Battery pack, vehicle and assembly process of battery pack

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery pack, a vehicle and an assembly process of the battery pack. The battery pack comprises a bottom battery holder, and the bottom battery holder comprises a containing structure which is used for providing transverse and vertical force to fix a battery unit. The bottom battery holder comprises a layer of transverse stop structure, a layer of vertical stop structure and an exhaust structure. The transverse stop structure is used for accommodating the battery unit. The vertical stop structure is used to support the weight of the battery cell. The vertical stop structure has transverse channels that divide the vertical stop structure into a plurality of discrete island structures, where the plurality of transverse channels form gaps between the bottom battery holder and the bottom wall between the discrete island structures. When a thermal event causes the battery cell to release gas from the bottom thereof, the gas passes through the transverse channels between the discrete island structures, enters the through holes of the exhaust structure and vertically moves to the top end of the exhaust structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the integration of battery cells to form a device capable of both storing and releasing electrical energy. More specifically, the invention relates to a device assembled from battery cells, wherein all battery cells are immersed in a thermal management liquid during operation. Background Technology

[0002] Electricity has been widely used to power various modern machines. Throughout the lifecycle of electricity, including different stages such as generation, distribution, and consumption, how to temporarily store electricity and release it when needed is an important and necessary issue in electricity charging and discharging design.

[0003] A rechargeable battery cell is a device that converts electrical energy into chemical energy for storage during charging and converts chemical energy back into electrical energy during discharging. Depending on the application requirements, battery cells typically need to be integrated in various ways to meet the electrical performance parameters required by the application.

[0004] The integration of battery cells, also known as battery cell assembly, is generally considered a subsystem of electrical equipment. In this invention, "electrical equipment" can be considered as electrically driven machinery, a vehicle primarily powered by an electric motor, an energy storage system electrically connected to a power grid or power plant, or a computing machine containing information technology devices, circuit boards, and / or integrated circuit components for performing computational or information processing functions. Therefore, the integration of battery cell assembly with electrical equipment is also an important topic.

[0005] Furthermore, as is well known, the integration of battery cells not only requires consideration of electrical performance parameters, but also involves the implementation of thermal management systems and battery management systems.

[0006] In summary, achieving optimal integration of battery cells is a major challenge that urgently needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] I. Problems to be solved

[0008] Optimizing battery cell integration requires balancing multiple requirements, including thermal management, electrical interfaces, mechanical stacking, and manufacturability. In immersion systems, a thermal management fluid is used to directly contact the battery cells while restricting their flow, allowing modules to be stacked and sealed within a liquid-tight battery pack housing. A coolant inlet and outlet can be installed on at least one side wall of the housing as interfaces for inputting and outputting the thermal management fluid to the thermal management system. The battery cell assembly may include battery monitoring circuitry, temperature sensors, and voltage sensors to enhance battery management functionality. The battery cell assembly includes a bottom battery holder, securely mounted on the bottom wall of the housing. The bottom battery holder includes receiving structures to provide lateral and vertical forces to secure the battery cells. The bottom battery holder may be a rectangular plate and includes a lateral stop structure, a vertical stop structure, and multiple venting structures. The battery cells can be positioned on the bottom battery holder via the lateral and vertical stop structures. The venting structures may include through-holes extending from the bottom of the lateral stop structure to the top of the venting structure, allowing gas or liquid to flow vertically through the through-holes. The bottom battery holder may have a connection structure for connecting to other bottom battery holders.

[0009] II. Technical Effects

[0010] Immersion cooling maintains the battery cells within a predetermined temperature range and reduces the risk of combustion. The housing structure of the bottom battery holder provides lateral and vertical forces to secure the battery cells. The battery cells are positioned on the bottom battery holder via lateral and vertical stop structures. The inner wall of the housing aperture restricts lateral movement of the battery cells. The vertical stop structure projects radially inward along the housing aperture to support the battery cells, thus restricting downward vertical movement of the battery cells. The through-hole of the vent structure allows gas or liquid to pass vertically. The vertical stop structure may have multiple lateral channels that divide the vertical stop structure into multiple discrete island structures, forming laterally distributed channels between the discrete island structures to allow liquid or gas released from the bottom of the battery cells to pass through.

[0011] III. Coverage of Dependency Relationships and Problem Areas

[0012] Root System Architecture → Battery Pack Configuration, Sealing, and Manufacturing: Claim 1 discloses a battery cell module, a liquid-tight housing, and a battery management system; Claim 2 discloses that the housing includes a signal opening structure providing a signal communication interface; Claim 4 discloses a connection structure for connecting a bottom battery holder to other bottom battery holders; Claim 6 discloses a bottom battery holder having a lateral stop structure, a vertical stop structure, and a venting structure; Claim 9 discloses a connection pattern between a battery connection member and multiple battery cells; Claim 10 discloses a right side wall and a left side wall with internal channels; Claim 12 discloses a vehicle integrating the battery pack into the chassis; Claim 14 discloses the battery pack assembly process. Signal Opening Structure: Claim 1 → Claim 2 (the housing includes a signal opening structure, the signal opening structure being a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front side wall to the outer surface of the front side wall) → Claim 3 (the signal opening structure includes a cylindrical channel structure and a square channel structure). Battery holder connector structure: Claim 1 → Claim 4 (The bottom battery holder has a protrusion, and the battery holder connector has a positioning hole in which the protrusion is inserted) → Claim 5 (The battery holder connector includes multiple fence structures). Bottom battery holder structure: Claim 1 → Claim 6 (The bottom battery holder has a receiving structure, a layer of horizontal stop structure, a layer of vertical stop structure, and multiple venting structures) → Claim 7 (The bottom battery holder further includes a connecting structure and multiple vertical fluid channel structures) → Claim 8 (The horizontal projected area of ​​the vertical stop structure is smaller than the horizontal projected area of ​​the bottom battery holder). Battery connecting member connecting battery cells: Claim 1 → Claim 9 (The battery connecting member connects multiple battery cells in parallel to form multiple parallel battery cell groups, and connects the multiple parallel battery cell groups in series). Right side wall and left side wall structure: Claim 1 → Claim 10 (each of the right side wall and left side wall includes an internal channel) → Claim 11 (each of the right side wall and left side wall includes a channel interface structure). Vehicle domain strategy: Claim 12 → Claim 13 (the battery system includes battery cell components, a battery management system, and a thermal management system). Battery pack assembly process strategy: Claim 14 → Claims 15 to 26 (step-by-step assembly of the battery pack). Scope of coverage: System-level immersion / integration includes module-level stacking / sealing / manufacturing, and further covers battery cell-level positioning and internal electrical characteristics of the modules.

[0013] IV. Technical aspects corresponding to each claim

[0014] In a first aspect of the invention, a battery pack includes at least one battery cell assembly, a liquid-tight housing, and a battery management system, wherein the at least one battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, at least one battery holder, and at least one battery connection member. The liquid-tight housing includes a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall, a left sidewall, a bottom wall, and a top wall, integrated to form the liquid-tight housing and combined to define a space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells, the at least one battery holder, the at least one battery connection member, and the thermal management fluid; the liquid-tight housing includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, respectively disposed on the right sidewall and the left sidewall, wherein the coolant inlet and coolant outlet are configured as interfaces for the thermal management fluid to be input and output to the thermal management system; the liquid-tight housing includes at least one high-voltage connector mounted on the front sidewall for electrical connection to an electrical device; wherein the housing is configured to be integrated with the electrical device by means of welding, bonding, or bolting. The battery management system includes at least one battery monitoring circuit, wherein a battery cell assembly is monitored by the battery monitoring circuit, and an external connection interface of the battery monitoring circuit is assembled with the housing, the external connection interface being configured to connect to a low-voltage connector of a downstream signal circuit.

[0015] On the other hand, the housing includes a signal opening structure, which is a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front sidewall to the outer surface of the front sidewall, providing a channel for accommodating the signal communication interface.

[0016] On the other hand, the through hole includes a cylindrical channel structure and a square channel structure. The cylindrical channel structure provides a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front sidewall to the middle portion of the front sidewall, and the square channel structure provides a through hole extending from the middle portion of the front sidewall to the outer surface of the front sidewall. The through hole has a rounded inner opening facing the battery cell assembly space and a rounded outer opening facing the outer space of the battery cell assembly housing.

[0017] On the other hand, the battery pack includes a battery holder connector, the battery holder includes a bottom battery holder disposed on the surface of the bottom wall of the battery cell assembly housing, and the bottom battery holder has a protrusion, and the battery holder connector has a positioning hole, the protrusion being inserted into the positioning hole to position the battery holder connector on the bottom battery holder.

[0018] On the other hand, the battery holder connector includes multiple fence structures that form a transverse channel through which fluid can pass.

[0019] On the other hand, the battery holder includes a bottom battery holder disposed on the surface of the bottom wall. The bottom battery holder includes multiple receiving structures for providing lateral and vertical forces to secure the multiple battery cells. The bottom battery holder includes a lateral stop structure, a vertical stop structure, and multiple venting structures. The lateral stop structure is a planar structure with multiple receiving holes for accommodating the multiple battery cells. The vertical stop structure is disposed at the bottom of the lateral stop structure and supports the weight of the multiple battery cells. The vertical stop structure has multiple lateral channels that divide the vertical stop structure into multiple discrete island-like structures, wherein the multiple lateral channels form gaps between the multiple discrete island-like structures and the bottom wall, allowing liquid or gas released from the bottom of the multiple battery cells to pass through. The multiple venting structures are located above the multiple lateral channels of the vertical stop structure. The multiple venting structures include multiple through holes extending from the lowermost end of the lateral stop structure to the uppermost end of the multiple venting structures, thereby allowing gas or liquid to flow vertically through the multiple through holes. When a thermal event causes the battery cell to release gas from its bottom, the gas enters the through-hole of the exhaust structure through multiple lateral channels between multiple discrete island structures and moves vertically to the top of the exhaust structure.

[0020] On the other hand, the bottom battery holder also includes a connecting structure and multiple vertical fluid channel structures located on opposite sides of the bottom battery holder. Multiple lateral channels are fluidly connected to multiple vertical fluid channel structures. The bottom battery holder has a connecting structure for connecting with other bottom battery holders.

[0021] On the other hand, the horizontal projected area of ​​the vertical stop structure is smaller than the horizontal projected area of ​​the bottom battery holder.

[0022] On the other hand, the battery connecting component connects multiple battery cells in parallel to form multiple parallel battery cell groups, and connects these multiple parallel battery cell groups in series.

[0023] On the other hand, the right side wall includes a first internal channel, which is a through-hole. A first end of the through-hole is in fluid communication with a coolant inlet, and a second end of the through-hole is in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space. The left side wall includes a second internal channel, which is also a through-hole. A first end of the through-hole is in fluid communication with a coolant outlet, and a second end of the through-hole is in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space.

