A Sealing Structure of a Battery Box, a Power Battery Box, and a Sealing Method of the Battery Box

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a sealing structure for a battery box, a power battery box, and a sealing method for the battery box. The sealing structure includes: an upper housing having a circumferentially extending upper flange; a lower housing having a circumferentially extending lower flange; a backing member disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange to form an outward-facing notch together with the upper flange and the lower flange; a sealant that fills the notch with the backing member as a backing; a limiting member disposed in the notch; and a fastener that sequentially passes through the upper flange, the limiting member, and the lower flange and fastens the three together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery box encapsulation, and particularly to a sealing structure of a battery box, a power battery box, and a sealing method of a battery box. Background Art

[0002] A battery box is a grouped battery box composed of several single battery boxes, a box body, a battery box management system, and related installation structural parts (equipment), etc., and has a battery box structure, battery box monitoring equipment, battery box connectors, battery box environmental control equipment, etc. that meet the standards.

[0003] The sealing and waterproofing of the power battery box shell is crucial for protecting the insulation of the internal battery box module and power supply system. Due to the requirements of vehicle lightweighting, the shells of power battery boxes are relatively thin, the wall thickness of the shell sealing surface is generally less than 5 mm, and the size of bolt fasteners is generally less than M10, and M5 bolt fasteners are mostly used.

[0004] On the flange surface of the lower shell (or upper shell) of the existing power battery box, an in-situ formed and cured sealant is applied. This sealant can be a one-component moisture-curing or a two-component A / B component reaction-curing. Before the in-situ formed sealant cures, the upper and lower shells are assembled, the upper shell is pressed against the lower shell and fastened with bolts. When the sealant cures, a chemically bonded gasket (Cure in place gasket, CIPG) is formed. CIPG forms a bond with the flange surfaces of the upper and lower shells. The thickness of CIPG is generally 0.1 mm to 3 mm, and it is clamped and cooperated with bolt fasteners to achieve sealing. To achieve the sealing effect, CIPG is required to have a very high bonding strength, generally greater than 1 MPa. The disadvantage of the technology is that when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force must be greater than the bonding force of CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the shell flange being damaged during disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and repaired multiple times.

[0005] However, the inventors of the present application found that there are at least the following technical problems in the prior art:

[0006] In the prior art, when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force must be greater than the bonding force of CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the shell flange being damaged during disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and repaired multiple times. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sealing structure of a battery box, a power battery box, and a sealing method of a battery box, which are used to solve the technical problem in the prior art that when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force must be greater than the bonding force of CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the shell flange being damaged during disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and repaired multiple times.

[0008] The embodiments of the present invention adopt the following technical solutions:

[0009] The embodiments of the present invention provide a sealing structure for a battery box, and the sealing structure includes:

[0010] An upper housing, which has an upper flange extending circumferentially;

[0011] A lower housing, which has a lower flange extending circumferentially;

[0012] A backing member, which is arranged between the upper flange and the lower flange, so that the upper flange, the lower flange and the upper flange and the lower flange together form an outwardly facing notch;

[0013] Sealing glue, which is filled in the notch;

[0014] A limiting member, which is placed in the notch,

[0015] And a fastener, which sequentially passes through the upper flange, the limiting member and the lower flange.

[0016] Further, the sealing glue fills and covers the limiting member.

[0017] Further, the fastener is located on the side of the sealing glue away from the backing member.

[0018] Further, the fastener includes a bolt and a nut. The stud of the bolt sequentially passes through the upper flange, the limiting member and the lower flange, and passes out of the lower flange and is threadedly connected to the nut.

[0019] Further, the backing member is a double-sided adhesive tape.

[0020] Further, the thickness of the backing member is 6 mm - 12 mm.

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention also provide a power battery box, and the power battery box includes the sealing structure of the battery box as described above.

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention also provide

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sealing structure for a battery box, the sealing structure comprising: an upper shell having an upper flange extending circumferentially; a lower shell having a lower flange extending circumferentially; a backing member, the backing member being arranged between the upper flange and the lower flange so that the upper flange, the lower flange and the upper flange and the lower flange together form an outward-facing notch; a sealant, the sealant having the backing member as a backing and being filled in the notch; a limit member, the limit member being placed in the notch; and a fastener, the fastener sequentially passing through the upper flange, the limit member and the lower flange to fasten the three.

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sealing structure of a battery box. When disassembling, the fastener is first loosened and taken out to cancel the fastening force between the upper flange, the lower flange and the limiter, and then the sealant and the backing member are cut by a cutting tool such as a cutter. Among them, a more preferred method is to take out the limiter by a tool before cutting, so that the cutter can efficiently and quickly cut through the sealant and the backing member during the cutting process, thereby not damaging the upper flange and the lower flange; when reassembling the seal after disassembly, the backing member is first removed, and then the remaining sealant is cut along the lower surface of the upper flange and the upper surface of the lower flange with a cutter, and then the sealing structure of the battery box is formed by reassembly, without the need for violent disassembly, and the upper flange and / or the lower flange will not be damaged during the disassembly process, and it can be reused many times, thereby effectively solving the technical problems in the prior art that when the flange seal established by the CIPG method is disassembled and repaired, the destructive force must be greater than the bonding force of the CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the shell flange damaged by disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and repaired many times.

