Battery pack and electric vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack, comprising an outer shell, an inner shell, a first seal and a second seal. By setting the above-mentioned battery pack, under normal circumstances, the second seal is in a sealed state, the storage space and the second inner cavity are separated by the second seal, and the fire extinguishing medium will not enter the second inner cavity. When the battery in the second inner cavity has thermal runaway, the second seal is located in the second inner cavity, so the temperature of the second seal will rise accordingly, until the temperature of the second seal reaches a preset temperature, the second seal will enter a damaged state, that is, the connecting hole can no longer be sealed, the storage space is connected to the second inner cavity, and the pressurized fire extinguishing medium in the storage space can be sprayed into the second inner cavity through the connecting hole, thereby cooling or extinguishing the battery in the second inner cavity that has thermal runaway, avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents, and improving the safety of the battery during charging. The present invention also relates to an electric vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery charging, and in particular to a battery pack and an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of lithium battery technology, lithium batteries have begun to be used in electric vehicles. Compared with the previous lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries can be separated from electric vehicles to facilitate charging of lithium batteries separately. However, the separated lithium batteries have no protective devices and are prone to thermal runaway during charging, leading to safety accidents. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a battery pack and electric vehicle that can prevent safety accidents caused by thermal runaway during the charging process of lithium batteries, in order to address the problem that existing lithium batteries have no protective devices and are prone to thermal runaway during the charging process.

[0004] A battery pack, comprising:

[0005] A housing having a first inner cavity;

[0006] an inner shell, which is disposed in the first inner cavity and encloses an inner wall of the first inner cavity to form a storage space, wherein the storage space is used to store a pressurized fire extinguishing medium, wherein the inner shell has a second inner cavity and a communicating hole, wherein the second inner cavity is used to place a battery, and the communicating hole is communicated with the second inner cavity and the storage space at the same time;

[0007] A first sealing member, connected between the outer shell and the inner shell, for sealing the storage space; and

[0008] a second sealing member connected to the communicating hole of the inner shell and located in the second inner cavity;

[0009] Wherein, the second sealing member includes a sealing state and a damaged state;

[0010] When the temperature of the second seal is lower than the preset temperature, the second seal is in the sealing state, and the second seal seals the connecting hole; when the temperature of the second seal is equal to or higher than the preset temperature, the second seal is in the damaged state, and the storage space is connected with the second inner cavity.

[0011] By setting up the above-mentioned battery pack, under normal circumstances, the second seal is in a sealed state, the storage space and the second inner cavity are separated by the second seal, and the fire extinguishing medium will not enter the second inner cavity. When the battery in the second inner cavity has thermal runaway, the second seal is located in the second inner cavity, so the temperature of the second seal will rise accordingly, until the temperature of the second seal reaches the preset temperature, the second seal will enter a damaged state, that is, it can no longer seal the connecting hole, the storage space is connected to the second inner cavity, and the pressurized fire extinguishing medium in the storage space can be sprayed into the second inner cavity through the connecting hole, thereby cooling down or extinguishing the battery in the second inner cavity that has thermal runaway, avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents, and improving the safety of the battery charging process.

[0012] In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a positioning boss, which is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the first inner cavity, a positioning groove is provided on the outer side of the inner shell, the communicating hole is connected to the positioning groove, and the positioning boss extends into the positioning groove.

[0013] In one embodiment, the battery pack also includes a connecting tube, which includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end is disposed on the positioning boss and is connected to the storage space, the second end passes through the positioning groove and the connecting hole and extends into the second inner cavity to be connected to the second inner cavity, and the second sealing member is connected to the second end.

[0014] In one embodiment, the positioning boss includes a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion, the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are arranged at intervals to enclose a fixed space and a connecting channel connected to the fixed space, the connecting channel is connected to the storage space, the connecting pipe is arranged in the fixed space, and the first end is connected to the connecting channel.

[0015] In one embodiment, a connecting hole is formed on the side wall of the first end, and the connecting hole is connected to the connecting channel.

[0016] In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a third seal and an elastic member, wherein the third seal is disposed in the connecting tube and sealingly abuts against an inner wall of the connecting tube, and the elastic member is connected between the outer shell and the third seal, and is used to jointly provide a force with the fire extinguishing medium to press the third seal against the second seal.

[0017] In one embodiment, the top of the outer shell has a first opening communicating with the storage space, the top of the inner shell also has a second opening communicating with the second inner cavity, and the first sealing member is connected to the first opening to seal the first opening;

[0018] The battery pack also includes a cover plate, which is sealed and connected to the second opening of the inner shell, and the cover plate is provided with a charging port for a charging head to pass through.

[0019] In one embodiment, the battery pack further includes a feeding assembly, which includes a feeding piece and a fourth sealing piece. The feeding piece is arranged on the first sealing piece and is used to connect the storage space with the feeding device for providing a fire extinguishing medium. The fourth sealing piece is detachably connected to the feeding piece and is used to seal the feeding piece.

