Adjustable structure for battery cooling and battery charging station

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes an adjustable structure for battery cooling and a battery charging station, the adjustable structure comprising: a holding frame (15) for holding at least one battery module, in particular a cuboid-shaped battery module, the holding frame defining a frame plane having a plane normal vector (N1), the plane normal vector preferably extending parallel to opposite faces of the battery module held by the holding frame; a cooling plate (16) for battery cooling, the cooling plate having at least one cooling surface (16a) having a surface normal vector (N2), the cooling plate being arranged adjacent to the holding frame, and the surface normal extending parallel to the plane normal vector; a movement mechanism (17, 18) for moving the cooling plate and the holding frame relative to each other in a direction parallel or antiparallel to the plane normal vector and the surface normal vector, and for holding the cooling plate on the holding frame and / or on the battery module held by the holding frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an adjustable structure for battery cooling or for battery charging and / or cooling. The invention also relates to a battery charging station comprising at least one of the aforementioned adjustable structures and at least one battery module (particularly a cuboid-shaped battery module). Background Technology

[0002] Batteries (hereinafter also referred to as single energy storage units or multiple energy storage units - ESU) are widely used to power electrically powered vehicles, including aircraft. They require periodic charging, and under certain concepts, this involves exchanging discharged ESUs with fully charged ESUs to enable continuous use of the vehicle.

[0003] Typically, ESUs removed from vehicles are placed in a (fixed) charging facility. Due to the heat generated during charging, the ESUs must be cooled, for example, by contacting them with a cooling plate or the like.

[0004] Various solutions exist for cooling plates and gap fillers (any element or material placed between the cooling plate and the ESU to close air gaps) to increase heat transfer between the liquid cooling medium or fluid (e.g., water or water / glycol) and the object being cooled. However, the applicant found in experiments that air gaps still exist between the object and the cooling plate, which reduces heat transfer performance and thus reduces cooling performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The aforementioned problems led to the first objective of the present invention, namely, to achieve a good contact surface between the object to be cooled and the cooling plate, without any air gaps.

[0006] In addition, when the battery is inserted into or removed from the charging and cooling facility, some gaps are required during the exchange process to avoid any impact damage to the battery itself or the cooling contact surface (cooling plate).

[0007] This leads to the second objective of the invention, namely, having sufficient clearance between the battery and any cooling surface when replacing the battery.

[0008] These objectives are achieved through the adjustable structure disclosed herein.

[0009] These objectives are further achieved through the battery charging station disclosed herein.

[0010] This disclosure also defines other advantageous embodiments.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, an adjustable structure for battery cooling is provided, comprising: a retaining frame for retaining at least one battery module, particularly a cuboid-shaped battery module, the retaining frame defining a frame plane having a planar normal vector, the planar normal vector preferably extending parallel to an opposite face of the battery module retained by the retaining frame; a cooling plate for battery cooling, the cooling plate having at least one cooling surface having a surface normal vector, the cooling plate being arranged adjacent to the retaining frame, and the surface normal vector extending parallel to the planar normal vector; and a moving mechanism for moving the cooling plate and the retaining frame relative to each other in directions parallel to or antiparallel to the planar normal vector and the surface normal vector, and for retaining the cooling plate against the retaining frame and / or against the battery module retained by the retaining frame.

[0012] Although in practice, the adjustable structure may include more than one fixed frame and more than one cooling plate, the fundamental advantage of the invention—bridging any air gaps between the cooling plate and the battery module—is already observable with the configuration defined above. In the following text, there is no distinction between a configuration with one battery module and a configuration with multiple such modules.

[0013] In addition, the terms "battery module" and "battery" are used as synonyms.

