Battery pack and integrated floating plug

Abstract

The battery pack comprises a water cooling plate arranged on one side of the battery pack, and the tail end of the battery pack is provided with an electric connection male plug electrically connected with an internal battery cell and two first insertion pipes communicated with the water cooling plate; the invention further discloses an integrated floating plug, the integrated floating plug comprises an electric connection female plug, an insertion pipe and a quick insertion mechanism, the electric connection female plug is electrically connected with a whole vehicle circuit, and the insertion pipe is communicated with water cooling equipment on a vehicle body. According to the battery pack, the water-cooling plate is integrated into the battery pack body, full contact between the water-cooling plate and the battery cells in the battery pack is guaranteed, the heat exchange efficiency is higher, meanwhile, the water and electric connection structure of the battery pack and the integrated floating plug is optimized, electric connection and water-cooling connection of the battery pack can be completed through one-time insertion, the battery pack disassembly and assembly process is simplified, and the battery pack assembly and disassembly efficiency is improved. The battery pack assembling efficiency is greatly improved, the integration degree is high, and maintenance operation of workers is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of battery pack connection structure technology, specifically relating to a battery pack and an integrated floating plug. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles represent the future of new energy vehicles, using battery packs to store electrical energy as the power source for driving the car. To ensure a certain total capacity and output voltage, electric vehicles require a certain number of battery packs, which are connected by copper busbars to form battery modules. To improve the safety of the battery pack, the battery packs are housed within a casing. The charging and discharging of the battery pack generates heat, leading to temperature increases. Excessive temperature can adversely affect battery performance and lifespan, and may even cause thermal runaway, endangering personal safety. Therefore, it is essential to cool the battery pack during use. Furthermore, in areas with low temperatures, the charging efficiency of the battery pack is lower at lower temperatures, necessitating preheating to ensure better charging efficiency and achieve rapid charging. Therefore, temperature control devices need to be added to facilities such as battery compartments and battery swapping cabinets where battery packs are housed and charging / discharging occurs.

[0003] In traditional solutions, a single water-cooled plate is laid inside the vehicle frame to contact the battery pack inserted into the battery compartment, achieving heat exchange. However, due to assembly process issues, the water-cooled plate may not fit tightly against the battery pack in some locations, affecting the heat exchange effect. While equipping each battery pack with a separate water-cooled plate can ensure heat exchange, the opposing water-cooling and electrical connectors require repeated installation and connection of these connectors when disassembling and reassembling each battery pack, increasing the difficulty of battery pack replacement and maintenance and reducing the efficiency of battery swapping operations. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery pack for use to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a battery pack, including a water-cooling plate disposed on one side of the battery pack, wherein the rear end of the battery pack is provided with an electrical connection male plug electrically connected to the internal battery cells and two insertion tubes communicating with the water-cooling plate;

[0006] The insertion tube is equipped with a quick-connect mechanism. When the battery pack is inserted into the vehicle's battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism is activated, and the insertion tube is connected. When the battery pack is removed from the battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism is closed, and the insertion tube is sealed.

[0007] Preferably, the quick-connect structure includes a plug that is radially slidably installed inside the insertion tube, one end of the insertion tube behind the plug is sealed by a support seat, and a spring is disposed between the support seat and the plug for pushing the plug to reset and seal the insertion tube port.

[0008] Preferably, the cannula includes a thin tube segment at its free end and a thick tube segment connected to the thin tube segment;

[0009] One end of the plug is a drainage section, which is slidably disposed in the thin tube section. The drainage section is provided with a guide hole A opposite to the insertion port and a guide hole B disposed on the circumferential surface of the plug.

[0010] The drainage section has two positional states within the insertion tube:

[0011] One is that when the spring is compressed, the flow-draining section slides along the thin tube section to the thick tube section. At this time, the flow-draining section's guide hole B is connected to the thick tube section, and the two tubes are in a conductive state.

[0012] Secondly, the spring returns to its original position, and the flow-reducing section slides from the coarse tube section to the thin tube section. At this time, the flow-reducing section's guide hole B is sealed by the inner wall of the thin tube section, and the inter-tubes are in a closed state.

[0013] Preferably, the inner wall of the connecting section between the thick pipe section and the thin pipe section is configured as an annular arc surface, and a sealing ring is correspondingly provided on the outer ring of the plug;

[0014] When the spring pushes the plug back to its original position, the frustum-shaped sealing ring fits into the annular arc surface.

