Battery pack assembly and vehicle

Abstract

This application provides a battery pack assembly and a vehicle, including: a snap-fit ​​upper cover and a bottom guard plate, the upper cover and the bottom guard plate being sealed at the snap-fit ​​joint by a sealing ring to define an installation space; a module bracket and a battery module located within the installation space, the module bracket being mounted on the upper cover and the battery module being mounted on the module bracket; after being installed on the vehicle body, the upper cover, module bracket, battery module and bottom guard plate are arranged sequentially from high to low along the height direction, with a gap between the battery module and the bottom guard plate along the height direction; a first exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the battery module, and a second exhaust port is provided on the bottom guard plate. The battery pack assembly provided by this application reduces the number of parts, reduces weight and cost, saves certain vertical space, simplifies the box body production process, and improves the convenience of battery pack maintenance; at the same time, it provides space and channels for exhaust gas, avoiding battery pack explosion accidents caused by rapid expansion of the battery pack due to small exhaust gas space and poor exhaust gas discharge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power battery technology, and in particular to a battery pack assembly and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, power batteries, as their core components, are receiving increasing attention because their performance directly affects the vehicle's range, safety, and cost.

[0003] Currently, power battery packs generally use a bottom tray and auxiliary structures to support the battery modules. This results in problems such as heavy weight, numerous parts, significant vertical space occupation, complex box manufacturing processes, inconvenient battery pack maintenance, and high costs, which restrict the growth of the range of new energy vehicle batteries. Moreover, the exhaust channels of the battery modules are located above the battery modules. When the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, the smoke is emitted upwards, posing a significant safety hazard. In addition, the battery pack lacks vertical smoke emission buffer space inside, which can easily lead to battery pack explosion accidents when thermal runaway occurs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a battery pack assembly and vehicle to solve the problems existing in the prior art, reduce the number of parts, reduce weight and cost, save a certain amount of vertical space, simplify the box production process, and improve the convenience of battery pack maintenance; at the same time, it provides space and channels for flue gas emission, avoiding the explosion accident caused by the battery pack rapidly expanding due to small flue gas emission space and poor flue gas emission.

[0005] The battery pack assembly provided in this application includes: a top cover and a bottom cover that interlock, wherein the top cover and the bottom cover are sealed at the interlocking point by a sealing ring to define an installation space; a module bracket and a battery module located within the installation space, wherein the module bracket is installed on the inner top wall of the top cover and the battery module is installed on the module bracket; after being installed on the vehicle body, the top cover, the module bracket, the battery module and the bottom cover are arranged sequentially from high to low along the height direction, and the battery module and the bottom cover are spaced apart along the height direction; a first exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the battery module and a second exhaust port is provided on the bottom cover.

[0006] Optionally, the module support includes a supporting longitudinal beam and a supporting transverse beam; the supporting longitudinal beam includes an inner longitudinal beam and two sets of outer longitudinal beams respectively disposed on opposite sides of the inner longitudinal beam; the supporting transverse beam is connected to the ends of the inner longitudinal beam and the two sets of outer longitudinal beams.

[0007] Optionally, the battery disconnect unit is mounted on the top cover and is spaced apart from the bottom cover in the height direction.

[0008] Optionally, the supporting longitudinal beam further includes two transition longitudinal beams connected to the supporting crossbeam. The transition longitudinal beams are connected to the side of the supporting crossbeam facing away from the inner longitudinal beam, and the ends of the two transition longitudinal beams abut against the inner wall of the upper cover. The space for installing the battery disconnect unit is defined between the supporting crossbeam, the two transition longitudinal beams, and the inner wall of the upper cover.

[0009] Optionally, the battery pack assembly further includes a reinforcing bracket and a front adapter bracket; the reinforcing bracket is located on the inner front part of the top cover, and the two side walls of the reinforcing bracket are respectively attached to the inner front part of the top cover and the inner longitudinal beam; the front adapter bracket is located on the outer front part of the top cover, and the front adapter bracket is used to be mounted on the vehicle body. The front adapter bracket is arranged opposite to the reinforcing bracket and connected by a fastener that passes through the reinforcing bracket, the top cover, and the front adapter bracket simultaneously.

