JP5813429B2 - Power supply body connection structure, bus bar module, and power supply device including the bus bar module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection structure for a power supply body that electrically connects a plurality of power supply bodies in a power supply apparatus used in, for example, a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and electrically connects batteries in a battery assembly that constitutes the power supply device. The present invention relates to a bus bar module and a power supply device including the bus bar module.

  An electric vehicle that travels using an electric motor, a hybrid vehicle that travels using both an engine and an electric motor, and the like are equipped with a power supply device as a drive source of the electric motor. This power supply device includes a battery assembly (power supply body) composed of a plurality of batteries provided with a positive electrode at one end and a negative electrode at the other end, and a plurality of batteries are provided to obtain a desired voltage. Connected in series. The plurality of batteries are arranged along one direction with a positive electrode and a negative electrode adjacent to each other.

  The power supply apparatus described above includes a plurality of connection members (bus bars) that connect the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each battery adjacent to each other in the battery assembly, and the plurality of batteries of the battery assembly are connected by these connection members. Are connected in series (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a plurality of connection members are generally installed in the battery assembly as bus bar modules housed in an insulator frame made of an insulating synthetic resin or the like. Moreover, in the power supply device described in Patent Document 1, the battery assemblies are separated into two rows and are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries in each battery assembly.

  On the other hand, a connection structure using a wire harness (cable) or the like is used as a structure for electrically connecting a plurality of power supply bodies installed side by side (see, for example, Patent Document 2). As shown in FIG. 11, the power supply device described in Patent Document 2 includes a plurality (two) of power supply bodies (batteries) B arranged without contacting each other, and positive and negative electrode terminals C1 in the power supply bodies B of each other. , C2 are connected by a wire harness W. The wire harness W includes an electric wire portion W1 in which a conductive core wire is covered with an insulator, and a pair of terminals (for example, a thumb screw terminal and a round terminal) W2 crimped to the core wire at both ends of the electric wire portion W1. A terminal cover W3 that covers and insulates the crimped portion between the core wire and the terminal W2 is provided.

JP 2011-100619 A JP 2011-126396 A

  However, in the connection structure of the power supply body as shown in Patent Document 2 described above, since the electrodes of the power supply body B are connected using the wire harness W, there are the following problems.

  First, since the wire harness W is composed of the electric wire portion W1, the pair of terminals W2, the terminal cover W3, etc., the number of parts increases, and the man-hours such as the crimping process and the insulating process increase, which takes time. There is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

  Next, in the operation of connecting the wire harness W to the power supply body B, one terminal W2 is connected to one electrode terminal C1, and then the other terminal W2 is connected to the other electrode terminal C2. At this time, if the other terminal W2 comes into contact with another electrode or the like of the power supply body B, there is a possibility of a short circuit. For this reason, it is necessary to perform the connection work while taking appropriate measures so that the terminal W2 of the wire harness W does not come in contact with anything other than the electrode terminal C2, and there is a problem that the workability is reduced due to redundancy of the work procedure. . Here, in order to prevent a short circuit, it is conceivable to use a wire harness W having a connector in which the terminal W2 is covered with an insulating housing or the like. However, when such a wire harness W is used, a connector must also be provided on the electrode of the power supply body B, which further increases the manufacturing cost and requires a space for connecting the connectors. End up.

  On the other hand, a connection structure using a bus bar for connection instead of the conventional wire harness W is also conceivable. However, even when the electrode terminals C1 and C2 of each power source B are connected to each other by the bus bar for connection, the possibility that a part of the bus bar contacts other than the electrode terminal C2 and is short-circuited during the connection work is eliminated. It is still difficult to solve the problem of workability deterioration as described above. Furthermore, in the state where the electrode terminals C1 and C2 are connected to each other, the conductive portion in the middle of the bus bar is exposed, so when using a separate protective cap or the like having insulation to cover the conductive portion, The number of parts and the number of work steps will increase, and the cost required for manufacturing and parts management will increase.

  In view of the above points, the present invention provides a connection structure for a power supply body that can secure good workability while suppressing the possibility of a short circuit when connecting power supply bodies, and can suppress manufacturing costs, and a bus bar. An object of the present invention is to provide a module and a power supply device including the bus bar module.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the connection structure for a power supply unit according to the first aspect of the present invention electrically connects a first electrode of one power supply unit and a second electrode of another power supply unit. A connection structure for a power supply body, which is made of a conductive metal plate, provided on one power supply body side, with a connection member having one end connected to the first electrode and the other end connected to the second electrode. A first insulating member that insulates the connecting member with respect to a portion other than the first electrode in the one power supply body, and provided on the other power supply body side, other than the second electrode in the other power supply body A second insulating member that insulates the connecting member from the portion , and rotates around the one end side in a state where at least a part of the one end side of the connecting member is held by the first insulating member. the other end of the the said connection member is detachably attached to the second electrode It is characterized in.

