WO2018124494A2

WO2018124494A2 - Bus bar assembly and frame assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2018124494A2
Application number: PCT/KR2017/013561
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이천효; 사광욱; 강지은; 노승준
Original assignee: 주식회사 유라코퍼레이션
Priority date: 2016-12-27
Filing date: 2017-11-24
Publication date: 2018-07-05
Also published as: WO2018124494A3

Abstract

Provided is a bus bar assembly installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells. The bus bar assembly may comprise: a bus bar fixed to a frame; a flexible printed circuit board electrically connected to the bus bar and configured to sense a plurality of battery cells; and a connection terminal which has a protrusion formed on one surface thereof and which is bonded and electrically connected to the bus bar at the other surface thereof, the protrusion being configured to extend through the flexible printed circuit board to make an electric connection between the flexible printed circuit board and the connection terminal.

Description

Busbar Assembly and Frame Assembly

The present disclosure relates to a busbar assembly and a frame assembly.

The hybrid vehicle or the electric vehicle may use a secondary battery installed inside the vehicle as a power source, and is used in various fields such as general road vehicles and leisure carts. Such a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle may drive a wheel by rotating an electric motor with electric power charged in a secondary battery, and after the secondary battery is discharged, the electric vehicle charges the secondary battery by external power, and the hybrid vehicle uses an internal combustion engine. The secondary battery may be charged by driving or external power. In addition, a number of electric vehicle manufacturers are entering the market, and the number continues to increase.

The secondary battery may not only be used in the form of one battery, but also a plurality of battery cells may be clustered into one battery module. The plurality of battery modules are installed under the vehicle body so as to be connected in series, and generate a high voltage for driving an electric motor corresponding to the output of the internal combustion engine. In addition, when a plurality of battery cells are clustered, terminals of the respective battery cells may be connected in series or in parallel by a frame assembly.

A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) is manufactured by manufacturing a substrate layer made of a flexible material and wrapping the substrate layer with a thin insulating layer. FPCB has the advantage of being light in weight and taking up little space. Due to these characteristics, FPCB has recently adopted flexible circuit boards in various fields. However, since FPCB has a considerably thin thickness unlike a general PCB, there is a problem that the FPCB is torn or broken by an external impact, and various researches and developments for solving this problem are being conducted.

Embodiments according to the present disclosure provide a frame assembly in which the connecting circuit portion of the flexible circuit board is directly bonded to the busbar attached to the frame by various bonding methods (eg, laser welding, ultra sonic, resistance welding, etc.). In addition, it provides various structures for enhancing the coupling of the circuit portion and the busbar.

Embodiments according to the present disclosure provide a frame assembly to which a frame and a flexible circuit board are connected. In addition, the parallel / serial connection configuration of the battery can be freely provided to easily change the battery capacity according to the vehicle package, and to provide a frame assembly that can reduce the number of bonding processes.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bus bar assembly that can reduce the labor and the cost of the connection in the process of electrically connecting between the bus bar and the flexible circuit board. In addition, by improving the structural weakness of the connection between the busbar and the flexible circuit board to improve product reliability, reduce the number of parts used to reduce the manufacturing and development cost of the parts and its management costs.

A bus bar assembly installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, comprising: a bus bar fixed to a frame; A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the busbar and configured to sense a plurality of battery cells; And a protrusion configured to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board by penetrating through the flexible circuit board on one side thereof, and the other side of the flexible circuit board may be connected to the bus bar to be electrically connected to the bus bar.

According to an embodiment, the connection terminal may include: a junction including a first surface and a second surface joined to the busbar; And a protrusion formed at the protrusion and extending from the joint to be lap joint to the flexible circuit board.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of projections are provided so as to face each other, a plurality of projections penetrate through a predetermined position of the flexible circuit board, the through-protruding portion may be compressed and bent deformation.

According to one embodiment, the second surface is disposed adjacent to the busbar, the second surface may be bonded to the busbar by applying a bonding method to the first surface.

According to an embodiment, the bus bar may be provided with a seating portion on which the connection terminal is seated.

According to one embodiment, the busbars and the connection terminals are provided in pairs, respectively, and the flexible circuit board includes a pair of connection circuits bifurcated from the ends of the flexible circuit board and each of the pair of connection terminals are coupled. Each of the pair of connection circuits may be configured to be electrically connected to the pair of busbars through the pair of connection terminals.

According to an embodiment, in a state in which the connection terminal is bonded to the busbar, the coating may be conformally coated to cover the connection terminal and a part of the busbar around the connection terminal.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a bus bar assembly installed on a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells, comprising: a bus bar fixed to a frame; A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the busbar and configured to sense a plurality of battery cells; A protrusion formed on one surface of the flexible circuit board to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the other surface of the connection terminal configured to contact the bus bar; And a coupling member configured to penetrate the connection terminal and the busbar to fix the connection terminal to the busbar.

According to one embodiment, the connection terminal comprises: a contact portion configured to allow the coupling member to penetrate and contact the busbar; And a protrusion formed with a protrusion and extending from the contact portion to be lap jointly coupled to the flexible circuit board.

According to one embodiment, the contact portion may include a ring portion formed with a hole through which the coupling member passes.

According to an embodiment, a bus bar may be provided with a seating portion on which the connection terminal is seated, and a hole through which the coupling member penetrates may be formed in the seating portion.

According to one embodiment, the busbar, the connection terminal, and the coupling member are each provided in a pair, and the flexible circuit board is bifurcated from the end of the flexible circuit board, and the pair of connection terminals are coupled to each other. And a connection circuit portion, each of the pair of connection circuit portions may be configured to be electrically connected to the pair of busbars through a pair of connection terminals penetrated by each of the pair of coupling members.

A bus bar assembly installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bus bar assembly fixed to the frame and having a first hole formed therein; A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the bus bar and configured to sense a plurality of battery cells, the flexible circuit board including a circuit layer formed of a conductive metal having a second hole formed through the second hole; And a coupling member configured to electrically connect the flexible circuit board and the bus bar through the first hole and the second hole, and to fix the flexible circuit board to the bus bar.

According to one embodiment, the first and second holes may be provided in pairs, respectively, the pair of first holes may be spaced at regular intervals, and the pair of second holes may be spaced at the same interval as the regular intervals. .

According to one embodiment, the flexible circuit board is disposed on the bus bar so that the second hole of the flexible circuit board is in communication with the first hole of the bus bar, the coupling member penetrates through the second hole and the first hole in communication It may be configured to couple the flexible circuit board and the bus bar by the joint.

According to one embodiment, the engagement member may be a rivet.

According to an embodiment, the bus bar may include a seating portion configured to seat the flexible circuit board, and a first hole may be formed in the seating portion.

According to one embodiment, the busbar and the coupling member are each provided in a pair, the flexible circuit board comprising a pair of connection circuits bifurcated from the ends of the flexible circuit board, each of the pair of connection circuits It may be configured to be electrically connected to a pair of busbars through a pair of coupling members.

In the frame assembly for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of batteries including an upper surface, a first side connected to one end of the upper surface, a second side connected to the other end of the upper surface A frame configured to surround the cell; A plurality of first busbars disposed on the first side of the frame; A plurality of second busbars disposed on the second side of the frame; A circuit portion disposed on the upper surface, a plurality of first connection circuit portions extending from one end of the circuit portion and branched into a plurality of branches at the first side, and a second branch extending from the other end of the circuit portion and branched into a plurality of branches at the second side A flexible circuit board including a connection circuit part; A plurality of first connection terminals including a first surface formed with a projection configured to electrically connect with the first connection circuit portion through the first connection circuit portion, and a second surface configured to contact the busbar; And a plurality of second connection terminals including a first surface through which the protrusion configured to be electrically connected to the second connection circuit portion through the second connection circuit portion and a second surface configured to contact the bus bar.

According to an embodiment, the second surface of the plurality of first connection terminals is disposed to be adjacent to the plurality of first bus bars, and the second surface of the plurality of first connection terminals is connected to the first surface of the plurality of first connection terminals. The bonding method is applied to the plurality of first busbars, the second surfaces of the plurality of second connection terminals are disposed to be adjacent to the plurality of second busbars, and the second surfaces of the plurality of second connection terminals It can be bonded to the plurality of second busbars by applying the bonding method to the first surface of the second connection terminal of the.

According to one embodiment, the plurality of first busbars are formed with a first seating portion configured to seat the first connection terminal, and the plurality of second busbars are second seating configured to seat the second connection terminal. An addition can be formed.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of first coupling members configured to penetrate the first connection terminal and the first bus bar to fix the first connection terminal to the first bus bar; And a plurality of second coupling members configured to penetrate the second connection terminal and the second bus bar to fix the second connection terminal to the second bus bar.

According to an embodiment, the first connection terminal may include a first ring portion having a hole through which the first coupling member passes, and the second connection terminal may include a second ring portion with a hole through which the second coupling member passes. have.

According to an embodiment, a hole configured to penetrate the first coupling member may be formed in the first bus bar, and a hole configured to penetrate the second coupling member may be formed in the second bus bar.

According to one embodiment, the frame comprises a first frame disposed on the upper surface; A second frame disposed on the first side, rotatably coupled to one end of the first frame, and having a plurality of first busbars disposed thereon; And a third frame disposed on the second side, rotatably coupled to the other end of the first frame, and having a plurality of second busbars disposed thereon.

According to an embodiment, the first busbar may be configured to be bonded to one terminal of the plurality of battery cells, and the second busbar may be configured to be bonded to the other terminal of the plurality of battery cells.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, since the connection circuit portion of the flexible circuit board is directly bonded to the busbar by various bonding methods (laser welding, ultra sonic, resistance welding, etc.), the connection process of the connection circuit portion and the busbar is simplified. Can be. In addition, the cost and cost can be reduced by reducing the type and number of parts, and the contact stability between the connection circuit and the bus bar can be improved.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, since the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected in series by bonding them to the busbars, the parallel / serial connection configuration of the batteries can be freely changed, and the battery capacity can be freely changed according to the vehicle package. The number of joining processes can be reduced compared to the way of connecting with each other.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the bus bar and the flexible circuit board may be electrically connected by using a conductive connection terminal, and productivity may be improved. In addition, it is possible to improve the product reliability by improving the structural weakness of the connection between the busbar and the flexible circuit board, and can reduce the manufacturing and development costs of the parts and its management costs due to the reduced number of parts.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the connection terminal may be firmly fixed to the busbar by a ring shape of the connection terminal and a coupling member penetrating the connection terminal. That is, when the connection terminal having a ring shape is used, the process of electrically connecting the bus bar and the flexible circuit board may be simplified, thereby improving productivity.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure in which a battery module including a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is installed in a vehicle.