[0026] The sealing structure of the present embodiment has the function of being disassembled for repair and re-disassembled for multiple times for sealing, and can be immersed in water to a depth of two meters and maintain an IP68 waterproof rating of no water seepage for 24 hours.

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a power battery box, which includes a sealing structure of the battery box as described above. The power battery box effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that when the flange seal established by the CIPG method is disassembled and repaired, the destructive force is greater than the bonding force of the CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the shell flange caused by disassembly damage, and the box cannot be sealed again and must be repaired multiple times.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a sealing method, which includes the following steps: the upper flange of the upper housing and the lower flange of the lower housing are fixed by applying a colloid to form a notch opening outward; sealant is injected into the notch for sealing; fasteners pass through the upper flange, the through hole in the limiting member, and the lower flange to fasten the limiting member in the notch. This effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force needs to be greater than the adhesive force of the CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the housing flange being damaged during disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and cannot be repaired multiple times.

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention also provides another sealing method, which includes the following steps: the upper flange of the upper housing and the lower flange of the lower housing are fixed by applying a colloid to form a notch opening outward; fasteners pass through the upper flange, the through hole in the limiting member, and the lower flange to fasten the limiting member in the notch; sealant is injected into the notch for sealing; the limiting member is embedded so that the sealant is densely filled in the notch. This effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force needs to be greater than the adhesive force of the CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the housing flange being damaged during disassembly, and it cannot be sealed again and cannot be repaired multiple times. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without creative efforts.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a structure with a rivet nut of a sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a first schematic structural diagram when disassembling the sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a second schematic structural diagram when disassembling the sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the lower housing after disassembling the sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 It is a top view of the lower housing after disassembling the sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Wherein:

[0038] 100. Upper housing; 110. Upper flange; 200. Lower housing; 210. Lower flange; 211. Rivet nut; 300. Backing member; 400. Sealant; 500. Limiting member; 600. Bolt; 601. Fastening member; 602. Nut. Specific embodiments

[0039] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a replaceable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0042] Next, in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. The "first" and "second" in the present invention do not represent specific quantities and orders, and are only used for the distinction of names.

[0043] In the sealing structure of some embodiments:

[0044] Comparative Example 1: Between the upper and lower cases of the power battery box, a solid sealing gasket (gasket) is installed. Generally, a non-metallic flat gasket of solid rubber type (full face with bolt holes) or a rubber gasket made of foamed silicone rubber plate is used. The initial gasket thickness is generally 1 mm to 3 mm, and then the fastener 601 is used for fastening and clamping to compress the rubber gasket to 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm. By applying sufficient pressure on the solid sealing gasket, sealing is achieved. The technical deficiencies of this sealing structure are as follows: There is no chemical adhesion between the sealing gasket and the sealing surface. The compression of the bolt fastening force must be kept large enough and evenly distributed on the sealing gasket. When the power battery box is installed on the vehicle, the long-term vibration of the vehicle and the creep relaxation of the gasket material will cause the initial bolt fastening force to decrease. Even if a thread locking adhesive for preventing loosening is used on the bolt, the sealing level can only reach the IP67 technical level (National Standard: GB38031-2020 stipulates that it is immersed in water at a depth of 15 cm for 30 minutes);

[0045] Comparative Example 2: In the sealing structure of some embodiments, a sealant for in-situ forming is applied on the flange surface of the lower case (or the upper case) of the power battery box to form a solid sealing gasket (formin place gasket, FIPG). This sealant can be a one-component moisture-curing or a two-component A / B component reaction-curing type. The FIPG forms an adhesion to the flange surface of the lower case (or the upper case). After the FIPG cures into a solid rubber, its surface has no stickiness. When assembling the upper and lower cases, the fastener 601 is used for fastening and clamping; sufficient pressure needs to be applied on the solid sealing gasket to achieve sealing. It solves the problem that the liquid-molded sealing washer can adjust its physical shape according to the shape of the flange sealing surface, reducing the joint defect of splicing several solid sealing films into an integral sealing gasket. Compared with the fixed rubber gasket, it cannot improve the waterproof level;

[0046] Comparative Example 3: As in the background art, on the flange surface of the existing lower housing (or upper housing) of the power battery box, an in-situ formed and cured sealant is applied. This sealant can be a one-component moisture-curing or a two-component A / B component reaction-curing. Before the in-situ formed sealant cures, the upper and lower housings are assembled, and the upper housing is pressed against the lower housing. When the sealant cures, a chemically bonded seal gasket (Cure in place gasket CIPG) is formed. The CIPG forms a bond between the flange surfaces of the upper and lower housings. The thickness of the CIPG is generally 0.1 mm to 3 mm, and it is tightly clamped with the fastener 601 to achieve sealing. To achieve the sealing effect, the CIPG is required to have a high bonding strength, generally greater than 1 MPa. The drawback of the technology is that when disassembling and repairing the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the destructive force must be greater than the adhesive force of the CIPG, resulting in structural deformation of the flange of the damaged housing and inability to seal again and perform multiple repairs.

