U.S. patent application number 14/675525 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-07 for circuitry harness and pass through for lead wires of a battery module.
The applicant listed for this patent is Johnson Controls Technology Company. Invention is credited to Jennifer L. Czarnecki, Richard M. DeKeuster.
Application Number | 20160197383 14/675525 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56286968 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160197383 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DeKeuster; Richard M. ; et
al. |
July 7, 2016 |
CIRCUITRY HARNESS AND PASS THROUGH FOR LEAD WIRES OF A BATTERY
MODULE
Abstract
The present disclosure includes a battery module having a
housing, electrochemical cells disposed in the housing and
electrically coupled together via bus bars, two or more sensors in
electrical communication with the bus bars, and two or more leads
corresponding with the two or more sensors and extending away from
the two or more sensors. The battery module also includes a bundle
mechanism that bundles the two or more leads together in a bundle,
and a pass through sized and positioned to accommodate the bundle
of two or more leads passing therethrough from a first side of the
housing proximate which the bus bars are disposed to a second side
of the housing. The battery module also includes a printed circuit
board (PCB) disposed on the second side of the housing and
configured to receive the bundle of two or more leads.
Inventors: |
DeKeuster; Richard M.;
(Racine, WI) ; Czarnecki; Jennifer L.; (Franklin,
WI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Johnson Controls Technology Company |
Holland |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56286968 |
Appl. No.: |
14/675525 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62100001 |
Jan 5, 2015 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
429/90 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 2/1252 20130101;
H01M 2/32 20130101; Y02E 60/10 20130101; H01M 2/1072 20130101; H01M
2/1083 20130101; H01M 2/04 20130101; H01M 2/1205 20130101; H01M
2/1217 20130101; H01M 10/653 20150401; H01M 2/24 20130101; H01M
2/10 20130101; H01M 10/058 20130101; G01R 31/3835 20190101; H01M
10/0413 20130101; H01M 10/4257 20130101; H01M 2/1016 20130101; H01M
2/1077 20130101; H01M 2/305 20130101; H01M 2/34 20130101; H01M
10/02 20130101; H01M 10/6557 20150401; H01M 2/18 20130101; H01M
2/22 20130101; H01M 10/482 20130101; H01M 10/4207 20130101; H01M
10/6551 20150401; H01M 2/12 20130101; H01M 2220/20 20130101; H01M
2220/10 20130101; H01M 2/02 20130101; H01M 2/1294 20130101; H01M
10/625 20150401; H01M 2/1211 20130101; H01M 2/1005 20130101; H01M
2/20 20130101; H01M 10/052 20130101; H01M 10/60 20150401; G01R
31/396 20190101; H01M 2/1241 20130101; H01M 10/0525 20130101; H01M
10/65 20150401; H01M 2/206 20130101; H01M 10/613 20150401; H01M
10/647 20150401; H01M 2010/4271 20130101; H01M 2/30 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01M 10/48 20060101
H01M010/48; H01M 2/20 20060101 H01M002/20 |
Claims
1. A battery module, comprising: a housing; electrochemical cells
disposed in the housing and electrically coupled together via a
plurality of bus bars; two or more sensors in electrical
communication with the plurality of bus bars and two or more leads
respectively coupled with the two or more sensors and extending
away from the two or more sensors; a bundle mechanism that bundles
the two or more leads together in a bundle; a pass through opening
of the housing sized and positioned to accommodate the bundle of
two or more leads and the bundle mechanism passing therethrough
from a first side of the housing proximate which the plurality of
bus bars is disposed to a second side of the housing; and a printed
circuit board (PCB) disposed on the second side of the housing and
configured to receive the bundle of two or more leads.
2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cells
are prismatic electrochemical cells, lithium-ion (Li-ion)
electrochemical cells, or a combination thereof.
3. The battery module of claim 1, comprising a bus bar carrier on
which the plurality of bus bars is disposed, wherein the first side
of the housing comprises an opening configured to receive the bus
bar carrier such that the bus bar carrier is disposed over the
electrochemical cells and enables electrical communication between
terminals of the electrochemical cells and the plurality of bus
bars.
4. The battery module of claim 3, wherein a first face of the bus
bar carrier faces the electrochemical cells, and wherein the
plurality of bus bars is disposed on a second face of the bus bar
carrier opposite to the first face.
5. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the bus bar carrier
comprises retaining features disposed on the second face of the bus
bar carrier, wherein the retaining features are configured to
retain the two or more leads proximate to the second face of the
bus bar carrier, and wherein the retaining features are positioned
such that the retaining features guide the two or more leads from
the two or more sensors toward the pass through opening.
6. The battery module of claim 3, wherein a face of the bus bar
carrier faces the electrochemical cells and the plurality of bus
bars is disposed on the face.
7. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the pass through opening
is disposed through the first side of the housing, through the
second side of the housing, or both.
8. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the bundle mechanism
comprises a hollow tube that receives the two or more leads.
9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the first side and the
second side are substantially orthogonal to one another.
10. The battery module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two
or more sensors is a voltage sensor, wherein at least one of the
two or more sensors is a temperature sensor, or a combination
thereof.
11. The battery module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two
or more sensors is configured to sense a first operating condition
through a minor bus bar of the plurality of bus bars, wherein at
least one of the two or more sensors is configured to sense a
second operating condition through a major bus bar of the plurality
of bus bars, or a combination thereof.
12. A battery module, comprising: a bus bar carrier; a plurality of
bus bars mounted on the bus bar carrier and configured to
electrically couple electrochemical cells of the battery module; a
plurality of sensors in electrical communication with the plurality
of bus bars; a printed circuit board (PCB); a plurality of sensor
leads extending from the plurality of sensors and toward the PCB; a
housing comprising a first side, a second side substantially
orthogonal to the first side, and a pass through opening in the
first side, the second side, or both; and a harness configured to
retain the plurality of sensor leads in a bundle that extends
through the pass through opening and toward the PCB.
13. The battery module of claim 12, comprising the electrochemical
cells, wherein the electrochemical cells are prismatic
electrochemical cells, lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells,
or a combination thereof.
14. The battery module of claim 12, wherein the first side is an
open side or comprises an opening configured to receive the bus bar
carrier.
15. The battery module of claim 12, wherein the bus bar carrier
comprises a first face that faces the electrochemical cells and a
second face opposite to the first face, wherein the plurality of
bus bars is disposed on the second face.
16. The battery module of claim 12, wherein the bus bar carrier
comprises snap-in retaining features disposed on the bus bar
carrier, configured to retain the plurality of sensor leads
proximate to the bus bar carrier, and configured to define a path
from the plurality of sensors and toward the pass through
opening.
17. The battery module of claim 12, wherein the harness comprises a
hollow tube configured to receive the plurality of sensor
leads.
18. A battery module, comprising: a plastic housing; a plurality of
electrochemical cells stacked on an inside of the plastic housing
such that a plurality of terminals extends from the plurality of
electrochemical cells into an opening in a first side of the
plastic housing; a bus bar carrier disposed in the opening of the
first side of the plastic housing such that a first surface of the
bus bar carrier faces the plurality of electrochemical cells,
wherein the bus bar carrier comprises the first surface and a
second surface opposite to the first surface; a plurality of bus
bars disposed on the second surface of the bus bar carrier and
configured to interface with the plurality of terminals to
electrically couple the plurality of electrochemical cells; at
least two sensors in electrical communication with the plurality of
bus bars and at least two sensor leads corresponding with, and
extending from, the at least two sensors; a harness configured to
bundle the at least two sensor leads into a bundle; a pass through
opening in the plastic housing sized to accommodate the harness and
configured to enable the bundle of two or more lead sensors to
extend to a second side of the plastic housing adjacent to the
first side of the plastic housing.
19. The battery module of claim 18, comprising: a cover disposed
over the second side of the plastic housing to enclose a cove
between the second side of the housing and the cover; and a printed
circuit board (PCB) disposed in the cove and configured to receive
the bundle of lead wires.
20. The battery module of claim 18, wherein the pass through
opening is disposed through the first side of the housing, the
second side of the housing, or both.
21. The battery module of claim 18, wherein a first sensor of the
at least two sensors is in electrical communication with a minor
bus bar of the plurality of bus bars, a second sensor of the at
least two sensors is in electrical communication with a major bus
bar of the plurality of bus bars, and the first and second sensors
are configured to sense first and second operating conditions
through the minor and major bus bars, respectively.
22. The battery module of claim 21, wherein the first operating
condition comprises voltage or temperature, wherein the second
operating condition comprises voltage or temperature, or a
combination thereof.
23. The battery module of claim 18, wherein the plurality of
electrochemical cells is a plurality of prismatic lithium-ion
(Li-ion) electrochemical cells.
24. The battery module of claim 18, wherein the second side of the
plastic housing is substantially orthogonal to the first side of
the plastic housing.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/100,001, filed Jan. 5,
2015, entitled "MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ASPECTS OF LITHIUM ION
BATTERY MODULE WITH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CONFIGURATIONS," which
is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of
batteries and battery modules. More specifically, the present
disclosure relates to a harness and pass through opening of a
battery module for enabling retention and management of lead
wires.
[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various
aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the
present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is
believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background
information to facilitate a better understanding of the various
aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be
understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and
not as admissions of prior art.