[0014] Regarding the shape of the battery, essentially only the two large sides in contact with the cooling plate should preferably be parallel to each other and parallel to the surface of the cooling plate; the other sides are less relevant. The upper and lower sides can also be inclined and / or can adopt a special shape of the retaining frame. In essence, the battery module defines a corresponding volume with six surfaces or sides, wherein two opposing surfaces are preferably parallel to each other. An example of this is the aforementioned cuboid shape.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the invention, a battery charging station is provided, comprising: at least one adjustable structure according to a first aspect of the invention; and at least one battery module, particularly a cuboid-shaped battery module; wherein, when the battery module is held by the holding frame, the plane normal vector of the holding frame preferably extends parallel to the opposite face of the battery module; wherein, when the battery module is held by the holding frame and when the moving mechanism is in an engaged state, the cooling plate is held against the battery module; and wherein, when the moving mechanism is in a disengaged state, the battery module is freely retracted from the adjustable structure, in which the cooling plate is not held against the holding frame and / or against the battery module held by the holding frame.

[0016] Preferably, the battery module has flat sidewalls, and the cooling plate provides a flat cooling surface in contact with the flat sidewalls. This ensures adequate heat transfer.

[0017] Placing the battery on the movable holding frame allows for lateral movement of the battery, i.e., movement in a direction parallel to or antiparallel to the plane normal and the surface normal, thereby reducing or increasing the lateral clearance between adjacent batteries. The same applies to the cooling plate. Furthermore, because the lateral forces generate surface pressure when the cooling plate is held in place by the holding frame and / or the battery module held by the holding frame, the lateral movement capability ensures a good contact surface between the battery and the cooling plate. The clearance allows for easy battery swapping without any damage to the battery and / or the cooling plate, which can be surface-coated for better heat transfer or may include a flexible cooling device.

[0018] In other words, the main idea of ​​this invention is to enable the individual batteries to move laterally relative to each other and relative to the cooling plate. This can be achieved by arranging the components on an external frame assembly, such as a metal frame assembly.

[0019] Although the term "lateral" is used, the invention is not limited to any particular orientation in space. For example, batteries can be stacked horizontally, one next to another, or stacked vertically, i.e., one on top of another.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, each battery has an upper "M"-shaped track and a lower "M"-shaped track, so the corresponding components in the charging station can be "V"-shaped tracks (as part of the support frame) above and below the ESU, respectively. This allows the battery to be inserted into the holding frame in a form-fitting manner. However, the invention is not limited to any particular geometry of the guide rails, as long as they are complementary shapes so that they fit together.

[0021] Preferably, each cooling plate provides a cooling contact surface for contacting the corresponding battery module. Advantageously, aluminum cooling plates with internal conduits for cooling fluid or any other cooling device, such as flexible cooling devices like cooling pipes or thermoelectric cooling devices like Peltier elements, can be used on a simple tray.

[0022] For battery insertion and removal, in one embodiment, the guide rails (as part of the holding frame) and the cooling plates can be moved laterally one after another by a moving mechanism, thereby increasing the lateral clearance between a cooling contact surface and adjacent cooling contact surfaces. In a preferred embodiment with multiple holding frames, the central holding frame (e.g., a V-shaped guide rail frame) can be fixed and therefore will not move. This ensures sufficient space for battery replacement (whether by means of equipment or manually) without the risk of collision between the battery and the cooling contact surfaces. The cooling plates and the V-shaped guide rail frame (holding frames) can then be moved laterally inward (towards each other) again until all air gaps between a given ESU and its corresponding cooling contact surface (cooling plate) are closed. Furthermore, the moving mechanism can apply some lateral pressure sufficient to hold the ESU in place, i.e., to prevent them from reciprocating on the V-shaped guide rails (fixed frames).

[0023] The moving mechanism may include mechanical and / or electric drives or other drive units. The drive unit may include and drive a spindle (lead screw) or shaft, which is preferably mounted vertically on all ESUs.

[0024] In one embodiment, the spindle is connected to two movable plates located at corresponding ends of the retaining frame / cooling plate arrangement. The lower element of each movable plate has at least one threaded hole, meaning that as the spindle rotates, the movable plates move laterally and press the ESUs together. For this purpose, preferably, the spindle has a right-hand threaded portion and a left-hand threaded portion.

[0025] However, in an alternative embodiment, only one such movable plate is used, and the retaining frame / cooling plate is arranged on the opposite side of the movable plate and fixedly attached to the external structure (frame assembly).