[0047] After implementing the above CIPG sealing structure, the inventor found the following problems in the CIPG sealing structure: On the one hand, it is necessary to tightly seal the upper flange and the lower flange through the sealant. On the other hand, when using the flange seal established by the CIPG method, although a high sealing level can be achieved, when disassembling and repairing, a destructive force greater than the adhesive force of the CIPG is required to disassemble the upper and lower flanges, resulting in structural deformation of the flange of the damaged housing, causing the flange to be unable to seal again. That is, there are high requirements for tightly sealing the upper flange and the lower flange in the sealing structure, but when using a chemically bonded seal gasket to achieve tight sealing, when disassembling and repairing the relatively thin and light housing of the battery box by violent disassembly, it will cause damage to the structure of the flange of the housing, resulting in the upper and lower housings being unable to be used again, and the battery box cannot be refurbished after being disassembled, leading to increased costs and low disassembly efficiency. That is, the high bonding strength established by the sealant between the upper flange and the lower flange and the low destructive strength required for easy disassembly in the existing technology are contradictory.

[0048] As Figure 1 shown, Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing structure of a battery box provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] As Figures 1 - 6 shown, this embodiment provides a sealing structure of a battery box, and the sealing structure includes:

[0050] An upper housing 100, the upper housing 100 having a circumferentially extending upper flange 110;

[0051] A lower housing 200, the lower housing 200 having a circumferentially extending lower flange 210;

[0052] A backing member 300, wherein the backing member 300 is disposed between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 to connect the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 and to form an outward notch together with the upper flange and the lower flange;

[0053] Sealant 400, the sealant 400 is backed by the backing member 300 and is filled in the notch;

[0054] A limiting member 500, wherein the limiting member 500 is placed in the notch;

[0055] And a fastener 601, wherein the fastener 601 passes through the upper flange 110, the stopper 500 and the lower flange 210 in sequence and fastens the three.

[0056] The upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 are assembled to encapsulate the power battery box;

[0057] The backing member 300 is disposed between the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210;

[0058] Specifically, the backing member 300 is a double-sided adhesive tape, the first protective layer of the first side of the double-sided adhesive tape is removed, so that the adhesive on the first side is exposed, and the backing member 300 is attached to the lower surface of the upper flange 110; the second protective layer of the second side of the double-sided adhesive tape is removed, so that the adhesive on the second side is exposed, and the backing member 300 is attached to the upper surface of the lower flange 210, so that the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 can be fixed together by the double-sided adhesive tape, and the double-sided adhesive tape is attached to one end of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 close to the inner side of the power battery box;

[0059] Preferably, the backing member 300 is disposed on the inner edges of the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 extending outward, so that the upper flange 110, the lower flange 210 and the backing member 300 together form a notch opening outward;

[0060] Among them, the backing member 300 can also be adhesive, or a single-sided foam adhesive sticker with one side attached to the lower surface of the upper flange 110 or the upper surface of the lower flange 210. The single-piece foam adhesive sticker has sufficient thickness and certain compression performance, so that when the upper flange 110 is pressed against the lower flange 210, the upper flange 110, the lower flange 210 and the backing member 300 jointly form a notch opening outward, which can play the role of the backing member, the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 supporting a notch with a certain thickness (6mm-12mm), and can realize that the backing member 300 is stretched between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 to form an outward-opening notch. The adhesive can be the backing member 300 of this embodiment.

[0061] The backing member 300 can prevent the sealant from entering the battery box during sealant injection; moreover, the backing member can form a sealing surface during the filling and injection of the sealant, so that the sealant can form a dense sealed groove seal continuum between the upper flange and the lower flange, achieving a sealing structure with an IP68 waterproof rating (equivalent to no water leakage after soaking in 2m of water for 24 hours).

[0062] Among them, the thickness of the backing member 300 is preferably 6mm to 12mm;

[0063] The sealant 400 can be a one-component or two-component sealant 400, and can be a silicone SR type, polyurethane PU type, silane-modified polymer SMP type sealant 400 or PUR sealant ester, hot melt butyl sealant.

[0064] The method of injecting sealant 400 into the notch can be carried out by manual or automatic equipment or other means.

[0065] After injection, the sealant 400 in the notch can be cured by heating or cooling, absorbing moisture in the air, or by reaction cross-linking between A / B components. After the sealant 400 is cured, it has an adhesive and sealing effect on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210.

[0066] Preferably, a tool is used to smear and press so that the sealant 400 continuously and fully contacts the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 without air hole defects, so as to make the sealing effect better.

[0067] Among them, the fastener 601 includes a bolt 600 and a nut 602. The stud of the bolt 600 sequentially passes through the upper flange 110, the limiting member 500 and the lower flange 210, and passes out of the lower flange 210 to be threadedly connected to the nut 602, thereby fastening the upper flange 110, the limiting member 500 and the lower flange 210 together.