[0004] A vehicle that uses one or more battery systems for
providing all or a portion of the motive power for the vehicle can
be referred to as an xEV, where the term "xEV" is defined herein to
include all of the following vehicles, or any variations or
combinations thereof, that use electric power for all or a portion
of their vehicular motive force. For example, xEVs include electric
vehicles (EVs) that utilize electric power for all motive force. As
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, hybrid electric
vehicles (HEVs), also considered xEVs, combine an internal
combustion engine propulsion system and a battery-powered electric
propulsion system, such as 48 Volt (V) or 130V systems. The term
HEV may include any variation of a hybrid electric vehicle. For
example, full hybrid systems (FHEVs) may provide motive and other
electrical power to the vehicle using one or more electric motors,
using only an internal combustion engine, or using both. In
contrast, mild hybrid systems (MHEVs) disable the internal
combustion engine when the vehicle is idling and utilize a battery
system to continue powering the air conditioning unit, radio, or
other electronics, as well as to restart the engine when propulsion
is desired. The mild hybrid system may also apply some level of
power assist, during acceleration for example, to supplement the
internal combustion engine. Mild hybrids are typically 96V to 130V
and recover braking energy through a belt or crank integrated
starter generator. Further, a micro-hybrid electric vehicle (mHEV)
also uses a "Stop-Start" system similar to the mild hybrids, but
the micro-hybrid systems of a mHEV may or may not supply power
assist to the internal combustion engine and operates at a voltage
below 60V. For the purposes of the present discussion, it should be
noted that mHEVs typically do not technically use electric power
provided directly to the crankshaft or transmission for any portion
of the motive force of the vehicle, but an mHEV may still be
considered as an xEV since it does use electric power to supplement
a vehicle's power needs when the vehicle is idling with internal
combustion engine disabled and recovers braking energy through an
integrated starter generator. In addition, a plug-in electric
vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that can be charged from an external
source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the energy stored
in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive
the wheels. PEVs are a subcategory of EVs that include all-electric
or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid
electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine
vehicles.
[0005] xEVs as described above may provide a number of advantages
as compared to more traditional gas-powered vehicles using only
internal combustion engines and traditional electrical systems,
which are typically 12V systems powered by a lead acid battery. For
example, xEVs may produce fewer undesirable emission products and
may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to traditional
internal combustion vehicles and, in some cases, such xEVs may
eliminate the use of gasoline entirely, as is the case of certain
types of EVs or PEVs.
[0006] As technology continues to evolve, there is a need to
provide improved power sources, particularly battery modules, for
such vehicles. For example, in traditional configurations, sensors
may be disposed proximate to bus bars that electrically couple
electrochemical cells of the battery module. The sensors (e.g., in
traditional configurations) may be configured to sense or detect
operating conditions of the battery module and may include leads
(e.g., lead wires) extending therefrom to a printed circuit board
(PCB) that is mounted on the battery module, receives signals from
the sensors indicative of the operating conditions, and processes
the signals to determine information relating to the operating
conditions.
[0007] Generally, the sensors may be disposed throughout
traditionally configured battery modules (e.g., in various
locations). Thus, management and retention of the lead wires
extending from the multiple sensors in traditional configurations
may be cumbersome and complicated. Further, the lead wires may
inadvertently become entangled, negatively effecting signal
transmission from the sensors to the PCB. Accordingly, it is now
recognized that improved retention and management of sensor leads
(e.g., lead wires) of a battery module is desired.
SUMMARY
[0008] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set
forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are
presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of
certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to
limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may
encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.
[0009] The present disclosure relates to a battery module having a
housing, electrochemical cells disposed in the housing and
electrically coupled together via bus bars, two or more sensors in
electrical communication with the bus bars, and two or more leads
corresponding with the two or more sensors and extending away from
the two or more sensors. The battery module also includes a bundle
mechanism that bundles the two or more leads together in a bundle,
and a pass through sized and positioned to accommodate the bundle
of two or more leads passing therethrough from a first side of the
housing proximate which the bus bars are disposed to a second side
of the housing. The battery module also includes a printed circuit
board (PCB) disposed on the second side of the housing and
configured to receive the bundle of two or more leads.
[0010] The present disclosure also relates a battery module having
a bus bar carrier, bus bars mounted on the bus bar carrier and
configured to electrically couple electrochemical cells of the
battery module, sensors in electrical communication with the bus
bars, a printed circuit board (PCB), and sensor leads extending
from the plurality of sensors and toward the PCB. The battery
module also includes a housing having a first side, a second side
substantially orthogonal to the first side, and a pass through
opening in the first side, the second side, or both. Further, the
battery module includes a harness configured to retain the
plurality of sensor leads in a bundle that extends through the pass
through opening and toward the PCB.
