Battery structure and battery module

Abstract

A battery structure includes two battery modules and a conductive elastic element. The two battery modules are stacked on top of each other. Each battery module includes a base, a plurality of battery cells, a first support, a second support, a first conductive plate, and a second conductive plate. The plurality of battery cells are disposed in the base. The first support houses one end of each battery cell. The second support houses the other end of each battery cell. The first conductive plate is disposed on the first support and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The second conductive plate is disposed on the second support and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The conductive elastic element is disposed between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate of the two battery modules and contacts the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate of the two battery modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery structure and a battery module, and in particular to a battery structure and a battery module equipped with a conductive elastic member to achieve electrical connection between two battery modules. Prior Art

[0002] A cell-to-pack (CTP) battery design is a manufacturing process for creating lithium-ion battery packs by integrating individual cells directly into a battery pack, rather than using a modular configuration. A battery pack can consist of multiple CTP battery modules assembled together to provide the desired voltage and capacity. However, CTP battery modules require additional components for electrical connections, making the assembly process complex and time-consuming, and the additional components increase costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a battery structure and a battery module equipped with a conductive elastic member to achieve electrical connection between two battery modules, so as to solve the above problems.

[0004] According to one embodiment, the battery structure of the present invention includes two battery modules and a conductive elastic member. The two battery modules are stacked one on top of the other. Each battery module includes a base, a plurality of battery cells, a first bracket, a second bracket, a first conductive plate, and a second conductive plate. The plurality of battery cells are disposed in the base. The first bracket accommodates one end of each battery cell. The second bracket accommodates the other end of each battery cell. The first conductive plate is disposed on the first bracket and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The second conductive plate is disposed on the second bracket and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The conductive elastic member is disposed between the first and second conductive plates of the two battery modules and contacts the first and second conductive plates of the two battery modules.

[0005] According to another embodiment, a battery module of the present invention includes a base, a plurality of battery cells, a first bracket, a second bracket, a first conductive plate, a second conductive plate, and a conductive elastic member. The plurality of battery cells are disposed in the base. The first bracket accommodates one end of each battery cell. The second bracket accommodates the other end of each battery cell. The first conductive plate is disposed on the first bracket and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The first conductive plate has two first retaining portions. The second conductive plate is disposed on the second bracket and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. The conductive elastic member is retained on the first conductive plate by the two first retaining portions.

[0006] In summary, the present invention places a conductive elastic member between two battery modules to achieve electrical connection. This eliminates the need for additional components to assemble the two battery modules, simplifying the assembly process and ultimately saving time and reducing costs. Furthermore, when the two battery modules are stacked, the conductive elastic member is compressed and elastically deformed, allowing it to maintain close contact with the first and second conductive plates of the modules, absorbing assembly tolerances and ensuring electrical connection between the modules.

[0007] The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood through the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. Simple diagram description

[0008] FIG1 is a perspective view of a battery structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the battery structure in Figure 1. FIG3 is an exploded view of the battery structure in FIG1 from another perspective. FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery structure in FIG1. Figure 5 is an exploded view of the interior of the battery module in Figure 2. FIG6 is a partial enlarged view of the battery module in FIG2. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the first pad and the second pad in FIG. 5 . FIG8 is a perspective view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of the battery module in Figure 8. Implementation Method

[0009] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the battery structure 1 of the present invention includes two battery modules 10a and 10b, wherein the two battery modules 10a and 10b are stacked on top of each other. Furthermore, the battery structure 1 includes a conductive elastic member 112 disposed between a first conductive plate 108 and a second conductive plate 110 of the two battery modules 10a and 10b, contacting the first conductive plate 108 and the second conductive plate 110 of the two battery modules 10a and 10b, thereby achieving electrical connection between the two battery modules 10a and 10b. It should be noted that the number of battery modules can be determined based on actual applications, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in the figures.

[0010] Each battery module 10a, 10b includes a base 100, a plurality of battery cells 102, a first bracket 104, a second bracket 106, a first conductive plate 108, and a second conductive plate 110. The plurality of battery cells 102 are disposed within the base 100. A first bracket 104 accommodates one end of each battery cell 102, and a second bracket 106 accommodates the other end of each battery cell 102. In this embodiment, the first bracket 104 may have a plurality of receiving holes 1040 for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 102, and the second bracket 106 may also have a plurality of receiving holes 1060 for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 102.

[0011] The first conductive plate 108 is disposed on the first bracket 104 and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 102. Similarly, the second conductive plate 110 is disposed on the second bracket 106 and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 102. Specifically, the first conductive plate 108 may have a plurality of first pads 1080 that contact the plurality of battery cells 102, and the second conductive plate 110 may have a plurality of second pads 1100 that contact the plurality of battery cells 102. The first pads 1080 and the second pads 1100 may be soldered to the positive and negative terminals of the battery cells 102. Furthermore, the shapes of the first pads 1080 and the second pads 1100 may differ, as shown in FIG. 7 .

