Battery module and electric vehicle

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of power batteries, and discloses a battery module and an electric vehicle. The battery module comprises a box body, a longitudinal beam and a tray. The box body is provided with an exhaust port; the longitudinal beam is arranged in the box body and abuts against the bottom surface of the box body to separate the accommodating areas on both sides of the longitudinal beam along the width direction in the box body; the tray is arranged in the accommodating area and is used for mounting a battery cell; the tray is provided with a through hole opposite to one end of the battery cell; the tray and the bottom surface of the box body are arranged at intervals to form a pressure relief cavity; the through hole and the exhaust port are both communicated with the pressure relief cavity. The accommodating areas on both sides of the longitudinal beam in the box body are separated by the longitudinal beam, so that the gas and the ejecta discharged by the battery cell in thermal runaway do not contact the battery cell in the accommodating area on the other side, and the battery cell in the accommodating area on the other side is prevented from being affected to cause the battery cells in the whole box body to be in thermal runaway.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power battery technology, and more particularly to a battery module and an electric vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, new energy vehicles have experienced rapid development, especially those powered by lithium batteries. Cylindrical cells are widely used in power systems, and due to their small individual cell capacity, this results in a large number of cells in a single string.

[0003] In common cylindrical battery modules, multiple cells are arranged in a matrix and placed in the same sealed cavity. However, when a cell experiences thermal runaway, the cell's explosion-proof valve opens, and the gas and ejected material generated inside the cell are discharged, which will affect the remaining cells and easily lead to successive thermal runaways, thereby causing a safety accident.

[0004] Some battery modules are equipped with pressure relief chambers, but multiple cells still share the same pressure relief chamber. If one cell experiences thermal runaway, it can still affect the other cells through the pressure relief chamber, posing a safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can reduce the impact of thermal runaway cells on other cells.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A battery module, comprising:

[0008] The enclosure is equipped with an exhaust port;

[0009] A longitudinal beam is disposed inside the box and abuts against the bottom surface of the box to separate the receiving areas located on both sides of the longitudinal beam in the width direction within the box;

[0010] A tray, disposed within the receiving area, is used to install battery cells. The tray has a through hole directly opposite one end of the battery cell. The bottom surfaces of the tray and the housing are spaced apart to form a pressure relief chamber. The through hole and the vent are both connected to the pressure relief chamber.

[0011] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, a crossbeam is provided in the receiving area, the crossbeam and the longitudinal beam are arranged at an angle, the crossbeam, the longitudinal beam and the inner wall of the box form a positioning groove, and the tray is placed in the positioning groove.

[0012] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, at least some of the crossbeams are spaced apart from the bottom surface of the housing to connect two adjacent positioning slots.

[0013] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the housing includes a bottom protective plate, on which spaced protrusions and grooves are provided. Both the protrusions and grooves extend along the length of the longitudinal beam, and the longitudinal beam is fixed to the protrusions.

[0014] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the crossbeam abuts against the protruding ridge.

[0015] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, at least one of the plurality of protrusions has a mounting surface, the mounting surface being in contact with the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam, and the longitudinal beam being fixed to the mounting surface.

[0016] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, a first sealing element is provided between the longitudinal beam and the mounting surface.

[0017] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the tray and the bottom protective plate are fixed together by tray fixing bolts.

[0018] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the tray fixing bolt connects the protruding ridge and the tray.

[0019] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the back of the tray is provided with a fixing boss, and the fixing boss is provided with a threaded hole. The tray fixing bolt passes through the bottom protective plate and engages with the threaded hole.

[0020] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, a second sealing element is provided between the fixed boss and the bottom protective plate.

[0021] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the second sealing element is fitted outside the fixed boss and elastically abuts against the bottom protective plate.

[0022] As an optional solution for the aforementioned battery module, the housing includes a bottom protective plate, each side of which is connected to a side plate. The side plate parallel to the crossbeam is a front side plate, and the exhaust port is provided on the front side plate. The crossbeam adjacent to the front side plate is a second crossbeam. A sealing plate is provided between the front side plate and the second crossbeam. The sealing plate and the bottom protective plate are spaced apart to form an exhaust channel. The exhaust channel is connected to the exhaust port and the pressure relief chamber respectively. The sealing plate is used to install electrical components.