[0011] The present disclosure also relates to a battery module
having a plastic housing, electrochemical cells stacked on an
inside of the plastic housing such that terminals extends from the
electrochemical cells into an opening in a first side of the
plastic housing, and a bus bar carrier disposed in the opening such
that a first surface of the bus bar carrier faces the plurality of
electrochemical cells, where the bus bar carrier includes the first
surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The
battery module also includes bus bars disposed on the second
surface of the bus bar carrier and configured to interface with the
terminals to electrically couple the electrochemical cells.
Further, the battery module includes at least two sensors in
electrical communication with the bus bars and at least two sensor
leads corresponding with, and extending from, the at least two
sensors. Further still, the battery module includes a harness
configured to bundle the at least two sensor leads into a bundle,
and a pass through opening in the plastic housing sized to
accommodate the harness and configured to enable the bundle of two
or more lead sensors to extend to a second side of the plastic
housing adjacent to the first side of the plastic housing.
DRAWINGS
[0012] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood
upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference
to the drawings in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a battery
system configured in accordance with present embodiments to provide
power for various components of the vehicle;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a cutaway schematic view of an embodiment of the
vehicle and the battery system of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an overhead exploded perspective view of an
embodiment of a battery module for use in the vehicle of FIG. 1, in
accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of a bus bar carrier
having sensors and sensor lead wires for use in the battery module
of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present
disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the battery module
of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present
disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the battery
module of FIG. 5 taken along line 6-6, in accordance with an aspect
of the present disclosure; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is an overhead perspective view of an embodiment of
the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In
an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments,
not all features of an actual implementation are described in the
specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of
any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design
project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to
achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with
system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary
from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be
appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and
time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of
design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill
having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0021] The battery systems described herein may be used to provide
power to various types of electric vehicles (xEVs) and other high
voltage energy storage/expending applications (e.g., electrical
grid power storage systems). Such battery systems may include one
or more battery modules, each battery module having a number of
battery cells (e.g., lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells)
arranged and electrically interconnected to provide particular
voltages and/or currents useful to power, for example, one or more
components of an xEV. As another example, battery modules in
accordance with present embodiments may be incorporated with or
provide power to stationary power systems (e.g., non-automotive
systems).
[0022] In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure,
the battery module may include a housing (e.g., plastic housing)
configured to retain electrochemical cells (e.g., prismatic
lithium-ion [Li-ion] electrochemical cells) within the housing. For
example, the housing may include a side (e.g., upper side) having
an opening configured to receive the electrochemical cells. One or
more covers may be disposed over the opening in the side of the
housing to seal the housing and/or to interface with components of
the electrochemical cells. For example, a bus bar carrier may be
disposed into the opening and may include bus bars disposed on
(e.g., mounted to) the bus bar carrier, where the bus bars engage
with terminals of the electrochemical cells to electrically couple
the electrochemical cells. Sensors may be disposed proximate to the
bus bars (and, in some embodiments, physically contacting the bus
bars), where the sensors are configured to sense (e.g., detect)
operating conditions of the battery module. For example, one of the
sensors may sense a voltage through the bus bar proximate to which
the sensor is disposed. The same or another one of the sensors may
sense a temperature of the bus bar or of an area of the battery
module proximate to the bus bar. Sensor leads (e.g., lead wires)
may extend from the sensors and to a printed circuit board (PCB) of
the battery module, where the PCB receives signals indicative of
the operating condition(s) from the sensors.
[0023] Due to space (e.g., footprint) constraints, the PCB may be
disposed on a different side of the housing than the side having
the opening that receives the bus bar carrier. Accordingly, the
lead wires may extend from the sensors proximate to one side of the
housing to the PCB proximate to another side of the housing. In
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a harness or
bundle mechanism may receive all or a portion of the lead wires to
retain the lead wires. For example, the harness may be a hollow
tube through which the lead wires extend. By gathering the lead
wires in a single location, inadvertent tangling of the lead wires,
which may negatively affect signal transmission from the sensors to
the PCB, is reduced. Further, the harness may guide the lead wires
to the PCB such that the lead wires couple to the PCB at
substantially the same location. In some embodiments, a single plug
may receive the lead wires in pins of the plug, and the plug may
couple to the PCB.
[0024] In further accordance with present embodiments, the housing
of the battery module may include one or more pass through openings
configured to enable the bundle of lead wires (e.g., bundled via
the harness) to pass therethrough. Accordingly, the lead wires may
extend from a first side of the housing (e.g., having the opening
that receives the bus bar carrier) to a second side of the housing
(e.g., having the PCB) without passing over an edge (e.g., outer
edge) of the battery module (e.g., between covers over the first
and second sides of the housing). Accordingly, separate covers may
be disposed over the first and the second sides without contacting
the lead wires. Further, the lead wires may be totally contained
within the battery module after disposing the covers over the sides
of the housing. Thus, the lead wires are not exposed to an
environment external to the battery module, which may negatively
affect an integrity of the lead wires and, by extension, accuracy
of the signals passing therethrough.
