Edge beam, edge beam assembly and battery pack lower shell

Abstract

The utility model provides a boundary beam, a boundary beam assembly and a battery pack lower shell. The boundary beam provided by the utility model is provided with a first side wall facing a battery monomer during assembly; the top end of the first side wall protrudes outwards to form a first protruding wing, the bottom end of the first side wall protrudes outwards to form a second protruding wing, and an open channel facing the battery monomers is formed among the first protruding wing, the first side wall and the second protruding wing. The side beam has better structural strength and higher rigidity; furthermore, a flue gas discharge channel can be formed between the battery pack and the battery module, so that flue gas and heat of the battery pack can be quickly discharged, and potential safety hazards in use of the battery pack are reduced; secondly, the flue gas discharge channel can also be used for arranging wire harnesses of the battery pack, so that the overall structure of the battery pack is more compact, and the integration level of the battery pack is improved; furthermore, the edge beam assembly can be respectively matched with the edge beam corresponding to the top sealing size and the bottom sealing size of the lower shell of the battery pack, so that the requirements of different sealing schemes of the battery pack on the sealing width are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a side beam. The utility model also relates to a side beam assembly having the side beam, and a battery pack lower shell having the side beam assembly. Background Art

[0002] In the new energy industry, battery packs are core components of electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other equipment. The stability and safety of their performance are directly related to the operating efficiency and safety of the entire system. However, during the use of battery packs, thermal runaway may occur due to various reasons such as overheating of the electrolyte of the battery cell, excessive heat accumulation of the electrode, physical damage and short circuit.

[0003] In order to obtain higher energy density, the internal structure of the battery pack is usually designed to be very compact. This means that more battery cells need to be accommodated within a limited volume while ensuring heat dissipation and structural stability. Although such a design improves the energy density of the battery pack, it also makes the space for smoke exhaust extremely limited.

[0004] In response to the above problems, some existing battery packs have exhaust cavities set inside the side beams of the lower shell of the battery pack, and air holes set on the side beams. When the battery pack has thermal runaway, smoke enters the exhaust cavity through the holes on the side beams, and is then sent out of the battery pack through the exhaust cavity. However, in this exhaust method of the battery pack, smoke can only enter the exhaust cavity through the air holes, and cannot be quickly depressurized when the smoke is generated at a high speed, which brings safety hazards to the use of the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the utility model aims to propose a side beam to increase the smoke emission rate of the battery pack during thermal runaway and reduce the safety hazards of the battery pack.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is implemented as follows:

[0007] A side beam having a first side wall facing toward the battery cell when assembled;

[0008] The top end of the first side wall protrudes outward to form a first convex wing, and the bottom end protrudes outward to form a second convex wing. An open channel facing the battery cell is formed between the first convex wing, the first side wall and the second convex wing.

[0009] Further, the connection between the first convex wing and the first side wall is set as an inclined surface; and / or the connection between the second convex wing and the first side wall is set as an inclined surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the side beam is provided with a cavity along its length direction, and at least one horizontal rib is fixedly provided on the cavity wall of the cavity, and the horizontal rib constitutes lateral support for the cavity wall.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following advantages:

[0012] The side beam described in the utility model forms an open channel through the first convex wing, the second convex wing and the first side wall. When the battery pack is assembled, a smoke exhaust channel can be formed between the side beam and the battery module. When the battery pack is thermally runaway, the smoke generated can quickly enter the smoke exhaust channel and then be discharged from the battery pack. The smoke exhaust channel is conducive to the rapid removal of smoke and heat from the battery pack, thereby reducing the safety hazards of the battery pack. In addition, the open space can also be used to arrange the wiring harness of the battery pack, making the overall structure of the battery pack more compact and improving the integration of the battery pack. Secondly, the first convex wing and the second convex wing are provided, which can respectively adapt to the top sealing size and the bottom sealing size of the side beam corresponding to the lower shell of the battery pack, thereby meeting the requirements of different sealing schemes for the sealing width of the battery pack.

[0013] Providing an inclined surface at the connection between the first convex wing and the first side wall can complicate the cross section of the side beam and provide better rigidity; providing an inclined surface at the connection between the second convex wing and the first side wall can also complicate the cross section of the side beam and provide better rigidity.

[0014] The structure of the cavity and the horizontal ribs can reduce the weight of the side beam itself while making the side beam have better compressive strength in the horizontal direction. The horizontal ribs can provide effective lateral support for the outer wall of the side beam.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a side beam assembly, comprising:

[0016] The side beam as described above, and a mounting beam fixedly connected to the side of the side beam facing away from the open channel.

