A pipe joint assembly and a battery pack thermal management system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of energy storage battery, especially a pipe joint assembly and battery pack heat management system, battery pack heat management system includes battery pack shell and pipe joint assembly, pipe joint assembly includes: pipe joint, contains flange portion, first outer joint part and second outer joint part and first inner joint part and second inner joint part, and sealing washer, be located in the sealing groove of flange portion inboard surface. The utility model's flange portion, first outer joint part, second outer joint part, first inner joint part and second inner joint part are all through injection moulding integrally formed, it has the advantages that convenient installation and small installation area, sealing washer is clamped in the sealing groove through interference fit with anti -skid boss simultaneously, thereby prevent its falling off phenomenon in the transportation process or assembly, guarantee the convenience of user's use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of energy storage battery technology, specifically referring to a pipe connector assembly and a battery pack thermal management system. Background Technology

[0002] The battery packs of new energy vehicles require a thermal management system to control their temperature. This typically involves installing two sets of pipe fitting assemblies on the battery pack's outer casing to connect the internal circulation piping to the external circulation piping. One set of fittings is for water inlet, and the other for water outlet. Each set needs to be installed separately on the outer casing, making installation cumbersome, requiring a large installation area, taking up considerable space, and affecting the layout of piping and other components.

[0003] In addition, pipe fitting assemblies have certain sealing requirements. For example, patent number CN220037781U discloses a planar sealed water pipe fitting for a liquid-cooled battery pack, which includes a sealing connecting flange, an outer fitting, and an inner fitting. The sealing connecting flange is located between the outer fitting and the inner fitting, and has two positioning connecting holes. A sealing gasket is provided on the surface of the sealing connecting flange near the outer fitting, and the sealing gasket surrounds the two positioning connecting holes. A nested nut is provided in the positioning connecting holes. This planar sealed water pipe fitting is generally manufactured by upstream manufacturers and transported to downstream battery manufacturers. During transportation, the sealing gasket is easily detached. Reinstallation by the downstream battery manufacturer may result in the sealing gasket being installed backwards, affecting the sealing effect and assembly efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and easy-to-install pipe connector assembly and a battery pack thermal management system.

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows:

[0006] A pipe fitting assembly includes: a pipe fitting comprising a flange portion, a first outer fitting portion and a second outer fitting portion formed on the outer side of the flange portion, and a first inner fitting portion and a second inner fitting portion formed on the inner side of the flange portion, wherein a first channel is provided between the first outer fitting portion and the first inner fitting portion, and a second channel is provided between the second outer fitting portion and the second inner fitting portion; and a sealing gasket disposed on the outer periphery of the first inner fitting portion and / or the second inner fitting portion, and located in a sealing groove on the inner side of the flange portion; wherein the sealing gasket has an annular sealing body and a plurality of anti-slip protrusions disposed on the inner wall and / or outer wall of the annular sealing body, and the sealing gasket is secured in the sealing groove by the anti-slip protrusions.

[0007] The present invention further includes a sealing groove formed by an inner ring wall and an outer ring wall, wherein the inner ring wall and / or the outer ring wall are inclined, such that the opening size of the sealing groove is larger than the bottom size of the sealing groove.

[0008] The present invention further includes an annular sealing body end that extends out of the sealing groove away from the bottom of the sealing groove; and an annular rib extending from the end face of the annular sealing body near the bottom of the sealing groove.

[0009] The present invention is further provided that the flange portion, the first outer connector portion, the second outer connector portion, the first inner connector portion and the second inner connector portion are all integrally formed by injection molding.

[0010] The present invention further includes a plurality of bushings embedded around the flange portion, the outer side wall of the bushings having an anti-detachment groove, and the flange portion having an embedded protrusion adapted to the anti-detachment groove.

[0011] The present invention further includes a flange portion having four bushings, namely a left bushing, a right bushing, an upper bushing, and a lower bushing. The left bushing, the first channel, the second channel, and the right bushing are arranged sequentially on the same straight line. The upper bushing and the lower bushing are located between the first channel and the second channel and are symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the straight line.

