Exhaust valve and corresponding vehicle battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides an exhaust valve and a corresponding vehicle battery pack, and the exhaust valve comprises a main body which is provided with a first end, a second end and a through hole penetrating from the first end to the second end; the breathable film is connected with the first end and covers the through hole; wherein the breathable film comprises a first part and a second part, and the breathability of the first part is different from that of the second part. According to the technical scheme, compared with an existing scheme, the exhaust valve has the advantages that the complexity of the overall structure of the exhaust valve is not increased, meanwhile, various different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects can be achieved according to different working conditions / using scenes, and therefore the satisfaction degree of users is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model generally relates to an exhaust valve and a corresponding vehicle battery pack. Background Art

[0002] Exhaust valves are currently used to exchange gas and pressure between an enclosed space and the outside world to achieve a desired pressure balance. Exhaust valves have diverse structures and applications, one of which involves electrified vehicles. These vehicles have experienced rapid growth due to their advantages in reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Typical electrified vehicles include battery packs, and exhaust valves are commonly used in these applications.

[0003] Currently, there are a variety of exhaust valve structures in the field. For example, patent application US20160036025 discloses a pressure relief valve for a battery housing, which includes a support element, a breathable and waterproof membrane, and a tensioning bracket that presses the breathable and waterproof membrane onto the support element. The elastic element on the tensioning bracket is further restricted in movement by a cover plate.

[0004] With respect to such structures in the prior art, the inventors of the present application realized that there is room for further optimization of the existing exhaust valve in terms of simplifying the structure while achieving a variety of different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects as needed, thereby forming one or more problems existing in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model summarizes various aspects of the embodiment and should not be used to limit the claims. Other embodiments are conceivable based on the technology described herein, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art after studying the following drawings and detailed description, and these embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of this application.

[0006] The inventors of the present application realized that, in response to the technical problems mentioned above, there is a need for an exhaust valve and a vehicle battery pack having the exhaust valve. The exhaust valve should be able to achieve a variety of different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects as needed for different working conditions / usage scenarios without increasing the overall structural complexity of the exhaust valve, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exhaust valve, comprising:

[0008] The main body has a first end and a second end, and a through hole extending from the first end to the second end;

[0009] a breathable membrane connected to the first end and covering the through hole;

[0010] The breathable membrane includes a first portion and a second portion, and the air permeability of the first portion is different from that of the second portion.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the first part covers at least a part of the through hole, and the second part surrounds the first part.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the air permeability of the first part is greater than that of the second part.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, both the first part and the second part cover at least a part of the through hole, and the second part is adjacent to the first part.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the thickness of the second part is greater than that of the first part.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the breathable film is welded and connected to the main body through a welding ring.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the breathable film is snap-connected to the main body.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the breathable film further includes a third part with different air permeability from the first part and the second part, and the first part, the second part and the third part all cover at least a part of the through hole.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, the first part includes a waterproof and breathable film, and the second part includes an airtight and elastically expandable material.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle battery pack, which includes an exhaust valve as described in any one of the above embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to better understand the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may have been enlarged to emphasize and clearly show the novel features described herein. Additionally, as is known in the art, the system components may be arranged differently. Further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout several views.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a vehicle including a vehicle battery pack according to one or more embodiments of the present application is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A top view of a vehicle battery pack including an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 An exploded view of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 Shows a perspective view of an exhaust valve from the upper cover side according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 Shows a perspective view of an exhaust valve from the main body side according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 6 Shows a perspective view of an exhaust valve after removing the upper cover according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 7 Shows a perspective view of the main body of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 8 Shows an exploded perspective view of the breathable film of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 9 Shows a top view of the breathable film of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 10 Shows a top view of the breathable film of an exhaust valve according to one or more other embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 11 Shows a top view of the breathable film of an exhaust valve according to one or more other embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 12 Shows a cross-sectional perspective view of the main body and the breathable film of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0033] Figure 13 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of the main body of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 14 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of the outer edge portion of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0035] Figure 15 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application, wherein the breathable film in the first state is shown;

[0036] Figure 16 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust valve according to one or more embodiments of the present application, wherein the breathable film in the second state is shown;

[0037] Figure 17Shows an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust valve and an airtight detection tooling connected thereto according to one or more embodiments of the present application;

[0038] Figure 18 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust valve according to one or more other embodiments of the present application;

[0039] Figure 19 Shows a top view schematic diagram of a first flange and a baffle portion of an exhaust valve according to one or more other embodiments of the present application;

[0040] Figure 20 Shows a top view schematic diagram of a first flange and a second flange portion of an exhaust valve according to one or more other embodiments of the present application;

[0041] Figure 21 Shows an axial cross-sectional view of an exhaust valve according to one or more further embodiments of the present application. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0042] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may take various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Thus, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to use the present invention in various ways. As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the various features shown and described with reference to any one of the drawings may be combined with the features shown in one or more other drawings to produce embodiments that are not explicitly shown or described. Combinations of the shown features provide representative embodiments for typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desirable for certain specific applications or implementations.