[0024] On the other hand, the right side wall and the left side wall each include at least one channel interface structure, serving as a fluid interface between the internal channel and the battery cell assembly space. Each channel interface structure includes multiple vertical protrusions extending from the inside of the right side wall or the left side wall. The space between two adjacent vertical protrusions functions as a fluid channel, allowing fluid to flow between the internal channel and the battery cell assembly space.

[0025] In a second aspect of the invention, a vehicle includes a chassis and a battery system. The battery system includes a battery pack as described above, the battery pack being integrated into the chassis.

[0026] On the other hand, the battery system includes at least one battery cell assembly, a battery management system and a thermal management system, wherein the at least one battery cell assembly is formed by a plurality of battery cells electrically connected by at least one battery connection member.

[0027] In a third aspect of the invention, a battery pack assembly process includes: assembling a plurality of sidewalls into a housing, wherein the plurality of sidewalls include a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall, and a left sidewall, and a high-voltage connector and a signal interface circuit board are mounted on the front sidewall; installing a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet on the right sidewall and the left sidewall, respectively; placing a bottom battery holder into the housing; assembling a battery holder connector to the bottom battery holder; assembling two barrier members to the right sidewall and the left sidewall, respectively; assembling a plurality of battery cells into the bottom battery holder in the housing; connecting a portion of a high-voltage connector inside the housing to a contactor inside the housing; and assembling a plurality of connecting rods into a plurality of insertion holes in the bottom battery holder, wherein the plurality of connecting rods are... Connecting rods are located between and protrude above multiple battery cells; a top battery holder is assembled to the connecting rods and above the battery cells; a gap-filling material is filled into the housing to secure the battery cells; multiple battery connecting members are disposed on the top battery holder and assembled to the battery cells; two buses are sequentially installed into the housing to provide high-voltage electrical connections for the battery pack from the inside out; a battery management system is installed into the housing to provide signal connections for the battery pack from the inside out; a circuit configuration for a temperature sensor is installed; a bottom wall is installed to the bottom of the housing; and a top wall is installed to the top of the housing, with multiple signal sockets installed on the top wall.

[0028] On the other hand, before the bottom battery holder is inserted into the housing, multiple positioning elements for securing the bottom battery holder are placed at the corners of the housing; and after the bottom battery holder is inserted into the housing, the corners of the bottom battery holder abut against the multiple positioning elements.

[0029] On the other hand, the bottom battery holder has a protrusion, and the battery holder connector has a positioning hole. The protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole to position the battery holder connector on the bottom battery holder.

[0030] On the other hand, the bottom battery holder includes a horizontal stop structure and a vertical stop structure. The horizontal stop structure has multiple receiving holes. Multiple battery cells are received in the multiple receiving holes of the horizontal stop structure and supported by the vertical stop structure, so that the inner sidewalls of the multiple receiving holes restrict the lateral movement of the multiple battery cells, and the vertical stop structure restricts the downward vertical movement of the multiple battery cells.

[0031] On the other hand, the thickness of the sprue material is no greater than the height of the exhaust structure above the transverse stop structure, so that the sprue material will not fill the through hole of the exhaust structure.

[0032] On the other hand, thermocouples are attached to the bottom of the battery cells before assembling multiple battery cells into the bottom battery holder.

[0033] On the other hand, the top battery holder has multiple assembly holes, and multiple connecting rods are inserted into the multiple assembly holes to position the top battery holder above the multiple battery cells.

[0034] On the other hand, every three battery cells are connected in parallel through a battery connecting member.

[0035] On the other hand, multiple battery cells are electrically connected through multiple battery connecting components to form multiple battery cell assemblies that are electrically connected in series; the electrodes of the multiple battery cell assemblies are respectively assembled to the right side wall and the left side wall to connect the multiple battery cell assemblies in series, thereby forming a battery system.

[0036] On the other hand, the battery management system includes multiple battery monitoring circuits and multiple flexible circuit boards, which are respectively assembled to multiple battery cell components, and the multiple battery monitoring circuits are respectively assembled to multiple flexible circuit boards.

[0037] On the other hand, multiple signal interface circuit boards of multiple battery monitoring circuits are assembled into the housing for connection to a low-voltage connector of downstream signal circuits.

[0038] On the other hand, one end of each bus contacts the battery connection component, and the other end connects to the contactor.

[0039] On the other hand, a sealing ring is disposed between the bottom wall and the side wall to prevent leakage of the thermal management fluid; a sealing ring is disposed between the top wall and the side wall to prevent leakage of the thermal management fluid.

[0040] The content of this invention is for the purpose of providing technical information and facilitating understanding, and is not intended to limit essential features, define the scope of protection, or serve as a basis for interpreting the claims.

[0041] The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood through the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 The circuit diagram shows a charging and discharging circuit (0040), which includes a battery cell assembly (0010), a battery cell (0020), and a battery cell series (0030).

[0043] Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery cell assembly (0010) proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2B This is an exploded view showing the battery holder (0050), the battery housing structure (0060), and the electrode surface (0024).

[0044] Figure 2C An exploded view of the battery cell assembly (0010) showing the battery connecting member (0026) and the battery holder (0050).

[0045] Figure 2D For schematic purposes, the plate hole (0029) of the battery connecting member (0026) is shown engaging with the vertical limiting structure (0070) of the battery holder (0050).

[0046] Figure 3A as well as Figure 3B This is a simplified 3D diagram showing the stacked configuration of two battery cell assemblies (0010). Figure 3A ) and side-by-side configuration ( Figure 3B ).

[0047] Figures 4A to 4C This is a top view of the tubular liquid-limiting housing (0080) and its peripheral wall (0090).

[0048] Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the battery cell assembly (0010) within the liquid-limiting housing (0080); Figure 5B The diagram shows a vertical explosion, including the top opening (0094), the bottom opening (0095), and two battery holders (0050).

[0049] Figure 6A The top view of the rectangular liquid-limiting shell (0080) is shown, with the side walls (0091) labeled as the east wall (0096), south wall (0097), west wall (0098), and north wall (0099).

[0050] Figure 6B The top view of the liquid-limiting housing (0080) shows the inner wall surface (0101), the outer wall surface (0106), the inner corner (0120), the outer corner (0125), the corner column (0130), and the side wall (0091).

[0051] Figure 6C The peripheral wall (0090) is composed of two parts surrounding the side wall.

[0052] Figure 6D The peripheral wall (0090) is composed of four independent side walls.

[0053] Figures 7A to 7C The top view of the liquid-limiting housing (0080) shows the battery holder stop structure (0140) and the inner boundary (0141) extending inward from the inner surface of the peripheral wall (0090). Figure 7C The battery cell assembly (0010) with battery holder (0050) and section line A-A' is shown.

[0054] Figure 7D For along Figure 7C A vertical cross-sectional view of section line A-A' shows the relative positions of the peripheral wall (0090), the battery holder stop structure (0140), and the space above and below the stop structure.

[0055] Figure 7E This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the liquid-limiting housing (0080), showing the battery holder stop structure (0140) located separately on the inner north wall (0105) of the north wall (0099).

[0056] Figures 8A to 8C Description of the battery holder fixing structure (0150) within the liquid-limiting housing (0080): Figure 8A This is a top view showing the battery holder fixing structure (0150) with fastener holes (0151). Figure 8B This is a top view showing the battery holder (0050) with fasteners (0152). Figure 8C For along Figure 8B A cross-sectional schematic diagram of section line B-B' shows the battery holder (0050), the battery holder stop structure (0140), and the fastener (0152).

[0057] Figure 9A as well as Figure 9B A three-dimensional schematic diagram of two battery cell assemblies (0010) stacked on top of each other.

[0058] Figure 10A This is a simplified diagram of a liquid-limiting housing (0080), showing the top wall surface (0160), the bottom wall surface (0170), the top interlocking structure (0180), and the bottom interlocking structure (0190).

[0059] Figure 10B A simplified diagram showing two liquid-limiting housings (0080) stacked on top of each other and interlocked with each other by an interlocking structure (0180, 0190).

[0060] Figure 11A as well as Figure 11B Show the seal features located at the interface of the liquid-limiting housing (0080): Figure 11A Show the sealing element receiving structure (0220) and the sealing element positioning structure (0210); Figure 11B Shows a seal (0200), such as an O-ring, disposed in the seal receiving structure (0220).

[0061] Figure 12A This is a simplified diagram of a vertical wall channel (0230), which has a printed circuit board (PCB) for a battery monitoring device (0260) associated with a battery connection member (0026).

[0062] Figure 12B The vertical wall channel (0230) is shown with a conductive rod (0280).

[0063] Figure 13 This is a functional block diagram of an electric vehicle (3010), in which the electric vehicle (3010) adopts a battery-to-chassis integrated battery system (3030) design.

[0064] Figure 14 A side view of an electric vehicle (3010) with a battery-to-chassis integrated battery system (3030).

[0065] Figure 15 A functional block diagram of a battery-to-chassis integrated battery system (3030).

[0066] Figure 16A This is a perspective view of the battery system (3030) of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 16B An internal perspective view of the battery cell assembly housing (3080).

[0068] Figure 17A Four battery cell assemblies (0010) are integrated into a battery cell assembly space (3120) defined by a battery cell assembly housing (3080).

[0069] Figure 17B This is an exploded view of the battery system (3030).

[0070] Figure 18A This is a 3D view of the bottom battery holder (0520).

[0071] Figure 18B This is a top view of the bottom battery holder (0520).

[0072] Figure 18CThis is a 3D view of the bottom of the bottom battery holder (0520).

[0073] Figure 18D This is a side view of the bottom battery holder (0520), battery cell (0020), and bottom wall (3100).

[0074] Figures 19A to 19L Show the assembly process of the battery system (3030).

