Battery module, battery pack and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery module which comprises a battery cell assembly, an adapter plate and a filling piece, the adapter plate is arranged on the battery cell assembly and connected with a tab of the battery cell assembly, the battery module further comprises a fixing frame, and the fixing frame is provided with a containing cavity; a chip is also arranged on the adapter plate, and the adapter plate, the chip and at least part of the battery cell assembly are accommodated in the accommodating cavity; and the filling piece is arranged in a gap between the inner side of the accommodating cavity and the battery cell assembly and the adapter plate. The invention further discloses a battery pack with the battery module and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of December 29, 2020, application number 202011592974.5, and name “Battery module manufacturing method, battery module, battery pack and drone”. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of batteries, and in particular to a battery module, a battery pack and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0003] Lithium-ion batteries have the characteristics of high energy density, many cycles, and long storage time, so they have great development prospects in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, intelligent energy storage devices, electric bicycles, large drones, and electric vehicles. At present, in the process of processing batteries in the industry, the battery module must be glued to fix the entire module. Most of the existing glue filling methods are overall glue filling or bottom glue filling, which will form glue overflow at the gap position, affecting the glue filling effect. At the same time, there will be residual glue overflow on the appearance, and the amount of glue required for the existing glue filling operation is large. After glue filling, the energy density of the battery is reduced, the heat dissipation is poor, and the cost of glue filling is high. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a battery module, a battery pack and a drone.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a battery module, comprising a cell assembly, an adapter plate, a fixing frame, a filling piece and a power harness, wherein the adapter plate is arranged on the cell assembly and connected to the pole ear of the cell assembly, the fixing frame is provided with a receiving cavity, the fixing frame comprises a top wall, the adapter plate and the cell assembly are arranged on the same side of the top wall, and the fixing frame comprises a wire outlet hole penetrating the top wall; the adapter plate and at least part of the cell assembly are accommodated in the receiving cavity, and a supporting sheet is provided on the adapter plate; the fixing frame also comprises an avoidance groove, and a fixing hole connected to the wire outlet hole is provided on the side wall of the avoidance groove adjacent to the wire outlet hole, one end of the power harness is connected to the cell assembly through the supporting sheet, the other end of the power harness passes through the wire outlet hole and the fixing hole, and the other end of the power harness is arranged on the side of the top wall away from the cell assembly; the filling piece is arranged in the gap between the inner side of the receiving cavity and the cell assembly and the adapter plate.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation method, the filling piece includes glue; a fixing glue is provided in the gap between the wire outlet hole and the power wiring harness, and the fixing glue dries up before the filling piece; a fixing glue is provided in the gap between the fixing hole and the power wiring harness, and the fixing glue dries up before the filling piece.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the support sheet is received in the avoidance groove.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the filling piece is provided in the avoidance groove.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the fixing frame includes two side walls and two end walls, and the top wall and the two side walls and the two end walls surround and form the accommodating cavity.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the filling member includes glue, the filling member is filled into the accommodating cavity, and the filling member fixes the adapter plate, the battery cell assembly and the fixing frame after being cured.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the battery cell assembly includes a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell includes a body and a pole ear provided on the body, the adapter plate is connected to the pole ear, and the body of the battery cell is at least partially accommodated in the accommodating cavity.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, a limiting platform is provided in the accommodating cavity, the limiting platform is provided on the top wall, and the limiting platform abuts against the plate body of the adapter plate that is not connected to the pole ear.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the extension direction of the limit platform is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cells to form a flow channel for the filling member to be filled, thereby facilitating the filling of the filling member.

[0014] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application further provides a battery pack, comprising a battery housing and a battery module, wherein the battery module is any one of the battery modules of the first aspect described above.

[0015] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application further provides a drone, comprising a body and a battery pack disposed in the body, wherein the battery pack provides power to the body, and the battery pack is the battery pack of the second aspect described above.

[0016] The battery module, the battery pack with the battery module and the drone fill the filling piece in the accommodating cavity by an inverted filling method, so that the battery cell assembly, the adapter plate and the fixing frame are fixed, which can better cope with the working conditions of impact, vibration and falling, and can protect the head of the battery cell assembly and the welding components on the adapter plate. Moreover, under the action of the accommodating cavity, combined with the inverted glue filling, the number of filling pieces used is reduced, the weight is reduced, the energy density is improved and the cost is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the battery module shown from another angle.

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the partially exploded structure of the battery module shown.

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another angle of the fixed frame shown.

