Cell connection unit for a battery module
A cell connection unit (CCU) for connecting a plurality of aligned battery cells of a battery module and a battery module including the CCU, the CCU including a plurality of busbars, each busbar of the plurality of busbars being connected to cell terminals of at least two battery cells of the plurality of aligned battery cells; and a plurality of carrier rails, at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails being mechanically connected to at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars, wherein the at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails include a first reception region connected to at least one busbar of the at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars, and a separate second reception region connected to two busbars of the at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars and electrically insulating the two busbars from each other.
1 . A cell connection unit (CCU) for connecting a plurality of aligned battery cells of a battery module, the CCU comprising:
a plurality of busbars, each busbar of the plurality of busbars being connected to cell terminals of at least two battery cells of the plurality of aligned battery cells; and
a plurality of carrier rails, at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails being mechanically connected to at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars,
wherein each of the at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails is connected to three separate busbars of the plurality of busbars and includes:
a first reception region at one end and connected to one busbar of the at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars, and receives the one busbar, and
a separate second reception region at another end and connected to two busbars of the at least three busbars of the plurality of busbars, the second reception region extending completely between the two busbars to physically separate the two busbars and electrically insulate the two busbars from each other, and the second reception region receiving the two busbars from opposite directions,
wherein the first reception region has a U-shape that wraps around a bottom surface, a side surface, and a top surface of a middle portion of the one busbar,
wherein the second reception region has a first reception aperture and a second reception aperture shifted with respect to the first reception aperture along a lengthwise direction of a carrier rail of the at least some carrier rails, the first reception aperture and the second reception aperture accommodating the two busbars of the at least three busbars,
wherein each carrier rail of the plurality of carrier rails extends in a lengthwise direction that is orthogonal to a lengthwise direction of each busbar of the plurality of busbars, and
wherein tops of the first and second reception apertures are coplanar with each other, and bottoms of the first and second reception apertures are coplanar with each other.
2 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
one carrier rail of the at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails extends in a longitudinal direction, and
the first reception region includes a reception space oriented in the longitudinal direction of the one carrier rail.
3 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
one carrier rail of the at least some carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails extends in a longitudinal direction, and
the first reception aperture is oriented in a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the one carrier rail and the second reception aperture is oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
4 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carrier rails are formed of a plastic material.
5 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of busbars and the plurality of carrier rails are interconnected in a rigid structure, for automated mounting of the CCU to the battery module.
6 . The CCU as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second reception apertures includes a guide that is configured to receive a corresponding connection portion of the busbar and a latch that is configured to latch the corresponding connection portion of the busbar.
7 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of busbars includes:
two terminal busbars connected to cell terminals of “n” number of battery cells, and
inset busbars connected to cell terminals of “2n” number of battery cells, and the plurality of carrier rails includes:
two terminal carrier rails forming terminal ends of the CCU, and
inset carrier rails.
8 . The CCU as claimed in claim 7 , wherein:
the two terminal carrier rails each include two third reception regions at terminal ends thereof, and
each third reception region includes a single reception aperture.
9 . The CCU as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
each busbar of the plurality of the busbars includes a first connection portion protruding from a first short side thereof and a second connection portion protruding from a second short side thereof opposite the first short side, and
the first and second connection portions are accommodated in corresponding ones of the first and second reception apertures.
10 . The CCU as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the middle portion of each inset busbar is accommodated in a corresponding reception space of a corresponding first reception region.
11 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the carrier rails of the plurality of carrier rails include a module cover mount, a temperature sensor mount, or cable clips.
12 . The CCU as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the two terminal carrier rails further include a battery module housing attachment.
13 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one busbar is between two parallel portions of the U-shape of the first reception region, the two parallel portions overlapping two major surfaces of the one busbar, respectively.
14 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second reception apertures of the second reception region are aligned along a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of one of the battery cells.
15 . The CCU as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of carrier rails has a linear shape in its entirety, the linear shape extending along a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of one of the battery cells, and the first and second reception regions being at opposite sides of the linear shape along a longitudinal direction of the linear shape.
16 . The CCU as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of carrier rails substantially equals a length of one of the battery cells along a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the one of the battery cells.