Control module connected to battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018331402-A1
Application number	US-201815974085-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control module is arranged side by side with a battery module. The control module includes positive and negative electrode bus bars which are electrically connected to positive and negative electrode input/output terminals of the battery module, respectively. The bus bars are mounted in a mounting part. The mounting part has first and second control-side ventilation holes through which air flows onto first and second battery stacks, respectively, in the battery module. The mounting part has notches in which at least one of the positive electrode bus bar and the positive input/output terminals and at lease one of the negative electrode bus bar and the negative input/output terminals are formed. The first and second control-side ventilation holes are arranged side by side in the lateral direction. The notches, the positive electrode bus bar, and the negative electrode bus bar are located between the first and second control-side ventilation holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control module that is arranged side by side with a battery module including battery stacks in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in a longitudinal direction that is orthogonal to a height direction ranging from an upper end surface on which electrodes of the battery cells are provided, to a lower end surface that is disposed at an opposite side of the upper end surface,
wherein the plurality of battery stacks are provided with terminals electrically connecting the battery stacks in series, the terminals including positive and negative electrode input/output terminals located at ends of the serially connected terminals, and the plurality of battery stacks includes first and second battery stacks mutually adjoining in a lateral direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and height directions, the control module comprising: a positive electrode bus bar electrically connected to the positive electrode input/output terminal; a negative electrode bus bar electrically connected to the negative electrode input/output terminal; and a mounting part in which the positive and negative electrode bus bars are mounted; wherein the mounting part has a first control-side ventilation hole through which air is made to flow onto the first battery stack; a second control-side ventilation hole through which air is made to flow onto the second battery stack; notches in which at least one of the positive electrode bus bar and the positive input/output terminals and at lease one of the negative electrode bus bar and the negative input/output terminals are formed; the first and second control-side ventilation holes are arranged side by side in the lateral direction; and the notches, the positive electrode bus bar, and the negative electrode bus bar are located between the first and second control-side ventilation holes.

2 . The control module according to claim 1 , wherein the notches are located to face the upper end surface of the battery cells.

3 . The control module according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second control-side ventilation holes are located closer to the lower end surface of the batter cells than the notches are, in the height direction.

4 . The control module according to claim 3 , comprising:
a switch electrically switching electrical connections between at least one of the positive and negative electrode bus bars and an electrical load; a current sensor detecting, as an electrical signal, current flowing at least one of the positive and negative electrode bus bars; a control unit receiving the electrical signal detected by the current sensor and controlling the electrical connections at the switch based on the received electrical signal; and a connection terminal electrically connecting the current sensor and the control unit, wherein the current sensor includes a connection part connected to the connection terminal, the switch includes a connection part connected with the at least one of the positive and negative bus bars, and the connection part of the current sensor is located closer to the control unit than the connection part of the switch is.

5 . The control module according to claim 4 , wherein
the positive and negative electrode bus bars have first connection ends connected to the electrical load and second connection ends connected to the battery module, the first connection ends being located closer to the control unit than the second connection ends are, in the height direction; the switch is connected to a path which is lead to the second connection ends; and the current sensor is connected to a path which is lead to the first connection ends.

6 . The control module according to claim 5 , wherein
both the first and second electrode bus bars are located closer to the upper end surface of the battery cells than the control unit is, in the height direction, and the control unit is located closer to the lower end surface of the battery cells than the first and second electrode bus bars are, in the height direction.

7 . The control module according to claim 6 , wherein
the current sensor includes a magnetoelectric conversion element converting, into an electrical signal, a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the height direction and a shield reducing the magnetic field in the direction perpendicular to the height direction, from passing the magnetoelectric conversion element; the switch includes a magnet which bend a flow of a discharge current caused when an electric connection between at least one of the first and second electrode bus bars and the electric load from an electrically connected state to an electrically non-connected state, the magnet being magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the height direction; and the current sensor and the magnet are arranged in the direction perpendicular to the height direction.

8 . The control module according to claim 4 , comprising a shielding part for shielding magnetism;
wherein the current sensor is configured to detect current passing through at least one of the first and second electrode bus bars by converting, to an electrical signal, a magnetic field generated by the current passing though the at least one of the first and second electrode bus bars, the switch is configured to generate a magnetic field to switch over connections between the at least one of the first and second electrode bus bars and the electric load based on the generated magnetic field, and the shielding part is arranged between the current sensor and the switch.

9 . The control module according to claim 8 ,
wherein the shielding part has a groove, the at least one of the first and second electrode bus bars being arranged to pass through the groove.

10 . The control module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control module is arranged side by side with the battery module in the longitudinal direction, and is provided at an installation space under a seat of a vehicle including a generator as at least one of a power supply source and a power generation source.

11 . The control module according to claim 1 , comprising:
a switch electrically switching electrical connections between at least one of the positive and negative electrode bus bars and an electrical load; a current sensor detecting, as an electrical signal, current flowing at least one of the positive and negative electrode bus bars; a control unit receiving the electrical signal detected by the current sensor and controlling the electrical connections at the switch based on the received electrical signal; and a connection terminal electrically connecting the current sensor and the control unit, wherein the current sensor includes a connection part connected to the connection terminal, the switch includes a connection part connected with the at least one of the positive and negative bus bars, and the connection part of the current sensor is located closer to the control unit than the connection part of the switch is.

12 . The control module according to claim 11 , wherein
the positive and negative electrode bus bars have first connection ends connected to the electrical load and second connection ends connected to the battery module, the first connection ends being located closer to the control unit than the second connection ends are, in the height direction; the switch is connected to a path which is lead to the second connection ends; and the current sensor is connected to a path which is lead to the first connection ends.

13 . The control module according to claim 12 , wherein
both the first and second electrode bus bars

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Inoue Yoshimitsu

Classifications

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/289

  characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs (spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471) · CPC title

• H01M50/264

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

• H01M50/298

  characterised by the wiring of battery packs · CPC title

• H01M50/553

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