[0068] In addition, the fastener 601 can also be a single bolt. The lower flange is provided with a blind rivet nut 211. The fastener 601 passes through the upper flange 110, the limiting member 500 and the lower flange 210, and is threadedly connected to the blind rivet nut 211 of the lower flange, thereby fastening the upper flange 110, the limiting member 500 and the lower flange 210 together.

[0069] Specifically, a first hole is provided on the upper flange 110, a second hole is provided on the lower flange 210, and a third hole is provided on the limiting member 500. The fastener 601 passes through the first hole, the second hole, and the third hole in sequence and exits through the third hole. By adjusting the fastening of the fastener 601 to an appropriate degree, the limiting member 500 is fastened between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210.

[0070] Among them, the limiting member 500 can be a limiting nut, a metal sheet with a hole in the middle, or a non-metal plate, etc.; the limiting nut can be a limiting metal nut.

[0071] The limiting member 500 plays a spacing role in the thickness direction of the spacing between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, that is, it supports a spacing between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210. On the one hand, it protects the sealant 400 from being flattened, broken, or squeezed out, avoiding the problem of the sealing effect decline caused.

[0072] The limiting member 500 can play a role in supporting the spacing between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, so that after the sealant is injected, a sealing layer with a relative thickness is formed. When disassembling, by first loosening and removing the fastener 601 to cancel the fastening force between the upper flange, the lower flange, and the limiting member, there is enough space to cut, and the tool can be directly inserted into the sealing layer and penetrate out of the backing member, so that the sealing layer can be smoothly cut and separated during cutting.

[0073] Among them, the thickness of the limiting member 500 is less than the thickness of the backing member 300. The backing member 300 will deform after the upper flange and the lower flange are pressed. The thickness of the limiting member 500 is 3 mm to 6 mm; it can reserve a working gap for the tool to be inserted for cutting when disassembling the sealing structure.

[0074] After the fastener 601 is locked, the fastener 601 plays a bearing role for the force of the whole sealing structure. Under the action of the fastener 601 locking the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, the adhesive force of the sealant 400 between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 can keep the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 from falling off when vibrating, and achieve waterproof sealing through elastic adhesive sealing; since the fastener 601 is used to mechanically fasten the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 in this sealing structure, therefore, it is not required that the sealant 400 has a high bonding strength, and a sealant with cohesive strength can be used, which is convenient for disassembly and can also be applicable to more sealants 400.

[0075] After the bolts 600 are tightened, the sealant 400 is waited to solidify. The solidification method can be determined according to the sealant 400 actually used. After the sealant 400 is solidified, a physical or chemical bond is formed between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, thereby achieving an excellent sealing effect.

[0076] In addition, the fastener 601 may be first passed through the upper flange 110, the stopper 500 and the lower flange 210 for fastening, and then the sealant 400 may be injected into the notch for sealing. In this sealing structure, the sealant 400 is filled and covered on the stopper 500. In this sealing structure, the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 have already established strength under the fastening of the fastener 601, and can be moved on the production line without waiting for the sealant 400 to cure. After the sealant 400 cures, it forms a bond on the surface of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, achieving an excellent sealing effect.

[0077] In order to better fill the sealant 400 and achieve a better assembly effect between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, the fastener 601 is located on the side of the sealant 400 away from the double-sided tape. Since the backing member 300 is disposed at the inner end of the upper flange 110 close to the upper shell 100, that is, the fastener 601 is located on the side of the sealant 400 away from the double-sided tape, the force formed between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 can be more uniform.

[0078] like Figures 2 - 5 As shown, the sealing structure of the present application, when it is necessary to disassemble the sealing structure, the fastener 601 and the stopper 500 can be removed with a wrench tool, at which time the notch between the flange surfaces is exposed, and then a sharp mechanical tool is inserted into the sealant 400 to penetrate the backing member 300, and cut along the circumferential direction until the sealant 400 and the backing member 300 are completely cut, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, after cutting, the sealant 400 and the backing member 300 are divided into upper and lower parts and attached to the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, so that the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 can be separated.

[0079] In addition to using a mechanical cutter to cut, the sealing structure of the present application can also use a steel wire to pull and cut the colloid. Specifically, a thin steel wire is pre-buried inside. When disassembling, the sealant and the backing member are cut and separated by pulling the steel wire. In this way, the height of the limit nut can be reduced to 3mm.

[0080] When re - assembling the seal is required, the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 can be cleaned: First, manually or mechanically remove the residual backing member 300 on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210. The backing member 300 is generally glued with colloid or double - sided tape and can be removed directly by simple tearing. Then, use a tool to cut the residual sealant 400 along the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 until there is only a thin layer of sealant 400 less than 1 mm thick on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210. A small amount of residual sealant 400 is allowed, as long as there is enough notch space for injecting sealant 400 after assembly. This removal only clears the sealant 400 on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, without involving large external forces and will not damage the outer shapes of the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200.

