Module housing, battery module, side plate unit, and method for providing battery module

Abstract

The invention relates to a module housing (12) for a battery module (10), which is used to receive a cell group (14) having a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side in a stacking direction (x), wherein the module housing (12) comprises a first end plate unit (20a, 20b) and a second end plate unit (20b, 20a) for delimiting the cell group (14) on both sides in the stacking direction (x), and two side plate units (32) each having a side plate (30), wherein the first end plate unit (20a) and the second end plate unit (20b) and the two side plate units are arranged to surround a receiving area (24) for receiving the cell group (14). The side plate (30) comprises a base body (34) and a metal strip (36) extending at least over the entire length of the receiving area (24) in a longitudinal extension direction (x), the base body being made of an electrically insulating material and directly adjoining the receiving area (24), and the metal strip not adjoining the receiving area (24).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a module housing for a battery module for receiving a cell group, wherein the cell group has a plurality of battery cells of the battery module arranged side by side in a stacking direction. Here, the module housing has a first end plate unit and a second end plate unit for defining the cell group on both sides in the stacking direction, and two side plate units each having a side plate, wherein the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit are connected to each other by two opposite side plates extending in a predetermined longitudinal extension direction, wherein the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit and the two side plate units are arranged to surround a receiving area for receiving the cell group. The present invention also relates to a battery module having such a module housing, a side plate unit for such a module housing, and a method for providing a battery module. Background Art

[0002] High-voltage batteries for electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles are usually constructed so that multiple battery modules are accommodated in the entire battery housing, and the multiple battery modules include multiple battery cells. Here, the battery cells of the battery module are usually arranged side by side in the form of a monomer group, and can also be separated from each other by plates arranged between the individual battery cells for electrical insulation and thermal insulation. The module housing for such a battery module is usually provided in the form of a frame around the monomer group. Therefore, this frame can have two end plate units and two side plates, which then define the monomer group in the stacking direction, and the end plate units are connected to each other by the side plates. Here, this frame can also assume the function of clamping the monomer group at the same time. Battery modules with prismatic monomers and / or soft-packed monomers are usually pre-clamped during assembly, that is, a pre-clamping force is applied to the monomer group by the end plate unit, and the pre-clamping force is then fixed by the module housing or by a mechanical bandage, etc. This clamping of the monomer group is used as a measure to counteract the excessive aging of the battery cell and thus achieves a long service life. Here, the clamping force should especially resist the expansion of the battery cell caused by charging and caused by aging. Accordingly, strong forces act on the side plates that connect the end plate units to each other. In other words, these side plates must meet high mechanical requirements. Accordingly, these components are made of metal, in particular steel sheet or stainless steel, to meet these high requirements. In addition, because the cell housing of the battery cell is usually made of metal, the side plates and the end plate units must be electrically insulated from the battery cell. This is achieved in the following way, that is, for example, an additional plastic insert is inserted between the end plate unit and the cell group or the end plate unit is bonded to an electrically insulating insulating film in the direction of the receiving area. On the side plate, a plastic film can be bonded accordingly on the inside, that is, toward the inside of the receiving area, in order to provide electrical insulation from the battery cell. If this insulating part is damaged, for example, in the event of an accident in a motor vehicle, there is a risk of a short circuit between the battery cell and the module housing. In addition, the common module housing has a large weight.

[0003] DE 10 2013 210 932 A1 describes a battery housing for receiving battery cells, wherein the wall of the battery housing comprises a channel for receiving a temperature control medium and the battery cells can be temperature-controlled by means of the temperature control medium in the channel. In this case, the battery housing or the wall with the cooling channel can comprise a polymer material, for example a fiber-reinforced polymer material.

[0004] Furthermore, EP 3 053 206 B1 describes a battery module having a battery module housing which surrounds the battery module interior and has a receptacle for a predetermined number of battery cells on the battery module interior side. In this case, the battery module housing has a safety wall section in the region of at least one receptacle, the material properties and thickness of which are implemented in such a way that the safety wall section exhibits the fastest possible burn-through. Thus, in the event of a battery fire, an opening should be formed in the battery module housing so that the energy released by the flame can escape from the battery module through the opening formed in the battery module housing. For this purpose, the safety wall section can be formed from a corresponding plastic. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a module housing, a battery module, a side plate unit and a method which make it possible to provide a module housing which can meet very high mechanical requirements and which is designed to be as safe and efficient as possible.