[0023] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, both the front side plate and the second crossbeam are provided with supporting bosses, and the sealing plate overlaps the supporting bosses.

[0024] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, a first cavity is provided in the front panel, and multiple partitions are provided in the first cavity. The partitions divide the first cavity into multiple sub-cavities, and the exhaust port on the front panel is connected to the exhaust channel through one of the sub-cavities.

[0025] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the housing is provided with an exhaust port for each of the receiving areas, and the exhaust port is connected to the pressure relief chamber within the receiving area.

[0026] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, the exhaust port is located at one or both ends of the housing along the length of the longitudinal beam.

[0027] As an optional solution for the aforementioned battery module, a pressure relief valve is provided inside the exhaust port.

[0028] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, an explosion-proof valve is provided at one end of the battery cell, the explosion-proof valve is directly opposite the through hole, and the projection of the explosion-proof valve along the height direction of the battery cell is located inside the through hole.

[0029] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned battery module, the battery module further includes a reinforcing block, which is disposed at the connection between the crossbeam and the longitudinal beam, and is disposed in the positioning groove and located at the corner. The reinforcing block abuts against or connects to the two side walls adjacent to the positioning groove.

[0030] As an alternative to the aforementioned battery module, both the crossbeam and the longitudinal beam have a second cavity along their length, and the second cavity has intersecting stiffeners.

[0031] As an optional solution for the above-mentioned battery module, the positioning groove is a stepped groove, including an upper groove and a lower groove that are connected, and the connection between the upper groove and the lower groove forms a stepped support surface.

[0032] The tray includes a tray body and a fixed flange arranged circumferentially around the tray body. The tray body is located in the lower groove, and the fixed flange overlaps the step support surface.

[0033] As an optional solution for the aforementioned battery module, the positioning groove is provided with a first mounting surface surrounding the periphery of the tray, the tray has a second mounting surface, the second mounting surface abuts against the first mounting surface, and the flatness of the second mounting surface and the first mounting surface is not greater than 0.5mm.

[0034] Another objective of this invention is to provide an electric vehicle that can avoid safety accidents caused by battery modules and improve the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0035] An electric vehicle includes the aforementioned battery module.

[0036] As an alternative to the aforementioned electric vehicle, the housing is formed on the electric vehicle.

[0037] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0038] In the battery module provided by the present invention, the receiving areas located on both sides of the longitudinal beam are separated by the longitudinal beam, so that the gas and ejected material discharged by the thermal runaway cell will not come into contact with the cell in the receiving area on the other side, thus avoiding affecting the cell in the receiving area on the other side and causing thermal runaway of the cells in the entire battery module.

[0039] In the electric vehicle provided by the present invention, the above-mentioned battery module can be used to prevent the thermal runaway of one battery cell from spreading to other battery cells and thus prevent the entire battery module from thermally running away. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a top view of the battery module provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery module provided by the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the bottom protective plate provided by the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a top view of the battery module structure provided by the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Sectional view along line AA;

[0045] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the battery module structure provided by the present invention.

[0047] In the picture:

[0048] 1. Housing; 11. Bottom panel; 111. Raised ridge; 112. Groove; 12. Front panel; 121. Side panel support boss; 122. Partition; 13. Left and right side panels; 14. Rear panel; 2. Longitudinal beam; 3. Crossbeam; 31. First crossbeam; 32. Second crossbeam; 321. Crossbeam support boss; 4. Tray; 41. Through hole; 42. Fixing boss; 5. Battery cell; 6. Sealing plate; 7. Pressure relief valve; 8. Reinforcing block; 91. Tray fixing bolt; 92. Second sealing element. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0050] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0051] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0052] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be set and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0053] This embodiment provides a battery module, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the battery module includes a housing 1, a longitudinal beam 2, and a tray 4. The longitudinal beam 2 is disposed inside the housing 1 and abuts against the bottom surface of the housing 1, separating the receiving areas located on both sides of the longitudinal beam 2 along its width within the housing 1. Both receiving areas are used to mount the tray 4. Multiple battery cells 5 are arranged on the tray 4 to form a battery cell assembly. The tray 4 is provided with a through hole 41 directly opposite one end of the battery cell 5. The tray 4 and the bottom surface of the housing 1 are spaced apart to form a pressure relief chamber. The housing 1 is provided with an exhaust port, and both the through hole 41 and the exhaust port communicate with the pressure relief chamber.