[0081] The seal structure of the present invention can achieve the following effects:

[0082] 1. Compared with the CIPG sealing method that directly combines bolt 600 fastening and sealant 400, which can only achieve an IP67 waterproof rating, the seal structure of the present application can reach an IP68 waterproof rating. Moreover, when the machining accuracy of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 is not high and the flatness is uneven, after assembly with the backing member 300 and the fastener 601, a maximum clearance tolerance of 6 mm between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 can also achieve waterproof sealing.

[0083] 2. Compared with the flange seal established by the CIPG method, the seal structure of the present invention has the ability to be disassembled and repaired, and its disassembly method is easy to implement without violently damaging the upper flange 110 and / or the lower flange 210, so that the upper housing and the lower housing can be reused.

[0084] 3. After removing the sealant 400 from the disassembled upper flange 110 and lower flange 210, re - sealing of the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 and multiple repeated disassembly and sealing can be achieved.

[0085] 4. The seal structure of the present invention uses a backing member 300 and a limiting member 500, with low cost, no need to additionally increase the cost of large parts, and no need to change the forms of the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200. In addition, by the method of first using the fastener 601 and then filling the sealant 400, when the sealant 400 has not been completely cured, the power battery box structure can have a load - bearing capacity, and the covered power battery box can be directly moved to the next process for continuous processing without waiting for the sealant 400 to be completely cured, effectively improving the processing efficiency of the power battery box.

[0086] 5. The fastener 601 bears the structural force, and the sealant 400 only plays the role of bonding, sealing, waterproofing and dustproofing. There is no longer a requirement for the sealant 400 to have a high bonding strength for structural bonding. And this sealing structure of the present invention can achieve easy disassembly, and there is no contradiction between the high bonding strength established by the sealant 400 with the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 in the prior art and the low breaking strength required for easy disassembly.

[0087] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a power battery box, which includes the sealing structure of the battery box as described above; the power battery box effectively solves the technical problems that when the upper and lower shells of the sealing structure in the prior art are assembled in alignment, uneven deformation of the shells occurs, the gaps between the sealing surfaces of the upper and lower flanges are uneven, resulting in a difficultly symmetrical and uniform distribution of the fastening force of the bolts 600, thus leading to the sealing level not meeting the standard requirements and poor sealing effect. And it can achieve the effects brought by the above sealing structure.

[0088] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0089] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sealing method for a battery box, wherein the sealing method includes the following steps:

[0090] The upper flange 110 of the upper shell 100 and the lower flange 210 of the lower shell 200 are fixed by pasting a colloid to form a notch opening outward;

[0091] Sealant 400 is injected into the notch for sealing;

[0092] The fastener 601 passes through the upper flange 110, the through hole in the limiting member 500 and the lower flange 210 to fasten the limiting member 500 in the notch.

[0093] The sealing method effectively solves the technical problems that when the upper and lower shells of the sealing structure in the prior art are assembled in alignment, uneven deformation of the shells occurs, the gaps between the sealing surfaces of the upper and lower flanges are uneven, resulting in a difficultly symmetrical and uniform distribution of the fastening force of the bolts 600, thus leading to the sealing level not meeting the standard requirements and poor sealing effect. And the sealing structure obtained by this method can achieve the effects brought by the above sealing structure.

[0094] Among them, the step of injecting sealant 400 into the notch for sealing specifically is:

[0095] Continuously extrude and inject sealant 400 along the circumference of the notch until the sealant 400 overflows from the notch.

[0096] Use a squeegee to smear along the ends of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, so that the sealant 400 is densely filled and in contact with the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 without air hole defects. So that the sealing structure obtained by the sealing method can have better sealing performance.

[0097] The first specific implementation manner of the sealing structure of the battery box:

[0098] The upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 made of carbon steel protected by electrophoretic anticorrosive paint, the upper shell 100 is located above, the lower shell 200 is located below, the width of the sealing surface is about 20 mm. On the lower surface of the upper flange 110, first place a double-sided adhesive tape with a thickness of 6 mm and a width of 6 mm along the inner edge of the lower flange 210 close to the lower shell 200, remove the protective layer on the surface of the double-sided adhesive tape, and press the first hole of the aligned upper shell 100 against the double-sided adhesive tape by its own weight. The double-sided adhesive tape plays a role of temporary fixation, and at the same time forms a notch opening outwards between the upper flange and the lower flange.

[0099] From the direction of the notch between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, with the double-sided adhesive tape as the backing, continuously inject a thixotropic one-component silicone sealant inward, and continuously extrude along the circumference of the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210. If necessary, use tools to smear and press to make the sealant 400 continuously and fully contact the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 without air hole defects.

