Patent Publication Number: US-2018047952-A1

Title: Electricity storage pack

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority of Japanese patent application JP2015-040915 filed on Mar. 3, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an electricity storage pack. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventional techniques for connecting an electricity storage module to a unit for controlling the state of the electricity storage module are known. Patent Document 1 (JP2013-125612A) discloses an assembled battery including a plurality of modules in which a plurality of single cells are layered, and a battery management unit, the modules being connected to the battery management unit via electric wires. 
     SUMMARY 
     There is a problem in that, when the modules are connected to the battery management unit via the electric wires, there are some cases where the wiring routes of the electric wires become complicated due to the positional relationship between the modules and the battery management unit, and thus the configuration of the assembled battery becomes complicated. 
     The present design was accomplished based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object thereof to simplify the configuration of an electricity storage pack. 
     An electricity storage pack of the present design includes a base member, a connector that is fixed to the base member and includes a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion, a conductive path that electrically connects a terminal of the first fitting portion and a terminal of the second fitting portion, an electricity storage module that includes an electricity storage-side fitting portion fitted to the first fitting portion, and a control unit that includes a control-side fitting portion fitted to the second fitting portion. 
     With this configuration, regarding the electrical connection between the electricity storage module and the control unit, the terminal of the first fitting portion of the connector and the terminal of the second fitting portion thereof are connected via the conductive path, and therefore, the electricity storage module and the control unit can be electrically connected by fitting the electricity storage-side fitting portion to the first fitting portion and fitting the control-side fitting portion to the second fitting portion. This makes it possible to arrange the electricity storage-side fitting portion and the control-side fitting portion collectively, and therefore, the wiring route of the conductive path between the electricity storage module and the control unit can be shortened, thus making it possible to simplify the configuration of the electricity storage pack. 
     It is preferable that embodiments of the present design have the following aspects. 
     The conductive path is an electric wire arranged on the base member. 
     With this configuration, the degree of freedom of the conductive path route can be increased. 
     The base member includes a holding portion for holding the electric wire. 
     With this configuration, the positional shift of the electric wire can be suppressed. 
     The electricity storage pack further includes an electric current detecting portion that outputs a signal in accordance with an electric current outputted by the electricity storage module, wherein the conductive path connects the electric current detecting portion and the terminal of the second fitting portion. 
     With this configuration, the control unit can detect an electric current outputted from the electricity storage module. 
     The electricity storage pack further includes a relay unit that includes a relay for turning outputs of the electricity storage module on or off, wherein the connector includes a third fitting portion having a terminal that is electrically connected to at least one of the terminal of the first fitting portion and the terminal of the second fitting portion, and the relay unit includes a relay-side fitting portion fitted to the third fitting portion. 
     With this configuration, the electricity storage-side fitting portion, the control-side fitting portion, and the relay-side fitting portion can be gathered on the connector side, and therefore, the route of the conductive path between the electricity storage module, the control unit, and the relay unit can be shortened compared with a case where the electricity storage module, the control unit, and the relay unit are connected via a conductive path without using a connector, thus making it possible to simplify the configuration of the electricity storage pack. 
     With the present design, the configuration of an electricity storage pack can be simplified. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a right side view of an electricity storage pack of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electricity storage pack in a state in which a cover is removed. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the electricity storage pack in the state in which the cover is removed. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the electricity storage pack in the state in which the cover is removed. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a dashed-dotted line in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a dashed-dotted line in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an electricity storage module. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an electricity storage-side fitting portion provided on a lower case. 
         FIG. 11  is a plan view showing a state in which electric wires are arranged on a base member. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing a state in which a connector is attached to the base member. 
