Battery connecting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9412989-B2
Application number	US-201213981406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2012
Priority date	Jan 28, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Each of connection units integrally includes a cover via a hinge, and the cover covers an accommodation portion in which a connecting member is arranged. The connection unit includes a unit stopper and a unit stopper receiver that is fitted to the unit stopper that is formed on an adjacent connection unit. The cover includes a cover stopper and a cover stopper receiver that is fitted to the cover stopper formed on the cover of the adjacent connection unit. The connection units are connected to each other by fitting of the unit stoppers and the unit stopper receivers and fitting of the cover stoppers and the cover stopper receivers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery connecting assembly in a battery module, the battery connecting assembly connecting batteries having electrode terminals, the batteries being aligned to configure a battery group, the battery connecting assembly comprising:
a plurality of connection units in which a connecting member connecting the electrode terminals of adjacent batteries is arranged, each of the connection units including:
an accommodation portion in which the connecting member is arranged,
a cover configured to cover the accommodation portion, the cover including a cover stopper and a cover stopper receiver that is configured to fit to the cover stopper of an adjacent connection unit,
a hinge connecting the accommodation portion and the cover,
a unit stopper, and
a unit stopper receiver configured to fit to the unit stopper of the adjacent connection unit, wherein

the connection units are connected to each other such that the unit stoppers and the unit stopper receivers are fitted to each other and the covers of the connection units are connected to each other such that the cover stoppers and the cover stopper receivers are fitted to each other.

2. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the unit stoppers has a unit stopper projection,
each of the unit stopper receivers has a unit stopper hole through which the unit stopper projection is fitted, and
the unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the unit stopper hole.

3. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the cover stoppers has a cover stopper projection,
each of the cover stopper receiver has a cover stopper hole through which the cover stopper projection is fitted, and
the cover stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the cover stopper hole.

4. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the accommodation portion has an opening, and
the cover has a surface facing the accommodation portion in a state of covering the accommodation portion, the cover has a rib on the surface so as to project toward the accommodation portion and fit to the opening.

5. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a direction in which the unit stopper is fitted to the unit stopper receiver matches a direction in which the cover stopper is fitted to the cover stopper receiver.

6. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connection unit further includes:
a detection terminal accommodation portion in which a detection terminal configured to detect a condition of the battery is arranged,
a wire arrangement portion in which an electric wire connected to the detection terminal is arranged, and
a wiring cover connected to the wire arrangement portion via a wiring cover hinge, the wiring cover configured to cover the wire arrangement portion.

7. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the wiring cover includes an overlap portion configured to overlap the cover.

8. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 7 , wherein
the overlap portion is formed at an end portion of the wiring cover and recessed inwardly with respect to a thickness direction of the wiring cover to form a step, and
the overlap portion has a water stop rib that projects toward the cover in a closed state of the cover.

9. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an end side connection unit, the end side connection unit includes:
an end side connecting member accommodation portion in which an end side connecting member is arranged, the end side connecting member configured to connect the electrode terminal and a power conductor,
an end side cover configured to cover the end side connecting member accommodation portion, the end side cover including one or both of an end side cover stopper configured to fit to the cover stopper receiver formed on the cover of the adjacent connection unit and an end side cover stopper receiver configured to fit to the cover stopper formed on the cover of the adjacent connection unit,
a main hinge connecting the end side connecting member accommodation portion and the end side cover, and
one or both of an end side unit stopper configured to fit to the unit stopper receiver formed on the adjacent connection unit and an end side unit stopper receiver configured to fit to the unit stopper of the adjacent connection unit, wherein
the end side connection unit is connected to the connection unit by one of fitting of the unit stopper receiver and the end side unit stopper and fitting of the unit stopper and the end side unit stopper receiver, and
the end side cover is connected to the cover by one of fitting of the cover stopper receiver and the end side cover stopper and fitting of the cover stopper and the end side cover stopper receiver.

10. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the end side cover includes an auxiliary hinge, and
a portion of the end side cover corresponding to a portion in which the end side connecting member is connected to the power conductor is opened and closed by the auxiliary hinge.

11. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
each of the unit stoppers has a unit stopper projection,
each of the unit stopper receivers has a unit stopper hole through which the unit stopper projection is fitted,
the unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the unit stopper hole,
each of the cover stoppers has a cover stopper projection,
each of the cover stopper receivers has a cover stopper hole through which the cover stopper projection is fitted,
the cover stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the cover stopper hole,
the end side unit stopper has an end side unit stopper projection and the end side unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the unit stopper hole,
the end side unit stopper receiver has an end side unit stopper hole through which the unit stopper projection is fitted,
the unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the end side unit stopper hole, and
the end side cover stopper has an end side cover stopper projection that is configured to be stopped by an opening edge of the cover stopper hole,
the end side cover stopper receiver has an end side cover stopper hole through which the cover stopper projection is configured to fit, and
the cover stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the end side cover stopper hole.

12. The battery connecting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
each of the unit stoppers has a unit stopper projection,
each of the unit stopper receivers has a unit stopper hole through which the unit stopper projection is fitted,
the unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the unit stopper hole,
each of the cover stoppers has a cover stopper projection,
each of the cover stopper receivers has a cover stopper hole through which the cover stopper projection is fitted,
the cover stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the cover stopper hole,
the end side unit stopper has an end side unit stopper projection and the end side unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the unit stopper hole,
the end side unit stopper receiver has an end side unit stopper hole through which the unit stopper projection is fitted,
the unit stopper projection is stopped by an opening edge of the end side unit stopper hole, and
the end side cover stopper has an end side cover stopper projection that is configured to be stopped by an opening edge of the cover stopper hole,
the end side cover stopper

Assignees

• Kinoshita Yuko
• Hiramitsu Hiroomi
• Takata Kensaku
• Hirai Hiroki
• Hamana Katsunori
• TSUJI Tomofumi
• AKASAKA Mitsuhiro
• Nakagawa Tetsuya
• Kobayashi Yoshinao
• Shitamichi Masaru
• HIRANO Daiki
• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Kinoshita Yuko
• Hiramitsu Hiroomi
• Takata Kensaku
• Hirai Hiroki
• Hamana Katsunori
• TSUJI Tomofumi
• AKASAKA Mitsuhiro
• Nakagawa Tetsuya
• Kobayashi Yoshinao
• Shitamichi Masaru
• HIRANO Daiki

Classifications

• H01M50/591 Primary

  Covers · CPC title

• H01M50/588 Primary

  outside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of terminals or busbars · CPC title

• H01M50/507

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

• H01M50/209

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

• H01M50/569

  Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals (battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364) · CPC title