[0006] This object is achieved by a module housing, a battery module, a side plate unit and a method having the features according to the respective independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0007] A module housing for a battery module according to the present invention, which is used to receive a cell group of a battery module having a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side in a stacking direction, comprises a first end plate unit and a second end plate unit for delimiting the cell group on both sides in the stacking direction, and two side plate units each having a side plate, wherein the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit are connected to each other by two side plates extending in a predetermined longitudinal extension direction and lying opposite each other, wherein the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit and the two side plate units are arranged to surround a receiving area for receiving the cell group. Here, the side plate of at least one of the side plate units comprises a base body, which is formed of an electrically insulating material and directly adjoins the receiving area, and a metal strip, which extends at least over the entire length of the receiving area in the longitudinal extension direction and does not adjoin the receiving area.

[0008] Here, the present invention is based on the following understanding, that is, electrically insulating materials, such as plastics, are significantly lighter than metals and can also be formed into components significantly more cost-effectively than metals, and are particularly advantageous for use in module housings due to the electrical insulation properties of electrically insulating materials, but on the other hand, the mechanical loads that the electrically insulating materials can withstand are significantly lower than components made of metal materials. By combining a base body made of electrically insulating materials, especially plastics, with a metal strip to form a side plate, the great advantages of plastics and metals can be combined just to provide a module housing. Since the side plate is not completely, especially preferably no longer mainly made of metal in terms of its total volume, but is instead made of electrically insulating materials, especially plastics, the weight can be greatly reduced, and at the same time, the electrical insulation of the metal strip relative to the cell group can be achieved by the base body provided in this way. Therefore, a separate insulating film is no longer required. However, the mechanical stability required for such a side plate can be advantageously provided by the metal strip. Therefore, the side plate provided in this way can easily withstand the clamping force applied to the cell group. The particularly great advantage of this construction of the side plate is that the side plate can also be connected to the two end plate units particularly simply and stably by this metal strip. In particular, the ends of the metal strip can be welded to an end plate unit, which is preferably metallic or at least comprises metal parts, as will be explained in more detail below. Such a stable connection cannot usually be provided, at least not in a simple manner, for example, between plastic and metal. The invention thus advantageously makes it possible to provide a stable and mechanically very durable module housing for a battery module, which has a significantly higher insulation reliability due to the electrically insulating base body and also allows a particularly low weight and simple and cost-effective production.

[0009] The battery module to be used with the module housing can be constructed as described at the beginning. In addition to the module housing, the battery module can also have a cell group, which is received in the module housing. This cell group can have a plurality of battery cells, such as lithium-ion cells, arranged side by side in the stacking direction, which are preferably configured as prismatic battery cells. Between the individual battery cells, partitions or cell separation elements for electrical and thermal insulation can be arranged in the stacking direction - again as described at the beginning. This cell group can have a substantially square geometry after assembly. Therefore, the receiving area can also have a square geometry. Accordingly, a rectangular area can be enclosed by the end plate unit and the corresponding side plate.

[0010] If such a cell group is accommodated in a module housing according to the invention or one of its designs as specified, the stacking direction corresponds to a predetermined longitudinal extension direction. The end plate unit can also include a plurality of individual components, such as an inner end plate, which is arranged on the side of the corresponding end plate unit facing the receiving area, and an outer end plate, which is arranged on the inner end plate on the side of the inner end plate facing away from the receiving area. For example, a control unit, such as a battery management controller, can be accommodated in the outer end plate. In this case, both the inner end plate and the outer end plate can be made of metal or include metal parts. In this case, metal should also be understood as an alloy composed of different metals.

[0011] It is also preferred that the module housing has no housing bottom. Instead, the module housing can have a cover that can be seated from above on a frame provided by the side plate unit and the end plate unit. If the cell group is arranged in the module housing as specified, the cell poles face the cover. By virtue of the module housing being open on the bottom, i.e. having no module housing bottom, the battery module provided in this way can be inserted into the entire battery housing, for example together with other battery modules, wherein a cooling device can be provided via the housing bottom provided by the entire battery housing. This allows the battery cells of the battery module to be directly connected to such a heat dissipating bottom of the entire battery housing.