         FIG. 13  is a front view showing a state in which the connector is attached to the base member. 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view showing a state in which the connector is attached to the base member. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing a state in which a control unit and a relay unit have been attached from the state shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 16  is a plan view showing the state shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiment 1 
     Embodiment 1 of the present design will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 16 . An electricity storage pack  10  according to this embodiment is to be mounted in a vehicle (not shown) such as an electric car or a hybrid car. The electricity storage pack  10  can be attached to a vehicle in any attitude. In the following description, the X direction shown in  FIG. 2  indicates a “right side”, the Y direction indicates a “front side”, and the Z direction indicates an “upper side”. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the electricity storage pack  10  includes an electricity storage module  12 , a control unit  40 , a relay unit  50 , a base member  60 , and a cover  11 . The cover  11  is made of a synthetic resin or a metal, for example, and is formed in a box shape whose lower side is open. 
     In the electricity storage module  12 , a plurality of (six in this embodiment) electricity storage elements  13  are layered and accommodated in a module case  27  made of a metal. The electricity storage elements  13  have substantially a rectangular shape as viewed from above. As shown in  FIG. 7 , electricity storage constituents (not shown) are arranged between a pair of laminate sheets, and a positive electrode and a negative electrode are respectively formed on both ends. The electricity storage elements  13  are batteries, capacitors, or the like, for example. The vertically adjacent electricity storage elements  13  are arranged such that their polarities are opposite to each other, and therefore, the plurality of electricity storage elements  13  are connected in series as a whole. Each of the electricity storage elements  13  is held by a separator made of a synthetic resin. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the module case  27  is assembled from an upper case  27 A, a lower case  27 B, and lid bodies  27 C and  27 D and formed to cover the entirety of the plurality of electricity storage elements  13 . The upper case  27 A, the lower case  27 B, and the lid bodies  27 C and  27 D are fixed to each other using bolts  29 A and nuts  29 B. In the electricity storage module  12 , the heads of the bolts  29 A are in contact with the top surface of the base member  60  (see  FIG. 5 ), and thus the bottom surface of the electricity storage module  12  is arranged at a position that is a distance corresponding to the height of the heads of the bolts  29 A higher than the top surface of the base member  60 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 10 , an opening  28 A from which an electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  is to be exposed, and a locking hole  28 B are formed through the lower case  27 B. The electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  is fixed to the lower case  27 B such that a first fitting portion  81  of a connector  80 , which will be described later, can be fitted thereto from below, and includes a plurality of terminals  31  connected to the end portions of a plurality of voltage detection wires  36 , and an accommodating portion  32  made of a synthetic resin that accommodates the plurality of terminals  31 . The accommodating portion  32  includes a plurality of accommodating chambers  33  that hold the terminals  31  at predetermined positions. Front-stop protruding portions  34 A that stop at the front of the lower case  27 B and locking portions  34 B that are locked to the lower case  27 B are provided on both sides of the accommodating portion  32 . Each of the locking portions  34 B is provided with a locking claw at the front end, has a bendable and deformable thickness, and extends downward. The locking claw is locked to the hole edge of the locking hole  28 B of the lower case  27 B. The electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  is fixed to the lower case  27 B with the front-stop protruding portions  34 A and the locking portions  34 B. The voltage detection wires  36  are electrically connected to the positive electrodes or the negative electrodes of the electricity storage elements  13 , and output voltage signals of the electricity storage elements  13 . The voltage detection wires  36  each are obtained by coating the outer circumference of a stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of metal thin wires with an insulating resin. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , terminals  15 A and  15 B that are positive and negative output terminals of the overall electricity storage module  12  are provided at the right end portion of the electricity storage module  12 . A plate-shaped portion  25  of an external output terminal  24 B that is connectable to the outside is laid flat on one terminal  15 B. The external output terminal  24 B is constituted by a stud bolt protruding from a metal plate material that is bent in an L shape, and is placed on a base portion  37 A protruding from the base member  60 . One end of a connecting bus bar  16  is laid flat on the other terminal  15 A. The connecting bus bar  16  is obtained by stamping a metal plate material made of copper, a copper alloy, or the like into a predetermined shape, and is formed substantially in an L-shape as viewed from above. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the other end of the connecting bus bar  16  is bent in a right angle and formed into a connecting portion  16 A, and is placed on a base portion  37 B protruding upward from the top surface of the base member  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , one terminal  50 A of the relay unit  50  is laid flat on the connecting portion  16 A. An electric current detecting portion  20  is laid flat on the other terminal  50 B of the relay unit  50 , and the electric current detecting portion  20 , a relay bus bar  21 , and a fuse  22  are connected to the terminal  50 B in series. The electric current detecting portion  20  outputs voltage signals in accordance with electric currents via electric wires  74 , and in this embodiment, a shunt resistor is used for the electric current detecting portion  20 . The electric current detecting portion  20  is placed on a base portion  37 C protruding upward from the top surface of the base member  60 . 
