JP6412904B2 - Battery module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery module mounted on an electric vehicle or the like.

  Conventionally, a battery module mounted on an electric vehicle or the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The battery module described in Patent Document 1 is configured by stacking a plurality of cells in the front-rear direction, and includes a cell stack having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface, and a front surface and a rear surface of the cell stack. And end plates disposed on the left and right sides of the cell stack, and metal side plates disposed on the left and right surfaces of the cell stack.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-149244

  In the side plate described in Patent Document 1, the support portion extends from the lower edge of the side plate main body along the lower surface of the cell stack, but the corner portion formed between the side plate main body and the support portion, The corners of the cell stack disposed inside each have R portions each having a predetermined radius of curvature. Therefore, depending on the radius of curvature of the R portion and processing errors, the R portion inner peripheral surface on the side plate side There is a possibility of contact with the outer peripheral surface of the R portion on the cell laminate side. As a result, the surface (insulating film) of the cell laminate may be damaged, resulting in a decrease in insulation or a cause of abnormal noise.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to avoid contact between the R-part inner peripheral surface on the side plate side and the R-part outer peripheral surface on the cell laminate side, and to insulate due to the contact. An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can prevent a decrease in noise and the occurrence of abnormal noise.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1
A cell stack (for example, a cell according to an embodiment described later) having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface, which is configured by stacking a plurality of cells (for example, a cell 21 according to an embodiment described later) in the front-rear direction. Laminate 2),
An end plate (for example, an end plate 4 in an embodiment described later) disposed on the front surface and the rear surface of the cell stack;
A battery module (for example, a battery module 1 according to an embodiment described later) including a metal side plate (for example, a side plate 5 according to an embodiment described later) disposed on the left surface and the right surface of the cell stack. There,
The side plate includes a fastening portion fastened to the end plate (for example, fastening portions 52 and 53 in the embodiments described later) and a support portion extended to the lower surface of the cell stack (for example, implementation described later). A support portion 55) in the form of
Between the support part of the side plate and the lower surface of the cell stack, a resin or rubber spacer (for example, a spacer 7 in an embodiment described later) is disposed ,
The spacer is
A protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the support portion (e.g., a protruding portion 72 in an embodiment described later);
A concave portion (for example, a concave portion 73 in an embodiment described later) for accommodating the support portion;
And a stepped portion (for example, a stepped portion 74 in an embodiment described later) that comes into contact with the distal end portion of the support portion .

The invention described in claim 2
The battery module according to claim 1 ,
The spacer has an inclined surface (for example, an inclined surface 75 in an embodiment described later) that is separated from the lower surface of the cell stack as it goes toward the tip side on the upper surface of the protrusion.

The invention according to claim 3
The battery module according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The spacer has a groove (for example, a groove 76 in an embodiment described later) extending in the left-right direction at a position corresponding to the center in the front-rear direction of each cell.

According to the invention of claim 1, since the resin or rubber spacer is disposed between the support portion of the side plate and the lower surface of the cell laminate, the inner peripheral surface of the R portion on the side plate side and the cell Contact with the outer peripheral surface of the R portion on the laminate side can be avoided, and deterioration of insulation and noise due to contact can be prevented.
In addition, since the spacer has a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the tip end portion of the support portion, the lower surface of the cell stack (or the insulating film provided on the lower surface of the cell stack) is damaged at the tip edge portion of the support portion. Can be prevented.
Furthermore, since the spacer has a recess that accommodates the support portion, the height dimension of the battery module can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 2 , since the spacer has an inclined surface that is separated from the lower surface of the cell stack as it goes to the tip side on the upper surface of the protruding portion, expansion of the central portion in the left-right direction of the lower surface of the cell due to aging deterioration is performed. Absorbs and suppresses distortion of the battery module and displacement of the bus bar due to expansion.

According to the invention of claim 3 , since the spacer has a groove portion extending in the left-right direction at a position corresponding to the center portion in the front-rear direction of each cell, the spacer absorbs the expansion of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the cell due to deterioration over time. Can suppress the distortion of the battery module and the misalignment of the bus bar.

It is the perspective view which looked at the battery module which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from diagonally upward. It is the perspective view which looked at the battery module which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from diagonally downward. It is a disassembled perspective view of the battery module which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part disassembled perspective view which shows the side plate and spacer of a battery module which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the spacer of the battery module which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from diagonally upward. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a battery module of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are viewed in the direction of the reference numerals.

