion 86, a recessed portion 87 is formed in accordance with the arc shape of the column portion 43. When the submergence sensor 17 is attached, the pedestal portion 86 is placed on the sensor placement base 41 while the recess portion 87 is aligned with the column portion 43, so that the horizontal portions of the electrode portions 71 and the connection terminals 75 of the respective conductive members 72 are placed. The position in the direction is set to a predetermined position. Further, in a state where the submergence sensor 17 is attached, the support 43 is fitted into the recess 87, whereby the horizontal movement of the submergence sensor 17 is restricted. The recessed portion 87 corresponds to a movement restricting portion.

  The fixed portion 83 has a pair of structures that are fixed to the sensor mounting portion 37 by snap fitting. Specifically, the fixed portion 83 includes a pair of second leg plate portions 88 extending downward from an intermediate portion between the main body portion 81 and the positioning portion 82 in each arm portion 84, and a pair of second leg plate portions 88. A pair of locking projections 89 projecting sideways from the lower end.

  The pair of second leg plate portions 88 are provided on the same line with the main body portion 81 interposed therebetween. The second leg plate portion 88 is longer than the first leg plate portion 85, and the locking projection 89 is positioned below the pedestal portion 86. The distance between the pair of second leg plate portions 88 is substantially the same as the dimension of the opening R in the direction in which the outer peripheral plate portion 35 extends. On the other hand, in the pair of locking projections 89, the distance between the distal ends in the protruding direction is larger than the dimension of the opening R in the direction in which the outer peripheral plate portion 35 extends.

  Therefore, when the submergence sensor 17 is approached from the upper side toward the connecting plate portion 39, the pair of locking projections 89 first strike the upper surface of the overhanging portion 42, and then the pair of locking protrusions 42 are engaged by the overhanging portion 42. The protrusion 89 is displaced in the direction toward the main body 81. When the pair of locking projections 89 pass through the opening R, the locking projection 89 is hooked on the locking receiving portion 44 due to the elasticity of the material, and the lower support portion 73 is fixed to the sensor mounting portion 37.

  The submergence sensor 17 includes an intermediate support portion 91 that supports the plurality of conductive members 72 above the lower support portion 73. In the first conductor portion 73A, the intermediate support portion 91 is integrated with the plurality of conductive members 72 being separated from each other. The intermediate support portion 91 is formed of an insulating material, specifically, a synthetic resin such as a PP resin or a PP resin containing a filler or talc. The intermediate support part 91 is integrated by insert molding.

  The intermediate support portion 91 is provided with an auxiliary support portion 92 that protrudes laterally from the main body portion. The auxiliary support portion 92 has a height from the lower surface of the pedestal portion 86 that is the height of the outer peripheral plate portion 35 provided with the sensor mounting portion 37 (in this embodiment, the height of two unit cells + battery case). 32 thickness). Thereby, in a state where the submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment portion 37, the lower surface of the auxiliary support portion 92 and the upper surface of the battery case 32 come into contact with each other, and the intermediate support portion 91 is supported by the battery case 32. Yes.

  The plurality of conductive members 72 are provided with bent portions that are bent in a direction different from the linear direction. In the present embodiment, each conductive member 72 includes a first bent portion 93 formed on the first conductor portion 73A and a second bent portion 94 formed on the second conductor portion 73B as the bent portions. Yes.

  The first bent portion 93 is a bent portion for making the position in the horizontal direction of the connection terminal 75 different from the position of the electrode portion 71. In the present embodiment, the first bent portion 93 is bent in a plane including the longitudinal direction of the first conductor portion 73A. Has been. Due to the first bent portion 93, the connection terminals 75 are arranged at positions where they are opposed to the through holes of the control board 12 and overlap each other. Moreover, the 2nd bending part 94 has a vent structure which absorbs the stress which acts on an up-down direction, and in this embodiment, each conductive member 72 is curving in each substantially U shape in the same direction. In the plurality of conductive members 72, the longitudinal direction is in the vertical direction above the intermediate support portion 91.

  Next, a method for attaching the submergence sensor 17 to the assembled battery module 11 will be described. The submergence sensor 17 may be attached to the assembled battery module 11 before being disposed in the base 14 of the housing case 16, and may be attached to the assembled battery module 11 after being disposed in the base 14 of the housing case 16. May be attached.

  The submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment part 37 of the assembled battery module 11. When attaching the submergence sensor 17 to the sensor attachment portion 37, first, the locking projection 89 of the lower support portion 73 is inserted from above the opening R of the sensor attachment portion 37 downward. Further, the pedestal portion 86 is mounted on the sensor mounting table 41 and the overhanging portion 42 while the locking projection 89 is inserted. At this time, the pedestal portion 86 is mounted on the sensor mounting table 41 and the overhanging portion 42 such that the recessed portion 87 provided on the side surface portion outside the pedestal portion 86 matches the shape of the column portion 43 of the sensor mounting portion 37. To do. Thereby, the height position and horizontal position of the electrode part 71 and the connection terminal 75 are determined to a desired position.