[0010] Optionally, the battery pack assembly further includes a rear adapter bracket; the rear adapter bracket is mounted on the outer rear part of the upper cover and is used for mounting on the vehicle body.

[0011] Optionally, a one-way exhaust valve is installed on both the first and second flue gas discharge holes, and the opening pressure of the one-way exhaust valve is adjustable.

[0012] Optionally, the battery module further includes a module mounting bolt, one end of which is located on the outside of the battery module, and the other end of which passes through the bottom of the battery module and is fastened to the floating nut of the module bracket.

[0013] Optionally, the bottom guard plate is integrally formed from stamped steel, and the top cover is formed from stamped aluminum alloy.

[0014] This application also provides a vehicle, including a body sheet metal, body fastening bolts, and a battery pack assembly as described in any of the above embodiments; the body fastening bolts pass through the bottom of the battery pack assembly and are fastened to the body sheet metal by body fastening nuts.

[0015] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The battery pack assembly and vehicle provided in this application achieve an inverted installation design for the battery modules and module brackets by inverting the module brackets onto the top cover of the battery pack and mounting the battery modules on the module brackets. Compared with conventional technical solutions, this eliminates the need for aluminum profile battery trays and related accessories to support the battery modules, reducing the number of parts, lowering weight and cost, saving vertical space, simplifying the box production process, and improving the convenience of battery pack maintenance. The first exhaust port is located at the bottom of the battery module, and the second exhaust port is located on the bottom guard plate, so that exhaust gas can be discharged from the battery pack together. The vertical space saved between the battery module and the bottom guard plate provides space and channel for exhaust gas, which can provide a certain buffer space in the event of thermal runaway, avoiding the explosion caused by the rapid expansion of the battery pack due to small exhaust space and poor exhaust gas discharge. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The preferred embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to aid in understanding the purpose and advantages of this application, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack assembly provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a top view of the battery pack assembly installed on the vehicle body, according to an optional embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the battery pack assembly installed on the vehicle body, according to an optional embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 4 An exploded view of the battery pack assembly provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the battery pack assembly provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 6 An exploded view of the top cover, sealing ring, and bottom protective plate in the battery pack assembly provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the module bracket provided in an optional embodiment of this application, which is disposed on the upper cover.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a longitudinal view of the battery pack assembly mounted on a vehicle body, provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0027] 1-Top cover, 10-Sealing ring, 11-First flange;

[0028] 2-Module bracket, 20-Supporting longitudinal beam, 200-Inner longitudinal beam, 201-Outer longitudinal beam, 202-Transfer longitudinal beam, 21-Supporting crossbeam, 22-Reinforcing bracket, 23-Floating nut;

[0029] 3-Battery module, 30-Module mounting bolts;

[0030] 4- Bottom guard plate, 40- Second flange;

[0031] 5-Cooling unit, 50-Inlet, 51-Outlet;

[0032] 6-Battery disconnection unit;

[0033] 7-Front adapter bracket;

[0034] 8- Rear adapter bracket;

[0035] 9-Body sheet metal, 90-Body fastening bolts, 91-Body fastening nuts. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Down

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings. The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, and bottom mentioned or possibly used in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the accompanying drawings. The terms "inner" and "outer" refer to directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively. These are relative concepts and may therefore vary depending on their location and usage. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this application provides a battery pack assembly, including a snap-fit ​​upper cover 1 and a bottom protective plate 4, a module bracket 2 and a battery module 3.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, the upper cover 1 and the bottom protective plate 4 are sealed at the fastening point by a sealing ring 10 to define the installation space; the module bracket 2 and the battery module 3 are located in the installation space, the module bracket 2 is installed on the inner top wall of the upper cover 1, and the battery module 3 is installed on the module bracket 2 for positioning.

[0040] After installation on the vehicle body, the upper cover 1, the module bracket 2, the battery module 3, and the bottom guard plate 4 are arranged sequentially from high to low along the height direction, with a gap between the battery module 3 and the bottom guard plate 4 along the height direction. Figure 5As shown; the bottom of the battery module 3 is provided with a first smoke exhaust hole, and the bottom protective plate 4 is provided with a second smoke exhaust hole.

[0041] The first flue gas emission port can be set vertically opposite to the second flue gas emission port, or it can be set vertically offset. The specific configuration can be determined according to the flue gas emission requirements.