[0026] The retaining frame can be movably arranged on at least one additional guide rail, which ensures smooth movement of the sliding battery frame (retaining frame) and the cooling plate. Furthermore, this at least one guide rail indicates the load path for the weight of the battery cells, etc.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned movable plate can only move inward on the transverse rail to form the battery frame (fixed frame) (i.e., press the ESUs together).

[0028] To achieve the opposite (outward) movement, in another embodiment, lugs are attached to the moving plate and the battery frame (holding frame), preferably on its upper side. These lugs connect one holding frame to its (outward) adjacent frame, and finally to the moving plate on each side or on one side of the frame assembly (in the case of only one moving plate). These lugs are preferably fixedly attached to a given holding frame and have an elongated hole (slender hole) with a bolt passing through it on the adjacent holding frame.

[0029] Therefore, when a moving plate moves outward due to the rotation of the main shaft, the moving plate will pull the adjacent battery frame (holding frame) outward, and then this frame will pull its inwardly adjacent frame outward as well, and so on, until finally all holding frames reach the "open" position. This state can also be called the disengaged state, while the state in which the ESU, holding frames and cooling plate are pressed together can be called the engaged state.

[0030] Most preferably, in one embodiment, the cooling plates do not slide directly on the cross rails (i.e., the at least one guide rail), but are attached to the retaining frames, for example, by bolts and springs (preferably, but not limited to, one cooling plate per retaining frame). Thus, once the moving plates cause the retaining frames to move outward, the springs will “push away” the corresponding cooling plate from the ESU (and / or from the retaining frames), thereby providing the necessary clearance for removing the battery from the charging station.

[0031] In addition, the spring allows the cooling plate to be automatically pressed against the ESU by simply moving the battery frame laterally closer together.

[0032] Alternatively, the cooling plate does not need to be connected to a retaining frame (by a spring or the like), but can be arranged on its own independent retaining frames that move on the same rails as the battery frame and are also connected by the aforementioned lugs (for opening).

[0033] As previously stated, this invention is applicable to batteries that are stacked vertically rather than side-by-side. Therefore, lateral movement is not required, only vertical movement.

[0034] The cooling plate is not limited to a specific cooling technology. For example, a flexible (plastic) cavity can also be used, which expands when liquid coolant is pumped through it, thereby compensating for any lateral gaps (and air gaps) between the battery and the cooling contact surface (cooling plate). Preferably, in addition to the flexible cooling device, the aforementioned adjustable structure can also be used, because when filled with liquid coolant, the latter can only compensate for a few millimeters of lateral gaps, which may not always be sufficient in all applications.

[0035] In summary, the following embodiments of the present invention have proven to be particularly effective and advantageous.

[0036] In a particular embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the retaining frame and the cooling plate are movably disposed within an external frame assembly. This ensures stability in use and provides the required load path.

[0037] In a particular embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the structure further includes a plurality of retaining frames extending parallel to each other, each retaining frame for retaining at least one of the battery modules; and a plurality of cooling plates extending parallel to each other, each cooling plate being arranged on a corresponding retaining frame; the moving mechanism is designed to move the cooling plates and / or the retaining frames relative to each other in a direction parallel to the surface normal vector, thereby changing the distance between adjacent cooling plates and / or adjacent retaining frames; preferably, the number of the plurality of retaining frames and the plurality of cooling plates is the same. This increases the number of batteries cooled in a given time.

[0038] In another particular embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the retaining frame is designed for slidably inserting the battery module therein in a direction transverse to the plane normal vector. The retaining frame preferably has a C-shape or U-shape, such that the battery module can be inserted between the parallel free legs of this C-shaped or U-shaped retaining frame. This shape has proven particularly suitable for practical applications.

[0039] In another particular embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the cooling plate has an internal flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium, or a flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium is provided on the surface of the cooling plate facing the corresponding retaining frame, the flow conduit preferably being a flexible flow conduit. Preferably, necessary conduits for supplying fluid to the cooling plate and returning it to the heat exchanger, etc., are also provided. This improves cooling performance.

[0040] In yet another exemplary embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the cooling plate is designed as a thermoelectric cooling plate, wherein cooling is provided by a Peltier element.

