End plate, end plate assembly, battery module and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model relates to the related technical field of batteries, and provides a middle end plate for a battery module, an end plate assembly, the battery module and a battery pack. The battery module comprises at least two battery pack sections, and the middle end plate is used for connecting the two adjacent battery pack sections so as to extend the battery module. The middle end plate comprises a first side plate and a second side plate which are oppositely arranged, and a connecting part for connecting the first side plate and the second side plate; wherein the first side plate is matched with the end plate opposite to one side of the second side plate through a first connecting piece to fix the corresponding battery pack section; and the second side plate is matched with the end plate opposite to one side of the first side plate through a second connecting piece so as to fix the corresponding battery pack section. Based on the middle end plate, a feasible scheme can be provided for a long module which exceeds 1 meter and is adopted by a PACK in the field of power and energy storage, and cost reduction and efficiency improvement can be achieved while the structural stability of the long module is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field related to batteries, and in particular to an end plate, an end plate assembly, a battery module and a battery pack for a battery module. Background Art

[0002] In the related art, the battery pack (PACK) is the core part of the power battery and energy storage, and the battery module is an important component of the PACK. At present, the battery module is generally fixed with steel belts or plastic steel belts, but such battery modules are generally no longer than one meter.

[0003] With the release of the national dual-carbon strategy, the development of the power battery and energy storage industry has been accelerated. Lithium battery power and energy storage have ushered in great opportunities for development, and PACK is also developing in a longer direction. In order to ensure the stability of the long module after assembly, side aluminum plates are generally added to the battery pack to fix the corresponding battery module and perform laser side welding, but this method will greatly increase the cost. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide an end plate, an end plate assembly and a battery module for a battery module, so as to solve the technical problem of high production cost of battery packs using long modules existing in the prior art.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides an end plate for a battery module, wherein the battery module comprises at least two battery segments, and the end plate is used to connect two adjacent battery segments to extend the battery module.

[0007] The end plate includes: a first side plate and a second side plate arranged opposite to each other, and a connecting portion connecting the first side plate and the second side plate; wherein the first side plate cooperates with the end plate on the side facing away from the second side plate through a first connecting piece to fix the corresponding battery pack segment; the second side plate cooperates with the end plate on the side facing away from the first side plate through a second connecting piece to fix the corresponding battery pack segment.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present application,

[0009] The first side plate has a first surface facing the second side plate and a second surface facing away from the second side plate, wherein the first surface is provided with a first limiting structure for limiting the first connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment is fastened by the first connecting member; the second surface is used for setting an insulating sheet;

[0010] The second side plate has a third surface facing the first side plate and a fourth surface facing away from the first side plate, wherein the third surface is provided with a second limiting structure for limiting the second connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment is fastened by the second connecting member; the fourth surface is used for setting an insulating sheet.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first limiting structure is a protrusion or a groove; the second limiting structure is a protrusion or a groove.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the first side panel, the second side panel and the connecting portion are an integrated structure.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, both the first side panel and the second side panel are provided with a hollow structure along the height direction of their corresponding board bodies.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the connecting portion is provided with a hollow structure parallel to the height direction of the board body of the first side panel.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides an end plate assembly, the end plate assembly comprising:

[0016] two side end panels;

[0017] An intermediate end plate, the intermediate end plate comprising any of the above end plates;

[0018] And a connecting piece, used for fastening the middle end plate and the side end plate, and / or fastening the middle end plate and the middle end plate.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present application, the connecting member is a strap.

[0020] In a third aspect, the present application provides a battery module, the battery module comprising:

[0021] a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells being divided into at least two battery sections;

[0022] and an end plate assembly as described above.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a battery pack, comprising: a battery module as described above.

[0024] In the above technical solution, an end plate for a battery module is provided, which can provide a feasible solution for long modules of more than 1 meter used in PACK in the power and energy storage fields. While ensuring the structural stability of the long module, it can achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 is a left side view of an end plate according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 is a front view of an end plate according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 is a top view of an end plate according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0030] Figure 5 is a front view of a battery module according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] In the figure: 10, end plate; 101, first side plate; 1011, first surface; 1012, second surface; 1013, first limiting structure; 102, second side plate; 1021, third surface; 1022, fourth surface; 1023, second limiting structure; 103, connecting part; 20, battery pack segment; 30, connecting piece; 40, side end plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present application is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Through these descriptions, the characteristics and advantages of the present application will become clearer and more specific.

[0033] The word "exemplary" is used exclusively herein to mean "serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Although various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise noted.

[0034] In addition, the technical features involved in different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0035] In related technologies, as PACK is developing in a longer direction, the battery modules are also getting longer. For example, when making power batteries, the required PACK is often 2 meters long, so the number of modules in the PACK also needs to be doubled. In order to ensure the stability of the long module after assembly, in the traditional module fixing method, it is necessary to add side aluminum plates to the battery pack to fix the corresponding battery module and perform laser side welding, but this method will greatly increase the cost.

