Replaceable battery

Abstract

This replaceable battery is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped battery cell stack and a case for housing the battery cell stack, and the case is provided with: a first member having an L-shaped cross-section and including a base plate for supporting the battery cell stack; a second member having an L-shaped cross-section, the second member being disposed facing the first member; a first lid part that closes one open end of the main body part; and a second cover part which has a connector and closes the other open end of the main body part, the battery cell stack is disposed close to the side plate of the first member, and a space region is provided above the battery cell stack in the case. A region of the side plate of the first member extending toward the spatial region is fastened to the top plate of the second member by a fastening member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a replaceable battery. Background Art

[0002] A replaceable battery that is detachably attached to a vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the replaceable battery disclosed in Patent Document 1, a battery module (a stack of battery cells) composed of a plurality of single cells is housed in a housing.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-169337 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the related-art replaceable battery, in order to prevent interference of the fastening connection members that fasten and connect a plurality of members forming the housing with the cell stack, it is necessary to separately arrange the cell stack and the fastening connection members in the housing, and there is room for improvement in the space efficiency in the housing.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to provide a replaceable battery that can improve the space efficiency in a battery housing.

[0006] The replaceable battery of the present disclosure includes at least a battery cell stack in a rectangular parallelepiped shape formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells and a housing that houses the battery cell stack. The housing includes: a first member having an L-shaped cross section, the first member including a bottom plate that supports the battery cell stack and extending along the side surface of the battery cell stack; a second member having an L-shaped cross section, the second member being disposed opposite to the first member and forming a rectangular tube-shaped main body portion with the first member and extending along the side surface of the battery cell stack; a first lid portion that closes an opening at the front end of the rectangular tube-shaped main body portion; and a second lid portion that has a connector and closes an opening at the rear end of the rectangular tube-shaped main body portion. The battery cell stack is arranged closer to the side plate of the first member than the side plate of the second member. In the housing, a space region is provided above the battery cell stack, and a region of the side plate of the first member that extends into the space region is fastened and connected to the top plate of the second member by a fastening connection member. In this replaceable battery, regions in the regions of the plurality of members forming the housing that extend into the space region provided in the upper part of the housing are fastened and connected to each other by a fastening connection member. Thereby, this replaceable battery can arrange the battery cell stack close to one side plate of the housing without interference from the fastening connection member. Thus, for example, a space region sufficient to arrange electronic devices such as a battery monitoring device can be ensured between the battery cell stack and the other side plate of the housing. That is, this replaceable battery can improve the space efficiency while preventing interference of the fastening connection member with the battery cell stack.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a replaceable battery capable of improving the space efficiency inside a battery housing can be provided.

[0008] Through the detailed description and the accompanying drawings given below, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure can be more fully understood. Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the replaceable battery of Embodiment 1.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the front housing provided at the front end of the replaceable battery of Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the rear housing provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery of Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a flowchart showing the process of assembling the replaceable battery of Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a schematic perspective view showing the process of assembling the replaceable battery according to Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 6 It is a schematic perspective view showing the process of assembling the replaceable battery according to Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery according to Embodiment 1. Detailed Embodiment

[0016] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of embodiments of the invention, but the invention in the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the configurations described in the embodiments are not necessarily all essential as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following descriptions and drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and repeated explanations are omitted as needed.

[0017] <Embodiment 1>

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the replaceable battery 1 according to Embodiment 1. The replaceable battery 1 is also referred to as a battery pack, a battery module, etc. For example, it is detachably mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle that travels by a motor using electricity as a power source. The replaceable battery 1 is miniaturized and lightened, for example, in such a manner that it is easy for an operator to plug and unplug with respect to the electric vehicle. In addition, the operator also includes a work robot, etc.

[0019] As Figure 1 shown, in the replaceable battery 1, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape is defined by a housing 100 that houses a battery cell stack, etc. The housing 100 includes a housing main body 101 having a square tube shape, a cover portion, i.e., a front housing 102, that closes the opening at the front end of the housing main body 101 (i.e., one opening end), and a cover portion, i.e., a rear housing 103, that closes the opening at the rear end of the housing main body 101 (i.e., the other opening end). In addition, a connector 104 is provided on the rear housing 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1, which is formed to protrude outward so as to be connectable to a vehicle-side connector. For example, the operator slides the replaceable battery 1 in the length direction (X-axis direction) and houses the replaceable battery 1 in the housing space of the vehicle, thereby connecting the connector 104 of the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle-side connector.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic perspective view showing an enlargement of the periphery of the front housing 102 provided at the front end of the replaceable battery 1. As Figure 2As shown, a handle 141 for sliding the replaceable battery 1 is provided on the front housing 102. An operator can slide the replaceable battery 1 by grasping the handle 141 and pushing or pulling the replaceable battery 1.

