US-12626996-B2 - Wiring module

US12626996B2US 12626996 B2US12626996 B2US 12626996B2US-12626996-B2

Abstract

A wiring module is attached to a plurality of power storage elements and includes an FPC, a reinforcing plate attached to the FPC, and a protector for holding the FPC and the reinforcing plate. The FPC is electrically connected to electrode terminals of the plurality of power storage elements. The reinforcing plate has an attachment surface to which the FPC is attached. The protector is provided with a mounting recess where the reinforcing plate is mounted. The mounting recess includes a plurality of side surface portions for suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in a direction that is perpendicular to a plate thickness direction of the reinforcing plate and an engaging portion for engaging an end portion of the attachment surface and suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in the plate thickness direction.

Inventors

Shuya IKEDA
Osamu Nakayama
Katsuhi MIYAZAKI
Mitsutoshi Morita

Assignees

AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220113
Priority Date: 20210126

Claims (11)

1 . A wiring module to be attached to a plurality of power storage elements comprising: a flexible printed circuit board; a reinforcing plate attached to the flexible printed circuit board; and a protector for holding the flexible printed circuit board and the reinforcing plate, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to electrode terminals of the plurality of power storage elements, the reinforcing plate has an attachment surface to which the flexible printed circuit board is attached, the protector is provided with a mounting recess where the reinforcing plate is mounted, and the mounting recess includes a plurality of side surface portions for suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in a direction that is perpendicular to a plate thickness direction of the reinforcing plate and an engaging portion for engaging an end portion of the attachment surface and suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in the plate thickness direction.
2 . The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a connector, and the connector is provided on an opposite side of the flexible printed circuit board to the reinforcing plate.
3 . The wiring module according to claim 2 , wherein the connector includes an opening which is open in the plate thickness direction and into which a mating connector fits.
4 . The wiring module according to claim 2 , wherein the connector includes an opening which extends in a direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction and into which a mating connector fits.
5 . The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the engaging portions are provided, and the engaging portions are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other around an outer periphery of the mounting recess.
6 . The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion includes: an engagement catch capable of elastic deformation in a direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction; and a restraining portion that suppresses displacement of the reinforcing plate toward an outside of the mounting recess when the reinforcing plate is mounted in the mounting recess by bending the engagement catch.
7 . The wiring module according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of side surface portions include a first side surface portion and a second side surface portion that are perpendicular to a first direction that is perpendicular to the plate thickness direction, the engagement catch is provided on the first side surface portion and is capable of elastic deformation in the first direction, the restraining portion is provided on the second side surface portion, and the engagement catch includes an inclined portion that is inclined so that a length by which the engagement catch protrudes from the first side surface portion toward the second side surface portion increases in a depth direction of the mounting recess, which is the plate thickness direction.
8 . The wiring module according to claim 7 , wherein the mounting recess includes a pressing portion that suppresses displacement of the reinforcing plate in the first direction by pressing an outer edge portion of the reinforcing plate against the first side surface portion.
9 . The wiring module according to claim 8 , wherein the pressing portion is provided on the second side surface portion side of the mounting recess, a direction that is perpendicular to the plate thickness direction and the first direction is a second direction, and the engagement catch and the pressing portion are disposed at a same position in the second direction.
10 . The wiring module according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board is disposed at one end in the first direction of the protector.
11 . The wiring module according to claim 1 , further comprising bus bars to be connected to the electrode terminals, wherein the protector includes a bus bar holding portion for holding the bus bars, the flexible printed circuit board includes bus bar connecting portions to be connected to the bus bars, and the reinforcing plate is disposed between the bus bar connecting portions that are adjacent.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a wiring module. BACKGROUND ART A high-voltage battery pack used in an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like normally includes a large number of stacked batteries that are electrically connected in series or in parallel by a wiring module. In recent years, for space saving and other needs, flexible circuit boards have come into increasing use as main components in a wiring module. As one example of this type of wiring module, a battery connecting module described in JP 2019-057498A (Patent Document 1 cited below) is conventionally known. The battery connecting module described in Patent Document 1 includes a carrier tray, a bus bar, and a flexible circuit board connected to the bus bar. In Patent Document 1, the flexible circuit board includes mounting holes, and the carrier tray includes mounting posts that are inserted through the mounting holes. After the mounting posts have been inserted through the mounting holes to position the flexible circuit board with respect to the carrier tray, the flexible circuit board can be fixed to the carrier tray by thermally welding the front end portions of the mounting posts. CITATION LIST Patent Documents Patent Document 1: JP 2019-057498A SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem However, when a flexible circuit board is fixed to a carrier tray by thermal welding as described above, it is necessary to provide mounting holes in the flexible circuit board, which has the risk of limiting the space for placing circuits and mounting other components on the flexible circuit board. In addition, processes such as thermal welding complicate the assembly work for a wiring module. Solution to Problem A wiring module according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a wiring module to be attached to a plurality of power storage elements and includes: a flexible printed circuit board; a reinforcing plate attached to the flexible printed circuit board; and a protector for holding the flexible printed circuit board and the reinforcing plate, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to electrode terminals of the plurality of power storage elements, the reinforcing plate has an attachment surface to which the flexible printed circuit board is attached, the protector is provided with a mounting recess where the reinforcing plate is mounted, and the mounting recess includes a plurality of side surface portions for suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in a direction that is perpendicular to a plate thickness direction of the reinforcing plate and an engaging portion for engaging an end portion of the attachment surface and suppressing displacement of the reinforcing plate in the plate thickness direction. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a wiring module that facilitates assembly of a flexible printed circuit board while maintaining design freedom for the flexible printed circuit board. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power storage module according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view depicting a periphery of a flexible printed circuit board of a power storage module. FIG. 3 is a front view of the flexible printed circuit board. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view depicting a periphery of the flexible printed circuit board of the power storage module. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view depicting a periphery of a mounting recess of a protector. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along a line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along a line B-B in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along a line C-C in FIG. 2. FIG. 9 is a diagram depicting how a reinforcing plate is mounted, in a mounting recess, in a cross section along the line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a power storage element. FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view depicting a periphery of a connector of a power storage module according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view depicting a periphery of a connector of the power storage module. FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view depicting a periphery of a mounting recess of a protector. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Description of Embodiments of Disclosure Initially, modes of the present disclosure will be enumerated and described. (1) A wiring module according to the present disclosure is a wiring module to be attached to a plurality of power storage elements and includes: a flexible printed circuit board; a reinforcing plate attached to the flexible printed circuit board; and a protector for holding the flexible printed circuit board and the reinforcing plate, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is electrically connected to electrode terminals of the plurality of power storage elements, the reinforcing plate has an attachment surface to which the flexible printed circuit board is attached, the protector is