JP7792099B2 - Integration structure and battery pack integration method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an integrated structure and a method for integrating a battery pack.

Conventionally, so-called cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving facilities have been widely used.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cubicle monitoring system in which a storage battery is installed in a cubicle as a power source for driving a load during a power outage, and remote monitoring of the cubicle can be continued even if the power outage is prolonged.

JP 2023-88715 A

Battery packs for electric vehicles (hereafter simply referred to as vehicle battery packs) are said to reach the end of their lifespan when their battery capacity drops to around 70%. In other words, even used vehicle battery packs still have 70% remaining capacity, making them fully reusable for ESS (energy storage) applications, including home use.

A specific example of reusing battery packs for used vehicles is using them as storage batteries for cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving equipment.

However, because vehicle battery packs are heavy, when they are used as storage batteries in cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving equipment, the vehicle battery packs are stored on pallets, shelves, or frames. This type of storage method requires pallets, shelves, or frames between adjacent vehicle battery packs, which creates the problem of making the cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving equipment larger.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an integration structure and a battery pack integration method that allow vehicle battery packs to be integrated more compactly.

The integrated structure of the present invention is an integrated structure in which rectangular vehicle battery packs are integrated in the thickness direction, and includes frames attached to both sides of each battery pack in the width direction and extending in the length direction of the battery pack, columns provided near each of the four corners of the integrated battery pack and extending in the vertical direction, and a plurality of spacers attached to the columns at vertical intervals and to which the frames are fixed.

The battery pack assembly method of the present invention uses vertically extending columns, each located at a position corresponding to the vertices of a rectangle in plan view, and spacers attached to the columns at vertical intervals, to stack rectangular vehicle battery packs in the thickness direction. Frames extending in the length direction of the battery pack are attached to both sides of the width of each battery pack, and the battery pack is lifted using lifting holes formed in the frames. The battery pack is then positioned between the four columns, and the frames are secured to the spacers.

The present invention provides an integration structure and a battery pack integration method that allow vehicle battery packs to be integrated more compactly. Furthermore, by using such an integration structure in a cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving facility, the cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving facility can be made more compact.

1 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of high-voltage power receiving equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view of an integrated structure of a high-voltage power receiving facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view of an integrated structure of a high-voltage power receiving facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of an integrated structure of a high-voltage power receiving facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A-1C are front, top, bottom, and side views showing a column member of an accumulation structure. 1A-1C are front, top, and side views showing a frame member of an integrated structure. 1A-1C are front, top, and side views showing a spacer member of an integrated structure. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an attachment state of a frame member, a spacer member, and a column member when battery packs are integrated.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to drawings showing an embodiment, taking a cubicle-type high-voltage power receiving facility as an example.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of a high-voltage power receiving facility 100 according to this embodiment.
The high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 includes a battery panel 200 that houses a battery and a power control panel C that houses a battery PCS (Power Conditioning System) (not shown) in a metal housing. The battery panel 200 is provided with, for example, two integrated structures 1 in which a plurality of used battery packs for electric vehicles (EVs) are integrated.

Figure 2 is a front view of the integrated structure 1 of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 according to this embodiment, Figure 3 is a plan view of the integrated structure 1 of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100, and Figure 4 is a side view of the integrated structure 1 of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100. As described above, in the integrated structure 1, multiple battery packs 300 are integrated at equal intervals in the thickness direction of the battery packs 300, i.e., in the vertical direction.

As shown in Figure 3, the battery pack 300 is roughly rectangular in plan view, and bracket plates 302, 301 are provided on both sides in the width direction to secure the battery pack 300 to the vehicle. The bracket plates 302 and 301 have different shapes. The battery pack 300 has one bracket plate 302 and two bracket plates 301, which are arranged in the order of bracket plate 302 and bracket plate 301 from the front side, spaced a predetermined distance apart. In the length direction, bracket plates 302 and 301 are provided at both ends of the battery pack 300, respectively, and bracket plate 301 is provided in the middle.

