JP2568023B2 - Connection terminals and connection structure for single cells - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connecting terminal and a connecting structure for a single cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a plurality of unit cells such as sodium-sulfur batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries are electrically connected, pole terminals projecting from the end faces of the unit cells are electrically connected by connection terminals. Conventional connection terminals are installed between the pole terminals of adjacent cells, and both ends of the connection terminals are welded to the pole terminals. In the unit cell as described above, the pole terminal is made of aluminum, and an oxide film that becomes an electric resistance is formed on the surface of the pole terminal. Therefore, welding of the pole terminal and the connection terminal is indispensable.

A conventional connecting terminal has a U-shape with both ends bent, and the bent end of the connecting terminal is welded to the pole terminal. Tungsten inert gas arc welding (TIG welding) is used for welding the pole terminal and the connection terminal. That is, the tip of the bent end of the connection terminal is made to coincide with the tip of the pole terminal, a welding rod is applied to the tip of the bent end and the tip of the pole terminal, and the welding rod is melted by arc heat and welded.

[0004]

In such welding, it is important to match the tip of the bent end of the connection terminal with the tip of the pole terminal. If the two do not match, good welding cannot be performed. If the welding is not good, it will lead to an increase in electrical resistance.
Therefore, it is necessary to align and fix the tip of the bent end of the connection terminal and the tip of the pole terminal so that the tip of the pole terminal is aligned. Has been. However, such a fixing method has a poor workability, and there is a possibility that the fixing force utilizing the elasticity of rubber causes a positional shift.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connecting terminal and a connecting structure for a single battery, which can make electrical connection between the pole terminals of the single battery reliably and with good workability.

[0006]

To this end, in the first invention, both ends are provided with caulking attachment portions which are caulked and sandwiched between the electrode terminals protruding from the unit cell, and the electrode terminals are welded to the caulking attachment portions. A connection terminal was formed with a welded edge to match the edge.

In the second invention, the caulking attachment portion of the connection terminal of the first invention is caulked and sandwiched between the polar terminals so as to electrically connect the polar terminals of the pair of unit cells, and the welding edge and the caulking of the polar terminals are caulked. The weld edge of the attachment part was welded.

[0008]

The caulking attachment portion on one end side of the connection terminal is crimped and clamped to one pole terminal (positive electrode or negative electrode) of a pair of adjacent cells. The crimping attachment portion on the other end side of the connection terminal is crimped and clamped to the pole terminal (different pole with respect to the pole terminal) of the other unit cell. This caulking and sandwiching is performed with the welding edge of the pole terminal and the welding edge of the caulking attachment portion aligned. With such a sandwiching structure, the welding edge of the pole terminal and the welding edge of the connection terminal can be easily and reliably fixed and aligned without displacement. Therefore, the welding edge of the pole terminal and the welding edge of the connection terminal are well welded.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment embodying the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. A plurality of (six in this embodiment) cells 1A, 1B, 1 arranged as shown in FIG.
C, 1D, 1E and 1F are held by the upper and lower holding plates 2 and 3. Both holding plates 2 and 3 clamp and fix the unit cells 1A to 1F by tightening bolts 4. An insulating plate 5 is interposed between the lower holding plate 3 and each of the cells 1A to 1F.

An insulating plate 6 is interposed between the upper holding plate 2 and each of the cells 1A to 1F, and a part of the insulating plate 6 penetrates through the holding plate 2 and projects upward. From the insulating plate 6, the positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b of the unit cells 1A to 1F project through. Both the positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b are made of aluminum alloy (for example, JIS standard; A300
It consists of the flat plate of 3). Positive electrode terminal 1 of each unit cell 1A to 1F
a and the negative electrode terminal 1b are all parallel to each other, and the unit cell 1
A, 1B, 1C positive terminal 1a and cells 1D, 1E, 1
The unit cells 1A to 1 are arranged so that the negative electrode terminal 1b of F is closest to them.
F are arranged.

The positive terminal 1a of the cells 1A, 1B and 1C and the negative terminal 1b of the cells 1D, 1E and 1F are connected to each other by a connecting terminal 7
Electrically connected by. Unit cells 1A, 1B, 1C
The negative electrode terminal 1b is electrically connected to a negative electrode side conductive rod (not shown) by the connection terminal 8. Unit cells 1D, 1E, 1F
The positive electrode terminal 1a is electrically connected to a positive electrode conductive rod (not shown) by a connection terminal 9. The connection terminals 7, 8 and 9 have the same shape and size, and are made of the same material as the positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connection terminal 7 has both ends.
It is formed in a folded U shape, and both bent ends
Caulking pieces 7a on both side edges of 7a and 7b₁, 7b₁Is protruding
Has been done. Caulking piece 7a₁, 7b₁Is the bent end 7
It is curved so as to face and reverse with respect to a and 7b,
Caulking piece 7a₁, 7b₁And the bent ends 7a, 7b
Configure the caulking attachment part. Bend ends 7a, 7b
Edge 7a of₂, 7b ₂Are parallel to each other and this tip
Edge 7a₂, 7b₂Is the welding edge of the connection terminal 7.