[0041] In another embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the at least one cooling plate is provided with internal flow conduits and is made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal, particularly aluminum, and / or coated with such a material. This can further improve cooling performance.

[0042] In a very preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the moving mechanism is designed to move a first number of retaining frames to one side of the plurality of retaining frames away from the fixed central retaining frame, and to move a second number of retaining frames to the other side of the plurality of retaining frames away from the fixed central retaining frame, while not moving the central retaining frame. Preferably, the first number is equal to the second number. This reduces the time required to release the battery for replacement.

[0043] In another preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the moving mechanism includes a screw driver or spindle driver having a drive motor and a lead screw or spindle, the retaining frame (other than the central retaining frame) being driven coupled to the lead screw or spindle. This has proven to be a very easy and cost-effective way to design moving mechanisms.

[0044] In another highly preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the lead screw or spindle has a first portion with a right-hand thread and a second portion with a left-hand thread; a central retaining frame is located on the lead screw or spindle in the region between the first and second portions. Thus, when the central retaining frame remains stationary, the aforementioned reduction in exchange time can be achieved.

[0045] In another preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the cooling plate or corresponding cooling plate is attached to the retaining frame or a corresponding retaining frame by a spring mechanism designed to separate a given cooling plate from the corresponding retaining frame in the disengaged state of the moving mechanism, in which the cooling plate is not held against the retaining frame and / or the battery module held by the retaining frame. The spring mechanism ensures good contact during cooling while enabling effective disengagement and lateral separation during exchange.

[0046] In an advantageous embodiment of the structure according to the invention, adjacent retaining frames are interconnected by interconnecting devices having a hysteresis effect with respect to the mechanical coupling between the adjacent retaining frames, such that when one of the adjacent retaining frames is moved by a moving mechanism, the other of the adjacent retaining frames will follow the corresponding movement with a time delay. In this way, the batteries can be released sequentially, one after another. As described above, this concept can be extended to cooling plates.

[0047] Preferably, this effect is used only for the opening mechanism; in order to close the structure, the cooling plate and the retaining frame with ESU are pressed laterally against each other.

[0048] In another advantageous embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the adjacent retaining frames are interconnected by at least one flexible element (e.g., a tension band) having a slack portion in a direction parallel to the surface normal; or the adjacent retaining frames are interconnected by at least one lug having an elongated hole that is stretched in a direction parallel to the surface normal. These are easy and cost-effective ways to achieve the aforementioned hysteresis effect.

[0049] In another advantageous embodiment of the structure according to the invention, at least one of the two outermost retaining frames is connected to the corresponding outer plate (or moving plate) via at least one of the interconnecting devices; and the moving mechanism acts directly on the outer plate. This has proven to be an effective way to reduce the number of moving mechanisms required for implementation.

[0050] In another advantageous embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the retaining frame has a joining structure, preferably on the parallel free legs of the aforementioned C-shaped or U-shaped retaining frame, which is preferably complementary to the complementary joining structure of the battery module. This helps to securely hold the battery during cooling.

[0051] In another embodiment of the structure according to the invention, at least one electrical connector for charging the battery may be included, preferably at least one such electrical connector for each retaining frame, wherein the electrical connector is preferably designed as a flexible cable connector, and most preferably has a connecting plug. Thus, the same structure can be advantageously used for charging and cooling the battery (during charging). In the case of the cable connector, sufficient slack can be provided to compensate for or accommodate any (lateral) movement of the battery. Thus, they can be electrically connected before activating the moving mechanism in the engaged state.

[0052] In another embodiment of the structure according to the invention, the retaining frame is arranged on at least one guide rail, preferably on at least two parallel guide rails, most preferably on at least two parallel guide rails (13) above the retaining frame and at least two parallel guide rails below the retaining frame. The guide rails are preferably connected to the aforementioned frame assembly. As previously stated, this ensures stability and provides a load path.

[0053] In another embodiment of the battery charging station according to the second aspect of the invention, the battery charging station includes a reservoir for cooling fluid in fluid connection with the aforementioned flow conduit. Advantageously, a heat exchanger for renewing the fluid (coolant) may be included, as well as a suitable fluid supply device, such as a pump.