[0100] The amount of injected glue is appropriate. The sealing width of the sealant 400 from the double-sided adhesive tape to the outside can generally be between 3 and 15 mm, and does not invade the first hole and the third hole. Between the first hole where the upper flange 110 is located and the third hole where the lower flange 210 is located, place a limiting nut for limiting. Among them, the second holes of the limiting nut are respectively aligned with the first hole and the third hole; the height of the limiting nut is 5 - 6 mm or a limiting block with a hole for the M5 bolt 600, and the limiting height is 5 - 6 mm. Insert the bolt 600 from the upper first hole through the second hole of the limiting nut and then out from the lower third hole, and put on the nut 602 and lock it tightly to the appropriate degree. At this time, the limiting nut is tightened. Repeat the above tightening work for each limiting nut of the power battery box in turn. When the sealant 400 is cured into a solid and forms a bond after a period of time, the sealant 400 plays a sealing role.

[0101] When the sealing structure needs to be disassembled, the bolt 600 can be removed with a wrench tool and the limit nut can be taken out; at this time, the groove between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 is exposed, and a sharp mechanical tool is inserted into the sealant 400 to penetrate the double-sided tape, and cut along the circumference until the sealant 400 is completely cut. After cutting, the sealant 400 and the double-sided tape are divided into upper and lower parts attached to the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, and the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 can be separated.

[0102] In addition to using a mechanical cutter to cut, the sealing structure of the present application can also use a steel wire to pull and cut the colloid. Specifically, a thin steel wire is pre-buried inside. When disassembling, the sealant and the backing member are cut and separated by pulling the steel wire. In this way, the height of the limit nut can be reduced to 3mm.

[0103] When it is necessary to perform sealing assembly again, the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 can be cleaned and prepared: first remove the residual double-sided adhesive manually or mechanically, and then use a tool to cut off the remaining sealant 400 along the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 until only a thin layer of sealant 400 less than 1 mm thick remains on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210. A small amount of sealant 400 is allowed to remain on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210 (as long as there is enough slot space to squeeze the sealant 400 after assembly). The process of removing the sealant 400 only on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 of the shell does not involve large external force and will not damage the appearance of the upper shell 100 and / or.

[0104] After the flange surface is cleaned, the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 are aligned again, pressed again on the new double-sided adhesive, and then the sealant 400 is squeezed and injected, and then the bolt 600 is locked by the limit nut or limit block to achieve repeated assembly.

[0105] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a sealing method for a battery box, the sealing method comprising the following steps:

[0106] The upper flange 110 of the upper shell 100 and the lower flange 210 of the lower shell 200 are fixed by pasting a colloid to form a notch opening outward;

[0107] The fastener 601 passes through the upper flange 110, the through hole in the stopper 500 and the lower flange 210 to fasten the stopper 500 in the slot;

[0108] Inject sealant 400 into the notch for sealing; embed the limiting member 500 so that the sealant 400 is densely filled in the notch.

[0109] The sealing method effectively solves the technical problems existing in the prior art that when the upper and lower shells of the sealing structure are assembled in alignment, the shells are unevenly deformed, the gaps between the upper and lower flange sealing surfaces are uneven, making it difficult for the tightening force distribution of the bolts 600 to be symmetrically uniform, resulting in the sealing level not meeting the standard requirements and the sealing effect being poor. And the sealing structure obtained by this method can achieve the effects brought by the above sealing structure.

[0110] Adopt the sealing method of this embodiment. First, assemble the fastener 601. After completing the assembly of the fastener 601, inject glue into the reserved notch and then scrape and level it. The limiting member 500 will be embedded inside the sealant 400 body. However, by controlling the consistency of the sealant 400, the sealant 400 can be prevented from entering the threads of the third hole of the limiting member 500. After the sealant 400 cures into an elastic solid, it does not affect the disassembly of the fastener 601. Nor does it affect inserting a tool to cut the cured sealant 400 elastomer.

[0111] The second specific implementation manner of the sealing structure of the battery box:

[0112] The lower shell 200 made of aluminum alloy material, the SMC non-metal upper shell 100. The width of the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 is about 25 mm. On the upper surface of the lower flange 210, first use a double-sided adhesive tape with a thickness of 8 mm and a width of 8 mm. Its position is placed along the inner edge of the upper surface of the lower flange 210. Remove the protective layer on the surface of the double-sided adhesive tape, and press the upper shell 100 against the double-sided adhesive tape by its own weight after aligning it with the first hole. The double-sided adhesive tape plays a role of temporary fixation, and at the same time forms a notch with an outward opening between the upper flange and the lower flange.

[0113] Next, place the limit nut between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, with a limit height of 5 - 6 mm or a limit block with a hole for the M5 bolt 600 (limit height 5 - 6 mm). Pass the bolt 600 through the first hole of the upper flange, through the second hole of the limit nut, and then out through the third hole of the lower flange. Put on the nut 602 and lock it tightly to the appropriate degree. At this time, the limit nut is tightened. Repeat the above process of passing the bolt 600 at the positions where the first hole and the third hole are provided, and lock the limit nut to the tightened position. At this time, the bolt 600 connection has firmly assembled the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 together, and the thickness of the double-sided adhesive tape is compressed from the initial 8 mm thickness to about 6 mm.

[0114] From the notch direction between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, with the double-sided adhesive tape as the backing, continuously inject the MS modified silicone sealant 400 after proportioning and mixing of the thixotropic two-component inward, and continuously extrude and inject along the circumferences of the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210, so that the sealant 400 is in continuous and full contact with the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 without air hole defects.