  As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the battery module 1 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is the cell laminated body 2, the top cover 3, the end plate 4, the side plate 5, the insulating sheet 6, and the spacer. 7.

  The cell stack 2 is configured by stacking a plurality of cells 21 in the front-rear direction, and has a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface. Note that the “front-rear direction” defines the stacking direction of the cells 21 as the front-rear direction, and is independent of the front-rear direction of the product on which the battery module 1 is mounted. That is, when the battery module 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the stacking direction of the cell stack 2 may coincide with the front-rear direction of the vehicle, or may be the vertical direction or the left-right direction of the vehicle. It may be an inclined direction.

  An insulating film is provided on the surface of the cell stack 2 or the cell 21. If the insulating film is damaged, the insulating properties of the cell stack 2 or the cell 21 may be impaired.

  The cell 21 is known to expand due to aging. On the front and rear surfaces of the cell 21, the center portion in the left-right direction and the center portion in the up-down direction are easily expanded, and on the left surface and right surface of the cell 21, the center portion in the front-rear direction and the center portion in the vertical direction are easily expanded. And in the lower surface, the left-right direction center part and the front-back direction center part are easy to expand.

  On the upper surface of the cell stack 2, a bus bar (not shown) that electrically connects the plurality of cells 21 and a top cover 3 that covers the bus bar and the like from above are disposed. Resin end plates 4 are disposed on the front and rear surfaces of the cell stack 2, and metal side plates 5 are disposed on the left and right surfaces of the cell stack 2.

  The side plate 5 extends along the left side or the right side of the cell stack 2 and supports the left side or the right side of the cell stack 2 via the insulating sheet 6, and the front side from the front and rear ends of the side plate main body 51. Front and rear fastening portions 52 and 53 that extend along the front surface or the rear surface of the rear end plate 4 and are fastened to the front end plate 4 or the rear end plate 4, and the side plate body The upper and lower support portions 54 and 55 that extend from the upper and lower ends of the cell stack 2 along the upper or lower surface of the cell stack 2 and define the vertical position of the cell stack 2 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a corner 56 formed between the lower support portion 55 (hereinafter simply referred to as the support portion 55) and the side plate body 51, and a corner portion of the cell stack 2 along the inside thereof. 22 includes R portions 56a and 22a having predetermined curvature radii r1 and r2, respectively. Depending on the curvature radii r1 and r2 of the R portions 56a and 22a and processing errors, the R portion inner peripheral surface 56b on the side plate 5 side and the R portion outer peripheral surface 22b on the cell laminate 2 side are in contact with each other, and the surface of the cell laminate 2 (Insulating film) may be damaged, resulting in a decrease in insulation or an abnormal sound. Further, when the battery module 1 is assembled, the lower surface (insulating film) of the cell stack 2 may be damaged at the tip edge portion 55a of the support portion 55, and the insulating property may be lowered.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, in the battery module 1 according to the present embodiment, in order to avoid contact between the R portion inner peripheral surface 56 b on the side plate 5 side and the R portion outer peripheral surface 22 b on the cell stacked body 2 side. A resin or rubber spacer 7 is disposed between the support portion 55 of the side plate 5 and the lower surface of the cell stack 2. According to such a spacer 7, a predetermined gap is ensured between the support portion 55 of the side plate 5 and the lower surface of the cell stack 2, so that the R portion inner peripheral surface 56 b on the side plate 5 side and the cell stack are arranged. Contact with the R-side outer peripheral surface 22b on the second side is avoided, and deterioration of insulation and noise due to contact are prevented. Further, when the curvature radius r1 of the corner portion 56 of the side plate 5 is larger than the curvature radius r2 of the corner portion 22 of the cell stack 2, the battery module 1 cannot be assembled without the spacer 7, but the spacer 7 is provided. Thus, the battery module 1 can be assembled regardless of the curvature radii r1 and r2.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the spacer 7 of the present embodiment includes a spacer body 71 sandwiched between the support portion 55 of the side plate 5 and the lower surface of the cell stack 2, and a leading edge of the support portion 55 from the spacer body 71. And a protruding portion 72 protruding in the left-right direction beyond the portion 55a. According to such a projecting portion 72, the tip edge portion 55 a of the support portion 55 is prevented from coming into contact with the lower surface of the cell stack 2 when the battery module 1 is assembled.

