KR100771223B1 - Terminal connecting device of battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for connecting terminals of a battery module is provided to prevent defects in contact caused by a terminal cover and a sliding connector, to facilitate assembly of a battery module, and to increase contact area between the terminal cover and the sliding connector. A device for connecting terminals formed in unit cells of a battery module comprises: a guide terminal(20) having a guide spline(21) on the circumference thereof; and a sliding connector(40) that includes a guide slit for receiving the guide protrusion on the inner circumferential surface thereof, and a guide rail for movements of the guide terminal on the bottom surface thereof, wherein the guide terminal is in sliding engagement with the sliding connector.

Description

Terminal connecting device of battery module

1 is a perspective view showing a battery module and a terminal connection device according to the prior art,

Figure 2 (a, b, c) is a perspective view showing a guide terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a perspective view showing a sliding connector according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling process of the guide terminal and the sliding connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

5 is an installation state diagram showing a state in which the terminal connection device of the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention is coupled,

6 (a, b) is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

7 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling process of a terminal cover and a sliding connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

8 is an installation state diagram showing a state in which the terminal connection device of the battery module according to the second embodiment of the present invention is coupled.

※ Explanation of codes for main parts of drawing

1: battery module 20: guide terminal

21, 32: guide locking portion 22, 34: seating groove

30: terminal cover 33: terminal coupling portion

40: sliding connector 41: guide slit

42: guide rail 43: insertion hole

50: set screw 60: unit cell

61: terminal 90: cable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection device for terminals constituting a battery module, and more particularly, to terminals formed in a unit cell of a secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-MH) battery or a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery. A device for connecting.

In general, a secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-MH) battery or a nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery has a small capacitance of one unit cell, and thus a plurality of unit cells are connected in series. Thus, a plurality of unit cells connected in series to form a single battery is called a battery module. A conventional battery module connects and connects connectors formed in series to connect terminals formed in a plurality of unit cells.

Hereinafter, a conventional battery module will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

1 is a view illustrating a connection device of a conventional battery module. In the conventional battery module 100, a plurality of unit cells 110 are arranged and arranged on an end plate at a side of the unit cell 110 located at the outermost side. (End plate) 150 is disposed and the end cells 150 are fastened with the restraining band 160 to configure the unit cells 110 into one bundle. The bolt-shaped positive and negative terminals 111 protruding outside the rolling covers 112 of the plurality of unit cells 110 are connected by the connector 130. The connector 130 is formed with a hole-shaped through groove (not shown), the two terminals 111 which are mutually adjacent to the through groove (not shown) is fitted into the through groove (not shown) and the terminal 111 The nut 113 is fastened to electrically connect each terminal 111 in series.

At this time, in the conventional connection device as described above, the connector and the terminal are connected by the adhesion of the terminal and the nut of the unit cell. If the nut is not tightened with sufficient force (strong pressure), contact failure occurs between the connector and the terminal. . In particular, when a plurality of unit cells are connected in series as described above, if a contact failure occurs even at one terminal, the battery module may not be supplied with normal power.

In addition, even when the connector and the terminal are connected with sufficient force as described above, there is a problem that the contact area between the nut and the connector fastened to the terminal is reduced.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection device that does not occur a bad contact between the terminal and the connector in order to solve the above problems. In addition, the present invention has an object to increase the contact area between the terminal and the connector.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery module connecting device for connecting terminals formed in a unit cell, comprising: a guide terminal having a guide catching portion at a circumference thereof, and a guide slit receiving the guide catching portion at an inner circumferential surface thereof It includes a sliding connector having a guide rail through which the guide terminal can pass, the guide terminal and the sliding connector provides a battery module connection device, characterized in that the sliding fit by fitting.

In this case, a seating groove is formed along an axis of the upper end of the guide terminal, and an insertion hole is formed at a position corresponding to the seating groove on an upper surface of the sliding connector, and the insertion hole and the seating groove are coupled by fixing screws. It is preferable.

In addition, the present invention is a battery module connecting device for connecting the terminals formed in the unit cell, the terminal comprising a body, a guide catching portion formed around the body, and a terminal coupling portion formed along the axis in the lower portion of the body; With cover; And a sliding connector having a guide slit for accommodating the guide locking portion on an inner circumferential surface thereof in a square tube shape, the sliding connector having a guide rail through which the guide terminal can pass, wherein the terminal cover is coupled to the terminal. The cover and the sliding connector provide a battery module connection device characterized in that the sliding fit.

