Battery module and assembly method

Abstract

The application relates to the battery technical field, and provides a battery module and an assembling method.The battery module comprises a battery frame body and a battery pack.The battery frame body comprises a plurality of side plates which are enclosed to form an accommodating cavity.The battery pack is arranged in the accommodating cavity.The battery pack comprises a plurality of batteries and a flexible buffer piece.The batteries are sequentially arranged along the length direction of the accommodating cavity, and the flexible buffer piece is arranged between at least two adjacent batteries.The flexible buffer piece can play a buffering role in the case of battery swelling, and can improve the safety performance of the battery module;after the battery pack is assembled into the accommodating cavity, the flexible buffer piece can support the battery pack, and can improve the fixing stability between the battery pack and the battery frame body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of battery technology, and in particular relates to a battery module and assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] A battery module typically consists of a frame and several batteries, with the batteries enclosed and secured by the frame to form the module. In applications such as outdoor power supplies and energy storage battery modules, high demands are placed on the structural strength, safety, and production cost of the battery module. As the number of times a battery module is used increases, the expansion force of the batteries grows, potentially causing the frame to crack and damaging the module's structure.

[0003] In relevant square aluminum-cased battery module technologies, the battery module generally consists of a frame and several battery cells, with the cells enclosed and fixed in place by the frame. Traditional structures often use end plates and side plates welded together to form the frame, achieving cell encapsulation and fixation. However, this affects the structural assembly performance of the battery module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a battery module and assembly method, which aims to solve the problem of poor structural assembly performance of battery modules in traditional technology.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a battery module, the battery module comprising: A battery frame, the battery frame including multiple side plates, the multiple side plates enclosing a receiving cavity; A battery pack, the battery pack being placed within the receiving cavity; The battery pack includes multiple batteries and a flexible buffer. The multiple batteries are arranged sequentially along the length of the receiving cavity, and the flexible buffer is placed between at least two adjacent batteries.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple flexible buffers, and a flexible buffer is provided between each pair of adjacent batteries.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the plurality of batteries includes a first battery and a second battery, wherein the first battery is the first battery in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries, and the second battery is the last battery in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries; The plurality of side plates include a first side plate and a second side plate disposed opposite to each other. The first battery abuts against the first side plate, and a flexible buffer is disposed between the first battery and the first side plate. The second battery abuts against the second side plate, and a flexible buffer is disposed between the second battery and the second side plate.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the battery pack further includes a first plastic plate and a second plastic plate, wherein the first plastic plate is disposed between the first side plate and the first battery, and the second plastic plate is disposed between the second side plate and the second battery.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, at least one of the first plastic plate and the second plastic plate is provided with a guide portion, which has a tapered structure along the direction in which the battery pack is placed into the receiving cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the battery module further includes a busbar, which is disposed on the battery pack; at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate is provided with bolt holes, which are used to fit bolts to fix the busbar, the battery pack and the battery frame.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the battery frame is a one-piece molded structure.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the flexible buffer is a foam pad.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the flexible buffer is reused as an insulating element.

[0014] A second aspect of this application also provides a method for assembling a battery module, the method being applied to the battery module described above; the assembly method includes: Multiple batteries and flexible buffers are stacked sequentially along a preset direction to form a battery pack to be pressed. Pre-pressure is applied in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressurized to form a pre-pressurized battery pack; Overpressure is applied in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressurized to form a battery pack; wherein the overpressure is greater than the prepressure; The battery pack is placed into the receiving cavity of the battery frame.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: In the battery module and assembly method of this application, the battery module includes a battery frame and a battery pack. The battery frame includes multiple side plates, which enclose a cavity. The battery pack is placed inside the cavity. The battery pack includes multiple batteries and a flexible buffer. The multiple batteries are arranged sequentially along the length of the cavity, and the flexible buffer is placed between at least two adjacent batteries. By setting the flexible buffer, this application can, on the one hand, buffer the expansion of the battery cells, which is beneficial to improving the safety performance of the battery module. On the other hand, it can support the battery pack after it is assembled into the cavity, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the battery pack and the battery frame. Attached image description: Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the battery module provided in an optional embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the battery structure provided in an optional embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second plastic sheet provided in an optional embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery frame provided in an optional embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module provided in an optional embodiment of this application.

