ELECTRIC-SHOCK-PROTECTED BATTERY CONNECTOR, BATTERY MODULE AND SYSTEM COMPRISING BATTERY CONNECTORS AND BATTERY MODULES

Abstract

A battery connector (1) is provided for electrically contact-connecting a first pole pin (19) of a first battery module (10) to a second pole pin (20) of a second battery module (10). The battery connector (1) has a busbar (1) with a first contact region (2), a second contact region (3) and a connecting region (4) arranged between the first contact region (2) and the second contact region (3) in a main direction of extent (H) of the busbar (1). The connecting region (4) has an electrically insulating coating. The first contact region (2) and the second contact region (3) each have a cutout (5). The cutouts (5) are open in an insertion direction (E) that is parallel to a main plane of extent (HE) of the busbar (1) and orthogonal to the main direction of extent (H).

Claims

1. A battery connector for electrically contact-connecting a first pole pin of a first battery module to a second pole pin of a second battery module, the battery connector comprising: a busbar with a first contact region, a second contact region and a connecting region between the first contact region and the second contact region in a main direction of extent of the busbar, the connecting region having an electrically insulating coating, the first contact region and the second contact region being provided respectively with cutouts, wherein the cutouts are open in an insertion direction that is parallel to a main plane of extent of the busbar and orthogonal to the main direction of extent.

2. The battery connector of claim 1, wherein the first contact region and the second contact region each have a further cutout, the further cutouts being open in the insertion direction.

3. The battery connector of claim 2, wherein the cutouts and the further cutouts are U-shaped.

4. The battery connector of claim 2, wherein the first contact region and the second contact region each have a recessed region, the recessed regions being arranged offset relative to the connecting region in a z-direction that is orthogonal to the main plane of extent, the cutouts and the further cutouts being arranged in the recessed regions.

5. The battery connector of claim 1, wherein the connecting region has a thickened portion orthogonal to the main plane of extent.

6. The battery connector of claim 1, wherein the connecting region has a lug that extends over an entire extent of the busbar in the insertion direction, the lug being electrically insulating and spacing apart the first battery module from the second battery module.

7. A battery module comprising: an electrically insulating cover that is arranged along a top side of the battery module, the cover having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening being arranged on an edge of the cover, a first covering being arranged over the first opening and a second covering being arranged over the second opening, the first covering being arranged such that a gap with an insertion height is created between the cover and the first covering on a side of the covering that is averted from the edge and between the cover and the first covering on a side of the first covering that is averted from the second covering, the second covering being arranged such that a gap with the insertion height is created between the cover and the second covering on that side of the second covering that is averted from the edge and between the cover and the second covering on that side of the second covering that is averted from the first covering, a first pole pin of the battery module being arranged in the first opening and a second pole pin of the battery module being arranged in the second opening.

8. The battery module of claim 7, wherein the openings are configured for receiving a battery connector for connection to a pole pin of the battery module, the battery connector having a busbar with a first contact region, a second contact region and a connecting region between the first contact region and the second contact region in a main direction of extent of the busbar, the connecting region having an electrically insulating coating, the first contact region and the second contact region being provided respectively with cutouts that are open in an insertion direction that is parallel to a main plane of extent of the busbar and orthogonal to the main direction of extent, and the first covering and the second covering each being configured for completely covering the first contact region or the second contact region in a projection onto the top side of the battery module.

9. The battery module of claim 8, wherein the insertion height corresponds to a thickness that is orthogonal to the main plane of extent of the first contact region and/or of the second contact region.

10. The battery module of claim 7, wherein the first covering is at least partially connected to the cover in the region between the cover and the first covering on that side of the first covering that faces the edge and between the cover and the first covering on that side of the first covering that faces the second covering; and the second covering is at least partially connected to the cover in the region between the cover and the second covering on that side of the second covering that faces the edge and between the cover and the second covering on that side of the second covering that faces the first covering.

11. The battery module of claim 7, wherein the pole pins do not protrude beyond the cover in a z-direction that is orthogonal to the top side, the pole pins being arranged at a distance from the first covering and the second covering in the z-direction by more than the insertion height, wherein a further first pole pin of the battery module is arranged in the first opening and a further second pole pin of the battery module is arranged in the second opening, the further pole pins do not protrude beyond the cover in the z-direction, the further pole pins being arranged at a distance from the first covering and the second covering in the z-direction by more than the insertion height.

