BATTERY CONNECTOR SYSTEM

• US 20130288530A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Zhao, Weiping
• Granted Patent: US 8,808,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/627
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• 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 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/298 characterised by the wiring of battery packs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• 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 50/519 comprising printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/528 Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/583 in response to current, e.g. fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/684 the fuse being removable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/226 comprising a plurality of conductive flat strips providing connection between wires or components H01R9/2425 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery connector system includes a tray assembly configured to be mounted to a battery module made from a plurality of battery cells. The tray assembly has a tray and a plurality of busbars held by the tray. The tray has a tray connector defining a mating interface being configured to mate with an electrical connector. The electrical connector may be either a wire harness connector or a circuit board connector. The busbars are coupled to the tray and have plates being configured to be electrically connected to corresponding cell tabs of the battery cells. The busbars have fuse terminals positioned in the tray connector. A plurality of fuses are coupled to the fuse terminals. The fuses may be serviceable fuses or resettable fuses. The fuses are connected between the plates of the busbars and the electrical connector.

Claims

1. A battery connector system comprising:

a tray assembly configured to be mounted to a battery module made from a plurality of battery cells, the tray assembly comprising a tray and a plurality of busbars held by the tray;

the tray having a tray connector defining a mating interface being configured to mate with an electrical connector;

the busbars being coupled to the tray, the busbars having plates being configured to be electrically connected to corresponding cell tabs of the battery cells, the busbars having fuse terminals positioned in the tray connector; and

a plurality of fuses coupled to the fuse terminals, the fuses being connected between the plates of the busbars and the electrical connector.

2. The battery connector system of claim 1, further comprising a terminal coupled directly to the fuse terminal, the terminal being positioned between the fuse terminal and the electrical connector.

3. The battery connector system of claim 1, wherein fused paths are created between the electrical connector and the plates of the busbars, each fuse path passing through the corresponding fuse.

4. The battery connector system of claim 1, wherein the fuse terminal comprises a fork terminal, the fuse comprises a serviceable fuse having a fuse blade, the fuse being removably coupled to the tray, the fuse blade being coupled to the fork terminal when the fuse is coupled to the tray.

5. The battery connector system of claim 1, wherein the fuse is a resettable fuse mounted between the plate and the fuse terminal of the busbar.

6. The battery connector system of claim 1, further comprising a wire harness connector as the electrical connector, the wire harness connector having a housing holding a plurality of wire harness terminals, the housing being coupled to the tray, the wire harness terminals being terminated to corresponding wires configured to be routed to a centralized battery management system, the wire harness terminals being electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse.

7. The battery connector system of claim 6, wherein the fuse terminal comprises a fork terminal, the fuse comprises a serviceable fuse having a pair of fuse blades, the fuse being removably coupled to the tray, the fuse blades being coupled to the corresponding fork terminal and wire harness terminal when the fuse is coupled to the tray.

8. The battery connector system of claim 6, wherein the fuses are resettable fuses mounted between the plates and the corresponding fuse terminals of the busbars, the wire harness terminals being directly coupled to the corresponding fuse terminals when the wire harness connector is coupled to the tray assembly.

9. The battery connector system of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board connector as the electrical connector, the circuit board connector having a housing holding a circuit board, the housing being coupled to the tray, the circuit board having circuitry to perform at least one battery management function, the circuit board having a plurality of board terminals mounted thereto, the board terminals being electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse.

10. The battery connector system of claim 9, wherein the fuse terminal comprises a fork terminal, the fuse comprises a serviceable fuse having a pair of fuse blades, the fuse being removably coupled to the tray, the fuse blades being plugged through the circuit board to be coupled to the corresponding fork terminal and board terminal.

11. The battery connector system of claim 9, wherein the fuses are resettable fuses mounted between the plates and the corresponding fuse terminals of the busbars, the board terminals being directly coupled to the corresponding fuse terminals when the circuit board connector is coupled to the tray assembly.

12. The battery connector system of claim 1, further comprising a thermistor assembly having a thermistor sensor for measuring a temperature of at least one battery cell, the thermistor assembly including a thermistor contact coupled to the thermistor sensor and extending into the tray connector for electrical connection to the electrical connector.

