End plate and battery module

Abstract

The present application discloses an end plate and a battery module. The end plate is used for a battery module, and the battery module includes at least two battery cell groups arranged side by side along a first direction. The end plate includes at least two limiting parts, and at least two of the limiting parts are arranged in sequence along the first direction and are arranged one-to-one with at least two of the battery cell groups, and at least two of the limiting parts are arranged in an integrated manner. The present application can solve the problem in the prior art that the end plate can only fix a single-row battery module, and during the assembly process, there is an installation gap between two adjacent single-row battery modules, which is not conducive to realizing the miniaturized design of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to an end plate and a battery module. Background Art

[0002] In a battery module, the battery cells are easily expanded due to repeated charging and discharging, which causes stress deformation in the battery module, thus adversely affecting the cycle life of the battery cells. Therefore, in the related art, end plates are usually set at both ends of the battery module, and then the battery module and the end plates are tied together by fixing belts to stabilize the battery module. The end plates can bear the expansion force of the battery cells during operation, thereby limiting the expansion deformation of the battery cells.

[0003] However, the existing end plates are short and can only fix single-row battery modules. As a result, when multiple single-row battery modules are installed in a battery box, there is an installation gap between two adjacent single-row battery modules, which takes up more space inside the battery pack and is not conducive to realizing the miniaturization design of the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of the present application is to provide an end plate and a battery module to solve the problem in the prior art that the end plate can only fix a single-row battery module, and during the assembly process, there is an installation gap between two adjacent single-row battery modules, which is not conducive to achieving a miniaturized design of the battery pack.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, an end plate is provided, the end plate being used for a battery module, the battery module comprising at least two battery cell groups arranged side by side along a first direction, the end plate comprising:

[0006] At least two limiting portions are arranged in sequence along the first direction and are arranged one-to-one with at least two battery cell groups, and at least two limiting portions are arranged in an integrated manner.

[0007] Furthermore, a first boss is provided on a side of the end plate facing away from the battery module, and a first mounting hole is provided through the first boss along the second direction, and the first mounting hole is at least used for mounting a screw.

[0008] Furthermore, the first bosses include a plurality of bosses, and the plurality of first bosses are spaced apart and arranged on the end plate along the first direction;

[0009] The first mounting holes include a plurality of holes, and the plurality of first mounting holes are arranged on the plurality of first bosses in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0010] Furthermore, a second boss is provided on a side of the end plate facing away from the battery module, and the second boss is provided on the first side of the end plate. A second mounting hole is provided on the second boss, and the second mounting hole is at least used for mounting a screw sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the second bosses include at least two, and the at least two second bosses are arranged on the at least two limiting portions in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0012] The second mounting holes include a plurality of holes, and the plurality of second mounting holes are arranged on each of the second bosses at intervals along the first direction.

[0013] Furthermore, at least one groove is provided on a side of each of the limiting portions away from the battery module, and reinforcing ribs are provided in the groove.

[0014] Furthermore, each of the limiting portions is provided with at least one first waist-shaped hole, and the first waist-shaped hole is provided on the reinforcing rib.

[0015] Furthermore, at least one second waist-shaped hole is provided on the end plate, and the second waist-shaped hole is located on the second side of the end plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the end plate is a BMC end plate.

[0017] On the other hand, the present application also provides a battery module, which includes the above-mentioned end plate.

[0018] Compared with the end plate structure in the prior art, the present application can fix multiple battery cell groups at the same time by increasing the length of the end plate, which reduces the production difficulty and production cost of the end plate to a certain extent, effectively ensures the structural strength of the battery module, and at the same time, reduces the installation gap between multiple battery cell groups, thereby realizing a miniaturized design of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the end plate disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an end plate with a threaded sleeve disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the battery module and the end plate after assembly disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

[0023] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0024] 10. End plate; 101. First side; 102. Second side; 11. Limiting portion; 20. Battery module; 21. Cell group; 30. First boss; 31. First mounting hole; 40. Second boss; 41. Second mounting hole; 50. Groove; 60. Reinforcing rib; 70. First waist-shaped hole; 80. Second waist-shaped hole; 90. Limiting groove; 100. Fixing belt; 110. Positioning pin; 120. Screw sleeve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0028] As mentioned in the background technology, the end plate in the existing battery pack is relatively short, and the end plate can only fix a single-row battery module. In this way, during the assembly of the battery module, there will be an installation gap between two adjacent single-row battery modules, thereby occupying more space inside the battery pack, which is not conducive to realizing the miniaturization design of the battery pack. Therefore, in order to reduce the installation gap between two single-row battery modules and improve the space utilization inside the battery pack, the inventor of this application has designed a new type of end plate, and the end plate of this application will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] It should be noted that the first direction in this application is the attached Figure 3 The direction indicated by the letter X in the middle, the second direction is the Figure 1 The direction indicated by the letter Y.

