Battery module and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery module and a battery pack, the battery module comprises a battery cell assembly and end plates arranged at two ends of the battery cell assembly along a first direction, the battery cell assembly comprises a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side along the first direction, the first insulating parts, the second insulating parts and the clamping plates are arranged between every two adjacent battery cells in a stacked mode, and the first insulating parts, the clamping plates and the second insulating parts are sequentially arranged between every two adjacent battery cells. According to the battery module provided by the utility model, the clamping plates or the end plates are arranged on the two sides of each battery cell, the adjacent battery cells cannot be in contact with each other, the stress of the battery cells in the battery module in the circulating process can be transmitted to the clamping plates or the end plates, and the whole battery cells are in contact with the clamping plates or the end plates; due to the existence of the clamping plates, the overall strength is improved, so that the whole battery cell does not deform and is uniformly stressed, and the cycle performance and the safety of the battery module are favorably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of batteries, and more specifically, to a battery module and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] At present, the grouping method of square modules is generally to stack multiple battery cells, in which elastic materials such as aerogel or foam are added between adjacent battery cells, or glue is applied between adjacent battery cells. The battery cells in the above grouping method will interact with each other, causing the battery cells in the module to deform in different states, and the battery cells in different positions are subjected to uneven force, resulting in a decrease in the module capacity retention rate, or diving, and even safety hazards. Therefore, in order to ensure that the battery cells are not easily deformed in the module and the overall force of the battery cells is uniform, it is necessary to design a new square module structure. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the utility model is to provide a battery module and a battery pack to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art that the battery cells in the module are prone to deformation and the overall force on the battery cells is uneven.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is: to provide a battery module, including a battery cell assembly and end plates arranged at both ends of the battery cell assembly along a first direction, the battery cell assembly includes a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side along the first direction, and a first insulating member, a second insulating member and a clamping plate stacked between two adjacent battery cells, wherein the first insulating member, the clamping plate and the second insulating member are sequentially arranged between each two adjacent battery cells.

[0005] Optionally, the battery cell assembly further includes a third insulating member disposed between the end plate and the battery cell, and the third insulating member is respectively attached to the end plate and the battery cell on both sides along the first direction.

[0006] Optionally, the thickness of the clamping plate along the first direction is greater than the thickness of the first insulating member along the first direction; the thickness of the clamping plate along the first direction is greater than the thickness of the second insulating member along the first direction.

[0007] Optionally, a plurality of through holes penetrating the clamping plate are formed on the clamping plate along the first direction.

[0008] Optionally, the clamping plate has a first side surface and a second side surface that are oppositely arranged along the first direction, the first side surface is in contact with the first insulating member, and the second side surface is in contact with the second insulating member.

[0009] Optionally, the clamping plate is a metal part, and an insulating layer is provided on the surface of the clamping plate; or, the clamping plate is a plastic part.

[0010] Optionally, the battery module further includes a first side plate and a second side plate respectively arranged on both sides of the battery cell assembly along the first direction, and the first side plate and the second side plate are respectively welded to the end plate.

[0011] Optionally, the battery module further comprises a cable tie, and the cable tie is tied outside the end plate.

[0012] Optionally, guide grooves are provided at both ends of the end plate along a second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the cable tie is tied at the guide grooves.

[0013] The utility model also provides a battery pack, which includes the battery module as described above.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the battery module provided by the utility model is that: compared with the prior art, the battery module of the utility model is provided with a splint or an end plate on both sides of each battery cell, and adjacent battery cells will not contact each other. The force applied to the battery cells in the battery module during the cycle process will be transmitted to the splint or the end plate, and the battery cells as a whole are in contact with the splint or the end plate. The presence of the splint increases the overall strength, so that the battery cells as a whole will not be deformed and the force is evenly applied, which is beneficial to improving the cycle performance and safety of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery module provided in the embodiment of the utility model Figure 1 ;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the side structure of a battery module provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery module provided in the embodiment of the utility model Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery module provided in the embodiment of the utility model Figure 3 ;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the end plate provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0021] Among them, the reference numerals in the figure are:

[0022] 100-battery module; 10-battery cell assembly; 11-battery cell; 12-first insulating member; 13-clamping plate; 14-second insulating member; 15-third insulating member; 20-end plate; 201-guide groove; 30-first side plate; 40-second side plate; 50-cable tie; 60-electrode connector; X-first direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0025] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0026] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0027] At present, the cells of square battery modules cannot release the stress during the cycle, which will cause the cells to deform. At the same time, the cells of square battery modules are not evenly stressed, with the stress being smaller at the two ends and larger in the middle, which will cause the module capacity retention rate to decrease, or even cause a safety hazard. In order to ensure that the cells are not easily deformed in the battery module and the overall stress of the cells is uniform, the utility model designs a new square module structure.

