BATTERY PACK

Abstract

The present invention relates to the provision of a battery pack capable of detecting immersion of the battery case with a simple configuration. The solution of the present invention is to provide a battery case (2), including an upper case (8) and a lower case (9) formed from a conductive material and exposed to the external surface, and an insulating member (12) that isolates the upper case (8) and the lower case (9), which is provided between the upper case (8) and the lower case (9). A first contact (4) that is electrically connected to the upper case (8), a second contact (5) that is electrically connected to the lower case (9), and an immersion detection circuit (6) that detects an electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) due to immersion of the upper case (8) and the lower case (9) are provided in the battery case (2). The battery case (2) comprises an upper case (8) that serves as a first conductive member and a lower case (9) that serves as a second conductive member.These containers are combined with each other to form a closed space that houses the high-voltage battery (3). An insulating member (12) is provided at the connection between the upper container (8) and the lower container (9).

Description

BATTERY PACK Invention Engineering Field The invention relates to battery packaging. Background of the Invention JP 2019-40700 A describes a battery pack including a housing that houses a battery and a control unit and an immersion sensor that detects a liquid. The battery pack housing described in JP 2019-40700 A includes a bottom wall and an annular side wall formed from the bottom wall, an accommodation chamber formed by the bottom wall and the side wall so that liquid can flow into it, a battery and a control unit are provided in the accommodation chamber, and at least a portion of the immersion sensor that detects the immersion of the battery pack is disposed outside the accommodation chamber. In this manner, in the battery pack described in JP 2019-40700 A, the immersion sensor is provided outside the battery pack. [Prior Art] [Patent Literature] [Patent Literature 1] JP 2019-40700 A Brief Description of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the Invention] However, in the technique described in JP 2019-40700 A, because the immersion sensor is provided outside the battery pack, installation space is required to provide the immersion sensor outside the battery pack. This creates a problem due to the complicated configuration. This invention has been created considering the problems described above and the object of this invention is to provide a battery capable of detecting immersion of the battery frame with a simple configuration. [Means to solve problems] According to aspects of the present invention, a battery pack is provided including: a battery; and a battery frame housing the battery, wherein the battery frame includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion formed from a conductive material and exposed to an external surface, wherein an insulating portion that isolates the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is provided between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, and wherein a first contact is electrically connected to the first conductive portion, a second contact is electrically connected to the second conductive portion, and an immersion detection circuit that detects an electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact caused by immersion of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is provided within the battery frame. [Effects of the Invention] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack capable of detecting immersion of the battery frame with a simple configuration. Short Description of Image Fig. 1 is a side view of a battery pack according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a front view of a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Complete Description of the Invention A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a battery; and a battery frame housing the battery, wherein the battery frame includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion formed from a conductive material and exposed to an external surface, wherein an insulating portion that isolates the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is provided between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion, and wherein a first contact is electrically connected to the first conductive portion, a second contact is electrically connected to the second conductive portion, and an immersion detection circuit that detects the electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact caused by the immersion of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion is provided within the battery frame. Thus, the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention can detect the immersion of the battery frame with a simple configuration. [Embodiment] [First Incarnation] A vehicle battery pack according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a view showing a battery pack according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the battery pack (1) includes a high-voltage battery (3) and a battery box (2) housing the high-voltage battery (3). The battery pack (1) is configured as an in-vehicle battery pack installed in a vehicle such as an automobile (not shown), and supplies electrical power to a drive motor provided in the vehicle through an inverter or the like. A high-voltage battery (3) includes a plurality of battery cells (3A), a relay (3B) that switches the connection of the plurality of battery cells (3A), and a lead wire (3C) that connects the battery cells (3A) and the relay (3B) and is drawn out of the battery box (2). The high-voltage battery (3) generates a high voltage by connecting a plurality of battery cells (3A) in series with a lead wire (3C). The high-voltage battery (3) is the battery of the present invention. The battery frame (2) includes an upper frame (8) and a lower frame (9) joined together to form a sealed chamber housing the high-voltage battery (3). The upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) constitute a frame body (7) housing the high-voltage battery (3). The upper frame (8) constitutes the first frame and the first conductive member of the present invention and the lower frame (9) constitutes the second frame and the second conductive member of the present invention. The upper frame (8) and lower frame (9) are formed from a conductive material and are exposed to the outer surface. As a conductive material, for example, a metal such as iron can be used. In addition, the outer surface of the upper frame (8) and lower frame (9) can be coated with a non-conductive material if at least a portion of the upper frame (8) and at least a portion of the lower frame (9) are exposed to the outer surface. An insulating member (12) for electrically isolating the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) is provided at the connection between the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9). Furthermore, a sealing member (11) is provided between the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) for bonding the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) with the fluid. A first contact (4) electrically connected to the upper frame (8) and a second contact (5) electrically connected to the lower frame (9) are provided in the battery frame (2). In this embodiment, the first contact (4) is connected to an inner wall surface (lower surface) of the upper frame (8) and the second contact (5) is connected to an inner wall surface of the lower frame (9) on the front side. The immersion detection circuit (6) is provided in the battery frame (2). The immersion detection circuit (6) is electrically connected to the first contact (4) via a lead wire (4A) and electrically connected to the second contact (5) via a lead wire (5A). The immersion detection circuit (6) detects the electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by the immersion of the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9). In a battery pack (1) with such a configuration, when the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) formed of conductive material are immersed, the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) are electrically connected to each other through water to have the same potential and the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) are also electrically connected to each other to have the same potential. Therefore, the immersion detection circuit (6) can determine that the battery frame (2) has been immersed under the condition that the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) are electrically connected. As described above, in this embodiment, a battery frame (2) includes an upper frame (8) and a lower frame (9) formed from a conductive material and exposed to the outer surface and an insulating member (12) that isolates the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) provided between the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9). Further, a first contact (4) that is electrically connected to the upper frame (8), a second contact (5) that is electrically