[0075] 0010: Battery cell assembly

[0076] 0020: Battery Unit

[0077] 0024: Electrode surface

[0078] 0025: Fuse Structure

[0079] 0026: Battery connection component

[0080] 0027: Battery contact plate

[0081] 0028: Current Transmission Board

[0082] 0029: Plate Hole

[0083] 0030: Battery cells in series

[0084] 0031: Battery cell assembly electrodes

[0085] 0040: Charging and discharging circuit

[0086] 0050: Battery holder

[0087] 0510: Top battery holder

[0088] 0511: Assembly Hole

[0089] 0520: Bottom battery holder

[0090] 0521: Lateral stop structure

[0091] 0522: Vertical stop structure

[0092] 0523: Exhaust Structure

[0093] 0524: Vertical fluid channel structure

[0094] 0525: Receiving hole

[0095] 0526: Horizontal passage

[0096] 0527: Connection Structure

[0097] 0528: Protrusion

[0098] 0529: Insertion Hole

[0099] 0060: Battery housing structure

[0100] 0070: Vertical limiting structure

[0101] 0080: Liquid-limiting shell

[0102] 0090: Surrounding walls

[0103] 0091: Sidewall

[0104] 0092: Vertical position at the top

[0105] 0093: Vertical position at the bottom

[0106] 0094: Top opening

[0107] 0095: Bottom opening

[0108] 0096: East Wall

[0109] 0097: South wall

[0110] 0098: West wall

[0111] 0099: North wall

[0112] 0101: Inner wall surface

[0113] 0102: Inner east wall

[0114] 0103: Inner south wall

[0115] 0104: Inner west wall

[0116] 0105: Inner north wall

[0117] 0106: Outer wall surface

[0118] 0107: Outer east wall

[0119] 0108: Outer south wall

[0120] 0109: Outer west wall

[0121] 0110: Outer north wall

[0122] 0120: Inner corner

[0123] 0121: Inner Northeast Corner

[0124] 0122: Inner Southeast Corner

[0125] 0123: Inner Southwest Corner

[0126] 0124: Inner Northwest Corner

[0127] 0125: Outside corner

[0128] 0126: Outer Northeast Corner

[0129] 0127: Outer Southeast Corner

[0130] 0128: Outer Southwest Corner

[0131] 0129: Outer Northwest Corner

[0132] 0130: Corner post

[0133] 0140: Battery holder stop structure

[0134] 0141: Inner Boundary

[0135] 0150: Battery holder fixing structure

[0136] 0151: Fastener hole

[0137] 0152: Fasteners

[0138] 0160: Top wall surface

[0139] 0170: Bottom wall surface

[0140] 0180: Top surface interlocking structure

[0141] 0190: Bottom interlocking structure

[0142] 0200: Seals

[0143] 0210: Sealing element positioning structure

[0144] 0220: Sealing element housing structure

[0145] 0230: Vertical Wall Passage

[0146] 0260: Battery monitoring device

[0147] 0271: Positive electrode

[0148] 0272: Negative electrode

[0149] 0280: Conductive rod

[0150] 3010: Electric vehicle

[0151] 3020: Chassis

[0152] 3030: Battery System

[0153] 3040: Body

[0154] 3050: Drive wheel

[0155] 3060: Battery Management System

[0156] 3061: Battery monitoring circuit

[0157] 3062: Flexible Circuit Board

[0158] 3070: Thermal Management System

[0159] 3080: Battery cell assembly housing

[0160] 3081: Signal opening structure

[0161] 3082: Cylindrical channel structure

[0162] 3083: Square channel structure

[0163] 3084: O-ring housing gap

[0164] 3090: Sidewall

[0165] 3091: Anterior sidewall

[0166] 3092: Posterior sidewall

[0167] 3093: Right side wall

[0168] 3094: Left side wall

[0169] 3095: Coolant Inlet

[0170] 3096: Coolant outlet

[0171] 3097: High-voltage connector

[0172] 3098: Internal passage

[0173] 3099: Channel interface structure, vertical protrusion

[0174] 3100: Bottom wall

[0175] 3110: Top Wall

[0176] 3120: Battery cell assembly space

[0177] 3130: Positioning component

[0178] 3140: Battery holder connector

[0179] 3141: Positioning hole

[0180] 3142: Fence structure

[0181] 3150: Barrier component

[0182] 3160: Contactor

[0183] 3170: Connecting rod

[0184] 3181, 3182: Bus

[0185] 3190: Signal Interface Circuit Board

[0186] 3200: Signal Socket

[0187] W2: Constant distance

[0188] H1, H3, H4, h: Height Detailed Implementation

[0189] Before further describing the invention, it should be noted that, where appropriate, reference numerals used repeatedly in the figures refer to corresponding or similar elements that may selectively have similar features.

[0190] To facilitate the description of this invention, directional terms (e.g., front, back, left, right, top, bottom, etc.) may be used in the specification and claims to describe parts of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, these directional definitions are only used to assist in describing and defining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.

[0191] The following disclosure contains specific information relating to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The accompanying drawings and detailed disclosures are only illustrative of exemplary embodiments. However, the invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. Other variations and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise stated, the same or corresponding elements in the drawings may be represented by the same or corresponding reference numerals. Furthermore, the drawings and illustrations in this invention are generally not drawn to scale and do not necessarily correspond to actual relative dimensions.

[0192] For the purposes of consistency and ease of understanding, similar features are identified by numbers in the exemplary figures (although not shown in some examples). However, features in different implementations may differ in other respects, and therefore should not be narrowly limited to what is shown in the figures.

[0193] The terms "an embodiment," "a particular embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," "various embodiments," "partial embodiments," or "an embodiment of the invention" used in this specification indicate that embodiments of the invention may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but do not imply that all possible embodiments of the invention necessarily include such features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, the repeated use of terms such as "in one embodiment," "in an exemplary embodiment," or "a particular embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment in some cases. In addition, when the term "embodiment" is mentioned in relation to "embodiments of the invention," it is not intended to limit all embodiments to including the specific features, structures, or characteristics, but should be understood as meaning that "at least some embodiments" include the stated features, structures, or characteristics. In this invention, the term "connection" is defined as a direct connection or an indirect connection through intermediate components, and is not necessarily limited to a physical connection. Furthermore, the term "comprising" as used in this invention means "including but not limited to," explicitly indicating an open-ended coverage that allows for equivalents of other members, combinations, groups, or columns not explicitly listed.

[0194] Furthermore, to provide a non-limiting explanation, specific details, such as functional entities, technologies, protocols, and standards, are set forth in this invention to aid in understanding its technical content. In other instances, known methods, technologies, systems, architectures, and other details have not been elaborated to avoid obscuring the core content of the invention with unnecessary details.

[0195] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of the charging / discharging circuit 0040. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, the charge / discharge circuit 0040 includes a battery cell assembly (BCA) 0010. The battery cell assembly 0010 is used to meet the electrical performance requirements of the application, such as target output voltage, current, or power. To achieve this requirement, battery cells can be integrated, for example, assembled into the battery cell assembly 0010 by means of mechanical and electrical connections, to provide battery integration performance.

[0196] like Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include one or more battery cell strings (BCS) 0030 connected in parallel with each other. The number of batteries connected in parallel in the battery cell strings 0030 determines the overall output current of the battery cell assembly 0010. Furthermore, each battery cell string 0030 may include one or more battery cells (BC) 0020 connected in series with each other. The number of battery cells 0020 connected in series in each battery cell string 0030 determines the overall output voltage of the battery cell string 0030 and the battery cell assembly 0010.

[0197] The charging / discharging circuit 0040 can be connected to an energy source, such as a charging station, to charge the battery cell assembly 0010. The charging / discharging circuit 0040 can also be connected to an energy-consuming end, such as the main power unit of an electric vehicle, to drive the main power unit.

[0198] In some embodiments (in) Figure 1 (Not shown in the image) The charging / discharging circuit 0040 may include multiple battery cell components 0010 to meet specific design considerations, such as design considerations for the manufacturing and / or assembly process of the charging / discharging circuit 0040 itself, or design considerations for the assembly process between the charging / discharging circuit 0040 and electrical equipment.

[0199] Please refer to again Figure 1 Depending on the technology used, the battery cell 0020 can have different specifications in terms of shape, electrical performance (e.g., output voltage, current, power, charging rate, discharging rate, or operating temperature), materials, and other characteristics. For example, the battery cell 0020 can be packaged in a cylindrical, square, or pouch form. In this invention, unless specifically indicated, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical features disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to a specific type of battery cell 0020.

[0200] As a basic component for converting electrical energy and chemical energy, the battery cell 0020 may include a positive electrode and a negative electrode as an interface between (1) the charging and discharging circuit 0040 connected to the battery cell 0020 and (2) the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material encapsulated in the battery cell 0020.

[0201] Furthermore, as the basic energy storage unit of the battery cell assembly 0010 and the charging / discharging circuit 0040, the battery cells 0020 must be electrically connected to each other. Regardless of whether the battery cells 0020 are cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch-shaped, the electrodes of the battery cells 0020 are typically located at the top, bottom, or both ends of the battery cell 0020 body. In this case, the battery cells 0020 are typically structurally aligned side-by-side, such that the electrodes of each battery cell 0020 are approximately arranged on the same plane. Therefore, the battery cell assembly 0010 body may include at least one electrode surface 0024, on which the electrodes of the battery cells 0020 are disposed.

[0202] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include a battery-cell-connecting member (BCCM) 0026, which is an electrical conductor for connection to the electrodes of the battery cell 0020. The battery cells 0020 can be connected in series or in parallel with each other via the battery-cell-connecting member 0026. For example, a plate-shaped conductor may be disposed on the electrode surface 0024 to connect the electrodes of the battery cell 0020.

[0203] In this invention, when direction is involved, the terms "lateral" and "laterally" refer to the direction within the electrode arrangement plane of the battery cells 0020 in the battery cell assembly 0010, and specifically to the direction parallel to straight lines on a plane where the battery cells 0020 are arranged side-by-side within the battery cell assembly 0010. In the accompanying drawings, the lateral direction may be indicated as a direction parallel to straight lines in the yz plane. "Top view" refers to the sectional perspective from the +x-axis direction to the -x-axis direction.

[0204] In this invention, "vertical" and "perpendicularly" refer to a direction that is not a "lateral direction" and is orthogonal to "any lateral direction". According to this definition, the electrodes of the battery cell 0020 are typically disposed at at least one vertical end of the battery cell 0020 body. In the accompanying drawings of this invention, the vertical direction refers to the x-axis direction.

[0205] For example, please refer to Figure 2A and Figure 2B It may be a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery cell assembly 0010 (not showing all components of the battery cell assembly 0010), wherein Figure 2B for Figure 2A An explosion diagram. (From) Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B In this design, the main body of battery cell 0020 can extend along the vertical direction (i.e., the x-axis direction). Furthermore, the vertical axis of battery cell 0020 is parallel to the x-axis direction, and battery cells 0020 are aligned side-by-side on the yz plane.

[0206] To integrate the battery cells 0020 in a mechanism or structure, in some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include at least one battery holder 0050, the primary function of which is to restrict the position of each battery cell 0020 in a particular configuration. For example, the position restriction of the battery cells 0020 may include: (1) restricting the relative position of a particular battery cell 0020 with respect to other battery cells 0020 belonging to the same battery cell assembly 0010; and (2) restricting the relative position of a particular battery cell 0020 with respect to the body of the battery cell assembly 0010. For example, as... Figure 2A As shown, a portion of the body of each battery cell 0020 can be disposed within the corresponding battery housing structure 0060 of the battery holder 0050. The battery housing structure 0060 is periodically distributed laterally. Therefore, when the battery cell 0020 is placed into the battery housing structure 0060, the battery cells 0020 can be periodically distributed laterally.

