Replaceable battery

Abstract

A replaceable battery according to the present disclosure is provided with at least: a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cell stack having a plurality of stacked battery cells; the binding part is used for binding the battery cell stack; and a case for accommodating the cell stack bundled by the bundling member, the replaceable battery being removably attached to a vehicle, the case comprising: a square-tube-shaped main body part for covering a side surface of the cell stack; a first cover part which is connected to the front end of the cell stack, and which closes the front opening end of the square-tube-shaped main body part; and a second cover part which has a connector that is formed so as to be able to protrude outward and to be connected to the vehicle, is connected to the rear end of the cell stack via a support rod, and closes the rear open end of the square-tube-shaped main body part.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a replaceable battery that is detachably mounted on a vehicle.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-169337

[0004] Replaceable batteries are required to have high rigidity and be lightweight. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a replaceable battery that can prevent a decrease in rigidity and achieve weight reduction.

[0006] The replaceable battery disclosed herein comprises at least a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack having a plurality of stacked battery cells; a binding member for binding the cell stack; and a housing for housing the cell stack bound by the binding member. The replaceable battery is removably mounted on a vehicle. The housing comprises a rectangular cylindrical main body covering the sides of the cell stack; a first cover connected to the front end of the cell stack and closing the front open end of the rectangular cylindrical main body; and a second cover having a connector configured to protrude externally for connection to the vehicle, connected to the rear end of the cell stack via a support rod, and closing the rear open end of the rectangular cylindrical main body. In this replaceable battery, the front end of the cell stack is connected to the first cover, and the rear end of the cell stack is connected to the second cover via a support rod. This reduces the load applied to the main body of the housing when an operator picks up the replaceable battery. Consequently, the replaceable battery can be made lighter by reducing the thickness of the main body of the housing, which reduces the load. That is, this replaceable battery can prevent a decrease in rigidity and achieve weight reduction.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a replaceable battery that can prevent a decrease in rigidity and achieve weight reduction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more fully understood from the following detailed description.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a schematic enlarged perspective view of the periphery of a front case provided at the front end of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic enlarged perspective view of the periphery of a rear case provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the flow of assembling the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic perspective view for explaining the assembly process of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic perspective view for explaining the assembly process of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment, taken along the YZ plane.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment, taken along the ZX plane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present invention will be described below using embodiments of the invention. However, the inventions described in the claims are not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, not all of the structures described in the embodiments are necessary as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity, the following description and drawings are omitted or simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are marked with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as necessary.

[0018] <Implementation Method 1>

[0019] Figure 1 This is a simplified perspective view showing the appearance of a replaceable battery 1 according to Embodiment 1. The replaceable battery 1, also known as a battery pack or battery module, is removably mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle powered by a motor. For example, the replaceable battery 1 is miniaturized and lightweight to facilitate insertion and removal by operators in the electric vehicle. Operators also include operating robots and the like.

[0020] like Figure 1As shown, in the replaceable battery 1, the outer shape of the rectangular parallelepiped is defined by the housing 100 that accommodates the battery cell stack and the like. The housing 100 includes a housing body 101 in the shape of a square cylinder, a front housing 102 that is a cover that closes the opening at the front end of the housing body 101 (i.e., one open end), and a rear housing 103 that is a cover that closes the opening at the rear end of the housing body 101 (i.e., the other open end). In addition, the rear housing 103, which is provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1, is provided with a connector 104 that protrudes outward and is formed to be connectable to a connector on the vehicle side. For example, the operator slides the replaceable battery 1 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and accommodates it in the vehicle's storage space, thereby connecting the connector 104 of the replaceable battery 1 to the connector on the vehicle side.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a simplified perspective view of the periphery of the front housing 102 provided at the front end of the replaceable battery 1 after enlargement. Figure 2 As shown, a handle 141 for sliding the replaceable battery 1 is provided on the front case 102. The operator can slide the replaceable battery 1 by gripping the handle 141 and pressing and pulling the replaceable battery 1.