[0030] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present application provides an end plate 10 , which is used for a battery module 20 , and includes at least two limiting portions 11 .

[0031] The battery module 20 includes at least two battery cell groups 21 arranged side by side along a first direction; at least two limiting portions 11 are arranged in sequence along the first direction and are arranged one-to-one with the at least two battery cell groups 21, and the at least two limiting portions 11 are arranged in an integrated manner.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the end plate 10 is actually processed, at least two limiting portions 11 can be arranged in sequence along the first direction and set in an integral manner. In this way, the length of the end plate 10 can be made longer, so that the assembly and fixation of multiple battery cell groups 21 can be achieved. In other words, when the end plate 10 is actually used, the at least two limiting portions 11 set in an integral manner can fix at least two battery cell groups 21. On the one hand, the overall structural strength of the battery module 20 is effectively guaranteed. On the other hand, since at least two battery cell groups 21 share one end plate 10, the installation gap between at least two battery cell groups 21 can be reduced. When the battery module 20 is assembled in the battery pack, the space occupied by the battery module 20 is reduced, thereby improving the space utilization inside the battery pack, which is conducive to realizing the miniaturization design of the battery pack.

[0033] Compared with the end plate 10 structure in the prior art, the present application can fix multiple battery cell groups 21 at the same time by increasing the length of the end plate 10, thereby reducing the production difficulty and production cost of the end plate 10 to a certain extent, and effectively ensuring the structural strength of the battery module 20. At the same time, it also reduces the installation gap between multiple battery cell groups 21, thereby realizing a miniaturized design of the battery pack.

[0034] Optionally, the number of the battery cell groups 21 in the present application may be two, three, four or more, and the number of the limiting portions 11 of the end plate 10 may be two, three, four or more, and the present application does not make any specific limitation, as long as it can ensure that each limiting portion 11 is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with each battery cell group 21. Figure 3 The figure shows a situation where there are two battery cell groups 21 and the end plate 10 includes two limiting portions 11 .

[0035] Further, see Figure 1 as well as Figure 3As shown, the end plate 10 in this embodiment is provided with a first boss 30 on the side away from the battery module 20, and a first mounting hole 31 is provided through the first boss 30 along the second direction, and the first mounting hole 31 is at least used to install a screw (the screw is not shown in the figure). Such a configuration can improve the structural strength of the end plate 10 and prevent the end plate 10 from deforming during the process of fixing the battery cell group 21, thereby improving the structural stability and reliability of the battery module 20. A steel sleeve (the steel sleeve is not shown in the figure) is also embedded in the first mounting hole 31 to facilitate reliable fixing of the screw.

[0036] Optionally, the first boss 30 in this embodiment includes a plurality of first bosses 30, and the plurality of first bosses 30 are arranged on the end plate 10 at intervals along the first direction; the first mounting holes 31 include a plurality of first mounting holes 31, and the plurality of first mounting holes 31 are arranged on the plurality of first bosses 30 in a one-to-one correspondence. That is to say, the first boss 30 in this embodiment may include one, two, three or more than three, and the first mounting holes 31 may include one, two, three or more than three, which are not specifically limited in this application. Figure 1 The figure shows a case where there are three first bosses 30 and three first mounting holes 31. In this way, the structural strength of the end plate 10 is improved.

[0037] Further, see Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, the side of the end plate 10 in this embodiment facing away from the battery module 20 is provided with a second boss 40, and the second boss 40 is provided on the first side 101 of the end plate 10, and the second boss 40 is provided with a second mounting hole 41, and the second mounting hole 41 is at least used to install the screw sleeve 120. In this way, the end plate 10 in this embodiment can be connected to the copper busbar or aluminum busbar in the battery pack through the screw sleeve 120 to lead out the current of the battery module 20. In addition, since the screw sleeve 120 has the advantages of high connection strength, earthquake resistance, impact resistance and wear resistance, when the screw sleeve 120 is arranged in the second mounting hole 41, the reliability of the connection between the screw sleeve 120 and the copper busbar or aluminum busbar can be improved, and the service life of the end plate 10 can be extended to a certain extent.

[0038] Specifically, the threaded sleeve 120 in this embodiment is a wire threaded sleeve.

