Modular battery with connector interconnecting terminals of adjacent unit cells

• US 20070026739A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Jeon, Yoon-Cheol, Lee, Gun-Goo, Kim, Tae-Yong
• Granted Patent: US 7,270,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/627
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 comprising a single busbar
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery module including a plurality of a unit cell having a terminal and a connection member, whose both ends are respectively fastened to the terminals of at least a pair of adjacent unit cells and has a joint in the middle. The connection member is improved to easily correspond to distance discrepancies between unit cells having a terminal, as both ends of the two rods can swing centering the joint.

Claims

1. A modular battery comprising:

a plurality of unit cells comprising a first unit cell and a second unit cell, the first unit cell comprising a first terminal, the second unit cell comprising a second terminal; and

a terminal connector comprising a first member and a second member, the first member being configured to be fastened to the first terminal, the second member being configured to be fastened to the second terminal, wherein the first and second member are mechanically connected with each other while being configured to rotate relative to each other about an axis.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the terminal connector is further configured to electrically connect the first and second terminals.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the terminal connector further comprises a third member rotatably interconnecting the first and second members.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the terminal connector further comprises means for interconnecting the first and second members and for allowing relative rotation between the first and second members about the axis.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first and second unit cells are neighboring with each other without another unit cell placed therebetween.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first member comprises a terminal portion engaging with the first terminal and a coupling portion engaging with the second member.

7. The battery of claim 6, wherein the first member is elongated with two opposing ends, and wherein the terminal portion is located near one end, and the coupling portion is located near the other end.

8. The battery of claim 6, wherein the coupling portion of the first member comprises a coupling hole, wherein the terminal connector further comprises a coupling member inserted into the coupling hole and engaging with the second member.

9. The battery of claim 8, wherein the axis passes through the coupling hole.

10. The battery of claim 8, wherein the second member comprises a terminal portion engaging with the second terminal and a coupling hole, and wherein the coupling member is further inserted into the coupling hole of the second member.

11. The battery of claim 10, wherein the coupling member inserted through the coupling holes of the first and second member is configured to act as a shaft for the relative rotation.

12. The battery of claim 10, wherein the coupling member is a rivet.

13. The battery of claim 10, wherein the coupling member is welded to the at least one of the first and second members.

14. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first and second member hardly rotates about the axis when fastened to the first and second terminal respectively.

15. The battery of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of additional terminal connectors, wherein each of the additional terminal connectors mechanically interconnects a terminal belonging to one of the plurality of unit cells and a terminal belonging to a another unit cell neighboring the one unit cell in the same manner as the terminal connector.

16. The battery of claim 1, wherein the unit cell is in a prismatic configuration.

17. The battery of claim 1, further comprising a separator located between the first and second unit cells.

22. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first and second unit cells are neighboring with each other without another unit cell placed therebetween.

18. A method of making a modular battery, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of unit cells comprising a first unit cell and a second unit cell, the first unit cell comprising a first terminal, the second unit cell comprising a second terminal;

providing a terminal connector comprising a first member and a second member, wherein the first and second member are mechanically connected with each other while being configured to rotate relative to each other about an axis; and

interconnecting the first and second terminals using the terminal connector.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein interconnecting comprises fastening the first member to the first terminal and fastening the second member to the second terminal, wherein interconnecting further comprises rotating the first member relative to the second member about the axis.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein interconnecting comprises electrically connecting the first and second terminals.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the terminal connector further comprises means for interconnecting the first and second members and for allowing relative rotation between the first and second members.