[0022] Alternatively, the replaceable battery 1 can be transported by being placed on a cart, for example. When placing the replaceable battery 1 from the cart into the storage space, the height of the cart is aligned with the storage space, and the handle 141 is pressed to place the replaceable battery 1 into the storage space. On the other hand, when removing the replaceable battery 1 from the storage space and placing it on the cart, the height of the cart is aligned with the storage space, and the handle 141 is pulled to remove the replaceable battery 1 from the storage space.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a simplified perspective view of the periphery of the rear housing 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1 after enlargement. Figure 3 As shown, in addition to the connector 104 , the rear housing 103 is also provided with a handle 131 and a safety valve 132 .

[0024] The connector 104 includes a base 1041, a high-voltage terminal 1042, a low-voltage terminal 1043, an alignment pin 1044, and a metal cover 1045. The base 1041 is arranged on the main surface of the rear housing 103. The high-voltage terminal 1042, the low-voltage terminal 1043, and the alignment pin 1044 are all formed to protrude outward from the main surface of the base 1041. The cover 1045 is formed to surround the side surfaces 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 installed. The low-voltage terminal 1043 is a terminal for transmitting control signals from the vehicle to the replaceable battery 1 and transmitting signals indicating monitoring results (voltage measurement results, etc.) of the battery cell stack from the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle.

[0025] Safety valve 132 discharges gas generated in the cell stack housed in housing 100 of replaceable battery 1. Even when gas is discharged from safety valve 132, high-voltage terminal 1042 and low-voltage terminal 1043 are protected by metal cover 1045.

[0026] Although not shown, a vent is provided on the wall of the vehicle's storage space for the replaceable battery 1, facing the rear end (rear housing) of the replaceable battery 1. This vent is used to discharge gas exhausted from the safety valve 132 of the replaceable battery 1 to the outside of the vehicle through the vehicle. Furthermore, gas exhausted from the safety valve 132 of the replaceable battery 1 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through a pipe connected to the vent, for example, from the bottom of the vehicle. Therefore, even if gas is exhausted from the safety valve 132 of the replaceable battery 1 housed in the vehicle's storage space, the gas does not flow back to the operator, thereby ensuring the operator's safety.

[0027] The handle 131 is rotatable about an axis extending along the upper edge of the rear housing 103 and is placed on the upper surface of the housing body 101 when not in use. Therefore, the rear end of the replaceable battery 1 can be lifted by the handle 131 for transportation without interfering with the connection of the connector 104.

[0028] More specifically, when carrying the replaceable battery 1, the operator holds the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1, and holds the handle 141 with the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1. This allows the operator to carry the replaceable battery 1 while stabilizing the center of gravity (maintaining balance).

[0029] Here, a rib groove 101c is formed on the upper surface of the housing body 101 along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the housing body 101. Therefore, when not in use, the handle 131 is accommodated in the rib groove 101c. This makes it easier for the operator to place the replaceable battery 1 in the vehicle's storage space. Furthermore, the formation of the rib groove 101c improves the strength of the upper surface of the housing body 101.

[0030] In addition, it is preferred that the thickness of the shell body 101 is small, and the thickness of the rear shell 103 is greater than the thickness of the shell body 101. By reducing the thickness of the shell body 101, the shell 100 is lightweight, and by providing the handle 131 on the thick rear shell 103, the deformation of the shell 100 is suppressed. For example, a die-cast component is used as the rear shell 103. With such a structure, the rigidity of the rear shell 103 provided with the handle 131 is improved, and the operability of the handle 131 when used is also improved. In addition, by reducing the thickness of the shell body 101, even when gas is generated in the battery stack 110, the shell body 101 is elastically deformed and expands outward, thereby suppressing a sharp increase in the pressure inside the shell.

[0031] Next, use Figures 4 to 6 , the contents of the housing 100 of the replaceable battery 1 are described, and the assembly process of the replaceable battery 1 is described. Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the flow of assembling the replaceable battery 1 . Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a schematic perspective view 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 The processing results of steps S101 to S105 correspond to each other.