connected to the lower frame (9), and an immersion detection circuit (6) that detects an electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by immersion of the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) are provided within the battery frame (2). Thus, it is possible to detect the immersion of the battery frame (2) without providing an immersion sensor outside the battery frame (2) by detecting the electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by the immersion of the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) of the battery frame (2). As a result, the immersion of the battery frame (2) can be detected with a simple configuration. Further, in this embodiment, the battery frame (2) includes an upper frame (8) which is a first conductive member and a lower frame (9) which is a second conductive member and these frames are combined with each other to form a sealed chamber that houses the high-voltage battery (3). Then, an insulating member (12) is provided at the connection between the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9). Thus, the first conductive part and the second conductive part can be configured respectively by using the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) generally provided in the battery frame (2). Therefore, it is possible to detect the immersion of the battery frame (2) with a simple configuration. [Second incarnation] The vehicle battery pack according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 2 and 3 are views showing the battery pack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same parts as in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numbers as in the first embodiment. In Fig. 2 and 3, the battery pack (1A) includes a high-voltage battery (3) and a battery box (2A) that houses the high-voltage battery (3). The battery frame (2A) includes an upper frame (8) and a lower frame (9) which are joined together to form a sealed chamber that houses the high-voltage battery (3). The upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9) constitute the frame body (7) that houses the high-voltage battery (3). The battery frame (2A) includes a vent (21) that is opened to the wall surface of the frame body (7) and adjusts the pressure inside the frame body (7) and a filter member (22) provided in the vent (21) and prevents dust from entering the frame body (7) from the vent (21). The filter member (22) is the first conductive member of the present invention and the frame body (7) is the second conductive member of the present invention. The filter member (22) is the first conductive member of the present invention and the frame body (7) is the second conductive member of the present invention. The filter member (22) and the frame body (7) are formed from a conductive material and are exposed to the outer surface. A sealing member (11) is provided at the joint between the upper frame (8) and the lower frame (9). The vent (21) has a square shape and is disposed on the wall surface of the lower frame (9) of the frame body (7) on the front side. The filter member (22) is made of a mesh filter in which fine wires of a metal such as iron are formed in the form of a mesh. In addition, in this embodiment, the vent (21) and the filter member (22) are provided on the lower wall surface of the frame (9) in the frame body (7), but the vent (21) and the filter member (22) may be provided on the wall surface of the upper frame (8) instead of the lower frame (9). An insulating member (23) that electrically isolates the filter member (22) and the frame body (7) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7). A first contact (4) electrically connected to the filter member (22) and a second contact (5) electrically connected to the frame body (7) are provided inside the battery frame (2A). In this embodiment, the first contact (4) is connected to an edge portion of the filter member (22) and the second contact (5) is connected to an inner wall surface of the frame (9) that is lower than the frame body (7) on the front side. The immersion detection circuit (6) is provided in the battery frame (2A). The immersion detection circuit (6) is electrically connected to the first contact (4) via a lead wire (4A) and electrically connected to the second contact (5) via a lead wire (5A). The immersion detection circuit (6) detects the electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by the immersion of the filter part (22) and the frame body (7). In a battery pack (1A) with such a configuration, when the filter portion (22) and the frame body (7) formed of conductive material are immersed, the filter portion (22) and the frame body (7) are electrically connected to each other through water to have the same potential and the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) are also electrically connected to each other to have the same potential. Therefore, the immersion detection circuit (6) can determine that the battery frame (2A) has been immersed under the condition that the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) are electrically connected. In addition, it is preferred that a partition wall (25) shown by the dashed line in FIGS. 2 and 3 be provided inside the frame body (7) to prevent water from entering through the vent (21). The partition wall (25) is positioned inside the vent (21) in the frame body (7) and is shaped in a U-shape in plan view or an L-shape in side view. The partition wall (25) is positioned inside the vent (21) in the frame body (7) and is shaped in a U-shape in plan view or an L-shape in side view. The partition wall (25) covers the bottom surface and side surface of the inner space of the vent (21) and the filter portion (22). Thus, the air inside the frame body (7) passes over the partition wall (25) to reach the vent (21) and exits to the outside as shown by arrow A (see FIG. 2).On the other hand, air that has entered from outside the frame body (7) through the vents (21) can enter further inside while passing above the partition wall (25). As described above, in this embodiment, a battery frame (2A) includes a filter member (22) and a frame body (7) formed from a conductive material and exposed to the outer surface and an insulating member (23) that isolates the filter member (22) and the frame body (7) is provided between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7). Then, a first contact (4) is electrically connected to the filter member (22), a second contact (5) is electrically connected to the frame body (7), and an immersion detection circuit (6) detects an electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) that detects an electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5).Then, the first contact (4) is electrically connected to the filter part (22), the second contact (5) is electrically connected to the frame body (7), and the immersion detection circuit (6) detects the electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by the immersion of the filter part (22) and the frame body (7) provided in the battery frame (2A). Thus, it is possible to detect the immersion of the battery (1A) without providing an immersion sensor outside the battery frame (2A) by detecting the electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by the immersion of the frame body (7) and the filter part (22) of the battery frame (2A). As a result, it is possible to detect the immersion of the battery frame (2A) with a simple configuration. Further, in this embodiment, the battery frame (2A) includes a frame body (7) which is a second conductive member that houses a high-voltage battery (3), a vent (21) that is opened to the wall surface of the frame body (7) and adjusts the pressure inside the frame body (7), and a filter member (22) that is provided at the vent (21) and is a first conductive member that prevents dust from entering the frame body (7) from the vent (21). Then, an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7). Then, an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7) of the vent (21). Then, an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7) of the vent (21). Then, an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7) of the vent (21). Then, an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7). Therefore, the first conductive part and the second conductive part can be configured respectively by using the frame body (7) and the vent (21) which are parts generally provided in the battery frame (2A). Therefore, it is possible to detect the immersion of the battery frame (2A) with a simple configuration. While embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is clear that any craftsman may make modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is intended that any and all such modifications and equivalents are involved in the appended claims. DESCRIPTION REFERENCE FIGURES (1, 1A).. Battery, (2, 2A).. Battery frame, (3).. High voltage battery (battery), (4).. First contact, (5).. Second contact, (6).. Immersion detection circuit, (7).. Body frame (second conductive part), (8).. Upper frame (first conductive part, first frame), (9).. Lower frame (second conductive part, second frame), (12, 23).. Insulation section, (21).. Ventilation, (22).. Filter section (first conductive section)