[0039] Further, in this embodiment, the second bosses 40 include at least two, and the at least two second bosses 40 are arranged one-to-one on at least two limiting portions 11; the second mounting holes 41 include multiple, and the multiple second mounting holes 41 are arranged on each second boss 40 at intervals along the first direction. That is to say, the second bosses 40 in this embodiment may include two, three, four or more, and the second mounting holes 41 on each second boss 40 may include one, two, three or more, which is not specifically limited in this application. Figure 1The figure shows a case where two second bosses 40 are provided and there are five second mounting holes 41 on each second boss 40. In this way, the copper busbar or the aluminum busbar can be fixedly connected.

[0040] Further, see Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, at least one groove 50 is provided on the side of each limiting portion 11 in this embodiment away from the battery module 20, and a reinforcing rib 60 is provided in the groove 50. In this way, on the one hand, by providing the groove 50, the weight of the end plate 10 itself can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall weight of the battery module 20. On the other hand, by providing at least one groove 50 on each limiting portion 11 and providing the reinforcing rib 60 in the groove 50, it is beneficial to improve the structural strength of the end plate 10 itself, prevent the end plate 10 from being deformed, thereby ensuring that the end plate 10 can absorb the expansion force of the battery module 20, and to a certain extent improve the service life of the battery module 20. In addition, since the fixed connection of the battery module 20 is achieved through the mutual cooperation between the end plate 10 and the fixing belt 100, when the fixing belt 100 is sleeved on the end plate 10 and the periphery of the battery module 20, the reinforcing ribs 60 not only increase the thickness of the end plate 10 itself, thereby improving the strength of the end plate 10, but also provide a reliable installation environment for the fixing belt 100, ensuring that the fixing belt 100 can fix the end plate 10 at the opposite ends of the battery module 20, thereby ensuring that the end plate 10 has the ability to suppress the expansion of the battery module 20, thereby improving the service life of the battery module 20.

[0041] Optionally, the groove 50 in the present application may include one, two, three or more than three, and the present application does not make any specific limitation, as long as the structural strength of the end plate 10 itself can be ensured.

[0042] Further, see Figure 1 As shown, each limiting portion 11 in this embodiment is provided with at least one first waist-shaped hole 70, and the first waist-shaped hole 70 is provided on the reinforcing rib 60. The first waist-shaped hole 70 is used to fix the wiring harness connected to the battery module 20. This embodiment can fix the wiring harness on the end plate 10 through the first waist-shaped hole 70, which not only ensures the reliability of the wiring harness installation, prevents the wiring harness from being worn by surrounding components when the battery module 20 shakes and affects the service life of the wiring harness, but also effectively avoids the wiring harness from being entangled with surrounding components and causing safety hazards, while improving the space utilization to a certain extent and ensuring a reasonable space layout inside the battery pack.

[0043] Optionally, the first waist-shaped hole 70 in the present application may include one, two, three, four or more than four, which is not specifically limited in the present application and can be designed according to actual processing requirements. Attached Figure 1 of this embodiment shows the situation when there are five first waist-shaped holes 70 set on each limit part 11. In this way, the wiring harness connected to the battery module 20 can be fixed.

[0044] Further, in order to improve the assembly accuracy of the battery module 20 in the battery box, see Figure 1 As shown, at least one second waist-shaped hole 80 is provided on the end plate 10 in this embodiment, and the second waist-shaped hole 80 is located on the second side 102 of the end plate 10. That is to say, since a positioning pin 110 is provided in the battery case, the second waist-shaped hole 80 is provided on the end plate 10 in this embodiment, and the battery module 20 can be fixedly connected to the positioning pin 110 through the second waist-shaped hole 80, so that the battery module 20 can be fixed in the battery case. The cooperation between the second waist-shaped hole 80 and the positioning pin 110 can ensure the precise position of the battery module 20 during the assembly process, thereby improving the assembly accuracy of the entire battery pack. At the same time, the cooperation between the positioning pin 110 and the second waist-shaped hole 80 provides a strong restraining force, enhances the stability between the battery module 20 and the battery case, and prevents the battery module 20 from relative displacement.

[0045] Optionally, the second waist-shaped hole 80 in the present application may include one, two, three, four or more than four, which is not specifically limited in the present application and can be designed according to actual processing requirements. Figure 1 The figure shows a situation where two second waist-shaped holes 80 are provided on each end plate 10 .

[0046] Furthermore, the end plate 10 in this embodiment is a BMC end plate. The specific Chinese name of BMC is bulk molding compound, which is a premixed thermosetting plastic composite material. In the industry, BMC is also often referred to as unsaturated polyester glass fiber bulk molding compound, which can be used for molding and injection molding. BMC has the advantages of short molding cycle, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, etc. When BMC is molded to form a BMC end plate, it saves the production time of the end plate 10 to a certain extent, reduces the production cost of the end plate 10, and is conducive to the one-piece molding setting of the end plate 10.