[0020] In one of the embodiments, the battery pack further includes a handle, and the handle is rotatably connected to the outer side of the housing.

[0021] An electric vehicle comprises the above-mentioned battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery pack provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side structure of the battery pack shown;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the battery pack at AA shown;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the top view of the battery pack housing and the positioning boss shown;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of some components of the battery pack shown;

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The cross-sectional structural diagram at BB is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0031] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0032] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0034] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.

[0035] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a battery pack 100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer shell 10 , an inner shell, a first sealing member and a second sealing member 40 .

[0036] The housing 10 has a first inner cavity 11 (eg Figure 4 As shown, the inner shell is arranged in the first inner cavity 11, and is enclosed with the inner wall of the first inner cavity 11 to form a storage space 12 for storing pressurized fire extinguishing medium. The inner shell also has a second inner cavity 21 and a connecting hole. The second inner cavity 21 is used to place the battery, and the connecting hole is connected to the second inner cavity 21 and the storage space 12 at the same time.

[0037] The first sealing member is connected between the outer shell 10 and the inner shell to seal the storage space 12 . The second sealing member 40 is connected to the communication hole of the inner shell and is located in the second inner cavity 21 .

[0038] The second sealing member 40 includes a sealing state and a damaged state.

[0039] When the temperature of the second seal 40 is lower than the preset temperature, the second seal 40 is in a sealed state, and the second seal 40 seals the connecting hole to separate the storage space 12 from the second inner cavity 21; when the temperature of the second seal 40 is equal to or higher than the preset temperature, the second seal 40 is in a damaged state, and the storage space 12 is connected to the second inner cavity 21.

[0040] By setting the above-mentioned battery pack, under normal circumstances, the second seal 40 is in a sealed state, the storage space 12 and the second inner cavity 21 are separated by the second seal 40, and the fire extinguishing medium will not enter the second inner cavity 21. When the battery in the second inner cavity 21 has thermal runaway, the second seal 40 is located in the second inner cavity 21, so the temperature of the second seal 40 will rise accordingly, until the temperature of the second seal 40 reaches the preset temperature, the second seal 40 will enter a damaged state, that is, it can no longer seal the connecting hole, the storage space 12 is connected with the second inner cavity 21, and the pressurized fire extinguishing medium in the storage space 12 can be sprayed into the second inner cavity 21 through the connecting hole, so as to cool down or extinguish the battery in the second inner cavity 21 that has thermal runaway, avoid the occurrence of safety accidents, and improve the safety of the battery charging process.

[0041] It is understandable that the second sealing member 40 can be an alloy member that is easily fusible when heated or a glass bubble that breaks when heated, which is not limited here. Similarly, it can be known that the specific value of the preset temperature is determined by the material of the second sealing member 40.

[0042] In addition, the inner shell is disposed in the first inner cavity 11 and encloses the inner wall of the first inner cavity 11 to form a storage space 12 , that is, the storage space 12 is formed by the gap between the inner shell and the outer shell 10 , and the storage space 12 is part of the first inner cavity 11 .

[0043] Please also see Figure 4-Figure 6 In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a positioning boss 50, which is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the first inner cavity 11. A positioning groove 22 is provided on the outer side of the inner shell, and the positioning boss 50 extends into the positioning groove 22 to position the inner shell when the inner shell is installed in the first inner cavity 11.

[0044] It should be explained that, in the preferred embodiment, the positioning boss 50 is integrally provided with the housing 10. Of course, the positioning boss 50 can also be separately provided with the housing 10, which is not limited here.

[0045] In actual application, the communication hole is connected with the positioning groove 22. It can be understood that the positioning groove 22 is opened on the outside of the inner shell, and the positioning boss 50 is located on the bottom wall of the first inner cavity 11, so the positioning groove 22 is also located at the bottom of the inner shell. At the same time, the positioning boss 50 is located between the outer shell 10 and the inner shell, that is, located in the storage space 12, and the positioning boss 50 extends into the positioning groove 22, so the positioning groove 22 is connected with the storage space 12, and then the communication hole is connected with the storage space 12.

[0046] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a connecting tube 61, which includes a first end and a second end relative to each other. The first end is disposed on the positioning boss 50 and is connected to the storage space 12, and the second end passes through the positioning groove 22 and the connecting hole and extends into the second inner cavity 21 to be connected to the second inner cavity 21. The second seal 40 is connected to the second end.

[0047] It can be seen that when the second seal 40 is in a sealed state, the second seal 40 seals the second end, thereby separating the storage space 12 from the second inner cavity 21; when the second seal 40 is in a damaged state, the second seal 40 cannot seal the second end, the storage space 12 and the second inner cavity 21 are connected through the connecting pipe 61, and the fire extinguishing medium is sprayed into the second inner cavity 21 through the connecting pipe 61.