[0021] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of a drone in another embodiment.

[0022] Main component symbols

[0023]

[0024]

[0025] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate the present application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0028] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a battery module, comprising: providing an adapter plate on a battery cell assembly and connecting the adapter plate to the pole ear of the battery cell assembly; placing a fixed frame inverted, wherein the fixed frame includes a receiving cavity with an opening on one side, and the receiving cavity is used to accommodate the adapter plate and at least part of the battery cell assembly; the inverted placement of the fixed frame means that the opening side of the receiving cavity of the fixed frame is placed upward; the adapter plate and at least part of the battery cell assembly are placed inverted in the receiving cavity, wherein the inverted placement of the adapter plate and at least part of the battery cell assembly means that one end of the adapter plate and the battery cell assembly provided with the adapter plate is placed downward in the receiving cavity of the fixed frame; and a filling piece is provided in the gap between the battery cell assembly or the adapter plate and the inner side of the receiving cavity.

[0029] Some embodiments of the present application also propose a battery module, including a cell assembly, an adapter plate, a fixing frame and a filling piece, wherein the adapter plate is arranged on the cell assembly and connected to the pole ear of the cell assembly, the fixing frame is provided with a accommodating cavity, and a chip is also arranged on the adapter plate, the adapter plate, the chip and at least part of the cell assembly are accommodated in the accommodating cavity; the filling piece is arranged in the gap between the inner side of the accommodating cavity and the cell assembly and the adapter plate.

[0030] An embodiment of the present application further provides a battery pack, comprising a battery housing and a battery module, wherein the battery module is the battery module described above.

[0031] An embodiment of the present application further provides a drone, comprising a body and a battery pack disposed in the body, wherein the battery pack provides power to the body, and the battery pack is the above-mentioned battery pack.

[0032] The manufacturing method of the battery module, the battery module, the battery pack with the battery module and the drone fill the filling piece in the accommodating cavity by an inverted filling method, so that the battery cell assembly, the adapter plate and the fixing frame are fixed, which can better cope with the working conditions of impact, vibration and falling, and can protect the head of the battery cell assembly and the welding components on the adapter plate. Moreover, under the action of the accommodating cavity, combined with the inverted glue filling, the number of filling pieces used is reduced, the weight is reduced, the energy density is improved and the cost is reduced.

[0033] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0034] Please also see Figures 1 to 3 , one embodiment of the present application provides a battery module 100. The battery module 100 includes a cell assembly 10, an adapter plate 20, a fixing frame 30, a wiring harness 40 and a filling piece (not shown) filled in the fixing frame 30. The adapter plate 20 is arranged on the cell assembly 10 and is electrically connected to the cell assembly 10. A chip (not shown) is also arranged on the adapter plate 20, and the chip is electrically connected to the cell assembly 10. The fixing frame 30 is covered on a side of the cell assembly 10 where the adapter plate 20 is provided and accommodates the adapter plate 20 and the chip thereon. One end of the wiring harness 40 is connected to the cell assembly 10 or the adapter plate 20 accommodated in the fixing frame 30, and the other end passes through the fixing frame 30. The filling piece is filled in the fixing frame 30 to fix the cell assembly 10, the adapter plate 20, the fixing frame 30 and the wiring harness 40.

[0035] Specifically, the battery cell assembly 10 includes a plurality of battery cells 11. The adjacent battery cells 11 are fixedly connected by an adhesive 17. The battery cell 11 includes a battery cell body 111 and two pole ears 112. The two pole ears 112 are arranged on the battery cell body 111 and extend from the same side of the battery cell body 111. One of the two pole ears 112 is a positive pole ear, and the other is a negative pole ear. The battery cell 11 is electrically connected to another adjacent battery cell 11 by connecting the positive and negative pole ears. And the positive and negative pole connections of the battery cells 11 are electrically connected to the adapter plate 20. In this embodiment, all the battery cells 11 are connected in series. The pole ears of the two battery cells 11 on the outside of the battery cell assembly 10 that are not connected to the adjacent battery cells 11 constitute the first pole 12 and the second pole 13 of the battery cell assembly 10.

[0036] In some embodiments, the adhesive member 17 is foam.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first electrode 12 is a positive electrode, and the second electrode 13 is a negative electrode.

[0038] The adapter plate 20 is provided with a tab hole 21. The positive tab of the battery cell 11 and the negative tab of the adjacent battery cell 11 are respectively passed through the corresponding tab holes 21 and then bent and welded to be connected (or the negative tab of the battery cell 11 and the positive tab of the adjacent battery cell 11 are passed through the corresponding tab holes 21 and then bent and welded to be connected).