Each bracket plate 301 has a flat, roughly rectangular shape in a plan view, and protrudes perpendicularly from the lower end of the side surface of the battery pack 300 in the width direction of the battery pack 300. Each bracket plate 301 also has a through-hole 301A.

Bracket plate 302 has a flat, trapezoidal shape in a plan view, and protrudes from the lower end of the side of battery pack 300 perpendicularly to the side in the width direction of battery pack 300. The dimension of bracket plate 302 in the protruding direction is longer than that of bracket plate 301. Bracket plate 302 also has a through-hole 302A.

The integrated structure 1 comprises four column members 10 provided near the four corners of the integrated battery packs 300, two frame members 30 attached to both sides of the width of each battery pack 300 and extending in the length direction of the battery pack 300, and a plurality of spacer members 20 attached to the column members 10 at vertical intervals and to which the frame members 30 are fixed.

Figure 5 shows a front view, a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of a column member 10 of the integrated structure 1. Figure 5A is a front view of the column member 10, Figure 5B is a plan view of the column member 10, Figure 5C is a bottom view of the column member 10, and Figure 5D is a side view of the column member 10. For convenience, the middle portion of the column member 10 is omitted in Figure 5. Since each column member 10 has the same shape, only one column member 10 will be described below.

The column members 10 are made of metal, extend vertically, and are generally trough-shaped. Each column member 10 has a trough-shaped portion 10A to which a spacer member 20 is fixed. As shown in Figure 3, each column member 10 is positioned so that the trough-shaped portion 10A opens outward in the width direction of the battery pack 300.

The gutter-shaped portion 10A has two opposing side walls 12, 13 and a bottom plate 11 interposed between the side walls 12, 13 and connecting the inner edges of the side walls 12, 13 (see Figure 3). The side walls 13 of the column members 10 face each other in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack 300, and a reinforcing portion 14 is connected to the outer edge of the side wall 13 of each column member 10 to increase the strength of the gutter-shaped portion 10A. The reinforcing portion 14 is strip-shaped and protrudes parallel to the bottom plate 11. The side walls 12, 13, bottom plate 11, and reinforcing portion 14 are integrally formed.

The bottom plate 11 is provided with a plurality of pairs of through holes 111 for fixing the spacer members 20, including a pair of through holes 111 formed spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the column member 10, i.e., in the vertical direction. The through holes 111 are, for example, circular. The multiple pairs of through holes 111 are formed at equal intervals in the vertical direction.

Of the multiple pairs of through holes 111, the pair of through holes 111 formed at the top is spaced apart from the upper end of the bottom plate 11 by a dimension slightly longer than the thickness of the battery pack 300. Furthermore, of the multiple pairs of through holes 111, the pair of through holes 111 formed at the lower end of the bottom plate 11 has a lower through hole 111A that is oval in shape.
The side walls 12, 13 and the reinforcing portion 14 are formed with a plurality of circular through holes for fastening to other members.

As shown in Figure 3, of the four column members 10, a pair of column members 10 arranged at the ends of the battery pack 300 in the longitudinal direction face each other in the width direction of the battery pack 300. More specifically, the pair of column members 10 have bottom plates 11 to which spacer members 20 are fixed that face each other.

Figure 6 shows a front view, a plan view, and a side view of a frame member 30 of the integrated structure 1. Figure 6A is a front view of the frame member 30, Figure 6B is a plan view of the frame member 30, and Figure 6C is a side view of the frame member 30. For convenience, the middle portion of the frame member 30 is omitted in Figure 6. Since each frame member 30 has the same shape, only one frame member 30 will be described below.

The frame members 30 are made of metal, extend horizontally, and are generally trough-shaped. Each frame member 30 has a trough-shaped mounting portion 30A to which the battery pack 300 (bracket plates 302, 301) is fixed. As shown in Figure 2, each frame member 30 is positioned so that the mounting portion 30A is open toward the battery pack 300.