[0054] Specifically, one end of the battery cell 5 is equipped with an explosion-proof valve. When a battery cell 5 experiences thermal runaway, the explosion-proof valve on the battery cell 5 opens, and the gas and ejected material generated inside the battery cell 5 enters the pressure relief chamber between the tray 4 and the bottom surface of the housing 1 through the through hole 41, and is discharged through the exhaust port to prevent the battery cell 5 from spontaneously combusting or exploding. In addition, through the above-mentioned arrangement, the area of ​​the pressure relief chamber is larger than the area of ​​the through hole 41. The gas released from the battery cell 5 is quickly discharged onto the pressure relief chamber through the through hole 41, and after the pressure is reduced, it is discharged through the exhaust port, which helps to improve the safety performance of the battery module. By setting the longitudinal beam 2 to separate the receiving areas located on both sides of the longitudinal beam 2 inside the housing 1, the gas and ejected material discharged by the thermally runaway battery cell 5 will not come into contact with the battery cell 5 in the receiving area on the other side, avoiding affecting the battery cell 5 in the receiving area on the other side and causing thermal runaway of all the battery cells 5 in the housing 1.

[0055] Furthermore, the explosion-proof valve is directly opposite the through hole 41, and the projection of the explosion-proof valve along the height direction of the battery cell 5 is located inside the through hole 41, so that the through hole 41 can provide sufficient space for the explosion-proof valve to open smoothly and without restriction of the opening angle, so that when the battery cell 5 thermally runs away, the gas generated inside the battery cell 5 can enter the pressure relief chamber through the through hole 41 and be discharged through the exhaust port.

[0056] Optionally, the shape of the through hole 41 can be the same as that of the explosion-proof valve. Preferably, the size of the through hole 41 is larger than that of the explosion-proof valve to avoid restricting the opening of the explosion-proof valve.

[0057] In this embodiment, a longitudinal beam 2 is provided inside the box 1, extending along the X direction. This longitudinal beam 2 divides the box 1 into two receiving areas, namely... Figure 1 In the area marked by the dashed line 'a', each containment area can be equipped with at least one battery cell assembly.

[0058] Specifically, the housing 1 includes a bottom guard plate 11 and side plates. Each side of the bottom guard plate 11 is connected to a side plate. Multiple side plates and the bottom guard plate 11 form a groove structure with a top opening. A longitudinal beam 2 is set on the bottom guard plate 11, and the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam 2 is in complete contact with the bottom guard plate 11.

[0059] In this embodiment, the bottom protective plate 11 is generally rectangular, and four side plates are provided, namely two left and right side plates 13, a front side plate 12, and a rear side plate 14. The two left and right side plates 13 are arranged along the Y direction, and the front side plate 12 and the rear side plate 14 are arranged along the X direction.

[0060] To increase the number of battery cells 5 inside the housing 1 and facilitate installation, a crossbeam 3 is also provided inside the housing 1. The crossbeam 3 is located within the receiving area and is set at an angle to the longitudinal beam 2. The crossbeam 3, the longitudinal beam 2, and the inner wall of the housing 1 form a positioning groove, in which the tray 4 is placed. By setting the crossbeam 3, each receiving area can be divided into at least two mounting positions b, and each mounting position b can accommodate one battery cell group. This arrangement allows multiple battery cells 5 inside the housing 1 to be installed in multiple groups, making it convenient to adaptively adjust the number of battery cell groups according to the specific capacity of the housing 1, and making the assembly method more flexible.