[0021] In addition, the replaceable battery 1 can be placed on a cart for transportation, for example. When the replaceable battery 1 is received from the cart into the receiving space, the height of the cart is made to coincide with the receiving space, and the handle 141 is pushed to receive the replaceable battery 1 into the receiving space. On the other hand, when the replaceable battery 1 is taken out from the receiving space and placed on the cart, the height of the cart is made to coincide with the receiving space, and the handle 141 is pulled to take out the replaceable battery 1 from the receiving space.

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of an enlarged periphery of the rear housing 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1. As Figure 3 shown, in the rear housing 103, in addition to the connector 104, a handle 131 and a relief valve 132 are also provided.

[0023] The connector 104 includes a base 1041, a high-voltage terminal 1042, a low-voltage terminal 1043, a positioning pin 1044, and a metal cover 1045. The base 1041 is disposed on the main surface of the rear housing 103. The high-voltage terminal 1042, the low-voltage terminal 1043, and the positioning pin 1044 are all formed to protrude outward from the main surface of the base 1041. The cover 1045 is formed to surround the sides of the high-voltage terminal 1042 and the low-voltage terminal 1043. The high-voltage terminal 1042 is a terminal for transmitting electricity output from the battery cell stack housed in the housing 100 of the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle on which the replaceable battery 1 is mounted. The low-voltage terminal 1043 is a terminal for transmitting a control signal from the vehicle to the replaceable battery 1 and transmitting a signal indicating the monitoring result (such as a voltage measurement result) of the battery cell stack from the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle.

[0024] The relief valve 132 discharges the gas generated in the battery cell stack housed in the housing 100 of the replaceable battery 1. Here, even when gas is discharged from the relief valve 132, the high-voltage terminal 1042 and the low-voltage terminal 1043 can be protected by the metal cover 1045.

[0025] The handle 131 is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the rear housing 103, and is placed on the upper surface of the housing main body 101 when not in use. Therefore, the rear end of the replaceable battery 1 can be suspended by using the handle 131 without interfering with the connection of the connector 104 for handling.

[0026] More specifically, when the operator transports the replaceable battery 1, the operator uses one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1 by the rotatable handle 131, and at the same time uses the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1 by the pull handle 141. Therefore, the operator can transport the replaceable battery 1 while stabilizing the center of gravity (maintaining balance).

[0027] Here, on the upper surface of the housing main body 101, a rib groove 101c is formed along the length direction (X-axis direction) of the housing main body 101. Therefore, when not in use, the handle 131 is received in the rib groove 101c. Thereby, it is easy for the operator to house the replaceable battery 1 in the housing space of the vehicle. Moreover, by forming the rib groove 101c, the strength of the upper surface of the housing main body 101 is also improved.

[0028] In addition, preferably, the thickness of the housing main body 101 is small, and the thickness of the rear housing 103 is larger than the thickness of the housing main body 101. By reducing the thickness of the housing main body 101, the housing 100 can be lightened, and by providing the handle 131 on the rear housing 103 with a large thickness, deformation of the housing 100 can be suppressed. For example, as the rear housing 103, a die-cast member is used. With such a configuration, the rigidity of the rear housing 103 provided with the handle 131 is improved, and the workability during use of the handle 131 is also improved. In addition, by reducing the thickness of the housing main body 101, even when gas is generated in the battery cell stack 110, since the housing main body 101 elastically deforms and bulges outward, a sharp increase in the internal pressure of the housing can be suppressed.

[0029] Next, use Figures 4 to 6 to explain the contents of the housing of the housing 100 of the replaceable battery 1 while explaining the assembly process of the replaceable battery 1. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the assembly process of the replaceable battery 1. Figure 5 and Figure 6 are schematic perspective views for explaining the assembly process of the replaceable battery 1. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The display contents of steps S101 to S105 in Figure 4 correspond to the processing results of steps S101 to S105 in

[0030] First, the lower housing 101b forming the bottom plate and one side plate of the housing main body 101 is arranged (step S101). The lower housing 101b is formed to have an L-shaped YZ cross-section and extends along the X-axis direction.

[0031] Then, on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower housing 101b, the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped battery cell stack 110 is arranged close to one side plate formed by the lower housing 101b (step S102). The battery cell stack 110 is composed of a plurality of battery cells stacked, and is bundled into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by a bundling member 111 such as a bundling strap.

[0032] Then, on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower housing 101b, electronic devices such as a junction box 108 including a relay and a battery monitoring device 107 are further arranged (step S103). The battery monitoring device 107 includes a voltage measuring device for measuring the voltage of the battery cell stack 110 and / or measuring the voltage of each battery cell constituting the battery cell stack. The battery monitoring device 107 is arranged in a space region between the battery cell stack 110 and the other side plate of the housing main body 101 described later in the region on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower housing 101b. This space region is formed by arranging the battery cell stack 110 close to one side plate of the housing main body 101. The junction box 108 is arranged in the space region between the rear end of the battery cell stack 110 and the rear housing 103 described later.

[0033] In addition, the inner housing 102a in the front housing 102 is arranged at the front end of the lower housing 101b (housing main body 101) (step S103). The rear housing 103 having a connector 104 is arranged at the rear end of the lower housing 101b (housing main body 101) (step S103).