The mounting portion 30A has two side walls 32, 33 (opposing walls) that face each other in the vertical direction, and a bottom plate 31 that is interposed between the side walls 32, 33 and connects the outer edges of the side walls 32, 33 (see Figure 2). A band-shaped portion 34 extends upward from the upper end of the mounting portion 30A. That is, the band-shaped portion 34 is connected to the inner edge of the upper side wall 33 (the upper opposing wall) of the two side walls 32, 33, and protrudes upward parallel to the bottom plate 31. The side walls 32, 33, bottom plate 31, and band-shaped portion 34 are integrally formed.

As shown in Figure 3, the side wall 32 (the lower opposing wall) is strip-shaped and extends along the length of the battery pack 300. The inner edge, i.e., the edge facing the battery pack 300, is bent downward to increase strength. Furthermore, as described above, the bottom plate 31 extends perpendicularly to the side wall 32 and up to the side wall 33 on the other outer edge of the side wall 32.

In addition, the side wall 32 has through-holes 320, 323 (fourth holes) formed at both longitudinal ends for fastening to the spacer member 20. The through-hole 323 is formed at one end closer to the front of the battery pack 300, and the through-hole 320 is provided at the other end.

The side wall 32 is formed with through holes 321, 322 (first holes) for fixing the battery pack 300. The through holes 321, 322 are formed at positions corresponding to the through holes 301A of the bracket plate 301 and 302A of the bracket plate 302 of the battery pack 300, respectively. The through holes 321 are formed a short distance away from the through holes 320, and the through holes 322 are formed near the through holes 323. In other words, the through holes 321 are formed closer to the one edge of the side wall 32, and the through holes 322 are formed closer to the other edge of the side wall 32.

In addition, collars 321A and 322A protrude from the upper surface of side wall 32 at positions corresponding to through holes 321 and 322, respectively. Collars 321A and 322A are cylindrical with an inner diameter the same as through holes 321 and 322, and act as spacers interposed between bracket plates 302 and 301 and the upper surface of side wall 32 (through holes 321 and 322), respectively.

As shown in Figure 3, the side wall 33 is strip-shaped and extends along the length of the battery pack 300. As described above, the strip-shaped portion 34 is connected to the inner edge of the side wall 33, i.e., the edge facing the battery pack 300, and the bottom plate 31 is connected to the other outer edge, as described above. The width of the side wall 33 is also shorter than that of the side wall 32. In other words, the side wall 32 protrudes more toward the battery pack 300 than the side wall 33 (see Figure 3).

Three through-holes 331, 332, and 333 are formed in the side wall 33. From the front side of the battery pack 300, the through-hole 333 (fifth hole), the through-hole 332 (third hole), and the through-hole 331 (fifth hole) are formed in this order. The through-holes 331 and 333 are formed at both ends of the side wall 33, respectively, and the through-hole 332 is formed near the through-hole 333. The through-holes 331, 332, and 333 are formed at positions that align with the through-holes 320, 322, and 323 in the side wall 32 in the vertical direction. The through-holes 331, 332, and 333 are circular and of the same size, but with a larger diameter than the through-holes 320, 322, and 323 in the side wall 32.

As described above, the band-shaped portion 34 is connected to the one edge of the side wall 33 and protrudes upward parallel to the bottom plate 31. Two through holes 341, 342 (second holes) are formed in the band-shaped portion 34. The through holes 341, 342 are formed near the through holes 322, 321 in the side wall 32, i.e., near the collars 322A, 321A, respectively. The through holes 341, 342 are used to lift the battery pack 300, as described below.

Figure 7 shows a front view, a plan view, and a side view of the spacer member 20 of the integrated structure 1. Figure 7A is a front view of the spacer member 20, Figure 7B is a plan view of the spacer member 20, and Figure 7C is a side view of the spacer member 20. Since each spacer member 20 has the same shape, only one spacer member 20 will be described below.