[0017] Furthermore, the mounting beam has a transition portion fixedly connected to the side beam, and the cross-sectional size of the transition portion gradually increases in a direction toward the mounting beam.

[0018] Furthermore, one side wall of the transition portion is concave to form an upper connecting end and a lower connecting end, and the upper connecting end and the lower connecting end are fixedly connected to the side beam.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper connecting end is located in the extension direction of the horizontal rib, constituting force transmission to the horizontal rib.

[0020] Furthermore, the transition portion is hollowed out along its length direction, forming an upper force transmission plate and a lower force transmission plate;

[0021] The side of the upper force transmission plate connected to the upper connection end is bent upward, and / or the side of the lower force transmission plate connected to the lower connection end is bent upward.

[0022] Furthermore, the mounting beam has a mounting portion fixedly connected to the transition portion, and the mounting portion has a rectangular cross-section and extends along the length direction of the transition portion.

[0023] The side beam assembly described in the utility model has good structural strength and high inherent rigidity by providing the above-mentioned side beams; in addition, a smoke exhaust channel can be formed between the battery module, which is beneficial to the rapid removal of smoke and heat from the battery pack and reduces the safety hazards of the battery pack; secondly, the smoke exhaust channel can also be used to arrange the wiring harness of the battery pack, making the overall structure of the battery pack more compact and improving the integration of the battery pack; furthermore, the side beam assembly can respectively adapt to the top sealing size and bottom sealing size of the side beam corresponding to the lower shell of the battery pack, so as to meet the requirements of the sealing width for different sealing schemes of the battery pack.

[0024] The transition portion is provided to strengthen the structure of the connection between the mounting beam and the side beam support, so that it is not easy to cause destructive deformation when subjected to compression or torsion, thereby improving the overall rigidity.

[0025] The side walls of the transition portion are concave to form an upper connecting end and a lower connecting end, which can improve the tectonic stiffness and strength of the mounting beam; secondly, such a setting reduces the flatness requirements when the transition portion and the side beam are fitted, improves the tolerance of the parts, improves the processability, and reduces the production cost.

[0026] When the mounting beam is subjected to a lateral impact, part of the force will be quickly transferred to the side beam. The upper connecting end is directly opposite to the extension direction of the horizontal ribs, which can enable the horizontal ribs to support and pull the outer wall of the side beam, reduce deformation, and achieve the protection function of the internal parts of the battery pack.

[0027] The bending parts of the upper force transmission plate and the lower force transmission plate can collapse and absorb energy through further bending when the mounting beam is subjected to lateral force, thereby reducing the force directly transmitted to the side beam and protecting the parts in the battery pack.

[0028] The mounting portion can connect the side beam to the electrical device. The rectangular cross-sectional shape enables the mounting beam to first collapse and absorb energy when subjected to lateral force, thereby reducing the force transmitted to the transition portion and protecting the parts inside the battery pack.

[0029] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack lower shell, which is equipped with the side beam assembly as described above.

[0030] The battery pack lower shell described in the present invention has the same beneficial effects as the side beam assembly described above relative to the prior art, and will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a side beam of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the position of a side beam in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the side beam assembly of the second embodiment of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of force transmission when the side beam assembly of the second embodiment of the utility model is subjected to a lateral force;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower housing of the battery pack of the third embodiment of the utility model;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the front side beam of the third embodiment of the utility model.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 1. Side beam;

[0040] 101, first side wall; 102, first convex wing; 103, second convex wing; 104, horizontal rib; 105, energy absorbing part;

[0041] 2. Install the beam;

[0042] 201, transition part; 2011, upper connecting end; 2012, lower connecting end; 2013, upper force transmission plate; 2014, lower force transmission plate; 202, mounting part;

[0043] 3. Front beam;

[0044] 301, upper structure; 302, lower structure;

[0045] 4. Rear beam;

[0046] 5. Beam;

[0047] 6. Stringer;

[0048] 7. Battery module;

[0049] a. Open channel; b. Smoke emission channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicating orientation or positional relationship, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying 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 limiting the present invention. In addition, if there are terms such as "first" and "second", they are also used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0052] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" and "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0053] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0054] Embodiment 1

[0055] The present embodiment relates to a side beam, which optimizes the cross-sectional structure of the side beam to achieve rapid exhaust of smoke when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery pack, thereby reducing safety hazards in the use of the battery pack.