  With the above configuration, the first electrode of one power supply body and the second electrode of the other power supply body are connected by a connecting member made of a conductive metal plate material, compared with the case of connecting with a conventional wire harness. The structure of the connecting member can be simplified. In addition, the first insulating member provided on one power supply body side insulates the connection member and the portion other than the first electrode, and the second insulating member provided on the other power supply body side provides the portion other than the connection member and the second electrode. Can be prevented from being short-circuited via the connecting member. Furthermore, since the one end side of the connection member is held by the first insulating member, it is possible to prevent the connection member from being unexpectedly dropped or moved during the connection work, thereby reliably preventing a short circuit. Moreover, the range of movement of the connecting member is limited by appropriately moving (turning or sliding) the connecting member with one end held by the first insulating member and connecting the other end to the second electrode. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contact of the connecting member to a portion of the power source body that is not supposed to be contacted (hereinafter referred to as a contact non-permitted portion), and further reliably prevent a short circuit during connection work. be able to.

The bus bar module of the present invention described in claim 2 is a bus bar module that electrically connects one battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked and another battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked. A plurality of first bus bars for connecting the electrodes of the batteries adjacent to each other in the one battery assembly, and a first connection body having a first insulator frame for housing the plurality of first bus bars; A plurality of second bus bars for connecting the electrodes of adjacent batteries in another battery assembly, a second connector having a second insulator frame for accommodating the plurality of second bus bars, and the one battery. The connection according to claim 1, further comprising: a third connection body that connects a first electrode of a predetermined battery in the assembly and a second electrode of the predetermined battery in the other battery assembly. The connecting member constituting the structure, Serial has a first insulating member and the second insulating member, said with at least a portion of one end side is held by the connecting member to the first insulating member, turning has been the connection around the one end The other end side of the member is configured to be detachable from the second electrode.

  With the above configuration, the structure of the connection member in the third connection body can be simplified similarly to the connection structure of the power supply body described above, and during the operation of connecting one and other battery assemblies with the connection member, After the connection, it is possible to reliably prevent a short circuit through the connection member.

  The bus bar module described in claim 3 is the bus bar module according to claim 2, wherein the first insulating member and the first insulator frame are connected via a connecting portion having flexibility. Features.

  With the above configuration, by connecting the first insulating member of the third connection body to the first insulator frame of the first connection body, it becomes possible to handle them integrally, and the bus bar module to the battery assembly Can be easily installed, and the connecting member and the contact non-permissible portion can be reliably insulated by preventing the first insulating member from falling off. Further, since the connecting portion has flexibility, in one battery assembly, a battery (electrode) to which the first connection body is attached, a battery (electrode) to which the connection member of the third connection body is attached, Even if there is a slight misalignment (tolerance) between them, the misalignment can be absorbed by the deformation (bending) of the connecting portion, and the installation workability of the bus bar module can be improved. Further, as a procedure for installing the bus bar module, first, the first connection body is attached to one battery assembly, the connection member of the third connection body is not fixed to the first electrode, and one and other battery assemblies are attached. Even when the connecting member is connected to the first and second electrodes after being arranged in parallel, the first insulating member of the third connecting body can move by the bending of the connecting portion with respect to the fixed first insulating body frame. The connecting member can be connected easily and reliably.

  In the bus bar module, the second insulating member and the second insulator frame may be connected via a flexible connecting portion. In this case, the installation work of the bus bar module may be performed. In addition to being easy, battery misalignment in other battery assemblies can be absorbed by the connecting portion.

  Moreover, as a connection part, the 1st insulator frame (2nd insulator frame), the 1st insulation member (2nd insulation member), and the connection part may be integrally molded by the injection molding etc. of the synthetic resin. Alternatively, a separate elastic member may be attached.

  The bus bar module described in claim 4 is the bus bar module according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are each formed in a columnar shape, and one end side and the other end side of the connection member Insertion holes through which the first electrode and the second electrode can be inserted are formed, and the connection member is temporarily fixed by inserting the first electrode into the insertion hole on the one end side, and the first electrode is centered. The other end side is rotated toward the second electrode, and the connection member is connected by inserting the second electrode through the insertion hole on the other end side.

  With the above configuration, the connection member can be prevented from falling off by inserting the first electrode into the insertion hole on one end side of the connection member and temporarily fixing the connection member. In addition, after rotating the other end side of the connecting member around the first electrode, the second electrode is inserted into the insertion hole on the other end side, thereby moving the connecting member within a predetermined trajectory range. The movement of the connecting member to other than the trajectory can be restricted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connection member during the connection operation from unintentionally coming into contact with the contact non-permitted portion. In addition, since the connection work can be performed by a simple operation of rotating the connection member around the first electrode, workability can be improved.

  The bus bar module described in claim 5 is the bus bar module according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first insulating member includes a wall portion that can contact the held connection member; A locking portion provided so as to protrude from the wall portion and capable of locking the connection member is provided.

  With the above configuration, the connecting member can be positioned with respect to the first electrode and the second electrode by contacting the wall portion of the first insulating member and holding the connecting member by locking with the locking portion, and the connection. It is possible to reliably prevent the members from dropping off.