[0025] To help illustrate, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an
embodiment of a vehicle 10, which may utilize a regenerative
braking system. Although the following discussion is presented in
relation to vehicles with regenerative braking systems, the
techniques described herein are adaptable to other vehicles that
capture/store electrical energy with a battery, which may include
electric-powered and gas-powered vehicles.
[0026] As discussed above, it would be desirable for a battery
system 12 to be largely compatible with traditional vehicle
designs. Accordingly, the battery system 12 may be placed in a
location in the vehicle 10 that would have housed a traditional
battery system. For example, as illustrated, the vehicle 10 may
include the battery system 12 positioned similarly to a lead-acid
battery of a typical combustion-engine vehicle (e.g., under the
hood of the vehicle 10). Furthermore, as will be described in more
detail below, the battery system 12 may be positioned to facilitate
managing temperature of the battery system 12. For example, in some
embodiments, positioning a battery system 12 under the hood of the
vehicle 10 may enable an air duct to channel airflow over the
battery system 12 and cool the battery system 12.
[0027] A more detailed view of the battery system 12 is described
in FIG. 2. As depicted, the battery system 12 includes an energy
storage component 13 coupled to an ignition system 14, an
alternator 15, a vehicle console 16, and optionally to an electric
motor 17. Generally, the energy storage component 13 may
capture/store electrical energy generated in the vehicle 10 and
output electrical energy to power electrical devices in the vehicle
10.
[0028] In other words, the battery system 12 may supply power to
components of the vehicle's electrical system, which may include
radiator cooling fans, climate control systems, electric power
steering systems, active suspension systems, auto park systems,
electric oil pumps, electric super/turbochargers, electric water
pumps, heated windscreen/defrosters, window lift motors, vanity
lights, tire pressure monitoring systems, sunroof motor controls,
power seats, alarm systems, infotainment systems, navigation
features, lane departure warning systems, electric parking brakes,
external lights, or any combination thereof. Illustratively, in the
depicted embodiment, the energy storage component 13 supplies power
to the vehicle console 16 and the ignition system 14, which may be
used to start (e.g., crank) the internal combustion engine 18.
[0029] Additionally, the energy storage component 13 may capture
electrical energy generated by the alternator 15 and/or the
electric motor 17. In some embodiments, the alternator 15 may
generate electrical energy while the internal combustion engine 18
is running. More specifically, the alternator 15 may convert the
mechanical energy produced by the rotation of the internal
combustion engine 18 into electrical energy. Additionally or
alternatively, when the vehicle 10 includes an electric motor 17,
the electric motor 17 may generate electrical energy by converting
mechanical energy produced by the movement of the vehicle 10 (e.g.,
rotation of the wheels) into electrical energy. Thus, in some
embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may capture electrical
energy generated by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17
during regenerative braking. As such, the alternator 15 and/or the
electric motor 17 are generally referred to herein as a
regenerative braking system.
[0030] To facilitate capturing and supplying electric energy, the
energy storage component 13 may be electrically coupled to the
vehicle's electric system via a bus 19. For example, the bus 19 may
enable the energy storage component 13 to receive electrical energy
generated by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17.
Additionally, the bus 19 may enable the energy storage component 13
to output electrical energy to the ignition system 14 and/or the
vehicle console 16. Accordingly, when a 12 volt battery system 12
is used, the bus 19 may carry electrical power typically between
8-18 volts.
[0031] Additionally, as depicted, the energy storage component 13
may include multiple battery modules. For example, in the depicted
embodiment, the energy storage component 13 includes a lithium ion
(e.g., a first) battery module 20 and a lead-acid (e.g., a second)
battery module 22, which each includes one or more battery cells.
In other embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may include
any number of battery modules. Additionally, although the lithium
ion battery module 20 and lead-acid battery module 22 are depicted
adjacent to one another, they may be positioned in different areas
around the vehicle. For example, the lead-acid battery module 22
may be positioned in or about the interior of the vehicle 10 while
the lithium ion battery module 20 may be positioned under the hood
of the vehicle 10.
[0032] In some embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may
include multiple battery modules to utilize multiple different
battery chemistries. For example, when the lithium ion battery
module 20 is used, performance of the battery system 12 may be
improved since the lithium ion battery chemistry generally has a
higher coulombic efficiency and/or a higher power charge acceptance
rate (e.g., higher maximum charge current or charge voltage) than
the lead-acid battery chemistry. As such, the capture, storage,
and/or distribution efficiency of the battery system 12 may be
improved.