  The locking projection 89 is hooked on the locking receiving portion 44 of the sensor mounting portion 37 and the lower support portion 73 is fixed to the sensor mounting portion 37 in one touch in accordance with the mounting operation of the pedestal portion 86 on the sensor mounting table 41. Is done. When the locking projection 89 is locked to the locking receiving portion 44, the upward movement of the lower support portion 73 is restricted. Thereby, omission of the submergence sensor 17 is suppressed.

  After the submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment portion 37, the control board 12 is assembled to the base 14. When the control board 12 is assembled, the connection terminal 75 of the submergence sensor 17 is inserted into the through hole of the control board 12 from above, and then the control board 12 is fixed to the base 14 with fixing screws. At this time, the connection terminals 75 of the respective conductive members 72 are positioned at desired positions by the positioning portion 82 in the horizontal direction and the height direction. Specifically, each connection terminal 75 has a height that allows the connection terminal 75 to be inserted into the through hole of the control board 12 and is disposed at a position that overlaps the through hole. Thereby, the assembling property when assembling the control board 12 is good. Further, a vent structure (second bent portion 94) is provided in the immediate vicinity of the connection terminal 75 of each conductive member 72, and stress is applied to the conductive member 72 in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction during or after assembly. The stress is also relieved even when the is applied.

  When water enters the housing case 16, when the water reaches the electrode part 71, the electrodes are connected to each other, and the resistance value decreases. Due to the decrease in the resistance value, a detection signal of water immersion is input to the control unit (CPU) of the control board 12. The control unit takes measures such as stopping charging / discharging of the assembled battery module 11 based on the detection signal of the immersion before the assembled battery module 11 is immersed in water.

  According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

  In the structure of the submerged sensor 17, a plurality of rod-shaped conductive members 72 are integrally supported by an insulating lower support 73, and the lower support 73 can be attached to the sensor attachment 37 in the supported state. I made it. By doing so, the plurality of conductive members 72 having the electrode portions 71 and the attached portion with respect to the housing case 16 with respect to the sensor mounting portion 37 provided in the housing case 16 as one component rather than the control board 12. The submergence sensor 17 can be attached first. Therefore, handling of the submergence sensor 17 is easy. Further, when the conductive member 72 and the control board 12 are electrically connected, they can be directly assembled without interposing other members. As described above, according to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the assembling property of the parts.

  The lower support portion 73 is attached to the main body portion 81 that integrally supports the plurality of conductive members 72 and the sensor mounting base 41 that is the mounting portion of the sensor mounting portion 37, so that the height of the electrode portion 71 is accommodated. And a positioning portion 82 that is positioned so as to have a predetermined height with respect to the bottom surface of the case 16. In the lower support portion 73, the relationship between the height of the electrode portion 71 and the height of the positioning portion 82 is determined, and the positioning portion 82 of the lower support portion 73 maintains the constant relative height while maintaining the constant relative height. It is attached to the mounting table 41. Therefore, the electrode unit 71 can be disposed at a desired height with respect to the bottom surface of the housing case 16 simply by attaching the positioning unit 82 to the sensor mounting table 41. Moreover, the lower side support part 73 can be supported from the downward direction by the mounting part of the sensor attachment part 37, and the stability of the submergence sensor 17 after attachment is favorable.

  In the lower support portion 73, the plurality of conductive members 72 are configured to be supported by the main body portion 81 in a state where the lower end portion of the electrode portion 71 is disposed below the lower end portion of the positioning portion 82. According to this configuration, the sensor mounting portion should be protected from being submerged by designing the sensor mounting portion with the component (the assembled battery module 11 in the present embodiment) that should be protected from submersion as the reference height. It is possible to detect that there is submersion before the water level rises to the height of the part.

  Since the lower support portion 73 is formed of an elastic material and is provided with a fixed portion 83 that is fixed to the sensor attachment portion 37 by snap fit, the submerged sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment portion 37 with a fastener such as a screw. Can be fixed with one touch without. Further, the positioning of the electrode part 71 in the height direction and the fixing of the lower support part 73 by snap fit can be performed by one continuous operation, and the assemblability is good.

  Further, the lower support portion 73 is fixed by snap-fit by the engagement between the locking protrusion 89 of the fixed portion 83 and the locking receiving portion 44 of the sensor mounting portion 37, and thus the lower support portion 73. Is detachable from the sensor mounting portion 37. Therefore, the submersion sensor 17 can be easily replaced.