[0012] Furthermore, the two side plates of the two side plate units of the module housing can also be designed identically, which is also preferred due to the above-mentioned advantages. However, it is conceivable in principle that the two side plate units are designed in different ways.

[0013] The base of the side plate is also preferably constructed in such a way that the base completely covers the side of the battery cell facing the base when the cell group is received in the module housing. Therefore, the base can be constructed as a continuous plastic plate, which has a substantially rectangular shape. If necessary, a plastic molding can be provided on one side, for example, on the upper side, for example, for cable guidance in the battery. These plastic moldings can be provided in the form of a retaining device for a cable or can also be provided as a cable channel. The base of the side plate is composed of plastic, such as PE (polyethylene), and therefore has another great advantage, that is, additional components, such as the cable guide element or retaining element described above, can be significantly simpler and more cost-effective to integrate. The additional components can be manufactured simultaneously in the same manufacturing step as providing the base, for example, by an injection molding method. So far, it has been necessary to manufacture such components separately and to assemble such components to a metal component in an additional manufacturing step to provide a traditional side plate.

[0014] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal strip is arranged on the base body on the side facing away from the receiving area, in particular fixed to the base body. For example, the metal strip can be fixed to the base body by hot caulking or other suitable connecting techniques in order to connect the metal part to the plastic part. For example, the metal strip can also be adhesively bonded to the base body.

[0015] In principle, it is also conceivable that the metal strip is integrated into the base body, for example, at least largely encapsulated in the base body during production. However, the attachment of the metal strip to the outside of the base body has the advantage that this can be produced much more simply and that the metal strip is thus at a greater distance from the battery cells accommodated in the module housing, thereby providing greater safety, particularly in the event of an accident.

[0016] It is also preferred that the metal strip is made of steel or stainless steel, particularly preferably of galvanized steel, thereby providing a particularly high mechanical stability and a cost-effective construction.

[0017] Furthermore, the side plate can not only—although this is preferred—have one such metal strip, but can also be provided with a plurality of metal strips extending parallel to one another.

[0018] In another very advantageous design of the present invention, the metal strip is longer than the base body in the longitudinal extension direction and protrudes from the base body on both sides in the longitudinal extension direction. These protruding ends can therefore be advantageously used to connect the side plates to the end plate units. Therefore, accordingly, it is further preferred that the respective parts of the metal strip that protrude from the base body in the longitudinal extension direction are fixed to the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit. For example, these protruding parts can be welded to the end plate units, for example, welded to the above-mentioned inner end plate or outer end plate of the end plate unit. Thereby, a particularly stable and durable connection can be provided between the end plate unit and the side plate. The connection in particular withstands the clamping forces and expansion forces that typically occur in a single cell module or a battery module.

[0019] It is also preferred that the metal strip is shorter than the base body in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, i.e. in particular in the height direction. The height can be defined in the direction from the open module housing bottom to the module housing cover. The side panels - as described above - extend in the longitudinal extension direction, while the end panels extend perpendicularly to the side panels in the width direction, the width also being perpendicular to the height. By having a smaller height of the metal strip than the base body, it can be ensured that the metal strip cannot come into contact with the battery cells accommodated in the module housing. In addition, additional weight can be saved in this way.