2 is a perspective view illustrating an assembled configuration of a battery module including a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded configuration of a battery module including a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

4 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a frame assembly and a battery cell are coupled according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a connection circuit part and a bus bar of the flexible circuit board according to the first embodiment are joined.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure in which the connection circuit unit and the bus bar of the flexible circuit board according to the first embodiment are disassembled.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connection circuit unit and the bus bar illustrated in FIG. 6 taken along the line I-I.

9 is a perspective view illustrating a connection circuit part of the flexible circuit board according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connection circuit unit illustrated in FIG. 9 cut in the II-II direction.

11 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a connection circuit unit and a bus bar are joined according to a third embodiment.

12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which a connection circuit unit and a bus bar are joined according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of joining a connection circuit unit to a bus bar using a jig according to a fourth embodiment. FIG.

FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating a configuration in which the connection circuit unit and the bus bar according to the fourth embodiment are conformally coated.

15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of the conformal coating treated configuration shown in FIG.

16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which openings formed in each of the first and second insulating layers of the connection circuit unit according to the fifth embodiment have different sizes.

17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which a plating layer is plated on a substrate layer of a connection circuit unit according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which a third and fourth insulating layers are laminated on the first and second insulating layers of the connection circuit unit according to the seventh embodiment.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing the frame assembly according to the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating steps of manufacturing a flexible circuit board in the method of manufacturing a frame assembly shown in FIG. 19.

21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an exploded configuration of a battery module according to a ninth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a frame and a bus bar in the frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a disassembled battery cell and a frame assembly in the battery module illustrated in FIG. 21.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view illustrating an intermediate process in which a battery cell and a frame assembly are coupled to each other in the battery module illustrated in FIG. 21.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a battery cell and a frame assembly are combined in the battery module illustrated in FIG. 21.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged perspective view of a bus bar of the battery module illustrated in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an enlarged perspective view of a bus bar portion positioned opposite to the bus bar portion illustrated in FIG. 26 in the battery module illustrated in FIG. 25.

28 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a frame and a flexible circuit board are assembled according to the tenth embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view illustrating a disassembled structure of the frame and the flexible circuit board illustrated in FIG. 28.

30 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure for installing a flexible circuit board cover in a frame assembly according to an eleventh embodiment.

FIG. 31 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure in which an insulating cover is installed between a bus bar and a module cover according to a twelfth embodiment.

32 is a perspective view showing the structure of the frame according to the thirteenth embodiment.

FIG. 33 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge structure applied to the frame illustrated in FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge structure of FIG. 33 taken along the IV-IV direction. FIG.

35 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a temperature sensor unit and a pressing member of an upper frame of a flexible circuit board according to a fourteenth embodiment.

36 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which the temperature sensor unit and the pressing member illustrated in FIG. 35 are cut in the V-V direction.

37 is a perspective view illustrating an internal structure when the upper frame and the flexible circuit board of FIG. 35 are coupled to each other.

38 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a foam pad is attached to a lower side of an upper frame according to a fifteenth embodiment.

39 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing the frame assembly according to the sixteenth embodiment.

FIG. 40 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed process of 'manufacturing second and third frames in which a plurality of busbars are coupled' of FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which the bus bar and the frame are integrally injected to explain the flowchart of FIG. 40.

42 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a battery module according to the seventeenth embodiment.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view illustrating a resin injection process in the method of manufacturing the battery module illustrated in FIG. 42.

44 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a busbar assembly according to the eighteenth embodiment.

FIG. 45 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an exploded view of the busbar assembly illustrated in FIG. 44.

FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the bus bar assembly illustrated in FIG. 44 taken along the line VI-VI.

FIG. 47 is a perspective view illustrating the connection terminal of the bus bar assembly illustrated in FIG. 44.

48 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a busbar assembly according to a nineteenth embodiment.

49 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a busbar assembly according to a twentieth embodiment.

FIG. 50 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an exploded view of the busbar assembly illustrated in FIG. 49.

FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view of the busbar assembly of FIG. 49 taken along a line VII-VII. FIG.

FIG. 52 is a perspective view illustrating the connection terminal of the bus bar assembly illustrated in FIG. 49.

53 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the busbar assembly according to the twenty-first embodiment.

54 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a busbar assembly according to a twenty-second embodiment.

FIG. 55 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a disassembled view of the busbar assembly illustrated in FIG. 54.

FIG. 56 is a cross-sectional view of the bus bar assembly illustrated in FIG. 54 taken along the VIII-VIII direction.

57 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a busbar assembly according to a twenty-third embodiment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated for the purpose of describing the technical spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments set forth below or the detailed description of these embodiments.

All technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure, unless defined otherwise, have the meanings that are commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. All terms used in the present disclosure are selected for the purpose of more clearly describing the present disclosure, and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights according to the present disclosure.

As used in this disclosure, expressions such as "comprising", "including", "having", and the like, are open terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence in which the expression is included. It should be understood as (open-ended terms).

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Expressions such as “first”, “second”, and the like used in the present disclosure are used to distinguish a plurality of components from each other, and do not limit the order or importance of the components.

In the present disclosure, when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, or new It is to be understood that the connection may be made or may be connected via other components.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, it may be omitted to duplicate the same or corresponding components. However, even if the description of the component is omitted, it is not intended that such component is not included in any embodiment.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure in which a battery module M including a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is installed in a vehicle, and FIG. 2 is a battery module including a frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows the assembled structure of (M).

The battery module M may be arranged in plural on the floor of the vehicle body. The plurality of battery modules M representing the same output voltage may be connected to each other in series or in parallel to form a final output voltage. The load can be driven to this final output voltage. For example, the driving force generated by the motor, which is a kind of load, can rotate the wheel of the vehicle. Control of charging / discharging of each of the plurality of battery modules M may be controlled by a controller.

1 illustrates a configuration in which the battery modules M are connected in series with each other, but according to conditions such as an output voltage of each battery module M, a layout of a vehicle, a voltage required by a load, and the like, The arrangement can vary.

3 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded configuration of a battery module M including a frame assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a frame assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. And a perspective view showing a configuration in which the battery cell C is coupled.

The battery module M includes a plurality of stacked battery cells C, a frame assembly 1 for fixing them, an insulating cover 3 covering both sides of the frame assembly 1, and a module cover 4. ), And the housing 6. The battery cell C may be, for example, a secondary battery, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and any battery type C may be applied as long as the battery cell C can be charged or discharged.

The terminal of the battery cell C may be a tap terminal made of a conductive and deformable material. The battery cell C may include a cell body C1, a (+) tab T1 formed on one side of the cell body C1, and a (−) tab T2 formed on the other side of the cell body C1. It may include. The positive tab T1 and the negative tab T2 may be flexible tab terminals made of a conductive and flexible material. The (+) and (-) tabs T1 and T2 may be made of, for example, a material containing lead or aluminum, but are not limited thereto. Any metal material that can be flexibly bent may be used. Can be applied.

Referring to FIG. 3, a configuration in which tab terminals of adjacent battery cells C of the plurality of battery cells C are connected to each other is illustrated. For example, when tab terminals having the same polarity are connected to each other, the adjacent battery cells C may be electrically connected in parallel to each other. In addition, the tab terminals of adjacent battery cells C may be electrically connected to each other through a surface bonding process.

The module cover 4 may prevent a vehicle fire due to crushing or damage of the battery cell C in the event of an accident of the vehicle and may protect the inside of the assembly in which the frame assembly 1 is coupled with the battery cells C. In addition, the housing 6 can protect the frame assembly 1 and the plurality of battery cells C from being coupled together from external impact. For example, the module cover 4 and the housing 6 may be composed of a metal material having high strength.

The frame assembly 1 may include a frame 10, a plurality of

busbars

121, 122, 131, and 132, a flexible circuit board 20 (FPCB), and a connector 5. The flexible circuit board 20 may be disposed along the length direction of the frame 10. The connector 5 is a signal indicative of the state of the plurality of battery cells (C). For example, it is configured to transmit and receive signals related to voltage sensing and temperature sensing to the controller shown in FIG. 1, and may be coupled to the flexible circuit board 20.

In one embodiment, the frame 10 is rotatable with respect to one end of the first frame 110, the first frame 110 disposed on the top surface of the frame 10, the first side of the frame 10 and the first frame 110. The second frame 120 may be coupled to each other, and the third frame 130 disposed on the second side of the frame 10 and rotatably coupled to the other end of the first frame 110. In addition, the frame 10 may be configured to surround the upper surface and both sides of the plurality of battery cells (C). Frame 10 may be comprised of a non-conductive synthetic resin material.

The plurality of

bus bars

121, 122, 131, and 132 may be made of a conductive metal material, and may include a plurality of first bus bars 121 and 122 and a plurality of second bus bars 131 and 132. Can be. A plurality of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be disposed in the second frame 120, and a plurality of second bus bars 131 and 132 may be disposed in the third frame 130. The plurality of first bus bars 121 and 122 and the plurality of second bus bars 131 and 132 may be configured to be joined to terminals of the plurality of battery cells C.

The battery cell C may have a form in which the (+) and (−) tabs T1 and T2 are straightened before being connected to the frame assembly 1. The open tabs T1 and T2 may pass through the

openings

1211 and 1221 formed in the first bus bars 121 and 122 and the

openings

1311 and 1321 formed in the second bus bars 131 and 132. .

The battery cell C and the frame assembly 1 may be combined through the following process. The second and

third frames

120 and 130 of the frame assembly 1 may be covered on the battery cells C while spread outward from the battery cells C. Next, the

openings

1211 and 1221 in which the tabs T1 and T2 of the battery cell C are formed in the first bus bars 121 and 122 while pressing the open second and

third frames

120 and 130 again; The

openings

1311 and 1321 formed in the second bus bars 131 and 132 are passed through. Next, one surface of the tabs T1 and T2 is bent to contact the front surfaces of the first bus bars 121 and 122 and the second bus bars 131 and 132. Next, the bonding method is applied on the other surfaces of the tabs T1 and T2 to electrically connect the tabs T1 and T2 to the first bus bars 121 and 122 and the second bus bars 131 and 132. Let's do it.

As described above, since the bus bars 121, 122, 131, and 132 are used as compared to the method of connecting each battery cell C in a line, the bonding process between the tab terminals may be reduced by more than half. In addition, since the battery cells are connected to each other in series by the bus bars, the battery capacity and the output voltage can be configured without restrictions by using the bus bars. 4 and 5, since the bus bars 121 and 122 and the flexible circuit board 20 are directly electrically connected, overvoltage and temperature sensing of the battery cell C may be sensed through the flexible circuit board 20. .

Referring to FIG. 3, the insulating cover 3 may be disposed between the plurality of

busbars

121, 122, 131, and 132 and the module cover 4, and may be disposed on both sides of the frame assembly 1. have. In addition, the insulating cover 3 may be made of a non-conductive synthetic resin material. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a short phenomenon between the bus bars 122, 124, 132, and 134 coupled to the frame assembly 1 and the module cover 4.

