Battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11757137-B2
Application number	US-201816961092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Jan 10, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells; a battery management system to acquire state information and control charge-discharge operations; a wiring board through which the state information is transmitted to the battery management system, the wiring board including conductive lines for transmitting different electrical signals; and a connector including a connector terminal coupled to the conductive lines and a connector housing accommodating the connector terminal, the connector being coupled to a mating connector of the battery management system, wherein the connector terminal includes a bottom plate accommodating the conductive lines, and barrels protruding upward from the bottom plate and configured to be compressed onto the conductive lines while surrounding the conductive lines, and first and second embossments on the bottom plate and the barrels of the connector terminal, the first and second embossments protruding toward the conductive lines.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack, comprising:
a plurality of battery cells;
a battery management system configured to acquire state information of the plurality of battery cells and control charge-discharge operations of the plurality of battery cells;
a wiring board through which the state information of the plurality of battery cells is transmitted to the battery management system, the wiring board including a plurality of conductive lines for transmitting different electrical signals; and
a connector including a plurality of connector terminals that correspond to and are coupled to the plurality of conductive lines and a connector housing accommodating the plurality of connector terminals, the connector being coupled to a mating connector of the battery management system, wherein a first connector terminal from among the plurality of connector terminals includes:
a bottom plate accommodating a first conductive line from among the plurality of conductive lines, wherein the bottom plate extends along the major length of the first conductive line while accommodating the first conductive line, the bottom plate including a first embossment in an upper surface thereof, the first embossment protruding upward toward a bottom side of the first conductive line; and
a barrel protruding upward from the bottom plate, the barrel surrounding a first lateral side and an upper surface of the first conductive line, while extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the bottom plate extends and compressed onto the first conductive line, the barrel including a second embossment that protrudes downward toward the top side of the first conductive line.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the first and second embossments respectively make electrical contact with lower and upper surfaces of the first conductive line.

3. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the first and second embossments are respectively embossed on the bottom plate and the barrel to have an embossed shape on a side and a depressed shape on an opposite side.

4. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the second embossment is formed at an inner position of the barrel, the inner position of the barrel being spaced away from a leading edge of the barrel.

5. The battery pack of claim 4 , wherein a cut surface is formed on the leading edge of the barrel.

6. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein a plating film is formed on surfaces of the first and second embossments.

7. The battery pack of claim 6 , wherein the plating film is formed on a base metal of the first connector terminal.

8. The battery pack of claim 7 , wherein the base metal is exposed at a leading edge of the barrel without being covered with the plating film.

9. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the wiring board further includes an insulating base board formed between the plurality of conductive lines to physically couple the plurality of conductive lines to each other and insulate the plurality of conductive lines from each other.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein
the plurality of conductive lines includes a plurality of first end portions respectively coupled to the plurality of connector terminals, and
upper and lower surfaces of the first end portions, in a thickness direction of the base board, are exposed from the base board.

11. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein:
the base board has a through-hole penetrating therethrough, and the barrel extends through the through-hole, and
the base board defines an entire perimeter of the through-hole such that a portion of the barrel within the through-hole is insulated from the first conductive line by the base board.

12. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein:
through-holes are formed in the base board to receive a plurality of the barrels therethrough, and
the through-holes are formed through both sides of the base board adjacent to the plurality of conductive lines, the through-holes being alternately arranged on left and right sides of the plurality of conductive lines at staggered positions along a length of the plurality of conductive lines.

13. The battery pack of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of barrels are fitted into the through-holes, and are compressed onto the plurality of conductive lines from the staggered positions which are arranged on the left and right sides of the plurality of conductive lines along the length of the plurality of conductive lines.

14. The battery pack of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of barrels are compressed onto upper surfaces of the plurality of conductive lines, and lower surfaces of the plurality of conductive lines biased by the plurality of barrels are compressed onto bottom plates of the plurality of connector terminals.

15. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the first connector terminal includes:
a receiving portion formed on an end thereof and coupled to the first conductive line while receiving the first conductive line; and
a coupling portion formed on another end, opposite the receiving portion, and having a complementary shape matching the mating connector of the battery management system.

16. The battery pack of claim 15 , wherein the receiving portion includes the bottom plate and the barrel.

17. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive lines include:
first end portions formed on respective ends thereof, the first end portions being physically coupled to corresponding ones of the plurality of connector terminals and configured to output the state information of the plurality of battery cells to the battery management system; and
second end portions formed on other ends thereof, which are opposite the first end portions, the second end portions being configured to receive the state information of the plurality of battery cells.

18. The battery pack of claim 17 , wherein:
the first end portions of the plurality of conductive lines are collected in a dense form by the connector and are connected to the battery management system, and
the second end portions of the plurality of conductive lines are distributed to different positions toward different battery cells.

19. The battery pack of claim 17 , wherein the second end portions of the plurality of conductive lines are electrically connected to bus bars which electrically connect different battery cells.

20. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the state information transmitted through the plurality of conductive lines includes voltage information and temperature information of the plurality of battery cells.

21. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of connector terminals are coupled to the plurality of conductive lines in a one-to-one manner, and
assembly positions of the plurality of connector terminals are aligned by the connector housing.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Jaepil
• Son Kisuk
• Yun Chuljung
• Cho Kyungho

Classifications

• H01M50/505

  comprising a single busbar · CPC title

• H01M50/284

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

• H01M10/425 Primary

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M10/486 Primary

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title