[0012] The present invention further includes a plurality of reinforcing grooves on the inner side of the flange.

[0013] The present invention is further provided that the first outer connector, the second outer connector, the first inner connector, and the second inner connector are all male connectors.

[0014] A battery pack thermal management system includes: a battery pack shell having at least one inner connector mounting hole and multiple fixing holes; a pipe connector assembly, further comprising a first inner connector portion and a second inner connector portion entering the inner cavity of the battery pack shell through the inner connector mounting hole, and a sealing gasket abutting against the battery pack shell and located on the outer periphery of the inner connector mounting hole; multiple fasteners, each passing through the flange portion of the pipe connector and correspondingly connected to the fixing holes; an inner circulation pipeline, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first inner connector portion and the second inner connector portion through the inner connector assembly; and an outer circulation pipeline, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first outer connector portion and the second outer connector portion through the outer connector assembly.

[0015] The present invention further includes a plurality of fixing sleeves with fixing holes riveted on the outer shell of the battery pack. The fixing sleeves are made of metal and have a flange at one end for fixing and limiting.

[0016] The outstanding and beneficial technical effects of this utility model compared to the prior art are:

[0017] 1. The flange, the first outer connector, the second outer connector, the first inner connector, and the second inner connector of this utility model are all integrally molded by injection molding, which has the advantages of convenient installation and small installation area.

[0018] 2. The sealing gasket of this utility model is clamped in the sealing groove by an interference fit through the anti-slip protrusion, thereby preventing it from falling off during transportation or assembly and ensuring the convenience of use for users.

[0019] 3. The annular rib of this utility model can remind users to install the sealing gasket correctly and can also increase its own strength.

[0020] 4. The outer wall of the bushing of this utility model is provided with an anti-detachment groove, and the flange is provided with an embedded protrusion that matches the anti-detachment groove, which is used to prevent the bushing from moving axially and increase the stability of the bushing.

[0021] 5. The present invention has a fixing sleeve with fixing holes riveted on the battery pack shell. The fixing sleeve is made of metal and has a flange for fixing and limiting at one end. This not only ensures the size requirements of the fixing hole, but also reduces the production cost. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the pipe connector assembly of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the pipe fitting assembly of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a partial sectional view of the flange part of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing gasket of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the local battery pack thermal management system of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the partial battery pack thermal management system of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 7 This is one of the exploded views of the partial battery pack thermal management system of this utility model.

[0029] Figure 8 This is the second exploded view of the partial battery pack thermal management system of this utility model.

[0030] The meaning of the labels in the diagram:

[0031] 1. Pipe fitting; 2. Sealing gasket; 3. Bushing; 4. Battery pack housing; 5. External connector assembly; 6. Internal connector assembly;

[0032] Flange portion 11; Embedded protrusion 111; Countersunk groove 112; First outer connector portion 12; Second slot 121; Second outer connector portion 13; First inner connector portion 14; Second inner connector portion 15; First channel 16; Second channel 17; Sealing groove 18; Inner ring wall 181; Outer ring wall 182; Reinforcing groove 19;

[0033] Annular sealing body 21; anti-slip protrusion 22; annular rib 23;

[0034] Left bushing 3A; Right bushing 3B; Upper bushing 3C; Lower bushing 3D; Anti-detachment groove 31;

[0035] Internal connector mounting hole 41; fixing sleeve 42; fixing hole 421;

[0036] External connector 51; first slot 511; positioning slot 512; limiting slot 513; retaining spring 52; lifting part 521; limiting part 522. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments:

[0038] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a pipe fitting assembly includes a pipe fitting 1 and a sealing gasket 2.

[0039] The pipe fitting 1 includes a flange portion 11, a first outer connector portion 12 and a second outer connector portion 13 formed on the outer side of the flange portion 11, and a first inner connector portion 14 and a second inner connector portion 15 formed on the inner side of the flange portion 11. The first outer connector portion 12 and the first inner connector portion 14 are coaxially arranged and a first channel 16 is provided between them. The second outer connector portion 13 and the second inner connector portion 15 are coaxially arranged and a second channel 17 is provided between them. In this embodiment, the flange portion 11, the first outer connector portion 12, the second outer connector portion 13, the first inner connector portion 14, and the second inner connector portion 15 are all integrally formed by injection molding, preferably plastic or rubber injection molding, which has the characteristics of high output, low price, and convenient installation.

