A multi-layer stackable battery box and system

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery box and system that can be stacked in multiple layers, wherein the battery box is a box-shaped structure; the battery box is provided with a circle of threaded holes on its upper part, and a screw installation hole corresponding to the threaded hole is provided on its lower part; the upper and lower battery boxes can be fixedly connected by screw fasteners passing through the screw installation holes of the upper battery box and the threaded holes of the lower battery box. The present invention eliminates the battery frame, and the upper battery box is directly stacked on the lower battery box, thereby greatly improving the space utilization rate of the battery box in the battery system, allowing the vehicle to carry more electricity under the same volume. At the same time, this solution also allows the upper part of the battery to be beneficially affected by the cooling system, thereby improving the thermal management efficiency. In addition, this solution also facilitates the connection of wiring harnesses and water channels between battery boxes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of power batteries, and in particular relates to a battery box and system that can be stacked in multiple layers. Background Art

[0002] As China pays more attention to environmental protection and carbon emission reduction, the electrification process of commercial vehicles such as construction machinery and heavy trucks is gradually accelerating.

[0003] In order to obtain a longer operating time and reduce the frequency of charging, these vehicle models are loaded with huge amounts of electricity and require the use of multiple battery boxes. The existing solution is to set up one or more highly layered battery frames, and then install the battery boxes in layers on the frames.

[0004] Existing technologies such as Figure 1 As shown, the battery system is installed on the vehicle frame 20; the battery system 10 includes a battery frame 102 and a plurality of battery boxes 101; the battery boxes 101 are installed in layers on the battery frame 102. To ensure battery safety and easy installation, the height of each layer of the battery frame 102 needs to be higher than the battery box, and the width and length of the battery frame are also greater than the battery box. Only a part of the three-dimensional space occupied by the battery frame 102 belongs to the battery box 101, and the rest of the space is not fully utilized. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a battery box and system that can be stacked in multiple layers, eliminating the battery frame and at the same time having no spacing between the layers of battery boxes in the height direction, thereby greatly improving the space utilization of the battery boxes in the battery system.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a battery box that can be stacked in multiple layers, wherein the battery box is a box-shaped structure;

[0008] The battery box is provided with a circle of threaded holes on its upper part, and screw installation holes corresponding to the threaded holes are provided on its lower part;

[0009] The upper and lower battery boxes can be fixedly connected by screw fasteners passing through the screw installation holes of the upper battery box and the threaded holes of the lower battery box.

[0010] Furthermore, the battery box includes a battery box shell, a battery monitoring unit, an interface device and a battery;

[0011] The battery box shell is a box body with an opening at the top and a closed bottom, and its enclosed space is used to accommodate a battery monitoring unit and batteries.

[0012] The interface device is fixed on the vertical wall surface of the battery box.

[0013] The interface device includes a high voltage connector, a maintenance switch and a low voltage connector;

[0014] The battery box shell includes an upper eave, a bottom plate, and a vertical wall connecting the upper eave and the bottom plate, and the part of the bottom plate outside the vertical wall constitutes a lower eave;

[0015] A plurality of columns are arranged along the circumference of the outer side of the vertical wall.

[0016] Furthermore, a groove is provided in the middle of the upper surface of the upper eave, which is arranged around the upper eave and is used for placing a sealing strip.

[0017] A cylindrical boss is provided in the middle of the groove, and a threaded hole is provided on the boss to connect the upper and lower battery boxes;

[0018] Contact planes are provided on both sides of the groove, which are slightly higher than the cylindrical bosses, so that the force acting on the upper battery box body is completely borne by the contact planes.

[0019] A positioning convex is arranged in the middle of the contact plane, and the positioning convex is arc-shaped.

[0020] The lower eaves are provided with screw installation holes, which correspond one to one with the threaded holes in the upper eaves;

[0021] A positioning groove is arranged on the lower surface of the lower eaves, the concave surface of the positioning groove is arc-shaped, corresponding to the positioning convex of the upper eaves, and the size of the positioning groove is slightly larger than the positioning convex, so that the upper battery box can slide smoothly along the arc surface to the appropriate position when stacking.

[0022] Except for the positioning groove, the rest of the lower surface of the lower eaves is a contact plane, whose position corresponds to the position of the groove of the upper eaves to compress the sealing strip, and the remaining part is in full contact with the contact plane of the upper eaves to transfer the force of the upper battery box to the lower layer.

