KR20210053531A - Flexible Busbar and Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible bus bar and a manufacturing method thereof and, more particularly, to a flexible bus bar and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein as the flexible bus bar made of a material containing copper and stacked with a plurality of metal plates (100) having a predetermined width and length, a first terminal unit (120) and a second terminal unit (130) are respectively located at both ends of metal plate materials (100) in a longitudinal direction, a conductor unit (110) is located between the first terminal unit (120) and the second terminal unit (130), and an insulating resin coating layer is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the conductor unit (110).

Description

Flexible Busbar and Method Thereof

The present invention relates to a flexible bus bar and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, a flexible bus bar that is cheap and easy to manufacture by fixing both terminals after a plurality of metal plates coated with an insulating resin coating layer are stacked. And it relates to a method of manufacturing the same.

As technology development and demand for mobile devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, camcorders, and digital cameras increase, technologies related to rechargeable and dischargeable secondary batteries are becoming more active. In addition, secondary batteries are applied to electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) as an alternative energy source for fossil fuels that cause air pollutants. The necessity for development of the product is increasing.

Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries, among which lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, so charging and discharging are free. , It has a very low self-discharge rate and is in the spotlight for its high energy density.

Meanwhile, in a secondary battery used in a small device, several battery cells are arranged, but a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically connected is used in a vehicle or the like. In such a battery module, a plurality of battery cells are connected in series and parallel to each other to improve capacity and output. In this case, a busbar for electrical connection between the battery cells is used.

These busbars can be divided into rigid busbars and flexible busbars, and flexible busbars connect various electronic devices in addition to serial or parallel connection of battery cells. It is widely used for the purpose of doing so, and is especially applied on a complicated path where the space is narrow or curved.

As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, since the electrode terminals 21 of the unit cells 20 arranged horizontally in a battery pack composed of a total of 6 unit cells 20 are arranged in a plane, a general rigid plate-shaped bus bar Although electrical connection can be achieved with (10), electrical connection of the electrode terminals 21 of the unit cells 20 arranged vertically can be achieved with the flexible bus bar 20.

On the other hand, in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2015-0101154, a conductor portion in which a plurality of plate-shaped conductors made of tin-plated copper are stacked, a terminal portion formed by welding each of both ends of the conductor portion in the longitudinal direction, and a predetermined section of the conductor portion are described. A flexible bus bar including an enclosing tube member, and a plate-shaped conductor laminating step of laminating a plate-shaped conductor made of a tin-coated copper material, and welding the first terminal portion provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped conductor stacked in the plate-shaped conductor stacking step. 1 A conductor part covering step of covering a predetermined area of the conductor part excluding the first terminal part and the second terminal part of both ends of the laminated plate-shaped conductor in the step of welding the terminal part and the stacking step of the plate-shaped conductor with a tube member, and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped conductor Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar including a second terminal portion welding step of welding a second terminal portion provided in the.

According to the prior literature, there is an advantage that a flexible bus bar having both flexibility and insulation can be provided, but in forming the insulating portion of the plate-shaped conductor 10 as shown in FIG. 1, the tube member ( Since 14) is inserted, it takes a lot of work time, and because the insulating tube member is expensive, the manufacturing cost is high, and in addition, there is a problem that an insulating tube member must be separately prepared for each thickness of the plate-shaped conductor.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2015-0101154

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a flexible bus bar and a method of manufacturing the same, which can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce manufacturing cost.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible bus bar and a method of manufacturing the same in which the thickness of the bus bar can be easily adjusted.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible busbar and a method of manufacturing the same that can satisfy both flexibility and insulation at the same time.

A flexible bus bar according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a flexible bus bar made of a material containing copper and in which a plurality of metal plates 100 having a predetermined width and length are stacked, the metal The first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 are respectively positioned at both ends of the plate 100 in the longitudinal direction, and a conductor portion 110 is positioned between the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130, , It is characterized in that an insulating resin coating layer is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the conductor part 110.

In addition, in the flexible bus bar of the present invention, the insulating resin is characterized in that at least one of thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin and polyester resin on the outer surface.

In addition, in the flexible bus bar of the present invention, the metal plate 100 is characterized in that an insulating resin coating layer is formed on all surfaces except for the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130.

