Battery cell supporting piece, battery box body and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of batteries, in particular relates to a battery cell supporting piece, a battery box body and a battery pack, and aims to solve the problem that the safety performance of the battery pack is relatively low. The battery cell supporting piece comprises a supporting body, the supporting body extends in the first direction, the supporting body is further provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole penetrates through the opposite surfaces of the supporting body in the first direction, one end of the second through hole is communicated with the first through hole, and the other end of the second through hole penetrates through the peripheral face of the supporting body. And the pressure relief structure is configured to face the battery cell. The deformation of the supporting body is used for buffering, so that the damage to the battery pack is reduced, and the safety of the battery pack is further improved. The second through hole is communicated with the first through hole and is opposite to the pressure relief structure of the battery cell, so that when the battery cell is subjected to thermal runaway, gas ejected from the interior of the battery cell can sequentially enter the second through hole and the first through hole and is guided to the pressure relief structure of the battery box body, the gas is discharged, and the safety performance of the battery pack is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the utility model relate to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery core support, a battery box and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of economy and technology, new energy vehicles are becoming more and more widely used as an effective measure to solve the energy and environmental problems faced by automobile transportation due to their advantages of energy saving, environmental protection and low noise. As the core power supply component of new energy vehicles, power batteries determine the key indicators of new energy vehicles such as driving range, cost, service life and safety.

[0003] The battery pack (Pack) technology of power batteries includes CTP (Cell To Pack) technology and CTC (Cell To Chassis) technology. In CTP technology, the battery cells are assembled into modules, and the modules are integrated into the battery pack, forming a three-level assembly mode of "battery cell-module-battery pack". The battery cells can be directly connected together to form the entire battery pack, eliminating the assembly process of traditional modules (i.e. the standardized module link), and effectively improving the space utilization and mass energy density of the battery pack. CTC technology is also called battery chassis integration technology. It integrates the battery cells directly into the vehicle body. CTC technology skips the two-level assembly process of "module" and "battery pack", greatly saving space, greatly reducing parts and structural parts, reducing weight and manufacturing costs such as manpower and material resources, and improving mass energy density and vehicle range.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned battery packs often have the problem of low safety. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present utility model provide a battery cell support, a battery box and a battery pack to improve the safety of the battery pack.

[0006] A first aspect of an embodiment of the utility model provides a battery cell support, which is configured to contact a battery cell, and includes a support body, which extends along a first direction, and the support body is also provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole penetrates the surfaces of the support body opposite to each other along the first direction, one end of the second through hole is connected to the first through hole, and the other end of the second through hole penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the support body, and is configured as a pressure relief structure facing the battery cell.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the material of the support body is a mixture of insulating material, flame retardant material and elastic material.

[0008] In some possible implementations, a surface of the support body facing the battery core is a plane.

[0009] In some possible implementations, taking a plane perpendicular to the first direction as a cross section, a cross-sectional shape of the support body is a quadrilateral or a hexagon.

[0010] In some possible implementations, there are a plurality of the second through holes, the plurality of the second through holes are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and each of the second through holes is configured to correspond to one of the battery cells.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the first through hole extends along the first direction, the second through hole extends along a second direction, and the second direction intersects the first direction.

[0012] In some possible implementations, there are at least two support bodies, at least two support bodies are arranged along the first direction, and the first through holes of two adjacent support bodies are connected at one end facing each other.