[0043] In this application document, when an element or part is referred to as "on", "engaged to", "connected to", or "coupled to" another element or part, the element or part may be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or part, or there may be intervening elements or parts therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly engaged to", "directly connected to", or "directly coupled to" another element or part, there may be no intervening elements or parts therebetween. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0044] As mentioned in the above background art, the present inventor has realized that there is certain room for improvement in the technical solutions of exhaust valves in the prior art. There is a need for an exhaust valve and a vehicle battery pack having the exhaust valve, which should be able to achieve various different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects as required for different working conditions / usage scenarios without increasing the overall structural complexity of the exhaust valve, thereby improving user satisfaction. Based on these problems and room for improvement in the prior art, the inventors of the present application provide an exhaust valve and a corresponding vehicle battery pack in one or more embodiments, believing that it can solve one or more problems in the prior art.

[0045] First, Figure 1 A schematic view of a vehicle 10 including a battery pack 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is given. It should be understood that in the context of the present invention, the vehicle 10 implementing the present invention may refer to any means of transportation including a vehicle battery pack, such as, for example, but not limited to, a fossil fuel vehicle, an electric vehicle (such as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a full hybrid electric vehicle (FHEV), a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) or a battery electric vehicle (BEV), etc.), and may even include a ship, an aircraft, and the like. The vehicle 10 may include components related to mobility, such as an engine, an electric motor, a transmission, a suspension, a drive shaft, and / or wheels, etc. The vehicle 10 may be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some conventional motion functions are controlled by the vehicle itself) or autonomous (e.g., the motion functions are controlled by the vehicle itself without direct input from the user).

[0046] Figure 2 is a top view of the battery pack 100 that can be incorporated into the electrified vehicle 10 described above. As shown, the battery pack 100 includes a housing 110 composed of an upper cover plate 112 and a lower tray 114. A plurality of strengthening structures and connection positions can be provided around the housing 110, which are omitted here for the sake of simplicity and not described one by one. The battery pack 100 can generally communicate with the outside air through a gas guiding device 120, and an exhaust valve connected to the battery pack is included below the gas guiding device 120. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the exhaust valve can be directly connected to the battery pack without an additional gas guiding device. The structure of the exhaust valve will be described below with reference to further drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that although the exhaust valve structure in the present application is discussed in the context of a vehicle battery pack, in fact, various exhaust valves conceived in the present application can be applied to any suitable scenario where it is necessary to maintain the pressure balance inside and outside the container.

[0047] Generally referring to Figures 3 to 16, as shown in the figure, one aspect of the present application provides an exhaust valve 200, including a main body 202 and a breathable membrane 204. The main body 202 has a first end 202a and a second end 202b, and a through hole 208 penetrates from the first end 202a to the second end 202b. The breathable membrane 204 is connected to the first end 202a and covers the through hole 208. For details, reference can be made to Figure 12 . Wherein, the breathable membrane 204 includes a first part 204a and a second part 204b. For details, reference can be made to Figure 6 、 8 and 9. The breathability of the first part 204a is different from that of the second part 204b, including but not limited to both being breathable and the breathability of one being higher than that of the other, or one being breathable while the other is not breathable, etc.

