Method of manufacturing battery module with flexible interconnector
A method for manufacturing a battery module includes: providing a pre-module including a plurality of aligned battery cells having differently-oriented surfaces; attaching a terminal end of a flexible interconnector to the pre-module, the flexible interconnector including a strip-shaped flexible printed circuit (FPC), the FPC including a first insulating main surface, a second insulating main surface opposite the first insulating main surface, and a plurality of thermally and/or electrically conducting lines between the first insulating main surface and the second insulating main surface, each of the conducting lines having a contact portion exposed by a contact aperture in the first insulating main surface and/or the second insulating main surface; and wrapping the flexible interconnector around the pre-module such that the contact portions contact the differently-oriented surfaces of the battery cells.
1 . A method for manufacturing a battery module, the method comprising:
providing a pre-module comprising a plurality of aligned battery cells having differently-oriented surfaces;
attaching a terminal end of a flexible interconnector to the pre-module, the flexible interconnector comprising a strip-shaped flexible printed circuit (FPC), the FPC comprising a first insulating main surface, a second insulating main surface opposite the first insulating main surface, and a plurality of thermally and/or electrically conducting lines between the first insulating main surface and the second insulating main surface, each of the conducting lines having a contact portion exposed by a contact aperture in the first insulating main surface and/or the second insulating main surface; and
wrapping the flexible interconnector from an area between two adjacent ones of the plurality of battery cells within the pre-module to around the pre-module such that the flexible interconnector continuously wraps around top, side, and bottom surfaces of the pre-module and such that the contact portions of the flexible interconnector contact the differently-oriented surfaces of the battery cells.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-module further comprises:
a cell supervision circuit (CSC) configured to receive signals corresponding to the voltage and/or temperature of the battery cells;
a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the plurality of battery cells; and
a busbar interconnecting cell terminals of at least two of the battery cells,
wherein the wrapping the flexible interconnector around the pre-module comprises wrapping the flexible interconnector around the pre-module such that the contact portions contact the heat exchanger and/or the busbar, and
wherein the attaching the terminal end of the flexible interconnector to the pre-module comprises attaching the terminal end of the flexible interconnector to the CSC.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein electric connections between the contact portions of the wrapped flexible interconnector and the differently-oriented surfaces of the battery cells, the heat exchanger, and/or the busbar are formed by welding, stamping, brazing, and/or soldering.