12. The battery module of claim 7, further comprising a first captive nut arranged on the first covering and being configured for being screwed onto the first pole pin and a second captive nut arranged on the second covering and being configured for being screwed onto the second pole pin, the first captive nut being configured for fixedly screwing the cutout of the first contact region or the cutout of the second contact region in the first opening, and the second captive nut being configured for fixedly screwing the cutout of the first contact region or the cutout of the second contact region in the second opening.

13. The battery module of claim 12, further comprising a further first captive nut arranged on the first covering and being configured for being screwed onto the further first pole pin, and a further second captive nut arranged on the second covering and being configured for being screwed onto the further second pole pin, the further first captive nut being configured for fixedly screwing the further cutout of the first contact region or the further cutout of the second contact region in the first opening, and the further second captive nut being configured for fixedly screwing the further cutout of the first contact region or the further cutout of the second contact region in the second opening.

14. The battery module of claim 7, wherein the cover has a first thinned portion in a direction orthogonal to the surface at a first corner between the edge and a first further edge that is adjacent to the first covering, and the cover further has a second thinned portion in a direction orthogonal to the surface at a second corner between the edge and a second further edge that is adjacent to the second covering.

15. A system having first and second battery modules in accordance with the battery module of claim 8, wherein the battery connector, by way of the first contact region, is inserted into the first opening of the first battery module, and wherein the battery connector, by way of the second contact region, is inserted into the second opening of the second battery module.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first contact region is electrically contact-connected to the first pole pin of the first battery module at the cutout of the first contact region by means of the first captive nut, wherein the second contact region is electrically contact-connected to the second pole pin of the second battery module at the cutout of the second contact region by means of the second captive nut, wherein the first contact region is preferably electrically contact-connected to the further first pole pin of the first battery module at the further cutout of the first contact region by means of the further first captive nut, wherein the second contact region is electrically contact-connected to the further second pole pin of the second battery module at the further cutout of the second contact region by means of the further second captive nut.

17. A motor vehicle having the system of claim 15.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention having two battery connectors and two battery modules according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a battery connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a section through a battery module according to an embodiment of the invention with an inserted battery connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a section through a battery module according to an embodiment of the invention with an inserted battery connector, which is exposed in the drawing, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0031] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having two battery connectors 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first battery module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and the second battery module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The first battery module 10 and the second battery module 10 each have the cover 11 with the first covering 12, which covers the first opening 17 (not visible here, see FIG. 3), and the second covering 13, which covers the second opening 18. The first coverings 12 have the gaps 18 (not visible here) on their sides which face the respective first further edge 15 and are averted from the respective edge 14, and the second coverings 13 have the gaps 18 (likewise not visible here, see FIG. 3) on their sides which face the respective second further edge 15 and are averted from the respective edge 14.

[0033] To electrically connect the first battery module 10 to the second battery module 10, a battery connector 1 is inserted into the first opening 17 of the second battery module 10 and the second opening 18 of the first battery module 10, centrally in the figure. Only the connecting region 4, which is coated with an insulating coating, with the thickened portion 4 is visible here. The non-electrically-insulated first contact region 2 and the non-electrically-insulated second contact region 3 are covered by the first covering 12 of the second battery module 10 and, respectively, the second covering 13 of the first battery module 10. Here, the coverings 12, 13 act as an electric-shock protection and prevent, together with the insulating coating of the connecting region 4, a live part from being touched.

[0034] FIG. 1 furthermore shows, on the left-hand side, a battery connector 1 which has not yet been inserted. The battery connector 1 has, as can be clearly seen here, the busbar 1 which is manufactured from an electrically conductive material, preferably copper, aluminum or soft iron. Said figure furthermore shows the regions which are arranged adjacent in the main direction of extent H of the battery connector 1: the second contact region 3, the connecting region 4 and the first contact region 2. The first contact region 2 and the second contact region 3 each have recessed regions 2, 3 which are recessed in the z-direction Z. The U-shaped cutouts 5 and the U-shaped further cutouts 6, which are each open in the insertion direction E, are arranged in the recessed regions 2, 3. If the battery connector 1 is inserted into the openings 17, 18 of the cover 11, the battery connector 1 is centered by way of the thickened portion 4 of the connecting region 4 sliding into the first thinned portion 16 or the second thinned portion 16 of the cover 11. In the inserted state of the battery connector 1, the lug 7 is arranged between the first battery module 10 and the second battery module 10 and spaces apart said battery modules from one another.