As described above, the spacer member 20 is attached to the column member 10, and the frame member 30 is fixed to the spacer member 20. The spacer member 20 is made of metal.

The spacer member 20 has a rectangular plate portion 21 that is screwed to the bottom plate 11 of the column member 10. The rectangular plate portion 21 has a rectangular plate shape that extends in the vertical direction, and the width dimension of the rectangular plate portion 21 is equal to or less than the width dimension of the bottom plate 11 of the column member 10. The rectangular plate portion 21 has two first through holes 211 that are the same size and are spaced apart in the vertical direction.

A fixing plate portion 22 extends from the upper edge of the rectangular plate portion 21 in the thickness direction of the rectangular plate portion 21, i.e., toward the battery pack 300. The fixing plate portion 22 has a rectangular plate shape and the same width as the rectangular plate portion 21. A second through hole 221 is formed in the center of the fixing plate portion 22. The second through hole 221 is circular and is used to secure the frame member 30, as described below.

A triangular rib 23 is provided between the rectangular plate portion 21 and the fixed plate portion 22. More specifically, the triangular rib 23 is a triangular plate with its base being a straight line connecting the protruding tip of the fixed plate portion 22 to the bottom end of the rectangular plate portion 21. That is, the triangular rib 23 is formed from one long side of the rectangular plate portion 21 to one long side of the fixed plate portion 22 that corresponds to that one long side. In other words, the triangular rib 23 is connected to the one long side of the rectangular plate portion 21 and the one long side of the fixed plate portion 22. The rectangular plate portion 21, the fixed plate portion 22, and the triangular rib 23 are integrally formed.

In the integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment, which has the above-described configuration, frame members 30 are attached to both sides of the battery pack 300 in the width direction, and spacer members 20 are attached to the column members 10. Both ends of the frame member 30 are fixed to the two spacer members 20, respectively, so that the battery packs 300 are integrated with the thickness direction being the vertical direction.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the attachment state of the frame member 30, the spacer member 20, and the column member 10 when the battery pack 300 is integrated.
The method for integrating the battery pack 300 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

First, the first step is to attach the spacer members 20 to the column members 10 (see Figures 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 below). At this time, the four column members 10 are fixed inside the housing of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 so that they form a rectangle in plan view.

The rectangular plate portion 21 of the spacer member 20 is placed against the bottom plate 11 of the column member 10 from the outside of the gutter-shaped portion 10A, with the two first through holes 211 of the rectangular plate portion 21 of the spacer member 20 each aligned with one of the pairs of through holes 111 in the column member 10. In this state, a bolt B is inserted from the inside of the gutter-shaped portion 10A into the through hole 111 in the bottom plate 11 and the first through hole 211 in the rectangular plate portion 21, and then removed from the first through hole 211. A nut N is fitted onto the end of the removed bolt B, completing the screw fastening. This process is repeated for each pair of through holes 111 for each column member 10.

As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the spacer members 20 are protruded from the bottom plate 11 of each column member 10 toward the opposing column member 10. At this time, the fixing plate portion 22 of each spacer member 20 is approximately horizontal.

Next, the second operation of attaching the frame member 30 to the battery pack 300 is performed (see FIGS. 3, 6, and 8).
The bracket plates 302, 301 of the battery pack 300 are placed inside the mounting portion 30A of the frame member 30. At this time, the through-hole 301A of the bracket plate 301 is aligned with the position of the through-hole 321 (collar 321A) of the frame member 30, and the through-hole 302A of the bracket plate 302 is aligned with the position of the through-hole 322 (collar 322A) of the frame member 30.

In this state, bolt B is inserted into through-hole 321 from the underside of the side wall 32 of frame member 30 (mounting portion 30A), passes through collar 321A, and exits through through-hole 301A in bracket plate 301. A nut N is fitted onto the end of the exiting bolt B, completing the screw fastening.