[0042] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the lower part of the top cover 1 is provided with an opening, and the lower edge of the top cover 1 is provided with a first flange 11 extending outward. The upper part of the bottom guard plate 4 is provided with an opening, and the upper edge of the bottom guard plate 4 is provided with a second flange 40 extending outward. The first flange 11 and the second flange 40 are connected to each other and a sealing ring 10 is embedded between them in the circumferential direction for sealing. This effectively optimizes the structure and components required for battery pack sealing, reduces redundant materials, improves production efficiency, and reduces costs.

[0043] After the battery pack is installed on the vehicle body, the cooling unit 5 in the thermal management system of battery module 3 is located on the upper part of battery module 3, specifically, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the liquid cooling plate of the cooling unit 5 is attached to the battery module 3, and the refrigerant circulates through the water inlet 50, the water outlet 51, and the cooling water pipe.

[0044] The battery pack assembly provided in this application achieves an inverted installation design for the battery module 3 and the module bracket 2 by inverting the module bracket 2 onto the upper cover 1 of the battery pack and mounting the battery module 3 onto the module bracket 2 located above it. Compared with conventional technical solutions, it eliminates the need for aluminum profile battery trays and related accessories to support the battery module 3, reducing the number of parts, lowering weight and cost, saving vertical space, simplifying the box production process, and improving the convenience of battery pack maintenance. The first flue gas exhaust port is located at the bottom of the battery module 3, and the second flue gas exhaust port is located on the bottom guard plate 4, so that the flue gas can be quickly discharged from the battery pack together. The vertical space saved between the battery module 3 and the bottom guard plate 4 provides space and channel for flue gas discharge, which can provide a certain buffer space in the event of thermal runaway, avoiding the battery pack explosion caused by rapid expansion due to small flue gas exhaust space and poor flue gas exhaust.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the module support 2 includes a supporting longitudinal beam 20 and a supporting transverse beam 21; the supporting longitudinal beam 20 includes an inner longitudinal beam 200 and two sets of outer longitudinal beams 201 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the inner longitudinal beam 200; the supporting transverse beam 21 connects to the ends of the inner longitudinal beam 200 and the two sets of outer longitudinal beams 201. Please refer to... Figure 4The inner longitudinal beam 200 supports the inner longitudinal side of the battery pack, while the outer longitudinal beams 201 on both sides support the outer longitudinal side of the battery pack. The supporting crossbeam 21 supports the lateral side of the battery pack. The supporting longitudinal beam 20 and the supporting crossbeam 21 can be integrally formed or bolted together to form the module bracket 2. The module bracket 2 supports the battery pack and resists mechanical impact and mechanical vibration.

[0046] In an optional embodiment, the battery disconnect unit 6 is mounted on the upper cover 1, with a vertical gap between it and the bottom protective plate 4. The battery disconnect unit 6 (BDU) is a high-voltage protection component of the battery pack assembly, consisting of sensors, actuators, controllers (electronic control units), etc. It collects data such as system voltage, current, and temperature to effectively manage and control the charging and discharging of the battery pack, and respond to functional requirements at the vehicle level. The battery disconnect unit 6 is a conventional component of the battery pack, and its structure will not be described in detail. By fixing the battery disconnect unit 6 to the module bracket 2 or the inner top of the upper cover 1 with bolts, and leaving a vertical gap between it and the bottom protective plate 4, the space and channel required for smoke exhaust are further increased.

[0047] In an optional embodiment, the supporting longitudinal beam 20 further includes two transition longitudinal beams 202 connected to the supporting crossbeam 21. The transition longitudinal beams 202 are connected to the side of the supporting crossbeam 21 facing away from the inner longitudinal beam 200, and the ends of both transition longitudinal beams 202 abut against the inner wall of the upper cover 1. A space for installing the battery disconnect unit 6 is defined between the supporting crossbeam 21, the two transition longitudinal beams 202, and the inner wall of the upper cover 1. Please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 7 Two connecting longitudinal beams 202 are connected to the supporting crossbeam 21 to form a U-shaped structure. The opening of the U-shaped structure faces the inner wall of the upper cover 1 to form an annular installation space. The battery disconnection unit 6 is located inside the installation space. The annular installation space provides effective protection for the battery disconnection unit 6.

