Electrical connecting member for secondary battery

• US 8,556,661 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Gi-Hwan, Cho, Yongho, Bang, Seunghyun, Lee, Hakjun, Kwon, Hosang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/611,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 439/627, 439/677, 439/500, 439/752, 439/217, 439/732, 429/99, 429/123, 429/82, 429/148
• US Class Current: 439/627
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2464 characterized by the contact point
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a connection member for secondary batteries to achieve the electrical connection in a battery pack including two or more cylindrical secondary batteries in a physical contact manner, the connection member including an outer circumferential contact part contacting an electrode terminal of a lower battery cell along the outer circumferential region of the electrode terminal of the lower battery cell, such that the outer circumferential contact part can be electrically connected to the electrode terminal of the lower battery cell in a surface contact manner and a central contact part contacting an electrode terminal of an upper battery cell or the central region of a sidewall of the battery pack for providing an elastic contact force to the entire connection member mounted between the electrode terminals of the respective battery cells or between the electrode terminals of the battery cells and the sidewall of the battery pack.

Claims

1. A connection member for secondary batteries to achieve the electrical connection in a battery pack including two or more cylindrical secondary batteries in a physical contact manner, the connection member comprising a terminal connection unit for connecting the battery cells arranged in a longitudinal direction in series to each other, the terminal connection unit comprising:

(a) an outer circumferential contact part configured to correspond to an external shape of an electrode terminal of a lower battery cell, the outer circumferential contact part contacting the electrode terminal of the lower battery cell at a region adjacent to an outer circumference of the electrode terminal, the outer circumferential contact part having a predetermined width;

(b) upward protruding parts tapered upward from the outer circumferential contact part toward a central axis of the terminal connection unit for elastically supporting the lower battery cell; and

(c) protruding coupling parts protruding from the upward protruding parts to a predetermined height such that the protruding coupling parts are configured to be coupled to an electrode terminal of an upper battery cell.

2. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential contact part includes one or more downward extensions for covering the upper-end side of the lower battery cell to securely maintain the coupling between the connection member and the electrode terminal of the lower battery cell.

3. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein the protruding coupling parts are formed such that the protruding coupling parts are elastically couplable into a coupling opening formed in the electrode terminal of the upper battery.

4. The connection member according to claim 3, wherein the terminal connection unit further comprises:

a plurality of auxiliary connection parts tapered downward and/or upward from an inside of the outer circumferential contact part.

5. The connection member according to claim 3, wherein the coupling parts are bent such that ends of the coupling parts protrude upward.

6. The connection member according to claim 3, wherein two or more terminal connection units are connected to each other to simultaneously achieve the connection in series between the battery cells arranged in the longitudinal direction and the connection in parallel between battery cells arranged in the lateral direction.

7. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein two or more terminal connection units are connected to each other to simultaneously achieve the connection in series between the battery cells arranged in the longitudinal direction and the connection in parallel between battery cells arranged in the lateral direction.

8. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein the terminal connection unit is provided at one side thereof with a circuit connection terminal part.

9. A battery pack constructed in a structure in which a connection member for secondary batteries according to claim 1 is mounted between electrode terminals of battery cells to achieve the electrical connection between the battery cells.

10. A laptop computer including a battery pack according to claim 9 as a power source.