[0032] First, a lower shell 101b is configured to form a bottom plate and a side plate of the shell body 101 (step S101). The lower shell 101b is formed into an L-shape in the YZ cross-section and extends along the X-axis direction. On the lower side of the bottom plate formed by the lower shell 101b, a pair of guide rails 106 are provided along the long side direction (X-axis direction) of the lower shell 101b. As a result, the replaceable battery 1 can easily slide along the guide. In addition, a metal component 105 is provided on the upper side of the bottom plate along the long side direction of the lower shell 101b. The metal component 105 is formed, for example, of aluminum or an alloy containing aluminum (i.e., a metal having aluminum as a main component).

[0033] Next, a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack 110 is placed on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b, near one of the side plates formed by the lower case 101b (step S102). The cell stack 110 is constructed by stacking multiple battery cells and is bound into a rectangular parallelepiped shape using binding members 111, such as binding straps. Metal members 105, located above the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b and below the cell stack 110, serve to dissipate heat from the cell stack 110 outside the case 100.

[0034] Subsequently, electronic devices such as a junction box 108 including relays and the like and a battery monitoring device 107 are further arranged on the upper side of the base plate formed by the lower housing 101b (step S103). The battery monitoring device 107 includes a voltage measuring device for measuring the voltage of the cell stack 110 and the voltage of each battery cell that constitutes the cell stack. The battery monitoring device 107 is arranged in the space between the cell stack 110 and the other side plate of the housing body 101, described later, in the area above the base plate formed by the lower housing 101b. This space is formed by arranging the cell stack 110 close to one of the side plates of the housing body 101. The junction box 108 is arranged in the space between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and the rear housing 103, described later.

[0035] In addition, the inner shell 102a of the front shell 102 is arranged at the front end of the lower shell 101b (shell body 101) (step S103). The rear shell 103 with the connector 104 is arranged at the rear end of the lower shell 101b (shell body 101) (step S103). The rear end of the battery stack 110 is connected to the rear shell 103 via the support rod 114. As a result, a space area sufficient to accommodate the junction box 108 is ensured between the rear end of the battery stack 110 and the rear shell 103. In addition, the front end of the battery stack 110 is connected to the front shell 102 with the handle 141, and the rear end of the battery stack 110 is connected to the rear shell 103 with the handle 131 via the support rod 114, thereby reducing the load applied to the shell body 101 when the operator grasps the handle 141 and the handle 131 to pick up the replaceable battery 1.

[0036] The support rod 114 is formed of a high-rigidity component such as steel. In addition, the support rod 114 can also be formed as one piece with the rear housing 103 by die-casting. Thus, the strength of the connection portion between the support rod 114 and the rear housing 103 becomes stronger.

[0037] In this embodiment, support rods 114 are provided between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and the rear housing 103 to connect them. However, this is not limiting. Support rods may also be provided between the front end of the cell stack 110 and the front housing 102 to connect them. In this case, the two support rods are preferably arranged so that they overlap when viewed in the stacking direction (x-axis direction) of the multiple battery cells. This improves stability when picking up the replaceable battery 1.

[0038] Thereafter, the upper shell 101a forming the top plate and the other side plate of the shell body 101 is arranged in a manner opposite to the lower shell 101b (step S104). The upper shell 101a is formed into an L-shape in the YZ cross-section and extends along the X-axis direction. The shell body 101 is formed into a square cylindrical shape by the upper shell 101a and the lower shell 101b. A space area 160 is provided above the battery cell stack 110 in the internal area of the shell body 101. The space area 160 is also used as a smoke exhaust area for allowing the gas generated in the battery cell stack 110 to escape. For example, the gas generated in the battery cell stack 110 is discharged from the space area 160 to the outside of the shell 100 via the safety valve 132.

