Connector assembly for a battery system

• US 10,326,181 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom)), Tyco Electronics Japan GK (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Zhao, Weiping, Liu, Haifeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Rhee, Jane J
• Application Number:
  US15/343,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/298 characterised by the wiring of battery packs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A connector assembly for voltage monitoring battery cells of a battery module includes a connector having a plurality of terminals and a wire assembly extending from the connector along a wire axis. The wire assembly has a plurality of wires extending between a terminal end and a buss bar end. The terminal end is terminated to a corresponding terminal. The buss bar end is configured to be terminated to a voltage sensor associated with a corresponding buss bar of the battery module. The buss bar end is folded over such that the buss bar end extends at a transverse angle relative to the wire axis. The buss bar ends are staggered along the wire axis at different depths from the connector.

Claims

1. A connector assembly for voltage monitoring battery cells of a battery module, the connector assembly comprising:

a connector having a plurality of terminals; and

a wire assembly extending from the connector along a wire axis, the wire assembly having a plurality of wires extending between a terminal end and a buss bar end, the terminal end being terminated to a corresponding terminal, the buss bar end being configured to be terminated to a voltage sensor associated with a corresponding buss bar of the battery module, the buss bar end being folded over such that the buss bar end extends at a transverse angle relative to the wire axis, the buss bar ends being staggered along the wire axis at different depths from the connector, the wires extending along parallel paths between the terminal ends and the corresponding fold over portions at the buss bar ends.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein each wire has a different length between the connector and the corresponding buss bar end.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire assembly is a flat flexible cable having the plurality of the wires, the wires being flat conductors in a common jacket, the jacket being separable to separate the flat conductors from each other for routing the buss bar ends to the voltage sensors.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire assembly includes a plurality of discrete wires between the terminals and the corresponding voltage sensors forming a wire harness.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the buss bar ends have exposed conductors for termination to the voltage sensors and strain relief segments proximate the exposed conductors configured to be fixed to the buss bars by strain relief tabs of the buss bars to hold the exposed conductors relative to the buss bars for termination to the voltage sensors.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a majority of the buss bar ends are folded over at least one other wire as the buss bar ends are routed to the corresponding voltage sensors.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein none of the buss bar ends pass over any other wires as the buss bar ends are routed to the corresponding voltage sensors.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire axis of the wire assembly is angled non-parallel to a cell stack up direction of the battery cells.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the planar cable is angled away from a second planar cable.

18. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the buss bar end is folded over such that the buss bar end extends perpendicular relative to the wire axis.

19. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the folded over portion is folded over on itself.

20. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the buss bar end is separated from the wire assembly at the folded over portion.

10. A carrier assembly for battery cells of a battery module, the carrier assembly comprising:

a tray configured to be coupled to a top of the battery module over the battery cells, the tray holding a plurality of buss bars configured to electrically connect adjacent battery cells of the battery module, the buss bars having voltage sensors associated therewith, the buss bars having strain relief tabs extending therefrom proximate to the voltage sensors; and

a connector assembly coupled to the tray, the connector assembly having a connector including a plurality of terminals and a wire assembly extending from the connector along a wire axis, the wire assembly having a plurality of wires extending between a terminal end and a buss bar end, the terminal end being terminated to a corresponding terminal, the buss bar ends being staggered along the wire axis at different depths from the connector, the buss bar ends each having a folded over portion being folded over on itself such that the buss bar ends extend at transverse angles relative to the wire axis to the corresponding voltage sensors, the buss bar ends being fixed relative to the voltage sensors of the buss bars by the strain relief tabs.

11. The carrier assembly of claim 10, wherein each wire has a different length between the connector and the corresponding buss bar end.

12. The carrier assembly of claim 10, wherein the wire assembly is a flat flexible cable having the plurality of the wires, the wires being flat conductors in a common jacket, the jacket being separable to separate the flat conductors from each other for routing the buss bar ends to the voltage sensors.

13. The carrier assembly of claim 10, wherein the wire assembly includes a plurality of discrete wires between the terminals and the corresponding voltage sensors forming a wire harness.

14. The carrier assembly of claim 10, wherein the wire axis of the wire assembly is angled non-parallel to a cell stack up direction of the battery cells.

15. The carrier assembly of claim 10, wherein the planar cable is angled away from a second planar cable.

16. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of battery cells forming a battery module, the battery cells being stacked in a cell stack-up direction;

a carrier assembly mounted to the battery module, the carrier assembly having a tray holding a plurality of buss bars for electrically connecting adjacent battery cells of the battery module, the buss bars having voltage sensors sensing a voltage of the corresponding buss bar; and

a connector assembly coupled to the tray, the connector assembly having a connector including a plurality of terminals and a wire assembly extending from the connector along a wire axis, the wire assembly having a plurality of wires extending between a terminal end and a buss bar end, the terminal end being terminated to a corresponding terminal, the buss bar ends being staggered along the wire axis at different depths from the connector, the buss bar ends being folded over such that the buss bar ends extend at transverse angles relative to the wire axis to the corresponding voltage sensors, the wires extending along parallel paths between the terminal ends and the corresponding fold over portions at the buss bar ends, the buss bar ends being fixed relative to the voltage sensors of the buss bars by the strain relief tabs.

17. The battery system of claim 16, wherein each wire has a different length between the connector and the corresponding buss bar end.