[0048] In some embodiments, the positioning boss 50 includes a first positioning portion 51 and a second positioning portion 52, and the first positioning portion 51 and the second positioning portion 52 are arranged at intervals to enclose a fixed space 53 and a connecting channel 54 connected to the fixed space 53, and the connecting channel 54 is connected to the fixed space 53. The connecting tube 61 is disposed in the fixed space 53, and the first end is connected to the connecting channel 54.

[0049] In this way, the connection pipe 61 can be fixed by the fixing space 53 , and the first end of the connection pipe 61 is communicated with the communication channel 54 , thereby achieving communication with the storage space 12 .

[0050] Furthermore, a connecting hole 611 is formed on the side wall of the first end, and the connecting hole 611 is connected to the connecting passage 54 , thereby realizing the connection between the second inner cavity 21 and the storage space 12 .

[0051] It can be understood that the connecting tube 61 is hollow, and the second end of the connecting tube 61 extends into the second inner cavity 21 to communicate with the second inner cavity 21, and the connecting hole 611 is opened on the side wall of the connecting tube 61, and the connecting hole 611 faces the connecting channel 54 to communicate with the connecting channel 54, and at the same time, the connecting hole 611 is also connected to the inside of the connecting tube 61.

[0052] In actual applications, the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are both fan-shaped, so as to enclose a fixed space 53 with a cylindrical cross-section and two connecting channels 54 located on both sides of the fixed space 53. Two connecting holes 611 are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the connecting pipe 61, and each connecting hole 611 is connected to the corresponding connecting channel 54.

[0053] Similarly, it can be determined that the first positioning portion 51 and the second positioning portion 52 enclose a fixed space 53 with a circular cross-section, and the outer periphery of the first positioning portion 51 and the second positioning portion 52 is also circular, and the corresponding positioning groove 22 is also a circular groove.

[0054] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a third sealing member 62 , which is disposed in the connecting tube 61 and sealingly abuts against an inner wall of the connecting tube 61 to seal the connecting tube 61 .

[0055] Furthermore, the battery pack also includes an elastic member 63 , which is connected between the housing 10 and the third sealing member 62 , and is used to provide a force together with the fire extinguishing medium to press the third sealing member 62 against the second sealing member 40 .

[0056] In this way, when the second seal 40 is in a sealed state, the third seal 62 will not be pushed out of the connecting pipe 61 by the elastic member 63 and the fire extinguishing medium. The second seal 40 and the third seal 62 seal the connecting pipe 61, forming a double seal to prevent the fire extinguishing medium from entering the second inner cavity 21.

[0057] When the second seal 40 is in a damaged state, the third seal 62 enters the second inner cavity 21 under the push of the elastic member 63 and the fire extinguishing medium, and the second seal 40 and the third seal 62 can no longer seal the connecting tube 61, thereby connecting the storage space 12 and the second inner cavity 21 through the connecting tube 61, so that the fire extinguishing medium in the storage space 12 is sprayed into the second inner cavity 21.

[0058] It should be noted that the fire extinguishing medium carries pressure, so the fire extinguishing medium entering the connecting pipe 61 through the connecting hole 611 can provide an upward thrust to the third sealing member 62, and the elastic member 63 is connected between the outer shell 10 and the third sealing member 62, and can also provide an upward thrust to the third sealing member 62. The two work together to ensure that the friction between the third sealing member 62 and the connecting pipe 61 can be overcome to push the third sealing member 62 to move upward.

[0059] In addition, the fire extinguishing medium can provide a force for the third seal 62 to press against the second seal 40, that is, provide an upward force to the third seal 62, indicating that the third seal 62 is located between the connecting hole 611 and the second seal 40, so that the fire extinguishing medium can enter the connecting pipe 61 through the connecting hole 611 and contact the bottom of the third seal 62.

[0060] In practical applications, the third sealing member 62 is a rubber plunger, and the elastic member 63 is a spring.

[0061] In some embodiments, the top of the outer shell 10 has a first opening communicating with the storage space 12, and the first sealing member is connected to the first opening to seal the first opening, thereby sealing the storage space 12. It can be understood that in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the outer shell 10 and the inner shell are both rectangular, so the shape of the first opening is a rectangular strip.

[0062] In practical applications, the first sealing member is threadedly connected to the housing 10 .

[0063] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a feeding assembly, which includes a feeding piece and a fourth sealing piece 70. The feeding piece is arranged on the first sealing piece, and is used to connect the storage space 12 with the feeding device that provides the fire extinguishing medium, so that the feeding device can add the fire extinguishing medium into the storage space 12 through the feeding piece, and the fourth sealing piece 70 is detachably connected to the feeding piece, and is used to seal the feeding piece.