[0039] In addition, the upper case 101a and the lower case 101b are fastened together by the fastening members 151 and 152 (step S104). Figure 7 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the YZ plane of the replaceable battery 1. Figure 7 As shown, the end of one side panel formed by the lower case 101b, which extends into the space 160, is fastened to the end of the top panel formed by the upper case 101a by fastening member 151. Furthermore, the end of the other side panel formed by the upper case 101a is fastened to the end of the bottom panel formed by the lower case 101b by fastening member 152. This allows the battery cell stack 110 to be positioned adjacent to one side panel formed by the lower case 101b without interference from fastening member 151. This ensures, for example, a sufficient space for the battery monitoring device 107 between the battery cell stack 110 and the other side panel formed by the upper case 101a.

[0040] Thereafter, the outer housing 102b of the front housing 102 is placed at the front end of the housing body 101. Thus, the replaceable battery 1 is completed (step S105). The housing 102b has a lid shape and is installed so as to also cover the opening (open end) at the front end of the housing body 101 from the side. This prevents gas from leaking from the front housing 102 side where the operator is working before the gas is discharged from the safety valve 132.

[0041] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the replaceable battery 1. Figure 8As shown, in the replaceable battery 1, the front end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the front housing 102 having a handle 141, and the rear end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the rear housing 103 having a handle 131 via a support rod 114. This reduces the load applied to the housing body 101 when the operator grasps the handle 141 and the handle 131 to pick up the replaceable battery 1.

[0042] Thus, in the replaceable battery 1 disclosed herein, the front end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the front housing 102 having the handle 141, and the rear end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the rear housing 103 having the handle 131 via the support rod 114. This reduces the load applied to the housing body 101 when the operator grasps the handle 141 and the handle 131 to pick up the replaceable battery 1. Consequently, the replaceable battery 1 can be made lighter by reducing the thickness of the reduced-load housing body 101. That is, the replaceable battery 1 can prevent a reduction in rigidity and achieve a lighter weight.

[0043] Furthermore, in the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure, a stack of cells of a certain weight is unevenly arranged in the housing. Therefore, due to the offset of the center of gravity of the replaceable battery 1, the operator is likely to lose balance when carrying the replaceable battery 1. In contrast, in the replaceable battery 1 of the present disclosure, as described above, one end of the replaceable battery 1 can be lifted in a suspended manner by the rotatable handle 131. More specifically, when carrying the replaceable battery 1, the operator holds the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1, and holds the handle 141 with the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1. Thus, the operator can carry the replaceable battery 1 while stabilizing the center of gravity (while maintaining balance).

[0044] Furthermore, in the replaceable battery disclosed herein, the housing body is constructed from a pair of L-shaped cross-section components. This facilitates the placement of contents such as the cell stack within the housing during assembly. This improves assembly workability.

[0045] Based on the above disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure can obviously be changed in various ways. These changes should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and for those skilled in the art, all these changes are obviously included in the scope of the technical solution.

Claims

1. A replaceable battery comprising at least: A rectangular parallelepiped-shaped battery cell stack having a plurality of stacked battery cells; a bundling component for bundling the battery cell stack; and a shell for accommodating the battery cell stack bound by the binding component, The replaceable battery can be detachably mounted on the vehicle. in, The housing comprises: A main body in a square cylindrical shape, covering the side surfaces of the battery cell stack; a first cover connected to the front end of the cell stack and closing the front open end of the square cylindrical main body; as well as The second cover has a connector formed to protrude to the outside for connection to the vehicle, is connected to the rear end of the cell stack via a support rod, and closes the rear open end of the rectangular cylindrical main body.

2. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, wherein: The bundling component has: a strip-shaped member extending along a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells; and The gripping parts are provided at both ends of the strip-shaped member and grip the battery cell stack at both ends thereof.

3. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, wherein: It also has a relay arranged between the connector and the battery cell stack, The relay is arranged in a space region between the second cover and the rear end of the cell stack.

4. The replaceable battery according to claim 1, wherein: The replaceable battery slides in the longitudinal direction to be loaded and unloaded relative to the vehicle. The first cover has a handle. The second cover has a handle.

5. The replaceable battery according to claim 4, wherein: A rib groove is arranged on the upper surface of the main body portion and extends along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion. The handle is accommodated in the rib groove when not in use.

Images