The connection terminal 7 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1
In the state before being connected to b, the facing gaps Wa and Wb between the crimping pieces 7a ₁ and 7b ₁ and the bent ends 7a and 7b are made larger than the thickness T of the positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b. Further, the distance between the base ends of both the bent end portions 7a, 7b is set to the positive electrode terminal 1a of the unit cells 1A, 1B, 1C and the unit cells 1D, 1C.
The distance between E and 1F and the negative electrode terminal 1b is matched. Therefore, the distance between the center of the thickness of the positive electrode terminal 1a of the unit cells 1A, 1B and 1C and the center of the thickness of the negative terminal 1b of the unit cells 1D, 1E and 1F is such that the bent end portions 7a and 7b and the caulking piece 7 are formed.
It is substantially equal to the center distance between the gaps Wa and Wb with respect to a ₁ and 7b ₁ .

With the positive electrode terminal 1a of the unit cells 1A, 1B and 1C
Connection terminal 7 for connecting to the negative electrode terminal 1b of the unit cells 1D, 1E, 1F
To make electrical connection with, do the following. First,
Female piece 7a₁, 7b₁Between the bent ends 7a and 7b
The positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b are inserted in the gap. Positive electrode
The distance between the terminal 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b is between the gaps Wa and Wb.
Since it substantially coincides with the gap, the positive terminal 1
It is easy to insert a and the negative electrode terminal 1b at the same time.
And the welding edge 7a₂, 7b₂The positive electrode terminal 1a and the negative electrode
Edge 1a of terminal 1b₁, 1b₁Match this state
Each caulking piece 7a₁, 7b₁Crimp. This caulking
More welding edge 7a₂, 7b₂And tip edge 1a ₁, 1b₁And
The positive terminal 1a and the negative terminal 1b are caulked in a matched state.
Piece 7a₁, 7b₁And the bent ends 7a and 7b.
It is fixed in place. Therefore, the leading edge 1a₁, 1b₁And dissolution
Contact edge 7a₂, 7b₂And caulking attachment parts 7a, 7a₁
And 7b, 7b₁It is fixed by the caulking force of
There is no rear misalignment.

Positive electrode terminal 1a fixed by caulking force
And the bent end 7a are welded to each other at the tip edge of the positive electrode terminal 1a.
1a₁And welding edge 7a₂And to. Similarly,
Negative electrode terminal 1b fixed by clamping force and bent end
7b is welded to the tip edge 1b of the negative electrode terminal 1b.₁And welding edge
7b₂And to. That is, the leading edge 1a₁, 1b
₁Are the welding edges of the positive electrode terminal 1a side and the negative electrode terminal 1b side.
You. Welding edge 1a₁, 7a ₂Mutually and weld edge 1b₁, 7b
₂Since they are fixed together by the caulking force,
Connection 1a₁, 7a₂Mutually and weld edge 1b₁, 7b₂One another
Welding is easy. Therefore, this welding works well
You. The material of the connection terminal 7 is a positive electrode terminal 1a and a negative electrode terminal.
Since it is the same as 1b, the weldability is improved.

The invention is of course limited only to the embodiment described above.
But not the one shown in FIG.
A step 1c may be provided on the child 1a and the negative electrode terminal 1b. This
In the case of, the welding edge 1a of the terminals 1a and 1b₁, 1b₁Kardan
The distance L to the difference 1c is caulked piece 7a₁, 7b₁To width H
If they match, the welding edges 1a of the terminals 1a and 1b₁, 1b ₁
And welding edge 7a of connection terminal 7₂, 7b₂Alignment with
It's easy.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, welding edges 1a ₁ and 1b are provided.
_A taper 1d may be provided between ₁ and the step 1c. If the taper 1d is provided, the terminal 1 with respect to the gaps Wa and Wb between the caulking pieces 7a ₁ and 7b ₁ and the bent ends 7a and 7b.
It becomes easy to insert a and 1b.

[0018]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, both ends are provided with the caulking attachment portions which are caulked and sandwiched between the pole terminals protruding from the unit cell. Since the pole terminals of the unit cells are electrically connected by the connection terminals formed with the welded edges for matching, the excellent effect that the electric connection between the pole terminals of the unit cells can be performed reliably and with good workability is exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of an essential part.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a main part showing another example.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a main part showing another example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1F ... Single battery,
1a ... positive terminal, 1b ... negative terminal, 1a _1, 1b ₁ ... welding edges, 2,3 ... holding plate, 4 ... bolt, 5,6 ... insulating plate,
7,8,9 ... connection terminal, 7a, 7b ... bent end portion constituting the crimping attachment portion, 7a _1, 7b ₁ ... crimping piece constituting the crimping attachment portion, 7a _2, 7b ₂ ... welding edges.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-147565 (JP, A) JP-A-4-282556 (JP, A) Actual development Sho-57-73866 (JP, U)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A single terminal provided with crimping attachment portions at both ends, which are crimped and sandwiched between pole terminals protruding from the unit cell, and welding edges for matching the welding edges of the pole terminals are formed in the crimping attachment portions. Battery connection terminal. 2. The caulking attachment portion of the connection terminal according to claim 1 is caulked and sandwiched between the electrode terminals of the pair of unit cells so as to electrically connect the electrode terminals of the pair of cells, and the welding edge of the electrode terminal and the caulking attachment portion of the electrode terminal are connected. Single cell connection structure with welded edges.