[0034] Then, the upper housing 101a forming the top plate and the other side plate of the housing main body 101 is arranged in a manner facing the lower housing 101b (step S104). The upper housing 101a is formed with an L-shaped YZ cross-section and extends along the X-axis direction. The housing main body 101 in a square tube shape is formed by the upper housing 101a and the lower housing 101b. A space region 160 is provided above the battery cell stack 110 in the inner region of the housing main body 101. This space region 160 is also used as a smoke exhaust region for discharging the gas generated in the battery cell stack 110. For example, the gas generated in the battery cell stack 110 is discharged from the space region 160 to the outside of the housing 100 via the safety valve 132.

[0035] In addition, the upper housing 101a and the lower housing 101b are fastened and connected by fastening connection members 151, 152 (step S104). Figure 7 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery 1. As Figure 7As shown, the end of one side plate formed by the lower housing 101b that extends into the space region 160 and the end of the top plate formed by the upper housing 101a are fastened and connected by a fastening connection member 151. In addition, the end of the other side plate formed by the upper housing 101a and the end of the bottom plate formed by the lower housing 101b are fastened and connected by a fastening connection member 152. Thus, the battery cell stack 110 can be disposed close to one side plate formed by the lower housing 101b without being interfered with by the fastening connection member 151. Thus, for example, a space region sufficient to dispose the battery monitoring device 107 can be ensured between the battery cell stack 110 and the other side plate formed by the upper housing 101a.

[0036] Then, the outer housing 102b of the front housing 102 is disposed at the front end of the housing main body 101. Thus, the replaceable battery 1 is completed (step S105). The housing 102b has a cap shape and is installed so as to also surround the opening (open end) at the front end of the housing main body 101 from the side. Thus, it is possible to suppress gas from leaking out from the front housing 102 side where the operator is working before the gas is discharged from the safety valve 132.

[0037] In this way, in the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure, regions that extend into the space region provided in the upper part of the housing among regions of a plurality of members forming the housing are fastened and connected to each other by a fastening connection member. Thus, the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure can dispose the battery cell stack close to one side plate of the housing without being interfered with by the fastening connection member. Thus, for example, a space region sufficient to dispose an electronic device such as a battery monitoring device can be ensured between the battery cell stack and the other side plate of the housing. That is, the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure can improve the space efficiency while preventing the fastening connection member from interfering with the battery cell stack. In other words, the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure can effectively utilize the space region.

[0038] In addition, in the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure, the battery cell stack having weight is disposed to be biased to one side within the housing. Therefore, due to the shift of the center of gravity of the replaceable battery 1, it is easy to lose balance when the operator carries the replaceable battery 1. In response to this, in the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure, as described above, by the rotatable handle 131, it is possible to lift the replaceable battery 1 by suspending one end thereof. More specifically, when the operator carries the replaceable battery 1, the operator uses one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1 through the rotatable handle 131, and at the same time uses the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1 through the pull handle 141. Therefore, the operator can carry the replaceable battery 1 while stabilizing the center of gravity (maintaining balance).

[0039] In addition, in the replaceable battery of the present disclosure, the housing body is composed of a pair of members with an L-shaped cross-section. Therefore, during assembly, it is easier to accommodate the battery cell stack and other items to be accommodated into the housing. That is to say, in the replaceable battery of the present disclosure, the workability during assembly is improved.

[0040] From the disclosure described in this way, it is obvious that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be changed in many ways. These changes should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such changes that are obvious to those skilled in the art are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A replaceable battery, comprising at least a battery cell stack body in a rectangular parallelepiped shape formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells and a housing for accommodating the battery cell stack body, wherein the replaceable battery is detachably mounted on a vehicle, The housing comprises: a first member having an L-shaped cross section, the first member including a bottom plate supporting the battery cell stack and extending along a side surface of the battery cell stack; a second member having an L-shaped cross section, the second member being disposed opposite to the first member and forming a main body of a square tube shape with the first member and extending along a side surface of the battery cell stack; a first cover portion, the first cover portion closing one open end of the main body portion having a square tube shape; as well as a second cover portion having a connector formed so as to protrude outward and be connectable to the vehicle and closing the other open end of the main body portion having a square tube shape, The battery cell stack is arranged closer to the side plate of the first member than to the side plate of the second member. A space area is provided in the housing above the battery cell stack. The area of ​​the side plate of the first member that protrudes into the space area and the top plate of the second member are fastened together by a fastening member.

2. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, The space region is a fume exhaust region that exhausts gas generated in the battery cell stack.

3. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, The replaceable battery further comprises an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a voltage measuring device for measuring the voltages of the plurality of battery cells. The electronic device is provided between the battery cell stack and the side plate of the second member.

4. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, The replaceable battery can be loaded and unloaded relative to the vehicle by sliding in the length direction. The first cover has a handle. The second cover has a handle.

5. The replaceable battery according to claim 4, A rib groove is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion and extends along the length direction of the main body portion, and the handle is received in the rib groove when not in use.

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