Connector for printed circuit board and battery system comprising printed circuit board and connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11336039-B2
Application number	US-201716344698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery system including a battery module configured to include a plurality of rechargeable battery cells, a housing configured to house the battery module, a printed circuit board disposed on the battery module to include a first surface that faces the battery module and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, and a connector configured to connect the printed circuit board and an external electrical component, wherein the printed circuit board includes a plurality of bent terminal portions disposed on the second surface, and the connector includes a plurality of metal clamps that are respectively connected to the plurality of bent terminal portions of the printed circuit board. In the battery system of the present invention, the connection between the connector and the printed circuit board can be realized without soldering wires.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery system comprising:
a battery module configured to include a plurality of rechargeable battery cells;
a housing configured to house the battery module;
a printed circuit board disposed on the battery module and in the housing, the printed circuit board including a first surface that faces the battery module and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface; and
a connector extending through an opening in the housing to connect the printed circuit board and an external electrical component,
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of bent terminal portions disposed on the second surface, and the connector comprises a plurality of metal clamps that are respectively connected to the plurality of bent terminal portions of the printed circuit board in the housing.

2. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the metal clamps are arranged in rows to extend along a first direction.

3. The battery system of claim 2 , wherein
each of the metal clamps comprises a first subset having a first position along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and a second subset having a second position along the second direction, and
the first position is different from the second position.

4. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the metal clamps are made of a conductive material.

5. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein each of the bent terminal portions is made of a metal sheet with an “L” shape.

6. The battery system of claim 2 , wherein the connector further comprises:
a clamp carrier configured to support the metal clamps and to extend along the first direction to be disposed within the housing;
a sealing plate disposed perpendicularly to the clamp carrier; and
a connector head configured to extend from a surface of the sealing plate opposite to a surface of the sealing plate on which the clamp carrier extends,
wherein the connector head is disposed outside the housing.

7. The battery system of claim 6 , wherein
the housing is configured to have an opening for inserting the clamp carrier into the housing, and
the sealing plate covers the opening.

8. The battery system of claim 6 , wherein the clamp carrier, the sealing plate, and the connector head are molded with a plastic material.

9. The battery system of claim 6 , wherein the connector head comprises a plurality of metal pins electrically connected to the metal clamps, respectively.

10. The battery system of claim 2 , wherein each of the metal clamps comprises a main body and two arms extending from the main body along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The battery system of claim 10 , wherein
each of the two arms comprises a straight portion extending from the main body and disposed in parallel with the second direction and a tip extending from the straight portion, and bent toward each other to form an angle with respect to the second direction, and
a gap between the tips of the two arms is smaller than a distance between the straight portions of the two arms.

12. The battery system of claim 11 , wherein
each of the bent terminal portions of the printed circuit board comprises a flat portion extending parallel to a surface of the printed circuit board and fixed to the printed circuit board and a protrusion extending perpendicularly to the flat portion, and
in a first state before the protrusion is inserted between the two arms, a thickness of the protrusion is greater than the gap between the two arms of a corresponding one of the metal clamps, and
in a second state after the protrusion is inserted between the two arms, the two arms elastically deform to retain the protrusion in the clap.

13. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein
the printed circuit board further comprises a plurality of connection terminals for electrically connecting each of the battery cells to the printed circuit board, and
the printed circuit board is configured to detect a voltage of each of the battery cells.

14. A vehicle comprising the battery system according to claim 1 .

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein a connector head of the connector is electrically connected to an electrical board net.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hammerschmied Helmut
• Hofer Maximilian
• Apolloner Peter

Classifications

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M50/264

  for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames · CPC title

• H01M50/284

  with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/209

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

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title