[0048] In an optional embodiment, the battery pack assembly further includes a reinforcing bracket 22 and a front adapter bracket 7; the reinforcing bracket 22 is located at the inner front part of the upper cover 1, and the two side walls of the reinforcing bracket 22 are respectively fitted and connected to the inner front part of the upper cover 1 and the inner longitudinal beam 200; the front adapter bracket 7 is located at the outer front part of the upper cover 1, and the front adapter bracket 7 is used for mounting on the vehicle body. The front adapter bracket 7 is arranged opposite to the reinforcing bracket 22 and is connected by a fastener that passes through the reinforcing bracket 22, the upper cover 1, and the front adapter bracket 7 simultaneously. Please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 7The fasteners can be bolts. The two side walls of the reinforcing bracket 22 are respectively attached to the inner side wall of the inner longitudinal beam 200 and the inner side wall of the top cover 1, and are fastened by bolts to transfer the force of the inner longitudinal beam 200 to the top cover 1. The front adapter bracket 7 is located on the outside of the top cover 1. Bolts that pass through the reinforcing bracket 22, the top cover 1 and the front adapter bracket 7 in sequence are used to receive the force of the top cover 1 and transfer it to the vehicle body, reduce the deformation of the battery pack after being subjected to force, and play a protective role for the battery pack.

[0049] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, "front part" refers to the front part along the vehicle body direction after the battery pack assembly is installed on the vehicle body.

[0050] In optional embodiments of the reinforcing bracket 22 and the front adapter bracket 7, such as Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the reinforcing bracket 22 is a triangular prism, with two perpendicular side walls that are respectively attached to the inner longitudinal beam 200 and the inner front part of the upper cover 1. The side wall attached to the inner longitudinal beam 200 is fastened with bolts. The front adapter bracket 7 is L-shaped, including a horizontal wall and a vertical wall connected to each other. The horizontal wall is used to be connected to the body sheet metal by bolts. The vertical wall is attached to the outside of the upper cover 1 and faces away from the reinforcing bracket 22. The bolts pass through the vertical wall of the front adapter bracket 7, the side wall of the upper cover 1, and the part of the reinforcing bracket 22 attached to the upper cover 1 in sequence, and are then fastened with nuts.

[0051] Furthermore, the number of reinforcing brackets 22 and front adapter brackets 7 is two, and they are arranged along the side of the upper cover 1 to evenly transfer the force of the module brackets 2 and the upper cover 1 to the vehicle body, thereby increasing the structural stability of the battery pack assembly.

[0052] In an optional embodiment, the battery pack assembly further includes a rear adapter bracket 8; the rear adapter bracket 8 is mounted on the outer rear part of the upper cover 1, and the rear adapter bracket 8 is used for mounting on the vehicle body. Please refer to... Figure 4 The number of rear adapter brackets 8 can be two, so as to evenly transfer the force of the rear of the battery pack assembly to the vehicle body, and together with the front adapter bracket 7, reduce the force and deformation of the battery pack and increase the structural stability of the battery pack.

[0053] The rear adapter bracket 8 can also be fastened to the body sheet metal with bolts.

[0054] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, "rear part" refers to the rear part along the vehicle body direction after the battery pack assembly is installed on the vehicle body. In an optional embodiment, both the first and second exhaust ports are equipped with one-way exhaust valves, and the opening pressure of the one-way exhaust valves is adjustable. In the event of thermal management failure of the battery pack, the one-way exhaust valves allow the battery pack to promptly exhaust smoke and gas to the outside, reducing safety hazards. The adjustable opening pressure of the one-way exhaust valves allows for adaptive settings based on the required exhaust pressure for vehicles in different operating environments.

[0055] In an optional embodiment, the battery module 3 further includes a module mounting bolt 30, one end of which is located on the outside of the battery module 3, and the other end of which passes through the bottom of the battery module 3 and is fastened to the floating nut 23 of the module bracket 2. Please refer to... Figure 5 The module mounting bolt 30 is fastened by the floating nut 23. While fastening the module mounting bolt 30, the floating nut 23 can move within a limited range relative to the mounting hole of the module mounting bolt 30 to solve the problems of hole misalignment during assembly, dimensional changes caused by thermal expansion and contraction, or displacement caused by vibration.