The method for manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention comprises a first step of preparing a plurality of metal plates 100 having a predetermined width and length, and is made of a material containing copper. A second step of applying an insulating resin to the other surface except for the second step, a third step of laminating the metal plates 100 prepared in the second step, and a third step of fixing one edge of the metal plates 100 stacked in the third step. And a fifth step of processing the metal plate 100 prepared in the fourth step into a predetermined shape, and a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plate 100.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, it is characterized in that the heating and/or pressing step is further performed between the fifth step and the sixth step.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, between the fifth step and the sixth step, the step of cutting the other edge of the metal plate 100 is further performed.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, the edges of the metal plates 100 are fixed by brazing.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, prior to the second step, it is characterized in that it further comprises a step of attaching a masking tape to the edges of both sides of the metal plate (100).

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, the insulating resin in the second step is applied by a spray coating method.

The flexible bus bar manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises a first step of preparing a plurality of metal plates 100 having a predetermined width and length, made of a material containing copper, and a metal plate prepared in the first step ( A second step of laminating 100), a third step of applying an insulating resin to the other surface except for both side edges of the stacked metal plates 100, and one edge of the stacked metal plates 100 prepared in the third step. A fourth step of fixing, a fifth step of processing the metal plate 100 prepared in the fourth step into a predetermined shape, and a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plate 100.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, it is characterized in that the heating and/or pressing step is further performed between the fifth step and the sixth step.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, between the fifth step and the sixth step, the step of cutting the other edge of the metal plate 100 is further performed.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, the edges of the metal plates 100 are fixed by brazing.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, prior to the third step, it is characterized in that it further comprises a step of attaching a masking tape to both sides of the laminated metal plate 100.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention, the insulating resin in the third step is applied by a spray coating method.

According to the flexible busbar and its manufacturing method according to the present invention, since an insulating resin is sprayed to form an insulating coating layer instead of using an expensive insulating tube, there is an advantage in that manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, according to the flexible bus bar and its manufacturing method according to the present invention, there is an advantage that the thickness of the bus bar can be easily adjusted because the electrode portions at both ends are fixed after stacking a plurality of metal plate materials having a coating layer formed thereon.

In addition, according to the flexible busbar and its manufacturing method according to the present invention, since a plurality of metal plates on which a coating layer is formed are stacked, there is an advantage that flexibility and insulation properties can be simultaneously satisfied.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a flexible bus bar is applied to a battery pack.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a bus bar according to the prior art.
3 is an external perspective view of a flexible bus bar according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the present application, terms such as "include", "have" or "have" are intended to designate the existence of features, numbers, steps, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. It is to be understood that it does not preclude the presence or addition of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, the same reference numerals are used for portions having similar functions and functions throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only a case in which it is directly connected, but also a case in which it is indirectly connected with another element interposed therebetween. In addition, the inclusion of a certain component does not exclude other components unless specifically stated to the contrary, but means that other components may be further included.

Hereinafter, a flexible bus bar and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described.

3 is an external perspective view of a flexible bus bar according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3 with respect to the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, the flexible bus bar according to the present invention is bent into a predetermined shape while a plurality of metal plates are stacked, and a conductor portion 110 and a pair of terminal portions ( 120 and 130) and a covering layer 140.

Specifically, the metal plate is not particularly limited as long as it is a thermally conductive material, but as an example, it may be made of a material containing copper having very excellent flexibility, and one metal plate may have a thickness of 0.2 to 0.25 mm, a width of 10 to 200 mm, and a length to be applied It can be freely decided according to the bath, etc.

When an alternating current is applied to the metal plate, the surface current increases as the frequency increases according to the skin effect, and thus the maximum allowable current may also increase as the surface area of the metal plate increases. Therefore, when a flexible bus bar is constructed using a plurality of metal plates than when a bus bar is constructed from a single plate, the surface area increases according to the number of metal plates, so that an allowable conduction current can be increased.

In the present invention, it is shown that three metal plates are stacked, but it is obvious that this can be changed as much as possible.

The first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 are positioned facing each other at both ends serving as a connector, that is, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the stacked metal plates, and the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 A conductor portion 110 wrapped with a covering layer 140 is positioned between them.

Each of the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 is in a state in which plates adjacent to each other are bonded to each other through known means such as welding to unify the stacked metal plates. The metal plates corresponding to the conductor portion 110 may be bonded to each other or may be simply in close contact.

In more detail, a covering layer is applied to both the upper surface, the lower surface and both sides of the region corresponding to the conductor portion 110 of each metal plate, and when a plurality of such metal plates are stacked, all of the adjacent plates are coated They are physically bonded to each other by In addition, when the metal plates to which the coating layer is not applied are stacked, the portions corresponding to the conductor portion 110 of the metal plates are not bonded or bonded.

As a result, in any case, in the flexible bus bar according to the present invention, only the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 are welded, and the conductor portion 110 connecting these terminal portions is not welded.

The first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 may be further provided with a first fastening hole 121 and a second fastening hole 131 to improve the convenience of fastening.