[0207] In some embodiments, the battery holder 0050 may include a vertical limiting structure 0070 to restrict vertical movement of the battery cells 0020. The bodies and electrodes of all battery cells 0020 may be aligned in the same vertical position to form the electrode surface 0024 of the battery cell assembly 0010. For example, as... Figure 2A As shown, the battery cell assembly 0010 includes electrode surfaces 0024 on both sides of the x-axis.

[0208] In some embodiments, adhesives may be used to provide a positional constraint function. For example, once the battery cell 0020 is placed in the support hole of the battery holder 0050, the battery cell 0020 may be further secured with adhesive.

[0209] In some embodiments, for electrically integrating the battery cell 0020, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include a battery connection member 0026 located on the electrode surface 0024. Furthermore, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include a mechanism configured to maintain a relative static position between the electrode surface 0024 and the battery connection member 0026. For example, when the battery cell 0020 is mechanically secured via a battery holder 0050, the battery connection member 0026 may be mechanically connected to the battery holder 0050.

[0210] For example, please see Figure 2C This is an exploded view of a battery cell assembly 0010 according to an embodiment of the present invention (battery cells and some components are not shown). The battery cell assembly 0010 includes a battery holder 0050 and a battery connecting member 0026. The battery connecting member 0026 is a plate-shaped structure made of conductive material, and is disposed on the battery holder 0050 and on the electrode surface 0024 of the battery cell assembly 0010.

[0211] In some embodiments, the battery connection member 0026 may include a battery contact plate 0027 and a current transmission plate 0028.

[0212] The battery contact plate 0027 can directly contact the electrodes of the battery cell, and its connection method can be welding, crimping, fastening, or using conductive adhesive. In addition, in some cases, the battery contact plate 0027 may include a fusible link 0025 to melt and break in case of current overload.

[0213] The current transmission plate 0028 can transmit the integrated current of multiple battery cells 0020. To achieve this, the current transmission plate 0028 may have a greater thickness than the battery contact plate 0027. Furthermore, the current transmission plate 0028 may have better conductivity than the battery contact plate 0027. For example, the battery contact plate 0027 may be a nickel plate, while the current transmission plate 0028 may be a copper plate.

[0214] In some embodiments, the battery connecting member 0026 may include a structure for disposing the battery connecting member 0026 in the battery holder 0050. For example, the battery connecting member 0026 may include a protrusion to engage with the hollow structure of the battery holder 0050. Alternatively, the battery connecting member 0026 may include a hole to engage with the protrusion of the battery holder 0050. For example, such as... Figures 2C to 2D As shown, the battery connecting member 0026 includes a plate hole 0029 for engaging with a vertical limiting structure 0070 of the battery holder 0050. The vertical limiting structure 0070 passes through the plate hole 0029 of the battery connecting member 0026 to limit the relative movement of the battery connecting member 0026 with respect to the battery holder 0050, for example, limiting the lateral and vertical movement of the battery connecting member 0026 with respect to the battery holder 0050.

[0215] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A perspective view of two battery cell assemblies 0010 integrated. Depending on the available space for electrical equipment required to install the battery cell assemblies 0010, the battery cell assemblies 0010 can be integrated in a stacked or side-by-side manner. For example, as... Figure 3A As shown, the battery cell assembly 0010 is integrated in a stacked manner, suitable for configuration in narrow spaces, such as the front and rear compartments of a passenger vehicle. In another embodiment, as... Figure 3B As shown, the battery cell assembly 0010 is integrated in a side-by-side manner, suitable for placement in spaces with a wide width but limited height, such as the space below the dashboard of a passenger vehicle.

[0216] In this invention, "vertical" and "vertically" also refer to the stacking direction of the battery cell assembly 0010 integrated in a stacked manner. For example, as Figure 3A As shown, the stacked battery cell assembly 0010 is stacked along the vertical direction (i.e., the x-axis direction).

[0217] To prevent thermal runaway events, it is necessary to maintain the operating temperature of battery cell assembly 0010 and battery cell 0020. It is known that battery cell 0020 can be in direct contact with a thermal management liquid to transfer heat energy via the liquid, thereby maintaining the operating temperature of battery cell 0020 within a predetermined range or preventing combustion reactions. For example, battery cell assembly 0010 or battery cell 0020 can be partially or completely immersed in the thermal management liquid. When battery cell assembly 0010 is completely submerged, battery cell assembly 0010 and other components to be integrated with it can directly contact the thermal management liquid, thus achieving better thermal management performance.

[0218] To immerse the battery cell assembly 0010 in the thermal management fluid, the battery cell assembly 0010 may be integrated with a liquid-limiting casing (LLC) 0080 to restrict the flow of the thermal management fluid. For example, in a space described by Cartesian coordinates, the displacement or velocity of a given volume of thermal management fluid can be described by a vector, which may consist of coefficients multiplied by the components of a unit vector in the x, y, or z-axis directions. The liquid-limiting casing 0080 may include structures that restrict the flow of the thermal management fluid in at least some of these six directions to maintain the relative position of the battery cell assembly 0010 in the thermal management fluid immersion state.

[0219] In some embodiments, impermeable materials can be used to form a structure that completely or partially encloses the thermal management fluid, thereby restricting the movement of the thermal management fluid in all or some directions. For example, the fluid-limiting housing 0080 can be designed as a tubular structure with two openings, such as a triangular, square, or circular tube. The tubular fluid-limiting housing 0080 may include a peripheral wall 0090 (in other words, a circumferential wall).

[0220] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include an impermeable membrane to restrict the flow of the thermal management liquid.

[0221] In some embodiments, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include a rigid structure, such as an impermeable wall, to restrict the flow of the thermal management liquid.

[0222] For example, Figures 4A to 4C This is a top view of the tubular liquid-limiting housing 0080. In other examples, the transverse view (i.e., the top view) of the tubular structure may have an asymmetrical geometry. Figures 4A to 4C In the depiction, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include a peripheral wall 0090 that laterally surrounds the space. The peripheral wall 0090 may extend vertically, i.e., along... Figures 4A to 4CThe x-axis direction. Therefore, the three-dimensional space surrounded by the liquid-limiting housing 0080 can be used to accommodate the thermal management liquid, the battery cell assembly 0010, and some components to be integrated with the battery cell assembly 0010. Due to the impermeability of the peripheral wall 0090, the thermal management liquid contained in the liquid-limiting housing 0080 can only move in the vertical direction.

[0223] Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B This is a perspective view of a battery cell assembly 0010 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Not all components of the battery cell assembly 0010 are shown in the figure, but the structural design of immersing the battery cell assembly 0010 in a thermal management liquid is clearly described. For example, Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B Battery cell 0020 is not shown in the image.

[0224] Figure 5B for Figure 5A A diagram illustrating an explosion in the vertical direction. Figure 5A as well as Figure 5B In the illustrated embodiment, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include two battery holders 0050 for integration with the battery cell 0020 (not shown in the figure). The battery holders 0050, the battery cell 0020, and other components not shown that are intended to be integrated with the battery cell assembly 0010 may be disposed within the space surrounded by the liquid-limiting housing 0080.

[0225] In embodiments where the liquid-limiting housing 0080 forms a tubular structure, the peripheral wall 0090 may be formed of a material extending vertically between a top vertical position 0092 and a bottom vertical position 0093. At the top vertical position 0092, the inner edge of the peripheral wall 0090 defines a top opening 0094 of the liquid-limiting housing 0080; at the bottom vertical position 0093, the inner edge of the peripheral wall 0090 defines a bottom opening 0095 of the liquid-limiting housing 0080. The top opening 0094 and the bottom opening 0095 can serve as access channels for the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 0090. Components to be disposed within the liquid-limiting housing 0080, such as a battery cell 0020, a battery holder 0050, and other components, can be inserted into the internal space of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 through at least one of the top opening 0094 and the bottom opening 0095.

[0226] For example, in Figure 5BIn the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral wall 0090 extends between the top vertical position 0092 and the bottom vertical position 0093. The vertical length (i.e., height) of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 is equal to the vertical distance H1 between the top vertical position 0092 and the bottom vertical position 0093. Two battery holders 0050 can be respectively disposed within the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 0090 through the top opening 0094 and the bottom opening 0095.

[0227] In embodiments where the liquid-limiting housing 0080 forms a rectangular tubular structure, the peripheral wall 0090 of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may further include four side walls 0091 arranged in a ring around and parallel to the vertical axis. For example, Figure 6A This is a top view of the liquid-limiting housing 0080. The liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include four side walls 0091, namely, the east wall 0096, south wall 0097, west wall 0098, and north wall 0099 arranged around the vertical axis.

[0228] In some embodiments, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may be formed by a one-piece molding process, such as injection molding or die casting, or it may be machined by a lathe.

[0229] Please see Figures 6A to 6B In an embodiment where the liquid-limiting shell 0080 forms a rectangular tubular structure, the peripheral wall 0090 of the liquid-limiting shell 0080 may include four interior corners 0120 and four exterior corners 0125. The four interior corners 0120 may include: an interior northeast corner 0121, an interior southeast corner 0122, an interior southwest corner 0123, and an interior northwest corner 0124. The four exterior corners 0125 may include: an exterior northeast corner 0126, an exterior southeast corner 0127, an exterior southwest corner 0128, and an exterior northwest corner 0129.

[0230] In some embodiments, each sidewall may include an inner wall surface 0101 and an outer wall surface 0106. The outer wall surface 0106 of each sidewall 0091 may be a plane extending between the two outer corners of the corresponding sidewall 0091. For example, in Figure 6B In the middle, the east wall 0096 includes the outer east wall 0107, extending from the outer northeast corner 0126 to the outer southeast corner 0127; the south wall 0097 includes the outer south wall 0108, extending from the outer southeast corner 0127 to the outer southwest corner 0128; the west wall 0098 includes the outer west wall 0109, extending from the outer southwest corner 0128 to the outer northwest corner 0129; the north wall 0099 includes the outer north wall 0110, extending from the outer northwest corner 0129 to the outer northeast corner 0126.

[0231] Furthermore, the inner wall surface 0101 of each sidewall 0091 can be a plane, extending between two adjacent interior corners of the corresponding sidewall 0091. For example, in Figure 6BIn the middle, the east wall 0096 includes the inner east wall 0102, extending from the inner northeast corner 0121 to the inner southeast corner 0122; the south wall 0097 includes the inner south wall 0103, extending from the inner southeast corner 0122 to the inner southwest corner 0123; the west wall 0098 includes the inner west wall 0104, extending from the inner southwest corner 0123 to the inner northwest corner 0124; and the north wall 0099 includes the inner north wall 0105, extending from the inner northwest corner 0124 to the inner northeast corner 0121.