[0020] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal strip has at least one reinforcing profile, for example a reinforcing rib, extending in the direction of longitudinal extension. By means of such a three-dimensionally shaped profile, which can be provided simply as an embossing, for example, the overall rigidity and robustness of such a metal strip can be increased. In particular, the clamping force can be increased primarily in the direction of longitudinal extension. In addition, this allows the height and / or thickness of the metal strip to be reduced in a direction perpendicular to the height and the direction of longitudinal extension. The height of the metal strip can, for example, be approximately equal to half the height of the base body, which can, for example, be 115 mm high. The thickness of the metal strip is preferably in the range of single-digit millimeters or less, for example approximately 1 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0021] In another very advantageous design of the present invention, the side plate unit has an insulating plate made of an electrically insulating material, which is connected to the base body in a material-locked manner at the end of the base body and forms an angle, especially an angle of about 90° with the base body, wherein the insulating plate is arranged between the first end plate unit or the second end plate unit and the receiving area, especially so that the monomer group received in the receiving area does not contact the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit. The insulating plate can advantageously save the plastic insert or insulating film between the relevant end plate unit and the monomer group mentioned at the beginning. The main advantage of this design is that it is no longer necessary to manufacture and insert such a plastic insert separately, but the plastic insert can be provided as part of the side plate unit. In particular, for example, the base body and the insulating plate can be manufactured as a common flat plastic part or as a plastic plate, wherein a straight material weakening can then be opened in the plastic plate, which separates the base body from the insulating plate. The material weakening of the line extending along the straight line provides a bending edge in the plastic accordingly, and can be provided, for example, by an introduced groove or punching line. The plastic plate can therefore be bent 90° along the bending edge, thereby ultimately providing an insulating plate that is adjacent to the substrate and materially connected to the substrate. In other words, the insulating plate can be provided by bending a portion of the plastic plate that was originally provided. The remaining unbent portion ultimately provides the substrate, and the metal strip is arranged on the substrate as described. Therefore, the side plate and the insulating plate can be provided between the monomer group and the end plate unit by one component. This has another major advantage, namely that a gap between the substrate and the insulating plate, which are provided by the same component and still remain materially connected to each other after bending, can also be avoided. This is particularly advantageous in terms of insulation reliability, because over time, a short circuit risk may also occur due to changes in the gap width between the insulating parts.

[0022] The two side plate units are preferably designed in such a way that one side plate unit provides an insulating plate between the first end plate unit and the receiving area, while the other side plate unit provides a corresponding insulating plate between the receiving area and the second end plate unit. In this way, an insulation section that completely surrounds the receiving area can be provided by the two side plate units. This allows significantly more efficient production and a reduction in the total number of individual components required.

[0023] For example, in order to avoid the possibility of a gap between the insulating plate of the first side plate unit and the substrate of the other side plate unit adjacent in the circumferential direction, for example, another insulating section bent by 90° can be connected to the insulating plate of one of the side plate units, and the insulating section overlaps with the substrate of the other side plate. Alternatively, such an insulating section bent by 90° can also be connected to the substrate on the side opposite to the insulating plate, so that the insulating section overlaps with the insulating plate of the other side plate unit at least partially in the circumferential direction. By this overlap, the insulation reliability at the corner of the receiving area can be improved accordingly by avoiding gaps, and the insulation reliability can also be ensured over time, especially in the continuous expansion of the module during its service life.

[0024] As mentioned above, it is advantageous if a material weakening, in particular a notch, is formed at the boundary between the base body and the insulating plate. This advantageously provides a bending edge during production, so that the insulating plate can be easily bent or curved relative to the base body in order to thereby enclose a predetermined angle, for example 90°, with the base body. The same applies to the additional insulating section.

[0025] The invention furthermore relates to a battery module having a module housing according to the invention or one of its designs. The advantages described for the module housing according to the invention and its designs apply in the same way to the battery module according to the invention. Furthermore, the battery module according to the invention preferably has a cell group received in the receiving space, which cell group can be designed as described above. In this case, the stacking direction corresponds to the longitudinal extension direction of the module housing or the side plate.

[0026] In addition, the present invention also relates to a side plate unit for a module housing, in particular for a module housing according to the present invention or one of its designs. In particular, the side plate unit can be designed for a module housing according to the present invention or one of its embodiments as already described. Accordingly, a side plate unit for a module housing of a battery module is provided, the module housing being used to receive a cell group having a plurality of battery cells of a battery module arranged side by side in a stacking direction in a receiving area of ​​the module housing, wherein the side plate unit comprises a side plate, which is designed to connect two end plate units of the module housing. In addition, the side plate has a base body made of an electrically insulating material for being arranged directly on the receiving area, and the side plate also has a metal strip extending at least over the entire length of the base body in the longitudinal extension direction, which metal strip is not adjacent to the receiving area.

[0027] In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for providing a battery module, wherein a cell group having a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side in a stacking direction is provided, two end plate units for delimiting the cell group on both sides in the stacking direction are provided, and two stacking plate units (side plate units) each having a side plate are provided. In addition, the two end plate units are connected to each other by two side plates extending in a predetermined longitudinal extension direction and opposite to each other, so that the first end plate unit and the second end plate unit and the two side plate units are arranged to surround a receiving area for receiving the cell group. In addition, the side plate of at least one of the side plate units has a base body composed of an electrically insulating material and a metal strip extending at least over the entire length of the receiving area in the longitudinal extension direction, wherein the side plates are arranged on the two end plate units in such a way that the base body is directly adjacent to the cell group received in the receiving area, while the metal strip is not adjacent to the cell group.