5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the flexible circuit board 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 and 4, the flexible printed circuit board 20 may be disposed to closely contact the first to

third frames

110, 120, and 130. The flexible circuit board 20 may include a substrate layer of a conductive metal material and an insulating layer of a nonconductive synthetic resin material. The flexible printed circuit board 20 may have a form in which a non-conductive insulating layer surrounds the conductive substrate layer, and may be formed to have a substantially thin thickness (eg, 2 mm or less) and bend flexibly as a whole.

3 and 4, the flexible circuit board 20 may be disposed along the upper surface and both sides of the frame 10. In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board 20 extends from one end of the circuit unit 230 and the circuit unit 230 disposed in the first frame 110 to be coupled to the plurality of first bus bars 121 and 122. The first connection circuit unit 210 and the second connection circuit unit 220 extending from the other end of the circuit unit 230 and coupled to the plurality of second bus bars 131 and 132 may be included. In addition, the first connection circuit unit 210 may include a first a junction part 211 extending to one side and a first b junction part 212 extending to the other side. In addition, the second connection circuit unit 220 may include a second a junction part 221 extending to one side and a second b junction part 222 extending to the other side.

In one embodiment, the flexible circuit board 20 may include a temperature sensor unit 240 extending from the circuit unit 230 and the temperature measuring sensor is fixed. In addition, the flexible circuit board 20 may include a terminal portion 250 extending from the circuit portion 230 at a position adjacent to the second connection circuit portion 220. The terminal unit 250 may be directly coupled to the connector 5 shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a connection circuit unit and a bus bar of the flexible circuit board 20 according to the first embodiment are joined. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a connection circuit unit and a bus bar of the flexible circuit board 20 according to the first embodiment. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the disassembled configuration, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of the connecting circuit unit and the bus bar illustrated in FIG. 6. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

5 and 6, the plurality of first bus bars 121 and 122 may include a first bus bar 121 and a first bus bar 122. Two slits 1211 may be formed in the firsta bus bar 121. In addition, one slit 1221 may be formed in the first b bus bar 122. The tab terminals of the battery cell C may pass through the

slits

1211 and 1221.

The first connection circuit unit 210 may include a first a junction part 211 extending to one side and a first b junction part 212 extending to the other side. The first a junction 211 may be bonded to the first a bus bar 121, and the first b junction 212 may be bonded to the first b bus bar 122. Referring to FIG. 8, the first and

second junctions

211 and 212 are disposed on one surface of the

conductive substrate layers

2112 and 2122 and the

substrate layers

2112 and 2122, respectively, which are made of a flexible material.

First openings

2111a and 2122a are formed to expose

first surfaces

2112a and 2122a of the

substrate layers

2112 and 2122, and the other surfaces of the first insulating

layers

2111 and 2121 and the

substrate layers

2112 and 2122. At least one

second opening

2113a and 2123b may be formed on the second insulating

layer

2113 and 2123 to expose the

second surfaces

2112b and 2122b of the

substrate layers

2112 and 2122. have.

The process of bonding the first connection circuit unit 210 to the first bus bars 121 and 122 may be performed as follows. First,

bonding surfaces

1212 and 1222 having

second surfaces

2112b and 2122b of the first and

second bonding portions

211 and 212 disposed at corners of the upper surfaces of the first and second bus bars 121 and 122, respectively. ). Next, when the welding method (laser welding, ultra sonic, resistance welding, etc.) is applied to the

first surfaces

2112a and 2122a of the first and

second bonding portions

211 and 212, the

second surfaces

2112b and 2122b are fused. ) And the

bonding surfaces

1212 and 1222 may be directly bonded and electrically connected. In one embodiment, the mating surfaces 1212, 1222 protrude from, enter inwardly, or join the first side and

firstb busbars

121, 122. 1212 and 1222 may be formed in parallel with the portion adjacent to.

In the above-described manner, since the first a and the first b joints 211 and 212 and the first a and the first bus bars 121 and 122 are directly electrically connected using one or more of the above-described joining methods, the connection circuit part and the bus bar are directly connected to each other. Can improve the electrical conductivity, and the fixing stability can be improved. In addition, since there is no coupling means such as a clamp between the first connection circuit portion 210 and the

busbars

121 and 122, the stability against electrical contact can be improved, the number of parts is reduced, the cost is reduced, and the process is Can be shortened. In addition, since both sides of the

substrate layers

2112 and 2122 are exposed, a structure in which the connection circuit portion can be directly coupled to the busbar can be secured, and the number of applied parts and the labor cost can be reduced, and weight and cost can be reduced. This is possible.

6 to 8, the bonding process of the first connection circuit unit 210 and the first bus bars 121 and 122 has been described. However, the same bonding process as the above-described bonding process is performed with the second connection circuit unit 220. The same may be applied to the bonding process of the second bus bars 131 and 132. Therefore, duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the connection circuit unit 260 of the flexible printed circuit board according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connection circuit unit 260 illustrated in FIG. 9 in the II-II direction. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

The connection circuit unit 260 may include a first junction 261 extending in one direction and exposing both surfaces thereof and a second junction portion 262 extending in the other direction opposite to one direction and exposing both surfaces. The connection circuit unit 260 may include a substrate layer 2611 made of a conductive material and insulating

layers

2612, 2613, and 2614 made of a nonconductive material surrounding the substrate layer 2611. In addition, the conductive material may comprise copper and the non-conductive material may comprise PEN or PI materials.

In one embodiment, the insulating

layers

2612, 2613, and 2614 are the first insulating layer 2612 attached to one surface of the substrate layer 2611 and the second insulating layer 2613 attached to the other surface of the substrate layer 2611. ) And a third substrate layer 2614 attached on the first substrate layer 2611. Each of the first to third insulating

layers

2612, 2613, and 2614 may be formed of a

non-conductive layer

2612a, 2613a, and 2614a, and an

adhesive layer

2612b, 2613b, and 2614b to adhere the same.

In other embodiments, the number or arrangement of layers to be laminated may vary depending on the working process of the frame assembly or the tensile strength required for the connecting circuitry 260. For example, two insulating layers may be provided for the other surface of the substrate layer 2611.

According to one embodiment, the second insulating layer 2613 is disposed on the other side of the substrate layer 2611 and one surface of the substrate layer 2612 is compared with one insulating layer covering both sides of the substrate layer 2611. Since the first and third insulating

layers

2612 and 2614 are disposed on one surface, the possibility of breakage of the connecting circuit unit 260 due to tension may be reduced. In addition, when an external force is applied to the connection circuit unit 260 during the transport or assembly of the frame assembly, if the insulating layer is composed of one, it may not be sustained and part of the connection circuit part 260 may be disconnected. Two insulating layers may be disposed on the surface to improve the tensile force of the connection circuit unit 260. In addition, since the cover layer surrounding the substrate layer is configured in a double in the flexible circuit board, it is possible to ensure the tensile force reliability of the circuit portion and to prevent damage.

As described above, the method of disposing two insulating layers on one surface of the substrate layer may be applied to the connection circuit unit 260 which is easily damaged. In addition, it may be applied to the entire flexible circuit board 20 including the connection circuit unit 260 according to the characteristics of the vehicle and the production cost of the vehicle. The openings formed in the insulating layers 2231a and 2231b may be formed to expose both surfaces of the substrate layer 2611 in the form shown in FIG. 10. Therefore, a structure in which the circuit portion can be directly coupled to the bus bar can be ensured, the number of applied parts can be reduced and the labor cost can be reduced, and weight and cost can be reduced.

11 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which the connection circuit unit 270 and the bus bar 125 are bonded to each other according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the connection circuit unit 270 and the bus bar 125 according to the third embodiment. It is sectional drawing which showed the joined structure. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

The connection circuit unit 270 may include a first junction part 271 extending in one direction and exposing both sides thereof, and a second junction part 272 extending in the other direction opposite to one direction and exposing both sides. In one embodiment, bus bars 125 and 126 may be provided with

seating portions

1251 and 1261 configured to seat first and

second junctions

271 and 272, respectively. The

seating portions

1251 and 1261 may be bent toward the side frame 140, and may have sizes corresponding to the first and

second junctions

271 and 272.

In one embodiment, the depth D ₁ of the mounting

portions

1251, 1261 may be configured to be greater than the thickness D ₂ of the first and

second junctions

271, 272. In addition, the lower surface 2711 of the first bonding portion 271 may be bonded to the upper surface 1252 of the seating portion 1251, and similarly, the lower surface of the second bonding portion 272 is bonded to the upper surface of the mounting portion 1252. Can be. Therefore, in the state where the first and

second joints

271 and 272 are joined to the mounting

parts

1251 and 1261, damage to the first and

second joints

271 and 272 may be caused in the process of transporting or assembling the frame assembly. It can reduce the situation that occurs.

According to the embodiment described above, by forming a positioning structure in which the circuit portion can be seated on the bus bar, it is possible to identify the joint position by the naked eye of the operator, thereby improving workability, and by positioning the circuit portion in the required position, Can improve.

13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process of bonding the connection circuit unit 275 to the bus bar 127 using the jig according to the fourth embodiment. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

The connection circuit unit 275 may include a substrate layer 277, a first insulating layer 276 attached to the upper surface 271 of the substrate layer 277, and a second insulating layer attached to the lower surface 2772 of the substrate layer 277. 278. The thickness of the second insulating layer 278 between the lower surface 2772 of the substrate layer 277 and the upper surface 1271 of the bus bar 127 with the connection circuit portion 275 seated on the bus bar 127. There may be a gap G of the corresponding size, ie an air gap. Therefore, when the welding method (welding, W) to the upper surface (2771) of the substrate layer 277 in the state where such a gap (G) is present, a situation in which the required level of bonding quality may not be achieved. . In addition, when there is a portion on the lower surface 2772 of the substrate layer 277 that cannot contact the upper surface 1271 of the bus bar 127, the portion of the substrate layer 277 to which the bonding method W is applied is removed. The phenomenon may occur, or the insulating layer may burn.

In one embodiment, after connecting the connection circuitry 270 on the bus bar 127, the upper surface 2771 of the substrate layer 277 may be pressed using jigs Z. In this state, since the gap G between the substrate layer 277 and the bus bar 127 disappears, the contact area between the lower surface 2772 of the substrate layer 277 and the upper surface 1271 of the bus bar 127 is lost. This can be increased. In addition, when the bonding method W is applied to the upper surface 2771 of the substrate layer 277 while holding the substrate layer 277 with the jig Z, the welding performance may be improved, and workability may be improved. Can be improved.

FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating a configuration in which the connection circuit unit 280 and the busbars 128 are bonded to each other according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 15 is a conformal coating treatment shown in FIG. 14. Sectional drawing cut | disconnected along line III-III.