[0016] Specific element symbols: 10-Battery module, 100-Battery frame, 110-Side plate, 111-First side plate, 112-Second side plate, 120-Receiving cavity, 130-Bolt hole, 200-Battery pack, 210-Battery, 211-First battery, 212-Second battery, 220-Flexible buffer, 310-First plastic plate, 320-Second plastic plate, 330-Guide part, 400-Busbar, 500-Bolt. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0018] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0019] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0020] It's important to understand that battery modules typically consist of a frame and several cells, with the cells enclosed and secured by the frame to form the module. In existing square aluminum-cased battery module technology, the module generally comprises a frame and several cells, with the cells enclosed and secured by the frame. Traditional structures often use end plates and side plates welded together to form the frame, achieving cell encapsulation and fixation. This process not only relies on high-power laser welding equipment but also involves complex production processes and high manufacturing difficulty. Furthermore, it is prone to issues such as loosening after battery module assembly.

[0021] Based on this, this application improves upon traditional battery modules and assembly methods.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This paper shows an exploded structural diagram of a battery module provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 An exploded view of a battery module provided in some embodiments of this application is shown. The battery module 10 of this embodiment includes a battery frame 100 and a battery pack 200. The battery frame 100 includes multiple side plates 110, which enclose a receiving cavity 120. The battery pack 200 is placed within the receiving cavity 120. The battery pack 200 includes multiple batteries 210 and a flexible buffer 220. The multiple batteries 210 are arranged sequentially along the length of the receiving cavity 120, and the flexible buffer 220 is placed between at least two adjacent batteries 210.

[0023] It should be explained that the battery frame 100 is the external support structure of the battery module 10, used to surround and fix the battery pack 200. The battery frame 100 includes multiple side plates 110, which together form a receiving cavity 120 with an upper opening through which the battery pack 200 is placed. The battery frame 100 can be made of aluminum, for example, formed by die casting or aluminum extrusion, and has high structural strength and light weight. The shape and size of the receiving cavity 120 are adapted to the battery pack 200 to ensure that the battery pack 200 can be tightly placed within the receiving cavity 120.

[0024] The battery pack 200 is the core energy storage unit of the battery module 10, comprising multiple batteries 210 and a flexible buffer 220. The multiple batteries 210 are arranged sequentially along the length of the receiving cavity 120, i.e., the multiple batteries 210 are stacked horizontally. The batteries 210 can be square aluminum-cased batteries 210, which have a high energy density and good structural stability. The flexible buffer 220 is placed between at least two adjacent batteries 210 to space them apart and prevent direct contact between adjacent batteries 210.

[0025] It is understood that the flexible buffer 220 in this embodiment can have a certain amount of compression. On the one hand, it can play a buffering role during the expansion of the battery 210, which helps to avoid damage caused by direct compression between adjacent batteries 210 due to expansion force. On the other hand, the flexible buffer 220 can also provide pre-tightening force to the battery 210 during assembly, which can stably fix the battery 210 in the receiving cavity 120, which helps to prevent the battery 210 from shaking in the receiving cavity 120.

[0026] Please refer to the embodiments described in this application. Figure 1 There are multiple flexible buffers 220, and a flexible buffer 220 is provided between each pair of adjacent batteries 210.

[0027] It is understandable that by providing a flexible buffer 220 between each pair of adjacent batteries 210, on the one hand, each pair of adjacent batteries 210 can be isolated and buffered to protect them; on the other hand, by increasing the number of flexible buffers 220, the compression of the battery pack can be increased, which in turn helps to improve the installation stability of the battery pack in the cavity.

[0028] Please refer to the embodiments described in this application. Figure 1 The plurality of batteries 210 includes a first battery 211 and a second battery 212. The first battery 211 is the first battery 210 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries 210, and the second battery 212 is the last battery 210 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries 210. The plurality of side plates 110 include a first side plate 111 and a second side plate 112 disposed opposite to each other. The first battery 211 and the first side plate 111 abut against each other, and a flexible buffer 220 is disposed between the first battery 211 and the first side plate 111. The second battery 212 and the second side plate 112 abut against each other, and a flexible buffer 220 is disposed between the second battery 212 and the second side plate 112.

[0029] It should be explained that the first side plate 111 and the second side plate 112 are two side plates 110 arranged opposite each other on the battery frame 100 along the arrangement direction of the batteries 210, and are located at both ends of the battery pack 200 respectively. The first battery 211 is the outermost battery 210 in the arrangement direction of the battery pack 200, and directly abuts against the first side plate 111; the second battery 212 is the outermost battery 210 at the other end in the arrangement direction of the battery pack 200, and directly abuts against the second side plate 112.

[0030] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, flexible buffer members 220 are provided between the first battery 211 and the first side plate 111, and between the second battery 212 and the second side plate 112, so that both ends of the battery pack 200 can also be effectively buffered and supported, avoiding direct rigid contact between the battery 210 and the side plate 110 and causing damage, while providing a certain deformation margin when the battery 210 expands.