[0061] Furthermore, the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2 protrude from the bottom surface of the box body 1, so that the crossbeam 3, the longitudinal beam 2 and the inner wall of the box body 1 form a positioning groove, and the pallet 4 is placed in the positioning groove, so that the positioning groove has a positioning effect on the pallet 4, which facilitates the installation and fixing of the pallet 4.

[0062] To prevent gas in the pressure relief chamber from entering the space above the tray 4 and contacting the battery cell 5 through the assembly gap between the tray 4 and the positioning groove in the event of thermal runaway of the battery cell 5, a first mounting surface is provided in the positioning groove to surround the periphery of the tray 4. The tray 4 has a second mounting surface that abuts against the first mounting surface, and the flatness of the second mounting surface and the first mounting surface is not greater than 0.5mm.

[0063] This embodiment controls the flatness of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, which can control the assembly gap between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to a small range. Within this range, the gas in the pressure relief chamber cannot pass through the assembly gap, so as to prevent the gas generated when the cell 5 thermally runs away from entering the space above the tray 4, thereby preventing the spread of thermal runaway of the cell 5 and improving the safety performance of the battery module.

[0064] In addition, by controlling the flatness of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, no seal is needed between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, which helps to simplify the structure of the battery module and reduce the assembly difficulty.

[0065] Optionally, the flatness of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface can be 0.4mm, 0.3mm, 0.2mm or 0.1mm.

[0066] In other embodiments, a seal is provided between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface to seal the assembly gap between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface. This can also prevent gas in the pressure relief chamber from entering the space above the tray 4 through the assembly gap, thereby preventing the thermal runaway of the battery cell 5 from spreading.

[0067] In this embodiment, the crossbeam 3 extends along the Y direction, wherein the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction, so that each mounting position is approximately rectangular and has a regular shape, which facilitates the arrangement of the battery cells 5 in each battery cell group and helps to make full use of the space inside the housing 1.

[0068] Optionally, the tray 4 includes a tray body and a fixed flange circumferentially arranged around the tray body, with the second mounting surface located on the bottom surface of the fixed flange. The positioning groove is a stepped groove, including an upper groove body and a lower groove body. The upper groove body is larger than the lower groove body, so that the connection position of the upper and lower groove bodies forms a stepped support surface, which is the first mounting surface. Specifically, a fixed boss protrudes from the bottom of the side wall of the box 1 that forms the positioning groove. The fixed boss, the crossbeam 3, and the longitudinal beam 2 form the lower groove body. The top surface of the fixed boss, the top surface of the crossbeam 3, and the top surface of the longitudinal beam 2 form the stepped support surface, and the top of the side wall of the box 1 forms the upper groove body. The fixed flange overlaps the stepped support surface, and the tray body is located in the lower groove body, so that the bottom surface of the tray 4 can be spaced apart from the bottom guard plate 11 to form a pressure relief chamber. Optionally, the fixed flange can be fixedly connected to the stepped support surface with screws, which is convenient for installation.

[0069] Optionally, the number of crossbeams 3 and longitudinal beams 2 can be determined according to the specific dimensions of the box body 1. In this embodiment, for example... Figure 2 As shown, there is one longitudinal beam 2 and two transverse beams 3, namely the first transverse beam 31 and the second transverse beam 32. The first transverse beam 31 is located in the middle of the longitudinal beam 2 and forms a cross shape with the longitudinal beam 2; the middle of the second transverse beam 32 abuts against one end of the longitudinal beam 2. The longitudinal beam 2, the two transverse beams 3, and the housing 1 enclose two receiving areas and four mounting positions b, and each mounting position b contains one battery cell assembly.

[0070] In existing technology, multiple battery cells 5 inside the housing 1 are typically mounted on a large frame, which is then glued to the housing 1. Due to the large size of the frame, it is generally only fixed to the housing 1 around its perimeter, resulting in insufficient support in the middle and making the frame prone to deformation. Therefore, this structure requires high frame strength and also demands a high level of adhesive bonding, leading to significant manufacturing difficulties and high production costs.