[0040] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the inner side of the flange 11 is provided with at least one annular sealing groove 18, and a sealing gasket 2 is provided in the sealing groove 18. The sealing gasket 2 has an annular sealing body 21 and a plurality of anti-slip protrusions 22 provided on the inner wall and / or outer wall of the annular sealing body 21. In this embodiment, four anti-slip protrusions 22 are evenly arranged on the inner wall and outer wall of the annular sealing body 21 respectively. The sealing gasket 2 is clamped in the sealing groove 18 by the anti-slip protrusions 22 in an interference fit, thereby preventing it from falling off during transportation or assembly and ensuring the convenience of use by the user.

[0041] In this embodiment, all the anti-slip protrusions 22 are located within the sealing groove 18, thus obtaining a larger contact area. Simultaneously, the end of the annular sealing body 21, furthest from the bottom of the sealing groove 18, extends out of the sealing groove 18 to abut against the surface to be installed (i.e., the battery pack casing 4). The distance of its extension is determined based on the actual distance between it and the surface to be installed. Therefore, the two ends of the sealing gasket 2 in this embodiment are not necessarily symmetrical. To prevent reverse installation, an annular rib 23 extends from the end face of the annular sealing body 21 near the bottom of the sealing groove 18. The protrusion height of the annular rib 23 is 0.5mm. The annular rib 23 serves to remind the user to correctly install the sealing gasket and to increase its own strength.

[0042] Preferably, the sealing groove 18 is formed by an inner ring wall 181 and an outer ring wall 182. The inner ring wall 181 and / or the outer ring wall 182 are inclined, so that the opening size of the sealing groove 18 is larger than the bottom size of the sealing groove 18. This shape design of the sealing groove 18 facilitates demolding of the pipe joint 1 during molding and allows the sealing gasket 2 to be pressed tighter and tighter, further preventing the sealing gasket 2 from detaching from the sealing groove 18.

[0043] In this embodiment, there are two sealing grooves 18, which are located on the outer periphery of the first inner connector 14 and the second inner connector 15, respectively. Each sealing gasket 2 seals the gap near the corresponding first inner connector 14 and the second inner connector 15.

[0044] In another embodiment, a sealing groove 18 is provided on the outer periphery of the first inner connector portion 14 and the second inner connector portion 15, and a sealing gasket 2 together seals the gap near the first inner connector portion 14 and the second inner connector portion 15.

[0045] Preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, the flange 11 is hexagonal, and several bushings 3 are fitted around the flange 11. The bushings 3 are metal parts, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the outer side wall of the bushing 3 is provided with an anti-detachment groove 31, and the flange 11 is provided with an embedded protrusion 111 that is adapted to the anti-detachment groove 31 to prevent the bushing 3 from moving axially and increase the stability of the bushing 3.

[0046] In this embodiment, the flange 11 is provided with four bushings 3, namely left bushing 3A, right bushing 3B, upper bushing 3C and lower bushing 3D. The left bushing 3A, the first channel 16, the second channel 17 and the right bushing 3B are arranged sequentially on the same straight line. The upper bushing 3C and the lower bushing 3D are located between the first channel 16 and the second channel 17 and are symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the straight line, so that the left bushing 3A, the upper bushing 3C and the lower bushing 3D form a triangular fixing structure around the first channel 16, and the right bushing 3B, the upper bushing 3C and the lower bushing 3D form a triangular fixing structure around the second channel 17. At the same time, the sealing gasket 2 can be pressed tightly onto the surface to be installed (i.e. the battery pack shell 4), increasing the sealing reliability.

[0047] Preferably, the inner side of the flange portion 11 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing grooves 19, which are triangular or quadrilateral, preferably triangular, and distributed on the outer periphery of the sealing groove 18 to increase the strength of the flange portion 11 and prevent its deformation; at the same time, it achieves the effect of reducing weight and material.