[0031] Please refer to the embodiments described in this application. Figure 1 The battery pack 200 in this embodiment of the application also includes a first plastic plate 310 and a second plastic plate 320. The first plastic plate 310 is disposed between the first side plate 111 and the first battery 211, and the second plastic plate 320 is disposed between the second side plate 112 and the second battery 212.

[0032] It should be explained that the first plastic plate 310 and the second plastic plate 320 are respectively disposed at both ends of the battery pack 200, located between the side plate 110 and the outermost battery 210.

[0033] It is understood that the plastic sheet in this embodiment of the application can provide protection for the side wall of the battery 210, preventing external impacts from directly affecting the battery 210, and also serve as insulation between the side plate 110 and the battery 210. The first plastic sheet 310 and the second plastic sheet 320 can be made of insulating plastic material and formed by injection molding, possessing good insulation performance and a certain mechanical strength.

[0034] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, at least one of the first plastic plate 310 and the second plastic plate 320 is provided with a guide portion 330, which has a tapered structure along the direction in which the battery pack 200 is placed into the receiving cavity 120.

[0035] It should be explained that the guide portion 330 is set on the plastic plate and has a tapered structure along the direction in which the battery pack 200 is placed into the receiving cavity 120. That is, the end size of the guide portion 330 gradually decreases, forming a structure similar to a chamfer or wedge.

[0036] It is understood that the guide portion 330 in this embodiment facilitates the installation of the battery pack 200 into the battery frame 100, and plays a guiding role during the assembly process, allowing the battery pack 200 to slide smoothly into the receiving cavity 120, avoiding jamming or friction damage. Specifically, the guide portion 330 can be located on the side of the plastic plate away from the battery pack 200, that is, the side closer to the side plate 110, so that when the battery pack 200 is placed into the receiving cavity 120, the guide portion 330 first contacts the side plate 110, guiding the battery pack 200 to enter smoothly.

[0037] In some embodiments, the guide portion 330 can be a chamfered structure, that is, the edge of the plastic sheet is set as a bevel. The chamfered structure is simple to process, low in cost, and can effectively achieve the guiding function.

[0038] In some embodiments, both the first plastic plate 310 and the second plastic plate 320 are provided with guide portions 330.

[0039] Please refer to the embodiments described in this application. Figure 1 and Figure 4 The battery module 10 in this embodiment also includes a busbar 400, which covers the battery pack 200; at least one of the first side plate 111 and the second side plate 112 is provided with bolt holes 130, which are used to fit with bolts 500 to fix the busbar 400, the battery pack 200 and the battery frame 100.

[0040] It should be explained that the busbar 400 is a conductive component used to connect the individual batteries 210 to achieve a series-parallel connection. The busbar 400 is placed on top of the battery pack 200 and is electrically connected to the electrodes of each battery 210. Bolt holes 130 are provided on the first side plate 111 and / or the second side plate 112. Bolts 500 pass through the bolt holes 130 to fix the busbar 400, battery pack 200, and battery frame 100 together. This fixing method does not require welding; reliable fixing of each component can be achieved through bolt connection, which is simple to assemble and has high connection strength.

[0041] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the application, by providing bolt holes 130 on the side plate 110 and using bolts 500 to fix the busbar 400, battery pack 200, and battery frame 100, a stable connection is formed between the various components of the battery module 10. On the one hand, the bolt connection method facilitates disassembly and maintenance; on the other hand, the strength of the bolt connection is higher than that of the welded joint, which can effectively improve the overall structural strength and reliability of the battery module 10.

[0042] In some embodiments, the flexible buffer 220 can also be reused as an insulating element.

[0043] It is understood that the flexible buffer 220 in this embodiment can act as an insulator between two adjacent batteries 210, preventing short circuits between the batteries 210. Furthermore, by reusing the flexible buffer 220 as an insulating component, the number of components in the battery module 10 is reduced, the assembly process is simplified, and production costs are lowered.

[0044] In some embodiments, please continue reading Figure 4 and see Figure 5 The battery frame 100 is a one-piece molded structure.

[0045] It is understood that the battery frame 100 in this embodiment is a one-piece molded structure, which can significantly reduce manufacturing time and cost while ensuring the rigidity and strength of the battery frame 100. Compared with the traditional method of welding end plates and side plates 110 to form a frame, the one-piece molded battery frame 100 does not require welding, completely eliminating welding defects such as burst holes, incomplete welds, and plate collapse. At the same time, it avoids the structural weakness caused by welded joints, making the overall structure of the module stronger and more reliable.

[0046] In some embodiments, the battery frame 100 is integrally formed using an aluminum extrusion process.

[0047] In some embodiments, the battery housing 100 is made of AL6061 / 6063 material.