[0035] Owing to the flat shape of the busbar 1 arranged along the main plane of extent HE and the low structural height of the first covering 12 and of the second covering 13, a very flat construction of the system 200 is possible.

[0036] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a battery connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The figure clearly shows the busbar 1, which is arranged along the main direction of extent H in the main plane of extent HE, with the first contact region 2, the second contact region 3, the insulated connecting region 4, the thickened portion 4 and the lug 7. The U-shaped cutouts 5 which are open in the insertion direction E and the further U-shaped cutouts 6 which are open in the insertion direction E are arranged in the recessed regions 2, 3. The busbar 1 has the thickness D.

[0037] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a section through a battery module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with an inserted battery connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Said figure shows details relating to securing the fit of the battery connector 1 in the second opening 18 and contact-connecting the first contact region 2 to the first pole pin 19 (here hidden by the first captive nut 12) and the further first pole pin 19. The first contact region 2 is arranged in the first opening 18 and covered in an electric-shock-protected manner by the first covering 12. The first covering 12 is connected to the cover 11 at the edge 14 as is clearly shown here. In order to position the battery connector 1 in the manner in which it is shown in FIG. 3, said battery connector is inserted through the gap 21 into the first opening 17 until the cutout 5 (not clearly visible here) surrounds the first pole pin 19 and the further cutout 6 (likewise not clearly visible here) surrounds the further first pole pin 19. In order to save structural height, the insertion height EH of the gap 21 corresponds to 1.2 times the thickness of the busbar 1 (see FIG. 2). In order to electrically contact-connect and secure the battery connector 1, the first captive nut 12 and the further first captive nut 12 are screwed onto the first pole pin 19 and, respectively, the further first pole pin 19 until the captive nuts 12, 12 are fixedly seated on the first contact region 2 by way of a ring 32 which is arranged at the end side which is averted from the cover 11. The captive nuts 12, 12 are manufactured from a conductive material and establish the electrical contact between the first pole pin 19, the further first pole pin 19 and the first contact region 2. The captive nuts 12, 12 are secured against becoming lost in the non-fixedly-screwed state by way of being clamped between the cover 11 and the pole pins 19, 19. To this end, an upper part of the captive nuts 12, 12 is located in a nut housing 33 of the cover 11. Overall, the captive nuts 12, 12 are so long that they cannot be removed by being lifted away from the pole pins 19, 19 and tilted and/or moved out of the nut housing 33. For convenient screwing-in, the nut housing 33 has, above the captive nuts 12, 12, a respective screw opening 34 for inserting a tool in order to turn the respective captive nut 12, 12. For being screwed onto the pole pins 19, 19, the captive nuts 12, 12 are provided with an internal thread, not shown, and the pole pins 19, 19 are provided with an external thread, not shown.

[0038] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a section through a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the invention with an inserted battery connector 1, which is exposed in the drawing. For reasons of clarity, parts of the battery module 10 that would block the view of the battery connector 1 and in particular of the first contact region 2 have been removed in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 clearly shows the first captive nut 12 and the second captive nut 12 that can be screwed onto the first pole pin 19 (hidden by the first captive nut 12 here) and, respectively, the further pole pin 19. A cap 30 is arranged on that end side of the captive nuts 12, 12 that is averted from the contact region 2. The cap 30 closes the end and has a driving profile 31 for a screw head drive. A ring 32 is arranged on that end of the captive nuts 12, 12 that faces the contact region 2. The driving profile 31 ensures convenient screwing of the captive nuts 12, 12 onto the first pole pin 19 and the further first pole pin 19. The rings 32 increase the size of the area over which the electrical contact between the captive nuts 12, 12 and the contact region 2 is established.

[0039] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. The motor vehicle 200 has the system 100 according to the invention with a large number of battery modules 10 according to the invention and battery connectors 1 that connect the battery modules 10 (see FIG. 1).