[0028] Please also read Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the battery module 100 provided by the embodiment of the utility model is now described. The battery module 100 includes a battery cell assembly 10 and an end plate 20. Among them, the end plate 20 is set to two, and the two end plates 20 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the battery cell assembly 10 along the first direction X. The battery cell assembly 10 includes a battery cell 11, a first insulating member 12, a second insulating member 14 and a clamping plate 13, wherein a plurality of battery cells 11 are arranged side by side along the first direction X, and the first insulating member 12, the second insulating member 14 and the clamping plate 13 are stacked between two adjacent battery cells 11, and the first insulating member 12, the clamping plate 13 and the second insulating member 14 are sequentially arranged between each two adjacent battery cells 11. Specifically, the arrangement of the battery cell assembly 10 is battery cell 11, first insulating member 12, clamping plate 13, second insulating member 14, battery cell 11, first insulating member 12, clamping plate 13, second insulating member 14, battery cell 11, etc., and so on. The first direction X is the thickness direction of the battery cell 11 .

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the battery module 100 provided by the utility model is provided with a splint 13 or an end plate 20 on both sides of each battery cell 11, and adjacent battery cells 11 do not contact each other. The force applied to the battery cells 11 in the battery module 100 during the cycle process will be transmitted to the splint 13 or the end plate 20, and the battery cells 11 are in contact with the splint 13 or the end plate 20 as a whole. The presence of the splint 13 increases the overall strength, so that the battery cells 11 as a whole will not be deformed and the force is evenly applied, which is beneficial to improving the cycle performance and safety of the battery module 100.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 When the end plate 20 is made of a non-insulating material such as a metal material, the battery cell assembly 10 further includes a third insulating member 15, which is disposed between the end plate 20 and the battery cell 11 at the end of the battery cell assembly 10. At this time, the arrangement of the battery module 100 can be the end plate 20, the third insulating member 15, the battery cell 11, the first insulating member 12, the clamping plate 13, the second insulating member 14, the battery cell 11, the first insulating member 12, the clamping plate 13, the second insulating member 14, the battery cell 11, the third insulating member 15, the end plate 20, etc., and so on.

[0031] In this embodiment, the third insulating member 15 is respectively attached to the end plate 20 and the battery cell 11 at the end of the battery cell assembly 10 on both sides along the first direction X. In this way, the third insulating member 15 is used to insulate the battery cell 11 from the end plate 20, and at the same time, the overall structure of the battery module 100 is made more compact, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery module 100. In specific applications, the metal end plates 20 are used at both ends of the battery module 100 to clamp and limit in the length direction and fix the entire battery module 100, and its strength is relatively high.

[0032] In another embodiment of the utility model, the end plate 20 is an insulating member made of insulating material, and no additional insulating member is required between the end plate 20 and the battery cell 11 at the end of the battery cell assembly 10 along the first direction X, that is, the inner side surface of the end plate 20 is in contact with the side surface of the battery cell 11 at the end of the battery cell assembly 10. In this way, the space of the battery module 100 can be saved, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery module 100.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the thickness of the clamping plate 13 along the first direction X is greater than the thickness of the first insulating member 12 along the first direction X; the thickness of the clamping plate 13 along the first direction X is greater than the thickness of the second insulating member 14 along the first direction X. In this embodiment, the thickness of the clamping plate 13 is greater than the thickness of the insulating member, which can ensure that the clamping plate 13 has sufficient strength to at least withstand 30KN without deformation.

