Abstract
An electrical conductor comprising a flat conductor formed of a solid metallic material, the flat conductor having at least two opposite broad sides, two opposite narrow sides and two opposite end sides and having an at least quadrangular cross-sectional profile, and a flexible conductor formed of a plurality of strands, the strands of the flexible conductor being at least partially joined to one another in a materially bonded manner in the region of at least one end of the flexible conductor, characterized in that the flexible conductor, at its end with the joined strands, is joined in a materially bonded manner with its end face to an end face, a narrow side or broad side of the flat conductor.
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. Electrical conductor comprising: two flat conductors formed from a solid metallic material, wherein the flat conductors each have at least two mutually opposite broad sides, two mutually opposite narrow sides and two mutually opposite end sides and an at least quadrangular cross-sectional profile, and a flexible conductor formed from a plurality of strands, wherein the strands of the flexible conductor are at least partially joined to one another in the region of at least one end of the flexible conductor by material bonding, wherein the strands of the flexible conductor are at least partially joined to one another by material bonding at its two distal ends and with its end faces of its two distal ends butt joined to the flat conductor providing a hinge between the two flat conductors.
16. Electrical conductor of claim 15, wherein the flexible conductor is a conductor braid, in particular a flat conductor braid.
17. Electrical conductor of claim 15, wherein the strands of the flexible conductor are at least partially joined to one another in the region of at least one of its ends by means of ultrasonic welding or resistance welding, in particular resistance pressure butt welding or flash butt welding.
18. Electrical conductors of claim 15, wherein the flexible conductors are joined to the end face or the narrow side of the flat conductor by means of resistance welding or laser welding.
19. Electrical conductor of claim 15, wherein a plate-shaped fixation is arranged on the strands of at least one broad side of the flexible conductor in the region of at least one of its ends.
20. Electrical conductor of claim 19, wherein the fixation is arranged on opposite broad sides of the flexible conductor.
21. Electrical conductor of claim 19, wherein the fixation is formed from at least two plate-shaped components.
22. Electrical conductor of claim 20, wherein the fixation is materially bonded to the stranded conductors.
23. Electrical conductor of claim 19, wherein the strands are cut to length in the region of the end face of the flexible conductor so as to be planar with an end face of the fixing by means of a trim cut.
24. Electrical conductor of claim 19, wherein the strands together with the fixation are materially bonded to the narrow side or the end face of the flat conductor.
25. Electrical conductor of claim 19, wherein strands together with the fixation are at least partially circumferentially materially bonded to a narrow side or an end side of the flat conductor.
26. Method of manufacturing an electrical conductor comprising: providing two flat conductors formed from a solid metallic material, wherein the flat conductors have at least two opposite broad sides, two opposite narrow sides and two opposite end sides and an at least quadrangular cross-sectional profile, and providing a flexible conductor formed of a plurality of strands, and at least partially joining the strands of the flexible conductor to one another in the region of at least one end of the flexible conductor by a material bond, wherein the strands of the flexible conductor first are at least partially joined to one another by material bonding at its two distal ends and then with its end faces of its two distal ends butt joined to the flat conductor providing a hinge between the two flat conductors.
Description
[0038] FIG. 1a, b respectively a flat conductor and a flexible conductor;
[0039] FIG. 2a-d flexible conductors with compacted areas in the region of the end face;
[0040] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of a trim cut;
[0041] FIG. 4a-f various designs of welded seams;
[0042] FIG. 5 an end face butt joint between flexible conductor and flat conductor;
[0043] FIG. 6a-c different variants of butt joints according to embodiments.
[0044] As already explained, flat conductors are connected to flexible conductors. Flat conductors with and without insulation as well as flexible conductors with and without insulation are used.
[0045] FIG. 1a shows a flat conductor 2 with insulation 4. It can be seen that the flat conductor 2 has a rectangular cross-sectional profile with two opposite broad sides 2a, two opposite narrow sides 2b and two end sides 2c. The broad side 2a as well as the narrow side 2b extend in the longitudinal direction of the conductor 2. The conductor 2 is freed from the insulation 4 at least in the area of the end face 2c.
[0046] A corresponding structure can also be selected for a flexible conductor 6, as shown in FIG. 1b. The flexible conductor 6, can be formed as a conductor braid from a plurality of strands, which can optionally be surrounded by an insulation 8. The flexible conductor 6 also has a rectangular cross-sectional profile with two opposite broad sides 6a, two opposite narrow sides 6b and two end sides 6c.
[0047] For a connection of the end face 6c butt to an end face 2c or a narrow side 2b of a flat conductor 2, as shown in FIG. 2a, the flexible conductor 6 is compacted in an end face area 10 in such a way that the strands 6d of the flexible conductor 6 are at least partially connected to each other by a material bond. The area 10 can be compacted, for example, by ultrasonic welding, resistance welding or the like. The strands 6d are pressed onto each other and at least the peripheral strands enter into a material bond with each other. An end face 6c compacted in this way can be butt joined to the flat conductor 2, as will be described below.
[0048] FIG. 2b shows another way of compacting the area 10. For this purpose, a plate-shaped fixing element 12 is placed on the broad side 6a of the flexible conductor 6 in the area 10. Subsequently, the plate-shaped fixing element 12 is pressed against the broad side 6a and welded to the strands 6d of the flexible conductor 6 lying on this broad side 6a by means of ultrasonic or resistance welding. During this welding, moreover, an intermetallic connection may be made between at least some of the strands 6d in the fixing element 12.