     One end of the relay bus bar  21  constituted by a metal plate material is connected to the right end portion of the electric current detecting portion  20 . One end of the fuse  22  is connected to the other end of the relay bus bar  21 . The other end of the fuse  22  is laid flat on a plate-shaped portion  26  of an external output terminal  24 A and connected thereto. The external output terminal  24 A includes a stud bolt that rises from the plate surface and is placed on a base portion  37 D. The external output terminals  24 A and  24 B are to be connected to external loads or the like (not shown). 
     The control unit  40  is an electronic control unit (ECU) to be mounted in a vehicle, for example. The control unit  40  has a function of calculating voltages of the electricity storage elements  13  and electric currents from the terminals  15 A and  15 B based on the signals from the voltage detection wires  36  and the electric current detecting portion  20 , for example. 
     In the control unit  40 , a circuit portion (not shown) is accommodated in a case  41 , and a control-side fitting portion  42  that enables fitting from below is fixed to the bottom surface of the case  41  (see  FIG. 3 ). The control-side fitting portion  42  is fitted to a second fitting portion  84  of the connector  80 , which will be described later. The control-side fitting portion  42  has the same function as that of the above-mentioned electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  and differs from the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  in the number of the terminals  31  and the shape of the accommodating portion  32 , which depends on the number of the terminals  31 . Thus, its further description is omitted. The control unit  40  is fixed to the top surface of the base member  60  using a fixing means such as a screw or the like. 
     In the relay unit  50 , a plurality of relays (not shown) are accommodated in a case  51 . The relays include main relays and pre-charging relays. The relay unit  50  includes a pair of terminals  50 A and  50 B. One terminal  50 A and the connecting bus bar  16  are fixed to the base portion  37 B using a screw, and the other terminal  50 B and the left end portion of the electric current detecting portion  20  are fixed to the base portion  37 C using a screw. The relay unit  50  applies or interrupts an electric current between the connecting bus bar  16  and the electric current detecting portion  20  by turning the relays on or off. A relay-side fitting portion  52  that enables fitting from below is fixed to the bottom surface of the case  51  (see  FIG. 3 ). The relay-side fitting portion  52  is fitted to a third fitting portion  87  of the connector  80 . The relay-side fitting portion  52  differs from the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  in the shape of the accommodating portion  32 , which depends on the number of the terminals  31 , and thus its further description is omitted. 
     The base member  60  is made of an insulating synthetic resin and has a rectangular shape with a size that allows the electricity storage module  12 , the control unit  40 , and the relay unit  50  to be placed at different regions as shown in  FIG. 11 . A plurality of holding portions  61  to  64  protruding upward are formed on the top surface of the base member  60 . The holding portions  61  to  63  include first holding portions  61 , second holding portions  62 , and third holding portions  63  that are provided in accordance with the positions of the fitting portions  30 ,  42 , and  52 , and are positioned by press-fitting the end portions of the connector terminals, which are provided with a pair of pressure-welding blades. The holding portions  64  hold the electric wires  71  to  74  in predetermined wiring routes by holding the electric wires  71  to  74  therebetween, and thus prevent positional shifts of the electric wires  71  to  74 . Each of the electric wires  71  to  74  arranged on the top surface of the base member  60  has a configuration in which the outer circumference of a single metal core wire is covered with an insulating synthetic resin. The electric wires  71  to  74  are pressure-welded to the sides provided with a pair of pressure-welding blades in the terminals  31 , which are pressure-welding terminals. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , two locking claws  65  that can be elastically deformed protrude upward from the top surface of the base member  60 . The electricity storage module  12  is fixed to the base member  60  by engaging the locking claws  65  with lock-receiving portions (not shown) formed in the lower case  27 B. The connector  80  is arranged on the base member  60 . 
