Battery packs, battery modules and vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack, a battery module and a vehicle. The battery pack includes a cell group, a first shell and a side plate. The cell group includes a plurality of cells arranged along a first direction and electrically connected. The first shell is provided with a connection portion for fixed connection with the vehicle body. The first shell is provided with a first opening at one end in the second direction. The first opening is used to allow the cell group to be inserted into the first shell. The side plate is used to close the first opening. The second direction is the thickness direction of the cell. The cell group is inserted into the first shell along the thickness direction of the cell, so that the cell group is not easy to bend at the connection of the cell, thereby making the cell group easy to install. Since the cell group is not easy to bend, there is no need to reserve an oversized installation space for the cell group in the first shell. Therefore, the internal space of the first shell will not be wasted, and the space utilization rate in the first shell can be improved, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of automobile battery pack manufacturing, and in particular, to a battery pack, a battery module and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles, users' requirements for the range of new energy vehicles are also increasing. Improving the energy density of battery packs is currently the best way to do this, that is, the more energy a battery pack can store per unit volume, the longer the range of the car driven by the battery pack.

[0003] In the existing battery pack assembly process, generally, multiple battery cells are connected end to end in series in the length direction of the battery cells to form a battery cell group, and then inserted into the shell through the opening in the length direction of the battery pack shell, that is, the insertion direction of the battery cell group is the same as the length direction of the battery cell group. Since the battery cell group is connected in the length direction of the battery cell group, the length is relatively large and it is a soft connection. According to the above insertion method, the battery cell group is prone to bend at the connection between the battery cells, which makes the insertion of the battery cell group inconvenient. Moreover, due to the bending, in order to facilitate the insertion of the battery cell group, the size of the space reserved for installing the battery cell group in the shell is relatively large, and the internal space utilization rate of the shell is low. When the internal space of the shell is fixed, the number of battery cells that can be installed is reduced, which is not conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack, a battery module and a vehicle, in which the installation of the battery cell group is relatively convenient and is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present disclosure provides a battery pack, including a battery cell group, a first shell and a side plate, the battery cell group includes a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction and electrically connected, the first shell is provided with a connecting portion for fixedly connecting to a vehicle body, the first shell is provided with a first opening at one end in a second direction, the first opening is used for inserting the battery cell group into a receiving space inside the first shell, the side plate is used for closing the first opening, and the second direction is the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0006] Optionally, the length of the battery cell group in the first direction is 1000 mm-2500 mm.

[0007] Optionally, there are multiple battery cell groups, and the multiple battery cell groups are arranged along the second direction. The battery pack further includes a buffer, and at least one buffer is arranged between two adjacent battery cell groups.

[0008] Optionally, the side plate abuts against the battery cell group to provide a pre-tightening force to the battery cell group.

[0009] Optionally, the battery pack further includes an insulating film, which is wrapped around the outer surface of the battery cell group.

[0010] Optionally, a plurality of battery cells in the battery cell group are connected in series, and the battery cell comprises a first electrode lead-out member and a second electrode lead-out member, and the first electrode lead-out member and the second electrode lead-out member are distributed on opposite sides of the battery cell along the first direction.

[0011] Optionally, the battery pack further includes a support plate, and the support plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first shell.

[0012] Optionally, the first shell includes a top plate and a bottom plate that are arranged opposite to each other, and the support plate is fixedly connected to the top plate and the bottom plate.

[0013] As another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising a battery cell group, a second shell and a side plate, wherein the battery cell group comprises a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction and electrically connected;

[0014] The second shell has a second opening at one end in the second direction. The second opening is used for inserting the battery cell group into the accommodation space inside the second shell. The side plate is used to close the second opening. The second direction is the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0015] As another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, comprising the above-mentioned battery pack or battery module.

[0016] Through the above technical solution, in the battery pack provided by the present invention, the battery cell group is inserted into the first shell along the thickness direction of the battery cell, so that the battery cell group is not easy to bend at the connection of the battery cell, thereby facilitating the installation of the battery cell group. On the other hand, since the battery cell group is not easy to bend, compared with the solution in the prior art that an oversized installation space is reserved for installing the battery cell group, the first shell provided by the present invention does not need to reserve an oversized installation space for the battery cell group. Therefore, the internal space of the first shell will not be wasted, and the space utilization rate in the first shell can be improved. Therefore, more battery cell groups can be placed without changing the internal space of the first shell, which is beneficial to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present disclosure but do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1is an exploded schematic diagram of a battery pack provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a connection portion is not shown;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a battery pack provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell of a battery pack provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a first shell of a battery pack provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the side plate is not shown;

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of an explosion of a battery module provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1-battery pack; 11-battery cell group; 111-battery cell; 1111-first electrode lead-out piece; 1112-second electrode lead-out piece; 12-first shell; 121-first opening; 122-top plate; 123-bottom plate; 124-third opening; 13-side plate; 14-support plate; 15-buffer; 16-insulating film; 2-battery module; 21-second shell; 211-second opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The specific implementation of the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described herein is only used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0027] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, directional terms such as "upper, lower" are generally defined based on the drawing direction of the corresponding drawings. "Inner, outer" refers to the inner and outer of the contour of the corresponding component.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are merely used for distinguishing descriptions and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] As mentioned above, in the prior art, inserting the assembled battery cell group into the housing along its length direction will cause the battery cell group to bend in the length direction, making the installation of the battery cell group inconvenient and not conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0030] In view of this, if Figures 1 to 4As shown, the present disclosure provides a battery pack 1, which includes a battery cell group 11, a first shell 12 and a side plate 13. The battery cell group 11 includes a plurality of battery cells 111 arranged along a first direction L1 and electrically connected. The first shell 12 is provided with a connecting portion (not shown) for fixed connection with a vehicle body. The first shell 12 is provided with a first opening 121 at one end in the second direction L2. The first opening 121 is used to allow the battery cell group 11 to be inserted into the accommodating space inside the first shell 12. The side plate 13 is used to close the first opening 121. The second direction L2 is the thickness direction of the battery cell 111.

[0031] In the process of assembling the battery pack 1, the battery cells 111 can be connected in series to obtain the battery cell group 11. Then, the battery cell group 11 is inserted into the first shell 12 through the first opening 121, and the electric control module can be inserted into the first shell 12 to be electrically connected to the battery cell group 11. After that, the side plate 13 is installed on the first opening 121, and the assembly of the battery pack 1 is completed. When installing the battery pack 1, the assembled battery pack 1 can be installed on the vehicle body through the connection part, for example, on the chassis of the vehicle body.

[0032] Through the above technical solution, in the battery pack 1 provided by the present disclosure, the battery cell group 11 includes a plurality of battery cells 111 arranged in a first direction L1, the first direction L1 is the length direction of the battery cell group 11, and the second direction L2 is the thickness direction of the battery cell 111. The battery cell group 11 is inserted into the first shell 12 along the thickness direction of the battery cell 111, so that the battery cell group 11 is not easy to bend at the connection of the battery cell 111, thereby facilitating the installation of the battery cell group 11. On the other hand, due to the difficulty of the battery cell group 11 to bend, compared with the solution of reserving an oversized installation space in the prior art for installing the battery cell group 11, the first shell 12 of the present disclosure does not need to reserve a larger installation space for the battery cell group 11, so that the internal space of the first shell 12 will not be wasted, and the space utilization rate in the first shell 12 can be improved. Therefore, when the internal space of the first shell 12 remains unchanged, more battery cell groups 11 can be placed, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery pack 1.

[0033] In the present disclosure, the length of the battery cell group 11 in the first direction L1 is not limited, and can be specifically determined according to the design size of the battery pack 1, and the length of the battery cell 111 in each battery cell group 11 and the number of the battery cells 111 can be designed as needed. Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, the length of the battery cell group 11 in the first direction L1 is 1000mm-2500mm, and each battery cell group 11 may include three battery cells 111.

[0034] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 As shown, there are multiple battery cell groups 11 , and the multiple battery cell groups 11 are arranged along the second direction L2 .

[0035] The existing battery pack box is provided with a plurality of cavities inside, each cavity is used to install a battery cell group 11, and a large assembly gap is left inside the cavity to facilitate the installation of the battery cell group 11. Although the assembly gap makes the assembly of the battery cell group 11 more convenient, the accumulated assembly gap will cause a great waste of the internal space of the box. In the present disclosure, a plurality of battery cell groups 11 are arranged along the second direction L2, and the battery cell groups 11 are no longer restricted by the assembly gap. The same internal volume of the box can accommodate more battery cell groups 11, thereby improving the energy density of the battery pack 1.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery pack 1 may further include a buffer 15 , and at least one buffer 112 may be provided between two adjacent battery cell groups 111 .

[0037] The buffer 15 can provide a buffer space for the expansion of the battery cell 111, so that the battery cell group 11 will not directly contact the adjacent battery cell 111 when it expands, avoiding mutual squeezing between the battery cell groups 11 and reducing the risk of accidents. The buffer 15 can be made of foam material to provide sufficient buffer space and flexible support for the battery cell 111.

[0038] In order to further improve the space utilization rate in the first housing 12, as an optional installation method of the side plate 13, after the battery cell group 11 is inserted into the first housing 12, the side plate 13 can be pressed against the battery cell group 11 to provide a pre-tightening force to the battery cell group 11, that is, the side plate 13 is installed in a pre-tightening manner. In this way, when the side plate 13 presses against the battery cell group 11, the gaps between the battery cell groups 11 are reduced, the number of battery cell groups 11 in a unit volume increases, and the space utilization rate is improved.

[0039] In addition, in the implementation mode where the buffer member 15 is provided between each battery cell group 111, since the buffer member 15 is retractable, the battery cell group 11 in the first shell 12 is retracted into the first shell 12 under the action of the side plate 13, thereby increasing the tightness of the battery cell group 11 installed in the first shell 12, thereby avoiding accidents caused by shaking during use, and at the same time, further utilizing the space in the first shell 12.

[0040] Optionally, the side plate 13 can be threaded, bonded or welded to the first shell 12. Installation by threaded connection facilitates installation and removal of the side plate 13 and maintenance of the internal battery pack 1; installation by bonding does not require other tools during the installation process, which is convenient for operation and installation; installation by welding can ensure the connection strength between the side plate 13 and the first shell 12 and improve the safety factor.

[0041] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 As shown, the battery pack 1 may further include an insulating film 16, and the insulating film 16 is wrapped around the outer surface of the battery cell group 11. The insulating film 16 disposed on the outer surface of the battery cell group 11 isolates the battery cell 111 from the first shell 12, thereby preventing the battery cell 111 from short-circuiting due to the conductivity of the outer shell, thereby ensuring the safe use of the battery cell 111. At the same time, it also makes the structure of the multiple battery cell groups 11 less likely to fall apart, thereby improving the compactness of the assembly of the battery cell groups 11. It is understandable that in the present disclosure, the insulating film 16 can wrap either a single battery cell group 11 or multiple battery cell groups 11, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0042] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, multiple cells 111 in the cell group 11 are connected in series, and the cell 111 includes a first electrode lead-out member 1111 and a second electrode lead-out member 1112, and the first electrode lead-out member 1111 and the second electrode lead-out member 1112 are distributed on opposite sides of the cell 111 along the first direction L1. The first electrode lead-out members 1111 and the second electrode lead-out members 1112 of the multiple cells 111 are connected end to end in the first direction L1 to form the cell group 11. The arrangement of the electrode lead-out members transfers the position of the tabs of the conventional cells to the length direction of the cells 111, so that the cells 111 are connected in series to form the cell group 11. At the same time, the arrangement of the cells 111 connected end to end can also better control the number of cells 111 connected to the cell group 11, thereby better controlling the length of the cell group 11.

[0043] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first shell 12 is a cubic structure, and the first shell 12 has at least one third opening 124 in the first direction L1, and the third opening 124 is used to install the sealing cover. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery pack 1 can also be a cylindrical battery pack, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

[0044] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 As shown, the battery pack 1 may further include a support plate 14, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first shell 12 to provide support force inside the shell 12 structure to ensure that the shell 12 structure does not deform, thereby ensuring that the battery cell 111 inside the shell 12 runs smoothly and safely. Figure 2As shown, during assembly, after the support plate 14 and the battery pack 111 are placed in the first housing 12 and the side plate 13 is installed, the edge of the support plate 14 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing 12 by bonding or welding, so that the support plate 14 and the housing 12 do not move relative to each other, thereby ensuring the support strength and improving the support effect of the support plate 14. By connecting by bonding, the installation is more convenient and excessive operations are avoided in a small space; by connecting by welding, the installation strength can be ensured, so that the support plate 114 provides a better support effect for the housing 12.