[0048] Those skilled in the art can understand that at least part of the breathable membrane 204 in the present disclosure may include any existing or future-developed material film that allows gas to pass through while blocking the passage of liquid, including but not limited to PU (polyurethane) film, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) film, and EPTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) film, etc., and its thickness can be adjusted according to actual needs, and no specific limitation is made here. The first part 204a and the second part 204b can be connected together by processes such as welding, bonding, and integral molding, for example but not limited to.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present utility model, the breathable membrane 204 is partitioned, and different breathabilities are set for several different partitions. This feature enables the exhaust valve 200 to better adapt to a variety of different working conditions / usage scenarios. For example, by customizing the breathabilities of different partitions, the corresponding partitions can respectively produce expected multi-stage morphological changes under a set of various different pressures, including but not limited to separate deformation, expansion, rupture, etc. of the partitions achieved by the breathability / thickness of different partitions, so as to achieve corresponding different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects according to requirements, thereby realizing diverse functions with a compact structure. In addition, by selecting different breathabilities for different partitions, the waterproof and breathable materials with relatively complex manufacturing processes can be limited to specific areas for use without affecting their usage effects.

[0050] Reference Figure 3, which shows an embodiment in which the solution of the present utility model is implemented. The exhaust valve 200 may further include an upper cover 206, which generally covers the breathable membrane 204 to play a protective role, preventing dust, liquid or debris from accumulating on the surface of the breathable membrane 204, affecting its air permeability or causing damage to it. The upper cover 206 may be connected to the main body 202 by, for example, a buckle or other suitable structure to generally cover the breathable membrane 204. The exhaust valve 200 further includes a first opening 214 and a second opening 224 that communicate with each other. One of the two communicates with, for example, the external environment, and the other communicates with the breathable membrane 204. Among them, the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are relatively offset in at least one of the axial direction X or the circumferential direction Y. In the structure of the exhaust valve 200 formed thereby, the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are axially and / or circumferentially staggered from each other, which can allow the airflow to freely flow between the two openings, while preventing the splash water, mud and dust stirred up during the preliminary test verification or vehicle driving, or the water jet when cleaning the outer shell where the exhaust valve 200 is located from directly impacting the breathable membrane 204 and other components inside the upper cover 206, further reducing or preventing the accumulation of liquid, dirt and debris on the breathable membrane 204 and other components, which may affect the air permeability and related functions, and further reducing or preventing the possible impact of high-speed water flow and other dirt on the breathable membrane 204 and other components, thereby reducing the overall structural complexity of the exhaust valve and improving the functional durability.

[0051] In the description of the present disclosure, the exhaust valve 200 includes a first opening 214 and a second opening 224. In other words, it means that the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 can be located between and / or on at least one of the upper cover 206 and the main body 202 of the exhaust valve 200, which includes but is not limited to: at least one of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 is located on the main body 202; at least one of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 is located on the upper cover 206; at least one of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 is located between the main body 202 and the upper cover 206. In some embodiments, the positions of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 can be further elaborated as including the following several situations: both the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are located on the upper cover 206, both are located on the main body 202, both are located between the upper cover 206 and the main body 202, one is located on the main body 202 and the other is located on the upper cover 206, one is located between the upper cover 206 and the main body 202 and the other is located on the upper cover 206, and one is located between the upper cover 206 and the main body 202 and the other is located on the main body 202, etc. Those skilled in the art can understand that the positions of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 can be flexibly arranged according to the specific structure of different exhaust valves 200 without departing from the scope of the concept of the present application.

[0052] In the present disclosure, the "axial direction X" is intended to describe the direction of the line connecting the first end 202a and the second end 202b. The statement that "the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are relatively offset in the axial direction X" is intended to mean that the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are in different positions in the axial direction X, or in other words, are staggered from each other. The "circumferential direction Y" is intended to describe the direction around the outer edge of the component. It can be understood that the outer edge of the component is not limited to the circular contour shown in the figure, but can include any other possible shapes, such as but not limited to square, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. The statement that "the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are relatively offset in the circumferential direction Y" is intended to mean that with the central position of the component as the projection center, the projections of the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 on the outer edge of the component are in different angular positions, in other words, are staggered from each other. Further, the statement that "the first opening 214 and the second opening 224 are relatively offset in at least one of the axial direction X or the circumferential direction Y" is intended to include that the two are relatively offset in the axial direction X, the two are relatively offset in the circumferential direction Y, or the two are relatively offset in both the axial direction X and the circumferential direction Y.