[0023] The sealing strip is higher than the upper eave contact plane in a natural state. After the upper battery boxes are stacked, the sealing strip is compressed to the same height as the upper eave contact plane.

[0024] Furthermore, there is a liquid cooling port on each side of the front wall of the battery box shell. After the coolant flows into the liquid cooling port on one side, it enters the liquid collecting cavity arranged on the battery box shell.

[0025] The liquid collecting cavity is a cavity arranged on the battery box shell, one end of which is connected to the liquid cooling port, and the other end is connected to the flow channel under the bottom plate. The cooling liquid enters the flow channel after being transferred in the liquid collecting cavity.

[0026] Furthermore, the lower surface of the bottom plate is processed with a three-level stepped groove on the inner side of the lower edge circle, and the cross-sectional projection covers the lower surface of the battery. From the first level to the third level, it gradually moves away from the lower surface of the bottom plate, and the cross-sectional projection of the upper step groove covers the lower level. The first level table is the lower edge contact plane, and the bottom sealing plate is attached to the third level table and encloses the flow channel cavity with the third level groove. The lower surface of the bottom sealing plate after attachment is higher than the lower edge contact plane, ensuring that the lower edge contact plane is the lowest plane of the battery box. On the one hand, it avoids damage to the bottom sealing plate 115, and on the other hand, the lowest plane is also the next layer of the battery box.

[0027] A plurality of flow channel partition walls are provided on the bottom surface of the third-level groove, which divide the flow channel cavity into serpentine flow channels. The coolant flows along the serpentine flow channels into the liquid confluence cavity on the other side, then flows out from the liquid cooling port on the other side, and finally enters the next battery box or cooling device.

[0028] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a battery system, wherein the battery system eliminates the battery frame and comprises a plurality of battery boxes as described in the first aspect, wherein the battery boxes are stacked in upper and lower layers to form a battery system;

[0029] The battery system is fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper battery case is directly stacked on the lower battery case, the middle battery case is not provided with a battery case cover, the bottom plate of the upper battery case serves as the upper cover of the lower battery case, and the uppermost battery case is provided with a battery case cover, the battery case cover is provided with screw mounting holes corresponding to the threaded holes of the uppermost battery case, and the battery case cover is fixedly connected to the uppermost battery case by screw fasteners passing through the screw mounting holes of the case cover and the threaded holes of the uppermost battery case.

[0031] Furthermore, the high voltage level of the battery system is connected to the high voltage connector on one side of the bottom battery box using a high voltage line, and the high voltage connector on the other side of the bottom battery box is connected to the high voltage connector on the same side of the battery box immediately above it using a high voltage line;

[0032] The high-voltage connector on one side of the middle battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector of the battery box below with a high-voltage wire, and the high-voltage connector on the other side is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box above it with a high-voltage wire.

[0033] The high-voltage connector on one side of the top battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector of the battery box below with a high-voltage wire, and the high-voltage wire connected to the high-voltage connector on the other side serves as the other level of the battery system.

[0034] The low-voltage input of the battery system is connected to a low-voltage connector of the bottom battery box using a low-voltage wire, and the other low-voltage connector of the bottom battery box is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box immediately above it using a low-voltage wire;

[0035] One low-voltage connector of the battery box in the middle is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box below with a low-voltage line, and the other low-voltage connector is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box above it with a low-voltage line.

[0036] A low-voltage connector of the top battery box is connected to a low-voltage connector of the lower battery box with a low-voltage line, and the low-voltage line from the other low-voltage connector is used as the low-voltage output of the battery system;

[0037] The liquid cooling port of the battery box on the bottom layer is the liquid inlet of the battery system, and the liquid cooling ports of the battery boxes on adjacent layers are connected by water channels until the top layer of the battery box is connected to the liquid outlet of the battery system.

[0038] Furthermore, the liquid cooling port of the battery box on the bottom layer is the liquid inlet of the battery system, and the liquid cooling ports of the battery boxes on adjacent layers are connected by water channels until the battery box on the top layer is connected to the liquid outlet of the battery system.

[0039] Furthermore, when the battery system is operating in the vehicle-mounted state, the battery monitoring unit located in each battery box measures the single cell voltage and temperature data of the battery box, and transmits these signals to the main controller through the low-voltage line and the main controller determines whether to start liquid cooling or limit the high-voltage current of the battery system based on the information received.