[0071] In this embodiment, by setting crossbeams 3 and longitudinal beams 2 inside the housing 1, the strength of the housing 1 can be improved, and the material requirements for the housing 1 can be reduced. The crossbeams 3 and longitudinal beams 2 divide the space inside the housing 1 into multiple smaller installation positions b. Using multiple small-sized trays 4 instead of the large-sized frame in the prior art increases the strength of each tray 4, improves the stability of the battery cell assembly structure, and also reduces the requirements for the fixing strength of the trays 4, which helps to reduce manufacturing difficulty and cost.

[0072] Furthermore, a reinforcing block 8 is also provided inside the housing 1. The reinforcing block 8 is disposed in the positioning groove and located at the corner of the positioning groove. The reinforcing block 8 abuts against or connects to the adjacent side walls of the positioning groove to improve the strength of the housing 1.

[0073] In this embodiment, the positioning groove is a rectangular groove, and reinforcing blocks 8 are provided at the four corners of the positioning groove to further improve the strength of the box body 1. Specifically, reinforcing blocks 8 are provided at the connection between the crossbeam 3 and the fixed boss, the connection between the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2, and the connection between the longitudinal beam 2 and the fixed boss.

[0074] To simplify the structure of housing 1, a set of exhaust ports is provided on housing 1 for each accommodating area, and multiple pressure relief chambers in the same accommodating area are connected so that multiple installation positions b in the same accommodating area share a set of exhaust ports.

[0075] In this embodiment, each group of exhaust ports includes two exhaust ports to increase the exhaust flow rate. In other embodiments, each group of exhaust ports may also have one, three, or more exhaust ports.

[0076] To enable multiple pressure relief chambers within the same containment area to be connected, at least some of the crossbeams 3 and the bottom guard plate 11 are spaced apart, so that adjacent pressure relief chambers can be connected through the gap between the crossbeams 3 and the bottom guard plate 11.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the bottom protective plate 11 is provided with spaced-apart protrusions 111 and grooves 112, both extending along the length of the longitudinal beam 2, and the longitudinal beam 2 is fixed to the protrusions 111. By providing protrusions 111 and grooves 112 on the bottom protective plate 11, the strength of the bottom protective plate 11 can be improved; on the other hand, by installing the longitudinal beam 2 on the protrusions 111, complete contact between the longitudinal beam 2 and the protrusions 111 can be ensured, thereby separating the two receiving areas.

[0078] Furthermore, the battery module includes multiple rows of cell groups, each row comprising multiple cells 5 located on the same tray 4. Each row of cell groups is arranged along the length of the longitudinal beam 2, and the multiple rows are arranged along the length of the transverse beam 3. The combination of the protruding ridge 111 and the recessed groove 112 ensures that each cell 5 in each row of cell groups has the same venting position, although the venting positions of different cell groups may differ. For example, the venting position of some cell groups may be directly opposite the protruding ridge 111, the venting position of some cell groups may be directly opposite the recessed groove 112, and the venting position of some cell groups may be located at the intersection of the protruding ridge 111 and the recessed groove 112. This results in different venting heights for different cell groups, allowing the gas to disperse within the pressure relief chamber. The venting of each row of cell groups is relatively independent, improving the safety factor of the battery module.

[0079] Furthermore, the crossbeam 3 abuts against the protruding ridge 111. By abutting the crossbeam 3 against the protruding ridge 111, the crossbeam 3 and the groove 112 are spaced apart, ensuring that the crossbeam 3 and the bottom guard plate 11 are in partial contact, so as to connect the pressure relief chambers in the same receiving area.

[0080] In this embodiment, by setting up independent pressure relief receiving areas and grooves 112 and protrusions 111 extending along the length of the longitudinal beam 2, each receiving area can achieve individual pressure relief and directional pressure relief, which can ensure that the gas generated by thermal runaway can be quickly discharged from the box 1, reduce the exhaust pressure of each receiving area, and make the exhaust pressure of each receiving area not higher than 15 kPa. Based on the same number of battery cells 5 and the same box 1 volume, the battery module provided in this embodiment can further improve the safety factor.