[0049] FIG. 2c shows another embodiment, in which plate-shaped fixing elements 12 are placed on both sides of the flexible conductor 6 opposite each other on broad sides 6a in the area 10. Subsequent compacting can be carried out in the manner described above. In this welding, moreover, an intermetallic connection may be made between at least some of the strands 6d in the respective fixing elements 12.
[0050] FIG. 2d shows a further embodiment in which the plate-shaped fixing elements 12 are pressed onto the broad sides 6a of the flexible conductor 6 in such a way that the latter is compressed in its height h. In particular, the compression is such that the height h of the combination of plate-shaped fixing elements 12 and flexible conductors 6 in the region 10 is equal to the height h of the flexible conductor 6 outside the region 10. During welding, moreover, an intermetallic connection may be made between at least some of the strands 6d in the respective fixing elements 12.
[0051] During compacting of the area 10 according to the embodiments according to FIGS. 2a-d, the strands 6d may not be flush with the end surface of the plate-shaped fixing elements 12 or may be flush with each other. In order to be able to provide a planar contact surface, it is proposed that the strands 6d, as shown in FIG. 3, are cut planar to the plate-shaped fixing elements 6 by means of a trim cut, in particular with a laser 14. This ensures a planar surface formed from the end faces of the plate-shaped elements 12 as well as the strands 6d.
[0052] A plane surface of the end face 6c produced in this way can then be butt-welded to a flat conductor 2. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 5. The flat conductor 2 is brought with its end face 2c up to the flexible conductor 6, in particular the end face 6c. Both the strands 6d and the end faces of the plate-shaped fixing elements 12 are in direct contact with the end face 2c of the flat conductor 2. During mechanical fixing, a welding energy, for example by means of resistance welding or laser welding, is applied to this joint. This forms a material connection between the flat conductor 2 and the flexible conductor 6.
[0053] During laser welding, a laser welding device can be guided circumferentially around the seam between the flat conductor 2 and the flexible conductor 6 at least in part, thus forming a circumferential weld seam that projects only partially into the flexible conductor 6. This circumferential weld seam preferably includes both the plate-shaped fixing elements 12 and at least parts of the strands 6d.
[0054] FIG. 4a shows a longitudinal section through the area 10 with the flexible conductor 6 and the fixing elements 12 before sewing.
[0055] FIG. 4b shows a top view of a fixing element 12. It can be seen that two weld seams 16 extend continuously along a longitudinal axis 18 side by side on the fixing element 12. These weld seams 16 are preferably parallel to each other. The weld seams 16 extend into the flexible conductor 6. Preferably, the weld seams 16 extend into the opposite flexible element 12.
[0056] FIG. 4c shows a top view of a fixing element 12. It can be seen that a plurality of weld seams 16 extend in a point-like manner along a longitudinal axis 18 next to and behind each other on the fixing element 12. The weld seams 16 each extend into the flexible conductor 6. Preferably, the welds 16 extend into the opposite flexible member 12.
[0057] FIG. 4d shows a cross-section along section line A-A according to FIG. 4a. It can be seen that the respective weld seams 16 each extend into the flexible conductor 6 and the two fixing elements 12. In this case, a weld seam 16 may extend into the material of the flexible conductor 6 in a funnel-shaped manner. In FIG. 4d, a respective weld seam 16 extends across the entire material thickness of the flexible conductor 6 and into the fixing elements 12.
[0058] FIG. 4e shows a cross-section along section line A-A according to FIG. 4a. It can be seen that the respective weld seams 16 extend from one of the fixing elements 12 in each case into the flexible conductor 6. In this case, a weld seam 16 can extend into the material of the flexible conductor 6 in the shape of a funnel. In FIG. 4e, a respective weld seam 16 extends only into parts of the material thickness of the flexible conductor 6. The weld seams 16 meet within the flexible conductor 6. The weld seams 16 run parallel to a surface normal on the fixing elements 12.
[0059] FIG. 4f shows a cross-section along section line A-A according to FIG. 4a. It can be seen that the respective weld seams 16 each extend into the flexible conductor 6 starting from one of the fixing elements 12. In this case, a weld seam 16 can extend into the material of the flexible conductor 6 in the shape of a funnel. In FIG. 4f, a respective weld seam 16 extends only into parts of the material thickness of the flexible conductor 6. The weld seams 16 do not meet within the flexible conductor 6. The weld seams 16 extend at an angle 18 between preferably more than 0° and 45° to a surface normal 20 of the fixing elements 12.
[0060] A butt joint, as shown in FIG. 5, does not necessarily have to be made at the end face. Rather, a flat conductor 2, as shown in FIGS. 6a-c, can be joined to a flexible conductor 6 in various ways, with a butt joint being made on the end face or along a narrow side in each case. FIG. 6a shows that a flexible conductor 6 according to FIG. 2c is joined to a narrow side 2b of the flat conductor 2, and a flexible conductor 6 according to FIG. 2a is joined to an end face 2c of the flat conductor 2.
[0061] FIG. 6b shows a flexible conductor 6 as shown in FIGS. 2a-d, which is joined to a flat conductor 2 on both sides, i.e. on both its end faces 6c, in the manner described above. The flexible conductor 6 thus serves as a hinge between the flat conductors 2.
[0062] Also, as shown in FIG. 6c, a plurality of flat conductors 2 can be joined to each other via flexible conductors 6, wherein the flexible conductors 6 are each connected with their end faces 6c to an end face 2c or a narrow side 2b of a respective flat conductor 2.
[0063] The embodiment according to FIG. 6b is particularly suitable for use of a battery module connector, wherein the flat conductors 2 can be terminal lugs of a respective battery module.