Furthermore, bolt B is inserted into through-hole 322 from the underside of side wall 32 of frame member 30 (mounting portion 30A), passes through collar 322A, and comes out through through-hole 302A of bracket plate 302. A nut N is fitted onto the end of the bolt B that has come out, completing the screw fastening. Because through-hole 302A of bracket plate 302 is located further back in mounting portion 30A than through-hole 301A of bracket plate 301, the nut N is fitted using through-hole 332 of side wall 33.
In the second operation, the frame members 30 are attached to both sides of the battery pack 300 .

Then, a third operation is performed in which the frame member 30 is fixed to the spacer member 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
As described above, in the second operation, with the frame members 30 attached to both sides of the battery pack 300, a crane is used to carry the battery pack 300 with the frame members 30 into the housing of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100. More specifically, with the roof of the housing of the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 removed, the battery pack 300 with the frame members 30 is carried from above the housing into the inside of the rectangle defined by the four column members 10.

In this way, when the crane carries the battery pack 300 with the frame members 30, the crane's hook H is hooked into each of the through-holes 341, 342 of the frame members 30 of the battery pack 300, as shown in Figure 8. In other words, the crane's hook H is hooked into each of the four through-holes 341, 342 of the two frame members 30, and the battery pack 300 with the frame members 30 is lifted.

Then, the battery pack 300 with frame members 30 is lifted and carried between the four column members 10, and both ends of each frame member 30 are fixed to the spacer members 20.

The battery pack 300 with the first frame member 30 is moved to the position of the lowest spacer member 20. First, one end of the frame member 30 is aligned with the corresponding spacer member 20 of the column member 10 on the front side of the battery pack 300. That is, the through-hole 323 at one end of the frame member 30 is aligned with the second through-hole 221 in the fixing plate portion 22 of the corresponding spacer member 20. Next, a bolt B is inserted into the second through-hole 221 from the underside of the fixing plate portion 22 of the spacer member 20 and exits through the through-hole 323 in the side wall 32 of the frame member 30 (mounting portion 30A). A nut N is fitted onto the end of the exiting bolt B, completing the screw fastening. As mentioned above, the through-hole 323 of the frame member 30 is located on the back side of the mounting portion 30A, so the nut N is fitted using the through-hole 333 in the side wall 33.

Next, similarly to the one end, the other end of the frame member 30 is aligned with and screwed to the corresponding spacer member 20 of the column member 10 on the back side of the battery pack 300. When screwing the other end of the frame member 30, the nuts N are fitted using the through holes 331 in the side walls 33.
The frame members 30 on both sides of the battery pack 300 are fixed to the spacer members 20 in this manner.

Once the battery pack 300 with the first frame member 30 has been secured by the first to third operations described above, the battery pack 300 with the second frame member 30 is secured to the second-lowest four spacer members 20, and the battery pack 300 with the third frame member 30 is secured to the third-lowest four spacer members 20. By repeating these first to third operations for each battery pack 300, the integration of the battery packs 300 is completed, and the integrated structure 1 for the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 according to the present invention is completed.

The above explanation has been given using an example in which the second task is performed after the first task, but this is not limited to this, and the order of the first task and the second task may be reversed.

With the above-described configuration, the integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment can compactly integrate battery packs 300 without using pallets, shelves, or frame assembly. Furthermore, by employing such an integrated structure 1, the high-voltage power receiving equipment 100 can also be made more compact.

Furthermore, in the integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, with the frame member 30 attached to the battery pack 300, the battery pack 300 is lifted by hooking the crane hook H through the through holes 341, 342 of the frame member 30, thereby facilitating the assembly of the battery pack 300.

Furthermore, in the integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, the leading edge of the side wall 33 of the frame member 30 (mounting portion 30A) is recessed further away from the battery pack 300 than the leading edge of the side wall 32. This ensures a sufficient distance between the band-shaped portion 34 of the frame member 30, to which the crane hook H is attached, and the battery pack 300 (see Figure 8). This makes it easier to attach the crane hook H to the frame member 30, and prevents collision between the crane hook H and the battery pack 300.