[0013] The battery cell support of the embodiment of the utility model has at least the following advantages:

[0014] The cell support in the embodiment of the utility model is in contact with the pressure relief structure of the cell, and the cell support includes a support body, which extends along the first direction. The deformation of the support body is used for buffering, and the impact kinetic energy transmitted to the cell is weakened, thereby reducing the damage to the battery pack, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack. The support body is also provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole penetrates the surface of the support body opposite to each other along the first direction, one end of the second through hole is connected to the first through hole, and the other end of the second through hole penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the support body, and is configured to face the pressure relief structure of the cell. By opening a first through hole inside the support body, a second through hole is opened on the top of the support body, and the second through hole is connected to the first through hole, forming a three-through hole structure. The second through hole is opposite to the pressure relief structure of the cell. When the cell has thermal runaway, the gas ejected from the cell enters the second through hole through the pressure relief structure of the cell, and is guided to the pressure relief structure of the battery box through the first through hole, thereby discharging the gas, further improving the safety performance of the battery pack. For battery packs with CTC technology, it can also prevent gas from spraying directly onto people in the car, thereby improving the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0015] The second aspect of the embodiment of the utility model further provides a battery box, comprising the battery cell support as described above. The battery box comprises the battery cell support as described above, and thus has at least the advantage of good safety. The specific effects are referred to above and will not be described in detail here.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the battery case further includes a pressure relief valve, and the first through hole of the battery cell support is opposite to the pressure relief valve.

[0017] The third aspect of the embodiment of the utility model further provides a battery pack, comprising the battery box as described above, and a battery cell disposed in the battery box, wherein the battery cell is in contact with a support member of the battery box. The battery pack comprises the battery box as described above, and thus has at least the advantage of good safety. The specific effects are referred to above and will not be described in detail here.

[0018] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the utility model described above, the technical features that constitute the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions, other technical problems that can be solved by the battery cell support, battery box and battery pack provided by the embodiments of the utility model, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further described in detail in the specific implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, 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 some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a battery core support member in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the positions of the battery cell support and the battery cell in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0022] Description of reference numerals:

[0023] 10-battery cell support;

[0024] 11- supporting body;

[0025] 12- a first through hole;

[0026] 13- second through hole;

[0027] 20-battery cells. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The battery packs in related technologies often have the problem of low safety. The inventors have found that the reason is that in CTP technology, the explosion-proof valve of the battery pack is usually arranged upward, and there is no guide path after thermal runaway, which makes it very easy to burn through the shell. In CTP technology, the shell of the battery pack and the floor of the vehicle body are combined into one, and the seats are directly installed on the shell of the battery pack. The explosion-proof valve of the battery pack is usually arranged downward. The battery pack is both an energy supply device and a structural component of the entire vehicle. Once it fails, toxic gases and even open flames will directly enter the vehicle body, which can easily cause personal injury.

[0029] In addition, when the bottom of the battery pack is hit, the shell will bulge and deform toward the inside of the shell, which may hit the battery cell, further causing safety problems. The battery pack of CTC technology eliminates the "module". Once a single battery cell fails, it will involve replacing the entire battery pack. Compared with replacing only a module, the maintenance cost will increase significantly.

[0030] The embodiment of the utility model provides a battery cell support, which includes a support body, and utilizes the deformation of the support body for buffering, weakens the impact kinetic energy transmitted to the battery cell, thereby reducing the damage to the battery pack, so as to improve the safety of the battery pack. And by opening a first through hole and a second through hole connected to each other on the support body, and the second through hole is opposite to the pressure relief structure of the battery cell, when the battery cell has thermal runaway, the gas ejected from the battery cell enters the second through hole through the pressure relief structure of the battery cell, and is guided to the pressure relief structure of the battery box through the first through hole, so that the gas is discharged, and the safety performance of the battery pack is further improved. For battery packs using CTC technology, it can also prevent the gas from spraying directly onto the occupants of the vehicle, thereby improving the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0031] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the embodiments of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the utility model will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0032] An embodiment of the utility model provides a battery pack, which includes a battery case and a battery cell. A storage space is formed inside the battery case, and the storage space is used to store the battery cell. There may be multiple battery cells to increase the discharge capacity of the battery pack. Multiple battery cells are arranged in a certain direction (for example, along the width direction) in the storage space, or multiple battery cells are arranged in a matrix in the storage space, for example, multiple battery cells are arranged in multiple rows and columns, and the row direction and the column direction are perpendicular. The shape of the battery cell can be a rectangular body or a cube. Of course, the shape of the battery cell can also be a cylinder.