[0028] The advantages described with regard to the module housing according to the invention and its embodiments also apply in the same manner to the method according to the invention.

[0029] In an advantageous improvement of the method according to the invention, it is proposed that when two side plate units are provided, at least one of the side plate units is provided with an insulating plate made of an electrically insulating material, which is materially connected to the base body at the end of the base body along the longitudinal extension direction and is in the same plane as the base body, wherein the insulating plate is bent at an angle, in particular 90°, relative to the base body before the side plate is fixed to the end plate unit, and the side plate unit is arranged on the monomer group in such a way that the insulating plate is arranged between one of the end plate units and the monomer group, in particular so that the monomer group received in the receiving area does not contact the first end plate unit or the second end plate unit.

[0030] Before the side plates are fixed by fixing the above-mentioned protruding ends of the metal strips to the end plate units, the cell group can be compressed in the stacking direction under force loading, in particular loading with a force of 8 kN, and then the metal strips can be welded to the end plate units. Subsequently, the force loading can be terminated. Thus, the cell group can be clamped in the frame provided by the module housing.

[0031] The invention also includes developments of the method according to the invention which have the features already described in conjunction with the developments of the module housing according to the invention. For this reason, corresponding developments of the method according to the invention will not be described here.

[0032] A battery having a battery module according to the invention and a motor vehicle having such a battery, preferably designed as a high-voltage battery, should also be considered to belong to the invention. The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car or a truck, or as a passenger car or a motorcycle.

[0033] The present invention also includes combinations of features of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present invention also includes implementations which respectively have a combination of features of a plurality of the described embodiments, as long as the embodiments are not described as mutually exclusive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. To this end, it is shown that:

[0035] Figure 1 shows a schematic exploded view of a battery module having a module housing according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0036] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a side plate unit for a module housing according to an embodiment of the present invention before being assembled. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiment set forth below is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment, the described various parts of the embodiment are respectively the features of the present invention that can be considered independently of each other, and these features also improve the present invention independently of each other. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to include the combination of the features of the embodiment except the combination shown. In addition, the embodiment can also be supplemented by other features in the described features of the present invention.

[0038] In the figures, the same reference numerals respectively denote elements with the same function.

[0039] Figure 1A schematic exploded view of a battery module 10 having a module housing 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In addition to the module housing 12, the battery module 10 also has a cell group 14, which has a plurality of battery cells 16 arranged side by side in the stacking direction x. In addition, a cell separator element 18 for electrically and thermally insulating the battery cells 16 from each other can be arranged between each two battery cells 16 arranged side by side. For example, such a battery module 10 or such a cell group 14 can include sixteen battery cells 16 and corresponding fifteen cell separator elements 18. The stacking direction x corresponds to the longitudinal extension direction x of the module housing 12. The module housing includes two end plate units 20a, 20b that define the cell group 14 in the stacking direction x. The end plate units can respectively include an inner end plate 22 and a corresponding outer end plate 26, the inner end plates respectively facing the receiving area 24, the cell group 14 is received in the receiving area, and the outer end plates are arranged away from the receiving area 24. In addition, a control unit 28, such as a battery management controller, can also be arranged on the outer end plate 26 of the first end plate unit in the end plate unit 20a. The two end plate units 20a are also connected to each other on both sides by two side plates 30 extending in the longitudinal extension direction x. The side plates 30 are arranged opposite to each other. The side plates 30 and the end plate units 20a, 20b together enclose a square receiving area 24, in which the cell group 14 is arranged. Here, these corresponding side plates 30 are part of the side plate unit 32. Here, this side plate 30 has a base body 34 made of an electrically insulating material on the one hand. The base body 34 is preferably at least mostly formed of plastic or also completely formed of plastic. In addition, the corresponding side plate 30 has a metal strip 36. The metal strip 36 is arranged on the outside on the plastic base body 34, that is, arranged on the side of the base body 34 away from the receiving area 24. In addition, the metal strip 36 is constructed smaller than the base body 34 in the z direction. The metal strip 36 is designed to be longer than the base body 34 in the x-direction, that is to say in the longitudinal extension direction x. This provides ends 36a of the metal strip protruding on both sides on the base body 34, by which the side plates 36 can be advantageously fixed to the end plate units 20a, 20b, for example by welding. Such a metal strip 36 can be made of galvanized steel or stainless steel, for example. The plastic part provided by the base body 34 covers the entire side of the module, that is to say, the base body 34 extends over the entire side of the cell group 14 facing the base body.

