Connection module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10714731-B2
Application number	US-201716335533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A connection module is a flat-shaped connection module that is to be attached to a power storage element group formed by aligning a plurality of power storage elements with positive and negative electrode terminals and includes a first bus bar module, a second bus bar module, and insulating fixing members. The first and second bus bar modules include sheet members that hold the plurality of bus bars arranged in an alignment direction of the power storage elements. The fixing members are coupled to the sheet members to integrate and fix the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flat-shaped connection module that is to be attached to a power storage element group formed by aligning a plurality of power storage elements with positive and negative electrode terminals, the connection module comprising:
the plurality of bus bars that connect the positive and negative electrode terminals of adjacent power storage elements of the plurality of power storage elements; and
a sheet member that holds the plurality of bus bars arranged in an alignment direction of the plurality of power storage elements, wherein
the connection module further comprises:
a first bus bar module that is attached to upper surfaces of the plurality of power storage elements at one end perpendicular to the alignment direction;
a second bus bar module that includes the plurality of bus bars and the sheet member and is attached to the upper surfaces of the plurality of power storage elements at another end opposed to the one end; and
an insulating fixing member that is coupled to the sheet member of the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module to integrate and fix the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module, and
the fixing member including a bus bar fixing portion that fixes and holds an external connection electrode bus bar to be connected to an external connection electrode of the power storage element group.

2. The connection module according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member includes a handle portion that is positioned between the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module while the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module are coupled together.

3. The connection module according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member is formed from a pair of fixing members that is coupled to an end of the sheet member of the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module as seen in the alignment direction.

4. The connection module according to claim 3 , wherein
either one of the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module includes at both ends the external connection electrode bus bar.

5. The connection module according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member has a pair of sandwiching portions that sandwiches the sheet member of the first bus bar module and the second bus bar module such that the fixing member is coupled to the sheet member by sandwiching the sheet member between the pair of sandwiching portions.

6. The connection module according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar fixing portion is formed in a rectangular shape in a planar view and includes four retainer portions, a pair of placement portions, and an opening portion, wherein the retainer portions are formed at four corners of the rectangle, and the pair of placement portions forms two opposing sides, and wherein each of the external connection electrode bus bars is fixed and held by the four retainer portions and the pair of placement portions.

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumura Nobuyuki
• Takase Shinichi
• Suzuki Yusuke
• Yamanaka Atsushi

Classifications

• H01M50/507 Primary

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/522

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R25/162 Primary

  Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars (rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64) · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title