[0048] Preferably, the first outer connector 12, the second outer connector 13, the first inner connector 14, and the second inner connector 15 are all male connectors, and the type of the male connector corresponds to the required type of female connector.

[0049] The pipe fitting assembly in this embodiment is mainly used in the battery pack thermal management system.

[0050] like Figure 5-8 As shown, the battery pack thermal management system also includes the battery pack housing 4, multiple fasteners (not shown in the figure), medium, internal circulation pipeline and external circulation pipeline.

[0051] The battery pack housing 4 has at least one internal connector mounting hole 41 and multiple fixing holes 421 corresponding to the number of bushings 3. In this embodiment, the battery pack housing 4 is provided with two internal connector mounting holes 41 and four fixing holes 421. The first internal connector portion 14 and the second internal connector portion 15 of the pipe connector assembly enter the inner cavity of the battery pack housing 4 through the internal connector mounting hole 41. At the same time, two sealing gaskets 2 abut against the battery pack housing 4 and are located on the outer periphery of the internal connector mounting hole 41. After installation, four fasteners (preferred bolts) pass through the bushings 3 in the flange portion 11 and are fixedly connected to the fixing holes 421.

[0052] In another embodiment, a sealing gasket 2 may be located around the two inner connector mounting holes 41 and provides a sealing connection between the flange 11 and the battery pack housing 4.

[0053] Preferably, such as Figure 6As shown, to reduce production costs, the battery pack outer shell 4, which houses the pipe fitting assembly, is made of U-shaped metal profile. The fixing hole 421 is preferably a threaded hole. However, directly machining a threaded hole on the battery pack outer shell 4 would result in insufficient thread length due to its thin wall thickness, failing to meet strength requirements. Therefore, a fixing sleeve 42 with the fixing hole 421 is riveted onto the battery pack outer shell 4. The fixing sleeve 42 is preferably a rivet nut, made of metal, with a flange 422 at one end for fixing and limiting. The flange 422 is located on the outside of the battery pack outer shell 4. The fixing sleeve 42 passes through the mounting hole of the battery pack outer shell 4 and enters the interior. After riveting, the middle of the fixing sleeve 42 deforms to form an inner limiting part, which is fixed together with the flange 422 on both sides of the mounting hole. This ensures the dimensional requirements of the fixing hole 421 while reducing production costs. To avoid the flange 422, a countersunk groove 112 is also provided on the inner side of the flange portion 11 where the bushing 3 is located.

[0054] The first inner connector 14 and the second inner connector 15 are respectively connected to the two ends of the inner circulation pipeline through the inner connector assembly 6. The inner circulation pipeline is used for heat exchange of the battery cells in the battery pack. The first outer connector 12 and the second outer connector 13 are respectively connected to the two ends of the outer circulation pipeline through the outer connector assembly 5. The outer circulation pipeline is also equipped with structures such as a water tank, a power pump, a heater, or a radiator for heating or cooling the medium.

[0055] In this embodiment, the external connector assembly 5 and the internal connector assembly 6 are quick-connect female connectors, generally of the VDA, SAE, CQC series, etc., which can be selected as needed.

[0056] The external connector assembly 5 includes an external connector 51, a sealing assembly, and a retaining spring 52. One end of the external connector 51 is a female interface end, and the other end is a pipeline connection end. In this embodiment, the pipeline connection end is a corrugated connection end, which is directly and fixedly connected to the external circulation pipeline. The outer wall of the female interface end is provided with a first retaining groove 511, and the outer side of the first external connector part 12 or the second external connector part 13 is provided with a second retaining groove 121. The sealing assembly is provided inside the female interface end. When it is fitted onto the first external connector part 12 or the second external connector part 13, the first retaining groove 511 and the second retaining groove 121 are aligned, and then fixed and limited by the retaining spring 52.

[0057] The snap ring 52 is U-shaped, with a lifting part 521 in the middle for easy disassembly and assembly, and the two ends are bent to form a limiting part 522; a limiting groove 513 is provided near the first snap groove 511 at the female interface end, and the limiting part 522 can prevent the snap ring 52 from falling off under the action of the limiting groove 513.