[0040] When the refrigeration is started, the coolant flows in from the liquid inlet, passes through the serpentine flow channel of the bottom plate of the battery box, then enters the serpentine flow channel of the next battery box, and finally flows out from the liquid outlet.

[0041] Furthermore, if the positive and negative poles of the battery are arranged on the side, such as a blade battery cell, the bottom plate of the upper battery box is attached to the top of the battery through an intermediate heat-conducting layer.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0043] (1) The battery box can be stacked in multiple layers:

[0044] The upper battery box is directly stacked on the lower battery box, and the middle battery box cancels the battery box cover. The bottom plate of the upper battery box serves as the upper cover of the lower battery box. Only the uppermost battery box has a separate battery box cover. The battery box is provided with a circle of threaded holes on its upper eaves and a circle of screw installation holes on its lower eaves. The screw fasteners pass through the lower eaves installation holes of the upper battery box and are then screwed into the upper eaves threaded holes of the lower battery box to achieve the fixed connection between the upper and lower battery boxes. The bottom battery box can be directly fixed to the frame, eliminating the battery frame and saving the gaps between the battery boxes and between the battery boxes and the battery frames.

[0045] (2) The battery box shell structure is conducive to carrying multi-layer battery boxes:

[0046] The battery box shell consists of an upper eaves, a bottom plate, and a vertical wall connecting the upper eaves and the bottom plate. A plurality of columns are arranged along the circumference of the outer side of the vertical wall to strengthen the structural strength of the box and transfer the force borne by the upper eaves from the upper battery box to the bottom plate.

[0047] (3) The battery boxes are easy to position and seal when stacked:

[0048] There is a groove along the upper eaves in the middle of the upper surface for placing the sealing strip. A cylindrical boss is provided in the middle of the groove, and a threaded hole is provided on the boss for fixing the upper and lower battery boxes. There are contact planes on both sides of the groove, which are slightly higher than the cylindrical boss, so that the force of the upper battery box is completely borne by the upper eaves contact plane. A positioning convex is provided in the middle of the upper eaves contact plane, and the positioning convex is arc-shaped. The lower eaves is provided with a screw installation hole, which corresponds to the upper eaves threaded hole one by one. A positioning groove is provided on the lower surface of the lower eaves, and the concave surface of the positioning groove is arc-shaped, corresponding to the upper eaves positioning convex, and the size of the positioning groove is slightly larger than the positioning convex, so that the upper battery box can be smoothly moved along the arc surface to the appropriate position when stacking. In addition to the positioning groove, the rest of the lower surface of the lower eaves is a contact plane, which corresponds to the upper eaves sealing strip installation groove to compress the sealing strip, and the remaining part is in full contact with the upper eaves contact plane to transfer the force of the upper battery box to the lower layer. The sealing strip is higher than the upper eaves contact plane in its natural state. After the upper battery boxes are stacked, the sealing strip is compressed to the same height as the upper eaves sealing strip installation groove. This structure ensures that the sealing strip is compressed the same amount at any position around the circumference, thereby ensuring the sealing effect.

[0049] (4) The cooling channel is simple and the cooling effect is good:

[0050] There is a liquid cooling port on each side of the front wall of the battery case. After the coolant flows into the liquid cooling port on one side, it enters the liquid collection cavity. The liquid collection cavity is a cavity machined on the battery case, one end of which is connected to the liquid cooling port, and the other end is connected to the flow channel under the bottom plate. The coolant enters the flow channel after transferring in the liquid collection cavity. The lower surface of the bottom plate is machined on the inner side of the lower eaves circle with a three-level stepped groove whose cross-sectional projection basically covers the lower surface of the battery. From the first level to the third level, it gradually moves away from the lower surface of the bottom plate, and the cross-sectional projection of the upper level stepped groove covers the next level. The first level table is the lower eaves contact plane, and the bottom sealing plate is attached to the third level table and encloses the flow channel cavity with the third level groove. The lower surface of the bottom sealing plate after bonding is higher than the lower eaves contact plane, ensuring that the lower eaves contact plane is the lowest plane of the battery case to avoid force damage to the bottom sealing plate and the flow channel. The bottom surface of the third-level groove is provided with multiple flow channel partition walls, which divide the flow channel cavity into serpentine flow channels. The coolant flows along the serpentine flow channels into the liquid confluence cavity on the other side, then flows out from the liquid cooling port on the other side, and finally enters the next battery box or cooling equipment.