[0036] The present application provides an end plate for a battery module, which has two side plates (a first side plate and a second side plate) arranged opposite to each other. The two side plates can be respectively matched with other corresponding end plates through connectors to fix the corresponding battery pack segments, thereby obtaining a long module that meets the length requirements. Based on this, the present application optimizes the design of an end plate, thereby providing a feasible solution for long modules of more than 1 meter used by PACK in the power and energy storage fields, which can achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement while ensuring the structural stability of the long module.

[0037] The technical solution of this embodiment is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments and implementation methods can be combined with each other if there is no conflict.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of the utility model, an end plate for a battery module is provided. Since the end plate is provided in the battery module, the corresponding battery module can be understood as including at least two battery segments, and the end plate is used to cooperate with an adjacent end plate to connect two adjacent battery segments to extend the battery module, thereby obtaining a desired long module.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an end plate according to an exemplary embodiment. The end plate 10 comprises:

[0040] The first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102 are arranged opposite to each other, and the connecting portion 103 connecting the first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102. The first side plate 101 is matched with the end plate on the side facing away from the second side plate 102 through the first connecting member to fix the corresponding battery pack segment 20; the second side plate 102 is matched with the end plate on the side facing away from the first side plate 101 through the second connecting member to fix the corresponding battery pack segment 20.

[0041] In this exemplary embodiment, since the end plate 10 has a first side plate 101 and a second side plate 102 that are arranged opposite to each other, the two side plates can be matched with the adjacent end plates through the connectors 30 (i.e., the first connector and the second connector) to fix the corresponding battery pack segment 20, thereby obtaining a long module that meets the length requirement. Based on this, the present application optimizes the design of an end plate 10, thereby providing a feasible solution for a long module of more than 1 meter used by PACK in the power and energy storage fields, which can reduce costs and increase efficiency while ensuring the structural stability of the long module.

[0042] It should be noted that the adjacent end plate of the front end plate 10 may be the side end plate 40 or another end plate 10. For example, when only one end plate 10 is provided in the battery module, the end plates adjacent to the front end plate 10 are all the side end plates 40; when two or more end plates 10 are provided in the battery module, the end plates adjacent to the front end plate 10 are the side end plates 40, the next end plate 10 or the previous end plate 10.

[0043] In some exemplary embodiments, when the end plate 10 is fixed to its adjacent end plate by the corresponding connector 30, it is necessary to ensure that the contact between the connector 30 and the end plate is stable, so as to ensure that the overall structure of the battery module is stable and reliable. Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the first side plate 101 has a first surface 1011 facing the second side plate 102 and a second surface 1012 facing away from the second side plate 102, wherein the first surface 1011 is provided with a first limiting structure 1013, which is used to limit the first connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment 20 is fastened by the first connecting member; the second side plate 102 has a third surface 1021 facing the first side plate 101 and a fourth surface 1022 facing away from the first side plate 101, wherein the third surface 1021 is provided with a second limiting structure 1023, which is used to limit the second connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment 20 is fastened by the second connecting member.

[0044] In addition, since the plate surface of the end plate is in direct contact with the battery cell, there is a risk of conductive leakage. In this embodiment, insulation treatment can be performed on the second surface 1012 of the first side plate 101 and the fourth surface 1022 of the second side plate 102. Exemplarily, an insulation sheet is provided on the second surface 1012 of the first side plate 101; and an insulation sheet is provided on the fourth surface 1022.

[0045] The first limiting structure 1013 and the second limiting structure 1023 only need to be able to effectively limit the corresponding connecting member 30. Optionally, the first limiting structure 1013 is a protrusion or a groove; the second limiting structure 1023 is a protrusion or a groove.

[0046] like Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, when the first limiting structure 1013 and the second limiting structure 1023 are designed as protrusions, the corresponding connecting member 30 is stuck on the inner side of the protrusion (the side of the protrusion close to the middle of the board surface of the corresponding side plate) to prevent the connecting member 30 from slipping on the board surface of the corresponding side plate. Similarly, when the first limiting structure 1013 and the second limiting structure 1023 are designed as grooves, the above-mentioned effect can also be achieved. It should be noted that the inner wall width of the groove can be adapted to the corresponding connecting member 30.

[0047] In some exemplary embodiments, considering factors such as the overall structural strength and production cost of the end plate 10, the end plate 10 may be designed in an integrated manner. Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the first side plate 101, the second side plate 102 and the connecting portion 103 are an integrated structure.

[0048] In some exemplary embodiments, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, both the first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102 are provided with a hollow structure along the height direction of their corresponding plates. Based on the hollow structure provided on the first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102, on the one hand, the weight of the end plate 10 is reduced, and on the other hand, the material cost can be saved. It should be noted that the size and shape of the hollow structure can be adjusted according to actual conditions, but the overall strength of the end plate 10 needs to be ensured.

[0049] Similar to the optional manner of providing a hollow structure on the first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102, a hollow structure may also be provided on the connecting portion 103. For example, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the connecting portion 103 is provided with a hollow structure parallel to the height direction of the first side plate 101 .