  The bus bar module according to claim 6 is the bus bar module according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the second insulating member side of the first insulating member is provided with the second electrode. A flexible wall portion that is deformed together with the connection member when the connection member is connected is formed.

  With the above configuration, the flexible wall portion that is deformed together with the connection member is formed on the first insulating member, so that a predetermined portion of the connection member during the connection work can be covered with the flexible wall portion, and a short circuit can be prevented more reliably. can do.

  On the other hand, the power supply device of the present invention described in claim 7 includes: one battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked; another battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked; and each battery assembly The bus bar module according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a plurality of batteries and predetermined batteries of the one and other battery assemblies are connected to each other.

  With the above-described configuration, the structure of the connection member can be simplified similarly to the bus bar module described above, and the connection member is interposed during and after the connection of one and other battery assemblies with the connection member. It is possible to reliably prevent the short circuit.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the structure of the connecting member can be simplified, so that the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. In addition, the connection member and the contact non-permissible portion of the power supply body are insulated by the first and second insulating members, and further, the connection member during the connection work is prevented from coming into contact with the contact non-permissible portion. It is possible to ensure good connection workability while reliably eliminating the possibility of the above.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the manufacturing cost of the connection member can be suppressed as described above, and good connection workability can be ensured while reliably eliminating the possibility of a short circuit via the connection member. . Further, the bus bar module including the first and second connection bodies and the third connection body including the connection member connects the batteries in each of the one and other battery assemblies, and the predetermined battery of each battery assembly. Can be connected. Therefore, since the structure and connection method of each part of the bus bar module can be made common, the structure of each part and the connection procedure are standardized compared to the case where different types of connection structures (for example, those using wire harnesses) are used together. Therefore, it is possible to further promote the reduction of manufacturing cost and the improvement of work efficiency.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably insulate the connection member and the contact non-permissible portion to prevent a short circuit, and to improve the installation workability of the bus bar module and the connection workability of the connection member. it can.

  According to invention of Claim 4, a connection operation | work can be easily performed by simple operation only to make it rotate, preventing dropping of a connection member. Furthermore, since the connection member can be guided so as to rotate on a predetermined locus, it is possible to reliably prevent a short circuit due to contact with the contact non-permitted portion.

  According to the invention of claim 5, positioning of the connecting member and prevention of drop-off can be ensured and the possibility of short circuit during connection work can be eliminated. Furthermore, even after the connection, the connection member can be protected by the wall portion, so that a short circuit due to contact with another conductor can also be prevented.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the connection member can be protected during and after the connection work by covering the predetermined portion of the connection member with the flexible wall portion, and the short circuit through the connection member is surely prevented. can do.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, like the above-described bus bar module, the manufacturing cost of the connection member is suppressed, and good connection workability is ensured while reliably eliminating the possibility of a short circuit via the connection member. Thus, the manufacturing efficiency of the power supply device can be improved.

It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the power supply device concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which expands and shows the principal part of the said power supply device. It is sectional drawing of the principal part of the said power supply device shown by the AA line in FIG. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the principal part of the said power supply device. It is a perspective view which shows the connection procedure of the connection member in the said power supply device. It is a perspective view which shows the connection procedure of the said connection member following FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the connection procedure of the said connection member following FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the connection procedure of the said connection member following FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the connection procedure of the said connection member following FIG. It is a top view which shows the effect | action of the said connection member. It is a perspective view which shows one form of the conventional power supply device.

  Hereinafter, a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The power supply device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on an electric vehicle that travels by the driving force of an electric motor, a hybrid vehicle that travels by the driving force of both an engine and an electric motor, and supplies power to the electric motor. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply device 1 includes a plurality (two in this embodiment) of battery assemblies 2 (2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B) and a bus bar module 3 attached to the upper surface of the battery assembly 2. ing. Each of the battery assemblies 2A and 2B includes a plurality of batteries 4 that are stacked in one direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 1), and these batteries 4 are bundled and fixed by a fixing member (not shown). Yes. The two battery assemblies 2A and 2B are juxtaposed in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the batteries 4 are stacked (the direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIG. 1). The bodies 2A and 2B are connected to each other.

  Hereinafter, in the present specification, the direction in which the batteries 4 are overlapped (the direction of the arrow X) is referred to as a column direction X, and the battery assemblies 2A and 2B are arranged side by side perpendicular to the column direction X. The direction (the direction of the arrow Y) is referred to as a row direction Y, and the direction perpendicular to the column direction X and the row direction Y is referred to as a height direction Z. In the following description, of the two battery assemblies 2A and 2B, the battery assembly 2A shown on the upper left side in the row direction Y in FIG. 1 is defined as one battery assembly (one power supply unit). 1 will be described as another battery assembly (another power supply body).