[0034] In one embodiment of the utility model, a plurality of through holes penetrating the clamping plate 13 are provided on the clamping plate 13 along the first direction X, and the cross-section of the through hole can be circular, triangular, square or other polygonal. In a specific application, the volume proportion of the through hole on the clamping plate 13 cannot be too large, and the clamping plate 13 needs to have sufficient strength. In this embodiment, by providing through holes on the clamping plate 13, some deformation space can be provided to absorb the expansion of the battery cell 11. In one embodiment, the through holes can be evenly arranged on the clamping plate 13.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The clamping plate 13 has a first side surface and a second side surface that are oppositely arranged along the first direction X, the first side surface is in contact with the side surface of the first insulating member 12, and the second side surface is in contact with the side surface of the second insulating member 14. In this way, the overall structure of the battery module 100 is more compact, which is conducive to improving the energy density of the battery module 100. In a specific application, the clamping plate 13 is roughly in a rectangular shape to match the square battery cell 11.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the clamping plate 13 is a metal part, that is, the clamping plate 13 is made of metal material. In this case, for insulation, an insulating layer needs to be provided on the surface of the clamping plate 13. In this embodiment, the clamping plate 13 is a metal part with high hardness. A thinner clamping plate 13 can meet the hardness requirement, which is beneficial to improving the energy density of the battery module 100.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, the clamping plate 13 is a plastic part, that is, the clamping plate 13 is made of plastic material, and in this case, the clamping plate 13 can be insulated. In this embodiment, the clamping plate 13 is a plastic part, which is light in weight and can reduce the overall weight of the battery module 100.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the battery module 100 also includes a first side plate 30 and a second side plate 40. The first side plate 30 and the second side plate 40 are respectively arranged on both sides of the battery cell assembly 10 along the first direction X, and the first side plate 30 and the second side plate 40 are respectively welded to the end plate 20 to fasten the battery cell assembly 10 into a whole. In this embodiment, the two end plates 20, the first side plate 30 and the second side plate 40 are connected end to end to form a receiving space, and the battery cell assembly 10 is received in the receiving space. It can be understood that in other embodiments of the utility model, the end plate 20 can be detachably connected to the first side plate 30 and the second side plate 40, such as a snap connection.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 4 The battery module 100 further includes a tie 50, which is tied outside the end plate 20 to assemble the battery module 100 into a whole. In this embodiment, the tie 50 is preferably a steel belt.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , guide grooves 201 are provided at both ends of the end plate 20 along the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction X. The cable ties 50 are tied at the guide grooves 201, that is, the cable ties 50 are tied at both ends of the end plate 20 along the second direction. In this embodiment, the guide grooves 201 penetrate the end plate 20 along the second direction, and the width of the guide grooves 201 is greater than the width of the cable ties 50, and the depth of the guide grooves 201 is greater than the thickness of the cable ties 50, so that the guide grooves 201 can better guide the cable ties 50, thereby facilitating the battery module 100 to be tightly tied.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 The battery module 100 further includes a plurality of electrode connectors 60, which are used to electrically connect the positive and negative electrodes of the battery cells 11 so as to connect the plurality of battery cells 11 in series or in parallel.

[0042] The utility model further provides a battery pack, which includes the battery module 100 as described above. The battery pack also includes other existing structures required in practical applications, which will not be described in detail here.

[0043] The battery pack provided by the present invention adopts the above-mentioned battery module 100, which is beneficial to improving the life and safety of the battery pack.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery module, characterized in that: It includes a battery cell assembly and end plates arranged at both ends of the battery cell assembly along a first direction, the battery cell assembly includes a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side along the first direction, and a first insulating member, a second insulating member and a clamping plate stacked between two adjacent battery cells, wherein the first insulating member, the clamping plate and the second insulating member are sequentially arranged between each two adjacent battery cells.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery cell assembly further includes a third insulating member disposed between the end plate and the battery cell, and two sides of the third insulating member along the first direction are respectively attached to the end plate and the battery cell.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the clamping plate along the first direction is greater than the thickness of the first insulating member along the first direction; the thickness of the clamping plate along the first direction is greater than the thickness of the second insulating member along the first direction.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The clamping plate is provided with a plurality of through holes penetrating the clamping plate along the first direction.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The clamping plate has a first side surface and a second side surface that are oppositely arranged along the first direction, the first side surface is in contact with the first insulating member, and the second side surface is in contact with the second insulating member.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping plate is a metal part, and an insulating layer is provided on the surface of the clamping plate; or, the clamping plate is a plastic part.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery module further includes a first side plate and a second side plate respectively disposed on both sides of the battery cell assembly along the first direction, and the first side plate and the second side plate are respectively welded to the end plate.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The battery module further includes a cable tie, which is bundled outside the end plate.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, characterized in that: Both ends of the end plate along the second direction are provided with guide grooves, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the cable tie is tied at the guide grooves.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: Comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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