In one embodiment, with the connection circuitry 280 coupled to the busbar 128, the busbars in the area surrounding the connection circuitry 280 and the connection circuitry 280, ie the area surrounding the connection circuitry 280 ( Conformal coating to cover a portion of 128). The conformal coating layer 30 may be made of a non-conductive material, and may include, for example, a material such as acrylic or urethane. In addition, the conformal coating layer 30 may be applied only to a required area using a nozzle (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 15, first, the connection circuit unit 280 is seated on a seating part 1281 formed on the bus bar 128. Next, the lower surface 2811 of the substrate layer 281 of the connection circuit portion 280 and the upper surface 1282 of the bus bar 128 are bonded. Thereafter, conformal coating is performed on the connection circuit unit 280 to form the conformal coating layer 30. As such, when the conformal coating layer 30 is formed on the connection circuit unit 280, corrosion of the substrate layer 281 may be prevented, and the connection circuit unit 280 and the bus bar 128 may be protected. In addition, the bonding strength between the connection circuit unit 280 and the bus bar 128 may be improved.

16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which openings formed in the first and second insulating layers 292 and 293 of the connection circuit unit 290 according to the fifth embodiment have different sizes.

In one embodiment, the connection circuit unit 290 is disposed on one surface of the conductive substrate layer 291, the substrate layer 291 made of a flexible material and at least one first opening 2921 is formed to form the substrate layer 291. Is disposed on the exposed first insulating layer 292 and the other surface of the substrate layer 291 and at a position opposite to the first opening 2921 with respect to the substrate layer 291. At least one second opening 2941 may be formed to include a second insulating layer 293 exposing the second surface 2912 of the substrate layer 291. The first insulating layer 292 may be disposed to face the bus bar, and the first insulating layer 292 may be disposed to face the outside of the bus bar.

The second opening 2927 may be formed to have a larger size than the first opening 2921. In addition, an area of the first surface 2911 may be smaller than that of the second surface 2912. Therefore, in the cross-sectional direction of the connection circuit unit 290, a part of the first insulating layer 292 may partially overlap with the region formed by the second opening 2927. While bonding the connection circuit unit 290 to the busbar, the substrate layer 291 is bent toward the busbar, and a gap may occur between the substrate layer 291 and the first insulating layer 292 in the process. In addition, the boundary portion surrounding the first surface 2911 of the substrate layer 291 in the connection circuit unit 290 may be vulnerable to breakage. Accordingly, by making the area of the first surface 2911 exposed by the first insulating layer 292 smaller, the rigidity of the connection circuit unit 290 may be increased to prevent breakage of the connection circuit unit 290.

17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which plating layers 340 and 350 are plated on the substrate layer 320 of the connection circuit unit 300 according to the sixth embodiment.

The connection circuit unit 300 may include a substrate layer 320, a first insulating layer 310, and a second insulating layer 330 disposed toward the bus bar 129. A first opening 310a may be formed in the first insulating layer 310 to expose the first surface 321 of the substrate layer 320. A second opening 330a may be formed in the second insulating layer 330 to expose the second surface 322 of the substrate layer 320. In one embodiment, the second plating layer 350 may be plated on the second opening 330a to cover at least a portion of the second surface 322. In addition, the first plating layer 340 may be plated on the first opening 310a to cover at least a portion of the first surface 321. The first and second plating layers 340 and 350 may be made of a conductive material, for example, the same material as the substrate layer 320.

In a situation where the connection circuit portion 290 is disposed to contact the bus bar 129, the second plating layer 350 fills an air gap existing between the substrate layer 320 and the bus bar 129. Can be. In addition, the thickness of the second plating layer 350 may have a size corresponding to the thickness T ₃ of the second insulating layer 330. Therefore, when the bonding method W is applied on the first plating layer 340 or the first surface 321, the second plating layer 350 is performed without proceeding to bend the substrate layer 320 using a jig. And the upper surface 1291 of the busbar 129 can be bonded.

18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which the third and fourth insulating

layers

440 and 450 are laminated on the first and second insulating

layers

410 and 430 of the connection circuit unit 400 according to the seventh embodiment.

The connection circuit unit 400 is disposed on one surface of the substrate layer 420 and the substrate layer 420, and at least one first opening 410a is formed so that the first surface 421 of the substrate layer 420 is formed. The exposed first insulating layer 410 and the other surface of the substrate layer 420 and at least one second opening 430a are formed to expose the second surface 422 of the substrate layer 420. The second insulating layer 430 may be included. In addition, the first and second plating layers 460 and 470 may be plated on at least a portion of the first surface 421 and the second surface 422 exposed through the first and

second openings

410a and 430a. .

In one embodiment, the connection circuit unit 400 may include a third insulating layer 440 attached to a portion of the first insulating layer 410 and a portion of the first plating layer 460 adjacent to the portion of the first insulating layer 410. And a fourth insulating layer 450 attached to a portion of the second insulating layer 430 and a portion of the second plating layer 470 adjacent to the portion of the second insulating layer 430.

The third insulating layer 440 is attached to be in close contact with the position where the first insulating layer 410 and the first plating layer 460 are in contact, and the fourth insulating layer 450 is attached to the second insulating layer 430 and the second. The plating layer 470 may be attached to be in close contact with the contact position. That is, some of the third and fourth insulating

layers

440 and 450 may be configured to cover edge portions of the first and second plating layers 460 and 470. Therefore, in the cross-sectional direction of the connection circuit unit 400, a part of the third and fourth insulating

layers

440 and 450 may partially overlap the regions formed by the first and second plating layers 460 and 470. .

An end of the fourth insulating layer 450 may be disposed to contact the end of the bus bar 150. In the process of bonding the second plating layer 470 to the bus bar 150, between the first plating layer 460 and the first insulating layer 410 and between the second plating layer 470 and the second insulating layer 430. Cracks may occur, and since the third and fourth insulating

layers

440 and 450 cover part of the first and second plating layers 460 and 470, the occurrence of such cracks may be prevented. have. In addition, the third and fourth insulating

layers

440 and 450 may serve as reinforcing materials to improve bending strength of the connection circuit unit 400, and may prevent disconnection of the substrate layer 420.

19 is a flowchart illustrating a method (S1200) of manufacturing a frame assembly according to an eighth embodiment. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

Method of manufacturing a frame assembly (S1200), a first frame, a plurality of first busbars are coupled and rotatably coupled to one end of the first frame, and a plurality of second busbars are coupled and the first frame Manufacturing a frame including a third frame rotatably coupled to the other end of the step (S1210), a circuit portion disposed in the first frame, a first connection circuit portion disposed in the second frame and extending from one end of the circuit portion, Manufacturing a flexible circuit board including a second connection circuit part disposed in a third frame and extending from the other end of the circuit part (S1220), and disposing one surface of the first connection circuit part on the plurality of first busbars; 2 disposing one surface of the connection circuit portion on the plurality of second busbars (S1230), applying a bonding method to the other surface of the first connection circuit portion to bond one surface of the first connection circuit portion to the plurality of first busbars; Second connection The method may include attaching one surface of the second connection circuit part to the plurality of second bus bars by applying a bonding method to the other surface of the circuit part (S1250).

In one embodiment, the method of manufacturing the assembly (S1200), pressing the other surface of the plurality of first and second connection circuit portion using a jig (S1240) and the first and second connection circuit portion and the first and first The method may further include performing a conformal coating process (S1260) to cover portions of the first and second bus bars around each of the two connection circuit units.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an operation S1220 of manufacturing a flexible circuit board in the method S1200 of manufacturing the frame assembly illustrated in FIG. 19.

In the manufacturing of the flexible circuit board (S1220), the step of manufacturing the substrate layer by cutting into a predetermined shape from the conductive material (S1221), the first insulating layer by cutting into a shape having a size covering the substrate layer from the insulating material Manufacturing a step (S1222), cutting a shape having a size covering the substrate layer from the insulating material to prepare a second insulating layer (S1223), at least one first opening in a predetermined position of the first insulating layer Forming (S1224), forming at least one second opening in the second insulating layer at a position opposite to the first opening relative to the substrate layer (S1225), and forming the first insulating layer in the substrate layer. The method may include disposing the second insulating layer on the other surface of the substrate layer and integrally coupling the first insulating layer, the substrate layer, and the second insulating layer (S1226).

In an embodiment, the manufacturing of the flexible circuit board (S1220) may include plating a conductive material on at least a portion of one surface of the substrate layer exposed through the at least one first opening to form a first plating layer and at least one Forming a plating layer by plating a conductive material on at least a portion of the other surface of the substrate layer exposed through the second opening (S1227), the portion of the first plating layer adjacent to the portion of the first insulating layer and the portion of the first insulating layer. Attaching a third insulating layer to the second insulating layer (S1228), and attaching a fourth insulating layer to the portion of the second plating layer adjacent to the portion of the second insulating layer and the portion of the second insulating layer (S1229). have.

21 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an exploded configuration of the battery module M ₂ according to the ninth embodiment. Descriptions duplicated with those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

The battery module M ₂ may include a plurality of stacked battery cells C, a frame assembly 500 for fixing them, a module cover 502, insulating

covers

541 and 542, and a housing 503. Can be. The insulating covers 541 and 542 may be disposed between the plurality of first and

second busbars

522, 524, 532, and 534 and the module cover 502.

The frame assembly 500 may include a frame 501, a plurality of first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532, and 534, a flexible circuit board 600, and a connector 603. The frame 501 may be configured to surround the top surfaces and both side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells C. The frame 501 is coupled to one side of the first frame 510 and the first frame 510 configured to surround the top surfaces of the plurality of battery cells C, and surrounds one side of the plurality of battery cells C. The second frame 520 may be configured, and the third frame 530 may be coupled to the other side of the first frame 510 and configured to surround other side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells C.

The plurality of first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532, and 534 are disposed on portions of both sides of the frame 501 that surround both sides of the plurality of battery cells C, and the plurality of battery cells C It can be configured to join with the terminal of). The first bus bars 522 and 524 may be disposed on the second frame 520, and the second bus bars 532 and 534 may be disposed on the third frame 530.

Referring to FIG. 21, terminals of battery cells C adjacent to each other among the plurality of battery cells C may be connected. For example, when the same pole terminals of the plurality of battery cells C are connected, adjacent battery cells C may be electrically connected to each other in parallel. At this time, the same pole terminal may be connected to each other by surface bonding.