  An intermediate support portion 91 that supports the plurality of conductive members 72 above the lower support portion 73 is provided. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to restrict the lateral movement of the upper portions of the plurality of conductive members 72, and the assembling property when attaching to the sensor attachment portion 37 is further improved. In addition, since the movement of each connection terminal in the plurality of conductive members 72 is restricted, the attachment property of the conductive member 72 to the control board 12 can be further improved.

  The position where the electrode portion 71 is disposed near the bottom of the housing case 16 and the position where the connection terminal 75 is electrically connected to the control board 12 may be shifted in the horizontal direction. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the first bent portion 93 is provided on the conductive member 72 to cope with the positional deviation between the arrangement position of the electrode portion 71 and the arrangement position of the connection terminal 75. In the present embodiment, in particular, the plurality of conductive members 72 extend in the vertical direction above the intermediate support portion 91, and are used to deal with misalignment between the intermediate support portion 91 and the lower support portion 73. The first bent portion 93 is provided. In this configuration, since the connection terminal 75 is oriented in the vertical direction, the assembly is easy when the control board 12 is attached from above. In addition, since the two support portions 73 and 91 are provided above and below the first bent portion 93, it is possible to suppress the force of components other than the vertical direction from acting on the plurality of conductive members 72. . Thereby, the conductive member 72 can be protected during or after the control board 12 is assembled. In addition, various layouts can be dealt with while protecting the conductive member 72.

  In the intermediate support portion 91, an auxiliary support portion 92 that protrudes laterally from the intermediate support portion 91 is provided, and the auxiliary support portion 92 is placed on the upper surface of the battery case 32. Thereby, for example, when stress is applied in the vertical direction of the conductive member 72 when the control board 12 is assembled or after assembly, the force from above the intermediate support portion 91 can be absorbed. In addition, after the submersion sensor 17 is attached, the movement of each connection terminal in the plurality of conductive members 72 can be sufficiently restricted, and the attachment property of the control board 12 can be improved.

  The base 86 of the lower support 73 is provided with a recess 87 that matches the arc shape of the column 43 provided in the sensor mounting portion 37. In a state where the submergence sensor 17 is attached to the sensor attachment portion 37, the displacement of the lower support portion 73 can be suppressed by the engagement between the recess portion 87 and the support column portion 43. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the mechanical overload from acting on the conductive member 72.

  A plurality of conductive members 72 are provided with second bent portions 94 as a vent structure. As a result, when the stress is applied to the conductive member 72 in the vertical direction during or after the assembly of the parts, the stress is relaxed, and the conductive member 72 can be protected.

  The sensor mounting portion 37 is provided with a pair of projecting plate portions 38 projecting laterally from the outer peripheral plate portion 35 of the battery case 32. When the submergence sensor 17 is attached, the submergence sensor 17 is a pair of projections. Both sides are surrounded by the plate portion 38. Thereby, for example, the submergence sensor 17 does not detect water to the extent that the battery unit 10 is slightly dipped in water or the battery unit 10 is dipped in water, and it is possible to suppress erroneous detection of submergence.

  The sensor attachment portion 37 for attaching the submergence sensor 17 is integrally provided outside the side surface portion of the battery case 32. Thereby, the submergence sensor 17 can be easily attached.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiment, and may be implemented as follows, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the latch receiving portion 44 is provided on the lower surface of the sensor mounting portion 37, and the locking projection 89 of the lower support portion 73 is hooked on the latch receiving portion 44. The lower support portion 73 is fixed by one touch. By changing this, a lock receiving portion capable of fitting the lock protrusion of the lower support portion 73 is provided inside the side surface portion of the sensor mounting portion 37, and the lock protrusion is hooked on the lock receiving portion. The lower support portion 73 may be fixed to the side surface of the sensor attachment portion 37 with one touch.

  In the above embodiment, the lower support portion 73 has the locking projection 89 and is fixed to the sensor attachment portion 37 by snap fit as a configuration for fixing the lower support portion 73 to the sensor attachment portion 37. I made it. The method of fixing the lower support portion 73 to the sensor attachment portion 37 is not limited to the method using snap fit. For example, as a configuration for fixing the lower support portion 73 to the sensor mounting portion 37, the base portion 86 of the positioning portion 82 may be fixed to the sensor placement portion by screws instead of the fixed portion 83.

  In the above embodiment, the heights of the lower ends of the electrode portions 71 in the plurality of conductive members 72 are the same, but they may be different from each other. For example, two lower ends of the three conductive members 72 have the same height, and the lower end of one conductive member is disposed above the lower end. By setting it as such a structure, when water infiltrates in the storage case 16, the submergence can be detected a plurality of times according to the height at which the water has reached. The number of the plurality of conductive members 72 is not limited to three, and may be two or four or more.