Claims

1. A battery pack (1, 1A) consisting of: batteries (3); and a battery frame (2, 2A) housing a battery (3), wherein the battery frame (2, 2A) includes a first conductive portion (8, 22) and a second conductive portion (7, 9) formed from a conductive material and exposed to an external surface, wherein an insulating portion (12, 23) that isolates the first conductive portion (8, 22) and the second conductive portion (7, 9) is provided between the first conductive portion (8, 22) and the second conductive portion (7, 9), and wherein a first contact (4) is electrically connected to the first conductive portion (8, 22), a second contact (5) is electrically connected to the second conductive portion (7, 9), and an immersion detection circuit (6) detects an electrical connection between the first contact (4) and the second contact (5) caused by immersion of the first conductive portion (8, 22) and the second conductive portion (7, 9) provided within the battery frame (2, 2A).

2. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery frame (2, 2A) includes a first frame (8) and a second frame (9) joined to each other to form a sealed chamber housing the battery (3), wherein the first frame (8) is a first conductive member, wherein the second frame (9) is a second conductive member, and wherein an insulating member (12) is provided at the connection between the first frame (8) and the second frame (9).

3. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery frame (2, 2A) includes a frame body (7) housing a battery (3), a vent (21) that is opened to a wall surface of the frame body (7) and adjusts 5 the pressure inside the frame body (7), and a filter member (22) provided at the vent (21) and prevents dust from entering the frame body (7) from the vent (21), wherein the filter member (22) is a first conductive member, 10 wherein the frame body (7) is a second conductive member, and wherein an insulating member (23) is provided at the connection between the filter member (22) and the frame body (7).

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