Sensor device for an electrochemical energy store, electrochemical energy store, method for manufacturing a sensor device for an electrochemical energy store

• US 10,067,194 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Henrici, Fabian, Bruendel, Mathias, Grimminger, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunlap, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/391,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 429 90, 429 92, 320134, 320136
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3644 Constructional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

A sensor device for contacting first and second contact points of an electrochemical energy store which are situated inside a housing of the electrochemical energy store includes: a first terminal contact for the electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to the first contact point, a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact corresponding to at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point; and a second terminal contact for the electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to the second contact point, a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact corresponding to at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point.

Claims

1. A sensor device for an electrochemical energy store, the sensor device comprising:

a sensor housing;

an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

a shared carrier element formed from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

a first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, where a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point; and

a second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, where a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point,

wherein the sensor device is configured to contact the first contact point and the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store which are situated inside a housing of the electrochemical energy store, and

wherein the shared carrier element includes a lead frame formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the first exposed section is a first exposed section of the lead frame, and the second exposed section is a second exposed section of the lead frame.

2. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first terminal material on the surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as the second terminal material on the surface of the second terminal contact.

3. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first terminal material on the surface of the first terminal contact differs from the second terminal material on the surface of the second terminal.

4. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first terminal material on the surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as a material of the carrier element; and

the second terminal material on the surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as a material of the carrier element.

5. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first terminal contact has a first coating layer, where the first terminal material on the surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as a material of the first coating layer; and

the second terminal contact has a second coating layer, where the second terminal material on the surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as a material of the second coating layer.

6. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first terminal contact has a first coating layer, where the first terminal material on the surface of the first terminal contact is a different material as a material of the first coating layer; and

the second terminal contact has a second coating layer, where the second terminal material on the surface of the second terminal contact is a different material as a material of the second coating layer.

7. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.

8. An electrochemical energy store comprising:

a housing, in which a first contact point and a second contact point of the electrochemical energy store are situated; and

a sensor device configured for contacting the first contact point and the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, the sensor device having;

a sensor housing;

an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

a shared carrier element formed from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

a first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element that is electrically conductively connected to the first contact point, where a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point; and

a second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element that is electrically conductively connected to the second contact point, where a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point,

wherein the shared carrier element includes a lead frame formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the first exposed section is a first exposed section of the lead frame, and the second exposed section is a second exposed section of the lead frame.

9. The electrochemical energy store as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a first electrode assembly having a first current conductor and a second electrode assembly having a second current conductor, the first contact point of the electrochemical energy store having a segment of the first current conductor and the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store having a segment of the second current conductor.

10. The electrochemical energy store as recited in claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.

11. A method for manufacturing a sensor device for an electrochemical energy store, the method comprising:

forming a sensor housing;

forming an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

forming a shared carrier element from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

forming a first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, wherein a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point; and

forming a second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, wherein a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point,

wherein the sensor device is configured to contact the first contact point and the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, which are situated inside the housing of the electrochemical energy store, and

wherein the shared carrier element includes a lead frame formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the first exposed section is a first exposed section of the lead frame, and the second exposed section is a second exposed section of the lead frame.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the terminal contacts is formed by disposing a coating layer on a surface of the at least one of the terminal contacts.

13. The sensor device as recited in claim 12, wherein a terminal material on the surface of the at least one of the terminal contacts is the same material as a material of the coating layer.

14. The sensor device as recited in claim 12, wherein a terminal material on the surface of the at least one of the terminal contacts is a different material as a material of the coating layer.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.

16. A method for electrically contacting a sensor device in an electrochemical energy store, comprising:

providing a housing of the electrochemical energy store, a first contact point and a second contact point of the electrochemical energy store being situated inside the housing, and a sensor device having;

a sensor housing;

an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

a shared carrier element formed from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

a first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element; and

a second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element, where a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point, and where a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point,

wherein the shared carrier element includes a lead frame formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the first exposed section is a first exposed section of the lead frame, and the second exposed section is a second exposed section of the lead frame; and

electrically conductively connecting the first terminal contact of the sensor device to the first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, and electrically conductively connecting the second terminal contact of the sensor device to the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, to electrically contact the sensor device in the electrochemical energy store.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.

18. A sensor device for an electrochemical energy store, the sensor device comprising:

a sensor housing disposed between a first terminal contact of the sensor device and a second terminal contact of the sensor device;

an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

a shared carrier element formed from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

the first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, the first contact point situated inside an electrochemical energy store housing, where a material of the first terminal contact is the same as a material of the first contact point; and

the second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a second contact point different from the first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, the second contact point situated inside an electrochemical energy store housing, where a material of the second terminal contact is the same as a material of the second contact point,

wherein the shared carrier element includes a lead frame formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the first exposed section is a first exposed section of the lead frame, and the second exposed section is a second exposed section of the lead frame.

19. The sensor device as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a first coating layer disposed on a surface of the first terminal contact, where the first coating layer is the same material as the material of the first contact point; and

a second coating layer different from the first coating layer disposed on a surface of the second terminal contact, where the second coating layer is the same material as the material of the second contact point.

20. The sensor device as recited in claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.

21. A sensor device for an electrochemical energy store, the sensor device comprising:

a sensor housing;

an electrical circuit and at least one sensor element disposed inside the sensor housing;

a shared carrier element formed from an electrically conductive material, the shared carrier element having;

at least one section disposed inside the sensor housing,

a first exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on one end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element, and

a second exposed section disposed outside the sensor housing on an opposing end of the at least one section of the shared carrier element;

a first terminal contact comprising the first exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a first contact point of the electrochemical energy store, where a first terminal material on a surface of the first terminal contact is the same material as at least a first contact material on a surface of the first contact point; and

a second terminal contact comprising the second exposed section of the shared carrier element for providing an electrically conductive connection of the sensor device to a second contact point of the electrochemical energy store, where a second terminal material on a surface of the second terminal contact is the same material as at least a second contact material on a surface of the second contact point,

wherein the sensor device is configured to contact the first contact point and the second contact point of the electrochemical energy store which are situated inside a housing of the electrochemical energy store, and

wherein the electrical circuit is configured to receive data from the at least one sensor element and transmit the data via at least one of the first terminal contact and the second terminal contact to an external receiver.

22. The sensor device as recited in claim 21, wherein the electrically conductive material is one of copper or aluminum.