In one embodiment, in the plurality of battery cells C, the same pole terminals of adjacent N (N≥2, integer) battery cells may be connected in parallel to form one terminal pair. Battery cells connected in parallel with one terminal pair may form one battery group, and when a plurality of such battery groups are formed, the battery cells may be referred to as a plurality of battery groups. For example, when twelve battery cells are stacked, referring to FIG. 3, six battery groups in which two battery cells are connected in parallel (directly connecting the same pole terminals of two battery cells) may be configured. Thus, the plurality of battery cells C is configured to include a plurality of battery groups. In FIG. 3, the plurality of battery cells C is illustrated as being stacked with 12 battery cells, but may be formed so that any battery cells are stacked. In addition, in the plurality of battery cells C of FIG. 3, two battery cells are connected in parallel to be divided into six battery groups. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and three or more battery cells may be connected in parallel. It may be formed to be divided into a plurality of battery groups.

Terminals of the plurality of battery groups may be configured to be connected in series through the plurality of first and

second busbars

522, 524, 532, and 534. According to one embodiment, the terminals of the plurality of battery groups may be connected in series by being bonded to the busbar, a detailed technical configuration will be described later. Under this configuration, a plurality of battery groups may be connected in series to form an output voltage of the battery module M. FIG.

The flexible circuit board 600 may include a temperature sensor part extending from the first circuit part 610, the second circuit part 620, the intermediate part 630 connecting the first circuit part and the second circuit part, and the intermediate part 630. 640. In addition, the flexible circuit board 600 is disposed along the top and both side surfaces of the frame 501, and is electrically connected to the plurality of first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532, and 534, thereby providing a plurality of batteries. Configured to sense the cell. The flexible circuit board 600 may be formed along the first to

third frames

510, 520, and 530, and may be disposed to closely contact the first to third frames 510 to 530.

Path grooves 512 may be formed in the first frame 510 to accommodate the intermediate portion 630 of the flexible printed circuit board 20. In addition, a pressing member 516 for directing the temperature sensor unit 640 toward the battery cell C may be formed in the first frame 510.

The connector 603 is configured to transmit and receive signals for controlling the plurality of battery cells C, and may be coupled to the flexible circuit board 600. The connector 603 may be configured to transmit and receive a signal with an external control device. For example, the connector 603 may be configured to transmit a signal indicating a state of the plurality of battery cells C or to receive a signal for controlling the plurality of battery cells.

FIG. 22 illustrates a portion of the frame 501 of the frame assembly 500 illustrated in FIG. 21, that is, the second frame 520 and the third frame 530, and the first and

second busbars

522, 524, 532, 534 is a perspective view separately shown. Each of the frame 501 and the

second busbars

522, 524, 532, and 534 may have at least one opening penetrated by the tab terminal. For example, the opening may be formed in the form of a slit. Referring to FIG. 4, six

openings

520a, 520b, 520c, 520d, 520e, and 520f may be formed in the second frame 520, and six

openings

520a, 520b, 520c, 520d, 520e, and 520f may be formed. Three

openings

520b, 520d, and 520e may be formed at positions corresponding to the

openings

522b, 524d, and 524e formed in the first bus bars 522 and 524. Similarly, six

openings

530a, 530b, 530c, 530d, 530e, and 530f may be formed in the third frame 530, and three of the six

openings

530a, 530b, 530c, 530d, 530e, and 530f may be formed. The

openings

530b, 530c, and 530e may be formed at positions corresponding to the

openings

534b, 534c and 532e formed in the second bus bars 532 and 534.

Hereinafter, a process of coupling the frame assembly 1 and the battery cell C according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 25.

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure in which the frame assembly 1 and the battery cells C are disassembled, according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 24 illustrates a combination of the frame assembly 1 and the battery cells C according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the intermediate state of the process. In addition, FIG. 25 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which the frame assembly 1 and the battery cell C are coupled according to an embodiment.

The battery cell C may include a cell body C1, a positive tap T1 of the cell body C1, and a negative tap T2 of the cell body C1. The positive tab T1 and the negative tab T2 may be flexible tab terminals made of a conductive and flexible material. The plurality of battery cells C shown in FIG. 23 are composed of six battery groups in which the same pole terminals of two battery cells are directly connected.

In a state before the frame assembly 500 is connected, the positive and negative tabs T1 and T2 of the battery cell C may be straightened. 23 and 24, the (+) tab T1 located at both edges of the stacked battery cells C passes through the

openings

520a, 520b, 520e, and 520f formed in the second frame 520. The center tap (-) tab T2 may be configured to pass through the

openings

520c and 520d formed in the second frame 520. These straight tabs T1, T2 may pass through

openings

522b, 524d, 524e formed in the

busbars

522, 524. Similarly, the tabs T1, in a manner similar to that of the tabs T1, T2 for the shaved second frame and the

busbars

522, 524, to which the third frame 530 and

busbars

532, 534 are coupled. T2) can be passed.

Referring to FIG. 24, the second and

third frames

520 and 530 of the frame assembly 500 may be covered on the battery cell C while spread outward from the battery cell C. Referring to FIG. Then, the

openings

520a, 520b, and 520c in which the tabs T1 and T2 of the battery cell C are formed in the second frame while the open second and

third frames

520 and 530 are retracted along the arrow R direction. , 520d, 520e, 520f and

openings

522b, 524d, 524e formed in the

busbars

522, 524 are passed through. Next, one surface of the tabs T1 and T2 is bent to contact the front surfaces of the first bus bars 522 and 524. Finally, a bonding method is applied on the other surfaces of the tabs T1 and T2 to electrically connect the tabs T1 and T2 to the

busbars

522 and 524. The bonding method of the second bus bars 532 and 534 disposed on the third frame 530 and the tabs T1 and T2 of the battery cell C may be a bus bar 522 disposed on the second frame 520. , 524 may be implemented in a manner similar to the joining method.

26 is shown in Figure 26 in the battery module (M ₂₎ of the first bus bar (522, 524) and an enlarged perspective view of a portion, 27 is the battery module shown in Fig. 25 (M ₂₎ shown in Figure 25 Is a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the first bus bars 522 and 524 and a portion of the second bus bars 532 and 534 opposite to each other.

Referring to FIG. 26, the (+) tab T1 on the left side of the tabs T1 and T2 of the plurality of battery cells C is directly bonded to the bus bar 522, and the (+) tab T1 on the right side of the tab T1 is connected to the bus bar 522. And the central (-) tab T2 is directly bonded to the busbar 524. Through this configuration, the center (-) tab T2 and the right (+) tab T1 are electrically connected. Similarly, referring to FIG. 27, the negative tab T2 on the left side of the tabs T1 and T2 of the plurality of battery cells C is directly bonded to the bus bar 532, and the negative tab () on the right side ( T2) and the center (+) tab T1 are directly bonded to the busbar 534. Through this configuration, the center (+) tab T2 and the right (-) tab T1 are electrically connected. Accordingly, of the six battery groups shown in FIG. 23, two adjacent battery groups may be connected in parallel with each other, and three sets of two battery groups connected in parallel may be connected in series with each other. This approach reduces the bonding process between the tabs by more than half using the first and

second busbars

522, 524, 532, 534 compared to the way in which each battery cell C is connected in a line. Can be. In addition, since the cell (C) package is connected in series by the bus bar, it is possible to configure the battery capacity and output voltage without restriction according to the type of vehicle using the bus bar.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which the first frame 510 and the flexible circuit board 600 are assembled according to the tenth embodiment, and FIG. 29 is a view showing the first frame 510 and the flexible circuit board (shown in FIG. 28). 600 is a perspective view showing a disassembled configuration.

The intermediate part 630 of the flexible circuit board 600 may be seated in the path groove 512 formed in the first frame 510. The first frame 510 may be provided with a structure for preventing separation of the flexible printed circuit board 600, and the plurality of ribs 514 formed along the path grooves 512 are formed in the first frame 510. Can be. That is, the rib 514 may prevent the separation between the intermediate portion 630 and the first frame 510. In addition, the rib 514 may be arranged in a zigzag form along the longitudinal direction of the first frame 510.

In FIGS. 28 and 29, after the intermediate portion 630 is seated in the path groove 512, a part of the intermediate part 630 is disposed between the rib 514 and the bottom of the path groove 512. The separation between the substrate 600 and the first frame 510 may be prevented. In addition, since fastening means such as a double-sided tape for fixing the intermediate portion 630 is not required, the assemblability can be improved. In addition, the bending of the flexible circuit board 600 with the first frame 510 may be improved. In addition, since the flexible circuit board 600 may be prevented from being lifted up, interference between the flexible circuit board 600 and the housing 503 during the assembly of the housing 503 and the frame assembly 1 shown in FIG. 21. Can be prevented.

30 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a structure for installing the flexible circuit board cover 550 in the frame assembly 500 according to the eleventh embodiment.

After the intermediate part 630 of the flexible printed circuit board 600 is coupled to the first frame 510 in the assembly process of the battery module M ₂ , the flexible printed circuit board cover 550 is disposed on the intermediate part 630. Can be arranged. Under such a configuration, the flexible circuit board 600 may be prevented from being spaced apart from the first frame 510, and there is no need to use a protruding tape, and the flexible circuit may be transported or assembled in the battery module M ₂ . The problem that the substrate 600 is bent may be solved. In addition, since the flexible printed circuit board 600 is disposed in the flexible printed circuit board cover 550, an intermediate portion of the flexible printed circuit board 600 in the process of assembling the housing 503 and the frame assembly 500 illustrated in FIG. 21 ( Interference between the 630 and the housing 503 can be prevented.

FIG. 31 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an insulation cover 541 installed between the first bus bars 522 and 524 and the module cover 502 in the twelfth embodiment.

Since the first bus bars 522 and 524 are directly connected to the battery cells C, the tabs T1 and T2 of the first bus bars 522 and 524 and the battery cells C and the module cover made of metal ( When 502 is in contact, a short phenomenon may occur. Such a phenomenon may occur with respect to the portion shown in FIG. 31 and the terminals of the second bus bars 532 and 534 and the battery cells C disposed opposite to each other. Referring to FIG. 21, a first insulating cover 541 is disposed between the plurality of second bus bars 522 and 524 coupled to the second frame 520 and the module cover 502, and the third frame 530. The second insulating cover 542 may be disposed between the plurality of

second busbars

532 and 534 coupled to the module cover 502. The first insulating cover 541 and the second insulating cover 542 may be made of a non-conductive synthetic resin material.

The first and second

insulating covers

541 and 542 may be configured to insulate between the first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532 and 534 and the metal cover 2 to prevent occurrence of a short. . Since the first and second

insulating covers

541 and 542 are disposed between the first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532 and 534 and the cover 2, the first and second bus bars 522 and 524. , 532, 534 and the direct contact between the tabs T1 and T2 and the cover 2 may be prevented, and a short phenomenon may be prevented.

32 is a perspective view showing the structure of the frame 501 according to the thirteenth embodiment, FIG. 33 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge structure H applied to the frame 501 shown in FIG. 32, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the cross section which cut | disconnected the hinge structure H shown in 33 in the IV-IV direction.