[0054] In another embodiment of the battery charging station according to the second aspect of the invention, the battery charging station further includes a power source for charging the at least one battery module, the power source being electrically connected to the aforementioned electrical connector, which provides the necessary features for charging and cooling the at least one battery (module).

[0055] In yet another embodiment of the battery charging station according to the second aspect of the invention, the at least one battery module has a complementary joining structure that is complementary to the joining structure of the retaining frame. Preferably, on the parallel free legs of the aforementioned C-shaped or U-shaped retaining frame, most preferably, the cross-section of the complementary joining structure is M-shaped and the cross-section of the joining structure is V-shaped, or vice versa. This has already been explained above and provides stability for the retaining of the battery module. However, the invention is not limited to the above geometry. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Further features and their advantages can be obtained from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 1 A perspective view of the frame components used in conjunction with the present invention is shown;

[0058] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A frame assembly having other elements according to the structure of the invention;

[0059] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The main view of the embodiment;

[0060] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 Top view of an embodiment;

[0061] Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 Side view of an embodiment;

[0062] Figure 6 It shows along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of line B4-B4 in the diagram; and,

[0063] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a battery charging station according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0064] Figure 1A frame assembly 10 is shown that can be used in one embodiment of the structure according to the invention. The frame assembly 10 has two horizontal layers 11, 12 for arranging the battery module. On each horizontal layer 11, 12, four guide rails 13 are arranged, the multiple guide rails extending parallel to each other, and thus two guide rails 13 are always vertically opposite each other and facing each other.

[0065] The invention is not limited to the arrangement of the frame assembly 10 shown, but may deviate from it, particularly with respect to the number of horizontal layers 11, 12 and / or the number of guide rails 13.

[0066] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The frame assembly 10 includes a plurality of battery modules 14 arranged on each horizontal layer 11, 12, which will be discussed in more detail below. Each of these battery modules 14 is arranged in a retaining frame 15 to which a cooling plate, designated 16, is attached. For clarity, this is... Figure 2 Only one battery module 14 is explicitly specified. A retaining frame 15 is movably mounted on a guide rail 13, allowing it to move in the direction of the guide rail 13. Reference numeral 17 shows a spindle drive that cooperates with a spindle 18 to move either the battery module 14 or the retaining frame 15 with a cooling plate 16 along the guide rail 13. In other words, the spindle drive 17 and the spindle 18 form a movement mechanism for moving the cooling plate 16 and the retaining frame 15 relative to the other. For this purpose, the spindle drive 17 acts via the spindle 18 on corresponding external moving plates 19, 20, each arranged at the end of the opposing battery module 14. The spindle 18 is preferably a shaft with two opposing threaded portions, allowing the moving plates 19 to move in the opposite direction to the moving plates 20.

[0067] The retaining frames 15 are connected to each other between adjacent retaining frames 15 via lugs 21 and to the moving plates 19, 20, which will be discussed in more detail below. Thus, movement can be transmitted first from the moving plates 19, 20 to the adjacent retaining frame 15, and then continuously from there to all other retaining frames 15. In this way, these retaining frames 15, along with their cooling plates 16, can move away from or toward each other along these guide rails 13 (depending on the direction of rotation of the spindle drive 17) to bring the cooling plates 16 into contact with the battery modules 14 for cooling purposes, or to separate the cooling plates 16 from the battery modules 14 for removal.

[0068] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2The figure shows a planar front view of the arrangement, viewed transversely to guide rail 13. It is clear that these individual retaining frames 15 can, in principle, be designed as open frames with only upper retaining profile 15.1 and lower retaining profile 15.2. Alternatively, the retaining frames 15 can also be designed as C-shaped or U-shaped frames, closed at one end, as not shown in the figure. Note that in the design with the open retaining frames 15 as described above, a second spindle on the top guide rail, which is not shown in the figure, will be necessary for moving the upper retaining profile 15.1. The forming of retaining profiles 15.1 and 15.2 will be discussed in more detail below.