  Each of the plurality of batteries 4 includes a rectangular battery body 5, a positive electrode (hereinafter referred to as a positive electrode) 6, and a negative electrode (hereinafter referred to as a negative electrode) 7. The positive electrode 6 is provided on one end side in the row direction Y of the battery body 5, and the negative electrode 7 is provided on the other end side in the row direction Y of the battery body 5. The positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 are constituted by a bolt made of a conductive metal or the like, and are provided with a cylindrical shaft portion protruding upward from the battery body 5. Each positive electrode 6 and negative electrode 7 can be screwed with a fixing member 8 made of a conductive metal nut or the like. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the adjacent batteries 4 are arranged so that the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 are adjacent to each other. That is, the plurality of batteries 4 are stacked such that the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 are alternately positive and negative along the column direction X.

  Here, in order to simplify the following description, in the battery assembly 2A, the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 arranged in a line along the column direction X on the upper left side in FIG. 1 are referred to as a first electrode line E1, The positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 arranged in a line along the column direction X on the lower right side are referred to as a second electrode line E2. Further, in the battery assembly 2B, the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 arranged in a line along the column direction X on the upper left side in FIG. 1 are denoted as a third electrode line E3, and along the column direction X on the lower right side thereof. The positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 arranged in a row are referred to as a fourth electrode row E4. Further, in the second electrode row E2, one negative electrode 7 at the right end in the column direction X in FIG. 1 is used as a connecting negative electrode 7A as the first electrode, and among the third electrode row E3, the column direction in FIG. One positive electrode 6 at the right end of X is defined as a connecting positive electrode 6A as a second electrode. Furthermore, one positive electrode 6 at the left end in the column direction X in FIG. 1 in the first electrode row E1 is used as an output positive electrode 6B, and one at the left end in the column direction X in FIG. 1 in the fourth electrode row E4. The negative electrode 7 is an output negative electrode 7B, and the output positive electrode 6B and the output negative electrode 7B are connected to the electric motor.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bus bar module 3 includes a first structure 3A attached to the first electrode array E1 and a second connection body as a first connection body attached to the second electrode array E2 excluding the connecting negative electrode 7A. The structure 3B, the third structure 3C as the second connection body attached to the third electrode array E3 excluding the connection positive electrode 6A, the fourth structure 3D attached to the fourth electrode array E4, and the connection And a fifth connecting body 3E as a third connecting body attached to the negative electrode 7A and the connecting positive electrode 6A.

  The first structural body 3A and the fourth structural body 3D have substantially the same configuration, and are accommodated in the bus bar housing frame 10 formed in a long frame shape along the column direction X and the bus bar housing frame 10, respectively. A plurality of bus bars 11 are provided. The second structural body 3B and the third structural body 3C have substantially the same configuration, and are each formed in a long frame shape along the column direction X, and the bus bar housing frames 12, 13 And a plurality of bus bars 14 and 15 accommodated in the housing. Here, the first insulator frame is configured by the bus bar housing frame 12 of the second structural body 3 </ b> B, and the plurality of first bus bars are configured by the plurality of bus bars 14. Further, the second insulator frame is configured by the bus bar housing frame 13 of the third structural body 3 </ b> C, and the plurality of second bus bars are configured by the plurality of bus bars 15.

  The bus bar housing frames 10, 12, and 13 are each made of an insulating synthetic resin such as polypropylene resin, and have a bottom surface portion 16 that has an opening that holds the bus bars 11, 14, and 15 and is exposed downward, and the bottom surface portion. 16 and a side wall portion 17 erected around the four circumferences. The bus bars 11, 14, and 15 are each made of a conductive metal plate material. Except for the bus bar 11A attached to the output positive electrode 6B and the bus bar 11B attached to the output negative electrode 7B, each of the other bus bars 11, 14, and 15 has two insertion holes 18 respectively. The positive electrode 6 or the negative electrode 7 is inserted, and the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 are connected in series. On the other hand, each of the bus bars 11A and 11B has one insertion hole 18 through which the output positive electrode 6B or the output negative electrode 7B is inserted, and is connected to the electric motor via an output terminal, a wire harness, or the like (not shown).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the fifth structure 3 </ b> E of the bus bar module 3 includes a connection bus bar 20 as a connection member, a first cover member 21 as a first insulation member, and a second insulation. And a second cover member 22 as a member. The fifth structure 3E connects the battery assembly 2A and the battery assembly 2B electrically in series by connecting the connection negative electrode 7A and the connection positive electrode 6A by the connection bus bar 20. .

  The connecting bus bar 20 is made of a conductive metal plate, and includes a first straight portion 20A on the battery assembly 2A side which is one end side, a second straight portion 20B on the battery assembly 2B side which is the other end side, and these. The bent portion 20C is connected at a substantially right angle, and is formed in a substantially L shape as a whole in plan view. An insertion hole 23 through which the connecting negative electrode 7A is inserted is provided at the distal end side of the first straight portion 20A, and an insertion hole 24 through which the connecting positive electrode 6A is inserted is provided at the distal end side of the second linear portion 20B. . The connecting bus bar 20 is attached in such a direction that the bent portion 20C protrudes outward in the column direction X in a state where the connecting negative electrode 7A and the connecting positive electrode 6A are inserted into the insertion holes 23 and 24, respectively.

