Patent ID: 8658306

Claim:
A conductive electrode terminal connecting member configured to electrically connect plate-shaped secondary battery cells (‘battery cells’) constituting a battery module to each other, wherein the battery module has a structure in which two or more battery cells are arranged in a lateral direction thereof, the electrode terminal connecting member comprises a plate-shaped member body configured to be disposed on electrode terminals of the battery cells which are arranged in the lateral direction thereof, the plate-shaped member body having a predetermine thickness, a left-wing connection part extending from the plate-shaped member body such that the electrode terminals of the left-side battery cells are connected to the left-wing connection part to achieve electrical connection in series or in series and in parallel between the battery cells, and a right-wing connection part extending from the plate-shaped member body such that the electrode terminals of the right-side battery cells are connected to the right-wing connection part to achieve electrical connection in series or in series and in parallel between the battery cells, the left-wing connection part is provided with slits, corresponding to shapes of the electrode terminals of the battery cells, through which the plate-shaped electrode terminals of the respective battery cells (‘battery cell electrode terminals’) are inserted, and the right-wing connection part is provided with slits, corresponding to shapes of the battery cell electrode terminals, through which the battery cell electrode terminals are inserted, and during electrical connection, the battery cell electrode terminals are inserted through the slits of the left- and right-wing connection parts, are bent such that the battery cell electrode terminals come into tight contact with a top of the electrode terminal connecting member, and then the battery cell electrode terminals are coupled to the electrode terminal connecting member by welding, wherein the left-wing connection part is provided with a step formed in the lateral direction such that the step corresponds to the number of the battery cells connected in series to one another, and the right-wing connection part is provided with a step formed in the lateral direction such that the step corresponds to the number of the battery cells connected in series to one another, and wherein the left-wing connection part is provided with two or more slits arranged in the lateral direction thereof such that two of more adjacent battery cells are connected in parallel to each other, and the right-wing connection part is provided with two or more slits arranged in the lateral direction thereof such that two or more adjacent battery cells are connected in parallel to each other.