Meanwhile, the covering layer 140 surrounding the conductor portion 110 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having insulating properties and curing properties, and as an example, the outer surface may be any one or more of thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin and polyester resin.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to the present invention will be described.

4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This is a flow chart for doing this.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first exemplary embodiment will be described, a first step of preparing a plurality of metal plates 100 having a predetermined width and length, a metal plate 100 A second step of applying an insulating resin to the remaining surfaces except for both edges of the ), a third step of laminating the metal plates 100 prepared in the second step, a fourth step of fixing one edge of the laminated metal plates 100 The step, a fifth step of processing the metal plate 100 into a predetermined shape, and a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plate 100 may be performed.

To explain the above steps in more detail, the first step (FIG. 4(a)) is a step of preparing a plurality of metal plates 100 by cutting a plate made of a metal material, for example, a copper material to a predetermined size. Here, it is shown that there are three metal plates 100, but it is obvious that this can be increased or decreased as much as possible.

The second step (FIG. 4(b)) is a step of uniformly forming the coating layer 140 with a thermosetting resin having excellent insulating properties, such as an epoxy resin or a polyester resin, on the outer surfaces of each of the prepared metal plates 100.

Here, the coating layer 140 is preferably formed by using a spray coating method, through which it is easy to adjust the thickness of the coating layer 140 and the process time for coating can be reduced.

On the other hand, both ends corresponding to the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130 do not form the covering layer 140 so as to firmly fix the metal plates together with the role of a connector. When the coating layer 140 is formed by the spray coating method described above, a masking tape is previously attached to the regions corresponding to the first terminal portion 120 and the second terminal portion 130, so that the conductor portion 110 excluding the terminal portions on both sides. The coating layer 140 may be applied only to the area corresponding to ).

In the third step (Fig. 4(c)), metal plates 100 having a covering layer 1400 formed on the surface of the conductor 110 except for the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130 are vertically stacked. It is a step to do.

Here, it may be laminated using a separate jig (not shown) so that the side edges of each of the metal plate materials 100 coincide with each other.

The fourth step (FIG. 5(d)) is a step of fixing one edge (part A) of the laminated metal plate 100, and only one of the first terminal portion 120 or the second terminal portion 130 is fixed. .

After fixing both terminal portions, when bending or twisting the metal plate 100, stress is applied to the center of the bent portion at a predetermined angle, and this may lead to a failure of the bus bar. It is desirable to fix only.

At this time, the fixing method is not particularly limited, but since it is a metal plate made of a material containing copper, brazing bonding is preferable.

Subsequently, the fifth step (Fig. 5(e)) is a step of processing into a desired shape. For example, it may be bent at a predetermined angle along the stacked surface, and may be twisted in some cases, which may be variously deformed according to the type or shape of the device to which the busbar is to be connected.

The sixth step (Fig. 5(f)) is a step of fixing the other terminal part (part B) that is not fixed.After processing it into a desired shape, the remaining terminal part is integrated to facilitate shape maintenance and defect rate. Can be minimized.

Here, the fixing of the remaining terminal portions may be performed in the same brazing bonding method as in the fourth step.

Meanwhile, a step of cutting the other edge of the metal plate 100 may be further performed between the fifth step and the sixth step.

When the laminated metal plate 100 is bent or twisted in a predetermined shape in the fifth step, the side surfaces of the metal plate 100 of the other terminal portion that are not fixed may not coincide with each other due to warping or the like. In this case, it is desirable to fix the remaining terminal portions after cutting so that these side edges coincide with each other.

In addition, a heating and/or pressing step may be further performed between the fifth step and the sixth step.

The laminated metal plate 100 constitutes one busbar assembly by fixing both terminal parts through brazing, but since the conductor part 110 is not separately fixed, a gap is created between the metal plate 100 I can.

Therefore, before fixing the other terminal portion, it is preferable to pressurize with a predetermined pressure, and more preferably, heat to a predetermined temperature while pressurizing with a predetermined pressure.

Since the outer surface of the metal plate 100 of the present invention is coated with a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin or a polyester resin, the adjacent metal plate 100 is strongly bonded to each other while these resins are cured even if they are not separately welded.

Conventional busbars use expensive insulating tubes to cover a plurality of metal plates, whereas in the present invention, since they are coated with an insulating resin, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and metal plates coated with insulating resins are simply laminated. Therefore, it is very advantageous to control the thickness of the bus bar.

Meanwhile, after the sixth step is completed, a process of forming a first fastening hole in the first terminal unit 120 and a second fastening hole 131 in the second terminal unit 130 may be added in consideration of convenience of fastening. In this case, the fastening hole may be formed through a known perforation method.