[0033] To facilitate controlling the capturing and storing of
electrical energy, the battery system 12 may additionally include a
control module 24. More specifically, the control module 24 may
control operations of components in the battery system 12, such as
relays (e.g., switches) within energy storage component 13, the
alternator 15, and/or the electric motor 17. For example, the
control module 24 may regulate amount of electrical energy
captured/supplied by each battery module 20 or 22 (e.g., to de-rate
and re-rate the battery system 12), perform load balancing between
the battery modules 20 and 22, determine a state of charge of each
battery module 20 or 22, determine temperature of each battery
module 20 or 22, control voltage output by the alternator 15 and/or
the electric motor 17, and the like.
[0034] Accordingly, the control unit 24 may include one or more
processor 26 and one or more memory 28. More specifically, the one
or more processor 26 may include one or more application specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any
combination thereof. Additionally, the one or more memory 28 may
include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or
non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical
drives, hard disc drives, or solid-state drives. In some
embodiments, the control unit 24 may include portions of a vehicle
control unit (VCU) and/or a separate battery control module.
[0035] An overhead exploded perspective view of an embodiment of
the battery module 20 for use in the vehicle 10 of FIG. 2 is shown
in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery module 20
(e.g., lithium ion [Li-ion] battery module) includes a housing 30
and electrochemical cells 32 disposed inside the housing 30. In the
illustrated embodiment, six prismatic lithium-ion (Li-ion)
electrochemical cells 32 are disposed in two stacks 34 within the
housing 30, three electrochemical cells 32 in each stack 34.
However, in other embodiments, the battery module 20 may include
any number of electrochemical cells 32 (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, or more electrochemical cells), any type of electrochemical
cell 32 (e.g., Li-ion, lithium polymer, lead-acid, nickel cadmium,
or nickel metal hydride, prismatic, and/or cylindrical), and any
arrangement of the electrochemical cells 32 (e.g., stacked,
separated, or compartmentalized).
[0036] As shown, the electrochemical cells 32 may include terminals
36 extending upwardly (e.g., in direction 37). Accordingly, the
terminals 36 may extend into an opening 38 disposed in an upper
side 40 or face of the housing 30. For example, the electrochemical
cells 32 may be inserted into the housing 30 through the opening 38
in the upper side 40, and positioned within the housing 30 such
that the terminals 36 of the electrochemical cells 32 are disposed
in the opening 38. A bus bar carrier 42 may be disposed into the
opening 38 and may retain bus bars 44 disposed thereon and
configured to interface with the terminals 36 of the
electrochemical cells 32. For example, the bus bars 44 may
interface with the terminals 36 to electrically couple adjacent
electrochemical cells 32 together. The bus bars 44 may be mounted
or disposed on or proximate to a top or a bottom face or surface of
the bus bar carrier 42 (e.g., facing away from the electrochemical
cells 32 or facing the electrochemical cells 32). Depending on the
embodiment, the bus bars 44 may couple the electrochemical cells 32
in series, in parallel, or some of the electrochemical cells 32 in
series and some of the electrochemical cells 32 in parallel.
Further, certain of the bus bars 44 may be configured to
electrically couple the electrically interconnected group of
electrochemical cells 32 with major terminals 46 of the battery
module 20, where the major terminals 46 are configured to be
coupled to a load (e.g., component(s) of the vehicle 10) to power
the load.
[0037] In addition to the bus bars 44, sensors 48 may be disposed
on the bus bar carrier 42 for sensing (e.g., detecting) operating
conditions (e.g., temperature or voltage) of the battery module 20
or components of the battery module 20. Certain of the sensors 48,
for example, may be disposed on (e.g., physically contacting)
corresponding ones of the bus bars 44 and may sense a voltage
through each corresponding bus bar 44. Additionally or
alternatively, certain of the sensors 48 may be configured to sense
a temperature of the battery module 20 proximate to the sensors 48
(and, thus, proximate to the bus bars 44), or, in some embodiments,
a temperature within a particular bus bar 44 itself.