[0053] Continue to refer below to Figure 3 and, at the same time, refer to Figure 14 , in some embodiments, the upper cover 206 further includes a cover body 218 and a first flange 220, and the first flange 220 extends from the cover body 218 and bends towards the main body 202. The first opening 214 is located between the first flange 220 and the main body 202 in this embodiment and is formed by the gap therebetween. The gap can form a closed shape around the exhaust valve 200 for one week, or can be only a part around the exhaust valve 200. The upper cover 206 further includes a baffle 222, and the baffle 222 is arranged on the radially inner side of the first opening 214 (that is, in the direction closer to the center of the upper cover 206). The second opening 224 is formed at one end of the baffle 222 adjacent to the cover body 218, Figure 14 as shown in

[0054] Refer to Figure 4As shown, based on some embodiments, an outward convex portion 250 is provided on the upper cover 206. The outward convex portion 250 is used to engage with a first tool, such as but not limited to an external hexagonal wrench or a socket, etc. Further, a third groove 252 is provided on the outward convex portion 250. The third groove 252 is used to engage with a second tool, such as but not limited to an internal hexagonal wrench. The outward convex portion 250 and the third groove 252 can be adapted to different disassembly and assembly tools to facilitate the flexible disassembly and assembly of the upper cover 206.

[0055] Referring Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, according to some embodiments, a mesh support frame 246 for supporting the breathable film 204 is installed on the first end 202a of the main body 202, providing sufficient breathability while providing better support for the breathable film 204. When the breathable film 204 moves under the action of air pressure, the mesh support frame 246 can provide support for the breathable film 204 to prevent excessive movement and possible damage of the breathable film 204. A protective plate 248 with a plurality of through holes is installed on the second end 202b of the main body 202. The through holes on the protective plate 248 can block debris that may appear inside the housing (such as the housing 110 of the battery pack 100) where the exhaust valve 200 is installed from entering and blocking the through holes 208, improving the functional durability of the exhaust valve 200.

[0056] Referring Figure 6 and 7 , and referring simultaneously to Figure 15 , in some embodiments, the upper cover 206 further includes a first clamping portion 236, and the main body 202 includes a second clamping portion 238. The first clamping portion 236 and the second clamping portion 238 can be engaged, such as snap - connection, to facilitate the quick installation and disassembly between the upper cover 206 and the main body 202. Four clamping positions are shown in the figure, but in actual applications, the number of clamping positions can be adjusted to more or less according to specific needs, and the connection method is not limited to snap - connection, for example, it can be a threaded fit connection.

[0057] Referring below to Figure 8 and 9 , and referring simultaneously to Figure 6 and 7 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 204a of the breathable film 204 covers at least a part of the through hole 208, and the second portion 204b is disposed around the first portion 204a. This setting enables the exhaust valve 200 to be simply customized for different working conditions / usage scenarios. For example, in the case of being applied to a vehicle battery pack, for different breathability requirements of different vehicle battery packs, only the first portion 204a of different sizes can be replaced, and thus the desired breathability can be achieved, which further simplifies the overall manufacturing process.

[0058] In a further embodiment, the air permeability of the first part 204a of the air-permeable membrane 204 is greater than that of the second part 204b surrounding the first part 204a. By arranging the first part 204a with higher air permeability to cover the through-hole 208 and be located inside the second part 204b, its air permeability can be fully utilized and the overall stress on the air-permeable membrane 204 can be made more balanced. In addition, since the part with higher air permeability is relatively complex in manufacturing process, the overall manufacturing process can be simplified to a certain extent. According to several further embodiments, the first part 204a of the air-permeable membrane 204 located in the middle includes a waterproof and air-permeable membrane, and the outer second part 204b includes an air-impermeable and elastically expandable material. For example, the first part 204a may include a PU (polyurethane) film, a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) film, an EPTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) film, etc., while the second part 204b may include an air-impermeable but simple manufacturing process material, such as but not limited to a rubber film. Thus, the size of the first part 204a can be set as needed only in the key ventilation part in the middle, which can further simplify the overall manufacturing process and avoid the internal condensation problem that may be caused by an overly large air-permeable film.

[0059] In addition, in some other embodiments, the first part 204a and the second part 204b of the air-permeable membrane 204 may both cover at least a part of the through-hole 208, and the second part 204b and the first part 204a are adjacent to each other. Among them, the first part 204a and the second part 204b may have any possible shape layout, such as being divided equally left and right, one large and one small left and right, etc., and the shape of the adjacent boundary between the two can be set according to specific needs, such as a straight line, a curve, a broken line, etc. The first part 204a and the second part 204b may be integrated or may be provided independently of each other. Thus, the desired effects can be achieved for different working conditions / usage scenarios, such as rupturing, deforming, etc. under different set pressures to achieve the expected multi-stage exhaust effect. Further, in some embodiments, the thickness of the second part 204b of the air-permeable membrane 204 may be greater than the thickness of the first part 204a. By setting different thicknesses between the partitions, while achieving the desired air permeability, the deformation effect of the film can be flexibly customized to achieve different multi-stage exhaust effects. According to the structural and design requirements, the first part 204a and the second part 204b may be integrally formed of the same or different materials, or bonded or welded together.