[0039] In some embodiments, the chip is an encryption chip, which is used to encrypt the matching between the battery module 100 and the external electrical device to prevent the user from replacing the battery at will, causing the replaced battery to be incompatible with the electrical device and causing electrical hazards.

[0040] Please also see Figure 4 The fixing frame 30 includes a top wall 31, two side walls 32 and two end walls 33. The top wall 31 connects the two side walls 32 and the two end walls 33. The two side walls 32 connect the two end walls 33 respectively.

[0041] The fixing frame 30 is surrounded by a top wall 31 , two side walls 32 and two end walls 33 to form a receiving cavity 34 with one side open.

[0042] The accommodating cavity 34 is used to accommodate the side of the battery cell assembly 10 provided with the tab 112 and the adapter plate 20. The filling member is filled in the accommodating cavity 34 to fix the tab 112 of the battery cell assembly 10, the adapter plate 20 and the wiring harness 40 in the accommodating cavity 34.

[0043] Furthermore, the contour of the accommodating cavity 34 matches the contour of the side of the battery cell assembly 10 where the pole ear 112 is provided.

[0044] In some embodiments, the filling piece is commonly used filling glue.

[0045] A limiting platform 341 is provided in the accommodating cavity 34. The limiting platform 341 is provided on the top wall 31. The extending direction of the limiting platform 341 is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cells 11. When the fixing frame 30 is provided on the battery cell assembly 10, the limiting platform 341 can abut against the adapter plate 20 to limit and guide the installation position of the fixing frame 30. Specifically, the limiting platform 341 can abut against the plate body of the adapter plate 20 that is not connected to the pole lug 112.

[0046] At the same time, when filling the filler, the amount of filler used can be reduced, and the weight of the battery module 100 can be reduced. The extension direction of the limit platform 341 is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cells 11, and a flow channel for filling the filler in the same direction as the gap between the battery cells 11 can be formed in the accommodating cavity 34, which is used for filling the filler, so that the filler can quickly fill the gap between the battery cells 11 and fix the battery cells 11 to the fixing frame 30. In addition, the setting of the limit platform 341 can strengthen the structural strength of the fixing frame 30 to prevent it from deforming during filling and causing the filler to overflow.

[0047] In some embodiments, the top wall 31 is further provided with a weight-reducing groove (not shown). The weight-reducing groove is provided on the outer surface of the top wall 31 opposite to the limiting platform 341. The weight-reducing groove can reduce the weight of the fixing frame 30.

[0048] The accommodating cavity 34 is also provided with a glue containing groove 342. The glue containing groove 342 is provided on the side wall 32 or the end wall 33. The glue containing groove 342 can store the filling piece to strengthen the fixation. Preferably, the glue containing groove 342 is provided on the wall surface at both ends of the extension direction of the limiting platform 341, which is the end wall 33 in this embodiment. The glue containing groove 342 provided on the end wall 33 can also leave a gap when pouring glue invertedly to facilitate the filling of the filling piece into the accommodating cavity 34.

[0049] In some embodiments, the adhesive containing groove 342 is disposed on the end wall 33 , and the adhesive containing groove 342 is formed by a surface of the end wall 33 being recessed in a direction away from the other end wall 33 .

[0050] The wiring harness 40 includes a power harness 41 and a sampling harness 42. The power harness 41 is respectively connected to the first pole 12 or the second pole 13 of the battery cell assembly 10. The sampling harness 42 is electrically connected to the adapter plate 20.

[0051] An avoidance groove 343 is provided in the accommodating cavity 34. A support sheet 22 is provided on the adapter plate 20. The support sheet 22 is roughly L-shaped. The support sheet 22 is accommodated in the avoidance groove 343. The first pole 12 and the second pole 13 are connected to the support sheet 22 after passing through the corresponding pole ear holes 21, so that the first pole 12 and the second pole 13 extend in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the adapter plate 20. The power harness 41 is welded and connected to the first pole 12 or the second pole 13 through the support sheet 22, and is accommodated in the avoidance groove 343. The avoidance groove 343 is also used to reserve filling space for the filling piece, so that the power harness 41 and the first pole 12 or the second pole 13 are fixed in the accommodating cavity 34.

[0052] In some embodiments, the wall surface of the avoidance groove 343 is an insulating surface to insulate the welding surface of the power harness 41 .