[0056] In terms of overall structure, a side beam 1 in this embodiment has a first side wall 101 facing the battery cell during assembly;

[0057] The top end of the first side wall 101 protrudes outward to form a first convex wing 102 , and the bottom end protrudes outward to form a second convex wing 103 . An open channel a facing the battery cell is formed between the first convex wing 102 , the first side wall 101 and the second convex wing 103 .

[0058] As configured above, an open channel a is formed by the first convex wing 102, the second convex wing 103 and the first side wall 101. When the battery pack is assembled, a smoke exhaust channel b can be formed between the battery module 7. When the battery pack is thermally runaway, the generated smoke can quickly enter the smoke exhaust channel b and then be discharged from the battery pack. The smoke exhaust channel b is conducive to the rapid removal of smoke and heat from the battery pack, reducing the potential safety hazards of the battery pack. In addition, the open space can also be used to arrange the wiring harness of the battery pack, making the overall structure of the battery pack more compact and improving the integration of the battery pack. Secondly, the first convex wing 102 and the second convex wing 103 are provided, which can respectively adapt to the top sealing size and the bottom sealing size of the lower shell of the battery pack corresponding to the side beam 1, so as to meet the requirements of the sealing width for different sealing schemes of the battery pack.

[0059] Based on the above overall introduction, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, specifically, the side beam 1 is applied to the lower shell of the battery pack to provide structural support and stability for the battery pack. For ease of description, the side of the side beam 1 with an open channel a is the inner side, and the other opposite side is the outer side. In order to facilitate the assembly of the side beam 1, the top and bottom of the side beam 1 are set to be parallel plane structures. As for the sealing solution between the side beam 1 and the upper and lower structures of the battery pack, foam sealing or rivet / drill screw sealing can be used.

[0060] In specific implementation, a certain gap is provided between the battery module 7 and the inner side of the side beam 1. This gap is combined with the open channel a to form a smoke exhaust channel b, so that the smoke generated inside the battery pack can quickly enter the smoke exhaust channel b, and then be discharged from the battery pack through the exhaust structure of the battery pack shell.

[0061] The lower shell of existing battery packs mostly adopts aluminum profiles or rolled steel. The unit cost of aluminum alloy is higher than that of steel, the strength of aluminum alloy is weaker than that of steel, and the melting point of aluminum alloy is lower than that of steel. Therefore, the side beam 1 of this embodiment adopts the manufacturing process of rolled steel beams, which is roll-formed from a plate and fixed by welding at the free end. Regarding the specific structural design of the side beam 1, the side beam 1 of this embodiment is provided with a cavity along its own length direction, and at least one horizontal rib 104 is fixed on the cavity wall of the cavity, and the horizontal rib 104 constitutes lateral support for the cavity wall. The structure of the cavity and the horizontal rib 104 can reduce the weight of the side beam 1 itself while making the side beam 1 have better compressive strength in the horizontal direction. The horizontal rib 104 can provide effective lateral support to the outer wall of the side beam 1.

[0062] Regarding the specific structure of the side beam 1, the cross-section of the side beam 1 in this embodiment is in the shape of "mu", and three chambers are provided from top to bottom, that is, two horizontal ribs 104 are provided to enhance the lateral extrusion resistance of the side beam 1. The first convex wing 102 is arranged at the top chamber, the second convex wing 103 is arranged at the bottom chamber, and the welding points of the free ends of the steel plates roll-formed to form the side beam 1 are all located outside the side beam 1. When the side beam 1 is subjected to an external lateral force, the structure on its outside can play a role in crash energy absorption and protect the battery pack parts inside.

[0063] To strengthen the structural strength of the side beam 1, the connection between the first convex wing 102 and the first side wall 101 is set as an inclined surface, which can complicate the cross-section here, thereby enabling the side beam 1 to have better stiffness and at the same time enhancing the overall torsional resistance of the battery pack provided with the side beam 1 in this embodiment. Further, the connection between the second convex wing 103 and the first side wall 101 is also set as an inclined surface, which can also complicate the cross-section here, thereby enabling the side beam 1 to have better stiffness and at the same time enhancing the overall torsional resistance of the battery pack provided with the side beam 1 in this embodiment.