The second and

third frames

520 and 530 may be rotatably fixed by the hinge structure H with respect to the first frame 510. The hinge structure H may include a hook 525 formed in the second frame 520, and a shaft 518 formed at one end of the first frame 510 and for catching the hook 525. The shaft 518 may be formed at the other end of the first frame 510, and the hook 525 may be formed at the third frame 530.

Hinge structure (H), by reinforcing the rigidity of the coupling structure of the shaft 518 and the hook 525 can solve the problem of separation between the first to third frames (510, 520, 530) and breakage of the hinge structure. In one embodiment, the second and

third frames

520, 530 do not need to rotate to a level parallel to the first frame 510. In addition, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 34, a rotation about the angle of 45 ° with the first frame 510 is required, so that the hook 525 may not completely surround the shaft 518. Thus, the hook 525 may be formed to enclose only about three quarters of the shaft 518 and the remaining portion may be opened. In such a structure, even if the second and

third frames

520 and 530 are rotated with respect to the first frame 510, no excessive force is applied to the hook 525, so that the rigidity of the hook 525 may be reinforced. Breakage of the hook 525 can be prevented.

Referring to FIGS. 35 to 38, a structure capable of improving contact between a battery and a temperature sensor measuring a temperature of a battery cell is provided.

35 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a temperature sensor unit 640 of a flexible circuit board 600 and a pressing member 516 of an upper frame 510 according to a fourteenth embodiment, and FIG. 36 is shown in FIG. 35. 37 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure in which the temperature sensor unit 640 and the pressing member 516 are cut in the IV-IV direction, and FIG. 37 shows an interior in a case where the upper frame 510 and the flexible circuit board 600 of FIG. 35 are coupled to each other. A perspective view showing the structure.

35 and 36, a pressing member 516 protruding in a direction of a plurality of battery cells may be formed in the first frame 510. In addition, the temperature sensor unit 640 of the flexible circuit board 600 may be configured to pass through the first frame 510, and may include a temperature sensor 650 for measuring the temperature of the battery cell C. Referring to FIG. 37, the pressing member 516 continuously tensions the temperature sensor unit 640 to be bent toward the battery cell C, so that the temperature sensor unit 640 has a battery cell even though there is a dimensional deviation. The phenomenon of being spaced apart from (C) can be prevented. Therefore, since the temperature sensor 650 always maintains the contact state with the battery cell C, the temperature of the battery cell C can be measured at all times.

38 is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which a foam pad 517 is attached to a lower surface of the upper frame 510 according to the fifteenth embodiment.

In one embodiment, the foam pad 517 may be provided in the first frame 510 such that the temperature sensor 640 bends toward the battery cell C. For example, the foam pad 517 may be formed of an elastic material. The foam pad 517 may compress the temperature sensor unit 640 toward the battery cell while being compressed between the first frame 510 and the battery cell. Improve the contact between the 640 and the battery cell. When the foam pad 517 is provided, damage to the battery can be minimized even during long-term use, and material cost and labor can be reduced.

39 is a flowchart illustrating a method (S1300) of manufacturing the frame assembly according to the sixteenth embodiment.

Method of manufacturing a frame assembly (S1300) is a step of manufacturing a second frame and a third frame to which a plurality of busbars are coupled (S1310), the step of rotatably coupling each of the second and third frame to both sides of the first frame (S1320), electrically connecting the flexible circuit board having the terminal portion and the plurality of circuit portions to the plurality of busbars (S1330) and coupling the connector to the terminal portion (S1340).

FIG. 40 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed process of 'manufacturing second and third frames in which a plurality of busbars are coupled' (S1310) in the method S1300 of manufacturing the frame assembly of FIG. 39, and FIG. In order to explain the flowchart, a perspective view for describing a configuration in which the first bus bars 522 and 524 and the second frame 520 are integrally injected is illustrated.

In an embodiment, the manufacturing of the second frame and the third frame to which the plurality of busbars are coupled (S1310) includes disposing the plurality of busbars in the mold (S1312), and fixing the positions of the plurality of busbars. Step S1314 and insert molding on the plurality of busbars may include forming a second frame and a third frame integrally with the plurality of busbars (S1316). Referring to FIG. 21, in the frame assembly 500, the first bus bars 522 and 524 and the second frame 520 are integrally ejected, and the second bus bars 532 and 534 and the third frame 530 are integrally injected. ) May be integrally injected.

According to this process, since the frame 520 and the

busbars

522 and 524 are integrally coupled, a separate process or coupling such as a heat fusion process for coupling the

busbars

522 and 524 onto the frame 520. No means are required, which reduces equipment investment, improves productivity with process savings, and reduces component costs.

In one embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a battery module that can improve productivity by eliminating the resin injection process on the top of the battery cell. FIG. 42 is a flowchart illustrating a method (S1400) of manufacturing a battery module according to a seventeenth embodiment. FIG. 43 is a perspective view illustrating a resin injection process (S1450) of the method (S1400) of a battery module of FIG. 42. Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a battery module (S1400) will be described with reference to FIG. 21.

The battery module manufacturing method (S1400) includes a first frame 510, second and

third frames

520 and 530 rotatably coupled to both sides of the first frame, and a plurality of busbars are integrally coupled to each other, and a flexible circuit. In operation S1410, the frame assembly 500 including the substrate 600 is disposed, and the first frame 510 is positioned on the top surfaces of the plurality of battery cells C, and the second frame 520 and the third frame are disposed on the top surface of the plurality of battery cells C. Arranging the plurality of battery cells C and the frame assembly 500 so that the frame 530 surrounds the side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells C (S1420), and the terminals of the plurality of battery cells C Passing through the

openings

522b, 524d, 524e, 532e, 534c, and 534b formed in the first and

second busbars

522, 524, 532, and 534, respectively, and the terminals of the plurality of battery cells C. The method may include bonding one surface of the second bus bar to the plurality of first and second bus bars 522, 524, 532, and 534, respectively (S1440). The method of manufacturing the battery module (S1400) may further include injecting resin (S1450) from the lower side to the upper side of the battery cell in order to fix the position of the battery cell.

In one embodiment, in a state in which the battery cell C and the frame assembly 500 are coupled to each other, for fixing the position of the battery cell C before the housing 503 is assembled in the battery module M ₂ . Resin may be injected from the lower side to the upper side of the battery cell (C). When a large vibration or shock is applied to the battery during driving of the vehicle, the resin injected into the battery cell C may constrain the position of the battery cell C, thereby protecting the battery cell C against external shocks. can do.

In the battery module M ₂ , since an insulating structure, that is, the first frame 510 is disposed on the battery cell C, the process of injecting the resin into the upper side of the battery cell C may be eliminated. Therefore, since the resin is injected only once, the productivity is improved by eliminating the resin injection process in the upper part of the battery cell compared to the process of injecting twice, and the resin injection time and the curing time (for example, about 5 minutes or more) Can reduce the cost.

44 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bus bar assembly 70 according to the eighteenth embodiment, FIG. 45 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded view of the bus bar assembly 70 shown in FIG. 44, and FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a bus bar assembly 70 cut in the VI-VI direction, and FIG. 47 is a perspective view illustrating a connection terminal 800 of the bus bar assembly 70 illustrated in FIG. 44.

44 to 47, a bus bar assembly 70 according to an embodiment may include a bus bar 710, a flexible circuit board 720, and a connection terminal 800. Referring to FIG. 3, the busbar assembly 70 may be installed on the frame 10 to constitute a part of the frame assembly 1. Referring to FIG. 3, the bus bar 710 may be fixedly coupled to the second frame 120 or the third frame 130.

The flexible circuit board 720 may be configured to sense the voltage and temperature of the battery cell and transfer the sensed values to the BMS through the connector. The flexible circuit board 720 has a flexible property that is well bent, and may transmit signals regarding voltage and temperature of each battery cell by a circuit pattern configured therein. One end of the flexible circuit board 720 may be electrically connected to the bus bar 710, and the other end thereof may be electrically connected to a battery management system (BMS) (not shown). Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, the connector 5 is mounted at the other end of the flexible printed circuit board 720, so that the flexible printed circuit board 720 may be electrically coupled with the BMS. The BMS manages the charging and discharging of each battery cell C. FIG. For example, the BMS charges a plurality of battery cells discharged to different voltage levels in the charging mode to have a uniform voltage level.

The bus bar 710 and the flexible circuit board 720 may be electrically connected to each other by the connection terminal 800. For this purpose, the connection terminal 800 is formed of a conductive metal. The connection terminal 1000 may include a junction 810 and a coupler 820 extending from the junction 810. The coupling part 820 may have a form in which a metal plate having a narrow width is extended from the junction part 810 toward the end portion of the coupling part 820. Bonding portion 810 and coupling portion 820 may be formed as an integral part in actual manufacturing.

A protrusion 830 may be formed on one surface 820a of the coupling part 820. In another embodiment, the protrusion 830 may be formed on the other surface 820b of the coupling portion 820. The protrusion 830 allows the connection terminal 800 to be fixedly coupled to the flexible circuit board 720. The protrusion 830 may be provided in plurality in order to provide a more firm fixing force. Referring to FIG. 45, the plurality of protrusions 830 may be arranged to face each other.

The coupling portion 820 of the connection terminal 800 may be coupled to the lap joint with the flexible circuit board 720. In detail, the protrusion 830 may be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 720 by penetrating a predetermined position among the flexible circuit board 720. Subsequently, the protruding portion of the protrusion 830 may be compressed and flexibly deformed by a separate compression mechanism (not shown) to fix the connection terminal 800 so as not to be separated from the flexible circuit board 720.

Referring to FIG. 8, a circuit layer in the form of a metal thin film including a conductive metal such as copper and having a fine thickness may be formed inside the flexible circuit board 720 through which the protrusion 830 penetrates. The protrusion 830 may be in contact with the circuit layer while passing through the circuit layer in the form of a metal thin film. Accordingly, the connection terminal 800 and the flexible circuit board 720 may be electrically connected to each other.

The junction part 810 may be formed of a metal plate having a size slightly larger than the area of the coupling part 820. Referring to FIG. 46, the other surface 800b of the connection terminal 800, for example, the other surface 810b of the junction portion 810, may be disposed to be adjacent to the bus bar 710. At this time, by applying the bonding method W to one surface 800a of the connection terminal, for example, one surface 810a of the bonding portion 810, the other surface 800b of the connection terminal 800, For example, the other surface 810b of the bonding portion 810 may be bonded to the bonding surface 712a of the bus bar 710. Accordingly, the junction part 810 may be fixedly coupled to the bus bar 710.

As the joining method W, for example, laser welding can be applied. Laser welding is less likely to generate a gap between the joint surface of the connection terminal 800 and the bus bar 710, the warpage of the joint surface of the connection terminal 800 is rare, and the bonding reliability is significantly higher than other welding. Such laser welding uses a dedicated jig and consists of a method of irradiating a laser with several points on a flat joint surface. As such, the connection terminal 800 and the bus bar 710 may be electrically connected to each other by laser welding.