[0033] The battery case includes a cell support member, which is arranged in the accommodation space and in contact with the cell, for example, the cell support member is arranged at the top or bottom of the cell. By arranging the cell support member, when the battery case is squeezed by external force, the deformation of the cell support member can be used for buffering, weakening the impact kinetic energy transmitted to the cell, thereby reducing the damage to the battery pack, and further improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0034] The battery box may further include a box body and a box cover, wherein the box body has an opening. For example, the box body includes a bottom plate and a side plate connected to the edge of the bottom plate, and the side of the side plate away from the bottom plate encloses the opening. The box cover is arranged on the opening, and the box cover and the box body enclose the above-mentioned accommodation space, wherein the box cover and the box body may both be made of metal, such as aluminum.

[0035] In some possible examples, the cell support is arranged on the bottom plate of the box body, and the cell is arranged on the cell support to form a battery pack of CTP technology, so that the cell support can support the cell, and the cell support is adjacent to the bottom plate, and the rigidity of the bottom plate can be increased to buffer the external force exerted on the bottom plate and provide buffering for the cell.

[0036] In some other possible examples, the battery cell is arranged on the bottom plate of the box body, and the battery cell support is arranged on the battery cell, so that the battery cell support is adjacent to the box cover, forming a battery pack of CTC technology. In this way, the seat of the vehicle body is directly installed on the box cover, and when a person steps on the box cover, the battery cell support can play a stepping buffer role, avoiding the stepping force from directly acting on the battery cell, while reducing the damage to the internal devices of the battery box body.

[0037] The battery case also includes a pressure relief valve, which can be set on the side panel. The pressure relief valve can be used to maintain the air pressure risk inside and outside the battery case and quickly release pressure when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell, so as to reduce the harm caused by the battery cell and eliminate safety hazards.

[0038] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present invention provides a cell support 10, the cell support 10 includes a support body 11, the support body 11 extends along a first direction, the first direction is as follows Figure 1 The X direction shown in , that is, the first direction, is the axial direction of the support body 11.

[0039] In some possible examples, the surface of the support body 11 facing the battery cell 20 is a plane to increase the contact area between the support body 11 and the battery cell 20. When the support body 11 is located at the bottom of the battery cell 20, the surface of the support body 11 facing the battery cell 20 is set to be a plane, which can also provide stable support for the battery cell 20.

[0040] Continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 The support body 11 is further provided with a first through hole 12 and a second through hole 13. The first through hole 12 penetrates the opposite surface of the support body 11 along the first direction, and the first through hole 12 is opposite to the pressure relief valve of the battery box. Figure 1 As shown, the first through hole 12 passes through the left and right end surfaces of the support body 11 to form a pressure relief channel when the battery cell 20 thermally runs away, and is adjacent to the pressure relief valve, thereby improving the safe use performance of the battery pack.

[0041] One end of the second through hole 13 is connected to the first through hole 12, and the other end of the second through hole 13 penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the support body 11 and is configured as a pressure relief structure facing the battery cell 20. Figure 1 As shown, the bottom end of the second through hole 13 is connected to the first through hole 12 , the top end of the second through hole 13 is adapted to the battery cell 20 , and the top end of the second through hole 13 faces the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20 .