In this case, a seating groove is formed along an axis of the upper portion of the body, and an insertion hole is formed at a position corresponding to the seating groove on an upper portion of the sliding connector, and the insertion hole and the seating groove are coupled by a fixing screw. desirable.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the present invention in more detail. The accompanying drawings show exemplary embodiments of the present invention, whereby the technical scope of the present invention is not limited.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

2 is a plan view of a guide terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a plan view of a sliding connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view in which the connection device of the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention is coupled, Figure 5 is an installation state coupled to the connection device of the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention Indicates.

First, Figure 2 (a, b, c) shows a guide terminal according to the present invention.

The guide terminal 20 exposed to the outside of the unit cell 60 may be formed in various shapes (polygonal shapes such as cylinders, triangular columns, square columns, hexagonal columns, etc.), but the contact area with the sliding connector 40 is increased. The rectangular column shape that can be maximized is most suitable. The guide terminal 20 forming the shape of the square pillar has an effect that the contact area is widened when the guide terminal 20 is accommodated on the inner circumferential surface of the sliding connector 40 to increase the moving area of the charge.

Here, the guide engaging portion 21 is formed around the guide terminal 20. The guide engaging portion 21 may be formed to protrude on the side of the circumference of the guide terminal 20 as shown in Figure 2a, or may be formed to protrude entirely around the guide terminal 20 as shown in Figure 2b. Like the guide terminal 20, the shape of the guide locking portion 21 may be formed in various shapes (polygons such as circular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.), but the area of the side portion contacting the sliding connector 40 is wide. It is preferable to form a rectangle because it is more advantageous. The guide catching portion 21 may be installed at the upper or middle portion of the guide terminal 20, as shown in Figure 2 (a, b, c). In addition, the guide catching portion 21 may be formed of two or more layers. As such, the shape of the guide locking portion 21 is based on the structure in which the sliding connector 40 is not separated, and various design variations are possible in consideration of the installation method and the area, without being limited to the above method.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the seating groove 22 is further formed in the upper portion of the guide terminal 20 described above. The mounting groove 22 is a groove formed along the shaft center in the upper portion of the guide terminal 20, and has a shape of the female screw part 35. This is for coupling with the fixing screw 50 to be described later.

The guide terminal 20 is manufactured by coupling the general terminal 111 to the unit cell 110, but is manufactured by coupling the guide terminal 20 to the unit cell 60 instead of the terminal 111. desirable.

3 shows a sliding connector 40 according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the sliding connector 40 is made of a rectangular tubular frame. The sliding connector 40 is formed with a guide slit 41 and a guide rail 42 so that the front and rear of the sliding connector 40 can pass through the guide terminal 20.

The guide slit 41 has the same length (D1 = d1) and height (F1 = f1) so that both the horizontal length (D1) and the height (F1) of the guide engaging portion (21) abut on the inner circumferential surface of the sliding connector (40). Is formed. At this time, the height f1 of the guide slit 41 is formed to include the height F1 of the guide terminal 20, a part of which protrudes from the upper portion of the guide locking portion 21, as shown in Figure 2c, or the guide terminal It is customized to the same shape as (20). Here, the guide slit 41 has a shape corresponding to the guide catching portion 21 formed on the guide terminal 20 and the guide terminal 20 formed on the upper portion of the guide catching portion 21 to make a customized image. It is preferable because there is an effect that can maximize the contact area of the terminal 20 and the sliding connector 40.

The guide rail 42 is formed on the lower surface of the sliding connector 40 to have the same width as the horizontal length D2 of the guide terminal 20 (D2 = d2). However, the height f2 of the guide rail is formed to be equal to or smaller than the height F2 of the guide terminal 20 positioned below the guide engaging portion 21 (F2? F2). This is because when the height f2 of the guide rail 42 is greater than the height of the guide terminal 20 positioned at the lower portion of the guide catching portion 21, the guide rail 42 is not caught by the rolling cover 112 of the unit cell 60. To prevent this.

The longitudinal length (l) of the sliding connector 40 is manufactured to a sufficient length (l> 2L) to connect in series the guide terminal 20 formed in the two unit cells 60 arranged in series. However, when the number of unit cells 60 arranged in series is three or more, the unit cells 60 should be manufactured to have a length not in contact with the guide terminal 20 formed in the third unit cell 60.