[0115] The amount of the injected sealant is slightly excessive, allowing a small amount to overflow from the notch, and then scrape along the ends of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 with a scraper, so that the sealant 400 is densely filled and full through scraping. The seal width of the sealant 400 generally ranges from 1 to 20 mm from the ends of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 to the double-sided adhesive tape. When the sealant 400 cures into a solid and forms a bond, the sealant 400 plays a sealing role.

[0116] The advantage of this implementation is that the entire power battery box can be moved before the sealant 400 is completely cured, and the bolts 600 are used to connect and bear the stress of the structure, without having to wait for the time for the sealant to be completely cured.

[0117] When it is necessary to disassemble the above-mentioned sealing structure, in the same way as the disassembly method of the first embodiment, use tools such as wrenches and knives to remove the fasteners 601 and the limit nuts or limit blocks. At this time, the notch between the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210 is exposed. Insert a sharp mechanical knife into the sealant 400 and penetrate the double-sided adhesive tape, and cut along the circumference until the sealant 400 is completely cut. After cutting, the sealant 400 and the double-sided adhesive tape are divided into upper and lower separated parts and attached to the upper flange and the lower flange. At this time, the upper housing and the lower housing 200 can be separated.

[0118] When it is necessary to perform re-assembly and sealing, the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 can be cleaned and prepared: first, manually or mechanically remove the double-sided adhesive tape, and then use a knife to cut off the remaining sealant 400 along the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 until there is only a thin layer of sealant 400 less than 1 mm thick on the flange surface, allowing a small amount of the sealant 400 to remain (as long as there is enough notch space for injecting the sealant 400 after assembly). This removal only removes the sealant 400 on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, without involving large external forces and without damaging the outer shapes of the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200.

[0119] After cleaning the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, the first holes of the upper housing and the lower housing 200 can be aligned again, and they are re-pressed onto a new double-sided adhesive tape. Repeat the steps of placing the limit nut, assembling the bolt 600, and tightening it. Squeeze and inject the sealant 400 circumferentially until it is full, and then scrape and shape the ends.

[0120] The third specific implementation manner of the sealing structure of the battery box:

[0121] The lower housing 200 is made of carbon steel, and the SMC non-metallic upper housing 100 has a sealing surface width of about 25 mm. On the sealing surface of the lower housing 200, first place an 8-mm-thick and 8-mm-wide double-sided adhesive tape along the inner edge of the lower flange 210 close to the lower housing 200. Remove the protective layer on the surface of the double-sided adhesive tape, and after aligning the first hole of the upper housing 100, press it onto the double-sided adhesive tape by its own weight. The double-sided adhesive tape plays a role of temporary fixation, and at the same time, a notch opening outward is formed between the upper flange and the lower flange.

[0122] Next, place the limit nut between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210. The limit height range is 6 - 12 mm or a limit block with a hole for the M5 bolt 600 (limit height 6 - 12 mm). Pass the bolt 600 through the first hole, through the second hole of the limit nut, and then out through the third hole, and put on the nut 602 and lock and tighten it to an appropriate degree. At this time, the limit nut is tightened. Repeat the above steps of passing the bolt 600 and tightening it to the fastening position of the limit nut at each bolt 600 hole position. At this time, the bolt 600 connection has firmly assembled the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 together.

[0123] From the direction of the notch between the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, with the double-sided adhesive tape as the backing, continuously inject the thixotropic two-component SPUR silane-modified polyurethane sealant 400 that has been proportionally mixed inward, and continuously squeeze and inject it circumferentially along the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210, so that the sealant 400 continuously and fully contacts the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 without air hole defects.

[0124] The injected amount of the glue is slightly excessive, and a small amount is allowed to overflow from the notch. Then, use a scraper to scrape along the ends of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210, so that the sealant 400 is densely filled and full through scraping. The sealing width range of the sealant 400 from the ends of the upper flange 110 and the lower flange 210 to the double-sided adhesive tape is generally 5 - 20 mm. When the sealant 400 cures into a solid and forms a bond, the sealant 400 plays a sealing role.

[0125] The advantage of this implementation is that the entire power battery box can be moved before the sealant 400 is completely cured, and the bolts 600 are used to connect and bear the structural stress, without having to wait for the complete curing time of the adhesive.

[0126] When the above assembly structure needs to be disassembled, the disassembly method is the same as that of the sealing method in the first embodiment. Tools such as a wrench cutter are used to remove the fastener 601 and the limit nut. At this time, the notch between the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and / or the upper surface of the lower flange 210 is exposed. A sharp mechanical cutter is inserted into the sealant 400 and penetrates the double-sided adhesive tape, and is cut circumferentially until the sealant 400 is completely cut. After cutting, the sealant 400 and the double-sided adhesive tape are divided into upper and lower separated parts and adhered to the upper and lower flanges. At this time, the upper and lower shells can be separated.