  The first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 are each made of an insulating synthetic resin such as polypropylene resin. The first cover member 21 is located between the first straight portion 20A and the bent portion 20C excluding the peripheral portion of the insertion hole 23 of the connecting bus bar 20 and the battery assembly 2A, and is provided so as to insulate them from each other. . The second cover member 22 is located between the second linear portion 20B excluding the peripheral portion of the insertion hole 24 of the connecting bus bar 20 and the battery assembly 2B, and is provided so as to insulate them from each other.

  The first cover member 21 includes a bottom surface portion 30 having an opening in the vicinity of the connecting negative electrode 7A, and a wall portion 31 extending along the column direction X on the first structural body 3A side in the row direction Y from the connecting negative electrode 7A. The wall portion 32 extends in the row direction Y continuously from the outer end in the row direction X (right side in FIG. 2) of the wall portion 31 and the row direction facing the bus bar housing frame 12 of the second structural body 3B. The wall portion 33 extends along Y, and the flexible wall portion 34 continues to the third structural body 3 </ b> C side along the row direction Y of the wall portion 33. The first cover member 21 is coupled to the bus bar housing frame 12 via a coupling portion 35 that extends in a bent shape from the wall portion 33 toward the second component 3B. The connecting portion 35 may be formed integrally with the first cover member 21 and the bus bar housing frame 12, or may be a separate connecting portion 35 fixed to the first cover member 21 and the bus bar housing frame 12. Good.

  The first cover member 21 has one locking portion 36A protruding from the inner surface of the wall portion 33, two locking portions 36B and 36C protruding from the inner surface of the wall portion 31, One locking portion 36 </ b> D protruding from the inner surface of the wall portion 32 is formed. These locking portions 36 </ b> A to 36 </ b> D are brought into contact with the upper surface in the vicinity of the edge of the connecting bus bar 20 placed on the bottom surface portion 30, so that the connecting bus bar 20 is held inside the first cover member 21 and dropped. Is to prevent. The flexible wall portion 34 has a flexible portion 34A in the vicinity of the wall portion 33, and together with the connecting bus bar 20 corresponding to the rotation between the holding position and the connecting position of the connecting bus bar 20 described later. It is configured to be rotatable.

  The second cover member 22 includes a bottom surface portion 40 having an opening in the vicinity of the connecting positive electrode 6A, and a wall portion extending along the column direction X on the fourth structure 3D side along the row direction Y from the connecting positive electrode 6A. 41 and a wall portion 42 extending in the row direction Y so as to face the bus bar housing frame 13 of the third structure 3C. The second cover member 22 is connected to the bus bar housing frame 13 via a connecting portion 43 that extends in a bent shape from the wall portion 42 toward the third structural body 3C. The connecting portion 43 may be formed integrally with the second cover member 22 and the bus bar housing frame 13, or may be a separate connecting portion 43 fixed to the second cover member 22 and the bus bar housing frame 13. Good. In addition, one locking portion 44 projects from the inner side surface of the wall portion 42, and is configured so that the distal end of the second straight portion 20 </ b> B of the connecting bus bar 20 can be held by the locking portion 44. Yes.

  In the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 described above, as shown in FIG. 3A, the connecting portions 35 and 43 are bent into a thin strip and corrugated, and have a flexible synthetic resin. It consists of Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first cover member 21 (second cover member 22) is connected to the bus bar housing frame 12 (bus bar housing frame) by extending the bending of the coupling portion 35 (coupling portion 43). 13) is connected to the height direction Z so as to be relatively movable. Similarly, when the connecting portions 35 and 43 are bent in the column direction X and the row direction Y, the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 are in the horizontal direction with respect to the bus bar housing frames 12 and 13, respectively. Is also relatively movable.

  Moreover, the latching | locking part 36A of the latching | locking parts 36A-36D in the 1st cover member 21 and the latching | locking part 44 in the 2nd cover member 22 are a larger engagement allowance than other latching | locking parts 36B-36D. The connecting bus bar 20 is locked. These locking portions 36A and 44 are formed to have inclined sides 37 and 45 that are inclined downward from the wall portions 33 and 42 toward the inside of the cover members 21 and 22, respectively. Accordingly, when the connection bus bar 20 is to be held from above the height direction Z with respect to the cover members 21, 22, the locking portions 36 </ b> A, 44 are engaged by the connection bus bar 20 in contact with the inclined sides 37, 45. Is pressed, and the walls 33 and 42 are deformed outward. Such deformation of the wall portions 33 and 42 is also absorbed by the bending of the connecting portions 35 and 43 described above.

  Hereinafter, a method for assembling the power supply device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the bus bar housing frames 10, 12, 13, the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22, the bus bars 11, 14, 15, the connection bus bar 20, etc. of the bus bar module 3 are manufactured separately in advance. Here, the bus bar housing frame 12 and the first cover member 21 are integrally molded including the connecting portion 35, and the bus bar housing frame 13 and the second cover member 22 are integrally molded including the connecting portion 43. Will be described. On the other hand, the battery assemblies 2A and 2B are arranged in the row direction Y and fixed with an appropriate jig or fixing member.

  Next, a plurality of bus bars 11 are fitted in the two bus bar housing frames 10, a plurality of bus bars 14 are fitted in the bus bar housing frame 12, and a plurality of bus bars 15 are fitted in the bus bar housing frame 13, The first to fourth structural bodies 3 </ b> A to 3 </ b> D are configured, and the connection bus bar 20 is held in the first cover member 21. In addition, each bus-bar 11,14,15 may be integrally provided by insert-molding to the bus-bar accommodating frame 10,12,13.

  At the holding position held by the first cover member 21, the connecting bus bar 20 is placed on the bottom surface portion 30 of the first cover member 21, and the leading edge of the first straight portion 20A is locked to the locking portion 36A. Then, the side edge of the first straight portion 20A is locked to the two locking portions 36B and 36C, and the side edge of the second straight portion 20B is locked to the locking portion 36D. Further, the bent portion 20 </ b> C and the second straight portion 20 </ b> B of the connecting bus bar 20 are positioned above the bottom surface portion 30 so as not to protrude from the first cover member 21. On the opposite side of the wall portion 31 of the first cover member 21, the first straight portion 20 </ b> A abuts on the flexible wall portion 34 and is covered with the flexible wall portion 34. The straight line portion 20 </ b> A is biased toward the wall portion 31, so that the connecting bus bar 20 does not fall off from the first cover member 21.

  Next, the first structural body 3A and the fourth structural body 3D are placed on the first electrode array E1 and the fourth electrode array E4 of the battery assemblies 2A and 2B, respectively, and the positive electrodes 6 and The negative electrode 7 is inserted through the insertion hole 18 of the bus bar 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second structure 3B is placed on the second electrode row E2 of the battery assembly 2A together with the first cover member 21 and the connection bus bar 20, and the positive electrodes at the corresponding positions. 6 and the negative electrode 7 are inserted through the insertion hole 18 of the bus bar 14, and the connection negative electrode 7 A is inserted through the insertion hole 23 of the connection bus bar 20. Further, the third structural body 3C is placed together with the second cover member 22 on the third electrode row E3 of the battery assembly 2B, and the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 at the corresponding positions are placed in the insertion holes 18 of the bus bar 15, respectively. Insert. At this time, it arrange | positions so that the bottom face part 30 of the 1st cover member 21 may overlap with the height direction Z upper side of the bottom face part 40 of the 2nd cover member 22. FIG.

  When the bus bar module 3 is placed on the battery assemblies 2A and 2B as described above, the fixing member 8 is screwed to the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 other than the connecting positive electrode 6A and the connecting negative electrode 7A. By sandwiching 11, 14, and 15, the first to fourth constituent bodies 3A to 3D are fixed to the battery assemblies 2A and 2B.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 3B, the first cover member 21 and the connecting bus bar 20 are lifted upward in the height direction Z. At this time, the first cover member 21 is relatively moved while the connection with the bus bar housing frame 12 is maintained by being bent so that the bent connection portion 35 is extended, and the connection portion 35 inserted through the insertion hole 23 is connected. The first cover member 21 and the connecting bus bar 20 are lifted in a substantially upward direction along the negative electrode 7A.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, with the first cover member 21 lifted, the other end side (second linear portion 20B side) of the connecting bus bar 20 is directed from the wall portion 32 toward the battery assembly 2B. Then, the connecting bus bar 20 is rotated around the connecting negative electrode 7A. At this time, although the locking portions 36C and 36D that have locked the connecting bus bar 20 in the holding position are released, the locking portions 36A and 36B continue to lock the leading edge of the first linear portion 20A. Therefore, the connecting bus bar 20 is prevented from falling off. Further, as the connecting bus bar 20 rotates, the flexible wall portion 34 that contacts the first linear portion 20 </ b> A rotates toward the second cover member 22.

  When the connection bus bar 20 is rotated by about 45 ° to the connection position where the insertion hole 24 is located above the connection positive electrode 6A by the above rotation, the first cover member 21 and the connection are connected as shown in FIG. The bus bar 20 is pushed down in the height direction Z, and the connecting positive electrode 6A is inserted through the insertion hole 24. At this time, the connecting bus bar 20 is pushed down while the tip of the second straight portion 20 </ b> B is in sliding contact with the inclined side 45 of the locking portion 44. On the other hand, although the wall part 42 pressed by the connecting bus bar 20 via the engaging part 44 is deformed to the outside (the third structural body 3C side), the connecting part 43 absorbs this deformation. Further, when the tip of the second linear portion 20B gets over the locking portion 44, the pressing is released and the wall portion 42 returns to the initial position, whereby the tip of the second straight portion 20B is locked to the locking portion 44.