[0069] The upper retaining profile 15.1 and the lower retaining profile 15.2 are each movably connected to two guide rails 13. The retaining profiles 15.1 and 15.2 span a first plane (frame plane) E1 having a (frame) normal vector N1. A cooling plate 16 is arranged parallel to this first plane E1 and, together with its cooling surface 16a, defines a second (surface) plane E2 having a (surface) normal vector N2. Here, normal vectors N1 and N2 extend parallel to each other. Movement mediated by the spindle drive 17 causes the retaining frame 15 and the cooling plate 16 to move toward or away from each other in the directions of normal vectors N1 and N2 or in opposite directions, depending on the rotation direction of the spindle drive 17 and the spindle thread. In this document, to allow the cooling plate 16 to also move away from the retaining frame 15, each cooling plate 16 is connected to the associated retaining frame 15 via a spring mechanism 22, such that when the retaining frames 15 move away from each other, the corresponding cooling plate 16 is also spaced apart from the associated retaining frame 15, as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0070] Figure 3 The battery module is not shown.

[0071] According to Figure 4 In the top view (see) Figure 3 As can be seen in lines A4-A4, the central retaining frame, marked with reference numeral 15', is designed to be fixed and not move along the guide rail 13 when the spindle drive 17 is actuated. First, as already described, the moving plates 19, 20 move outward on the guide rail 13, and in this case, the retaining frames 15 move continuously from the outside inward along with them via lugs 21. One end of each lug 21 is securely attached to the retaining frame 15, and the other end has an elongated hole 23 for engaging with a bolt 24 on the adjacent retaining frame 15. The presence of the elongated hole 23 introduces a certain delay or hysteresis effect.

[0072] When the spindle drive 17 is reverse-acted, the retaining frame 15 moves again from both sides inward toward the fixed retaining frame 15', thereby resisting the spring action (at 22) and pressing the cooling plate 16 against the corresponding retaining frame 15 or 15'. If there is now a (cubic) battery module (not shown here) arranged in each retaining frame 15, 15', its sidewalls will contact the cooling plate 16, and cooling effect is achieved in this way, especially during charging. For this purpose, these cooling plates 16 can have an internal channel system for allowing cooling fluid to pass through, or they can have an external cooling channel system, particularly a flexible cooling channel system, on their cooling surfaces 16a facing the retaining frames 15, 15'.

[0073] Figure 5 A side view along guide rail 13 is shown. The perspective here is primarily focused on the spindle drive 17 and the moving plate 19. It can be seen that guide rail 13 forms a load path for holding the arrangement of frames 15, 15', cooling plate 16, and battery module 14.

[0074] Figure 6 It shows along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view is shown along line B4-B4. Here, on the one hand, the main axis 18 is clearly visible. It is also clear that for each retaining frame, in particular... Figure 6 The fixed retaining frame 15' shown may have multiple cooling plates 16, in this case three, arranged adjacent to each other in a direction transverse to the guide rail 13. The invention is not limited to a specific number of cooling plates 16 for each retaining frame. Contrary to the illustration, associated cooling plates 16 may also be provided on both sides of the retaining frame 15, which can contact the battery module 14 from both sides.

[0075] Using three (or any other number) cooling plates 16 can be advantageous because the preferred internal design can also group the battery cells within the individual battery module 14 into three (or any other number) main sections. Thus, whether the coolant fluid is supplied individually to each cooling plate 16 (in parallel connection) or in series, differences in cooling performance may occur. For example, in the case of three cooling plates 16, each cooling plate 16 can receive a volumetric flow rate of 10 l / min flowing from the cooling plate 16 back to the corresponding tank, or a volumetric flow rate of 30 l / min can flow through the first cooling plate 16, then through the second cooling plate, and so on. In short, this feature can be used to optimize cooling performance. Furthermore, the manufacture of such cooling plates 16 can be a factor, as finding suppliers of larger cooling plates 16 may be more difficult.

[0076] at last, Figure 7 by Figure 3The embodiments described above illustrate other components of the invention.