[0081] Furthermore, combined Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the exhaust port is located at one or both ends of the housing 1 along the length of the longitudinal beam 2, allowing the gas in the pressure relief chamber to flow along the length of the longitudinal beam 2 and be discharged through the exhaust port. Specifically, the exhaust port is located on the front side plate 12. Because the groove 112 extends along the length of the longitudinal beam 2, the groove 112 guides the airflow, facilitating the gas flow to the exhaust port for discharge. This ensures that in the event of thermal runaway of the battery cell 5, the gas and ejected material generated inside the battery cell 5 can be quickly discharged through the exhaust port along the groove 112, improving the safety of the battery module and preventing thermal runaway of the entire battery module's battery cell 5.

[0082] Furthermore, to ensure complete contact between the protruding rib 111 and the longitudinal beam 2, one of the protruding ribs 111 is provided with a mounting surface, which fits against the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam 2, and the longitudinal beam 2 is fixed to the mounting surface. The mounting surface has the same shape as the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam 2 to ensure complete contact between them.

[0083] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam 2 is a plane, and correspondingly, the mounting surface is a plane.

[0084] To make the installation position of the longitudinal beam 2 more flexible, each protrusion 111 refers to a mounting surface, and the longitudinal beam 2 can be installed on any protrusion 111 according to actual needs.

[0085] Furthermore, a first sealing element is provided between the longitudinal beam 2 and the mounting surface. The first sealing element is clamped between the longitudinal beam 2 and the mounting surface, which can seal the gap between the longitudinal beam 2 and the mounting surface, thereby improving the sealing effect between the longitudinal beam 2 and the mounting surface.

[0086] Optionally, the first seal extends along the length of the longitudinal beam 2 to improve the sealing effect between the longitudinal beam 2 and the mounting surface.

[0087] Optionally, the longitudinal beam 2 and the transverse beam 3 can be fixed to the bottom guard plate 11 by fasteners such as bolts, or by welding, snap-fitting or bonding.

[0088] To prevent the tray 4 from deforming in the middle due to the gravity of the battery cell 5, thus affecting the normal exhaust of the pressure relief chamber, combined with Figures 4-6As shown, the bottom surface of the pallet 4 is fixed to the bottom guard plate 11 by the pallet fixing bolts 91. The pallet fixing bolts 91 can further fix the pallet 4 to the box body 1, and also support the pallet 4 to prevent the pallet 4 from deforming.

[0089] Specifically, the tray fixing bolt 91 passes through the bottom of the bottom guard plate 11 and is fixed to the tray 4 to avoid the tray fixing bolt 91 affecting the arrangement of multiple cells 5 on the tray 4.

[0090] To ensure the effective fixing of the tray fixing bolt 91 to the tray 4, a fixing boss 42 is provided on the back of the tray 4. The fixing boss 42 has a threaded hole, and the bottom protective plate 11 has a connecting hole 41. The tray fixing bolt 91 passes through the connecting hole 41 and engages with the threaded hole. By providing the fixing boss 42, the thickness of the tray 4 can be locally increased to ensure the depth of the threaded hole, thereby increasing the helical engagement depth between the tray fixing bolt 91 and the tray 4, and thus improving the fixing effect of the tray fixing bolt 91 and the tray 4, as well as the support stability of the tray 4.

[0091] To prevent the pressure relief chamber from venting outwards through the connecting hole 41, a second sealing element 92 is provided between the fixed boss 42 and the bottom guard plate 11 to seal the connecting hole 41. In addition, the second sealing element 92 can also prevent excessive compression between the fixed boss 42 and the bottom guard plate 11, which is beneficial to protecting the tray 4 and the bottom guard plate 11.

[0092] Optionally, the second seal 92 is fitted over the fixed boss 42 and elastically abuts against the bottom cover plate 11. This arrangement is more compact, and the fixed boss 42 can position the second seal 92.