[0064] In this way, when the fire extinguishing medium in the storage space 12 is sufficient, the feeding device and the feeding piece are disconnected, and the fourth sealing member 70 is connected to the feeding piece to seal the feeding piece to prevent the fire extinguishing medium in the storage space 12 from leaking; and when the fire extinguishing medium needs to be supplemented, the fourth sealing member 70 is removed, the feeding piece is connected to the feeding device, and then the feeding can be carried out.

[0065] It should be noted that the feeder is similar to the valve core, and the fourth sealing member 70 is threadedly connected to the valve core to completely seal the valve core to prevent leakage of the fire extinguishing medium.

[0066] In some embodiments, the battery pack also includes a cover plate 80, and the top of the inner shell also has a second opening connected to the second inner cavity 21. The cover plate 80 is sealed and connected to the second opening of the inner shell, and the cover plate 80 has a charging port 81 for the charging head to pass through.

[0067] It can be understood that the diameter of the charging port 81 is much smaller than the diameter of the second opening. After the cover plate 80 is connected to the second opening, due to the smaller diameter of the charging port 81 and by providing a sealing material at the charging port 81, after the charging head is electrically connected to the battery, the charging head can seal the charging port 81, thereby sealing the second inner cavity 21, ensuring that the fire extinguishing medium is sprayed into the second inner cavity 21 and completely submerges the battery, thereby ensuring the cooling and fire extinguishing effects.

[0068] In some embodiments, the battery pack further includes a handle 90 , which is rotatably connected to the outer side of the housing 10 for easy carrying.

[0069] An electric vehicle comprises the battery pack in the above embodiment.

[0070] It is understandable that, in this embodiment, the battery pack of the electric vehicle can be detached from the frame of the electric vehicle and then charged separately. Of course, it can also be charged directly on the frame.

[0071] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0072] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack, It is characterized in that include: A housing having a first inner cavity; an inner shell, which is disposed in the first inner cavity and encloses an inner wall of the first inner cavity to form a storage space, wherein the storage space is used to store a pressurized fire extinguishing medium, wherein the inner shell has a second inner cavity and a communicating hole, wherein the second inner cavity is used to place a battery, and the communicating hole is communicated with the second inner cavity and the storage space at the same time; a connecting pipe, through which the storage space is connected to the second inner cavity, and through which the fire extinguishing medium is sprayed into the second inner cavity; a first sealing member, connected between the outer shell and the inner shell, and used for sealing the storage space; a second sealing member connected to the communicating hole of the inner shell and located in the second inner cavity; and a third sealing member and an elastic member, wherein the third sealing member is disposed in the connecting pipe and is in sealing contact with the inner wall of the connecting pipe, and the elastic member is connected between the outer shell and the third sealing member, and is used to provide a force together with the fire extinguishing medium to press the third sealing member against the second sealing member; Wherein, the second sealing member includes a sealing state and a damaged state; When the temperature of the second seal is lower than the preset temperature, the second seal is in the sealing state, and the second seal seals the connecting hole; when the temperature of the second seal is equal to or higher than the preset temperature, the second seal is in the damaged state, and the storage space is connected with the second inner cavity.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The battery pack further includes a positioning boss, which is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the first inner cavity. A positioning groove is formed on the outer side of the inner shell, the communicating hole is connected to the positioning groove, and the positioning boss extends into the positioning groove.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The connecting tube includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end is arranged on the positioning boss and communicated with the storage space, the second end passes through the positioning groove and the communicating hole and extends into the second inner cavity to communicate with the second inner cavity, and the second sealing member is connected to the second end.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The positioning boss includes a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion, the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are arranged at intervals to enclose a fixed space and a connecting channel connected to the fixed space, the connecting channel is connected to the storage space, the connecting pipe is arranged in the fixed space, and the first end is connected to the connecting channel.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, It is characterized in that A connecting hole is formed on the side wall of the first end, and the connecting hole is communicated with the communicating channel.

6. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that The top of the outer shell has a first opening communicating with the storage space, the top of the inner shell also has a second opening communicating with the second inner cavity, and the first sealing member is connected to the first opening to seal the first opening; The battery pack also includes a cover plate, which is sealed and connected to the second opening of the inner shell, and the cover plate is provided with a charging port for a charging head to pass through.

7. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that The battery pack also includes a feeding assembly, which includes a feeding piece and a fourth sealing piece. The feeding piece is arranged on the first sealing piece and is used to connect the storage space with the feeding device that provides a fire extinguishing medium. The fourth sealing piece is detachably connected to the feeding piece and is used to seal the feeding piece.

8. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that The battery pack further comprises a handle, which is rotatably connected to the outer side of the housing.

9. An electric vehicle, It is characterized in that A battery pack comprising any one of claims 1 to 8.

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