[0058] In addition, the external connector assembly 5 is generally not allowed to rotate. Therefore, a positioning groove 512 is also provided on the inner wall of the female interface end of the external connector 51. A positioning protrusion is correspondingly provided on the first external connector part 12 or the second external connector part 13. The positioning protrusion cooperates with the positioning groove 512 to realize the axial positioning of the external connector assembly 5 and the first external connector part 12 / second external connector part 13.

[0059] In this embodiment, the structure of the inner connector assembly 6 is similar to that of the outer connector assembly 5, so it will not be described in detail.

[0060] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of the present utility model should be covered within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A pipe joint assembly, characterized by include: A pipe fitting (1) includes a flange (11), a first outer fitting portion (12) and a second outer fitting portion (13) formed on the outer side of the flange (11), and a first inner fitting portion (14) and a second inner fitting portion (15) formed on the inner side of the flange (11). A first channel (16) is provided between the first outer fitting portion (12) and the first inner fitting portion (14), and a second channel (17) is provided between the second outer fitting portion (13) and the second inner fitting portion (15). A sealing gasket (2) is disposed on the outer periphery of the first inner joint portion (14) or / and the second inner joint portion (15) and located in the sealing groove (18) on the inner side of the flange portion (11); The sealing gasket (2) has an annular sealing body (21) and a plurality of anti-slip protrusions (22) disposed on the inner wall or / outer wall of the annular sealing body (21). The sealing gasket (2) is clamped in the sealing groove (18) by the anti-slip protrusions (22).

2. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing groove (18) is formed by an inner ring wall (181) and an outer ring wall (182). The inner ring wall (181) and / or the outer ring wall (182) are inclined, such that the opening size of the sealing groove (18) is larger than the bottom size of the sealing groove (18).

3. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the annular sealing body (21) that is away from the bottom of the sealing groove (18) extends out of the sealing groove (18); An annular rib (23) extends from the end face of the annular sealing body (21) near the bottom of the sealing groove (18).

4. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flange (11), the first outer connector (12), the second outer connector (13), the first inner connector (14), and the second inner connector (15) are all integrally formed by injection molding.

5. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flange (11) is fitted with several bushings (3) around its perimeter. The outer side wall of the bushing (3) is provided with an anti-detachment groove (31). The flange (11) is provided with an embedded protrusion (111) that is adapted to the anti-detachment groove (31).

6. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flange (11) is provided with four bushings (3), which are divided into a left bushing (3A), a right bushing (3B), an upper bushing (3C) and a lower bushing (3D). The left bushing (3A), the first channel (16), the second channel (17) and the right bushing (3B) are arranged in sequence on the same straight line. The upper bushing (3C) and the lower bushing (3D) are located between the first channel (16) and the second channel (17) and are symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the straight line.

7. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner side of the flange (11) is provided with several reinforcing grooves (19).

8. A pipe fitting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first external connector (12), the second external connector (13), the first internal connector (14), and the second internal connector (15) are all male connectors.

9. A battery pack thermal management system, characterized in that, include: The battery pack housing (4) has at least one internal connector mounting hole (41) and multiple fixing holes (421); The pipe fitting assembly is the pipe fitting assembly according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the first inner fitting portion (14) and the second inner fitting portion (15) enter the inner cavity of the battery pack housing (4) through the inner fitting mounting hole (41), and the sealing gasket (2) abuts against the battery pack housing (4) and is located on the outer periphery of the inner fitting mounting hole (41); Multiple fasteners pass through the flange portion (11) of the pipe joint (1) and are connected to the fixing hole (421); The internal circulation pipeline has its two ends connected to the first internal connector (14) and the second internal connector (15) respectively via an internal connector assembly (6); and The external circulation pipeline has its two ends connected to the first external connector (12) and the second external connector (13) respectively through the external connector assembly (5).

10. A battery pack thermal management system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The battery pack outer shell (4) is riveted with a number of fixing sleeves (42) with fixing holes (421). The fixing sleeves (42) are made of metal and have a flange (422) for fixing and limiting at one end.

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