[0093] Furthermore, the connecting hole 41 is provided on the protruding ridge 111, that is, the tray fixing bolt 91 fixes the bottom guard plate 11 and the protruding ridge 111. This arrangement can reduce the distance between the bottom guard plate 11 and the tray 4, which is beneficial to reduce the height of the fixing boss 42, thereby reducing costs and improving the strength of the connection between the bottom guard plate 11 and the tray 4.

[0094] Because electrical components also need to be installed in the battery module, in order to provide space for installing these components, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the second crossbeam 32 and the front side plate 12 are spaced apart, and a sealing plate 6 is provided between the second crossbeam 32 and the front side plate 12. The sealing plate 6 is used to install electrical components. The sealing plate 6 and the bottom protective plate 11 are spaced apart to form an exhaust channel, and the receiving area on each side is connected to the exhaust port on the front side plate 12 through the exhaust channel.

[0095] To facilitate the installation of the sealing plate 6, both the front side plate 12 and the second crossbeam 32 are provided with supporting bosses. The opposite side edges of the sealing plate 6 overlap the supporting bosses to fix the sealing plate 6. The supporting boss on the front side plate 12 is defined as the side plate supporting boss 121, and the side plate supporting boss 121 is located on the side of the front side plate 12 facing the second crossbeam 32; the supporting boss on the second crossbeam 32 is defined as the crossbeam supporting boss 321, and the crossbeam supporting boss 321 is located on the side of the second crossbeam 32 facing the front side plate 12.

[0096] Optionally, the sealing plate 6 can be fixed to the bottom guard plate 11 by sealing plate fixing bolts. The structure and fixing method of the sealing plate fixing bolts can be referred to the tray fixing bolts 91, which will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0097] Optionally, a third seal is provided between the sealing plate 6 and the crossbeam support boss 321, and between the sealing plate 6 and the side plate support boss 121, to prevent the gas discharged during thermal runaway of the battery cell from contacting the electrical components on the sealing plate 6.

[0098] In other embodiments, the sealing plate 6 can be fixed to the side plate support boss 121 and the crossbeam support boss 321 by means of bonding, snap-fitting, etc.

[0099] like Figure 7 As shown, the front panel 12 has a hollow structure and is connected to the pressure relief channel. Gas enters the front panel 12 through the pressure relief channel and is then discharged through the exhaust port. Multiple partitions 122 are provided within the first cavity, dividing it into multiple sub-cavities. The exhaust port is connected to the pressure relief channel through one of these sub-cavities. By using partitions 122, gas can be prevented from entering other sub-cavities, facilitating directional exhaust, increasing the exhaust speed, and improving the safety performance of the battery module.

[0100] In this embodiment, a pressure relief valve 7 is provided at the exhaust port. The pressure relief valve 7 can automatically open when the exhaust pressure reaches a preset value, so that the exhaust port can automatically release air when exhaust is needed and close when exhaust is not needed. It should be noted that the pressure relief valve 7 can adopt any structure in the prior art.

[0101] Optionally, both the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2 have a second cavity along their length, and the second cavity contains intersecting stiffening ribs. By making the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2 hollow, the weight of the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2 can be reduced; by adding stiffening ribs, the strength of the crossbeam 3 and the longitudinal beam 2 can be improved.

[0102] This embodiment also provides an electric vehicle, including the aforementioned battery module. By using this battery module, the electric vehicle can prevent thermal runaway of one battery cell 5 from spreading to other cells 5, thus avoiding thermal runaway of the entire battery module.

[0103] Furthermore, the housing 1 in the battery module can be formed on the electric vehicle to reduce the number of parts.