[0012] In this embodiment, each first pad 1080 is connected to the first conductive plate 108 via at least one first connection portion 1082, and each second pad 1100 is connected to the second conductive plate 110 via at least one second connection portion 1102. The total cross-sectional area of the at least one first connection portion 1082 is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of the at least one second connection portion 1102. For example, each first pad 1080 may comprise two semicircular structures and be connected to the first conductive plate 108 via two first connection portions 1082. Each second pad 1100 may comprise a spiral structure and be connected to the second conductive plate 110 via two second connection portions 1102. In this embodiment, the total cross-sectional area of the two first connection portions 1082 is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of the two second connection portions 1102. Consequently, when the current exceeds the designed value, the two first connection portions 1082 will burn out first, causing the corresponding battery cell 102 to short-circuit. Therefore, the present invention can provide overcurrent protection for each battery cell 102.

[0013] It should be noted that the number of first conductive plates 108 and second conductive plates 110 can be determined based on actual applications. Furthermore, the first conductive plate 108 can also have multiple second pads 1100, and the second conductive plate 110 can also have multiple first pads 1080. Therefore, the present invention allows for adjusting the number of battery modules, first conductive plates 108, and second conductive plates 110. Furthermore, the arrangement of the first pads 1080 and second pads 1100 can be used to adjust the series and parallel connection of the battery cells, thereby adjusting the voltage and capacity of the battery structure.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6, the battery module 10a may further include a conductive elastic member 112 disposed on the first conductive plate 108. In this embodiment, the first conductive plate 108 of the battery module 10a may have two first retaining portions 1084, and the conductive elastic member 112 may be retained on the first conductive plate 108 by the two first retaining portions 1084. For example, the conductive elastic member 112 may be a coil spring having two ring-shaped ends 1120, which are snapped onto the two first retaining portions 1084 to retain the conductive elastic member 112 on the first conductive plate 108. The two first retaining portions 1084 may be formed by bending from the first conductive plate 108, but are not limited thereto.

[0015] Furthermore, the first bracket 104 may have a plurality of second stoppers 1042, and the first conductive plate 108 may further have a plurality of through-holes 1086. When the first conductive plate 108 is mounted on the first bracket 104, the plurality of second stoppers 1042 pass through the plurality of through-holes 1086. Subsequently, after the conductive elastic member 112 is mounted on the first conductive plate 108, the plurality of second stoppers 1042 are located on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member 112 in a radial direction. In this embodiment, the plurality of second stoppers 1042 may be staggered on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member 112. Therefore, when the battery module 10b is stacked on the battery module 10a and the conductive elastic member 112 is compressed, the conductive elastic member 112 will elastically deform, and the second stoppers 1042 can limit the position of the conductive elastic member 112. Furthermore, the compression of the conductive elastic member 112 can be adjusted by adjusting the height of the second limiting portion 1042. For example, the height of the second limiting portion 1042 can be less than half the height of the conductive elastic member 112, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the plurality of second limiting portions 1042 can extend to the plurality of receiving holes 1040 to retain the plurality of battery cells 102 within the plurality of receiving holes 1040.

[0016] Furthermore, the first bracket 104 may have a plurality of positioning portions 1044, and the first conductive plate 108 may further have a plurality of positioning holes 1088. When the first conductive plate 108 is mounted on the first bracket 104, the plurality of positioning portions 1044 pass through the plurality of positioning holes 1088 to position the first conductive plate 108 on the first bracket 104. In this embodiment, the positioning portions 1044 may be made of a plastic material so that the positioning portions 1044 can be melted to securely fix the first conductive plate 108 to the first bracket 104.

[0017] Referring to Figures 8 and 9 , the main difference between battery module 10a' and the aforementioned battery module 10a is that the conductive elastic member 112' of battery module 10a' includes an elastic structure 1122 and a conductive material 1124, with the conductive material 1124 covering the elastic structure 1122, as shown in Figures 8 and 9 . The elastic structure 1122 can be made of rubber, foam, or other elastic materials, and the conductive material 1124 can be made of a conductive metal. In this embodiment, the two first retaining portions 1084 of the first conductive plate 108 can abut against two ends of the elastic structure 1122 to retain the conductive elastic member 112' on the first conductive plate 108.

[0018] The battery module 10a shown in Figures 1 through 4 can be replaced with the battery module 10a' shown in Figure 8. When the battery module 10b is stacked on the battery module 10a' and compresses the conductive elastic member 112', the conductive elastic member 112' elastically deforms, and the second stopper 1042 limits the position of the conductive elastic member 112'. Therefore, the conductive elastic member 112' is positioned between the first conductive plate 108 and the second conductive plate 110 of the two battery modules 10a' and 10b, contacting the first conductive plate 108 and the second conductive plate 110 of the two battery modules 10a' and 10b, thereby achieving electrical connection between the two battery modules 10a' and 10b.