[0051] (5) The wiring harness and water circuits between battery box layers are easy to connect:

[0052] The present invention makes the battery box more centralized and compact, and the high-voltage wire harness, low-voltage wire harness and water path connecting the battery box are shorter and easier to arrange.

[0053] (6) The beneficial effects of cooling both sides of the battery:

[0054] Compared with non-stackable battery cases, whose cover plates have no cooling effect, the battery case upper cover of the present invention is the bottom plate of the upper battery case with cooling channels, which is actually equivalent to the beneficial effect of cooling both the bottom and the top of the battery.

[0055] In addition, if the positive and negative poles of the battery are not on the top but on the side, the bottom plate of the upper battery box can be attached to the top of the battery through the intermediate heat conductive layer, so that both the bottom and top sides of the battery can be cooled equally. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the battery box and the vehicle-mounted state of the system in the prior art;

[0057] Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram of the battery box and the system in a vehicle-mounted state of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of a multi-layer battery box stacking system of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 4 An exploded view of a multi-layer battery box stacking system of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of a single battery box from a top-down perspective;

[0061] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of

[0062] Figure 7 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a single battery box from an upward perspective after removing the bottom sealing plate;

[0063] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of B;

[0064] Fig. 9 A partial cross-sectional view passing through the center axis of the mounting hole on the side of the battery box and on the vertical section of the side wall of the battery box;

[0065] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A partial enlarged view of C;

[0066] Fig.11 It is a front view of the battery box shell;

[0067] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling port in FIG.

[0068] Fig.13 This is a bottom view of the battery box shell after removing the bottom sealing plate;

[0069] Fig.14 A three-dimensional diagram of the system consisting of multiple layers of stacked battery boxes after connecting the wiring harness and water channels.

[0070] In the figure: 10, battery system; 101, battery box; 102, battery frame; 20, vehicle frame;

[0071] 1. Battery box; 2. Battery box cover; 3. Screw fasteners; 4. Sealing strip;

[0072] 11. Battery box shell; 12. High voltage connector; 13. Battery monitoring unit; 14. Maintenance switch; 15. Low voltage connector; 16. Battery; 17. Thermal conductive layer;

[0073] 111, upper eaves; 1111, threaded hole; 1132, lower eaves; 1131, screw installation hole;

[0074] 1113, groove; 1112, cylindrical boss; 1114, contact plane; 1115, positioning convex; 1135, positioning groove; 1134, contact plane;

[0075] 114, liquid cooling port; 117, liquid confluence cavity; 113, bottom plate; 116, flow channel; 115, bottom sealing plate; 1133, flow channel partition wall;

[0076] 301, high voltage level one of the battery system; 302, high voltage line; 303, another level of the battery system; 401, low voltage input of the battery system; 402, low voltage line; 403, low voltage output of the battery system; 501, liquid inlet; 502, water channel; 503, liquid outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0078] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that if the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing this embodiment and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this embodiment.

[0079] Embodiment 1:

[0080] This embodiment provides a battery case that can be stacked in multiple layers, eliminating the battery frame. At the same time, there is no spacing between the layers of battery cases in the height direction, which greatly improves the space utilization of the battery cases in the battery system.

[0081] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the battery box and the system in the vehicle state of the present invention. The battery system 10 eliminates the battery frame 102, and the upper and lower battery boxes are stacked to form the battery system, which is then fixed on the frame 20 as a whole.

[0082] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The three-dimensional structure diagram and exploded diagram of the system composed of multiple layers of battery boxes are shown respectively. 1 is the battery box, 2 is the battery box cover, and 3 is the screw fastener. The upper battery box 1 is directly stacked on the lower battery box 1, and the middle battery box 1 does not have the battery box cover 2. The bottom plate of the upper battery box serves as the upper cover of the lower battery box. Only the uppermost battery box has a separate battery box cover 2. Figure 3 , 4 , 5 and 6, the battery case 1 is provided with a circle of threaded holes 1111 on its upper eaves 111, and a circle of screw mounting holes 1131 on its lower eaves 1132. The screw fastener 3 passes through the lower eaves mounting holes 1131 of the upper battery case, and then is screwed into the upper eaves threaded holes 1111 of the lower battery case 1 to achieve fixed connection between the upper and lower battery cases.