  A recess 73 that accommodates the support portion 55 is formed on the lower surface of the spacer 7. According to such a recess 73, since the thickness of the spacer body 71 is reduced, the height dimension of the battery module 1 is suppressed. Further, a stepped portion 74 is formed as one end portion of the concave portion 73 on the lower surface of the spacer 7, and the stepped portion 74 is in contact with the tip end portion of the support portion 55 so that the spacer 7 is attached to the support portion 55 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the assembling workability of the battery module 1 is improved.

  On the upper surface of the protruding portion 72 of the spacer 7, an inclined surface 75 is formed that is separated from the lower surface of the cell stack 2 toward the distal end side. According to such an inclined surface 75, the expansion of the central portion in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the cell 21 due to aging deterioration is absorbed, and the distortion of the battery module 1 and the displacement of the bus bar due to the expansion are suppressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a groove 76 extending in the left-right direction is formed on the upper surface of the spacer 7 at a position corresponding to the center of the lower surface in the front-rear direction of each cell 21. According to such a groove portion 76, the expansion of the center portion in the front-rear direction of the lower surface of the cell 21 due to aging deterioration is absorbed, and the distortion of the battery module 1 and the displacement of the bus bar due to the expansion are suppressed. In addition, in order to make the groove part 76 of this embodiment into the shape which follows the expansion curve of the lower surface of the cell 21 as much as possible, the deep groove part 76a formed in the center part of the front-back direction of the groove part 76, and the front-back of the deep groove part 76a A shallow groove portion 76b formed adjacent to the groove portion. However, a groove shape in which a central portion in the front-rear direction is deepened in a curve or a groove shape having a constant depth may be used.

  As described above, according to the battery module 1 of the present embodiment, the resin or rubber spacer 7 is disposed between the support portion 55 of the side plate 5 and the lower surface of the cell stack 2. Therefore, it is possible to avoid contact between the R portion inner peripheral surface 56b on the side plate 5 side and the R portion outer peripheral surface 22b on the cell laminate 2 side, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in insulation and noise due to the contact.

  Moreover, since the spacer 7 has the protrusion part 72 which protrudes rather than the front-end | tip part of the support part 55, it can prevent that the lower surface of the cell laminated body 2 is damaged by the front-end edge part 55a of the support part 55. FIG.

  Moreover, since the spacer 7 has the recessed part 73 which accommodates the support part 55, the height dimension of the battery module 1 can be reduced.

  Further, since the spacer 7 has an inclined surface 75 that is separated from the lower surface of the cell stack 2 toward the tip side on the upper surface of the protruding portion 72, the spacer 7 absorbs the expansion of the central portion in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the cell 21 due to aging. The distortion of the battery module 1 and the displacement of the bus bar due to expansion can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the spacer 7 has the groove part 76 extended in the left-right direction in the position corresponding to the front-back direction center part of each cell 21, it absorbs expansion | swelling of the front-back direction center part of the lower surface of the cell 21 by aged deterioration, and is due to expansion. The distortion of the battery module 1 and the position shift of the bus bar can be suppressed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery module 2 Cell laminated body 4 End plate 5 Side plate 7 Spacer 21 Cell 52, 53 Fastening part 55 Support part 72 Projection part 73 Recessed part 75 Inclined surface 76 Groove part

Claims (3)

A cell stack comprising a plurality of cells stacked in the front-rear direction, having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface,
End plates disposed on the front and rear surfaces of the cell stack;
A metal side plate disposed on the left surface and the right surface of the cell stack,
The side plate includes a fastening portion fastened to the end plate, and a support portion extended to the lower surface of the cell stack.
Between the support portion of the side plate and the lower surface of the cell laminate, a resin or rubber spacer is disposed ,
The spacer is
A protruding portion that protrudes from the tip of the support portion;
A recess for housing the support,
A battery module , comprising: a step portion that comes into contact with a tip portion of the support portion . The battery module according to claim 1 ,
The said spacer has an inclined surface which spaces apart from the said lower surface of the said cell laminated body toward the front end side at the upper surface of the said protrusion part. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The said spacer has a groove part extended in the left-right direction in the position corresponding to the front-back direction center part of each said cell.

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