On the other hand, the through-hole insertion hole 43 of the sliding connector 40 is preferably further formed. The insertion hole 43 is formed at a position corresponding to the seating groove 22 formed in the guide terminal 20 when the sliding connector 40 is coupled to the guide terminal 20. The fixing screw 50 is coupled to the insertion hole 43 to prevent the sliding connector 40 from shaking and detaching to the outside when the sliding connector 40 is coupled with the guide terminal 20. The insertion hole 43 may be formed in a hole shape, and may be formed of a female thread line in the same manner as the seating groove 22.

4 and 5 illustrate a process and an installation state in which the connection device of the battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention is coupled. First, the two unit cells 60 in which the guide terminal 20 is formed are aligned with electrodes staggered in the same manner as the conventional method. Subsequently, the sliding grooves 40 formed in the guide terminals 20 and the insertion grooves 43 formed in the sliding connector 40 are formed by sliding fitting the other electrodes of each unit cell 60 with the sliding connector 40. Place them so that they are in a straight line. At this time, the fixing screw 50 is fixedly coupled to the insertion groove 43 and the seating groove 22. The fixing screw 50 can use a bolt generally used. When two unit cells 60 are connected in series like this, another unit cell 60 is disposed in the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the guide terminal 20 not connected to the unit cell 60 located in the center and the newly arranged guide terminal 20 are connected in series using the sliding connector 40 in the same manner as described above. In this way, a plurality of unit cells 60 are repeatedly connected in series. When all the unit cells 60 are connected in series by the sliding connector 40, the end plates 70 are disposed on both sides of the outermost unit cells 60 and the restraining bands 80 are bound. Then, the positive (+) guide terminal 20 and the negative (-) guide terminal 20 remaining in the outermost unit cell 60 is connected and fixed to the cable 90 so that the user can use the electrode The screw 50 is fastened to complete the battery module 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, an example in which terminals are formed on side surfaces of the battery module will be described.

In the second embodiment, the bolt-shaped terminal 61 formed in the conventional unit cell 60 is used as it is, but the terminal cover 30 is placed on the upper portion of the terminal 61, and in the first embodiment. It shows that the sliding connector 40 is connected to the fixed screw 50 by connecting the described. Therefore, since the sliding connector 40 used in the present embodiment is the same as that used in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted.

6 (a, b) is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the terminal cover 30 has a body 31, a guide catching portion 32 formed around the body 31, and a lower portion of the body 31 to be coupled to the terminal 61. It includes a terminal coupling portion 33 formed along the axis.

In this embodiment, the body 31 and the guide engaging portion 32 of the terminal cover 30 is similar in shape and structure to the guide terminal 20 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, only the characteristic parts of the terminal cover 30 will be described, and for the unexplained parts, reference will be made to the parts described in the guide terminal 20 of the first embodiment.

The body 31 is made of a material of a metal or an alloy having excellent electrical conductivity so as to be connected to the terminal 61 and communicate electricity well. The body 31 and the guide catching portion 32 of the terminal cover 30 are cylindrical or polygonal columns (square columns, hexagonal columns, octagonal columns, etc.) in the same manner as the guide terminals 20 described in the first embodiment. It can be produced in a variety of shapes, but most preferably uses a rectangular pillar shape with a large transfer area.

The terminal coupling portion 33 is formed along the axis in the lower portion of the body 31. Since the terminal 61 of the unit cell 60 generally has a bolt shape, the terminal coupling part 33 has a female thread shape corresponding to the terminal 61. The most stable coupling between the terminal coupling portion 33 and the terminal 61 is that the terminal 61 is completely accommodated in the terminal coupling portion 33, so that the depth of the terminal coupling portion 33 is deeper than the height of the terminal 61. It is preferable.

It is preferable that the mounting groove 22 is further formed on the upper portion of the terminal cover 30 as described in the first embodiment.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6 (b), it is also possible to form a female threaded portion 35 through the terminal coupling portion 33 and the mounting groove 22 through. It is formed by one female screw portion 35 if the size of the fixing screw 50 is coupled to the terminal 61 and the seating groove 22 is the terminal 61 is coupled and fixed at the bottom of the terminal cover (30) Screw 50 is coupled at the top of the terminal cover 30 may have a greater electrical transmission force. In addition, when the female screw portion 35 is formed, the terminal cover 30 may have a shape in which the upper and lower portions are symmetric about the body 31. At this time, there is a convenient point that can be used freely without distinguishing between upper and lower parts.

