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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

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;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway schematic view of an embodiment of the vehicle and the battery system of FIG. 1;

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;

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;

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;

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

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.