[0015] An integrated floating plug is also disclosed, including an electrical connection female plug, a plug tube, and a quick-connect mechanism. The electrical connection female plug is electrically connected to the vehicle's electrical circuit, and the plug tube is connected to the water-cooling equipment on the vehicle body.

[0016] Preferably, a guide structure is provided between the integrated floating plug and the battery pack.

[0017] Preferably, the guide structure includes a guide post that is fixedly mounted vertically on the rear housing of the battery pack and a guide hole formed on the integrated floating plug.

[0018] Preferably, the insertion tube is connected to the water-cooling plate and the water-cooling equipment respectively through pipe joints installed on the circumferential surface;

[0019] The internal channels of the insertion tube and the pipe joint form a tortuous waterway.

[0020] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows: This battery pack integrates the water-cooling plate into each battery pack body, ensuring that the water-cooling plate is always in full contact with the battery cells inside the battery pack, resulting in higher heat exchange efficiency.

[0021] At the same time, the water and electricity connection structure of the battery pack and the integrated floating plug are optimized. The electrical connection and water cooling connection of the battery pack can be completed with a single plug-in, simplifying the battery pack disassembly and assembly process, speeding up the battery pack assembly efficiency, and with a high degree of integration, making it convenient for maintenance operations by staff.

[0022] Meanwhile, this quick-connect mechanism has a simple structure, low operating cost, long service life, and low failure rate. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure in this invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the battery pack and the integrated floating plug in this invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure when the cannula is inserted into the cannula.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the plug structure;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the first state of the plug inside the cannula.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the second state of the plug inside the cannula.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an integrated floating plug.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Battery pack; 2. Water-cooled plate; 3. Quick-connect structure; 310. End cap; 320. Spring; 330. Support base;

[0031] 3110, Flow diversion section; 3120, Flow guide hole A; 3130, Flow guide hole B;

[0032] 4. Guide structure; 410. Guide post; 420. Guide hole;

[0033] 5. Intubation; 510. Thin tube section; 520. Thick tube section;

[0034] 6. Integrated floating plug; 7. Circular arc surface; 8. Sealing ring; 9. Male electrical connector; 10. Pipe fitting; 11. Female electrical connector. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "both ends", "one end", "the other end", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] This invention provides, for example Figure 1-3 The battery pack shown includes a water-cooling plate disposed on one side of the battery pack, and an electrical connection male plug electrically connected to the internal battery cells and two tubes communicating with the water-cooling plate at the rear end of the battery pack.

[0039] The water-cooled plate 2 structure is directly assembled onto the surface of each independent battery pack 1 to avoid uneven temperature control caused by some battery packs 1 not being tightly bonded to the water-cooled plate 2.

[0040] Meanwhile, a quick-connect mechanism is installed inside the tube. When the battery pack is inserted into the vehicle's battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism opens, and the tube becomes conductive. When the battery pack is removed from the battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism closes, and the tube is sealed. To facilitate the connection of the battery pack 1 and the water-cooling plate 2, a water-cooling connector and an electrical connection connector are integrated on one side of the battery pack. When the corresponding inlet and outlet water pipes are connected, the positive and negative terminals of the electrical connection plug 9 are simultaneously connected, realizing integrated plugging and unplugging of the water circuit and the electrical circuit. This simplifies the water and electrical connection structure of the battery pack 1 to the vehicle's electrical circuit. The electrical connection and water-cooling connection of the battery pack 1 can be completed with a single plugging, simplifying the battery pack 1 disassembly and assembly process, speeding up the assembly efficiency of the battery pack 1, and providing high integration for convenient maintenance operations.