The bus bar 710 may include a seating portion 712 on which the connection terminal 800 is seated. The seating portion 712 may have a shape corresponding to the bonding portion 810. The seating part 712 may designate an arrangement position of the connection terminal 800 with respect to the bus bar 710, and may allow the connection terminal 800 to be stably disposed on the bus bar 710.

In another embodiment, with the connection terminal 800 bonded to the busbar 710, the connection terminal 800 and a portion of the busbar 710 around the connection terminal 800 may be conformally coated. Can be. For the process of conformal coating, referring to the configuration shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, first, the connection terminal 800 is bonded to the busbar 710, and then a coating material is applied to the area of the seating part 712. Can be.

According to the above-described embodiment, the connection terminal 800 and the flexible circuit board are formed by a process in which the protrusion 830 formed on one surface 800a of the connection terminal 800 is penetrated through the flexible circuit board 720 and then compressed. 720 can be firmly fixed. In addition, the other surface 800b of the connection terminal 800 may be firmly fixed to the bus bar 710 by laser welding.

48 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the busbar assembly 75 according to the nineteenth embodiment. The busbar assembly 75 may be applied in a form in which the structure of the busbar assembly 70 illustrated in FIG. 44 is expanded.

In one embodiment, the busbars 711 and 712 and the

connection terminals

801 and 802 may each be provided in pairs. The flexible circuit board 720 may include a pair of

connection circuits

721 and 722 branched bilaterally from an end portion of the flexible circuit board 720. The

connection circuit units

721 and 722 may be coupled to each of the pair of

connection terminals

801 and 802. By applying a joining method to one

surface

801a, 802a of the pair of

connection terminals

801, 802, the

other surface

801b, 802 of the

connection terminal

801, 802 has a pair of busbars 711, 712 may be bonded. As a result, each of the pair of

connection circuits

721 and 722 may be configured to be electrically connected to the pair of bus bars 711 and 712 through the pair of

connection terminals

801 and 802.

Referring to FIG. 6, a pair of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be fixedly coupled to an outer surface of the second frame 120, which is a pair of bus bars 711 and 712 of the present embodiment. It can correspond to. In addition, referring to FIG. 6, the pair of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be coupled to the first a and first b joints 211 and 212, which may correspond to the pair of bus bars 711 and the present embodiment. 712 may correspond to a configuration in which a pair of

connection terminals

801 and 802 are respectively bonded. Accordingly, the pair of

connection circuits

721 and 722 may be electrically connected to the pair of bus bars 711 and 712 by the pair of

connection terminals

801 and 802, respectively.

49 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a bus bar assembly 90 according to the twentieth embodiment, FIG. 50 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded view of the bus bar assembly 90 shown in FIG. 49, and FIG. 51 is a view of FIG. Sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the bus bar assembly 90 shown in 49 in the VII-VII direction, and FIG. 52 is a perspective view which shows the connection terminal of the bus bar assembly 90 shown in FIG.

49 to 52, a bus bar assembly 90 according to an embodiment may include a bus bar 910, a flexible circuit board 920, a connection terminal 1000, and a coupling member 930. have. Referring to FIG. 3, the busbar assembly 90 may be installed on the frame 10 to constitute a part of the frame assembly 1. Referring to FIG. 3, the bus bar 910 may be fixedly coupled to the second frame 120 or the third frame 130. In addition, the flexible circuit board 920 may be configured to sense the voltage and temperature of the battery cell and transfer the sensed values to the BMS through the connector.

The bus bar 910 and the flexible circuit board 920 may be electrically connected to each other by the connection terminal 1000. The connection terminal 1000 may be formed of a conductive metal. The connection terminal 1000 may include a contact portion 1020 configured to penetrate the coupling member and contact the busbar 910, and a coupling portion 1010 extending from the contact portion 1020. The contact portion 1020 and the coupling portion 1010 may be formed as an integral part in actual manufacture.

Coupling portion 1010 may be formed of a metal plate somewhat narrow in width from the contact portion 1010 to the end of the coupling portion 1010. In addition, the protrusion 1110 may be formed in the coupling portion 1010. The protrusion 1110 may allow the connection terminal 1000 to be fixedly coupled to the flexible circuit board 920. In this case, the protrusions 1110 may be provided in plural numbers so as to face each other in order to provide more firm fixing force.

The coupling part 1010 of the connection terminal 1000 may be coupled to the flexible circuit board 920 in a lap. The protrusion 1110 may be penetrated to a predetermined position among the flexible circuit boards 920 to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit boards 920. The protruding portion of the protrusion 1110 is pressed by a separately provided crimping mechanism (not shown) to bend and deform to fix the connection terminal 1000 so as not to be separated from the flexible circuit board 920.

In the flexible circuit board 920 through which the protrusions 1110 penetrate, a circuit layer of a metal thin film including a conductive metal such as copper and having a fine thickness may be formed and disposed. Accordingly, the protrusion 1110 may be in contact with the circuit layer while penetrating the circuit layer, and the connection terminal 1000 and the flexible circuit board 920 may be electrically connected to each other.

The contact portion 1020 of the connection terminal 1000 may be fixedly coupled to the bus bar 910 by the coupling member 930. The contact portion 1020 may include a ring portion 1030 through which the coupling member 930 passes. Referring to FIG. 50, a coupling hole 911 through which the coupling member 930 penetrates may be formed in the bus bar 910. The coupling hole 911 may be generated by tapping at a predetermined position of the bus bar 910. In addition, a ring hole 1030a may be formed in the ring portion 1030.

The process of coupling the connection terminal 1000 to the busbar 910 by the coupling member 930 is as follows. First, the connection terminal 1000 is disposed on the bus bar 910 such that the coupling hole 911 of the bus bar 910 and the ring hole 1030a of the ring part 1030 communicate with each other. Next, the connection terminal 1000 may be fixedly coupled to the bus bar 910 by the coupling member 930 penetrating the ring hole 1030a and the coupling hole 911. In this process, a portion of one surface 1000a of the connection terminal 1000 may contact the coupling member 930, and the other surface 1000b of the connection terminal 1000 may contact the bus bar 910.

In one embodiment, the coupling member 930 may be composed of a screw bolt formed of a conductive metal. In this case, the lower surface of the head of the screw bolt contacts a portion of one surface 1000a of the connection terminal 1000, that is, the ring portion 1030, so that the connection terminal 1000 and the screw bolt may be electrically connected to each other. Also, the threaded portion of the screw bolt may be electrically connected to the busbar 910 when the threaded portion penetrates through the coupling hole 911 of the busbar 910. Accordingly, the connection terminal 1000 and the bus bar 910 may be electrically connected through the coupling member 930 which is a conductor.

Referring to FIG. 50, the bus bar 910 may have a seating portion 912 on which the connection terminal 1000 is seated. The seating part 912 may indicate an arrangement position of the connection terminal 1000 with respect to the bus bar 910, and may allow the connection terminal 1000 to be stably disposed on the bus bar 910.

53 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the busbar assembly 95 according to the twenty-first embodiment. The busbar assembly 95 may be applied in an expanded form of the busbar assembly 70 illustrated in FIG. 49.

In one embodiment, the

busbars

913, 914, the

connection terminals

1001, 1002, and the

coupling members

931, 932 may be provided in pairs, respectively. The flexible circuit board 920 may include a pair of

connection circuits

921 and 922 which are bifurcated from the end of the flexible circuit board 920. Each of the pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002 may be coupled to the pair of

connection circuits

921 and 922. Each of the pair of

connection circuits

921 and 922 has a pair of

busbars

913 and 914 through a pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002 penetrated by each of the pair of

coupling members

931 and 932. It may be configured to be electrically connected with.

The pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002 may include a pair of

protrusions

1111 and 1112 penetrating through the pair of

connection circuits

921 and 922, respectively. In addition, the pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002 may include

ring portions

1031 and 1032 through which each of the pair of

coupling members

931 and 932 pass.

Referring to FIG. 6, a pair of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be fixedly coupled to an outer surface of the second frame 120, which is a pair of

bus bars

913 and 914 of the present embodiment. It can correspond to. In addition, referring to FIG. 6, the pair of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be coupled to the first a and first b joints 211 and 212, which is a pair of bus bars 913, according to the present embodiment. The pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002 may be coupled to the pair 914 by the pair of

fastening members

931 and 932, respectively. Accordingly, the pair of

connection circuits

921 and 922 may be electrically connected to the pair of

bus bars

913 and 914 by the pair of

connection terminals

1001 and 1002, respectively.

FIG. 54 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the busbar assembly 1400 according to the twenty-second embodiment, FIG. 55 is an exploded perspective view of the busbar assembly 1400 shown in FIG. 54, and FIG. 54 is a cross-sectional view cut along the bus bar assembly 1400 in the VIII-VIII direction.

54 to 56, the bus bar assembly may include a bus bar 1410, a flexible circuit board 1420, a coupling member 1430, and the like. Referring to FIG. 3, the busbar assembly 1400 may be installed on the frame 10 to constitute a part of the frame assembly 1. Referring to FIG. 3, the bus bar 1410 may be fixedly coupled to the second frame 120 or the third frame 130.

The bus bar 1410 may have a first hole 1411 formed therein. A plurality of first holes 1411 may be provided, and the plurality of first holes 1411 may be arranged in a line. In another embodiment, the plurality of first holes 1411 may be arranged in two rows, and at least one hole may be disposed in each row.

The flexible circuit board 1410 may be configured to sense the voltage and temperature of the battery cell and transfer the sensed values to the BMS through the connector. The flexible circuit board 1410 may transmit a signal regarding a voltage and a temperature of each battery cell by a circuit pattern configured therein. One end of the flexible circuit board 1420 may be electrically connected to the bus bar 1410, and the other end thereof may be electrically connected to the BMS. In addition, a connector is mounted at the other end of the flexible printed circuit board 1420 so that the flexible printed circuit board 1420 may be electrically coupled to the BMS.

A second hole 1421 corresponding to the first hole 1411 may be formed in the flexible circuit board 1420. The first and

second holes

1411 and 1421 may be provided in pairs, respectively. The pair of first holes 1411 may be spaced at regular intervals, and the pair of second holes 1421 may be spaced at the same interval as the predetermined intervals. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the fastening portion between the bus bar 1410 and the flexible circuit board 1420 from being axially rotated by the minimum fastening.

Referring to FIG. 56, the flexible circuit board 1420 may include a circuit layer 1423 made of a conductive metal exposed through the first second hole 1421. The circuit layer 1423 may be formed in the form of a metal thin film in which a conductive metal such as copper has a fine thickness. The first insulating layer 1422 may be attached to one surface of the circuit layer 1423, and the second insulating layer 1424 may be attached to the other surface of the circuit layer 1423.