[0083] like Figure 5 and 7As shown, the battery box 1 is composed of a battery box shell 11, a high-voltage connector 12, a battery monitoring unit 13, a maintenance switch 14, a low-voltage connector 15 and a battery 16. The battery box shell 11 is a box body with an upper opening and a bottom closed, and its enclosed space is used to accommodate the battery monitoring unit 13 and the battery 16. Interface devices such as the high-voltage connector 12, the maintenance switch 14 and the low-voltage connector 15 are fixed on the vertical wall of the battery box 11. The battery box shell 11 is composed of an upper eaves 111, a bottom plate 113 and a vertical wall connecting the upper eaves and the bottom plate. The part of the bottom plate 113 outside the vertical wall constitutes a lower eaves 1132. A plurality of columns 112 are arranged along the circumference of the outer side of the vertical wall to strengthen the structural strength of the box and transfer the force from the upper battery box to the bottom plate 113.

[0084] like Figure 6 , 8 As shown in Figures 9 and 10, there is a groove 1113 in the middle of the upper surface of the upper eaves 111, which is arranged around the upper eaves and is used to place the sealing strip 4. A cylindrical boss 1112 is arranged in the middle of the groove, and a threaded hole 1111 is opened on the boss to fix the upper and lower battery boxes 1. There are contact planes 1114 on both sides of the groove 1113, which are slightly higher than the cylindrical boss 1112, so that the force of the upper battery box 1 is completely borne by the contact plane 1114. A positioning protrusion 1115 is arranged in the middle of the contact plane 1114, and the positioning protrusion 1115 is arc-shaped. The lower eaves 1132 are provided with screw installation holes 1131, which correspond one-to-one with the threaded holes 1111 in the upper eaves. A positioning groove 1135 is provided on the lower surface of the lower eave 1132. The concave surface of the positioning groove is arc-shaped, corresponding to the upper eave positioning protrusion 1115, and the size of the positioning groove 1135 is slightly larger than the positioning protrusion 1115, so that the upper battery box 1 can slide smoothly along the arc surface to the appropriate position when stacking. In addition to the positioning groove, the rest of the lower surface of the lower eave 1132 is a contact plane 1134, which plays the role of compressing the sealing strip 4 in the corresponding part with the upper eaves sealing strip installation groove 1113, and the remaining part is in full contact with the upper eaves contact plane 1114, transmitting the force of the upper battery box 1 to the lower layer. The sealing strip 4 is higher than the upper eaves contact plane 1114 in the natural state. After the upper battery box 1 is stacked, the sealing strip 4 is compressed to the same height as the upper eaves contact plane 1114. This structure can ensure that the sealing strip is compressed the same amount at any position around the circumference, thereby ensuring the sealing effect.

[0085] Fig.11 It is a front view of the battery box shell 11, and there is a liquid cooling port 114 on each side of the front wall. Fig.12 The figure is a cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling port. After the coolant flows into the liquid cooling port on one side, it enters the liquid confluence cavity 117. The liquid confluence cavity 117 is a cavity machined on the battery box shell 11. One end of the cavity is connected to the liquid cooling port 114, and the other end is connected to the flow channel 116 under the bottom plate 113. The coolant enters the flow channel 116 after transferring in the liquid confluence cavity 117. Figure 7 and9 As shown, the lower surface of the bottom plate 113 is processed with a three-level stepped groove on the inner side of the lower eaves 1132, and the cross-sectional projection basically covers the lower surface of the battery 16. From the first level to the third level, it gradually moves away from the lower surface of the bottom plate 113, and the cross-sectional projection of the upper level stepped groove covers the next level. The first level table is the lower eaves contact plane 1134, and the bottom sealing plate 115 is attached to the third level table and enclosed with the third level groove to form a flow channel cavity. The lower surface of the bottom sealing plate 115 after attachment is higher than the lower eaves contact plane 1134, ensuring that the lower eaves contact plane 1134 is the lowest plane of the battery case 1, thereby avoiding stress damage to the bottom sealing plate 115. A plurality of flow channel partition walls 1133 are provided on the bottom surface of the third level groove, which divide the flow channel cavity into serpentine flow channels 116. The coolant enters the liquid confluence cavity 117 on the other side along the serpentine flow channel, and then flows out from the liquid cooling port 114 on the other side, and finally enters the next battery case 1 or cooling equipment. The flow direction of the coolant in the battery case 1 is shown in FIG. Fig.12 and 13 The heat of the battery 16 is conducted to the bottom plate 113 through the heat-conducting layer 17 at the bottom, and then carried away by the coolant circulating in the bottom plate channel 116.