[0047] Further, see Figure 1 As shown, a limiting groove 90 is further provided on the end plate 10 in this embodiment, and the limiting groove 90 provides an installation point for the fixing belt 100. At the same time, the limiting groove 90 has a transition section that bends along the bending direction of the fixing belt 100 to reduce the friction of the end plate 10 on the fixing belt 100, thereby improving the service life of the fixing belt 100 and ensuring that the fixing belt 100 has the ability to limit the expansion of the battery module 20.

[0048] In summary, the end plate of the present application has the following advantages:

[0049] (1) The end plate of the present application is formed by at least two stoppers being integrally arranged, which increases the length of the end plate, thereby being able to assemble and fix multiple battery cell groups;

[0050] (2) The multiple battery cell groups of the present application share one end plate, which reduces the installation gap between the multiple battery cell groups and the space occupied by the battery module, thereby improving the space utilization inside the battery pack and facilitating the miniaturization design of the battery pack;

[0051] (3) During the transportation of the battery module, by arranging the end plates of the present application on opposite sides of the battery module, at least two battery cell groups can be transported at the same time, thereby reducing labor costs and transportation costs;

[0052] (4) The provision of the groove can reduce the weight of the end plate itself, thereby reducing the overall weight of the battery module;

[0053] (5) The setting of the reinforcing ribs improves the structural strength of the end plate itself and prevents the end plate from deformation, thereby ensuring that the end plate can absorb the expansion force of the battery module, thereby improving the service life of the battery module to a certain extent;

[0054] (6) The first waist-shaped groove can be set to fix the wiring harness, which not only ensures the reliability of the wiring harness installation, but also ensures a reasonable spatial layout inside the battery pack;

[0055] (7) The second waist-shaped groove ensures that the battery module can be fixed on the battery box;

[0056] (8) The end plate is a BMC end plate, which ensures the overall performance of the end plate and reduces the production cost of the end plate to a certain extent.

[0057] On the other hand, the embodiment of the present application further provides a battery module, which includes the above-mentioned end plate, and thus the battery module includes all the technical effects of the above-mentioned end plate. Since the technical effects of the end plate have been described in detail above, they will not be repeated here.

[0058] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0059] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0060] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An end plate, the end plate (10) being used for a battery module (20), the battery module (20) comprising at least two battery cell groups (21) arranged side by side along a first direction, characterized in that: The end plate (10) comprises: At least two limiting portions (11), the at least two limiting portions (11) are arranged in sequence along the first direction and are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with at least two battery cell groups (21), and the at least two limiting portions (11) are arranged in an integrated manner.

2. The end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first boss (30) is provided on the side of the end plate (10) facing away from the battery module (20), and a first mounting hole (31) is provided through the first boss (30) along the second direction. The first mounting hole (31) is at least used for mounting a screw.

3. The end plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first bosses (30) include a plurality of first bosses (30), and the plurality of first bosses (30) are arranged on the end plate (10) at intervals along the first direction; The first mounting holes (31) include a plurality of them, and the plurality of the first mounting holes (31) are arranged on the plurality of the first bosses (30) in a one-to-one correspondence.

4. The end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second boss (40) is provided on a side of the end plate (10) facing away from the battery module (20), and the second boss (40) is provided on a first side (101) of the end plate (10). A second mounting hole (41) is provided on the second boss (40), and the second mounting hole (41) is at least used for mounting a screw sleeve (120).

5. The end plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second bosses (40) include at least two, and the at least two second bosses (40) are arranged on at least two of the limiting portions (11) in a one-to-one correspondence; The second mounting holes (41) include a plurality of second mounting holes (41), which are arranged on each of the second bosses (40) at intervals along the first direction.

6. The end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one groove (50) is provided on a side of each of the limiting portions (11) facing away from the battery module (20), and a reinforcing rib (60) is provided in the groove (50).

7. The end plate according to claim 6, characterized in that: At least one first waist-shaped hole (70) is provided on each of the limiting portions (11), and the first waist-shaped hole (70) is provided on the reinforcing rib (60).

8. The end plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one second waist-shaped hole (80) is provided on the end plate (10), and the second waist-shaped hole (80) is located on the second side (102) of the end plate (10).

9. The end plate according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The end plate (10) is a BMC end plate.

10. A battery module, characterized in that: The battery module comprises the end plate according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images