[0053] The bottom wall of the avoidance groove 343 is also provided with a wire outlet hole 311 through the top wall 31. The wire outlet hole 311 is used for the power harness 41 to pass through the fixing frame 30 and fix the power harness 41.

[0054] In some embodiments, the side wall of the avoidance groove 343 adjacent to the outlet hole 311 is further provided with a fixing hole 312 connected to the outlet hole 311. The fixing hole 312 is used to fix the power harness 41 after it passes through.

[0055] In some embodiments, the fixing hole 312 is semicircular in shape, and the outer circumference of the power harness 41 is circular, so that when the power harness 41 passes through and is accommodated in the fixing hole 312, the outer circumference of the power harness 41 is supported by the semicircular hole wall, thereby fixing the power harness 41 in the fixing hole 312, and the contact surface is sealed by mutual support to prevent the filling piece from overflowing therefrom.

[0056] The top wall 31 is also provided with a harness hole 313. The harness hole 313 is used for the sampling harness 42 to pass through the fixing frame 30 and fix the sampling harness 42.

[0057] In some embodiments, a protective member 314 is further provided on the periphery of the harness hole 313 of the top wall 31 . The protective member 314 is used to protect the sampling harness 42 passing through the harness hole 313 .

[0058] It can be understood that in some embodiments, when the support plate 22 is not provided on the adapter plate 20, the first pole 12 and the second pole 13 can be directly welded and connected to the power harness 41. In this case, the avoidance groove 343 may not be provided, and a harness hole 313 similar to the sampling harness 42 may be directly provided, or an outlet hole 311 may be directly provided on the top wall 31.

[0059] During assembly, first, connect the battery cell assembly 10 to the adapter plate 20 and the wiring harness 40 respectively; then, pass the power harness 41 and the sampling harness 42 through the outlet hole 311 and the harness hole 313 respectively; then, press the fixing frame 30 to flatten the limit platform 341 onto the adapter plate 20, at which time the accommodating cavity 34 of the fixing frame 30 completely accommodates the pole ear 112 of the battery cell assembly 10 and the adapter plate 20 therein; clamp the power harness 41 in the fixing hole 312, and fill the outlet hole 311, the fixing hole 312 and the harness hole 313 with fixing glue (such as quick-drying glue), and seal the power harness 41 and the sampling harness 42 with the outlet hole 311, the fixing hole 312 and the harness hole 313. The gaps are filled so that the power harness 41 and the sampling harness 42 are fixed on the fixing frame 30 and the outlet holes 311, the fixing holes 312 and the harness holes 313 are sealed; after the fixing glue is dried, the fixing frame 30 and the battery cell assembly 10 are turned upside down and laid flat, so that the opening side of the accommodating cavity 34 of the fixing frame 30 is placed upward, and the gaps between the battery cells 11 above the end wall 33 (formed because the adjacent battery cells 11 are connected by the adhesive 17) are filled with fillers (the gaps between the battery cells on both sides can be filled at the same time, or one side can be filled), and the accommodating cavity 34 of the fixing frame 30 is filled with the fillers. Finally, the fillings are cured to realize the assembly of the battery module 100.

[0060] In some embodiments, the fixing frame 30 is made of a transparent material, which can facilitate the operator to observe the filling condition of the filling member when filling and injecting the filling member.

[0061] In some embodiments, the fixing frame 30 is made of PET heat-conducting material, which can promptly conduct heat generated by components on the adapter plate 20 and reduce the temperature of the battery module 100 .

[0062] One embodiment of the present invention further provides a battery pack, including a battery pack housing, a circuit board disposed in the battery pack housing, a battery housing, and the above-mentioned battery module 100.

[0063] One embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a battery module 100, comprising:

[0064] The adapter plate 20 is arranged on the battery cell assembly 10, and the adapter plate 20 is connected to the tab 112 of the battery cell assembly 10;

[0065] The fixing frame 30 is disposed on the battery cell assembly 10 , and the fixing frame 30 is provided with a receiving cavity 34 , and the receiving cavity 34 receives the adapter plate 20 and at least a part of the battery cell assembly 10 ;

[0066] The filling member is disposed in the gap between the battery cell assembly 10 or the adapter plate 20 and the inner side of the accommodating cavity 34 .

[0067] Specifically, the fixing frame 30, at least part of the battery cell assembly 10 and the adapter plate 20 are placed upside down, wherein the inverted placement of the fixing frame 30 means that the opening side of the accommodating cavity 34 of the fixing frame 30 is placed upward, and the adapter plate 20 and one end of the battery cell assembly 10 provided with the adapter plate 20 are placed downward in the accommodating cavity 34 of the fixing frame 30; and then the filling piece is filled in the accommodating cavity 34.

