Battery pack and production method for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11532847-B2
Application number	US-201816633406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A battery pack includes: a connector holder that is fixed to an exterior case and has two main surfaces that include a first main surface exposed through an opening of the exterior case; a floating connector connected with a center of the connector holder in such a manner that the floating connector floats in such a manner that an orientation or a position of the floating connector is variable upward, downward, leftward, and rightward; a lead wire fixed to an inner surface of the floating connector, the lead wire extending through an inside of the exterior case, and the lead wire connecting floating connector with a circuit board; and a positioning buffer that pushes the floating connector, and positions the floating connector at a predetermined original state when an external force is not applied to the floating connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack comprising:
a battery module that includes at least one secondary-battery cell;
a lead sheet that connects the at least one secondary-battery cell in series and/or in parallel;
an exterior case that holds the battery module and has an opening;
a circuit board electrically connected with the lead sheet;
a connector holder that is fixed to the exterior case and has two main surfaces that include a first main surface exposed through the opening of the exterior case, and a second main surface that is opposite the first main surface and faces an inside of the exterior case, wherein the connector holder has a guide pipe on a side of the second main surface of the connector holder;
a floating connector connected with a center of the connector holder in such a manner that the floating connector floats in such a manner that an orientation or a position of the floating connector is variable upward, downward, leftward, and rightward, the floating connector having an exposed surface exposed by the exterior case, and the floating connector being able to be connected through the exposed surface with a device to which the battery pack supplies electrical energy;
a lead wire fixed to an inner surface of the floating connector that is opposite the exposed surface of the floating connector, the lead wire extending through an inside of the exterior case, and the lead wire connecting the floating connector with the circuit board, wherein the lead wire passes through the guide pipe; and
a positioning buffer that is disposed between the connector holder and the floating connector, pushes the floating connector, and positions the floating connector at a predetermined original state when an external force is not applied to the floating connector.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the positioning buffer is a cushioning component that is disposed between the connector holder and the floating connector.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the positioning buffer is disposed at four corners.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the connector holder has a frame that surrounds the floating connector, and
the positioning buffer is disposed on an inner surface of the frame.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein
the floating connector has a connector base on a back-surface side of the floating connector, and
the positioning buffer pushes the connector base.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
a tape that has a smooth surface is wound around the lead wire.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the connector holder has a fixing portion that allows the connector holder to be inserted into the opening of the exterior case from an inside of the exterior case, and is used to fix the connector holder to the opening of the exterior case from an inside of the exterior case.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide pipe is cylindrical.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein
the lead wire is fixed to a center of the inner surface of the floating connector, and the lead wire is perpendicular to the inner surface of the floating connector.

10. A production method for a battery pack, the battery pack including:
a battery module that includes at least one secondary-battery cell;
a lead sheet that connects the at least one secondary-battery cell in series and/or in parallel; an exterior case that holds the battery module and has an opening;
a circuit board electrically connected with the lead sheet;
a connector holder that is fixed to the exterior case and has two main surfaces that include a first main surface exposed through the opening of the exterior case, and a second main surface that is opposite the first main surface and faces an inside of the exterior case, wherein the connector holder has a guide pipe on a side of the second main surface of the connector holder;
a floating connector connected with a center of the connector holder in such a manner that the floating connector floats in such a manner that an orientation or a position of the floating connector is variable, the floating connector being able to be connected with a device to which the battery pack supplies electrical energy; and
a lead wire that extends through an inside of the exterior case, and connects the floating connector with the circuit board,
the production method for a battery pack comprising,
arranging the battery module and the circuit board in the exterior case,
inserting the lead wire that extends from the circuit board into the guide pipe of the connector holder,
connecting the lead wire that has been inserted into the guide pipe of the connector holder with the floating connector,
inserting the connector holder into the opening of the exterior case from an inside of the exterior case to fix, in a state where a positioning buffer is disposed between the connector holder and the floating connector, and positions the floating connector at a predetermined original state when an external force is not applied to the floating connector, and
closing the exterior case.

Assignees

• Sanyo Electric Co

Inventors

• Haino Masami
• Muramatsu Koichi
• Fukushima Kouji

Classifications

• H01M10/04 Primary

  Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/298

  characterised by the wiring of battery packs · CPC title

• H01M50/284

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

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M50/291

  characterised by their shape · CPC title