[0060] Reference Figure 10As shown, according to some other embodiments of the present application, the breathable membrane 204 may further include a third portion 204c with breathability different from that of the first portion 204a and the second portion 204b. The first portion 204a, the second portion 204b, and the third portion 204c can all cover at least a part of the through hole 208. In some embodiments, the first portion 204a, the second portion 204b, and the third portion 204c can be independent of each other, so that the rupture or expansion of one of them does not affect the other two; in other embodiments, the three can also be an integral body, for example, connected together by bonding, welding, integral molding, etc. The first portion 204a, the second portion 204b, and the third portion 204c are set to have different breathabilities so that they can provide different morphological changes such as expansion and lifting or rupture under different pressure conditions, thereby achieving a customizable multi-stage exhaust rate, and thus the desired effects can be achieved for different working conditions / usage scenarios, etc. In some embodiments, the breathable membrane including the first portion and the second portion with different breathabilities can be modularly configured according to the requirements of the valve body breathability needed for different vehicle models, battery configurations, etc. Figure 11 An example situation in which the breathable membrane 204 includes a first portion 204a, a second portion 204b, a third portion 204c, and a fourth portion 204d with different breathabilities is further shown in Figure 11 . It can be understood that according to specific working conditions / application scenarios, more or fewer partitions can also be set without departing from the concept of the present application.

[0061] Reference Figure 12 and Figure 15 As shown in Figure 12 and Figure 15 , in some embodiments, the breathable membrane 204 can be welded and connected to the main body 202 through a welding ring 254. For example, the welding ring 254 can be located at the outer edge position of the breathable membrane 204 and form a continuous generally circular ring, and is welded to the main body 202 through welding, thereby achieving a better sealing effect. In other embodiments, the connection between the welding ring 254 and the breathable membrane 204 can also be discontinuous, so as to allow the formation of a plurality of circumferentially separated channels that allow air to directly flow without passing through the breathable membrane 204 under a certain pressure, so as to achieve different gas exchange efficiencies under different pressures. In some further embodiments, the breathable membrane 204 can be snap-connected to the main body 202. For example, at the edge position of the breathable membrane 204, it can be snap-connected / clamped to a set position of the main body 202 through snap connectors - such as, but not limited to, elastic clips, elastic rings, columnar ends that match their shapes, and inlay snap rings that match the shapes of annular grooves, etc.; or a support skeleton is provided at the outer edge position of the breathable membrane 204, and the support skeleton is connected with the corresponding snap connection parts on the main body 202 through shape matching, thereby achieving more convenient installation and replacement.

[0062] Reference Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, in several embodiments, the main body 202 further includes a joint portion 210 that circumferentially extends between the first end 202a and the second end 202b and forms an outer edge in the shape of a flange, for example. A first connection surface 212 for connecting the airtight detection tooling 216 is further provided on the joint portion 210. The connection state reference Figure 17 . Providing the first connection surface 212 on the joint portion 210 can facilitate connecting the airtight detection tooling 216 to the exhaust valve 200, so as to facilitate the airtightness inspection operation inside the housing where the exhaust valve 200 is installed, such as the housing 110 of the battery pack 100. This allows for convenient airtightness inspection operations on the applied battery pack and the valve body when the valve itself is in the installed state, which is beneficial for more convenient and accurate determination of the sealing performance.

[0063] Reference Figure 14 and Figure 17 , in some embodiments, the radial dimension of the joint portion 210 is greater than the radial dimension of the upper cover 206, thereby exposing the first connection surface 212 on the joint portion 210 to the outside, avoiding blocking the connection and airtightness detection of the airtight detection tooling 216. Further, the first connection surface 212 can face radially outward, that is, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction. This structural setting can enable the first connection surface 212 to be shape - matched with the inner wall of the airtight detection tooling 216, facilitating the installation and fixation of the airtight detection tooling 216.