[0068] See also Figure 5 In another embodiment, the present application further provides a drone 200, the drone 200 comprising a body 201 and a battery pack disposed in the body 201, the battery pack providing power to the body 201. The battery pack is the above-mentioned battery pack, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0069] The battery module 100, the battery pack with the battery module 100 and the manufacturing method of the battery module 100 of the present invention fill the filling piece into the accommodating cavity 34 by an inverted filling method, so that the battery cell assembly 10, the adapter plate 20 and the fixing frame 30 are fixed, which can better cope with the working conditions of impact, vibration and falling, and can protect the head of the battery cell assembly 10, as well as the welding components on the adapter plate 20. Moreover, under the action of the accommodating cavity 34, combined with the inverted glue pouring, compared with the overall glue pouring, the number of filling pieces used is reduced, the weight is reduced, the energy density is improved and the cost is reduced. At the same time, after the fixing glue is applied to the outlet hole 311, the fixing hole 312 and the harness hole 313, the filling pieces are filled, so that the waterproof and dustproof ability of the battery module 100 can reach IP67 or even higher level. The entire fixing frame 30 is made of insulating material, and the part outside the battery body 111 of the battery cell assembly 10, the adapter plate 20, and the harness 40 are accommodated, without any metal parts leaking out, which plays an insulating role. The fixing frame 30 can be made of light and thin materials or have weight-reducing grooves to reduce the weight. The fixing frame 30 can also be made of thermal conductive materials such as PET to promptly conduct the heat of the current-passing parts on the adapter plate 20 and reduce the temperature of the entire battery module 100. The transparent battery module 100 can also be used when the internal glue filling effect is well observed during the inverted glue filling to prevent glue overflow, and it can be inspected without destruction and demolding.

[0070] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are not intended to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present application may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and essence of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising a cell assembly, an adapter plate, a filler and a power harness, wherein the adapter plate is arranged on the cell assembly, and the adapter plate is connected to the tab of the cell assembly, characterized in that: The battery module further comprises a fixing frame, the fixing frame is provided with a containing cavity, the fixing frame comprises a top wall, the adapter plate and the battery cell assembly are arranged on the same side of the top wall, and the fixing frame comprises a wire outlet hole penetrating the top wall; The adapter plate and at least a portion of the battery cell assembly are accommodated in the accommodating cavity, and a support sheet is provided on the adapter plate; The fixing frame further comprises an avoidance groove, wherein a fixing hole connected to the outlet hole is provided on a side wall of the avoidance groove adjacent to the outlet hole, one end of the power harness is connected to the battery core assembly through the support sheet, the other end of the power harness passes through the outlet hole and the fixing hole, and the other end of the power harness is arranged on a side of the top wall away from the battery core assembly; The filling member is arranged in the gap between the inner side of the accommodating cavity and the battery core assembly and the adapter plate.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filler comprises glue; A fixing glue is provided in the gap between the outlet hole and the power harness, and the fixing glue is dried and solidified before the filling piece; A fixing glue is provided in the gap between the fixing hole and the power harness, and the fixing glue is dried and solidified before the filling piece.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The supporting sheet is received in the avoiding groove.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The filling piece is arranged in the avoidance groove.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing frame further includes two side walls and two end walls, and the top wall and the two side walls and the two end walls form the accommodating cavity.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filling piece includes glue, and the filling piece is filled into the accommodating cavity. After the filling piece is cured, the adapter plate, the battery cell assembly and the fixing frame are fixed.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery cell assembly includes a plurality of battery cells, wherein the battery cell includes a body and a tab disposed on the body, the adapter plate is connected to the tab, and the body of the battery cell is at least partially accommodated in the accommodating cavity.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that: A limiting platform is provided in the accommodating cavity, the limiting platform is provided on the top wall, and the limiting platform abuts against the plate body of the adapter plate which is not connected to the pole ear.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The extending direction of the limiting platform is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cells, so as to form a flow channel for the filling member to be filled, thereby facilitating the filling of the filling member.

10. A battery pack, comprising a battery housing and a battery module, characterized in that: The battery module is a battery module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A drone, characterized in that: The drone includes a body and a battery pack disposed in the body, the battery pack provides power to the body, and the battery pack is the battery pack as claimed in claim 10.

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