[0232] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall 0090 may be assembled from individual components. For example, in Figure 6B In the liquid-limiting housing 0080, there are four corner pillars 0130, which are independent components assembled with the side walls 0091 (east wall 0096, south wall 0097, west wall 0098, and north wall 0099) to form the peripheral wall 0090. In other embodiments, such as Figure 6C As shown, the peripheral wall 0090 can be assembled from two partially surrounding sidewalls. In other embodiments, such as Figure 6D As shown, the peripheral wall 0090 can be assembled from four independent side walls 0091.

[0233] In some embodiments, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include a structure integrating the battery holder 0050 and the liquid-limiting housing 0080. In embodiments where the liquid-limiting housing 0080 forms a tubular structure (e.g., ...), ... Figures 4A to 4C As shown, the battery holder 0050 can be disposed within the space surrounded by the liquid-limiting housing 0080 through the top opening 0094 or the bottom opening 0095 at both ends of the tubular structure. The liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include at least one battery holder stop structure 0140, which extends laterally inward from one of the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall 0090.

[0234] The vertical relative positions of the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall 0090 and the vertical dimensions of the battery holder stop structure 0140 define the vertical depth (vertical range) that the battery holder 0050 can reach within the space enclosed by the liquid-limiting housing. Therefore, this lateral structure (i.e., the battery holder stop structure 0140) can limit the vertical movement of the battery holder 0050 within the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 0090 by applying a vertical force to the battery holder 0050.

[0235] For example, Figures 7A to 7E This is a schematic diagram of a battery cell assembly 0010 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 7A to 7C This is a top view of battery cell assembly 0010. Figure 7AIn the diagram, battery cell assembly 0010 (not shown in Figure 7A) is integrated with a liquid-limiting housing 0080, which includes a peripheral wall 0090 and four side walls 0091. The liquid-limiting housing 0080 may further include battery holder stop structures 0140 extending laterally inward from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 0090. Each battery holder stop structure 0140 may include an inner boundary 0141. The lateral section (top view) of the inner boundary 0141 may be a line in a lateral plane. Figure 7A In the illustrated embodiment, each inner boundary 0141 can be a plane, parallel to the sidewall where the battery holder stop structure 0140 is provided; the transverse cross-section of the inner boundary 0141 is a straight line along the y-axis. Figure 7A In this context, the maximum distance between the inner boundary 0141 and the inner surface of the side wall 0091 where the battery holder stop structure 0140 is located is a constant, for example, its constant distance can be W2.

[0236] In other embodiments, the inner boundary 0141 may be non-planar, meaning the distance between the inner boundary 0141 and the inner surface of the sidewall 0091 where the battery holder stop structure 0140 is located is not constant. For example, in Figure 7B In the middle, the inner boundary 0141 is a curved surface, and the transverse section of the inner boundary 0141 is a curve on the transverse plane.

[0237] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7B As shown, the curved inner boundary 0141 of the battery holder stop structure 0140 provides additional space to accommodate elements of the battery cell assembly 0010, such as the battery cell 0020 or other elements. In some embodiments, the lateral cross-sectional radius of the curved portion of the inner boundary 0141 may be greater than or equal to the lateral cross-sectional radius of the battery cell 0020. Therefore, the battery cell 0020 may be disposed within the space partially surrounded by the curved inner boundary 0141.

[0238] Figure 7C Battery cell assembly 0010 is illustrated as an example. Battery cell assembly 0010 may include a battery holder 0050 disposed within the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 0090 of liquid-limiting housing 0080. Dashed lines A-A' correspond to... Figure 7D The cross-sectional schematic diagram shown.

[0239] Figure 7D For along Figure 7C A vertical cross-sectional view along the dashed line A-A'. The battery cell assembly 0010 is integrated with the liquid-limiting housing 0080, which includes a peripheral wall 0090, as well as two battery holders 0050 and two battery holder stop structures 0140 (only one is shown). The battery holder stop structure 0140 is located on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 0090, and the middle portion of the battery holder stop structure 0140 is aligned vertically with the middle portion of the peripheral wall 0090.

[0240] In some embodiments, the vertical length (height) of the battery holder stop structure 0140 may be less than the height of the peripheral wall 0090; therefore, the height difference between the battery holder stop structure 0140 and the peripheral wall 0090 provides space to accommodate the battery holder 0050. For example, in Figure 7D In the design, the height of the battery holder stop structure 0140 is H4, and the height of the peripheral wall 0090 is H1. The difference between H1 and H4 is equal to twice H3. Therefore, the battery holder 0050 can be accommodated between the top opening 0094 of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 and the battery holder stop structure 0140, with a spatial height of H3. The battery holder 0050 can also be disposed between the bottom opening 0095 of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 and the battery holder stop structure 0140, with a spatial height of H3.

[0241] In some embodiments, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include a battery holder stop structure 0140 disposed on the inner surface of the sidewall 0091 and independently disposed therefrom. For example, in Figure 7E In the middle, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include a north wall surface 0099 and a two-battery holder stop structure 0140 disposed on the inner north wall surface 0105.

[0242] In some embodiments, the liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include at least one battery holder fixing structure 0150 for providing mechanical fixation to limit the displacement of the battery holder 0050 in various directions. For example, in Figure 8A In this embodiment, the liquid-limiting housing 0080, viewed from above, may include four battery holder fixing structures 0150 extending from the inner wall surface 0101 of the peripheral wall 0090. In this embodiment, the battery holder fixing structure 0150 may include fastener holes 0151 to restrict relative movement between the liquid-limiting housing 0080 and the battery holder 0050 via fasteners. In some embodiments, the battery holder fixing structure 0150 differs from the battery holder stop structure in several aspects, such as shape, lateral position, and vertical position.

[0243] Please refer to Figure 8B This is a top view of the liquid-limiting housing 0080. Figure 8B In this configuration, the battery holder 0050 is disposed within the space formed by the peripheral wall of the liquid-limiting housing 0080. The liquid-limiting housing 0080 may include four fasteners 0152, which perpendicularly pass through the battery holder 0050 and the battery holder fixing structure 0150 (at... Figure 8B (Not shown in the text).

[0244] Please refer to Figure 8C , it is Figure 8B A schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid-limiting housing 0080 along the dashed line B-B'. (See diagram below.) Figure 8CAs shown, the battery holder stop structure 0140 stops the battery holder 0050 in the vertical direction and fixes the battery holder 0050 to the liquid limiting housing 0080 by fastener 0152.

[0245] Please refer to Figure 9A as well as Figure 9B It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of two battery cell components stacked on top of each other.

[0246] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10A As shown, the liquid limiting housing 0080 may include a top wall surface 0160 and a bottom wall surface 0170 located at the vertical end of the liquid limiting housing 0080. The top wall surface 0160 and the bottom wall surface 0170 may be surfaces extending laterally and may be surfaces at the vertical end of the liquid limiting housing 0080.

[0247] In some embodiments, the top wall surface 0160 and the bottom wall surface 0170 may include complementary locking features to resist lateral shear forces when vertically stacked. For example, the top wall surface 0160 may include at least one top interlocking structure 0180, and the bottom wall surface 0170 may include at least one bottom interlocking structure 0190, such as... Figure 10A As shown. The top interlocking structure 0180 and the bottom interlocking structure 0190 can be positioned laterally so that when the two liquid-limiting shells 0080 are stacked vertically (e.g. Figure 10B As shown, the top interlocking structure 0180 and the bottom interlocking structure 0190 combine to provide a lateral force to limit the relative displacement between the stacked liquid-limiting housings 0080. For example, the pair of top interlocking structures 0180 and bottom interlocking structures 0190 can be a protruding member and a connecting member.

[0248] Please refer to Figure 11A as well as Figure 11B In some embodiments, at least one of the top wall surface 0160 and the bottom wall surface 0170 may include at least one sealing member receiving structure 0220 to provide space for accommodating a seal disposed at the interface of the dual liquid-limiting housing 0080, thereby preventing liquid leakage from the interface of the dual liquid-limiting housing 0080. For example, the seal may be an O-ring or an adhesive material. In some embodiments, at least one of the top wall surface 0160 and the bottom wall surface 0170 may further include at least one sealing member positioning structure 0210 for restricting lateral movement of the seal 0200. For example, such as Figure 11A as well as Figure 11B As shown, the seal positioning structure 0210 can be a gap used to provide a lateral force to limit the lateral movement of the seal 0200. Figure 11B As shown, the seal 0200 can be filled into the space provided by the seal receiving structure 0220 to produce a sealing effect.

[0249] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall 0090 may include a vertical wall channel 0230, which is a hollow space within the peripheral wall 0090. The vertical wall channel 0230 may be a through-hole penetrating the peripheral wall 0090. The vertical wall channel 0230 can be used to house a printed circuit board of a battery monitoring device 0260, which is signal-connected to the battery connection member 0026 of the battery cell assembly 0010, such as... Figure 12A As shown. The vertical wall channel 0230 can be used to accommodate the conductor rod 0280, which is used to ensure that the positive electrode 0271 and the negative electrode 0272 are both located on the same vertical end of the battery cell assembly 0010, as shown. Figure 12B As shown.

[0250] As disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 221,417, the vertical wall channel 0230 provides a vertical flow path for vertical liquid flow. For example, the vertical wall channel 0230 may refer to the inlet channel and outlet channel disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 221,417.

[0251] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a functional block diagram of an electric vehicle (EV) 3010, which adopts a cell-to-chassis (CTC) integrated battery system (BS) 3030 design. As shown, the EV 3010 may include a chassis 3020. The chassis 3020 may include a battery system 3030. In this disclosure, the battery system 3030 may be one or more battery packs (BPs), and other necessary systems related to the operation of the battery packs; or, in the case of battery-to-chassis integration, the battery system may be battery cells integrated into the chassis 3020, and other necessary systems related to the operation of the battery cells. For example, the battery system 3030 may include, but is not limited to, one or more battery packs, a battery management system (BMS), a thermal management system (TMS), etc. Taking the battery-to-chassis design as an example, the battery system 3030 can integrate battery cells into the chassis 3020 and is equipped with a battery management system, a thermal management system, etc.

[0252] Please see Figure 14 , Figure 14This is a side view of an electric vehicle 3010 with a battery-to-chassis integrated battery system 3030. As shown, the electric vehicle 3010 may include a body 3040 and a chassis 3020. The chassis 3020 can be integrated with the body 3040, battery system 3030, drive motor (not shown), drivetrain (not shown), and drive wheels 3050 (due to...). Figure 14 This is a side view of electric vehicle 3010, therefore, Figure 14 Only two wheels (3050) are shown.

