Accumulator arrangement, busbar element therefor and method for producing an accumulator arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755211-B2
Application number	US-201314398952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2013
Priority date	Jun 6, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to an accumulator arrangement which has a plurality of series-connected individual accumulators, each individual accumulator having at least one plus pole and a minus pole as externally accessible connection poles, busbar elements being secured on the connection poles in order to form the series connection, which each connect a minus pole of an individual accumulator to a plus pole of another individual accumulator, characterized in that a specific assembly sequence of said busbar elements is determined by the structural design of the busbar elements. The invention further relates to a busbar element and a to method for producing an accumulator arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An accumulator arrangement comprising a plurality of individual accumulators connected in series, wherein each individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators has at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, wherein the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal are externally accessible terminal posts extending outwardly from a surface of each individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators, wherein a plurality of busbar elements are fixed to the terminal posts to form the series connection, wherein a first busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements connects a negative terminal of a first individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators to a positive terminal of a second individual accumulator of the plurality of accumulators, and wherein the structural design of the plurality of busbar elements is such that the busbar elements of the plurality of busbar elements at least partially overlap with one another to dictate a specific assembly sequence of the plurality of busbar elements.

2. The accumulator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements at least partially covers an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements.

3. The accumulator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements comprises at least one electrically conductive connector element electrically connected to the negative terminal of the first individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators and the positive terminal of the second individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators and an insulating cap made of insulating material fixed to the connector element.

4. The accumulator arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the insulating cap comprises a projecting region, and wherein the projecting region extends beyond the connector element toward an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements and at least partially covers the adjacent busbar element.

5. The accumulator arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the insulating cap of the first busbar element comprises at least one opening allowing access to the connector element of the first busbar element or a terminal post fixing means for fixing the connector element to a terminal post through the insulating cap.

6. The accumulator arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the projecting region of the insulating cap covers an opening of the insulating cap of the adjacent busbar element.

7. The accumulator arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the connector element is fixed to the insulating cap by a hinge connection, a snap connection or other detachable or non-detachable connecting means.

8. The accumulator arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the insulating cap comprises at least one additional fixing means for fixing the first busbar element to an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements.

9. The accumulator arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the first busbar element comprises at least one receiving chamber for receiving a terminal post fixing means for fixing the connector element to a terminal post.

10. The accumulator arrangement of claim 1 , comprising at least one external electrical connection configured to provide accumulator energy to an energy load, wherein the at least one external connection is configured to connect to the energy load via an external connector element, and wherein the external connector element at least partially covers an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements.

11. The accumulator arrangement of claim 1 , comprising a second busbar element having at least one electrically conductive connector element configured to be electrically connected to respective positive and negative terminals of a third individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators and a fourth individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators and an insulating cap made from an insulating material fixed to the connector element by connecting means, and wherein the insulating cap comprises a projecting region configured to extend beyond the connector element such that the projecting region at least partially covers an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements.

12. A method for producing the accumulator arrangement of claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
a) providing the plurality of individual accumulators which are to be connected together in series, wherein each individual accumulator of the plurality of accumulators has at least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal, wherein the at least one positive terminal and the at least one negative terminal are externally accessible terminal posts extending outwardly from a surface of each individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators,
b) affixing an electrical connection line or an electrical connection module to a first terminal post of the first individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators which are to be connected together in series,
c) affixing the first busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements to a second terminal post of the first individual accumulator and to a third terminal post of the second individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators in the series connection,
d) affixing a second busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements to a fourth terminal post of the second individual accumulator and a fifth terminal post of a third individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators in the series connection, such that the first busbar element is at least partially covered by the second busbar element,
e) repeating step d) until a final individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators in the series connection is connected to a second-to-last individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators by a third busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements,
f) affixing an additional electrical connection line or an additional electrical connection module to a sixth terminal post of the final individual accumulator.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first busbar element or the second busbar element is affixed in step c) and/or d) as follows:
i) mechanically coupling an insulating cap of the first busbar element or the second busbar element to an adjacent busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements by means of at least one additional fixing means provided on the insulating cap of the first busbar element or the second busbar element, and
ii) affixing a connector element of the first busbar element or the second busbar element to the terminal posts with terminal post fixing means manipulated through openings of the insulating cap by a tool.

14. A method, comprising:
a) providing a plurality of individual accumulators which are to be connected together in series,
b) affixing an electrical connection line or an electrical connection module to a first terminal post of a first individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators which are to be connected together in series,
c) affixing a first busbar element of a plurality of busbar elements to a second terminal post of the first individual accumulator and to a third terminal post of a second individual accumulator of the plurality of individual accumulators in the series connection,
d) affixing a second busbar element of the plurality of busbar elements to a fourth terminal post of the second individual accumulator and a f

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Advanced Power Solutions Gmbh
• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Eisermann Henning
• Brettschneider Kristina
• Brenner Helge
• Hoh Markus
• Wiegmann Martin
• Jansen Marco

Classifications

• H01M50/24 Primary

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title

• H01M50/591

  Covers · CPC title

• H01M50/588

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

• H01M50/517

  by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title