     The connector  80  is a stand-by connector, and includes, as shown in  FIG. 14 , the first fitting portion  81  to be fitted to the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30 , the second fitting portion  84  to be fitted to the control-side fitting portion  42 , the third fitting portion  87  to be fitted to the relay-side fitting portion  52 , and a coupling portion  95  to which the fitting portions  81 ,  84 , and  87  are integrally coupled. The first fitting portion  81  includes a hood portion  82 A that opens in a polygonal tube shape, an inner wall portion  82 B that closes the inner side of the hood portion  82 A, and first connector terminals  83  that pass through the inner wall portion  82 B. The second fitting portion  84  includes a hood portion  85 A that opens in a polygonal tube shape, an inner wall portion  85 B that closes the inner side of the hood portion  85 A, and second connector terminals  86  that pass through the inner wall portion  85 B. The third fitting portion  87  includes a hood portion  88 A that opens in a polygonal tube shape, an inner wall portion  88 B that closes the inner side of the hood portion  88 A, and third connector terminals  89  that pass through the inner wall portion  88 B. 
     The coupling portion  95  is a plate material that is formed in a flange shape and has a constant thickness corresponding to the heights of the inner wall portions. Through holes  92  into which male tabs of the first connector terminals  83 , the second connector terminals  86 , and the third connector terminals  89  are inserted are formed in the inner wall portions  82 B,  85 B, and  88 B of the first fitting portion  82 , the second fitting portion  85 , and the third fitting portion  88 . 
     It is sufficient that the through holes  92  have a size that allows the first connector terminals  83 , the second connector terminals  86  and the third connector terminals  89  to be inserted thereinto, but the through holes  92  may also be formed in a size that allows the first connector terminals  83 , the second connector terminals  86 , and the third connector terminals  89  to be press-fitted. The bottom surface of the connector  80  is placed on the holding portions  61  to  64 , and therefore, the connector  80  is fixed at a position that is higher by the heights of the holding portions  61  to  64  than the base member  60 . The connector  80  is fixed to the base member  60  using a fixing means such as screwing (not shown) into the base member  60  or a locking mechanism, but there is no limitation thereto. For example, the connector  80  may also be fixed via the connector terminals  83 ,  86 , and  89 . 
     The assembly of the electricity storage pack  10  will be described next. 
     The electric wires  71  to  74  are arranged on the base member  60 , and the external output terminals  24 A and  24 B, the connecting bus bar  16 , the electric current detecting portion  20 , the relay bus bar  21 , and the fuse  22  are attached to predetermined positions ( FIG. 11 ). 
     Next, the connector  80  to which the first connector terminals  83 , the second connector terminals  86 , and the third connector terminals  89  have been attached is attached to the base member  60  ( FIG. 12 ). It should be noted that the connector  80  may also be attached after the first connector terminals  83 , the second connector terminals  86 , and the third connector terminals  89  are press-fitted to the electric wires  71  to  74  on the base member  60 . 
     Next, the control unit  40  and the relay unit  50  are fixed to the base member  60  by fitting the second fitting portion  84  and the third fitting portion  87  to the control-side fitting portion  42  and the relay-side fitting portion  52  of the connector  80 , respectively ( FIG. 15 ). Moreover, the electricity storage module  12  is fixed to the base member  60  by fitting the first fitting portion  81  to the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  of the connector  80  ( FIG. 2 ). The electricity storage pack  10  is formed by assembling the cover  11  to the heads of the electricity storage module  12  and the base member  60  from above ( FIG. 1 ). 