  In the above embodiment, each conductive member 72 is provided with the first bent portion 93 and the second bent portion 94. However, only the first bent portion 93 may be provided, or only the second bent portion 94 may be provided. It is good also as a structure which has. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which does not provide these bending parts.

  In the above embodiment, the first bent portion 93 is bent in a plane including the longitudinal direction of the three conductive members 72. However, the first bent portion 93 is bent in a direction perpendicular to the plane including the longitudinal direction of the three conductive members 72. It is good also as composition to do. At this time, it is preferable to keep the electrode part 71 and the connection terminal 75 maintained in a state extending in the vertical direction.

  In the above embodiment, the sensor mounting portion 37 is integrally provided outside the side surface portion of the battery case 32. However, the position of the sensor mounting portion 37 is not particularly limited. For example, the sensor mounting portion 37 may be provided inside the battery case 32. Alternatively, it may be provided inside the side surface portion of the housing case 16.

  -In the above-mentioned embodiment, although it was set as the structure which uses a lithium ion storage battery as a single battery, it is good also as a structure which uses other secondary batteries, such as a nickel-cadmium storage battery and several nickel hydride storage batteries.

  The battery unit 10 of the above embodiment may be applied to a hybrid vehicle that uses both an internal combustion engine and a motor as a drive source for vehicle travel, or does not have an internal combustion engine and uses only the motor as a drive source for vehicle travel. It may be applied to an electric vehicle.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Battery unit, 11 ... Assembly battery module, 12 ... Control board (circuit board), 14 ... Base, 16 ... Housing case, 17 ... Submergence sensor (submergence detection device), 21 ... Bottom plate part, 31 ... Single cell, 32 ... Battery case, 35 ... Peripheral plate part, 37 ... Sensor mounting part, 38 ... Projection plate part, 39 ... Connecting plate part, 41 ... Sensor mounting table, 43 ... Supporting part, 44 ... Locking receiving part, 71 ... Electrode part , 72 ... conductive member, 73 ... lower support part, 75 ... connection terminal, 81 ... main body part, 82 ... positioning part, 83 ... fixed part, 86 ... pedestal part, 87 ... recessed part, 89 ... locking protrusion 91 ... Intermediate support part, 92 ... Auxiliary support part, 93 ... 1st bending part, 94 ... 2nd bending part.

Claims (10)

A submergence detection device (17) mounted in a storage case (16),
It is formed in a rod shape and is provided with an electrode part (71) for water detection at one end, and electrically connected to the circuit board accommodated in the accommodation case at the end opposite to the electrode part A plurality of conductive members (72) provided with connection terminals (75) to be connected;
In the plurality of conductive members, the plurality of conductive members are integrated in a state of being separated from each other at a position closer to the electrode portion than the connection terminal, and the electrode portion is protruded downward, and the connection terminal is directed upward. An insulating lower support portion (73) that supports the plurality of conductive members in a protruding state and is attached to the attachment portion (37) in the housing case;
A submergence detection device comprising:   The lower support portion includes a main body portion (81) that integrally supports the plurality of conductive members, and is attached to the attachment portion so that the height of the electrode portion is a predetermined height with respect to the bottom surface of the housing case. The submergence detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning portion (82, 86) for positioning so as to be the same. The positioning portion has a placement surface (86) placed on the attachment portion,
3. The submergence detection device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive members are supported by the main body in a state where a lower end portion of the electrode portion is disposed below a lower end portion of the positioning portion.   The said lower side support part is a submergence detection apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3 which has a to-be-fixed part (83) which is formed with an elastic material and is fixed to the said attaching part by a snap fit.   The plurality of conductive members are integrated in a state of being separated from each other, and an insulating intermediate support portion (91) for supporting an intermediate portion of each of the plurality of conductive members above the lower support portion is provided. The submergence detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The intermediate support portion is provided in a portion extending in a vertical direction in the plurality of conductive members,
In the plurality of conductive members, a bent portion (93) is provided between the intermediate support portion and the lower support portion so that the position of the connection terminal in the horizontal direction differs from the position of the electrode portion. Item 6. The submergence detection device according to item 5.   The submergence detection device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the intermediate support part is provided with an auxiliary support part (92) protruding laterally from the intermediate support part.   The said lower side support part is provided with the movement control part (87) which controls the horizontal movement of the said lower side support part in the state attached to the said attachment part. The submergence detection device according to the item.   A battery in which an assembled battery module (11) having a plurality of single cells (31) and a submergence detection device (17) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are housed in the housing case (16). unit. The assembled battery module includes a battery case (32) that houses the plurality of unit cells,
The battery unit according to claim 9, wherein an attachment portion (37) for attaching the submergence detection device is integrally provided outside the side surface portion of the battery case.

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