[0077] Specifically, reference numeral 14 clearly shows an example of a battery module that is generally designed as a flat parallelepiped (or cuboid). On those end faces facing the retaining profiles 15.1 or 15.2, the battery module 14 has an approximately M-shaped cross-section that interacts with the approximately V-shaped cross-section of the retaining profiles 15.1 and 15.2, allowing the battery module 14 to be pushed laterally into the retaining frame 15 via the guide rails 13, but to be laterally and securely held within the retaining frame 15.

[0078] A charger for charging the battery module 14 is schematically shown at reference numeral 25. An electrical connector (plug) 26 is connected to the charger 25 via a flexible cable 27, which is designed to cooperate with electrical connection devices (power sockets) 28 on each retaining frame 15. Figure 7 The electrical connection device 28 is explicitly shown only for one retaining frame 15. In an alternative embodiment, the power socket 28 may be part of the battery module 14 and therefore completely independent of the retaining frame 15. When the electrical connector 26 is inserted into the electrical connection device 28 according to the double arrow P1, the battery module 14 housed in the retaining frame 15 can be charged. There may be more than one connector (see figures). If these cooling plates 16 contact the sides of the battery module 14, they are not in Figure 7 The text shows ( ) Figure 7 If the battery modules 14 are in an off-state (as shown in the diagram), they can be cooled during charging.

[0079] Reference numeral 29 also shows a reservoir for the cooling fluid and a corresponding delivery device (pump) 30, from which the cooling fluid can be supplied to and discharged from the cooling plate 16. Advantageously, the corresponding circuit (compare) Figure 7 The dashed arrow in the image also includes a heat exchanger for recirculating the cooling fluid; that is, the heat exchanger cools the cooling or coolant fluid to the intended inlet temperature (T_in) at the cooling plate 16 by dissipating waste heat (via a fan, etc.). Figure 7 It is not explicitly shown in the text.

[0080] Advantageously, the above-mentioned circuit provides cooling fluid to all cooling plates 16, while the charger 25 can be used to charge all batteries simultaneously.

Claims

1. An adjustable structure for battery cooling, characterized in that, include: Multiple retaining frames (15, 15') extending parallel to each other, each retaining frame (15, 15') for retaining at least one battery module (14), each retaining frame (15, 15') defining a frame plane (E1) with a plane normal vector (N1); A second plurality of cooling plates (16) extending parallel to each other, each cooling plate (16) for battery cooling, each cooling plate (16) having at least one cooling surface (16a) having a surface normal vector (N2), each cooling plate (16) being arranged adjacent to a corresponding retaining frame in the plurality of retaining frames (15, 15'), and the surface normal vector (N2) extending parallel to the plane normal vector (N1); A moving mechanism (17, 18) comprising a screw driver or a spindle driver (17), the screw driver having a drive motor and a lead screw, and the spindle driver having a drive motor and a spindle (18), wherein the plurality of retaining frames (15) and the plurality of cooling plates (16) are drivenly connected to the lead screw or spindle (18), and the moving mechanism (17, 18) is configured as follows: For moving at least one of the cooling plates (16) and the corresponding retaining frame relative to each other in directions parallel to or antiparallel to the plane normal vector (N1) and the surface normal vector (N2); and At least one of the cooling plates (16) and its corresponding retaining frame are movably disposed within the outer frame assembly (10) and are movable relative to at least one other cooling plate and its corresponding retaining frame, and are used to retain at least one of the cooling plates (16) against the corresponding retaining frame and / or against the battery module (14) held by the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15').

2. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, The battery module (14) is a rectangular parallelepiped battery module; The plane normal vector (N1) extends parallel to the opposite face of the battery module (14) held by the holding frame (15, 15').

3. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, The adjustable structure includes: The moving mechanism (17, 18) is designed to move at least one of the plurality of cooling plates (16) and / or the plurality of retaining frames (15, 15') relative to each other in a direction parallel to the surface normal (N2), thereby changing the distance between adjacent cooling plates (16) and / or adjacent retaining frames (15, 15').

4. The adjustable structure according to claim 3, wherein, The number of the plurality of retaining frames and the plurality of cooling plates are the same.

5. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the retaining frames (15, 15') is designed to allow the battery module (14) to be slidably inserted therein in a direction transverse to the plane normal vector (N1).

6. The adjustable structure according to claim 5, each of the retaining frames (15, 15') has a C-shape or a U-shape such that the battery module (14) can be inserted between the parallel free legs of such C-shape or U-shape retaining frames (15, 15').

7. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the cooling plates (16) has an internal flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium, or is equipped with a flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium on the cooling surface (16a) of each cooling plate facing the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15'), the flow conduit being a flexible flow conduit.

8. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, The moving mechanism (17, 18) is designed to move a first number of retaining frames (15) to one side of the plurality of retaining frames (15, 15') away from the fixed central retaining frame (15'), and to move a second number of retaining frames (15) to the other side of the plurality of retaining frames (15, 15') away from the fixed central retaining frame (15'), without moving the central retaining frame (15').

9. The adjustable structure according to claim 8, wherein the first quantity is equal to the second quantity.

10. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein... The lead screw or spindle (18) has a first portion with a right-hand thread and a second portion with a left-hand thread; and The central holding frame (15') is located on the lead screw or spindle (18) in the region between the first part and the second part.

11. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the cooling plates (16) is attached to a corresponding retaining frame (15, 15') by a spring mechanism (22) designed to separate a given cooling plate (16) from the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15') in the disengaged state of the moving mechanism (17, 18), in which the cooling plate (16) is not held against the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15') and / or held by the battery module (14) by the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15').

12. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, Each adjacent retaining frame (15, 15') is interconnected by at least one flexible element or at least one lug (21), the at least one flexible element interconnection or at least one lug (21) having a hysteresis effect with respect to the mechanical coupling between the adjacent retaining frames (15, 15'), such that when one of the adjacent retaining frames (15) is moved by the moving mechanism (17, 18), the other of the adjacent retaining frames (15) will follow the corresponding movement with a time delay; The flexible element is a tension band, and the flexible element has a slack portion in a direction parallel to the surface normal vector (N1, N2). The lug (21) has an elongated hole (23) that is elongated in a direction parallel to the surface normal vector (N1, N2).

13. The adjustable structure according to claim 12, wherein, At least one of the two outermost retaining frames (15) is connected to the corresponding outer plate (19, 20) via the flexible element interconnection or at least one of the lugs (21); and The moving mechanism (17, 18) acts directly on the outer plate (19, 20).

14. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one electrical connector (26) for charging the battery (14).

15. The adjustable structure according to claim 14, comprising at least one of the electrical connectors (26) for each retaining frame (15, 15'), wherein the electrical connector (26) is designed as a flexible cable connector (26, 27) having a connecting plug.

16. The adjustable structure according to claim 1, wherein, The retaining frame (15, 15') is arranged on at least one guide rail (13).

17. The adjustable structure according to claim 16, wherein the retaining frame (15, 15') is arranged on at least two parallel guide rails (13).

18. The adjustable structure according to claim 17, wherein the retaining frame (15, 15') is arranged on at least two parallel guide rails (13) above the retaining frame (15, 15') and on at least two parallel guide rails (13) below the retaining frame (15, 15'), the guide rails (13) being attached to the frame assembly (10).

19. A battery charging station, comprising: The adjustable structure according to any one of claims 1-18.

20. The battery charging station of claim 19, further comprising: Each of the cooling plates (16) has an internal flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium, or is equipped with a flow conduit for a fluid cooling medium on the cooling surface (16a) of each cooling plate facing the corresponding retaining frame (15, 15'); and A reservoir (29) for cooling fluid, the reservoir being fluidly connected to the internal flow conduit or the flow conduit.

21. The battery charging station of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The at least one battery module (14) has an M-shaped cross section, the retaining frame has a C-shaped retaining frame, and the M-shaped cross section is disposed on the parallel free legs of the C-shaped retaining frame.

22. The battery charging station of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The at least one battery module (14) has an M-shaped cross section, and the fixing frame has a V-shaped cross section, wherein the M-shaped cross section is complementary to the V-shaped cross section, or vice versa.

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