7 and 8 are conceptual diagrams for explaining a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This is a flow chart for doing this.

Referring to Figures 7 to 9, explaining a method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar according to a second preferred embodiment, a plurality of metal plates 100 made of a material containing copper and having a predetermined width and length are prepared. The first step (Fig. 7(a)), the second step of laminating the metal plates 100 prepared in the first step (Fig. 7(b)), the remaining surfaces except for the edges of both sides of the laminated metal plates 100 In the third step (Fig. 7(c)) of applying the insulating resin to the third step, the fourth step of fixing one edge of the laminated metal plates 100 prepared in the third step (Fig. 8(d)), and in the fourth step A fifth step of processing the prepared metal plate 100 into a predetermined shape (FIG. 8(e)), and a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plate 100 (FIG. 8(f)); I can.

In contrast to the above-described first embodiment, only the second step and the third step are different and the rest of the configuration is the same, so that only the second step and the third step will be described below.

In the second embodiment, after the second step of first laminating the metal plates 100 on which the covering layer 140 is not formed, an insulating resin is applied to the remaining surfaces of the laminated metal plates 100 except for both edges. Step 3 is carried out.

Of course, if necessary, an additional step of applying an insulating resin may be further performed after the fifth step of processing the metal plate 100 into a predetermined shape (FIG. 8(e)).

In the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention as described above, an insulating resin is not interposed between the metal plate 100 and the adjacent metal plate 100, and the outer surface of the metal plate 100 in a laminated state. Only a bus bar in which the covering layer 140 is formed can be obtained.

Specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail above, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, these specific techniques are only preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope and scope of the technical idea, and it is natural that such modifications and modifications fall within the appended claims.

1000: flexible busbar
100: metal plate
110: conductor
120: first terminal portion
121: first fastening hole
130: second terminal portion
131: 2nd fastening hole
140: coating layer

Claims (15)

A flexible bus bar made of a material containing copper and in which a plurality of metal plates having a predetermined width and length are stacked,
A first terminal portion and a second terminal portion are respectively located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the metal plates,
A conductor portion is located between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion,
A flexible bus bar, characterized in that an insulating resin coating layer is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the conductor part.
The method of claim 1,
The insulating resin is a flexible bus bar, characterized in that at least one of an epoxy resin and a polyester resin thermosetting resin on the outer surface.
The method of claim 1,
The flexible bus bar, wherein the metal plate has an insulating resin coating layer formed on all surfaces except for the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion.
A first step of preparing a plurality of metal plates made of a material containing copper and having a predetermined width and length;
A second step of applying an insulating resin to the remaining surfaces of the metal plate except for the edges of both sides;
A third step of stacking the metal plates prepared in the second step;
A fourth step of fixing one edge of the metal plates stacked in the third step;
A fifth step of processing the metal plates prepared in the fourth step into a predetermined shape; And
A method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, comprising: a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plates.
The method of claim 4,
Between the fifth step and the sixth step, the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that further performing the heating and / or pressing step.
The method of claim 4,
Between the fifth step and the sixth step, the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that further performing the step of cutting the other edge of the metal plate.
The method of claim 4,
The method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that the edges of the metal plates are fixed by brazing.
The method of claim 4,
Prior to the second step, the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, further comprising attaching a masking tape to both edges of the metal plates.
The method of claim 4,
The method of manufacturing a flexible busbar, characterized in that the insulating resin in the second step is applied by a spray coating method.
A first step of preparing a plurality of metal plates made of a material containing copper and having a predetermined width and length;
A second step of stacking the metal plates prepared in the first step;
A third step of applying an insulating resin to the remaining surfaces of the laminated metal plates except for both side edges;
A fourth step of fixing an edge of one side of the stacked metal plates prepared in the third step;
A fifth step of processing the metal plates prepared in the fourth step into a predetermined shape; And
A method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar comprising: a sixth step of fixing the other edge of the metal plates.
The method of claim 10,
Between the fifth step and the sixth step, the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that further performing the heating and / or pressing step.
The method of claim 10,
Between the fifth step and the sixth step, the method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that further performing the step of cutting the other edge of the metal plate.
The method of claim 10,
The method of manufacturing a flexible bus bar, characterized in that the edges of the metal plates are fixed by brazing.
The method of claim 10,
Prior to the third step, the method of manufacturing a flexible busbar, further comprising attaching a masking tape to both edges of the laminated metal plates.
The method of claim 10,
The method of manufacturing a flexible busbar, characterized in that the insulating resin in the third step is applied by a spray coating method.

Images