[0040] Furthermore, an insulating plate 38 is integrally bonded to the base body 34 and is provided at the bottom of the base body 34. Figure 1 It is only schematically shown with dotted lines. Figure 2A detailed view of the side panel unit 32 is again shown in the initial state before installation. The base body 34 and the insulating plate 38 can thus be provided by a common plastic part. The insulating part 38 can then be bent, for example, by approximately 90° relative to the base body 34 by bending around the provided bending edge 40, so as to present a Figure 1 The shape shown in . Such a bending edge 40 can be provided, for example, by corresponding material weakening in the plastic plates 34, 38. Preferably, the two side plate units 32 of the module housing 12 are provided in this way. Thus, the monomer group 14 is surrounded by an insulating portion, which is provided by the plastic parts of the two side plate units 32. These plastic parts, that is, the corresponding base 34 and the corresponding insulating plate 38 connected to the base protect the battery module or the monomer group 14 from foreign objects or short circuits. By extending one side of the plastic part of the side plate unit 32 accordingly and forming it in a way that the plastic part can be bent 90°, the insulating plate 38 provided thereby can be advantageously used to insulate the end plate or the end plate unit 20a, 20b. The battery module 10 is accordingly assembled so that each insulating plate 38 of each side plate unit 32 is finally located between the monomer group 14 and the inner end plate 22 of each end plate unit 20a, 20b. Thus, two components are saved for the battery module 10. In order to further improve the insulation reliability, a further insulating section 38' can be provided on the side of the insulating plate 38 opposite the base body 34, which can be bent 90° relative to the insulating plate, so that the further insulating section 38 also continues to be connected to the insulating plate 38 in a material-locked manner, but is oriented parallel to the base body 34. As a result, the insulating section 38 - in the assembled state of the module 10 - overlaps with the base body 34 of the other side plate unit 32. Thus, gaps in the corner area can be completely avoided. Alternatively, in the Figure 2 The insulating section 38 ′ indicated by dashed lines may also be arranged on the base body 34 on the side opposite the insulating plate 38 .

[0041] The metal strip 36 can be connected to the base body 34 via one or more connection points 42, for example by hot caulking. Furthermore, the metal strip 36 preferably has a reinforcing profile 44, by which the strength of the metal strip 36 can be increased. Furthermore, a shaped portion 46 can also be provided on the upper side of the base body 36, for example in the form of a retaining device, which can be used to guide the cables in the battery. In addition, as in Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the module 10 can also have a cell connection device 50 above the cells 16 and a cover 48 closing the module 10 on the top side.

[0042] In summary, these examples show how the invention can provide an optimized side panel for a prismatic cell module, which side panel can achieve an increased protection capability for sensitive cells against short circuits and save multiple components of the battery module. In addition, a significantly lower weight of the side panel can be achieved. Such a side panel or side panel unit is installed twenty-four times in the battery. This can significantly save weight. This can also reduce costs.

Claims

1. A module housing (12) for a battery module (10), the module housing being used to receive a cell group (14) having a plurality of battery cells of the battery module (10) arranged side by side in a stacking direction (x), wherein: The module housing (12) has: - a first end plate unit (20a, 20b) and a second end plate unit (20b, 20a) for delimiting the cell group (14) on both sides in the stacking direction (x); and - two side plate units (32), each of which has a side plate (30), wherein the first end plate unit (20a, 20b) and the second end plate unit (20b, 20a) are connected to each other via two side plates (30) extending in a predetermined longitudinal extension direction (x) and lying opposite each other, wherein the first end plate unit (20a), the second end plate unit (20b) and the two side plate units (32) are arranged relative to each other such that a receiving area (24) for receiving a cell group (14) is enclosed by the first end plate unit, the second end plate unit and the two side plate units, It is characterized in that The side plate (30) of at least one of the side plate units (32) comprises a base body (34) made of an electrically insulating material and directly adjacent to the receiving area (24), and a metal strip (36) extending in a longitudinal extension direction (x) at least over the entire length of the receiving area (24) and not adjacent to the receiving area (24).