[0064] Embodiment Two

[0065] This embodiment relates to a side beam assembly, including the side beam 1 described in Embodiment One and a mounting beam 2 fixedly connected to the side of the side beam 1 facing away from the open channel a. The mounting beam 2 is used to connect the electrical devices supporting the battery pack and can also enhance the structural stiffness of the side beam 1.

[0066] With the above settings, the side beam assembly has good structural strength and high self-stiffness by setting the above-mentioned side beam 1. In addition, a flue gas discharge channel b can be formed between the side beam 1 and the battery module 7, which is conducive to the rapid discharge of the flue gas and heat of the battery pack and reduces the potential safety hazards in the use of the battery pack. Secondly, the flue gas discharge channel b can also be used to arrange the wiring harness of the battery pack, making the overall structure of the battery pack more compact and improving the integration of the battery pack. Moreover, the side beam assembly can respectively adapt to the top sealing size and the bottom sealing size of the corresponding battery pack lower shell of the side beam 1 to meet the requirements of different sealing schemes of the battery pack for the sealing width.

[0067] For the purpose of enhancing the structural strength of the mounting beam 2 and reducing production costs, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 as shown, the mounting beam 2 also adopts the manufacturing process of a roll-formed steel beam, which is roll-formed from a single plate and fixedly welded at the free end. To enhance the structural strength of the connection between the mounting beam 2 and the side beam 1, the mounting beam 2 has a transition part 201 for fixedly connecting to the side beam 1, and the cross-sectional dimension of the transition part 201 gradually increases along the direction towards the mounting beam 2. Setting the transition part 201 can strengthen the structure at the connection between the mounting beam 2 and the side beam 1 bracket, making it not easy to produce destructive deformation when compressed and twisted here, and enhancing the overall stiffness and torsional resistance of the side beam assembly.

[0068] In order to improve the fitting effect between the transition part 201 and the side beam 1, one side wall of the transition part 201 is concave to form an upper connecting end 2011 and a lower connecting end 2012, and the upper connecting end 2011 and the lower connecting end 2012 are fixedly connected to the side beam 1. The side wall of the transition part 201 is concave to form the upper connecting end 2011 and the lower connecting end 2012, which can improve the truncation rigidity and strength of the mounting beam 2. Secondly, such a setting reduces the flatness requirement when the transition part 201 is fitted with the side beam 1, improves the tolerance of the parts, facilitates welding, improves the processability, and also reduces the production cost.

[0069] As a structural optimization of the side beam assembly, the upper connecting end 2011 is located in the extension direction of the horizontal rib 104, which constitutes a force transmission to the horizontal rib 104. When the mounting beam 2 is subjected to a lateral impact, part of the force will be quickly transmitted to the side beam 1. The upper connecting end 2011 is directly opposite to the extension direction of the horizontal rib 104, which enables the horizontal rib 104 to support and pull the outer wall of the side beam 1, reduce deformation, and realize the protection function of the internal parts of the battery pack.

[0070] Furthermore, the transition part 201 is hollowed out along its length direction, and an upper force transmission plate 2013 and a lower force transmission plate 2014 are formed. The side of the upper force transmission plate 2013 connected to the upper connection end 2011 is bent upward. The side of the lower force transmission plate 2014 connected to the lower connection end 2012 is bent upward. When the mounting beam 2 is subjected to lateral force, the bending part of the upper force transmission plate 2013 and the lower force transmission plate 2014 can be further bent to achieve collapse and energy absorption, thereby reducing the force directly transmitted to the side beam 1, and protecting the parts in the battery pack.

[0071] In order to realize the installation of the mounting beam 2 and the electrical device, the mounting beam 2 has a mounting portion 202 fixedly connected to the transition portion 201, and the mounting portion 202 has a rectangular cross-section and extends along the length direction of the transition portion 201. The rectangular cross-sectional shape of the mounting portion 202 enables the mounting beam 2 to first collapse and absorb energy when subjected to lateral force, thereby reducing the force transmitted to the transition portion 201 and protecting the parts in the battery pack.

[0072] In this embodiment, the free end welding positions of the steel plate formed into the mounting beam 2 by roller pressing are the upper and lower ends of the boundary between the transition portion 201 and the mounting portion 202, which can play a better role in absorbing energy and transmitting force.