[0041] A quick-connect structure 3 is provided inside the insertion tube 5. When the integrated floating plug 6 and the tail end of the battery pack 1 are connected, the corresponding insertion tube 5 is inserted and connected through the quick-connect structure 3. The quick-connect structure 3 includes a plug 310 that is radially slidably installed inside the insertion tube 5. One end of the insertion tube 5 behind the plug 310 is blocked by a support 330, and a spring 320 is provided between the support 330 and the plug 310 to push the plug 310 back to reposition and block the port of the insertion tube 5. When the integrated floating plug 6 and the tail end of the battery pack 1 are connected, the two opposing tubes 5 are connected, and the plugs 310 inside the tubes 5 slide into the depth of the tubes 5 against each other, compressing the spring 320. At this time, the tight seal between the plug 310 and the inner wall of the tube 5 is separated, thereby opening the tube 5. When the tube 5 is pulled out, the spring 320 returns to its original position and pushes the plug 310 to its original position. At this time, the plug 310 is once again in contact with the inner wall of the tube 5, closing the tube 5 again, realizing the rapid connection of the water cooling pipeline and ensuring that the water cooling pipeline and the electrical connection plug are plugged in and out synchronously.

[0042] The cannula 5 includes a thin tube segment 510 at its free end and a thick tube segment 520 connected to the thin tube segment 510;

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, one end of the plug 310 is a drainage section 3110, which is slidably disposed in the thin tube section 510. The drainage section 3110 is provided with a guide hole A3120 opposite to the port of the insertion tube 5 and a guide hole B3130 disposed on the circumferential surface of the plug 310.

[0044] The drainage section 3110 has two positional states within the cannula 5: one is, as shown in the image. Figure 5 As shown, when the spring 320 is compressed, the flow-draining section 3110 slides along the thin tube section 510 towards the thick tube section 520. At this time, the flow-draining hole B3130 of the flow-draining section 3110 is connected to the thick tube section 520, and the insertion tubes 5 are in a conductive state; secondly, as... Figure 6 As shown, the spring 320 returns to its original position, and the flow diversion section 3110 slides from the coarse tube section 520 to the thin tube section 510. At this time, the guide hole B3130 of the flow diversion section 3110 is sealed by the inner wall of the thin tube section 510, and the insertion tubes 5 are in a closed state. Through the above scheme, it is ensured that the water cooling channel is smoothly opened after the insertion tubes 5 are connected. The refrigerant flows through the guide hole A3120 at the end of the plug 310 and the guide hole B3130 opened on the circumferential surface to complete the circulation of the refrigerant. Through the diversion section 3110 to guide the water flow, it is ensured that the refrigerant remains uniform and smooth, and the heat exchange efficiency is more uniform and efficient.

[0045] The inner wall of the connecting section between the thick pipe section 520 and the thin pipe section 510 is set as an annular arc surface 7, and a sealing ring 8 is correspondingly provided on the outer ring of the plug 310. When the spring 320 pushes the plug 310 to reset, the frustum-shaped sealing ring 8 fits into the annular arc surface 7. Through this structural design, the long-term friction between the sealing ring 8 and the inner wall of the insertion tube 5 can be avoided, which could cause wear and damage to the seal. It also prevents the plug 310 from sliding unsmoothly inside the insertion tube 5, thus affecting the opening and closing of the refrigerant flow channel. Furthermore, since the position used to seal the insertion tube 5 is located at the connection between the thin pipe section 510 and the thick pipe section 520, relatively far from the port of the insertion tube 5, the sealing effect is ensured, preventing refrigerant from overflowing during insertion and removal.

[0046] The present invention also provides, for example Figure 1-3 The diagram illustrates an integrated floating plug. The integrated floating plug and the battery pack's tail end are equipped with interlocking tubes. A female electrical connector is provided to mate with the male electrical connector at the battery pack's tail end. The tubes of the integrated floating plug also contain a quick-connect mechanism. The female electrical connector is electrically connected to the vehicle's electrical system, and the tubes are connected to the vehicle's water-cooling equipment. When the battery pack is pushed into the battery compartment, the male electrical connector at the battery pack's tail end inserts into the female electrical connector of the integrated floating plug, completing the electrical connection between the battery pack and the vehicle's electrical system. Simultaneously, the tubes of the integrated floating plug and the battery pack are interlocked, and the interlocking tubes are in a conductive state. The vehicle's water-cooling equipment (e.g., coolant tank, water pump, etc.) is connected to the water-cooling plate, forming a water-cooling circulation path. Similarly, when the battery pack is removed, the male and female electrical connectors disconnect, the corresponding tubes separate, and the quick-connect mechanism re-closes the tubes. This rapid connection and disconnection of the water and electrical connections during battery pack insertion and removal significantly reduces the operation time for battery swapping or maintenance in new energy vehicles.