[0042] A three-through-hole structure is formed by opening a first through hole 12 inside the support body 11, and a second through hole 13 is opened on the top of the support body 11, and the second through hole 13 is connected to the first through hole 12. The second through hole 13 fits the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20 (such as the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell 20). When the battery cell 20 has thermal runaway, the gas ejected from the battery cell 20 enters the second through hole 13 through the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20, and is guided to the pressure relief structure of the battery case through the first through hole 12, thereby discharging the gas and reducing the damage caused by the gas to the battery case. For battery packs with CTC technology, it can also prevent the gas from spraying directly onto the occupants of the vehicle, thereby improving the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0043] In some possible examples, the first through hole 12 extends along the first direction, such as Figure 1 As shown, the extension direction of the first through hole 12 is consistent with the extension direction of the support body 11, that is, the axis of the first through hole 12 is parallel to the axis of the support body 11, so that the length of the first through hole 12 can be reduced, and the airflow obstruction can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of pressure relief. Further, the axis of the first through hole 12 coincides with the axis of the support body 11, so that the uniformity of the thickness of the support body 11 can be improved, so that the support body 11 is subjected to a more balanced force when the battery cell 20 has thermal runaway.

[0044] The second through hole 13 extends along a second direction, and the second direction intersects with the first direction. For example, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Figure 1 In this way, the second through hole 13 is a straight through hole, which can reduce the length of the second through hole 13 and reduce the air flow obstruction, thereby improving the pressure relief efficiency.

[0045] Wherein, the cross-sectional shape of the first through hole 12 can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, trapezoidal, etc., with the plane perpendicular to the first direction as the cross-sectional shape. The cross-sectional shape of the second through hole 13 can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, trapezoidal, etc., with the plane perpendicular to the second direction as the cross-sectional shape. The cross-sectional shape of the second through hole 13 can be the same as or different from the cross-sectional shape of the first through hole 12. The cross-sectional size of the second through hole 13 is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional size of the first through hole 12, so as to reduce the pressure in the first through hole 12 and avoid excessive pressure in the first through hole 12.

[0046] Continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 In order to improve the mass energy density of the battery pack, in some possible examples, the number of the second through holes 13 is multiple, the multiple second through holes 13 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and each second through hole 13 is configured to correspond to one battery cell 20. In this way, each support body 11 can correspond to multiple battery cells 20, thereby improving the arrangement density of the battery cells 20.

[0047] The first direction may be consistent with the width direction of the battery cell 20. In this way, more battery cells 20 can be arranged on the support body 11. The second direction may be consistent with the height direction of the battery cell 20. Along the length direction of the battery cell 20, both ends of the battery cell 20 may extend outward from the corresponding ends of the support body 11.

[0048] Continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 , with the plane perpendicular to the first direction as the cross section, the cross-sectional shape of the support body 11 is a quadrilateral or a hexagon. In this way, the contact area between the support body 11 and the battery cell 20 can be ensured. In other possible examples, with the plane perpendicular to the first direction as the cross section, the cross-sectional shape of the support body 11 can also be a (2+4n) ​​polygon, where n is a positive integer greater than 2.

[0049] Preferably, taking the plane perpendicular to the first direction as the cross-section, the cross-sectional shape of the support body 11 is a hexagon. In this way, on the basis of reliable fitting between the support body 11 and the battery cell 20, the support body 11 is closer to a circle, so that it is convenient to adapt to the shape of the first through hole 12 to balance the internal force and avoid damage to the structure of the support body 11. At the same time, it can also reduce the difficulty of production and facilitate production.

[0050] In some possible examples, the material of the support body 11 is a mixture of insulating material, flame retardant material and elastic material, wherein the insulating material may be polyethylene, the flame retardant material may be silicone foam, and the elastic material may be elastic plastic, such as fluororubber or polyurethane rubber.

[0051] With such a configuration, on the one hand, the support body 11 has certain insulation and flame retardancy, and the gas and open flame emitted by the battery cell 20 are not easy to radiate or burn through the inner wall of the first through hole 12 and the second through hole 13. On the other hand, the support body 11 has certain elasticity, and the elasticity is used to provide a buffer to reduce damage to the battery cell 20. In addition, the overall weight of the support body 11 is relatively light, which is conducive to achieving the goal of lightweighting the battery pack of the CTC technology and can save costs.

