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A battery cartridge-connecting system for battery modules including bus bars, each of which includes a plate-shaped bar body, coupling parts, and electrical connection parts; a base plate, to which the bus bars are easily mounted; and a printed circuit board (PCB), which is easily coupled to the bus

A battery cartridge-connecting system for battery modules including bus bars, each of which includes a plate-shaped bar body, coupling parts, and electrical connection parts; a base plate, to which the bus bars are easily mounted; and a printed circuit board (PCB), which is easily coupled to the bus bars and is mounted to the base plate in a compact structure. The present invention also provides a battery module and a medium- or large-sized battery system including the battery cartridge-connecting system.

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What is claimed is: 1. A battery cartridge-connecting system for battery modules, comprising: bus bars, which are members for electrically connecting battery cartridges, each of the bus bars including a plate-shaped bar body constructed to be in surface contact with electrode terminals of a battery

What is claimed is: 1. A battery cartridge-connecting system for battery modules, comprising: bus bars, which are members for electrically connecting battery cartridges, each of the bus bars including a plate-shaped bar body constructed to be in surface contact with electrode terminals of a battery, a coupling part formed by bending at least a portion of each end of the plate-shaped bar body, and an electrical connection part formed by bending at least a portion of each end of the plate-shaped bar body, wherein each of the coupling parts is provided with a coupling groove, in which a corresponding coupling member formed at a base plate is engaged, and the electrical connection parts are formed in the shape of a protrusion, which can be securely inserted into a corresponding part of a printed circuit board (PCB); the base plate, which is a member for allowing the plurality of bus bars to be attached thereto, the base plate including a plurality of openings, into which the bus bars are securely inserted, the coupling members being formed at the openings such that the coupling members are engaged in the coupling grooves of the bus bars; and the printed circuit board (PCB), which is a member electrically connected to the plurality of bus bars, the printed circuit board (PCB) having connection holes, through which the protruding electrical connection parts of the bus bars are securely inserted, wherein the connection holes of the printed circuit board (PCB) are formed through protrusions formed at sides of the printed circuit board (PCB). 2. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1, wherein each of the battery cartridges includes a pair of outer frame members and an inner frame member disposed between the outer frame members such that a unit cell is mounted between the first outer frame member and the inner frame member and another unit cell is mounted between the second outer frame member and the inner frame member or such that two or more unit cells are mounted between one of the outer frame members and the inner frame member. 3. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 2, wherein the inner frame member is provided at a predetermined position corresponding to one of the electrode terminals (the cathode terminal or the anode terminal) of the upper end thereof with a skirt, which extends along the corresponding electrode terminal, and the base plate is provided at a predetermined position corresponding to the skirt with a groove, in which the skirt is engaged. 4. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 2, wherein the electrode terminals of the unit cells mounted in the battery cartridges and the bus bars mounted to the base plate are securely attached to each other by welding or soldering after the assembly of the battery cartridges and the base plate is completed, whereby the coupling and the electrical connection between the electrode terminals and the bus bars are more securely accomplished. 5. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 4, wherein the electrode terminals and the bus bars are welded to each other. 6. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 2, wherein the outer frame members are provided at the upper ends thereof with locating parts, at which the electrode terminals of the unit cells are located while being bent, and wherein the outer frame members are provided under the locating parts thereof with depressions, which extend in the lateral direction of the outer frame members, and the locating parts have pluralities of welding grooves, which communicate with the depressions, whereby the welding operation is easily carried out. 7. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 2, wherein each of the battery cartridges further has a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the unit cells. 8. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 7, wherein the thermistor is mounted between the unit cells through a groove formed between the anode terminal locating part and the cathode terminal locating part of the inner frame member. 9. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 2, wherein each of the unit cells is a pouch-shaped lithium-ion cell or a pouch-shaped lithium-ion polymer cell. 10. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling parts are bent two times or more such that the coupling parts are elastically engaged in the openings of the base plate with ease when the bus bars are mounted in the openings of the base plate. 11. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the bending direction of the coupling parts is identical to that of the electrical connection parts, and the width of the coupling parts is greater than that of the electrical connection parts, whereby the coupling force between the bus bars and the openings of the base plate is provided by the coupling parts when the bus bars are mounted in the openings of the base plate. 12. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the base plate is attached to the upper ends of the plurality of battery cartridges, which are stacked, and the base plate includes openings (an upper opening array), in which bus bars interconnecting one-side electrode terminals of the stacked battery cartridges are mounted, and openings (a lower opening array), in which bus bars interconnecting the other-side electrode terminals of the stacked battery cartridges are mounted, the openings of the upper opening array and the openings of the lower opening array being alternately arranged. 13. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 12, wherein one of the opening arrays is provided with grooves, in which the skirts of the battery cartridges are engaged, and the other opening array is provided with corresponding skirts. 14. The battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection parts of the bus bars are inserted through the connection holes of the printed circuit board (PCB), and then the electrical connection parts are securely attached to the printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering. 15. A battery module including a battery cartridge-connecting system according to claim 1. 16. The battery module according to claim 15, wherein the battery module comprises: a battery cartridge assembly including two or more battery cartridges; a box-shaped module case having an open front part, through which the battery cartridge assembly is inserted, and an inner space, in which the battery cartridge assembly is mounted; and a battery cartridge-connecting system coupled to the front open part of the case. 17. The battery module according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of battery cartridges are inserted into the module case, the battery cartridge-connecting system is coupled to the open front part of the module case, and the electrode terminals of the battery cartridges and bus bars are securely attached to each other by welding. 18. The battery module according to claim 15, further comprising: a safety plate for covering the outer surface of the base plate, the safety plate having a plurality of inserting parts, which have a size and a shape suitable to be inserted into the openings of the base plate. 19. A high-output, large-capacity battery system including a plurality of battery modules according to claim 15 electrically connected with each other. 20. The battery system according to claim 19, wherein the battery system is used for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles.