Assembly Frame of Lithium Battery, Battery Module and Its Assembly Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of lithium-ion batteries, and particularly relates to an assembly framework for a lithium battery, a battery module and an assembly method thereof. The assembly framework for the lithium battery of the present invention includes a cover plate at the top and a plurality of spacers clamped under the cover plate, and the bayonet position of the cover plate is matched with the buckle position of the spacers; the battery module of the lithium battery of the present invention includes a collection wire harness, a single battery, a bus bar, a terminal base, an end plate and a side plate. Low cost, strong versatility and easy to produce: Most components are made without mold opening, saving mold opening costs; the spacers between the batteries can not only play an insulating role, but also fix the wire harness and the cover plate, and at the same time, the complex plastic parts for commonly used top restraint of the battery are omitted, saving mold opening costs; when using single batteries of the same specification for the production of different models of modules, the components have strong versatility; it has the advantages of short development cycle, low design cost, low manufacturing cost and easy to produce.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lithium ion batteries, and in particular to an assembly frame of a lithium battery, a battery module and an assembly method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in digital products, electric bicycles, new energy vehicles and other fields due to their advantages such as high energy density, fast charging rate, long service life and low self-discharge. With the continuous maturity of lithium battery technology, the manufacturing cost is reduced year by year, and the application field of lithium-ion batteries is constantly expanding, such as electric forklifts, locomotives and energy storage systems. Low cost is the fundamental guarantee for the expansion of lithium-ion batteries in new fields. However, affected by the market supply and demand, the price of raw materials fluctuates greatly. The rise in raw material prices is a severe challenge faced by all lithium battery companies. In order to smoothly transition to a new development period, lithium battery companies must further reduce the manufacturing cost of lithium battery products. As an important part of the manufacturing process of lithium battery systems, it is very necessary to develop a low-cost, versatile and easy-to-produce module for lithium-ion battery modules. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a lithium battery assembly frame, a battery module and an assembly method thereof, which have the advantages of short development cycle, low design cost, low manufacturing cost and easy production.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is:

[0005] A lithium battery assembly frame includes a top cover plate and a plurality of spacers clamped under the cover plate, wherein:

[0006] The cover plate has two rows of bayonet holes on both sides, and the surface of the cover plate is provided with a wiring harness outlet and a plug fixing port;

[0007] The spacer is used to fix the collection harness and the cover plate. It has a hollow design in the middle and a buckle is set on the top of the spacer;

[0008] The snap-in position of the cover plate matches with the snap-in position of the spacer to form an assembly frame that wraps the single battery.

[0009] Preferably, the cover plate is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0010] Preferably, the positive and negative electrode self-adhesive labels are pasted on the cover plate: the positive electrode is marked in red, and the negative electrode is marked in blue.

[0011] Preferably, the spacer is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0012] Another technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0013] A battery module of a lithium battery, comprising a collection wire harness, single cells, busbars, a terminal base, end plates and side plates, wherein:

[0014] The collection wire harness, one end of its plug is fixed to the cover plate, and the other end extends out from the wire outlet of the cover plate, extends to the two sides of the cover plate, inserts under the buckle at the card slot, and is connected to each busbar in sequence.

[0015] Single cells, according to the specific module model, place a corresponding number of single cells side by side in sequence, insert separators between the single cells, place end plates at both ends, and also insert separators between the end plates and the single cells, then install side plates on both sides and fix them to the end plates;

[0016] The busbars include middle busbars and end busbars, both of which are installed on the top of the single cells; the four corners of the busbars are rounded, the surface is matte-treated, and holes are drilled in the middle of the welding area for welding machine positioning, the hole diameter is 1 mm to 3 mm, and a card slot is provided in the middle part of the busbar for limiting;

[0017] The terminal base, the terminal base is embedded with a knurled copper nut for connecting the battery module;

[0018] The end plate, the terminal base is installed above, the middle busbars and end busbars are placed in a certain order, and the busbars are welded to the battery terminal posts. There are hoisting holes on the side of the end plate, and installation holes are provided above the end plate for fixing the terminal base;

[0019] The side plate, its lower folded edge is used to support the single cells and separators, its upper folded edge is used to prevent the single cells from moving up, and a flame-retardant PC-ABS insulating strip is pasted on the inner side of the side plate.

[0020] Preferably, the busbar is made of 6063 aluminum, and the thickness is 1 mm to 3 mm;

[0021] The end plate is a hollow aluminum plate or cold-rolled galvanized steel plate made of 6063 material. The thickness of the hollow aluminum plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and the thickness of the cold-rolled galvanized steel plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm;

[0022] The side plate is a cold-rolled galvanized steel plate, and the thickness of the cold-rolled galvanized steel plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0023] Preferably, the terminal base is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic, the positive electrode is red or orange, and the negative electrode is blue, for distinguishing the positive and negative electrodes.

[0024] Another technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0025] An assembly method of a battery module of a lithium battery, comprising the following steps:

[0026] S1: Insert the terminal bases of the positive and negative electrodes into the designated positions on the end plate, place the middle busbars and end busbars in sequence, and use a laser welding machine to weld the busbars to the battery terminals.

[0027] S2: Connect the acquisition wire harness and the studs on the busbar in sequence, fasten them with lock nuts, and use cable ties to fix the wire harness on the separator.

[0028] S3: Extend the plug of the acquisition wire harness from the wire outlet of the cover plate, then insert the bayonet sockets on both sides of the cover plate under the buckle, and finally fix the plug to the cover plate.

[0029] Preferably, the middle busbars and end busbars in step S1 have different specifications in the production of modules with different numbers of strings in the one-parallel series and two-parallel series.

[0030] Preferably, the cover plate in step S3 has different lengths in the production of modules with different numbers of strings in the one-parallel series and two-parallel series. The cover plate does not need to be molded, and only raw materials of different lengths need to be cut.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] (1) Low cost, strong versatility, and easy to produce: Most components are made without molding, saving the mold opening cost.

[0033] (2) The separator between the batteries can not only play an insulating role, but also fix the wire harness and the cover plate. At the same time, the complex plastic parts for commonly used top restraint of the batteries are omitted, saving the mold opening cost, design cost, and production cost.

[0034] (3) When the fixing method between the end plate and the side plate is selected as the riveting method, and the fixing method between the acquisition wire harness and the busbar is selected as fastening with lock nuts, the production cost is lower and it is easy to produce and maintain in the later stage.

[0035] (4) When using the same specification of single cells to produce different models of modules, the components have strong versatility: For example, for one-parallel five-string modules and one-parallel eight-string modules, only side plates and cover plates with different lengths need to be designed. The side plates and cover plates do not need to be molded, and only raw materials of different lengths need to be cut, without increasing too much design cost and with a short design cycle. Description of the Drawings

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings without creative efforts.

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly frame.

[0038] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the cover plate.

[0039] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the spacer.

[0040] Figure 4 It is an exploded view of the battery module.

[0041] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional view of the battery module.

[0042] Figure 6 It is a top view of the battery module.

[0043] Figure 7 It is a flowchart of the assembly method.

[0044] In the figure: 1. Cover plate; 101. Bayonet; 102. Wiring harness outlet; 103. Plug fixing port; 2. Spacer; 201. Snap; 202. Wiring harness port; 203. Wiring harness fixing hole; 204. Frame; 3. Acquisition wiring harness; 4. Intermediate busbar; 5. Single cell; 6. Terminal busbar; 7. Terminal base; 8. End plate; 9. Side plate insulating strip; 10. Side plate; 11. Blind rivet. Specific embodiments

[0045] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0046] Embodiment 1

[0047] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides an assembly frame for a lithium battery, including a cover plate 1 at the top and a plurality of spacers 2 clamped under the cover plate 1.

[0048] As Figure 2 shown, the cover plate 1 is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The cover plate 1 is provided with a wiring harness outlet 102 and a plug fixing port 103. Two rows of bayonets 101 are provided on both sides of the cover plate 1, and the positions of the bayonets 101 correspond to the positions of the snaps 201 for fixing the cover plate 1. Positive and negative adhesive labels are pasted on the cover plate 1, with red for the positive electrode and blue for the negative electrode.

[0049] As Figure 3 shown, the spacer 2 is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The middle part of the spacer 2 is designed with a hollow, and a buckle 201 is provided above the spacer 2, which can be used to fix the acquisition wire harness 3 and the cover plate 1.

[0050] Working principle:

[0051] The bayonet 101 of the cover plate 1 plays a role in unit cutting. According to different specific module models, the cover plate 1 with different lengths can be selected, which will not increase excessive design costs and has a short design cycle. Similarly, the side plate 10 also adopts the above bayonet 101 structure. Cutting along the bayonet 101 can quickly cut the cover plate 1 and the side plate 10 into units with controllable lengths to match different module models.

[0052] The spacer 2 between the single cells 5 can not only play an insulating role, but also fix the wire harness and the cover plate 1. At the same time, the complex plastic parts for commonly used top-constrained batteries are omitted, saving mold opening costs, design costs and production costs. Figure 3 The cross-shaped hollowing is adopted for the middle hollowing given in, and other hollowing methods can be selected according to needs, such as circular hollowing, triangular hollowing, hexagonal hollowing, etc.

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] On the basis of Embodiment 1, as Figures 4 to 6 shown, a lithium-ion battery module of the present invention includes an acquisition wire harness 3, an intermediate bus bar 4, a single cell 5, an end bus bar 6, a terminal base 7, an end plate 8 and a side plate 10.

[0055] Preferably, according to the specific module model, the corresponding number of single cells 5 are arranged side by side in sequence, and the spacer 2 is inserted between the batteries. End plates 8 are arranged at both ends, and the spacer 2 is also inserted between the end plates 8 and the single cells 5. Then the side plates 10 are installed on both sides and fixed to the end plates 8.

[0056] Preferably, the terminal base 7 is installed above the end plate 8, the intermediate bus bar 4 and the end bus bar 6 are arranged in a certain order, and the bus bars are welded to the battery pole columns. The acquisition wire harness 3 is connected to the bus bars according to the wire harness definition. Finally, the cover plate 1 is installed and the plug of the acquisition wire harness 3 is fixed on the cover plate 1.

[0057] The end plate 8 is a hollow aluminum plate or a cold-rolled galvanized steel plate made of 6063 material, the thickness of the aluminum plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and the thickness of the steel plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm. A lifting hole is provided on the side of the end plate 8, and an installation hole is provided above the end plate 8 for fixing the terminal base 7.

[0058] The side plate 10 is made of cold-rolled galvanized steel sheet with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The lower folded edge of the side plate 10 is used to support the single battery and the spacer 2, the upper folded edge of the side plate 10 is used to prevent the single battery from moving upward, and a flame-retardant PC-ABS insulating strip is pasted on the inner side of the side plate 10.

[0059] The terminal base 7 is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic, the positive pole is red or orange, and the negative pole is blue, which is used to distinguish the positive and negative poles. The terminal base 7 is embedded with a knurled copper nut for module connection. The nut size is M4, M5 or M6, and the height is 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0060] The bus bar is made of 6063 aluminum with a thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm. The four corners of the bus bar are rounded, the surface is matte-treated, and a hole is drilled in the middle of the welding area for welder positioning. The hole diameter is 1 mm to 3 mm. A bayonet 101 is provided in the middle part of the bus bar for limiting.

[0061] The acquisition wire harness 3 is connected to each bus bar in sequence according to the wire harness definition. The connection methods include nut fastening, rivet riveting, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, etc.

[0062] Embodiment 3

[0063] On the basis of Embodiment 2, as Figure 7 shown, the assembly method of the lithium-ion battery module includes the following steps:

[0064] S1: Insert the positive and negative terminal bases 7 into the specified positions of the end plate 8, place the middle bus bar 4 and the end bus bar 6 in sequence, and use a laser welding machine to weld the bus bar to the battery pole column;

[0065] S2: Connect the acquisition wire harness 3 and the studs on the bus bar in sequence, use a locknut for fastening, and use a cable tie to fix the wire harness on the spacer 2;

[0066] S3: Extend the plug of the acquisition wire harness 3 from the wire harness outlet 102 of the cover plate 1, then insert the bayonets 101 on both sides of the cover plate 1 under the buckle 201, and finally fix the plug to the cover plate 1.

[0067] If it is necessary to produce modules with different numbers of strings in a parallel series, the side plates 10 and cover plates 1 with corresponding lengths can be processed, and other components are universal. If it is necessary to produce modules with different numbers of strings in a two-parallel series, a set of two-parallel bus bars can be developed, and other components are universal with the one-parallel series modules.

[0068] When producing modules of different models using single cells 5 of the same specification, the parts have strong versatility. For example, for a one-in-five-series module and a one-in-eight-series module, only side plates 10 and cover plates 1 of different lengths need to be designed. Neither the side plates 10 nor the cover plates 1 need to be tooled. Only raw materials of different lengths need to be cut, which will not increase excessive design costs and the design cycle is short.

[0069] As Figure 2 shown, taking the one-in-five-series module as an example. For module assembly on the tooling platform, first place an end plate 8, then alternately place spacers 2 and single cells 5. Five cells are placed in the order of positive and negative electrodes connected end to end. Then install another end plate 8 and use the tooling to regularize. Paste insulating strips on the inner sides of the side plates 10 and apply an appropriate amount of structural adhesive, then install them on both sides of the module, and use blind rivets 11 to rivet the end plates 8 and the side plates 10.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described in detail by referring to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those of ordinary skill in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions to the embodiments of the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be within the scope of the present invention / Any person familiar with the technical field of the present invention can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, and all should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An assembly frame for a lithium battery, characterized in that, It includes a cover plate (1) at the top and several spacer plates (2) clamped under the cover plate (1), where: The cover plate (1) is provided with two rows of bayonets (101) on both sides, and a wire harness outlet (102) and a plug fixing port (103) are arranged on the surface of the cover plate (1); the bayonets (101) of the cover plate (1) play the role of unit cutting, and according to different specific module models, the cover plate (1) with different lengths can be selected; The spacer plate (2) is used to fix the acquisition wire harness (3) and the cover plate (1), with a hollow design in the middle, and a buckle (201) is arranged at the top of the spacer plate (2); the hollowing adopts a cross-hollowing method; The positions of the bayonets (101) of the cover plate (1) are matched with the positions of the buckles (201) of the spacer plate (2) to jointly form an assembly framework for wrapping the single cell (5); The cover plate (1) is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm; The spacer plate (2) is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

2. The assembly frame of the lithium battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, Positive and negative self-adhesive labels are pasted on the cover plate (1): the positive pole is marked in red and the negative pole is marked in blue.

3. A battery module of a lithium battery, which adopts the assembly framework of the lithium battery described in any one of claims 1-2, and is characterized in that, It includes an acquisition wire harness (3), a single cell (5), a bus bar, a terminal base (7), an end plate (8) and a side plate (10), where: For the acquisition wire harness (3), one end of its plug is fixed to the cover plate (1), and the other end extends out from the wire harness outlet (102) of the cover plate (1), extends to the lower part of the buckles (201) inserted into the bayonets (101) on both sides of the cover plate (1), and is connected to each bus bar in sequence, For the single cell (5), according to the specific module model, the corresponding number of single cells (5) are arranged side by side in sequence. Spacer plates (2) are inserted between the single cells (5), end plates (8) are placed at both ends, and spacer plates (2) are also inserted between the end plates (8) and the single cells (5). Then, side plates (10) are installed on both sides and fixed to the end plates (8); The bus bar includes an intermediate bus bar (4) and an end bus bar (6), both of which are installed on the top of the single cell (5); the four corners of the bus bar are rounded, the surface is matte-treated, and holes are drilled in the middle of the welding area for welding positioning, with the hole diameter being 1 mm to 3 mm. A bayonet (101) is provided in the middle part of the bus bar for limiting; For the terminal base (7), a knurled copper nut is embedded in the terminal base (7) for connecting the battery module; For the end plate (8), the terminal base (7) is installed above. The intermediate bus bar (4) and the end bus bar (6) are arranged in a certain order, and the bus bar is welded to the battery pole. A lifting hole is provided on the side of the end plate (8), and mounting holes are provided above the end plate (8) for fixing the terminal base (7); For the side plate (10), its lower folded edge is used to support the single cell (5) and the spacer plate (2), and its upper folded edge is used to prevent the single cell (5) from moving upward. A flame-retardant PC-ABS insulating strip is pasted on the inner side of the side plate (10).

4. The battery module of the lithium battery according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bus bar is made of 6063 aluminum with a thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm; The end plate (8) is a hollow aluminum plate or a cold-rolled galvanized steel plate made of 6063 material. The thickness of the hollow aluminum plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and the thickness of the cold-rolled galvanized steel plate is 0.5 mm to 3 mm; The side plate (10) is made of cold-rolled galvanized steel sheet with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

5. The battery module of the lithium battery according to claim 3, characterized in that, The terminal base (7) is made of flame-retardant PC-ABS plastic. The positive pole is red or orange, and the negative pole is blue for distinguishing the positive and negative poles.

6. A method for assembling a battery module of a lithium battery, using the battery module of a lithium battery according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: S1: Insert the terminal bases (7) of the positive and negative poles into the designated positions of the end plate (8), arrange the middle busbar (4) and the end busbar (6) in sequence, and use a laser welding machine to weld the busbars to the battery terminal posts. S2: Connect the acquisition wire harness (3) and the studs on the busbar in sequence, tighten them with lock nuts, and fix the wire harness to the separator (2) with cable ties. S3: Extend the plug of the acquisition wire harness (3) from the wire harness outlet (102) of the cover plate (1), then insert the two side bayonets (101) of the cover plate (1) under the buckle (201), and finally fix the plug to the cover plate (1).

7. The assembling method of the battery module of the lithium battery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The middle busbar (4) and the end busbar (6) in the step S1 have different specifications in the production of modules with different numbers of strings in the one-parallel series and the two-parallel series.

8. The assembling method of the battery module of the lithium battery according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cover plate (1) in the step S3 has different lengths in the production of modules with different numbers of strings in the one-parallel series and the two-parallel series. The cover plate (1) does not need to be mold-opened, and only raw materials of different lengths need to be cut.

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