[0019] In summary, the present invention places a conductive elastic member between two battery modules to achieve electrical connection. This eliminates the need for additional components to assemble the two battery modules, simplifying the assembly process and ultimately saving time and reducing costs. Furthermore, when the two battery modules are stacked, the conductive elastic member is compressed and elastically deformed, allowing it to maintain close contact with the first and second conductive plates of the modules, absorbing assembly tolerances and ensuring electrical connection between the modules. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0020] 1: Battery structure 10a, 10a', 10b: Battery module 100: base body 102: Battery Cell 104: First bracket 106: Second bracket 108: first conductive plate 110: second conductive plate 112,112': Conductive elastic member 1040,1060: Accommodation hole 1042: Second limiting part 1044: Positioning unit 1080: First pad 1082: First connection part 1084: First limit part 1086:Through hole 1088: Positioning hole 1100: Second pad 1102: Second connecting portion 1120: Ring end 1122: Elastic structure 1124: Conductive material

Claims

1. A battery structure comprising: two battery modules stacked on top of each other, each battery module comprising: a base; a plurality of battery cells disposed in the base; a first bracket for housing one end of each battery cell; and a second bracket for housing the other end of each battery cell; A first conductive plate is disposed on the first support and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; A second conductive plate is disposed on the second bracket and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; and a conductive elastic member is disposed between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate of the two battery modules and contacts the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate of the two battery modules.

2. The battery structure as described in claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate of one of the two battery modules has two first limiting portions, and the conductive elastic member is limited to the first conductive plate by the two first limiting portions.

3. The battery structure as described in claim 2, wherein the conductive elastic element is a helical spring having two annular ends, the two annular ends being snapped into the two first limiting portions.

4. The battery structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conductive elastic member comprises an elastic structure and a conductive material, the conductive material is covered on the elastic structure, and the two first limiting portions abut against two ends of the elastic structure.

5. The battery structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first support has a plurality of second limiting portions, the first conductive plate further has a plurality of through holes, the plurality of second limiting portions passing through the plurality of through holes and located on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member in the radial direction of the conductive elastic member.

6. The battery structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of second limiting portions are alternately located on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member.

7. The battery structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first support further has a plurality of receiving holes for receiving the plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of second limiting portions extend to the plurality of receiving holes to limit the plurality of battery cells in the plurality of receiving holes.

8. The battery structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first support has a plurality of positioning portions, and the first conductive plate has a plurality of positioning holes, the plurality of positioning portions passing through the plurality of positioning holes to position the first conductive plate on the first support.

9. The battery structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate has a plurality of first pads in contact with the plurality of cells, the second conductive plate has a plurality of second pads in contact with the plurality of cells, and the shape of each first pad is different from the shape of each second pad.

10. The battery structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the first pads is connected to the first conductive plate through at least one first connection portion, and each of the second pads is connected to the second conductive plate through at least one second connection portion, wherein the total cross-sectional area of ​​one of the at least one first connection portion is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of ​​one of the at least one second connection portion.

11. A battery module comprising: a base; a plurality of battery cells disposed in the base; a first bracket for housing one end of each battery cell; and a second bracket for housing the other end of each battery cell; A first conductive plate is disposed on the first support and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells, the first conductive plate having two first limiting portions; a second conductive plate is disposed on the second support and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells. And a conductive elastic element, which is limited by the two first limiting portions on the first conductive plate.

12. The battery module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conductive elastic element is a helical spring having two annular ends, the two annular ends being snapped into the two first limiting portions.

13. The battery module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the conductive elastic member comprises an elastic structure and a conductive material, the conductive material being covered on the elastic structure, and the two first limiting portions abutting against two ends of the elastic structure.

14. The battery module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first bracket has a plurality of second limiting portions, the first conductive plate further has a plurality of through holes, the plurality of second limiting portions passing through the plurality of through holes and located on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member in the radial direction of the conductive elastic member.

15. The battery module as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of second limiting portions are alternately located on opposite sides of the conductive elastic member.

16. The battery module as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first bracket further has a plurality of receiving holes for receiving the plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of second limiting portions extend to the plurality of receiving holes to limit the plurality of battery cells in the plurality of receiving holes.

17. The battery module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first bracket has a plurality of positioning portions, and the first conductive plate has a plurality of positioning holes through which the plurality of positioning portions pass to position the first conductive plate on the first bracket.

18. The battery module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first conductive plate has a plurality of first pads in contact with the plurality of battery cells, the second conductive plate has a plurality of second pads in contact with the plurality of battery cells, and the shape of each first pad is different from the shape of each second pad.

19. The battery module as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of the first pads is connected to the first conductive plate through at least one first connection portion, and each of the second pads is connected to the second conductive plate through at least one second connection portion, wherein the total cross-sectional area of ​​one of the at least one first connection portion is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of ​​one of the at least one second connection portion.

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