[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the sensors 48 are configured
to transmit signals indicative of the operating conditions to a
printed circuit board (PCB) 47 disposed on, or proximate to, a
lateral side 49 of the housing 30. The lateral side 49 may be
substantially orthogonal to the upper side 40. The PCB 47 receives
the signals from the sensors 48 and processes the signals to
provide useful information relating to the operating conditions of
the battery module 20. For example, a cove 51 (e.g., shelf, room,
interior portion) of the battery module 20 may be disposed between
the lateral side 49 and a cover 56 of the battery module 20 that
fits over the lateral side 49, where the PCB 47 is mounted to the
lateral side 49 within the cove 51. The cove 51 may be defined by
the lateral side 49 and portions of the upper side 40, a bottom
side 52, and opposing transverse sides 53, 54 of the housing 30
that extend beyond the lateral side 49 of the housing 30 (e.g. in
direction 55), in addition to a cover 56 that fits over the lateral
side 49 to enclose the cove 51. For example, the cover 56 may seal
against an outer edge 57 of the battery module 20 or housing 30,
where the outer edge 57 is defined by ends of the bottom side 52,
the upper side 40, and the opposing transverse sides 53, 54. Lead
wires 50 may extend from the sensors 48 on the bus bar carrier 42
in the opening 38 of the upper side 40 of the battery module 20 to
the PCB 47 mounted on the lateral side 49 and within the cove 51 of
the battery module 20, without passing over the outer edge 57. The
signals indicative of the operating conditions of the battery
module 20 may be transmitted from the sensors 48, through the lead
wires 50, and to the PCB 47.
[0039] To enable passage of the lead wires 50 from the sensors 48
to the PCB 47, a pass through opening 60 may be disposed in the
housing 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the pass through opening
60 is disposed in the upper side 40 of the housing 30, although, in
other embodiments, the pass through opening 60, additionally or
alternatively, may be disposed through the lateral side 49 of the
housing 30. The pass through opening 60 is generally sized and
shaped to accommodate the lead wires 50 passing therethrough.
Further, in accordance with present embodiments, the lead wires 50
may be bundled together via a harness 62 or bundle mechanism, where
the harness 62 also passes through the pass through opening 60. By
bundling the lead wires 50 via the harness 62, the lead wires 50
may extend through a single opening (e.g., the illustrated pass
through opening 60) in the housing 30 to extend from the sensors 48
positioned on various portions of the bus bar carrier 42 to the PCB
47. Further, a size of the pass through opening 60 may be reduced
compared to embodiments where the lead wires 50 individually pass
between the corresponding sensors 48 and the PCB 47 without being
bundled via the harness 62. Further still, the bundled lead wires
50 may access the PCB 47 from a single location (e.g., via a plug
64 that receives the lead wires 50 and couples to the PCB 47),
reducing a complexity of inputs to the PCB 47 and reducing a
complexity of a route of the lead wires 50 between the sensors 48
and the PCB 47.
[0040] In addition to reducing manufacturing complexity as
described above, the disclosed harness 62 and pass through opening
60 reduce inadvertent tangling of the lead wires 50, which may
negatively affect signal transmission. For example, by actively
bundling the lead wires 50 in a single location (e.g., via the
harness 50), the route of the lead wires 50 between the sensors 48
and the PCB 47 is more defined and less susceptible to uncontrolled
tangling of, and pulling on, the lead wires 50. For example,
inadvertent tangling of lead wires 50 in varying areas of the
battery module 20, which may be caused by less defined routes of
the lead wires 50, may lead to tearing of protective coverings of
the lead wires 50, bending of the lead wires 50, separation of the
lead wires 50 from the corresponding sensors 48, and other negative
effects. Additional features configured to define the routes of the
lead wires 50 in accordance with the present disclosure will be
described in detail below with reference to later figures.
[0041] Turning now to FIG. 4, a top view of an embodiment of the
bus bar carrier 42 having the bus bars 44, the sensors 48 disposed
on the bus bars 44, and the sensor leads 50 extending from the
sensors 48 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensors 48
are disposed on the bus bars 44 in various locations of the bus bar
carrier 42. Each sensor 48 includes at least one corresponding lead
wire 50 extending therefrom. The bus bar carrier 42 includes
retaining extensions 80 (e.g., retaining features) extending
therefrom and configured to guide the lead wires 50 toward a common
location. For example, the retaining extensions 80 may be integral
with the bus bar carrier 42. The retaining extensions 80 may be
hooks that extend upwardly (e.g., in direction 37) from the bus bar
carrier 42, and/or the retaining extensions 80 may be ridges (e.g.,
hooked ridges) that extend upwardly (e.g., in direction 37) and
along the bus bar carrier 42 in a plane defined by direction 55 and
direction 82. In general, the lead wires 50 fit under or around the
retaining features 80, which guide the lead wires 50 toward a
common location (e.g., at or proximate to the harness 62). In some
embodiments, the retaining features 80 may be sized to act as
snap-in features, where the lead wires 50 snap into the retaining
features 80 under or proximate to the retaining features 80. The
harness 62 receives the lead wires 50 and bundles the lead wires 50
together, as described above. As shown, the harness 62 is a solid
tube that receives the lead wires 50. However, in other
embodiments, the harness 62 may include a twist-tie or some other
suitable bundling mechanism. Further, the harness 62 may include
multiple components (e.g., multiple twist-ties) that bundle the
lead wires 50 together at multiple locations. For example, the
harness 62 may include a first twist-tie that bundles the lead
wires 50 together proximate to the bus bar carrier 42, in addition
to a second twist-tie that bundles the lead wires 50 together
proximate to the plug 64. Any number of harness 62 features may be
included to bundle the lead wires 50 together between the bus bar
carrier 42 and the plug 64 (or, in embodiments without the plug 64,
between the bus bar carrier 42 and the PCB 47 shown in FIG. 3).