2. The module housing (12) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The metal strip (36) is arranged on the base body (34) on the side facing away from the receiving region (24).

3. The module housing (12) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The metal strip (36) is longer than the base body (34) in the longitudinal extension direction (x) and protrudes beyond the base body (34) on both sides in the longitudinal extension direction (x), wherein the corresponding parts (36a) of the metal strip (36) protruding beyond the base body (34) in the longitudinal extension direction (x) are fixed to the first end plate unit (20a) and the second end plate unit (20b).

4. The module housing (12) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The metal strip (36) has at least one reinforcement profile (44) extending in a longitudinal extension direction (x).

5. The module housing (12) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The side plate unit (32) has an insulating plate (38) made of an electrically insulating material, which is connected to the base body (34) at the end of the base body (34) in a material-locked manner and forms an angle with the base body, wherein the insulating plate (38) is arranged between the first end plate unit (20a) or the second end plate unit (20b) and the receiving area (24).

6. The module housing (12) according to claim 5, It is characterized in that A material weakening (40) is formed at the boundary (40) between the base body (34) and the insulating plate (38).

7. The module housing (12) according to claim 2, characterized in that The metal strip (36) is fixed to the base body (34).

8. The module housing (12) according to claim 4, characterized in that The reinforcement profile is a reinforcement rib.

9. The module housing (12) according to claim 5, characterized in that The insulating plate encloses an angle of approximately 90° with the base body.

10. The module housing (12) according to claim 5, characterized in that The insulating plate (38) is arranged so that the cell group (14) received in the receiving area (24) does not contact the first end plate unit (20a) and the second end plate unit (20b).

11. The module housing (12) according to claim 6, characterized in that The material weakened portion is a notch (40).

12. A battery module (10), comprising a module housing (12) according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 and a cell pack (14) received in a receiving area (24).

13. A side plate unit (32) for a module housing (12) of a battery module (10), for receiving a cell group (14) having a plurality of battery cells (16) of the battery module (10) arranged side by side in a stacking direction (x) in a receiving area (24) of the module housing (12), wherein: The side plate unit (32) includes a side plate (30) which is designed to connect two end plate units (20a, 20b) of a module housing (12). It is characterized in that The side plate (30) has a base body (34) made of an electrically insulating material for being arranged directly on the receiving area (24), the side plate (30) having a metal strip (36) extending in a longitudinal extension direction (x) at least over the entire length of the base body (34) and not adjoining the receiving area (24).

14. A method for providing a battery module (10), the method comprising the following steps: - providing a cell group (14) having a plurality of battery cells (16) arranged side by side in a stacking direction (x); - providing two end plate units (20a, 20b) for delimiting the cell group (14) on both sides in the stacking direction (x); - providing two side panel units (32), each of which has a side panel (30); and - connecting the two end plate units (20a, 20b) by two side plates (30) extending in a predetermined longitudinal extension direction (x) and arranged opposite to each other, so that the two end plate units (20a, 20b) and the two side plate units (32) are arranged to surround a receiving area (24) for receiving the cell group (14); It is characterized in that The side plate (30) of at least one of the side plate units (32) comprises a base body (34) made of an electrically insulating material and a metal strip (36) extending at least over the entire length of a receiving area (24) in a longitudinal extension direction (x), wherein the side plate (30) is arranged on two end plate units (20a, 20b) in such a way that the base body (34) is directly adjacent to a cell group (14) received in the receiving area (24), while the metal strip (36) is not adjacent to the cell group (14).

15. The method according to claim 14, It is characterized in that When providing the two side plate units (32), at least one of the side plate units (32) is provided with an insulating plate (38) made of an electrically insulating material, the insulating plate being materially connected to the base body (34) at the end of the base body (34) in the longitudinal extension direction (x) and being in the same plane as the base body (34), wherein the insulating plate (38) is bent at an angle relative to the base body (34) before the side plate (30) is fixed to the end plate units (20a, 20b), and the side plate unit (32) is arranged on the cell group (14) in such a way that the insulating plate (38) is arranged between one of the end plate units (20a, 20b) and the cell group (14).

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The insulating plate (38) is arranged so that the cell group (14) received in the receiving area (24) does not contact any of the end plate units (20a, 20b).

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