[0086] Fig.14This is a three-dimensional diagram of the system composed of multiple layers of stacked battery boxes after the wiring harness and water circuit are connected. Because the present invention makes the battery boxes more centralized and compact, the high-voltage wiring harness, low-voltage wiring harness and water circuit connecting the battery boxes are shorter and easier to arrange. 301 is the high-voltage level of the battery system. The high-voltage connector on one side of the bottom battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box immediately above it with a high-voltage wire 302. Similarly, the high-voltage connector on the other side of the upper battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box above it with a high-voltage wire 302. This is repeated upwards until the high-voltage wire connected to the high-voltage connector on one side of the topmost battery box is used as the other level 303 of the battery system. The layout of the low-voltage harness and water path of the battery system is similar to that of the high-voltage line. 401 is the low-voltage input of the battery system. The low-voltage connectors of the battery boxes between adjacent layers are connected by low-voltage lines 402 until the top battery box is connected to the low-voltage output 403 of the battery system; 501 is the liquid inlet of the battery system. The liquid cooling ports of the battery boxes between adjacent layers are connected by water lines 502 until the top battery box is connected to the liquid outlet 503 of the battery system. During the operation of the battery system in the vehicle-mounted state, the battery monitoring unit 13 located in each battery box measures the data such as the single cell voltage and temperature of the battery box, and transmits these signals to the main controller through the low-voltage line 401. The main controller determines whether to start liquid cooling or limit the high-voltage current of the battery system based on the received information. For example, when the refrigeration is started, the coolant flows in from the liquid inlet 501, passes through the serpentine flow channel 116 of the bottom plate of the battery box, and then enters the serpentine flow channel of the next battery box through 502, and finally flows out from the liquid outlet 503. Compared with non-stackable battery boxes, whose cover plates have no cooling effect, the upper cover of the battery box of the present invention is the bottom plate of the upper battery box with cooling channels, which is actually equivalent to the beneficial effect of cooling both the bottom and the top of the battery. Furthermore, if the positive and negative poles of the battery are not on the top but on the side, the bottom plate of the upper battery box can be attached to the top of the battery through the intermediate heat conductive layer, so that both the bottom and the top of the battery can be cooled equally.

[0087] The present invention provides a battery box that can be stacked in multiple layers, which has the following innovative features:

[0088] (1) The battery boxes can be stacked in multiple layers, eliminating the need for battery frames.

[0089] (2) The battery case structure is conducive to supporting multi-layer battery cases.

[0090] (3) The battery boxes are easy to position and seal when stacked.

[0091] (4) The cooling channel is simple and the cooling effect is good.

[0092] (5) The wiring harness and water channels between battery box layers are easy to connect.

[0093] (6) Both sides of the battery are cooled.

[0094] The present invention can greatly improve the space utilization of the battery box in the battery system, so that the vehicle can carry more electricity in the same volume. At the same time, this solution also makes the upper part of the battery also benefit from the cooling system, improving the thermal management efficiency. In addition, this solution also facilitates the connection of wiring harnesses and water channels between battery boxes.

[0095] The present invention makes the battery box more centralized and compact, and the high-voltage wire harness, low-voltage wire harness and water path connecting the battery box are shorter and easier to arrange.

[0096] Embodiment 2:

[0097] This embodiment provides a battery system 10, which eliminates the battery frame and includes a plurality of battery boxes as described in the first embodiment. The battery boxes are stacked in upper and lower layers to form a battery system. The battery system is installed on a vehicle frame.

[0098] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the battery box and the system in the vehicle state of the present invention. The battery system 10 eliminates the battery frame 102, and the upper and lower battery boxes are stacked to form the battery system, which is then fixed on the frame 20 as a whole.