  The connecting bus bar 20 pushed down at the connecting position is inserted with the connecting negative electrode 7A through the insertion hole 23 on one end side, and the leading edge of the first straight portion 20A is engaged with the engaging portions 36A and 36B of the first cover member 21. The connecting positive electrode 6A is inserted into the insertion hole 24 on the other end side, and the leading edge of the second linear portion 20B is locked to the locking portion 44 of the second cover member 22. Accordingly, the connecting bus bar 20 is prevented from falling off from the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22. Further, the bent portion 20 </ b> C of the connecting bus bar 20 at the connection position is located above the bottom surface portion 30 of the first cover member 21, and the second straight portion 20 </ b> B is located above the bottom surface portion 40 of the second cover member 22. Therefore, the connection bus bar 20 does not come into contact with portions other than the connection positive electrode 6A and the connection negative electrode 7A in the battery assemblies 2A and 2B.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the fixing member 8 is screwed into each of the connecting positive electrode 6 </ b> A and the connecting negative electrode 7 </ b> A, and the connecting bus bar 20 is sandwiched between the fixing members 8, whereby the fifth structure 3 </ b> E is connected to the battery. It fixes to the aggregate | assembly 2A, 2B. As a result, the entire bus bar module 3 is attached to the battery assemblies 2A and 2B, and the power supply device 1 is assembled. Moreover, after connecting the bus bar 20 for connection, you may attach the insulating cover etc. which are not illustrated so that the whole bus-bar module 3 or each upper side of 1st-5th structure 3A-3E may be covered.

  In addition, between the battery assemblies 2A and 2B arranged side by side, the error in the thickness dimension of each of the stacked batteries 4 and the accumulation of errors in the stacking may cause the battery assemblies 2A and 2B in the column direction X. Even if the length is different and the connecting positive electrode 6A and the connecting negative electrode 7A are misaligned, the rotation angle of the connecting bus bar 20 can be adjusted appropriately as shown in FIG. Can absorb the displacement. Specifically, when the connection positive electrode 6A is displaced from the connection negative electrode 7A outside the column direction X (on the right side in FIG. 10) (for example, an error of about L = 5 mm), As indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 10, the rotation angle of the connecting bus bar 20 may be slightly smaller than the aforementioned approximately 45 °. On the other hand, when the connection positive electrode 6A is displaced from the connection negative electrode 7A inside the column direction X (left side in FIG. 10) (for example, an error of about L = −5 mm) in FIG. As indicated by the two-dot chain line, the rotation angle of the connecting bus bar 20 may be slightly larger than the aforementioned 45 °.

  According to the present embodiment, when connecting battery assemblies 2A and 2B arranged side by side in series, a connection structure using a conventional wire harness is used by using the connection bus bar 20 made of a conductive metal plate material. The manufacturing cost of the connection member can be reduced as compared with. In addition, since the connection bus bar 20 and the battery assemblies 2A and 2B are insulated by the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22, the contact non-permissible portion other than the connection positive electrode 6A and the connection negative electrode 7A is used. On the other hand, a short circuit due to contact of the connecting bus bar 20 can be prevented. Further, the connection bus bar 20 held by the first cover member 21 is lifted together with the first cover member 21 and then rotated in a plane around the connection negative electrode 7A, and then lowered to the connection positive electrode 6A. By connecting, connection workability can be improved while reliably preventing a short circuit. Therefore, it is possible to provide the power supply device 1 that can secure good connection workability while reliably suppressing the possibility of a short circuit during the connection work while suppressing the manufacturing cost by the connection bus bar 20 having a simple structure.

  Further, since the first cover member 21 is connected to the bus bar accommodating frame 12 via the flexible connecting portion 35, the movement in the height direction Z when the first cover member 21 is lifted is connected to the connecting portion 35. Can be absorbed by. Further, even when the connecting negative electrode 7A is displaced in the column direction X, the row direction Y, and the height direction Z with respect to the adjacent positive electrodes 6 in the battery assembly 2A, the misalignment can be absorbed by the connecting portion 35. it can. On the other hand, in the battery assembly 2B, since the second cover member 22 is connected to the bus bar housing frame 13 via the flexible connecting portion 43, the connecting positive electrode 6A is connected to the adjacent positive electrode 6. Even when the position is shifted in the column direction X, the row direction Y, or the height direction Z, the position shift can be absorbed by the connecting portion 43.

  Moreover, since the 1st cover member 21 and the 2nd cover member 22 are integrally molded in the state connected with the bus-bar accommodating frames 12 and 13, respectively, the cost required for component manufacture and component management can be reduced. Furthermore, by fixing the bus bars 14 and 15 of the bus bar housing frames 12 and 13 to the positive electrode 6 and the negative electrode 7 and performing the connection work of the connection bus bar 20 in the above-described procedure, the battery assemblies 2A and 2B can be connected to each other. The position tolerance can be absorbed by the connecting bus bar 20. That is, even when the connecting positive electrode 6A and the connecting negative electrode 7A are misaligned in the column direction X or the row direction Y due to the tolerance between the battery assemblies 2A and 2B, the rotation angle of the connection bus bar 20 is appropriately set. By adjusting, the positional deviation can be absorbed. On the other hand, when the positional deviation between the battery assemblies 2A and 2B is large, the positional deviation can be corrected by the connecting bus bar 20 made of a metal plate, and the battery assemblies 2A and 2B can be positioned within a predetermined tolerance. .