     With this embodiment, the following operational effects are attained. 
     With this embodiment, regarding the electrical connection between the electricity storage module  12  and the control unit  40 , the first fitting portion  81  of the connector  80  fixed to the base member  60  and the second fitting portion  84  thereof are connected via the electric wires  71  (conductive paths), and therefore, the electricity storage module  12  and the control unit  40  can be electrically connected by fitting the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  to the first fitting portion  81  and fitting the control-side fitting portion  42  to the second fitting portion  84 . This makes it possible to arrange the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30  and the control-side fitting portion  42  collectively at the position on the connector  80  side, and therefore, the wiring routes of the conductive paths between the electricity storage module  12  and the control unit  40  can be shortened compared with a case where the electricity storage module  12  and the control unit  40  are connected without using the connector  80 , thus making it possible to simplify the configuration of the electricity storage pack  10 . 
     The conductive path is an electric wire arranged on the base member  60 . 
     With this configuration, the degree of freedom of the conductive path route can be increased. 
     The base member  60  includes holding portions  61  to  64  for holding the electric wires  71  to  74 . 
     With this configuration, the positional shifts of the electric wires  71  to  74  can be suppressed. 
     The electricity storage pack  10  further includes the electric current detecting portion  20  that outputs a signal in accordance with an electric current outputted by the electricity storage module  12 , wherein the conductive path connects the electric current detecting portion  20  and the terminal of the second fitting portion  84 . 
     With this configuration, the control unit  40  can detect an electric current outputted from the electricity storage module  12 . 
     The electricity storage pack  10  further includes the relay unit  50  that includes a relay for turning outputs of the electricity storage module  12  on or off, wherein the connector  80  includes the third fitting portion  87  having the third connector terminal  89  (terminal) that is electrically connected to at least one of the terminal of the first fitting portion  81  and the terminal of the second fitting portion  84 , and the relay unit  50  includes the relay-side fitting portion  52  fitted to the third fitting portion  87 . 
     With this configuration, the electricity storage-side fitting portion  30 , the control-side fitting portion  42 , and the relay-side fitting portion  52  can be gathered at the position on the connector  80  side, thus making it possible to simplify the configuration of the electricity storage pack  10 . 
     Other Embodiments 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiment that has been described above with reference to the drawings, and embodiments such as those described below are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, for example. 
     Although the electric wires  71  to  74  are used as the conductive paths for connecting the connector terminals and the like, there is no limitation thereto. For example, a conductive path may be formed using a bus bar obtained by forming a metal plate into the shape of the conductive path, a copper foil pattern, or the like. Moreover, the conductive path is not limited to that arranged on the base member  60 . For example, the conductive path may be fixed to the connector  80 . 
     Although the holding portions  61  to  64  have a shape protruding from the top surface of the base member  60 , there is no limitation thereto. For example, holding portions having a groove shape may be formed on the top surface of the base member  60 . 
     Although the connector  80  and the base member  60  are formed separately, the housing of the connector  80  and the base member  60  may be formed integrally. 
     It is to be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims. 
     As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “e.g.,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       10 : Electricity storage pack 
       12 : Electricity storage module 
       13 : Electricity storage element 
       20 : Electric current detecting portion 
       30 : Electricity storage-side fitting portion 
       31 : Terminal 
       40 : Control unit 
       42 : Control-side fitting portion 
       50 : Relay unit 
       52 : Relay-side fitting portion 
       60 : Base member 
       61  to  64 : Holding portion 
       71  to  74 : Electric wire (conductive path) 
       80 : Connector 
       81 : First fitting portion 
       83 : First connector terminal (terminal) 
       84 : Second fitting portion 
       86 : Second connector terminal (terminal) 
       87 : Third fitting portion 
       89 : Third connector terminal (terminal)