[0099] Fig.14This is a three-dimensional diagram of the system composed of multiple layers of stacked battery boxes after the wiring harness and water circuit are connected. Because the present invention makes the battery boxes more centralized and compact, the high-voltage wiring harness, low-voltage wiring harness and water circuit connecting the battery boxes are shorter and easier to arrange. 301 is the high-voltage level of the battery system. The high-voltage connector on one side of the bottom battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box immediately above it with a high-voltage wire 302. Similarly, the high-voltage connector on the other side of the upper battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box above it with a high-voltage wire 302. This is repeated upwards until the high-voltage wire connected to the high-voltage connector on one side of the topmost battery box is used as the other level 303 of the battery system. The layout of the low-voltage harness and water path of the battery system is similar to that of the high-voltage line. 401 is the low-voltage input of the battery system. The low-voltage connectors of the battery boxes between adjacent layers are connected by low-voltage lines 402 until the top battery box is connected to the low-voltage output 403 of the battery system; 501 is the liquid inlet of the battery system. The liquid cooling ports of the battery boxes between adjacent layers are connected by water paths 502 until the top battery box is connected to the liquid outlet 503 of the battery system. During the operation of the battery system in the vehicle-mounted state, the battery monitoring unit 13 located in each battery box measures the data such as the cell voltage and temperature of the battery box, and transmits these signals to the main controller through low-voltage lines 401, 402 and 403. The main controller determines whether to start liquid cooling or limit the high-voltage current of the battery system based on the received information. For example, when the refrigeration is started, the coolant flows in from the liquid inlet 501, passes through the serpentine flow channel 116 of the bottom plate of the battery box, and then enters the serpentine flow channel of the next battery box through 502, and finally flows out from the liquid outlet 503. Compared with non-stackable battery boxes, whose cover plates have no cooling effect, the upper cover of the battery box of the present invention is the bottom plate of the upper battery box with cooling channels, which is actually equivalent to the beneficial effect of cooling both the bottom and the top of the battery. Furthermore, if the positive and negative poles of the battery are not on the top but on the side, the bottom plate of the upper battery box can be attached to the top of the battery through the intermediate heat conductive layer, so that both the bottom and the top of the battery can be cooled equally.

[0100] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features, and in the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0101] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0102] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0103] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0104] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery box capable of being stacked in multiple layers, characterized in that: The battery box is a box-shaped structure; The battery box is provided with a circle of threaded holes on its upper part, and screw installation holes corresponding to the threaded holes are provided on its lower part; The upper and lower battery boxes can be fixedly connected by screw fasteners passing through the screw installation holes of the upper battery box and the threaded holes of the lower battery box; The battery box includes a battery box shell, a battery monitoring unit, an interface device and a battery; The battery box shell is a box body with an upper opening and a bottom closing, and its enclosed space is used to accommodate the battery monitoring unit and the battery; The interface device is fixed on the vertical wall of the battery box; The interface device includes a high voltage connector, a maintenance switch and a low voltage connector; The battery box shell includes an upper eave, a bottom plate, and a vertical wall connecting the upper eave and the bottom plate, and the part of the bottom plate outside the vertical wall constitutes a lower eave; A plurality of columns are arranged along the circumference of the outer side of the vertical wall; A groove is provided in the middle of the upper surface of the upper eaves and is arranged around the upper eaves for placing a sealing strip; A cylindrical boss is provided in the middle of the groove, and a threaded hole is provided on the boss to connect the upper and lower battery boxes; Contact planes are provided on both sides of the groove, which are slightly higher than the cylindrical bosses, so that the force acting on the upper battery box is completely borne by the contact planes; A positioning convex is arranged in the middle of the contact plane, and the positioning convex is arc-shaped; The lower eaves are provided with screw installation holes, which correspond one to one with the threaded holes in the upper eaves; A positioning groove is provided on the lower surface of the lower eaves, the concave surface of the positioning groove is arc-shaped, corresponding to the upper eaves positioning convex, and the size of the positioning groove is slightly larger than the positioning convex, so that the upper battery box can slide smoothly along the arc surface to the appropriate position when stacking; The lower surface of the lower eaves, except for the positioning groove, is a contact plane, the position of which corresponds to the position of the groove of the upper eaves to compress the sealing strip, and the remaining part is in full contact with the contact plane of the upper eaves to transfer the force of the upper battery box to the lower layer; The sealing strip is higher than the upper eave contact plane in a natural state. After the upper battery boxes are stacked, the sealing strip is compressed to the same height as the upper eave contact plane.