Furthermore, in the integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, the through-holes 331, 332, and 333 in the side wall 33 are circular and have a larger diameter than the through-holes 320, 322, and 323 in the side wall 32, and are formed in positions that align vertically with the through-holes 320, 322, and 323 in the side wall 32. Therefore, when attaching the frame member 30 to the spacer member 20, nuts N can be fitted through the through-holes 331 and 333, and when fixing the bracket plate 302 of the battery pack 300 to the frame member 30, nuts N can be fitted through the through-hole 332, improving workability.

The above description has been given using an example of an integrated structure 1 according to this embodiment in which six spacer members 20 are attached to each column member 10, but this is not limited to this, and the number of spacer members 20 can be increased or decreased as needed.

The technical features (constituent elements) described in this embodiment can be combined with each other, and by combining them, new technical features can be conceived.
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

Independent and dependent claims set forth in the claims may be combined with each other in any and all combinations, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, while the claims use a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), this is not limited to this format. A multiple claim that references at least one other multiple claim (multi-multi claim format) may also be used.

1: Integrated structure, 10: Column member, 11: Bottom plate, 20: Spacer member, 21: Rectangular plate portion, 22: Fixing plate portion, 30: Frame member, 30A: Mounting portion, 32, 33: Side walls (opposing walls), 34: Band-shaped portion, 211: First through-hole, 221: Second through-hole, 300: Battery pack, 302, 301: Bracket plate, 320, 323: Through-hole (fourth hole), 321, 322: Through-hole (first hole), 332: Through-hole (third hole), 341, 342: Through-hole (second hole), 331, 333: Through-hole (fifth hole)

Claims (7)

An integrated structure in which rectangular vehicle battery packs are integrated in the thickness direction,
a frame attached to both sides of each battery pack in the width direction and extending in the length direction of the battery pack;
columns provided near four corners of the integrated battery packs and extending in the up-down direction;
a plurality of spacers attached to each column at intervals in the vertical direction and fixed only to ends of the frame ;
The frame is
a first hole used for attachment to the battery pack;
and a second hole used for lifting the battery pack . The frame is
a gutter-shaped mounting portion in which the first hole is formed and which is open on the battery pack side;
a band-shaped portion in which the second hole is formed and which extends upward from an upper end edge of the mounting portion,
The battery pack
Bracket plates having through holes are provided on both sides in the width direction,
2. The integrated structure according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket plate is disposed inside the mounting portion of the frame and fixed to the mounting portion. An integrated structure as described in claim 2, wherein of the two opposing walls of the mounting portion that face each other in the vertical direction, the first hole is formed in the lower opposing wall, and a third hole is formed in the upper opposing wall at a position corresponding to the first hole. The frame is
a fourth hole in the lower opposing wall for fastening to the spacer;
4. The integrated structure according to claim 3 , wherein a fifth hole is formed in the upper opposing wall at a position corresponding to the fourth hole. Each of the plurality of spacers comprises:
a rectangular plate portion having two first through holes formed spaced apart in the vertical direction and screwed to the column;
The integrated structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing plate portion protruding from an upper edge of the rectangular plate portion in a thickness direction of the rectangular plate portion and having a second through hole for screwing the frame. The column has a gutter shape extending in the vertical direction,
The integrated structure according to claim 5 , wherein the pair of columns provided at the longitudinal end sides of the battery pack have bottom plates, to which the rectangular plate portions of the spacers are screwed, facing each other. A battery pack integration method for integrating rectangular vehicle battery packs in a thickness direction using columns that are provided at positions corresponding to vertices of a rectangle in a plan view and extend in a vertical direction, and spacers that are attached to the columns at intervals in the vertical direction,
a frame extending in a length direction of the battery pack is attached to both sides in a width direction of each battery pack;
Lifting the battery pack using the lifting holes formed in the frame and disposing the battery pack between the four columns;
The frame is fixed to the spacer.