[0047] A guide structure 4 is provided between the integrated floating plug 6 and the battery pack 1. The guide structure 4 includes a guide post 410 that is fixedly mounted vertically on the rear housing of the battery pack 1 and a guide hole 420 opened on the integrated floating plug 6. During the docking process between the integrated floating plug 6 and the rear end of the battery pack 1, in order to avoid misalignment and failure of insertion, which would affect the insertion and removal assembly of the battery pack 1, the guide post 410 is inserted into the guide hole 420 and slides inward to guide the electrical connection socket on the integrated floating plug 6 to the rear electrical connection plug of the battery pack 1, as well as the insertion tube 5 at the rear end of the integrated floating plug 6 and the battery pack 1 to complete the accurate and efficient docking.

[0048] The integrated floating plug 6 and the insertion tube 5 at the tail end of the battery pack 1 are connected to the water pump and the water cooling plate 2 respectively through the pipe connector 10 installed on the circumferential surface. On the one hand, setting the pipe connector 10 on the circumferential surface of the insertion tube 5 can effectively save installation space and facilitate the installation of pipelines inside the battery pack 1 and on the vehicle body;

[0049] On the other hand, the inserts are connected to the water-cooled plate and water-cooled equipment through pipe joints installed on the circumferential surface; this creates a tortuous water path between the internal channels of the inserts and pipe joints, ensuring that the circulating refrigerant receives a buffer from the tortuous flow path when entering and exiting the inserts, reducing water flow impact, reducing flow velocity, and enhancing heat exchange effect.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that: Includes a water-cooled plate (2) disposed on one side of the battery pack (1), and the tail end of the battery pack (1) is provided with an electrical connection male plug (9) electrically connected to the internal battery cells and two tubes (5) connected to the water-cooled plate; The insertion tube (5) is equipped with a quick-connect structure (3). When the battery pack (1) is inserted into the vehicle battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism is opened and the insertion tube is connected. When the battery pack is pulled out of the battery compartment, the quick-connect mechanism is closed and the insertion tube is sealed.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The quick-connect structure (3) includes a plug (310) that is radially slidably installed inside the insertion tube (5). One end of the insertion tube (5) behind the plug (310) is blocked by a support (330), and a spring (320) is arranged between the support (330) and the plug (310) for pushing the plug (310) to reset and block the port of the insertion tube (5).

3. A battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cannula (5) includes a thin tube segment (510) at its free end and a thick tube segment (520) connected to the thin tube segment (510); One end of the plug (310) is a drainage section (3110) and is slidably disposed in the thin tube section (510). The drainage section (3110) is provided with a guide hole A (3120) opposite to the port of the insertion tube (5) and a guide hole B (3130) disposed on the circumferential surface of the plug (310). The drainage section (3110) has two positional states within the insertion tube (5): One is that when the spring (320) is compressed, the drainage section (3110) slides along the thin tube section (510) to the thick tube section (520). At this time, the guide hole B (3130) of the drainage section (3110) is connected to the thick tube section (520), and the insertion tube (5) is in a conductive state. Secondly, when the spring (320) is reset, the drainage section (3110) slides from the coarse tube section (520) to the thin tube section (510). At this time, the guide hole B (3130) of the drainage section (3110) is sealed by the inner wall of the thin tube section (510), and the insertion tube (5) is in a closed state.

4. A battery pack according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the connecting section between the thick pipe section (520) and the thin pipe section (510) is set as an annular arc surface (7), and a sealing ring (8) is correspondingly provided on the outer ring of the plug (310); When the spring (320) pushes the plug (310) to reset, the frustum-shaped sealing ring (8) fits into the annular arc surface (7).

5. An integrated floating plug, characterized in that: It includes an electrical connection female plug and a tube and quick-connect mechanism according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the electrical connection female plug is electrically connected to the vehicle circuit and the tube is connected to the water cooling equipment on the vehicle body.

6. The integrated floating plug according to claim 5, characterized in that: A guide structure (4) is provided between the integrated floating plug (6) and the battery pack (1).

7. The integrated floating plug according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide structure (4) includes a guide post (410) that is fixedly mounted on the tail housing of the battery pack (1) and a guide hole (420) opened on the integrated floating plug.

8. An integrated floating plug according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The insertion tubes are connected to the water-cooling plate and the water-cooling equipment through pipe joints installed on the circumferential surface; The internal channels of the insertion tube and the pipe joint form a tortuous waterway.

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