2. The multi-layer stackable battery box according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a liquid cooling port on each side of the front wall of the battery box shell. After the coolant flows into the liquid cooling port on one side, it enters the liquid collecting cavity arranged on the battery box shell; The liquid collecting cavity is a cavity arranged on the battery box shell, one end of which is connected to the liquid cooling port, and the other end is connected to the flow channel under the bottom plate. The cooling liquid enters the flow channel after being transferred in the liquid collecting cavity.

3. The multi-layer stackable battery box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the bottom plate is processed with a three-level stepped groove on the inner side of the lower edge circle, the cross-sectional projection of which covers the lower surface of the battery, and gradually moves away from the bottom surface of the bottom plate from the first level to the third level, and the cross-sectional projection of the upper step groove covers the lower level, the first level table is the lower edge contact plane, the bottom sealing plate is attached to the third level table and encloses the flow channel cavity with the third level groove, and the lower surface of the bottom sealing plate after attachment is higher than the lower edge contact plane, ensuring that the lower edge contact plane is the lowest plane of the battery box, thereby avoiding force damage to the bottom sealing plate; A plurality of flow channel partition walls are provided on the bottom surface of the third-level groove, which divide the flow channel cavity into serpentine flow channels. The coolant flows along the serpentine flow channels into the liquid confluence cavity on the other side, then flows out from the liquid cooling port on the other side, and finally enters the next battery box or cooling device.

4. A battery system, characterized in that: The battery system eliminates the battery frame and comprises a plurality of battery boxes as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the battery boxes are stacked in upper and lower layers to form a battery system; The battery system is fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame.

5. The battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The upper battery case is directly stacked on the lower battery case, and the middle battery case is not provided with a battery case cover. The bottom plate of the upper battery case serves as the upper cover of the lower battery case. The uppermost battery case is provided with a battery case cover, and the battery case cover is provided with screw mounting holes corresponding to the threaded holes of the uppermost battery case. The battery case cover is fixedly connected to the uppermost battery case by screw fasteners passing through the screw mounting holes of the case cover and the threaded holes of the uppermost battery case.

6. The battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The battery box body includes a battery box shell, a battery monitoring unit, an interface device and a battery; the battery box shell is a box body with an upper opening and a bottom closed, and its enclosed space is used to accommodate the battery monitoring unit and the battery; the interface device is fixed on the vertical wall of the battery box body; the interface device includes two high-voltage connectors, a maintenance switch and two low-voltage connectors; The high voltage level of the battery system is connected to the high voltage connector on one side of the bottom battery box using a high voltage wire, and the high voltage connector on the other side of the bottom battery box is connected to the high voltage connector on the same side of the battery box immediately above it using a high voltage wire; The high-voltage connector on one side of the middle battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector of the battery box below with a high-voltage wire, and the high-voltage connector on the other side is connected to the high-voltage connector on the same side of the battery box above it with a high-voltage wire. The high-voltage connector on one side of the top battery box is connected to the high-voltage connector of the battery box below with a high-voltage wire, and the high-voltage wire from the high-voltage connector on the other side serves as the other level of the battery system; The low-voltage input of the battery system is connected to a low-voltage connector of the bottom battery box using a low-voltage wire, and the other low-voltage connector of the bottom battery box is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box immediately above it using a low-voltage wire; One low-voltage connector of the battery box in the middle is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box below with a low-voltage line, and the other low-voltage connector is connected to the low-voltage connector of the battery box above it with a low-voltage line. A low-voltage connector of the top battery box is connected to a low-voltage connector of the lower battery box with a low-voltage line, and the low-voltage line from the other low-voltage connector is used as the low-voltage output of the battery system; The liquid cooling port of the battery box on the bottom layer is the liquid inlet of the battery system, and the liquid cooling ports of the battery boxes on adjacent layers are connected by water channels until the top layer of the battery box is connected to the liquid outlet of the battery system.

7. The battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the battery system is in the vehicle-mounted state, the battery monitoring unit located in each battery box measures the single cell voltage and temperature data of the battery box, and transmits these signals to the main controller through the low-voltage line and the main controller determines whether to start liquid cooling or limit the high-voltage current of the battery system based on the received information; When the refrigeration is started, the coolant flows in from the liquid inlet, passes through the serpentine flow channel of the bottom plate of the battery box, then enters the serpentine flow channel of the next battery box, and finally flows out from the liquid outlet.

8. The battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the positive and negative poles of the battery are arranged on the side, the bottom plate of the upper battery box is attached to the top of the battery through the intermediate heat conductive layer.

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