[0104] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that, include: The housing (1) is equipped with an exhaust port; The longitudinal beam (2) is disposed inside the box (1) and abuts against the bottom surface of the box (1) to separate the receiving area located on both sides of the longitudinal beam (2) in the width direction inside the box (1); A tray (4) is provided in the receiving area for installing a battery cell (5). The tray (4) is provided with a through hole (41) facing one end of the battery cell (5). The bottom surfaces of the tray (4) and the housing (1) are spaced apart to form a pressure relief chamber. The through hole (41) and the exhaust port are both connected to the pressure relief chamber. A crossbeam (3) is provided in the accommodating area. The crossbeam (3) is set at an angle to the longitudinal beam (2). The crossbeam (3), the longitudinal beam (2) and the inner wall of the box (1) form a positioning groove. The tray (4) is placed in the positioning groove. The box body (1) includes a bottom guard plate (11), on which are provided protruding ribs (111) and grooves (112) spaced apart. The protruding ribs (111) and the grooves (112) extend along the length direction of the longitudinal beam (2), and the longitudinal beam (2) is fixed on the protruding ribs (111). The crossbeam (3) abuts against the protruding rib (111); At least one of the plurality of protrusions (111) has a mounting surface that fits against the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam (2), and the longitudinal beam (2) is fixed to the mounting surface.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least a portion of the crossbeam (3) is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the box (1) to connect two adjacent positioning slots.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first sealing element is provided between the longitudinal beam (2) and the mounting surface.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tray (4) and the bottom guard plate (11) are fixed by tray fixing bolts (91).

5. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The tray fixing bolt (91) connects the protrusion (111) and the tray (4).

6. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The back of the tray (4) is provided with a fixed boss (42), and the fixed boss (42) is provided with a threaded hole. The tray fixing bolt (91) passes through the bottom guard plate (11) and is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, characterized in that, A second sealing element (92) is provided between the fixed boss (42) and the bottom guard plate (11).

8. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second sealing element (92) is sleeved on the fixed boss (42) and elastically abuts against the bottom guard plate (11).

9. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (1) includes a bottom guard plate (11), each side of the bottom guard plate (11) is connected to a side plate, the side plate parallel to the crossbeam (3) is the front side plate (12), the exhaust port is provided on the front side plate (12), the crossbeam (3) adjacent to the front side plate (12) is the second crossbeam (32), a sealing plate (6) is provided between the front side plate (12) and the second crossbeam (32), the sealing plate (6) and the bottom guard plate (11) are spaced apart to form an exhaust channel, the exhaust channel is connected to the exhaust port and the pressure relief chamber respectively, and the sealing plate (6) is used to install electrical components.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, characterized in that, Both the front side plate (12) and the second crossbeam (32) are provided with supporting bosses, and the sealing plate (6) overlaps the supporting bosses.

11. The battery module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The front side plate (12) is provided with a first cavity, and a plurality of partitions (122) are provided in the first cavity. The partitions (122) divide the first cavity into a plurality of sub-cavities. The exhaust port on the front side plate (12) is connected to the exhaust channel through one of the sub-cavities.

12. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (1) is provided with an exhaust port for each of the accommodating areas, and the exhaust port is connected to the pressure relief chamber in the corresponding accommodating area.

13. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust port is located at one or both ends of the housing (1) along the length of the longitudinal beam (2).

14. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, A pressure relief valve (7) is installed inside the exhaust port.

15. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, An explosion-proof valve is provided at one end of the battery cell (5). The explosion-proof valve is directly opposite the through hole (41). The projection of the explosion-proof valve along the height direction of the battery cell (5) is located inside the through hole (41).

16. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The battery module also includes a reinforcing block (8), which is disposed in the positioning groove and located at the corner. The reinforcing block (8) abuts or connects to the two side walls adjacent to the positioning groove.

17. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, Both the crossbeam (3) and the longitudinal beam (2) have a second cavity along their own length direction, and the second cavity is provided with intersecting stiffeners.

18. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The positioning groove is a stepped groove, including an upper groove and a lower groove that are connected, and the connection between the upper groove and the lower groove forms a stepped support surface. The tray (4) includes a tray body and a fixed flange arranged around the tray body. The tray body is located in the lower groove, and the fixed flange overlaps the step support surface.

19. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The positioning groove is provided with a first mounting surface surrounding the periphery of the tray (4), the tray (4) has a second mounting surface, the second mounting surface abuts against the first mounting surface, and the flatness of the second mounting surface and the first mounting surface is not greater than 0.5mm.

20. An electric vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the battery module as described in any one of claims 1-19.

21. The electric vehicle according to claim 20, characterized in that, The housing (1) is formed on the electric vehicle.

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