[0042] A top view of an embodiment of the battery module 20 of FIG.
3 is shown in FIG. 5, a cross-sectional perspective view of the
battery module 20 taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG.
6, and an overhead perspective view of the battery module 20 of
FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 7. In the illustrated embodiments, the
battery module 20 includes the harness 62 shown and described with
reference to FIG. 4, where the harness 62 bundles the lead wires 50
extending from the sensors 48 together. The harness 62 and
corresponding bundled lead wires 50 extend from the bus bar carrier
42 disposed in the opening 38 on the upper side 40 of the housing
30 and through the pass through opening 60. As clearly shown in
FIG. 6, the pass through opening 60 is disposed through a portion
of the upper side 40 of the housing 30. Specifically, the pass
through opening 60 is disposed through a portion of the housing 30
that at least partially defines the cove 51 in which the PCB 47 is
disposed. For example, the bus bar carrier 42 is disposed outside
of the cove 51, and the lead wires 50 extend from the bus bar
carrier 42 to the PCB 47 disposed in the cove 51. Thus, the pass
through opening 60 enables passage of the bundled lead wires 50 and
the harness 62 from the bus bar carrier 42 (e.g., outside of the
cove 51) to the PCB 47 (e.g., inside the cove 51). Further, the
pass through opening 60 simplifies passage of the lead wires 50 to
the PCB 47 (e.g., without having to route the lead wires 50 around
the outer edge 57 of the battery module 20).
[0043] In some embodiments, the pass through opening 60 may be
disposed through the lateral side 49 of the housing 30. Further, in
some embodiments, the pass through opening 60 may include a portion
disposed in the upper side 40 of the housing 30 and a portion
disposed in the lateral side 49 of the housing 30. As shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7, the harness 62 and corresponding bundled lead wires
50 extend to, and couple to, the plug 64, which is plugged into the
PCB 47. However, it should be noted that the harness 62 may not
extend all the way to the plug 64. Further, the harness 62 may not
be a hollow tube, as shown in the illustrated embodiments, but may
instead be some other suitable bundling mechanism (e.g., one or
more twist-ties). In general, the harness 62 enables bundling of
the lead wires 50 such that the lead wires 50 may extend through
the pass through opening 60, which enables extension of the lead
wires 50 from the bus bar carrier 42 to the PCB 47 without the lead
wires 50 extending over an edge (e.g., an outer edge) of the
battery module 20.
[0044] One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or in
combination, may provide one or more technical effects useful in
the manufacture of battery modules, and portions of battery
modules. In general, embodiments of the present disclosure include
a battery module having a housing with a side (e.g., an upper side)
that includes an opening configured to receive a bus bar carrier.
The bus bar carrier includes bus bars mounted thereon that
interface with terminals of electrochemical cells disposed within
the housing. Sensors may be disposed on (or proximate to) the bus
bars, where the sensors monitor (e.g., detect or sense), for
example, temperature (and/or voltage) of (and/or through) the bus
bars. Lead wires may extend from the sensors to a printed circuit
board (PCB) of the battery module. To enable efficient and safe
retention and management of the lead wires, a harness may bundle
the lead wires together. The harness and bundled lead wires may
extend through a pass through opening in the housing of the battery
module sized and positioned to accommodate the harness and
corresponding bundled lead wires. The lead wires may then couple to
the PCB directly, or to a plug that couples to the PCB directly. By
utilizing the harness and pass through opening, the lead wires are
protected and a volume of the battery module devoted to housing the
lead wires and passing the lead wires from the bus bar carrier to
the PCB is reduced. The technical effects and technical problems in
the specification are exemplary and are not limiting. It should be
noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have
other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.
[0045] While only certain features and embodiments have been
illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur
to those skilled in the art (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions,
structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values
of parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures, etc.), mounting
arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without
materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the
disclosed subject matter. The order or sequence of any process or
method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative
embodiments. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise
description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual
implementation may not have been described. It should be
appreciated that in the development of any such actual
implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous
implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development
effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless
be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture
for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure,
without undue experimentation.
* * * * *