Device for electrically interconnecting cells in a battery pack by means of cell connectors and battery pack with such cell connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780345-B2
Application number	US-201013499801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2010
Priority date	Oct 1, 2009
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A device for electrical interconnection of cells of a battery pack through cell connectors, and a battery pack having the device and the cell connectors are provided. A plurality of cell connectors for connection of at least two cell poles are fitted on a mounting plate, electrically isolated from one another. Each cell connector has at least one flexible bracket which extends away from a connection area. The flexible brackets are coupled to the connection area through a resilient structure having a meandering shape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for electrical interconnection of cells of a battery pack by means of cell connectors, wherein a plurality of cell connectors for connection of at least two cell poles are fitted on a mounting plate, electrically isolated from one another,
wherein each cell connector comprises:
a connection area fixedly connected to a top surface of the mounting plate, and
a pair of flexible brackets which extend away from the connection area and are distanced upwardly from the top surface of the mounting plate, wherein each of the pair of flexible brackets contacts a cell pole, wherein each of the pair of flexible brackets is coupled to the connection area by means of a structure that is resilient by means of a meandering profile, and
wherein each of the pair of flexible brackets comprises a bottom surface and a top surface opposite the bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is distanced upwardly from the top surface of the mounting plate such that each flexible bracket is moveable with respect to the mounting plate through the resilient structure,
wherein the meandering profile comprises a first portion extending angularly from a respective flexible bracket, a second portion extending angularly from the connection area, and a middle portion connecting the first portion and the second portion, wherein the middle portion is parallel to the connection area.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible brackets of the cell connectors rest or are held on the mounting plate at bracket ends remote from the connection area of said flexible brackets.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cell connectors are mounted on the mounting plate by rivet-like hot staking.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the bracket ends are lifted off from the mounting plate.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each flexible bracket has a hole in the contact-making area which is designed for connection to the cell pole.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hole is formed in an apex area of the flexible bracket.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate has an aperture opening at least in the contact-making areas in which the holes in the flexible brackets are located when the cell connectors are in the attached state.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the contour of the hole runs out beyond an end surface of the cell pole, which end surface rests on the flexible bracket.

9. The device as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising at least one connecting piece fitted in the hole,
wherein the material of the connecting piece is chosen such that the connecting piece is connected to an end surface of the cell pole through a joining process, in a force-fitting and/or integral manner, wherein the joining process comprises a hot joining process or a cold joining process, wherein the hot joining process comprises at least one of welding and soldering.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate is fitted with a grid of cell connectors, which is manufactured from copper, a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, wherein the grid comprises a stamped grid, and the mounting plate is also fitted with at least one conductor track which is connected integrally to the cell connectors and is narrower than the cell connectors.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein at least one of the at least one conductor track has an end which is in the form of a plug pin.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cell connector is manufactured from copper or a copper alloy, from aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and wherein contact-making areas of the cell connector to cell poles are manufactured from copper, a copper alloy, from aluminum, an aluminum alloy, from steel, nickel or a nickel alloy.

13. A battery pack comprising at least one device as claimed in claim 1 and having cells which are interconnected to the at least one device, wherein the cells are grouped in a mounting frame, which is equipped with attachment means for the mounting plate which is fitted with said cell connectors which have elastically deformable brackets which rest against end surfaces of the interconnected cell poles.

14. The battery pack as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the end surfaces are each connected in a force-fitting and/or integral manner to an edge of a hole in an apex area of the bracket.

15. The battery pack as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the battery pack has at least one plug pin, which is a free end of a conductor track of a stamped grid which is attached to the mounting plate, with the conductor tracks being formed integrally with the cell connectors.

16. The battery pack as claimed in claim 15 , wherein components which are connected to the conductor track are fitted on the mounting plate.

Assignees

• Heck Harald
• Volek Andreas
• Hojda Ralf
• Marx Uwe
• Wich Harald
• Pechloff Rolf
• Warmuth Frank
• Hopsch Dirk
• Seybold Jörg
• Goesmann Hubertus
• Petz Philipp
• Hauck Axelle
• Diehl Stiftung & Co Kg
• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Heck Harald
• Volek Andreas
• Hojda Ralf
• Marx Uwe
• Wich Harald
• Pechloff Rolf
• Warmuth Frank
• Hopsch Dirk
• Seybold Jörg
• Goesmann Hubertus
• Petz Philipp
• Hauck Axelle

Classifications

• 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

• H01M50/51

  Connection only in series · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/522

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M50/213

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title