[0253] Please see Figure 15 , Figure 15 This is a functional block diagram of a battery-to-chassis integrated battery system 3030. As shown, the chassis 3020 of the electric vehicle 3010 may include the battery system 3030. The battery system 3030 may include at least one battery cell assembly 0010, a battery management system 3060, and a thermal management system 3070 as described above. From a system integration perspective, the chassis 3020 may include spaces for accommodating at least one battery cell assembly 0010, the battery management system 3060, and the thermal management system 3070. For example, the chassis 3020 may include: a battery cell assembly space for accommodating at least one battery cell assembly 0010, a battery management system space for accommodating the battery management system 3060, and a thermal management system space for accommodating the thermal management system 3070. For example, the chassis 3020 may include structures for defining these accommodating spaces.

[0254] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 0010 may be integrated with other components to form a battery module (BM). For example, in this disclosure, a battery module may be a combination of the battery cell assembly 0010 and other components, such as the housing of the battery cell assembly 0010, thermal regulation elements (e.g., heat dissipation elements), battery management elements, and other components. The manufacture of the battery module is typically an intermediate step in the overall system production process. That is, the battery module is considered an intermediate building block for a more integrated energy storage system, and it is also integrated with more basic building blocks (such as the battery cell 0020 as described above). Therefore, the battery module may also include modular interfaces for integrating the battery module into other battery modules and / or other modules of the underlying larger energy storage system. For example, the battery module may include a modular-electric-energy-interface (MEEI) for providing electrical connections for communication (charging or discharging) of electrical energy stored in or released from the battery module. The modular-electric-energy-interface may be electrodes or connectors disposed on the battery module. For example, the battery module may include an interface for thermal regulation elements, such as a liquid connector for thermally controlling the inflow and outflow of liquid from the battery module to another liquid container or channel. For example, the battery module may include an interface for mechanical connection to another battery module and / or other modules.

[0255] In this disclosure, a "battery pack" (BP) refers to a separately manufactured and packaged energy storage system designed for integration into electrical devices (e.g., electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems (BESS), or other devices) powered by electrical energy released from the battery pack. Battery packs are typically manufactured as standalone products and are usually produced by a different entity than the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the electrical equipment. Battery packs possess mechanical stability to ensure their integrity during transportation and integration (e.g., the assembly process of an electric vehicle). Furthermore, battery packs are equipped with standardized interfaces to facilitate electrical and mechanical integration with larger systems on which they are installed. In some embodiments, battery packs can be integrated with the chassis via welding, bonding, or bolting. The spatial dimensions of the battery pack are also designed to account for the available space for the underlying electrical equipment.

[0256] In some embodiments, battery cell 0020 can be directly integrated to form a battery pack. For example, the battery pack may include structures that can be directly integrated with battery cell 0020. Therefore, there is no need to manufacture battery cell assembly 0010 or battery module before assembling the battery pack. This concept is called cell-to-pack (CTP) integration.

[0257] In other embodiments, the battery pack is comprised of multiple integrated battery packs. In some embodiments, the electrical device may include only one battery pack, such as in a passenger vehicle. In other embodiments, the electrical device may include multiple battery packs.

[0258] In some embodiments, the battery cell 0020 can be directly integrated into the electrical equipment. For example, the chassis 3020 used in some passenger electric vehicles can be directly integrated with the battery cell 0020. This concept is called battery-to-chassis integration. Battery-to-chassis integration simplifies the manufacturing process for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of electrical equipment and reduces costs.

[0259] Please see Figure 16A as well as Figure 16B , Figure 16A This is a perspective view of the battery system 3030 of the present invention. Figure 16B This is a perspective view of the interior of the battery cell assembly housing 3080. Figure 16A and Figure 16B In the battery system 3030, the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may include four side walls 3090 (including a front side wall 3091, a rear side wall 3092, a right side wall 3093, and a left side wall 3094), a bottom wall 3100, and a top wall 3110. The four side walls 3090, the bottom wall 3100, and the top wall 3110 are combined to define a battery cell assembly space 3120. Therefore, the battery cell assembly space 3120 is enclosed by the four side walls 3090, the bottom wall 3100, and the top wall 3110 of the battery cell assembly housing 3080, and the top wall 3110 covers the battery cell assembly space 3120.

[0260] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may be integrally formed with the chassis 3020. For example, the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may be integrated with the chassis 3020 manufacturing process via a casting process. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the box-shaped battery cell assembly housing 3080 may be integrally formed with the chassis 3020. For example, the top wall 3110, the bottom wall 3100, or at least one side wall 3090 may be integrally formed with the chassis 3020.

[0261] In some embodiments, the entire battery cell assembly housing 3080 can be molded independently, without being integrally molded with the chassis 3020. Therefore, in this embodiment, the integration of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 with the chassis 3020 is a separate step in the manufacturing process of the chassis 3020. Molding the battery cell assembly housing 3080 independently, rather than integrally with the chassis 3020, offers the advantages of independent production and quality control of the battery pack, and easier removal during replacement or repair.

[0262] In some embodiments, a thermal management liquid may be introduced into the battery cell assembly housing 3080, such that at least one battery cell assembly 0010 in the battery cell assembly space 3120 is immersed in the thermal management liquid. In this embodiment, the sidewalls 3090, bottom wall 3100, and top wall 3110 are integrated to form a liquid-tight housing. The mechanical interfaces of these walls 3090, 3100, and 3110 may include sealing structures, sealing elements, or both to prevent leakage of the thermal management liquid from the battery cell assembly space 3120. For example, the sidewall 3090 of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may include a sealing element receiving structure 0220 for receiving an O-ring (e.g., Figure 11A and Figure 11B (as shown); or, it may include a seal positioning structure 0210 for limiting the movement of the O-ring (as shown). Figure 11A and Figure 11B (As shown).

[0263] Please see Figure 17A Four battery cell assemblies 0010 are integrated into a battery cell assembly space 3120 defined by a battery cell assembly housing 3080. A top wall 3110 is integrated with a side wall 3090 so that the battery cell assembly housing 3080 can be liquid-tight for immersion cooling.

[0264] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may include a coolant inlet 3095 and a coolant outlet 3096 respectively mounted on the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094, wherein the coolant inlet 3095 and the coolant outlet 3096 are configured as interfaces for the input and output of thermal management fluid to the thermal management system 3070. For example, the thermal management system 3070 may include a reservoir, a pump, and a heat exchanger for immersion cooling.

[0265] In some embodiments, the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094 may each include an internal channel 3098. Each internal channel 3098 may be a through-hole belonging to the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094. The internal channel 3098 may serve as a communication channel between the battery cell assembly space 3120 and the coolant inlet 3095 or the coolant outlet 3096. For example, the right side wall 3093 may include a first internal channel, which is a through-hole, with a first end in fluid communication with the coolant inlet 3095 and a second end in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space 3120; the left side wall 3094 may include a second internal channel, which is a through-hole, with a first end in fluid communication with the coolant outlet 3096 and a second end in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space 3120. In some embodiments, the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094 may each include at least one channel interface structure 3099 as a fluid interface between the internal channel 3098 and the battery cell assembly space 3120. For example, such as Figure 17A The channel interface structure may include multiple vertical protrusions 3099 extending from the inside of the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094. The space between two adjacent vertical protrusions 3099 may function as a fluid channel to allow fluid to flow between the internal channel 3098 and the battery cell assembly space 3120.

[0266] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include a battery monitoring circuit 3061, a temperature sensor, and a voltage sensor to enhance battery management functionality. These circuits can be signal-connected to the battery management system 3060 via signal interfaces mounted on the battery cell assembly housing 3080. For example, such as Figure 16B As shown, the battery cell assembly housing 3080 may include a signal opening structure 3081 to provide space for a setting signal interface. For example, as Figure 16A As shown, the battery system 3030 may include a signal interface circuit board 3190, which is connected to and covered and sealed by the signal opening structure.

[0267] In some embodiments, the signal opening structure 3081 may be a through-hole extending from the inner surface of the sidewall 3090 (the surface near the battery cell assembly space 3120) to the outer surface of the sidewall 3090, providing a channel for accommodating a signal communication interface. The through-hole may also include a cylindrical channel structure 3082 and / or a square channel structure 3083. The cylindrical channel structure 3082 may provide a through-hole extending from the inner surface of the sidewall 3090 to a middle portion of the sidewall 3090, having a rounded inner opening facing the battery cell assembly space 3120 and a rounded outer opening facing the outer space of the battery cell assembly housing 3080. These rounded openings are suitable for O-ring mounting and provide better sealing. For example, an O-ring accommodating gap 3084 may be provided in the rounded outer opening. The square channel structure 3083 may provide a through-hole extending from the middle portion of the sidewall 3090 to the outer surface of the battery cell assembly housing 3120. The square shape is suitable for accommodating a printed circuit board of the signal interface circuit board 3190. The signal interface circuit board 3190 may include an O-ring to accommodate the gap, which is sealed to the battery cell assembly housing 3080 by the O-ring.

[0268] Please see Figure 17B , Figure 17B This is an exploded view of the battery system 3030. As shown, the battery cell assembly 0010 may include multiple battery cells 0020, a top battery holder 0510, a bottom battery holder 0520, at least one battery connection member 0026, at least one battery-cell-assembly-electrode (BCAE) 0031, and an interstitial material (not shown in the figure).

[0269] In some embodiments, the bottom battery holder 0520 may be securely disposed on the surface of the bottom wall 3100 of the battery cell assembly housing 3080. The bottom battery holder 0520 may include a plurality of receiving structures for providing lateral and vertical forces to secure a plurality of battery cells 0020. For example, the receiving structure may include receiving holes extending in a vertical direction. For example, the receiving structure may include vertically extending wall-like or columnar structures that guide the insertion of the battery cells 0020 during assembly.

[0270] In some embodiments, the battery cell 0020 may be secured within the receiving structure of the bottom battery holder 0520. In some embodiments, a gap-filling material (not shown) may be used to provide adhesive force for securing the battery cell 0020. The gap-filling material may be any insulating material that can be cured from a liquid to a solid state. For example, the gap-filling material may be epoxy resin or acrylic resin, etc.

[0271] Please see Figures 18A to 18C The bottom battery holder 0520 can be a rectangular plate and includes a horizontal stop structure 0521, a vertical stop structure 0522, multiple venting structures 0523, and multiple vertical fluid channel structures 0524. The horizontal stop structure 0521 is a planar structure with multiple receiving holes 0525. The multiple receiving holes 0525 penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom battery holder 0520 and are used to receive multiple battery cells 0020. The inner sidewalls of the receiving holes 0525 restrict the lateral movement of the battery cells 0020. The vertical stop structure 0522 is disposed at the bottom of the horizontal stop structure 0521 and is used to support the weight of the multiple battery cells 0020. The vertical stop structure 0522 can protrude radially inward along the receiving holes 0525 to support the multiple battery cells 0020, such that the vertical stop structure 0522 restricts the downward vertical movement of the multiple battery cells 0020. Therefore, the battery cell 0020 can be positioned on the bottom battery holder 0520 via the lateral stop structure 0521 and the vertical stop structure 0522. The horizontal projected area of ​​the vertical stop structure 0522 is smaller than the horizontal projected area of ​​the bottom battery holder 0520.