[0052] The support bodies 11 have at least two, at least two of which are arranged along the first direction, and the first through holes 12 of two adjacent support bodies 11 are connected to each other at one end. By arranging a plurality of support bodies 11 along their extension direction, two adjacent first through holes 12 are connected, so that the plurality of first through holes 12 form a pressure relief channel that converges to the pressure relief valve of the battery box. In this way, when a battery cell 20 attached to any support body 11 has thermal runaway, the gas ejected can be directed to the pressure relief valve of the battery box to discharge the gas, thereby reducing the loss of the gas to the battery box.

[0053] Furthermore, multiple support bodies 11 are stacked along a first direction, multiple battery cells 20 on each support body 11 are stacked along the first direction, and the first through holes 12 extend along the first direction, so that the direction of the pressure relief channel formed by the multiple first through holes 12 is consistent with the stacking method of the multiple battery cells 20 and the stacking direction of the multiple support bodies 11, which facilitates the discharge of gas.

[0054] In summary, the embodiment of the utility model provides a battery cell support 10, a battery box and a battery pack. The battery cell support 10 is configured to contact the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20. The battery cell support 10 includes a support body 11, and the support body 11 extends along the first direction. The deformation of the support body 11 is used for buffering, and the impact kinetic energy transmitted to the battery cell 20 is weakened, thereby reducing the damage to the battery pack, and then improving the safety of the battery pack. The support body 11 is also provided with a first through hole 12 and a second through hole 13. The first through hole 12 passes through the surface of the support body 11 opposite to each other along the first direction, one end of the second through hole 13 is connected to the first through hole 12, and the other end of the second through hole 13 passes through the outer peripheral surface of the support body 11, and is configured to face the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20. By opening the first through hole 12 inside the support body 11, a second through hole 13 is opened on the top of the support body 11, and the second through hole 13 is connected to the first through hole 12, a three-through hole structure is formed. The second through hole 13 is opposite to the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20. When the battery cell 20 has thermal runaway, the gas ejected from the battery cell 20 enters the second through hole 13 through the pressure relief structure of the battery cell 20 and is guided to the pressure relief structure of the battery box through the first through hole 12, thereby discharging the gas and further improving the safety performance of the battery pack. For the battery pack with CTC technology, it can also prevent the gas from being directly sprayed toward the occupants of the vehicle, thereby improving the safety performance of the vehicle.

[0055] The various embodiments or implementation methods in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0056] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of the present invention, the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred system or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the utility model, rather than to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, ordinary technicians in this field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solution deviate from the scope of the technical solution of the embodiments of the utility model.

Claims

1. A battery cell support, characterized in that: The battery cell support is configured to contact the battery cell, and the battery cell support includes a support body, which extends along a first direction. The support body is also provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole penetrates the surfaces of the support body opposite to each other along the first direction, one end of the second through hole is connected to the first through hole, and the other end of the second through hole penetrates the outer peripheral surface of the support body and is configured as a pressure relief structure facing the battery cell.

2. The battery cell support according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the support body facing the battery core is a plane.

3. The battery cell support according to claim 1, characterized in that: Taking a plane perpendicular to the first direction as a cross section, the cross-sectional shape of the support body is a quadrilateral or a hexagon.

4. The battery cell support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: There are a plurality of the second through holes, the plurality of the second through holes are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and each of the second through holes is configured to correspond to one of the battery cells.

5. The battery cell support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first through hole extends along the first direction, and the second through hole extends along a second direction, and the second direction intersects the first direction.

6. The battery cell support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The supporting bodies include at least two, and the at least two supporting bodies are arranged along the first direction, and the first through holes of two adjacent supporting bodies are connected to each other at one end thereof.

7. A battery box, characterized in that: The invention comprises the battery cell support member according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The battery case according to claim 7, characterized in that: The battery box further includes a pressure relief valve, and the first through hole of the battery cell support is opposite to the pressure relief valve.

9. A battery pack, characterized in that: It comprises the battery case as claimed in claim 7 or 8, and a battery cell arranged in the battery case, wherein the battery cell is in contact with a support member of the battery case.

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