[0045] Optionally, as an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 As shown, the first shell 12 may include a top plate 122 and a bottom plate 123 that are arranged opposite to each other, and the support plate 14 is fixedly connected to the top plate 122 and the bottom plate 123. The I-beam structure formed by the support plate 14, the top plate 122 and the bottom plate 123 makes the support plate 14 and the first shell 12 an integral structure. When the battery pack 1 encounters extrusion or collision, the force can be better transmitted from the surface of the first shell 12 to the support plate 14, and the force is shared by the support plate 14, so as to ensure that the first shell 12 is not deformed and protect the battery cell 111 from being damaged by extrusion.

[0046] Optionally, there may be multiple support plates 14 , and one support plate 14 may be disposed between every two battery cell groups 11 .

[0047] As another aspect of the present disclosure, Figure 5 As shown, a battery module 2 is provided, which includes a battery cell group 11, a second shell 21 and a side plate 13. The battery cell group 11 includes a plurality of battery cells 111 arranged along a first direction L1 and electrically connected. A second opening 211 is provided at one end of the second shell 21 in the second direction L2. The second opening 211 is used to allow the battery cell group 11 to be inserted into the accommodating space inside the second shell 21. The side plate 13 is used to close the second opening 211. Here, the second direction L2 is the thickness direction of the battery cell 111.

[0048] In the battery module 2, the assembly method of the battery cell group 11 and the second shell 21 is similar to the assembly method of the battery cell group 11 and the first shell 11 in the battery pack 1 described above, so that the battery cell group 11 is easy to install. Similarly, since the battery cell group 11 is not easy to bend, there is no need to reserve a large installation space for the battery cell group 11 in the second shell 21, which can improve the space utilization rate in the second shell 21, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery module 2.

[0049] In addition, the battery module 2 provided in the present disclosure may also be provided with the buffer component and the support plate of the battery pack 1 described above.

[0050] As another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, which includes the above-mentioned battery pack 1 or battery module 2.

[0051] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present disclosure, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be assembled in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present disclosure will not further describe various possible assembly methods.

[0053] In addition, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be assembled arbitrarily, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present disclosure, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that: It comprises a first shell (12), a side plate (13) and a battery cell group (11), wherein the battery cell group (11) comprises a plurality of battery cells (111) arranged along a first direction (L1) and electrically connected; The first shell (12) is provided with a connection portion for fixedly connecting to a vehicle body, and the first shell (12) is provided with a first opening (121) at one end in a second direction (L2), the first opening (121) being used for inserting the battery cell group (11) into a receiving space inside the first shell (12), the side plate (13) being used for closing the first opening (121), and the second direction (L2) being a thickness direction of the battery cell (111).

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the battery cell group (11) in the first direction (L1) is 1000 mm-2500 mm.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of battery cell groups (11), and the plurality of battery cell groups (11) are arranged along the second direction (L2). The battery pack (1) further comprises a buffer member (15), and at least one buffer member (15) is arranged between two adjacent battery cell groups (11).

4. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The side plate (13) abuts against the battery cell group (11) to provide a pre-tightening force to the battery cell group (11).

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery pack (1) further comprises an insulating film (16), wherein the insulating film (16) is wrapped around the outer surface of the battery cell group (11).

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of battery cells (111) in the battery cell group (11) are connected in series, and the battery cell (111) comprises a first electrode lead-out piece (1111) and a second electrode lead-out piece (1112), and the first electrode lead-out piece (1111) and the second electrode lead-out piece (1112) are distributed on two opposite sides of the battery cell (111) along the first direction (L1).

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery pack (1) further comprises a support plate (14), wherein the support plate (14) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first shell (12).

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first shell (12) comprises a top plate (122) and a bottom plate (123) which are arranged opposite to each other, and the support plate (14) is fixedly connected to the top plate (122) and the bottom plate (123).

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises the battery pack (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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