[0272] Please see Figure 18C , Figure 18C The bottom of the bottom battery holder 0520 is shown. The vertical stop structure 0522 is formed with multiple discrete island-like structures. In this embodiment, the vertical stop structure 0522 may have multiple lateral channels 0526, which divide the vertical stop structure 0522 into multiple discrete island-like structures. The laterally distributed lateral channels 0526 between the multiple discrete island-like structures allow liquid or gas released from the bottom of the multiple battery cells 0020 to pass through. The multiple lateral channels 0526 are fluidly connected to multiple venting structures 0523 or multiple vertical fluid channel structures 0524.

[0273] Please see Figures 18A to 18C The multiple exhaust structures 0523 and multiple vertical fluid channel structures 0524 are all tubular structures extending upward from the transverse stop structure 0521. The exhaust structure 0523 is located above the transverse channel 0526 of the vertical stop structure 0522. These tubular structures may include through holes extending from the lowermost end of the transverse stop structure 0521 to the uppermost end of the tubular structure, thereby allowing gas or liquid to flow vertically through the through holes.

[0274] Please see Figure 18D Multiple lateral channels 0526 form gaps between the bottom battery holder 0520 and the bottom wall 3100. For example, when a thermal event causes the battery cell 0020 to release gas from its bottom, the gas enters the through-hole of the exhaust structure 0523 through the multiple lateral channels 0526 between the multiple discrete island structures of the vertical stop structure 0522 and moves vertically to the top of the exhaust structure 0523. Figure 18D The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of gas movement. Therefore, the battery cell 0020 will not expand due to the gas, thus ensuring the safe operation of the battery cell 0020. In some embodiments, the gap-filling material (not shown) Figure 18D The thickness of the middle section is not greater than the height h of the exhaust structure 0523 above the transverse stop structure 0521, so that the filling material will not fill the through hole of the exhaust structure 0523.

[0275] In some embodiments, the bottom battery holder 0520 may have a connecting structure 0527 for connecting with other bottom battery holders 0520. The connecting structure 0527 may be a mating structure with concave and convex mating surfaces. The connecting structure 0527 and the vertical fluid channel structure 0524 may be located on opposite sides of the bottom battery holder 0520.

[0276] Please see Figures 19A to 19L , Figures 19A to 19L This shows the assembly process of battery system 3030. When assembling the battery cell assembly housing 3080, the sidewall 3090 is assembled first. (Example...) Figure 19A As shown, a high-voltage connector 3097 and a signal interface circuit board 3190 are mounted on the front sidewall 3091, and the gap between the high-voltage connector 3097 and the front sidewall 3091 is sealed with structural adhesive (e.g., DP100). Next, the front sidewall 3091, rear sidewall 3092, right sidewall 3093, and left sidewall 3094 are assembled together, and their joints are sealed with structural adhesive to form the battery cell assembly housing 3080. Furthermore, a coolant inlet 3095 and a coolant outlet 3096 can be installed on the right sidewall 3093 and left sidewall 3094, respectively, so that thermal management fluid can flow into the battery cell assembly housing 3080 through the coolant inlet 3095 and flow out of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 through the coolant outlet 3096.

[0277] Next, the components of the battery cell assembly 0010 are sequentially installed into the battery cell assembly housing 3080. For example... Figure 19B As shown, the two bottom battery holders 0520 can be connected to each other via the connecting structure 0527. Before inserting the two bottom battery holders 0520 into the battery cell assembly housing 3080, the four positioning members 3130 used to fix the two bottom battery holders 0520 are placed at the four corners of the battery cell assembly housing 3080. It should be noted that, due to the viewing angle, only one positioning member 3130 is shown. Figure 19BIn the middle. Two of the four corners of each bottom battery holder 0520 can be designed as planar corners to accommodate the positioning member 3130. Therefore, after the two bottom battery holders 0520 are placed into the battery cell assembly housing 3080, the corner of each bottom battery holder 0520 will abut against the corresponding positioning member 3130, thereby positioning the two bottom battery holders 0520 on the bottom wall 3100 of the battery cell assembly housing 3080.

[0278] Next, a battery holder connector 3140 is assembled to the bottom battery holder 0520. The battery holder connector 3140 can serve as a support chassis, providing vertical support for components placed on top of it. The battery holder connector 3140 can also serve as a partition between battery cell assemblies 0010; for example, it can act as an insulator, providing an electrical barrier between multiple battery cell assemblies 0010 in the battery cell assembly space 3120. The battery holder connector 3140 may include multiple fence structures 3142 that form a lateral channel through which fluid can pass. Figure 19B and Figure 19C As shown, the bottom battery holder 0520 may have a protrusion 0528, and the battery holder connector 3140 may have a positioning hole 3141. The protrusion 0528 is inserted into the positioning hole 3141 to position the battery holder connector 3140 on the bottom battery holder 0520. Next, the two barrier members 3150 are respectively assembled to the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094, as shown. Figure 19D As shown. The two barrier members 3150 are made of an insulating material and are each fixed to the inner wall surface 0101 of the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094, providing vertical support. Next, multiple battery cells 0020 are assembled into the bottom battery holder 0520 in the battery cell assembly housing 3080, as shown. Figure 19E As shown. As described above, the battery cell 0020 is housed in the receiving hole 0525 of the lateral stop structure 0521 and supported by the vertical stop structure 0522, such that the inner wall of the receiving hole 0525 restricts the lateral movement of the battery cell 0020, and the vertical stop structure 0522 restricts the vertical movement of the battery cell 0020. It should be noted that before assembling multiple battery cells 0020 into the bottom battery holder 0520, a thermocouple can be attached to the bottom of the battery cell 0020. Next, a portion of the high-voltage connector 3097 inside the battery cell assembly housing 3080 is connected to a contactor 3160 inside the battery cell assembly housing 3080, as shown. Figure 19F As shown.

[0279] Next, assemble multiple connecting rods 3170 into the multiple insertion holes 0529 of the bottom battery holder 0520 (e.g., Figure 18A As shown in the figure, Figure 17B and Figure 19G As shown. After assembling the multiple connecting rods 3170 to the bottom battery holder 0520, the multiple connecting rods 3170 are positioned between and protrude above the multiple battery cells 0020. Next, four top battery holders 0510 are assembled to the multiple connecting rods 3170 and above the multiple battery cells 0020. In this embodiment, each top battery holder 0510 has multiple assembly holes 0511, such that the multiple connecting rods 3170 can be inserted into the multiple assembly holes 0511 to position the top battery holder 0510 above the multiple battery cells 0020, as shown. Figure 19H As shown. Next, the aforementioned gap-filling material is filled into the battery cell assembly housing 3080 to secure the multiple battery cells 0020. As... Figure 18D As shown, the gap-filling material (not shown in the diagram) Figure 18D The thickness of the middle section is not greater than the height h of the exhaust structure 0523 above the transverse stop structure 0521, so that the filling material will not fill the through hole of the exhaust structure 0523.

[0280] Next, as Figure 19I As shown, multiple battery connection members 0026 are disposed on four top battery holders 0510, and the multiple battery connection members 0026 are assembled to multiple battery cells 0020, wherein every three battery cells 0020 are connected in parallel through one battery connection member 0026. In this embodiment, the positive and negative terminals of the battery cells 0020 are disposed at the same end of each battery cell 0020. Each battery connection member 0026 includes a first conductive portion and three second conductive portions disposed on one side of the first conductive portion. Each second conductive portion is electrically connected to the first conductive portion through a corresponding neck. The first conductive portion of the battery connection member 0026 contacts the negative terminal of the first group of battery cells 0020, and the second conductive portion contacts the positive terminal of the second group of battery cells 0020 adjacent to the first group of battery cells. The battery connection member 0026 connects multiple battery cells 0020 in parallel to form multiple parallel battery cell groups, and the multiple parallel battery cell groups are connected in series. The design of this battery connection component 0026 can reduce the number of production steps required to assemble the battery cell 0020 into the battery cell assembly 0010.

[0281] For example, the first conductive part of each battery connecting member 0026 contacts the negative electrode of three battery cells 0020, and the second conductive part contacts the positive electrode of three adjacent battery cells 0020. This connects the three battery cells 0020 in parallel to form a battery cell group, and the battery cell groups are then connected in series. In this embodiment, multiple battery cells 0020 are electrically connected through multiple battery connecting members 0026 to form four battery cell assemblies 0010 connected in series.

[0282] Furthermore, four battery cell assembly electrodes 0031 can be respectively disposed on the barrier 3150 and assembled to the right side wall 3093 and the left side wall 3094. Two battery cell assembly electrodes 0031 are electrically connected in series to form two battery cell assemblies 0010, forming a set of battery cell assemblies. Through these four battery cell assembly electrodes, the four battery cell assemblies 0010 form two sets of battery cell assemblies within the battery cell assembly housing 3080. A fifth battery cell assembly electrode 0031 is electrically connected to the battery cell assemblies 0010 in the two sets of battery cell assemblies, thereby forming the battery system 3030. When assembling the battery cell assembly electrodes 0031, the barrier 3150 provides vertical support for the battery cell assembly electrodes 0031 and prevents short-circuit contact.

[0283] Next, as Figure 19J As shown, two buses 3181 and 3182 are sequentially installed into the battery cell assembly housing 3080 to provide a high-voltage electrical connection from the inside (i.e., the battery cell assembly) to the outside of the battery pack. The two buses 3181 and 3182 are located on one side of the battery cell assembly, adjacent to another battery cell assembly, which can reduce the overall size of the battery pack or simplify the internal layout. For example, one end of each bus 3181 and 3182 can contact the battery connection member 0026 of the battery cell assembly 0010, and the other end can connect to the contactor 3160. The two buses 3181 and 3182 can be high-voltage buses. In this embodiment, bus 3181 can be connected to... Figure 19J The high-voltage connector 3097 on the right and the battery connection member 0026 of the battery cell assembly 0010, the bus 3182 can be connected to the contactor 3160 and the battery connection member 0026 of another battery cell assembly 0010.