[0127] When re-sealing and assembling is required, the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 can be prepared for cleaning: first, the double-sided adhesive tape is removed manually or mechanically, and then the remaining sealant 400 on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210 is cut off with a cutter until there is only a thin layer of sealant 400 less than 1 mm thick on the flange surface, and a small amount of sealant 400 residue is allowed (as long as there is enough notch space for squeezing sealant 400 after assembly). This removal only clears the sealant 400 on the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, does not involve large external forces, and will not damage the outer shapes of the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200.

[0128] After cleaning the lower surface of the upper flange 110 and the upper surface of the lower flange 210, the upper and lower shells can be aligned again, re-pressed on a new double-sided adhesive tape, and the process of placing the limit nut, assembling the bolt 600 and tightening it is repeated. Sealant 400 is squeezed circumferentially until it is full, and then the end is scraped and shaped.

[0129] For the sealing structure and the power battery box provided in the implementation of the present invention, tests in accordance with GB38031-2020 of the automotive industry are carried out, including vibration testing on a vibration table and then immersion testing. The above sealing structure can achieve that when the whole is immersed in water at a depth of 2 m and kept for 24 hours, and then disassembled and inspected, there are no water marks and the water-sensitive red label paper used to indicate water seepage remains unchanged in color.

[0130] For the sealing structure and the power battery box provided in the implementation of the present invention, after being subjected to extrusion deformation according to the standard in the automotive industry and then IP68-level waterproof testing, the above sealing structure can achieve that when the whole is immersed in water at a depth of 2 m and kept for 24 hours, and then disassembled and inspected, there are no water marks and the water-sensitive red label paper used to indicate water seepage remains unchanged in color.

[0131] The sealing structure provided by the embodiments of the present invention can achieve an IP68 waterproof rating.

[0132] The sealing structure of the embodiments of the present invention is compared with other structures as follows:

[0133] Comparison 1:

[0134]

[0135]

[0136]

[0137]

[0138]

[0139] This set of comparison tests verifies that the sealing structure of the embodiments of the invention has a more reliable bonding waterproof rating. Even when the total number of bolts is reduced, the bolt spacing is increased, and the bolt tightening force decreases, it can still be sealed, and it also has the function of being disassembled and reassembled.

[0140] Comparison 2:

[0141]

[0142]

[0143]

[0144] This set of comparison experiments verifies that the sealing structure of the embodiments of the invention can be disassembled and reassembled, while the CIPG method does not have the function of being disassembled and reassembled.

[0145] Comparison 3:

[0146]

[0147]

[0148]

[0149]

[0150] This set of experiments verifies that the sealing structure of this embodiment can be applied to flange materials of different materials, establish bonding seals, and meet the waterproof requirements after the vibration table experiment and then the water immersion experiment.

[0151] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope recorded in this specification.

[0152] As mentioned above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sealing structure for a battery box, characterized in that, The sealing structure comprises: An upper shell having an upper flange extending circumferentially; A lower housing having a circumferentially extending lower flange; A backing member, the backing member is arranged between the upper flange and the lower flange to connect the upper flange and the lower flange and to form an outward notch together with the upper flange and the lower flange, and the backing member is a double-sided adhesive tape or a single-sided foam adhesive tape; A sealant, the sealant having the backing member as a backing and filled in the notch; A limiting member, wherein the limiting member is located in the notch; and a fastener, which passes through the upper flange, the stopper and the lower flange in sequence and fastens the three; The fastener is located on a side of the sealant facing away from the backing member.

2. The sealing structure of the battery box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealant covers the limiting component.

3. The sealing structure of the battery box according to claim 1, wherein The fastener comprises a bolt and a nut, and the stud of the bolt passes through the upper flange, the stopper and the lower flange in sequence and is threadedly connected with the nut.

4. The sealing structure of the battery box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the backing member is 6 mm to 12 mm.

5. A power battery box, characterized in that, The power battery box includes the sealing structure of the battery box as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. A sealing method for a battery box, characterized in that, For sealing the power battery box according to claim 5, the sealing method comprises the following steps: The upper flange of the upper shell and the lower flange of the lower shell are fixed by pasting a colloid to form an outward notch; Injecting sealant into the notch for sealing; The fastener passes through the upper flange, the through hole in the limiter and the lower flange to fasten the limiter in the slot.

7. The sealing method of the battery box according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of injecting sealant into the notch for sealing is specifically as follows: Continuously squeeze and inject the sealant along the circumference of the notch until the sealant overflows from the notch. Use a scraper to scrape along the ends of the upper flange and the lower flange so that the sealant is densely filled and contacts the upper flange and the lower flange without air hole defects.

8. A sealing method for a battery box, characterized in that, For sealing the power battery box according to claim 5, the sealing method comprises the following steps: The upper flange of the upper shell and the lower flange of the lower shell are fixed by pasting a colloid to form an outward notch; The fastener passes through the upper flange, the through hole in the limiter and the lower flange to fasten the limiter in the slot; Injecting sealant into the notch for sealing; embedding the limiting member so that the sealant is densely filled in the notch.

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