The coupling member 1430 may be formed of a conductive metal. The coupling member 1430 may be configured to penetrate the first hole 1411 and the second hole 1421, respectively, to fix the flexible circuit board 1420 to the bus bar 1410. In this process, the coupling member 1430 may be in contact with the circuit layer 1423 and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 1420. In addition, the coupling member 1430 may contact the inner diameter of the first hole 1411 or the periphery thereof and may be electrically connected to the bus bar 1410. Accordingly, the flexible circuit board 1420 and the bus bar 1410 may be electrically connected to each other by the coupling member 1430.

The flexible circuit board 1420 may be disposed on the bus bar 1410 such that the second hole 1421 of the flexible circuit board 1420 communicates with the first hole 1411 of the bus bar 1410. The coupling member 1430 may be configured to couple the flexible circuit board 1420 and the bus bar 1410 through the second and

first holes

1421 and 1411 communicating with each other. That is, some of the ends of the flexible printed circuit board 1420 may be disposed on the upper surface of the bus bar 1410, and thus partially overlapping surfaces thereof may occur.

According to one embodiment, the coupling member 1430 may be a rivet. The rivet may include a head portion 1431 and a deformation portion 1432 deformed by the riveting operation. Rivet engagement can provide permanent binding. Rivet bonds can be usefully used for bonding between thin members. Rivet joints can solve problems such as material changes due to welding joints, heat distortion, and cracks generated at welds. In addition, the rivet coupling can solve the problem of the loosening phenomenon due to vibration transmitted to the coupling site after the bolt coupling. Accordingly, coupling reliability of the connection portion between the bus bar 1410 and the flexible circuit board 1420 may be improved.

The bus bar 1410 may have a seating portion 1412 formed at a portion where the flexible circuit board 1420 is coupled with the overlap. The first hole 1411 may be formed in the seating part 1412. The seating portion 1412 may indicate an arrangement position of the flexible circuit board 1420 with respect to the bus bar 1410, and may allow the flexible circuit board 1420 to be stably disposed on the bus bar 1410.

57 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the busbar assembly 1450 according to the twenty-third embodiment. The busbar assembly 1450 may be applied in an expanded form of the busbar assembly 1400 illustrated in FIG. 54.

The

busbars

1414 and 1415 and the

coupling members

1431 and 1432 may be provided in pairs, respectively. The flexible circuit board 1420 may include a pair of

connection circuits

1422 and 1423 bifurcated from the end of the flexible circuit board. Each of the pair of

connection circuits

1422 and 1423 may be configured to be electrically connected to the pair of

bus bars

1414 and 1415 through the pair of

coupling members

1431 and 1432. Each of the pair of

connection circuits

1422 and 1423 may include a circuit layer formed of a conductive metal having a second hole and exposed through the second hole. The pair of

coupling members

1431 and 1432 may be configured to simultaneously contact the circuit layers of the

busbars

1414 and 1415 and the

connection circuits

1422 and 1423.

bus bars

1414 and 1415 of the present embodiment. It can correspond to. In addition, referring to FIG. 6, the pair of first bus bars 121 and 122 may be coupled to the first a and first b joints 211 and 212, which is a pair of bus bars 1414 of the present embodiment. 1415 may correspond to a configuration in which a pair of

connection circuits

1422 and 1423 are respectively joined. Referring to FIG. 57, the pair of

connection circuits

connection terminals

801 and 802, respectively.

Although process steps, method steps, algorithms, and the like have been described in a sequential order in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 19, 20, 39, 40, and 42, such processes, methods, and algorithms may be described in any order. It may be configured to operate in a suitable order. In other words, the steps of the processes, methods, and algorithms described in various embodiments of the present disclosure need not be performed in the order described in this disclosure. In addition, although some steps are described as being performed asynchronously, in some embodiments these some steps may be performed simultaneously. Moreover, illustration of the process by depiction in the figures does not mean that the illustrated process excludes other changes and modifications thereto, and any of the illustrated process or steps thereof is one of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. It is not meant to be essential to more than one, nor does it mean that the illustrated process is preferred.

While the technical spirit of the present disclosure has been described with reference to some embodiments and the examples shown in the accompanying drawings, the technical spirit and scope of the present disclosure may be understood by those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be made in the scope. Also, such substitutions, modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

In the busbar assembly is installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells,

A bus bar fixed to the frame;

A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the busbar and configured to sense the plurality of battery cells; And

A bus bar assembly, wherein a protrusion is formed on one surface of the flexible circuit board to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the other surface is connected to the bus bar and electrically connected to the bus bar.
The method of claim 1,

The connection terminal,

A junction including a first side and a second side joined to the busbar; And

And a protrusion formed with the protrusion and extending from the junction to be lap joint to the flexible circuit board.
The method of claim 1,

The protrusions are provided in plurality so as to face each other,

And the plurality of protrusions penetrate through a predetermined position of the flexible circuit board, and the protruding portions are compressed and flexurally deformed.
The method of claim 2,

The second face is disposed adjacent to the busbar,

And the second side is joined to the busbar by applying a bonding method to the first side.
The method of claim 1,

The bus bar assembly is a bus bar assembly, the seating portion is formed is seated.
The method of claim 1,

The bus bar and the connection terminal are each provided in a pair,

The flexible circuit board includes a pair of connection circuits which are bifurcated from the ends of the flexible circuit board and each of the pair of connection terminals is coupled.

Each of the pair of connection circuits is configured to be electrically connected to the pair of busbars through the pair of connection terminals.
The method of claim 1,

And wherein the connecting terminal is conformally coated to cover the connecting terminal and a portion of the bus bar around the connecting terminal with the connecting terminal bonded to the bus bar.
In the busbar assembly is installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells,

A bus bar fixed to the frame;

A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the busbar and configured to sense the plurality of battery cells;

A protrusion formed on one surface of the flexible circuit board to be electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the other surface of the connection terminal configured to contact the bus bar; And

And a coupling member configured to penetrate the connection terminal and the bus bar to fix the connection terminal to the bus bar.
The method of claim 8,

The connection terminal,

A contact portion configured to penetrate the coupling member to contact the busbar; And

And a coupling portion formed with the protrusion and extending from the contact portion to lap joint to the flexible circuit board.
The method of claim 9,

And the contact portion includes a ring portion formed with a hole through which the coupling member passes.
The method of claim 8,

The bus bar is provided with a seating portion on which the connection terminal is seated,

The seating portion is a bus bar assembly, the hole through which the coupling member is formed.
The method of claim 8,

The bus bar, the connection terminal, and the coupling member are each provided in a pair,

The flexible circuit board includes a pair of connection circuits which are bifurcated from the ends of the flexible circuit board and each of the pair of connection terminals is coupled.

Each of the pair of connection circuits is configured to be electrically connected to the pair of busbars through the pair of connection terminals penetrated by each of the pair of coupling members.
In the busbar assembly is installed in a frame for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells,

A bus bar fixed to the frame and having a first hole formed therein;

A flexible circuit board electrically connected to the bus bar and configured to sense the plurality of battery cells, the circuit board including a circuit layer formed of a conductive metal having a second hole formed through the second hole; And

And a coupling member configured to electrically connect the flexible circuit board and the bus bar through the first hole and the second hole and to fix the flexible circuit board to the bus bar.
The method of claim 13,

The first and second holes are each provided in pairs,

And the pair of first holes are spaced at regular intervals, and the pair of second holes are spaced at the same interval as the constant interval.
The method of claim 13,

The flexible circuit board is disposed on the bus bar such that a second hole of the flexible circuit board communicates with the first hole of the bus bar.

And the coupling member is configured to overlap the flexible circuit board and the bus bar through the second hole and the first hole in communication.
The method of claim 13,

And the coupling member is a rivet.
The method of claim 13,

The bus bar has a seating portion configured to seat the flexible circuit board,

The seating part is the bus bar assembly, the first hole is formed.
The method of claim 13,

The busbar and the coupling member are each provided in pairs,

The flexible circuit board includes a pair of connection circuits bifurcated from the ends of the flexible circuit board.

Each of the pair of connection circuits is configured to be electrically connected to the pair of busbars through the pair of coupling members.
In a frame assembly for fixing a plurality of stacked battery cells,

A frame configured to surround the plurality of battery cells including an upper surface, a first side surface connected to one end of the upper surface, and a second side surface connected to the other end of the upper surface;

A plurality of first busbars disposed on the first side of the frame;

A plurality of second busbars disposed on a second side of the frame;

A circuit portion disposed on the upper surface, a plurality of first connection circuit portions extending from one end of the circuit portion and branched into a plurality of branches at the first side, and a plurality of branches extending from the other end of the circuit portion A flexible circuit board including a second connection circuit branch branched to the second circuit;

A plurality of first connection terminals including a first surface formed with a projection configured to electrically connect with the first connection circuit portion through the first connection circuit portion, and a second surface configured to contact the bus bar; And

A frame comprising a plurality of second connection terminals comprising a first surface through which the projection is configured to electrically connect with the second connection circuit portion and a second surface configured to contact the busbar; Assembly.
The method of claim 19,

Second surfaces of the plurality of first connection terminals are disposed to be adjacent to the plurality of first bus bars, and second surfaces of the plurality of first connection terminals are joined to the first surfaces of the plurality of first connection terminals. Bonded to the plurality of first busbars by applying a method;

A second surface of the plurality of second connection terminals is disposed to be adjacent to the plurality of second bus bars, and the second surface of the plurality of second connection terminals is connected to the first surface of the plurality of second connection terminals. The frame assembly bonded to the plurality of second busbars by applying a bonding method.
The method of claim 19,

The plurality of first bus bars may include a first seating portion configured to seat the first connection terminal,

And the plurality of second busbars are formed with a second seat configured to seat the second connection terminal.
The method of claim 19,

A plurality of first coupling members configured to fix the first connection terminal to the first bus bar through the first connection terminal and the first bus bar; And

And a plurality of second coupling members configured to penetrate the second connection terminal and the second busbar to secure the second connection terminal to the second busbar.
The method of claim 22,

The first connection terminal includes a first ring portion formed with a hole through which the first coupling member penetrates,

And the second connection terminal includes a second ring portion having a hole through which the second coupling member passes.
The method of claim 22,

The first bus bar is formed with a hole configured to penetrate the first coupling member,

And a hole configured to penetrate the second coupling member in the second bus bar.
The method of claim 19,

The frame is

A first frame disposed on the upper surface;

A second frame disposed on the first side, rotatably coupled to one end of the first frame, and having the plurality of first busbars disposed thereon; And

And a third frame disposed at the second side, rotatably coupled to the other end of the first frame, and having the plurality of second busbars disposed thereon.
The method of claim 19,

The first bus bar is configured to be bonded to one terminal of the plurality of battery cells,

And the second busbar is configured to bond with the other terminals of the plurality of battery cells.