13. A battery connector system comprising:

a tray assembly configured to be mounted to a battery module made from a plurality of battery cells, the tray assembly comprising a tray and a plurality of busbars held by the tray, the tray having a tray connector defining a mating interface, the busbars being coupled to the tray, the busbars having plates being configured to be electrically connected to corresponding cell tabs of the battery cells, the busbars having fuse terminals positioned in the tray connector at the mating interface;

fuses coupled to the fuse terminals, the fuses configured to provide current protection circuits between the battery cells and a battery management system;

a wire harness connector configured to be coupled to the tray connector, the wire harness connector having a housing holding a plurality of wire harness terminals, the wire harness terminals being terminated to corresponding wires configured to be routed to a centralized battery management system, the wire harness terminals being configured to be electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse; and

a circuit board connector configured to be coupled to the tray connector, the circuit board connector having a housing holding a circuit board, the circuit board having circuitry to perform at least one battery management function as part of a decentralized battery management system, the circuit board having a plurality of board terminals mounted thereto, the board terminals being configured to be electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse;

wherein the tray assembly is capable of being coupled with either the wire harness connector or the circuit board connector, and wherein either the wire harness connector is selectively coupled to the tray assembly or the circuit board connector is selectively coupled to the tray assembly to define either a centralized battery management system or a decentralized battery management system.

14. The battery connector system of claim 13, wherein the fuse terminal comprises a fork terminal, the fuse comprises a serviceable fuse having a fuse blade, the fuse being removably coupled to the tray, the fuse blade being coupled to the fork terminal when the fuse is coupled to the tray.

15. The battery connector system of claim 13, wherein the fuse is a resettable fuse mounted between the plate and the fuse terminal of the busbar.

16. The battery connector system of claim 13, wherein the fuse terminal comprises a fork terminal, the fuse comprises a serviceable fuse having a pair of fuse blades, the fuse being removably coupled to the tray, one of the fuse blades being coupled to the corresponding fork terminal and the other fuse blade being coupled to either the wire harness terminal when the wire harness connector is coupled to the tray assembly or the board terminal when the circuit board connector is coupled to the tray assembly.

17. The battery connector system of claim 13, wherein the fuses are resettable fuses mounted between the plates and the corresponding fuse terminals of the busbars, the fuse terminals being directly coupled to either the wire harness terminal when the wire harness connector is coupled to the tray assembly or the board terminal when the circuit board connector is coupled to the tray assembly.

18. The battery connector system of claim 13, further comprising a thermistor assembly having a thermistor sensor for measuring a temperature of at least one battery cell, the thermistor assembly including a thermistor contact coupled to the thermistor sensor and extending into the tray connector for electrical connection to either the wire harness connector when the wire harness connector is coupled to the tray assembly or the circuit board connector when the circuit board connector is coupled to the tray assembly.

19. A battery connector system comprising:

a tray assembly configured to be mounted to a battery module made from a plurality of battery cells, the tray assembly comprising a tray and a plurality of busbars held by the tray, the tray having a tray connector defining a mating interface, the busbars being coupled to the tray, the busbars having plates being configured to be electrically connected to corresponding cell tabs of the battery cells, the busbars having fuse terminals positioned in the tray connector at the mating interface;

an electrical connector coupled to the tray connector, the electrical connector having fuse terminals positioned adjacent corresponding fuse terminals of the tray assembly; and

fuses removably coupled to the tray assembly and the electrical connector, the fuses being serviceable fuses each having a fuse body and a pair of fuse blades, one of the fuse blades being mated with the corresponding fuse terminal of the tray assembly, the other fuse blade being mated with the corresponding fuse terminal of the electrical connector, the fuses being capable of being removed and replaced.

20. The battery connector system of claim 19, further comprising a cover covering the tray assembly and the electrical connector, the fuses being accessible through the cover and being removable without removing the cover.

21. The battery connector system of claim 19, further comprising a wire harness connector as the electrical connector, the wire harness connector being coupled to the tray connector, the wire harness connector having a housing holding the fuse terminals of the electrical connector, the fuse terminals of the electrical connector being terminated to corresponding wires configured to be routed to a centralized battery management system, the fuse terminals of the electrical connector being electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse.

22. The battery connector system of claim 19, further comprising a circuit board connector as the electrical connector, the circuit board connector being coupled to the tray connector, the circuit board connector having a housing holding a circuit board, the circuit board having circuitry to perform at least one battery management function, the fuse terminals of the electrical connector being terminated to the circuit board, the fuse terminals of the electrical connector being electrically connected to the plates of the busbars through the corresponding fuse.