[0048] Furthermore, to better implement the battery module 10 in any of the above embodiments, based on the battery module 10 described above, this application embodiment also provides a battery module assembly method. The assembly method is applied to the battery module 10 as described above, and the assembly method includes: S100: Multiple batteries 210 and flexible buffers 220 are stacked sequentially along a preset direction to form a battery pack to be pressed; specifically, multiple batteries 210 are arranged sequentially along a horizontal direction, a flexible buffer 220 is placed between each pair of adjacent batteries 210, and a first plastic plate 310 and a second plastic plate 320 are respectively placed on the outside of the batteries 210 at both ends to form a battery pack to be pressed.

[0049] S200: Apply pre-pressure in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressurized to form a pre-pressurized battery pack; specifically, apply pre-pressure in the stacking direction of the battery pack, the range of pre-pressure is 2000N to 5000N, so that the flexible buffer 220 produces a certain compression deformation, providing pre-tightening force for the battery pack 200, and preventing the battery 210 from loosening during subsequent assembly.

[0050] S300: Apply overpressure in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressed to form battery pack 200; wherein, the overpressure is greater than the prepressure; specifically, apply overpressure along the stacking direction of the battery pack, the overpressure is not greater than 10000N, so that the battery pack 200 reaches the target size and ensures that the battery pack 200 can be smoothly placed into the receiving cavity 120 of the battery frame 100.

[0051] S400: Place the battery pack 200 into the receiving cavity 120 of the battery frame 100; specifically, using the guide portion 330 on the first plastic plate 310 and the second plastic plate 320, slide the pre-pressed battery pack 200 into the receiving cavity 120 along the guide direction to complete the assembly of the battery pack 200 and the battery frame 100.

[0052] It is understandable that the assembly method in this embodiment achieves weldless assembly of the battery module 10 through a process of stacking, pre-pressing, over-pressing, and finally placing it into the frame. The pre-pressing and over-pressing settings ensure the compactness of the battery pack 200 while preventing damage to the battery 210 due to excessive pressure. The guide part 330 allows the battery pack 200 to be smoothly installed into the one-piece molded battery frame 100, greatly simplifying the assembly process and improving production efficiency.

[0053] Through the above technical solutions, the battery module 10 of this application adopts an integrally molded battery frame 100 instead of the traditional welded frame of end plates and side plates 110, eliminating the need for laser welding equipment, simplifying the production process, and reducing production costs. Simultaneously, by setting a flexible buffer 220, it acts as a buffer when the battery 210 expands, improving safety performance, and provides support after assembly, improving stability. The guide portion 330 on the plastic plate facilitates the assembly of the battery pack into the frame, further improving production efficiency. Bolt fixing replaces welding, improving connection strength and reliability. The battery module 10 of this application has advantages such as simple structure, fewer production steps, high structural strength, and good reliability.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0055] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0056] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0057] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0058] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that, The battery module includes: A battery frame, the battery frame including multiple side plates, the multiple side plates enclosing a receiving cavity; A battery pack, the battery pack being placed within the receiving cavity; The battery pack includes multiple batteries and a flexible buffer. The multiple batteries are arranged sequentially along the length of the receiving cavity, and the flexible buffer is placed between at least two adjacent batteries.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of flexible buffers is multiple, and a flexible buffer is provided between each pair of adjacent batteries.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of batteries includes a first battery and a second battery, wherein the first battery is the first battery in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries, and the second battery is the last battery in the arrangement direction of the plurality of batteries; The plurality of side plates include a first side plate and a second side plate disposed opposite to each other. The first battery abuts against the first side plate, and a flexible buffer is disposed between the first battery and the first side plate. The second battery abuts against the second side plate, and a flexible buffer is disposed between the second battery and the second side plate.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The battery pack also includes a first plastic plate and a second plastic plate, wherein the first plastic plate is disposed between the first side plate and the first battery, and the second plastic plate is disposed between the second side plate and the second battery.

5. The battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least one of the first plastic plate and the second plastic plate is provided with a guide portion, which has a tapered structure along the direction in which the battery pack is placed into the receiving cavity.

6. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The battery module also includes a busbar, which is disposed on the battery pack; at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate is provided with bolt holes, which are used to fit bolts to fix the busbar, the battery pack and the battery frame.

7. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The battery frame is a one-piece molded structure.

8. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The flexible buffer is a foam pad.

9. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The flexible buffer is reused as an insulating component.

10. A method for assembling a battery module, characterized in that, The assembly method is applied to the battery module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; the assembly method includes: Multiple batteries and flexible buffers are stacked sequentially along a preset direction to form a battery pack to be pressed. Pre-pressure is applied in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressurized to form a pre-pressurized battery pack; Overpressure is applied in the stacking direction of the battery pack to be pressurized to form a battery pack; wherein the overpressure is greater than the prepressure; The battery pack is placed into the receiving cavity of the battery frame.

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