Bus bar for a battery connector system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10396405-B2
Application number	US-201514935625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

A bus bar for electrically connecting adjacent battery cells of a battery module includes a base having a first leg and a second leg connected by a flexible joint. The flexible joint is folded-over such that the first leg is above the second leg. A first terminal tab extends from the first leg. The first terminal tab is configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery terminal of a first of the battery cells. A second terminal tab extends from the second leg. The second terminal tab is configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery terminal of a second of the battery cells. The first and second terminal tabs are arranged side-by-side with the first terminal tab being vertically positionable independent of the second terminal tab by the flexible joint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bus bar for electrically connecting adjacent first and second battery cells of a battery module comprising:
a base having a first leg and a second leg connected by a flexible joint, the flexible joint being folded-over such that the first leg is above the second leg, the first leg, the second leg, and the flexible joint each arranged to span across the first and second battery cells;
a first terminal tab extending from the first leg, the first terminal tab being configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery cell terminal of the first battery cell;
a second terminal tab extending from the second leg, the second terminal tab being configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery cell terminal of the second battery cell;
wherein the first and second terminal tabs are arranged side-by-side, the first terminal tab being vertically positionable independent of the second terminal tab by the flexible joint; and
wherein the first terminal tab has an inner surface configured to face the battery terminal of the first battery cell and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the second terminal tab having an inner surface configured to face the battery terminal of the second battery cell and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the inner surfaces being generally coplanar, the outer surfaces being generally coplanar.

2. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the flexible joint is thinner than the first and second tabs.

3. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first leg, second leg, and the flexible joint are integrally formed as a unitary structure.

4. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first and second terminal tabs are generally coplanar but independently moveable relative to each other.

5. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the flexible joint is U-shaped.

6. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first leg extends longitudinally along the first terminal tab and the second terminal tab.

7. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal tab is configured to be pressed against the battery terminal of the first battery cell for laser welding thereto and the second terminal tab is configured to be pressed against the battery terminal of the second battery cell for laser welding thereto independent of the first terminal tab.

8. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal tab has a front edge opposite the flexible joint, the second terminal tab has a front edge opposite the flexible joint, the front edge of the first terminal tab being generally aligned with the front edge of the second terminal tab.

9. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal tab has an inner side and an outer side, the second terminal tab having an inner side and an outer side, the inner sides positioned adjacent each other and facing each other, the outer sides facing away from each other.

10. The bus bar of claim 9 , wherein the first terminal tab and second terminal tab extend width-wise between the corresponding inner and outer sides, the base having a width greater than a combined width of the first and second terminal tabs.

11. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal tab is deflectable from a resting position to a deflected position where the inner surface of the first terminal tab is pressed against the battery terminal of the first battery cell in the deflected position, the second terminal tab being deflectable from a resting position to a deflected position where the inner surface of the second terminal tab is pressed against the battery terminal of the second battery cell in the deflected position, in the resting positions the inner surfaces are generally coplanar, in the deflected positions the inner surfaces are capable of being non-coplanar.

12. The bus bar of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage sensor extending from the base for sensing a voltage of the bus bar.

13. The bus bar of claim 1 , further comprising a thermistor coupled to the base for sensing a temperature of the bus bar.

14. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal tab is copper and the second terminal tab is aluminum.

15. A battery connector system for connecting first and second battery cells of a battery module comprising:
a carrier assembly holding a circuit module; and
a plurality of bus bar assemblies held by the carrier assembly, each bus bar assembly comprising:
a bus bar for electrically connecting the adjacent first and second battery cells of the battery module, the bus bar comprising a base having a first leg and a second leg connected by a flexible joint being folded-over such that the first leg is above the second leg, the base having a front and a rear, the flexible joint provided at the rear, the first leg, the second leg, and the flexible joint arranged to each span across the first and second battery cells, a first terminal tab extending from the first leg being configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery terminal of the first battery cell, and a second terminal tab extending from the second leg being configured to be terminated to a corresponding battery terminal of the second battery cell, the first terminal tab extending from the first leg at the front, the second terminal tab extending from the second leg at the front, wherein the first and second terminal tabs are arranged side-by-side, the first terminal tab being vertically positionable independent of the second terminal tab by the flexible joint; and
a voltage sensor extending from the bus bar, the voltage sensor sensing a voltage of the bus bar, the voltage sensor being terminated to the circuit module.

16. The battery connector system of claim 15 , wherein the voltage sensor is welded to the base of the bus bar.

17. The battery connector system of claim 15 , wherein the voltage sensor includes a terminating end, the circuit module comprising a circuit board, the terminating end being terminated to the circuit board.

18. The battery connector system of claim 15 , wherein the voltage sensor includes a terminating end, the circuit module comprising a wire harness, the terminating end being terminated to a corresponding wire of the wire harness.

19. The battery connector system of claim 15 , wherein the voltage sensor is integral with bus bar.

20. The battery connector system of claim 15 , wherein the first terminal tab has an inner surface configured to face the battery terminal of the first battery cell and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the second terminal tab having an inner surface configured to face the battery terminal of the second battery cell and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the inner surfaces being generally coplanar, the outer surfaces being generally coplanar.

21. The bus bar of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a front and a rear, the flexible joint provided at the rear, the first terminal tab extending from the first leg at the front, the second terminal tab extending from the second leg at the front.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Zhao Weiping

Classifications

• H01M10/482 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/505

  comprising a single busbar · CPC title

• H01M50/553

  Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells · CPC title

• H01M50/55

  on the same side of the cell · CPC title