[0056] In one optional embodiment, the bottom guard plate 4 is integrally formed from stamped steel, and the top cover 1 is formed from stamped aluminum alloy. Compared with aluminum profile welded box body, the forming method of the bottom guard plate 4 and the top cover 1 eliminates the need for welding process, solves the weld quality problem, and improves production efficiency and assembly efficiency. In addition, the solution of this application does not require equipment for multiple aluminum profiles in the production process, but only one stamping machine, which simplifies the overall process and production flow.

[0057] During assembly, the opening of the top cover 1 is placed facing upwards. The module bracket 2, battery module 3, sealing ring 10 and bottom guard plate 4 are connected to the top cover 1 in sequence to form a battery pack. The battery pack is then lifted and flipped over, and then bolted to the sheet metal of the vehicle chassis.

[0058] This application also provides a vehicle, including a body panel 9, body fastening bolts 90, and a battery pack assembly as described in any of the above embodiments; the body fastening bolts 90 pass through the bottom of the battery pack assembly and are fastened to the body panel 9 by body fastening nuts 91. Please refer to... Figure 8 The battery pack can be stably installed on the vehicle body using the body fastening bolts 90.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A battery pack assembly, characterized in that, include: The upper cover and the bottom cover are interlocked, and the upper cover and the bottom cover are sealed at the interlocking point by a sealing ring to define the installation space; The module bracket and battery module are located within the installation space, the module bracket is installed on the inner top wall of the upper cover, and the battery module is installed on the module bracket; After being installed on the vehicle body, the top cover, the module bracket, the battery module, and the bottom guard plate are arranged in order from high to low along the height direction, with a gap between the battery module and the bottom guard plate along the height direction; The bottom of the battery module is provided with a first smoke exhaust hole, and the bottom protective plate is provided with a second smoke exhaust hole. The first smoke exhaust hole and the second smoke exhaust hole are arranged vertically opposite to each other. The module support includes a supporting longitudinal beam, which includes an inner longitudinal beam and two sets of outer longitudinal beams respectively arranged on opposite sides of the inner longitudinal beam. The battery pack assembly also includes a reinforcing bracket and a front adapter bracket; The reinforcing bracket is located on the inner front part of the upper cover, and the two side walls of the reinforcing bracket are respectively attached to the inner front part of the upper cover and the inner longitudinal beam. The front adapter bracket is located on the outer front part of the upper cover. The front adapter bracket is used to be mounted on the vehicle body. The front adapter bracket is arranged opposite to the reinforcing bracket and connected by a fastener that passes through the reinforcing bracket, the upper cover, and the front adapter bracket simultaneously.

2. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The module support includes a support beam; The supporting crossbeam is connected to the ends of the inner longitudinal beam and the two sets of outer longitudinal beams.

3. The battery pack assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery disconnect unit is installed on the top cover and is spaced apart from the bottom cover in the height direction.

4. The battery pack assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The supporting longitudinal beam also includes two transition longitudinal beams connected to the supporting crossbeam. The transition longitudinal beams are connected to the side of the supporting crossbeam facing away from the inner longitudinal beam, and the ends of the two transition longitudinal beams abut against the inner wall of the upper cover. The space for installing the battery disconnect unit is defined between the supporting crossbeam, the two connecting longitudinal beams, and the inner sidewall of the top cover.

5. The battery pack assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery pack assembly also includes a rear adapter bracket; The rear adapter bracket is installed on the outer rear part of the upper cover, and the rear adapter bracket is used for mounting on the vehicle body.

6. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first and second flue gas emission ports are equipped with one-way exhaust valves, and the opening pressure of the one-way exhaust valves is adjustable.

7. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery module also includes a module mounting bolt, one end of which is located on the outside of the battery module, and the other end of which passes through the bottom of the battery module and is fastened to the floating nut of the module bracket.

8. The battery pack assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom protective plate is integrally formed from stamped steel, and the top cover is formed from stamped aluminum alloy.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including body sheet metal, body fastening bolts, and the battery pack assembly as described in any one of claims 1-8; The body fastening bolts pass through the bottom of the battery pack assembly and are fastened to the body sheet metal by body fastening nuts.

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