  In the above embodiment, the battery assemblies 2A and 2B constitute one and other power supply bodies. However, the power supply body may be constituted by a single battery.

  In the embodiment, the power supply device 1 in which the power supply bodies (battery assemblies 2A and 2B) are electrically connected in series has been described. However, the present invention is also applicable to the case where the power supply bodies are electrically connected in parallel. The connection structure of can be applied.

  Furthermore, the connection structure of the present invention is not limited to the one used as the bus bar module 3, and the fifth structure 3 </ b> E provided with the connection bus bar 20, the first cover member 21, and the second cover member 22 in the above embodiment. The part of the third connection body) may be configured independently.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the bus-bar 20 for a connection as a connection member was comprised from the planar view L-shaped metal plate material, the shape and raw material of a connection member can be selected arbitrarily. With such a shape of the connecting member, the shape of the first insulating member (first cover member 21) and the second insulating member (second cover member 22) can be appropriately changed.

In the above embodiment, the connecting member (connecting bus bar 20) is rotated in the horizontal plane and the other end side is connected to the second electrode (connecting positive electrode 6A). not only the rotation of the inner may be rotated the connection member in a vertical plane or in a suitable inclined surface, such as moving direction and the moving amount of the connecting member (pivot angle degree) is set appropriately can do.

  The power supply unit connection structure, the bus bar module, and the power supply device including the bus bar module according to the present invention can be used as a drive source for supplying power to an electric motor used in, for example, a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle.

1 Power supply unit 2, 2A, 2B Battery assembly (power supply unit)
3 Busbar module 3B Second component (first connector)
3C Third component (second connector)
3E Fifth structure (third connection body)
4 battery 6A positive electrode for connection (second electrode)
7A Negative electrode for connection (first electrode)
12 Busbar housing frame (first insulator frame)
13 Busbar housing frame (second insulator frame)
14 Bus bar (1st bus bar)
15 Busbar (second busbar)
20 Bus bar for connection (connection member)
21 First cover member (first insulation member)
22 Second cover member (second insulation member)
23, 24 Insertion hole 31, 32 Wall part 34 Flexible wall part 35 Connection part 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D Locking part

Claims (7)

A power source connection structure for electrically connecting a first electrode of one power source and a second electrode of another power source,
A connection member comprising a conductive metal plate, one end connected to the first electrode, and the other end connected to the second electrode;
A first insulating member that is provided on the one power supply body side and insulates the connection member from a portion other than the first electrode in the one power supply body;
A second insulating member that is provided on the other power supply body side and insulates the connection member from a portion other than the second electrode in the other power supply body,
The other end side of the connecting member rotated about the one end side is detachable from the second electrode in a state where at least a part of the one end side of the connecting member is held by the first insulating member. A connection structure of a power supply unit characterized by that. A bus bar module that electrically connects one battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked and another battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked,
A plurality of first bus bars for connecting the electrodes of adjacent batteries in the one battery assembly, and a first connection body having a first insulator frame for housing the plurality of first bus bars;
A plurality of second bus bars that connect the electrodes of the batteries adjacent to each other in the other battery assembly, and a second connector having a second insulator frame that houses the plurality of second bus bars;
A third connector for connecting the first electrode of the predetermined battery in the one battery assembly and the second electrode of the predetermined battery in the other battery assembly;
The said 3rd connection body has the said connection member, said 1st insulation member, and said 2nd insulation member which comprise the connection structure of Claim 1, and at least the one end side of the said connection member in the said 1st insulation member A bus bar module, wherein the other end side of the connecting member rotated around the one end side is detachable from the second electrode in a state where a part is held.   The bus bar module according to claim 2, wherein the first insulating member and the first insulator frame are connected via a flexible connecting portion.   The first electrode and the second electrode are each formed in a columnar shape, and an insertion hole through which the first electrode and the second electrode can be inserted is formed on one end side and the other end side of the connection member, respectively. The connection member is temporarily fixed by inserting the first electrode into the insertion hole on the side, the other end side is rotated toward the second electrode around the first electrode, and the second electrode is moved to the second electrode. 4. The bus bar module according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member is connected by being inserted through the insertion hole on the other end side.   The first insulating member is provided with a wall portion that can contact the held connection member, and a locking portion that protrudes from the wall portion and can lock the connection member. The bus bar module according to any one of claims 2 to 4.   The flexible wall portion that is deformed together with the connecting member when the connecting member is connected to the second electrode is formed on the second insulating member side of the first insulating member. The bus-bar module as described in any one of -5.   One battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked, another battery assembly in which a plurality of batteries are stacked, a plurality of batteries in each of the battery assemblies, and a predetermined battery of the one and other battery assemblies A power supply apparatus comprising: the bus bar module according to any one of claims 2 to 6 that connect each other.

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