Battery pack for electric car

• US 8,993,142 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tachikawa, Kosuke, Kawahara, Makoto, Sakai, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Laios, Maria J
• Application Number:
  US14/363,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20140322568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/207.3
• US Class Current: 429/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• 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 50/509 characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In a battery pack for an electric car, a plurality of battery modules are mounted to be divided between the front and rear of a middle cross member and a main switch and a junction board are disposed in the front and rear of the middle cross member respectively. A bent part of a second high voltage cable, which bends into a U-shape and pass through beneath the middle cross member, is held by a cable holder and fixed to a fixing part. Since only a bus bar disposed in the intermediate part of the first high voltage cable is bent into a U-shape and passed through beneath the middle cross member, not only is a wiring operation of the first high voltage cable easy, but it is also possible to minimize the length of the bus bar to thus enhance the reliability with respect to vibration.

Claims

1. A battery pack for an electric car, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery module rows each having a plurality of battery modules disposed in a row extending in a fore-and-aft direction so as to straddle a vehicle body frame extending in a vehicle width direction, the plurality of battery modules being electrically connected in series, the battery modules, of the plurality of battery module rows, that are positioned on one side of front and rear sides of the vehicle body frame forming a first battery module group, and the battery modules, of the plurality of battery module rows, that are positioned on the other side of the front and rear sides of the vehicle body frame forming a second battery module group, wherein

a main switch is disposed above the first battery module group, the main switch being capable of cutting off electrical connection within the plurality of battery module rows, a junction board is disposed above the second battery module group, the junction board connecting the plurality of battery module rows in parallel to a first high voltage cable,

a plurality of second high voltage cables for individually connecting those of the plurality of battery module rows of the first battery module group to those of the corresponding plurality of battery module rows of the second battery module group bend into a U-shape and pass through beneath the vehicle body frame, a bent part of the second high voltage cable being held by a cable holder and fixed to a fixing part, and

a bus bar is disposed in an intermediate part of the first high voltage cable, the bus bar bending into a U-shape and passing through beneath the vehicle body frame.

2. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the first high voltage cable extending from the junction board passes through the first battery module group and is connected to an output part, and the bus bar disposed in the intermediate part of the first high voltage cable is connected to the first high voltage cable on the output part side via a case of the main switch.

3. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the main switch comprises a manual switch that is manually opened and closed and can cut off electrical connection within the plurality of battery module rows, and the junction board comprises a contactor that is automatically opened and closed in response to the state of the car and can cut off electrical connection between the plurality of battery module rows and the first high voltage cable.

4. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the first and second high voltage cables are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in a middle part in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack, and low voltage cables for transmitting a control signal are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in opposite-side parts in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack and disposed in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle body frame.

5. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 2, wherein the first and second high voltage cables are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in a middle part in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack, and low voltage cables for transmitting a control signal are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in opposite-side parts in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack and disposed in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle body frame.

6. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 3, wherein the first and second high voltage cables are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in a middle part in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack, and low voltage cables for transmitting a control signal are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in opposite-side parts in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack and disposed in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle body frame.

7. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 2, wherein the main switch comprises a manual switch that is manually opened and closed and can cut off electrical connection within the plurality of battery module rows, and the junction board comprises a contactor that is automatically opened and closed in response to the state of the car and can cut off electrical connection between the plurality of battery module rows and the first high voltage cable.

8. The battery pack for an electric car according to claim 7, wherein the first and second high voltage cables are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in a middle part in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack, and low voltage cables for transmitting a control signal are disposed in the fore-and-aft direction in opposite-side parts in the vehicle width direction of the battery pack and disposed in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle body frame.