Battery cell connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9590223-B2
Application number	US-201514871739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	May 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A battery cell connector includes a plurality of segments of a metal conducting sheet. Each segment defines a plane and having a longitudinal axis. The battery cell connector further includes plurality of bends coupling the segments together into a 3-D object. Each bend is located between a pair of adjacent segments of the plurality of segments and the pair of adjacent segments defines two distinct respective planes. The battery cell connector further includes at least one spring comprising two segments welded together. A first segment of the plurality of segments includes first connecting elements for a battery pole of a first battery cell. A second segment of the plurality of segments includes second connecting elements for a battery pole of a second battery cell. The first connecting elements are electrically coupled with the second connecting elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery cell connector, comprising:
a plurality of segments of a metal conducting sheet, each segment defining a respective plane and having a respective longitudinal axis;
a plurality of bends coupling the plurality of segments together into a 3-D object, each bend located between a unique pair of adjacent segments of the plurality of segments, wherein the unique pair of adjacent segments define two distinct respective planes; and
at least one spring comprising two respective segments of the plurality of segments welded together;
wherein:
a first segment of the plurality of segments includes one or more first connecting elements for a battery pole of a first battery cell;
a second segment of the plurality of segments includes one or more second connecting elements for a battery pole of a second battery cell; and
the one or more first connecting elements are electrically coupled with the one or more second connecting elements.

2. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , comprising at least two continuous sheets of metal, the at least two continuous sheets of metal coupled together by the welding of the two respective segments forming the spring.

3. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bends point to at least three different directions.

4. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the first and second segments of the plurality of segments are not parallel to each other.

5. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of turns, each turn coupling a second unique pair of adjacent segments in the plurality of segments, wherein the second unique pair of adjacent segments have distinct respective longitudinal axis within the same respective plane.

6. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of segments comprise an electrical conductor forming the electrical coupling between the one or more first connecting elements and the one or more second connecting elements.

7. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of segments has an L-shaped opening.

8. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bends comprise vibration dampening elements.

9. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell connector is for use in a vehicle and the plurality of bends are elastically deformable within a set of operating conditions of the vehicle.

10. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bends includes three bends.

11. The battery cell connector of claim 10 , wherein the three bends have three distinct axes of bending.

12. The battery cell connector of claim 11 , wherein the three distinct axes of bending are substantially perpendicular to one another.

13. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of segments includes three segments.

14. The battery cell connector of claim 13 , wherein the three segments define three distinct respective planes.

15. The battery cell connector of claim 14 , wherein the three distinct respective planes are substantially perpendicular.

16. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , wherein a respective connecting element of the first connecting elements and the second connecting elements comprises an opening adapted to receive a battery terminal, wherein the battery terminal is mechanically connected at least partially along a circumference of the opening.

17. The battery cell connector of claim 1 , further including at least one vibration-absorbent bump formed in a respective segment of the plurality of segments.

Assignees

• Zhang Zhonglin
• Xie Xiumei
• Zhou Yanfei
• Byd Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Zhonglin
• Xie Xiumei
• Zhou Yanfei

Classifications

• H01R4/30 Primary

  utilising a screw or nut clamping member (H01R4/50 takes precedence; utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut H01R4/38; {for coaxial cables H01R9/0521}) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/533

  Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure (H01R13/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/522

  Inorganic material · CPC title