[0050] The exemplary embodiment of the present utility model also provides an end plate assembly, such as Figure 4-Figure 5 As shown, the end plate assembly includes: two side end plates 40; an intermediate end plate, which includes at least one end plate 10 of any one of the above-mentioned types, and the end plate 10 is used as an intermediate end plate; and a connecting member 30, which is used to fasten the intermediate end plate and the side end plate 40, and / or, to fasten the intermediate end plate and the intermediate end plate.

[0051] Exemplarily, the connector 30 is a tie band. The tie band can be a plastic steel band, a steel band, etc., and the number of the tie bands is adapted to the number of battery pack segments 20. If an intermediate end plate is provided, the battery module includes two battery pack segments 20. At this time, after the side end plates 40 and the intermediate end plates are provided at both ends of the corresponding battery pack segments 20, each battery pack segment 20 can be fixed by two tie bands.

[0052] The present utility model also provides a battery module in an exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 4-Figure 5As shown, the battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells are divided into at least two battery group sections 20; and any one of the above-mentioned end plate assemblies.

[0053] An embodiment is described below in conjunction with an assembly process of a battery module.

[0054] The battery module includes: a battery cell, a fixing structural adhesive or a fixing tape, an end insulating sheet, a steel strip, an end plate 10 and two side end plates 40, etc. The end plate 10 includes: a first side plate 101, a second side plate 102 and a connecting portion 103 between the two side plates. The first side plate 101 and the second side plate 102 can be a symmetrical structure or an asymmetrical structure, wherein the second surface 1012 of the first side plate 101 and the fourth surface 1022 of the second side plate 102 are structures that fit the battery surface.

[0055] During the assembly process, the battery module end plate is first fixed by the tooling. Starting from one end, the insulating sheet is first bonded to the battery cell by glue or tape, and the other side of the insulating sheet is fixed to the end plate 10 or the side end plate 40 by glue or tape, and then the batteries are bonded to each other by tape or glue in turn. After stacking one side of the module in turn, the other side is stacked in the above-mentioned order. After the stacking is completed, the side end plates 40 at both ends are squeezed by the tooling to the appropriate size and the steel belt is inserted into the battery module. After completion, the tooling is released to complete the stacking.

[0056] In this embodiment, an end plate 10 is designed by improving the battery module, and the battery group segment 20 is assembled and extended to obtain the required long module. Based on this end plate 10, the problem of high stacking cost of long modules is solved, the purpose of reducing costs and increasing efficiency is achieved, and PACK space can be saved and energy density can be improved.

[0057] A battery pack is also provided in an exemplary embodiment of the utility model, and the battery pack includes: any one of the above-mentioned battery modules.

[0058] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships in the working state of the present application. They are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present application.

[0059] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect" and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] The present application has been described above in conjunction with preferred embodiments, but these embodiments are only exemplary and serve only as an illustration. On this basis, various replacements and improvements may be made to the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An end plate for a battery module, characterized in that: The battery module includes at least two battery segments, and the end plate is used to connect two adjacent battery segments to extend the battery module. The end plate includes: a first side plate and a second side plate arranged opposite to each other, and a connecting portion connecting the first side plate and the second side plate; wherein the first side plate cooperates with the end plate on the side facing away from the second side plate through a first connecting piece to fix the corresponding battery pack segment; the second side plate cooperates with the end plate on the side facing away from the first side plate through a second connecting piece to fix the corresponding battery pack segment.

2. The end plate for a battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first side plate has a first surface facing the second side plate and a second surface facing away from the second side plate, wherein the first surface is provided with a first limiting structure for limiting the first connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment is fastened by the first connecting member; the second surface is used for setting an insulating sheet; The second side plate has a third surface facing the first side plate and a fourth surface facing away from the first side plate, wherein the third surface is provided with a second limiting structure for limiting the second connecting member when the corresponding battery pack segment is fastened by the second connecting member; the fourth surface is used for setting an insulating sheet.

3. The end plate for a battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first limiting structure is a protrusion or a groove; the second limiting structure is a protrusion or a groove.

4. The end plate for a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first side plate, the second side plate and the connecting portion are an integrated structure.

5. The end plate for a battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first side plate and the second side plate are both provided with a hollow structure along the height direction of their corresponding plate bodies.

6. The end plate for a battery module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connecting portion is provided with a hollow structure parallel to the height direction of the first side plate.

7. An end plate assembly, characterized in that: The end plate assembly comprises: two side end panels; An intermediate end plate, the intermediate end plate comprising at least one end plate according to any one of claims 1 to 6; And a connecting piece, used for fastening the middle end plate and the side end plate, and / or fastening the middle end plate and the middle end plate.

8. The end plate assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting piece is a strap.

9. A battery module, characterized in that: The battery module comprises: a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells being divided into at least two battery sections; And the end plate assembly as claimed in claim 7 or 8.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack comprises: the battery module described in claim 9.

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