[0073] When the side beam assembly of the present embodiment is subjected to lateral external force, such as when the battery pack is subjected to external compression or collision, the outer side of the rectangular cross-section mounting portion 202 is first subjected to force, and the force is transmitted to the upper and lower ribs corresponding to the rectangular cross-section. The two ribs serve as the first crush energy absorption structure, which absorbs the external force for the first time and transmits the remaining force to the outer side of the transition portion 201. After the outer side of the transition portion 201 is subjected to force, the bending point of the upper force transmission plate 2013 and the lower force transmission plate 2014 is the second crush energy absorption structure, which absorbs energy for the second time through further bending of the upper force transmission plate 2013 and the lower force transmission plate 2014, and the upper connecting end 2011 and the lower connecting end 2012 transmit the remaining force to the outer side of the side beam 1 along their own inclination direction. For the force transmitted from the lower connection end 2012, the side beam 1 supports and pulls the deformation of the vertical ribs on the outside of the side beam 1 through the bottom rib structure to reduce deformation; similarly, for the force transmitted from the upper connection end 2011, the side beam 1 supports and pulls the deformation of the vertical ribs on the outside of the side beam 1 through the lower horizontal ribs 104 to reduce deformation, and the remaining force is finally absorbed by the hollow structure in the middle of the side beam 1. Through this overall welded structure, the side beam assembly can absorb and resist the lateral external force, and the protection function of the internal parts of the battery pack is realized.

[0074] Embodiment 3

[0075] This embodiment relates to a battery pack lower shell, which is equipped with the side beam assembly in the second embodiment, has good structural strength and high rigidity. In addition, a smoke exhaust channel b can be formed between the side beam 1 structure and the battery module 7, which is conducive to the rapid removal of smoke and heat from the battery pack and reduces the safety hazards of the battery pack.

[0076] Based on the above overall introduction, refer to Figure 5 As shown, specifically, the lower shell of the battery pack includes two sets of side beams 1 on both sides of the side beam assembly in the first embodiment, and the two sets of side beam assemblies are arranged in a mirror image. A front side beam 3 and a rear side beam 4 are welded between the two sets of side beam assemblies to form a rectangular frame. A cross beam 5 and a longitudinal beam 6 are also welded in the rectangular frame to form the overall frame of the lower shell of the battery pack. Specifically, the cross sections of the front side beam 3 and the rear side beam 4 are the same, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the whole is made of rolled steel plates and then welded. Taking the front side beam 3 as an example, a rectangular upper structure part 301 is provided on the top, and a rectangular lower structure part 302 is provided on the bottom. A space for smoke circulation is formed between the upper structure part 301 and the lower structure part 302. At the same time, this space can also be used to install the wiring harness, water pipes and other parts of the battery pack, which improves the safety performance of the battery pack and makes the battery pack structure more compact and improves the energy density.

[0077] 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, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A side beam, characterized in that: The side beam has a first side wall facing the battery cell when assembled; The top end of the first side wall protrudes outward to form a first convex wing, and the bottom end protrudes outward to form a second convex wing. An open channel facing the battery cell is formed between the first convex wing, the first side wall and the second convex wing.

2. The side beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection between the first convex wing and the first side wall is set as an inclined surface; and / or, The connection between the second convex wing and the first side wall is configured as an inclined surface.

3. The side beam according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side beam is provided with a cavity along its length direction, and at least one horizontal rib is fixedly provided on the cavity wall of the cavity, and the horizontal rib constitutes lateral support for the cavity wall.

4. A side beam assembly, characterized in that: include: The side beam as claimed in claim 3, and a mounting beam fixedly connected to the side beam facing away from the open channel.

5. The side beam assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting beam has a transition portion fixedly connected to the side beam, and the cross-sectional size of the transition portion gradually increases in a direction toward the mounting beam.

6. The side beam assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: One side wall of the transition portion is concave to form an upper connecting end and a lower connecting end, and the upper connecting end and the lower connecting end are fixedly connected to the side beam.

7. The side beam assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper connecting end is located in the extension direction of the horizontal ribs, constituting force transmission to the horizontal ribs.

8. The side beam assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transition part is hollowed out along its length direction, forming an upper force transmission plate and a lower force transmission plate; The side of the upper force transmission plate connected to the upper connection end is bent upward, and / or the side of the lower force transmission plate connected to the lower connection end is bent upward.

9. The side beam assembly according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The mounting beam comprises a mounting portion fixedly connected to the transition portion, wherein the mounting portion has a rectangular cross section and extends along the length direction of the transition portion.

10. A battery pack lower shell, characterized in that: Equipped with a side beam assembly as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9.

Images