[0284] Next, components related to the battery management system 3060 are installed within the battery cell assembly housing 3080 to provide signal connections from the inside (i.e., the battery cell assembly) of the battery pack to the outside. For example... Figure 19KAs shown, the battery management system 3060 may include four cell monitoring circuits (CMCs) 3061 and four flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) 3062. The four FPCs 3062 are respectively assembled to four battery cell assemblies 0010, and the four cell monitoring circuits 3061 are respectively assembled to the four FPCs 3062. Next, two external connection interfaces of the cell monitoring circuits 3061, for example, signal interface circuit boards 3190, are assembled to the battery cell assembly housing 3080. These external connection interfaces (i.e., signal interface circuit boards 3190) are used to connect to a low-voltage connector (not shown) of a downstream signal circuit, such as a system's battery monitoring unit (BMU), a vehicle's controller area network (CAN) bus, or an electronic control unit (ECU). Next, a circuit configuration for installing a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided. In this embodiment, one battery cell assembly 0010 is monitored by one cell monitoring circuit 3061. The battery monitoring circuit 3061 is used to monitor the voltage and temperature of the battery cell 0020 of the battery cell assembly 0010.

[0285] Next, the bottom wall 3100 is installed onto the bottom of the battery cell assembly housing 3080, as follows. Figure 19L As shown. In this embodiment, a sealing ring (e.g., an O-ring) may be disposed between the bottom wall 3100 and the side wall 3090 to prevent leakage of thermal management fluid. The bottom wall 3100 may be secured to the bottom of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 by a plurality of screws or similar components.

[0286] Next, the top wall 3110 is installed on top of the battery cell assembly housing 3080, and multiple signal sockets 3200 are installed on the top wall 3110, as follows. Figure 16A As shown. In this embodiment, a sealing ring (e.g., an O-ring) may be disposed between the top wall 3110 and the side wall 3090 to prevent leakage of thermal management fluid. The top wall 3110 may be secured to the top of the battery cell assembly housing 3080 by a plurality of screws or similar components. This completes the assembly of the battery system 3030.

[0287] The above embodiments are merely examples. Many technical details exist in related technical fields, and therefore are not shown or described in detail herein. Although the foregoing description has revealed many features and advantages of the present invention, and has elaborated on their structural and functional details, the present invention is only illustrative, and changes to the details are still possible. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments can be modified without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0288] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized in that, include: At least one battery cell assembly, including: Multiple battery cells; At least one battery holder restricts the position of the plurality of battery cells; At least one battery connection member is a conductor and is electrically connected to the electrodes of the plurality of battery cells; A liquid-tight housing that restricts the movement of a thermal management liquid, the housing comprising: A front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall, a left sidewall, a bottom wall, and a top wall are integrated to form the liquid-tight housing and are combined together to define a space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells, the at least one battery holder, the at least one battery connection member, and the thermal management liquid. A coolant inlet and a coolant outlet are respectively provided on the right side wall and the left side wall, wherein the coolant inlet and coolant outlet are configured as interfaces for the input and output of thermal management fluid to the thermal management system; At least one high-voltage connector is mounted on the front sidewall for electrical connection to an electrical device; and The housing is configured to be integrated with the electrical equipment by means of welding, bonding, or bolting; and A battery management system includes at least one battery monitoring circuit; and One of the battery cell components is monitored by a battery monitoring circuit; and An external connection interface of the battery monitoring circuit is assembled with the housing, and the external connection interface is configured to connect to a low-voltage connector of a downstream signal circuit.

2. The battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a signal opening structure; and The signal opening structure is a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front sidewall to the outer surface of the front sidewall, and the through hole provides a channel for accommodating the signal communication interface.

3. The battery pack as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The through hole includes a cylindrical channel structure and a square channel structure; The cylindrical channel structure provides a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front sidewall to the middle portion of the front sidewall; The square channel structure provides a through hole extending from the middle portion of the front sidewall to the outer surface of the front sidewall; as well as The through-hole has an inner circular opening facing the space of the battery cell assembly and an outer circular opening facing the outer space of the battery cell assembly housing.

4. The battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a battery holder connector; The battery holder includes a bottom battery holder; The bottom battery holder is disposed on the surface of the bottom wall of the battery cell assembly housing; and The bottom battery holder has a protrusion, and the battery holder connector has a positioning hole. The protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole to position the battery holder connector on the bottom battery holder.

5. The battery pack as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The battery holder connector includes multiple fence structures that form a transverse channel through which fluid can pass.

6. The battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery holder includes a bottom battery holder; The bottom battery holder is disposed on the surface of the bottom wall, and the bottom battery holder includes multiple receiving structures for providing lateral and vertical forces to fix the multiple battery cells. The bottom battery holder includes: A horizontal stop structure is provided, which is a planar structure with multiple receiving holes. The multiple receiving holes penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom battery holder and are used to accommodate the multiple battery cells. A vertical stop structure is disposed at the bottom of the horizontal stop structure and is used to support the weight of the plurality of battery cells. The vertical stop structure has a plurality of horizontal channels that divide the vertical stop structure into a plurality of discrete island-like structures. Between the plurality of discrete island-like structures, the plurality of horizontal channels form gaps between the bottom battery holder and the bottom wall. The horizontally distributed plurality of horizontal channels allow liquid or gas released from the bottom of the plurality of battery cells to pass through. Multiple exhaust structures are located above the multiple transverse channels of the vertical stop structure. The multiple exhaust structures include multiple through holes that extend from the lowest end of the transverse stop structure to the highest end of the multiple exhaust structures, thereby allowing gas or liquid to flow vertically through the multiple through holes. The multiple transverse channels are fluidly connected to the multiple exhaust structures. When a thermal event causes the battery cell to release gas from its bottom, the gas enters the through-hole of the exhaust structure through the multiple lateral channels between the multiple discrete island structures and moves vertically to the top of the exhaust structure.

7. The battery pack as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom battery holder also includes a connecting structure and multiple vertical fluid channel structures located on opposite sides of the bottom battery holder; The plurality of lateral channels are fluidly connected to the plurality of vertical fluid channel structures; and The bottom battery holder has the connection structure for connecting with other bottom battery holders.

8. The battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal projected area of ​​the vertical stop structure is smaller than the horizontal projected area of ​​the bottom battery holder.

9. The battery pack as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The battery connecting component connects multiple battery cells in parallel to form multiple parallel battery cell groups, and connects the multiple parallel battery cell groups in series.

10. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The right side wall includes a first internal channel, which is a through hole. The first end of the through hole is in fluid communication with the coolant inlet, and the second end of the through hole is in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space. The left side wall includes a second internal channel, which is a through hole. The first end of the through hole is in fluid communication with the coolant outlet, and the second end of the through hole is in fluid communication with the battery cell assembly space.

11. The battery pack as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The right side wall and the left side wall each include at least one channel interface structure, which serves as a fluid interface between the internal channel and the battery cell assembly space. The at least one channel interface structure includes a plurality of vertical protrusions extending from the inside of the right side wall or the left side wall; The space between two adjacent vertical protrusions functions as a fluid channel, allowing fluid to flow between the internal channels and the battery cell assembly space.

12. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: One chassis; as well as A battery system comprising at least one battery pack as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, said at least one battery pack being integrated into the chassis.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The battery system includes at least one battery cell assembly, a battery management system, and a thermal management system. The at least one battery cell assembly is formed by the plurality of battery cells electrically connected through the at least one battery connection member.

14. A battery pack assembly process, characterized in that, include: Multiple sidewalls are assembled into a housing, wherein the multiple sidewalls include a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall and a left sidewall, and a high-voltage connector and a signal interface circuit board are mounted on the front sidewall. A coolant inlet and a coolant outlet are respectively installed on the right side wall and the left side wall; A bottom battery holder is placed into the housing; Assemble a battery holder connector to the bottom battery holder; The two barrier components are respectively assembled to the right side wall and the left side wall; Multiple battery cells are assembled into the bottom battery holder within the housing; Connect a portion of the high-voltage connector inside the housing to a contactor inside the housing; Multiple connecting rods are assembled into multiple insertion holes of the bottom battery holder, wherein the multiple connecting rods are located between the multiple battery cells and protrude above the multiple battery cells; A top battery holder is assembled to the plurality of connecting rods and above the plurality of battery cells; A gap-filling material is filled into the housing to secure the plurality of battery cells; Multiple battery connection components are disposed on the top battery holder, and the multiple battery connection components are assembled to the multiple battery cells; The two buses are sequentially installed into the housing to provide a high-voltage electrical connection for the battery pack from the inside out; A battery management system is installed inside the housing to provide signal connectivity for the battery pack from the inside out; Circuit configuration for installing a temperature sensor; A bottom wall is installed to the bottom of the housing; as well as A top wall is mounted to the top of the housing, and multiple signal sockets are mounted to the top wall.

15. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that: Before inserting the bottom battery holder into the housing, a plurality of positioning elements for securing the bottom battery holder are placed at the corners of the housing; and After the bottom battery holder is inserted into the housing, the corners of the bottom battery holder abut against the plurality of positioning members.

16. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The bottom battery holder has a protrusion, and the battery holder connector has a positioning hole. The protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole to position the battery holder connector on the bottom battery holder.

17. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The bottom battery holder includes a horizontal stop structure and a vertical stop structure. The horizontal stop structure has multiple receiving holes. The multiple battery cells are received in the multiple receiving holes of the horizontal stop structure and supported by the vertical stop structure, such that the inner sidewalls of the multiple receiving holes restrict the lateral movement of the multiple battery cells, and the vertical stop structure restricts the downward vertical movement of the multiple battery cells.

18. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The thickness of the gap-filling material is not greater than the height of the exhaust structure above the transverse stop structure, so that the gap-filling material will not fill a through hole of the exhaust structure.

19. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that: Before assembling the plurality of battery cells into the bottom battery holder, thermocouples are attached to the bottom of the battery cells.

20. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The top battery holder has multiple assembly holes, and multiple connecting rods are inserted into the multiple assembly holes to position the top battery holder above the multiple battery cells.

21. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, Every three of the battery cells are connected in parallel via one of the battery connection members.

22. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The multiple battery cells are electrically connected through the multiple battery connecting members to form multiple battery cell assemblies connected in series; the electrodes of the multiple battery cell assemblies are respectively assembled to the right side wall and the left side wall to connect the multiple battery cell assemblies in series, thereby forming a battery system.

23. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The battery management system includes multiple battery monitoring circuits and multiple flexible circuit boards, which are respectively assembled to the multiple battery cell components, and the multiple battery monitoring circuits are respectively assembled to the multiple flexible circuit boards.

24. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 23, characterized in that, Multiple signal interface circuit boards of the multiple battery monitoring circuits are assembled into the housing for connection to a low-voltage connector of the downstream signal circuit.

25. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, One end of each of the buses is in contact with the battery connection member, and the other end is connected to the contactor.

26. The battery pack assembly process as described in claim 14, characterized in that, A sealing ring is disposed between the bottom wall and the side wall to prevent leakage of the thermal management fluid; a sealing ring is disposed between the top wall and the side wall to prevent leakage of the thermal management fluid.

Images