7 and 8 is an exploded perspective view and installation state showing a structure in which the terminal cover and the sliding connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention is coupled. In the drawing, the terminal 61 is formed on the side of the unit cell 60 in the embodiment. The terminal 61 is formed on the side of the unit cell 60 means that the positive terminal (+) terminal is formed on one side, the negative terminal (-) is formed on the other side. As described above, since the unit cell 60 in which the terminal 61 is formed on the side is well known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in the drawing, first, the two unit cells 60 are arranged in series in the same manner as in the prior art, but on one side, the electrodes of the terminal 61 of each unit cell 60 are alternately arranged. Thereafter, the washers 62 and the terminal cover 30 are coupled to each terminal 61. At this time, the terminal cover 30 is tightly coupled to the terminal 61, the terminal coupling portion 33 (or female screw portion 35) and the terminal is fixedly coupled so that the side is side by side. When the terminal cover 30 is coupled to the terminal 61, the sliding connector 40 is slidingly coupled at one side of the terminal cover 30. At this time, the guide locking portion 32 of the terminal cover 30 is fitted to the guide slit 41 of the sliding connector 40 and the lower portion of the terminal cover 30 is inserted into the guide rail 42, the terminal cover ( 30 and the sliding connector 40 are in a sliding fit. The sliding connector 40 fitted with one terminal cover 30 also slides into the terminal cover 30 coupled to the other unit cell 60 disposed on the rear side of the unit cell 60 continuously penetrated. It becomes fit. The subsequent coupling process proceeds to the combination of the end plate 70 and the restraint band 80 in the same manner as described in the first embodiment.

Finally, the positive (+) terminal 61 and the negative (-) terminal 61 remaining at both ends of the outermost unit cell 60 are connected to the nut 90 by connecting the cable 90 so that the user can use the electrode. ) Is completed, the battery module 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is completed.

In another method, the terminal cover 30 is manufactured to be fixed to the unit cell 60 by insert injection molding when the unit cell 60 is manufactured. It is also possible to combine with 40).

On the other hand, the present invention is not limited to the above-described typical preferred embodiment, but can be carried out in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention, various modifications, alterations, substitutions or additions in the art Anyone who has this can easily understand it. If the implementation by such improvement, change, replacement or addition falls within the scope of the appended claims, the technical idea should also be regarded as belonging to the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is easy to be coupled by the terminal cover 30 and the sliding connector 40 coupled with the terminal, there is an effect that the smooth sliding fit without contact failure occurs.

In addition, the guide catching portion 21 of the terminal cover 30 and the guide groove of the sliding connector 40 abuts, there is an effect that the contact area is increased.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect of facilitating assembly without contact failure caused by the terminal cover and the sliding connector coupled to the terminal. In addition, the contact area that the terminal cover and the sliding connector abuts is increased.

Claims (4)

In the terminal connecting device of the battery module for connecting the terminals formed in the unit cell, A guide terminal having a guide locking portion formed around the A guide slit is provided on the inner circumferential surface and includes a sliding connector having a guide rail through which the guide terminal can pass. The guide terminal and the sliding connector is coupled to the terminal module of the battery module, characterized in that the sliding fit. The method of claim 1, A seating groove is formed at an upper portion of the guide terminal along an axis, and an insertion hole is formed at a position corresponding to the seating groove on an upper surface of the sliding connector, and the insertion hole and the seating groove are coupled by a fixing screw. Terminal module for battery module. In the terminal connecting device of the battery module for connecting the terminals formed in the unit cell, A terminal cover including a body, a guide engaging portion formed around the body, and a terminal coupling portion formed along an axis of the lower portion of the body; It includes a sliding connector having a guide slit for accommodating the guide engaging portion on the inner circumferential surface in a square tube shape, and having a guide rail through which the guide terminal can pass, The terminal cover is coupled to the terminal, the terminal cover and the terminal connector of the battery module, characterized in that the sliding fitting is a sliding fit. The method of claim 3, wherein A seating groove is formed at an upper portion of the body along an axis, and an insertion hole is formed at a position corresponding to the seating groove at an upper portion of the sliding connector, and the insertion hole and the seating groove are coupled by a fixing screw. Terminal module for battery module.

Images