[0064] Continuing to refer to Figure 14 , a first groove 232 is provided on the first connection surface 212, such as a generally annular groove provided around the joint portion 210 for one week. The exhaust valve 200 further includes a first sealing ring 234, such as a generally annular sealing ring provided around the joint portion 210 for one week. The first sealing ring 234 is partially disposed in the first groove 232, so as to achieve better airtight engagement between the airtight detection tooling 216 and the first connection surface 212 of the exhaust valve 200, and better perform the internal airtightness detection.

[0065] Next, refer to Figure 15 and Figure 16 , and at the same time refer to Figure 13 , in several embodiments, the main body 202 further includes a support portion 226 and a connection portion 228. The support portion 226 is located on the first side 210a of the joint portion 210 and is used to connect the breathable film 204, and the connection portion 228 is located on the second side 210b of the joint portion 210 and is used to connect to the housing to be installed, such as the housing 110 of the battery pack 100. Among them, the breathable film 204 can have such as Figure 15The first state shown, at this time the internal and external pressure difference is relatively low. In the first state, the breathable membrane 204 fits against the support portion 226 and closes the through hole 208, so that the gas exchange between the outside (such as the external environment) and the inside (such as the inside of the housing 110 of the battery pack 100) of the exhaust valve 200 is only achieved through the corresponding breathability of the breathable membrane 204, and the gas exchange efficiency is in a relatively low state; the breathable membrane 204 may further have, for example, Figure 16 The second state shown, at this time the internal and external pressure difference is relatively high. In the second state, the breathable membrane 204 expands and disengages from the through hole 208, so that the outside and the inside of the exhaust valve 200 are directly connected, and the gas exchange efficiency is in a relatively high state. In other words, when the pressure difference on both sides of the exhaust valve 200 reaches the threshold value, no matter which side has too high pressure, the breathable membrane 204 will bulge and be in the second state, so that the breathable membrane 204 and the through hole 208 are relatively separated to form a direct air flow channel, achieving a higher exhaust efficiency. Thus, the exhaust valve 200 can achieve multi-stage ventilation efficiency under different pressure ranges to match different working conditions. In addition, in some embodiments, when the first part 204a of the breathable membrane 204 has high breathability and the second part 204b has low breathability or is airtight, different sizes of the first part 204a will cause certain differences in the overall lifting pressure of the internal and external pressure difference on the breathable membrane 204. Therefore, different sizes of the first part 204a can be set according to different requirements (such as different battery sizes and models, etc.), so as to adjust the lifting pressure, that is, adjust the pressure that can promote the conversion of the breathable membrane 204 between the first state and the second state, thereby realizing the on-demand setting of the state conversion pressure.

[0066] Such as Figure 15 And Figure 16 As shown, in some embodiments, the inside of the exhaust valve 200 includes a first fluid channel F1 connecting the first opening 214 and the breathable membrane 204. The first fluid channel F1 includes a first section F1a and a second section F1b whose flow directions form a certain angle - for example but not limited to 180° - and the bent part in the middle forms a second opening 224, thereby avoiding the possible influence caused by the direct impact of liquid or debris on the breathable membrane 204 and other internal components. Among them, the support portion 226 further includes a second fluid channel F2. As Figure 16 Shown, the second fluid channel F2 directly connects the through hole 208 and the second opening 224 in the second state, that is, communicates with the first fluid channel F1, so as to realize the direct connection between the through hole 208 and the external environment in the second state, and the resulting higher ventilation efficiency.

[0067] Continue to refer to Figure 15 And Figure 16 , and at the same time refer to Figure 12 And 13, According to several embodiments, the support portion 226 includes a first support portion 226a, a second support portion 226b, and a third support portion 226c. The first support portion 226a covers the through hole 208 and has a plurality of holes; the second support portion 226b is disposed around the first support portion 226a and smoothly transitions outward; the third support portion 226c is disposed around the second support portion 226b and has a second fluid passage F2, and the third support portion 226c is at least partially away from the breathable membrane 204. Among them, in the first state as shown in Figure 15 , the breathable membrane 204 adheres to the first support portion 226a and the second support portion 226b and is connected to the third support portion 226c; in the second state as shown in Figure 16 , the breathable membrane 204 is relatively separated from the first support portion 226a and the second support portion 226b so that the through hole 208 and the second opening 224 are directly connected by the second fluid passage F2. The smooth transition design of the second support portion 226b enables the breathable membrane 204 to be connected to the support portion appreciated support and connection for the breathable membrane 204, and the setting of the third support portion 226c facilitates the direct connection of the through hole 208 and the first fluid passage F1 through the second fluid passage F2 in the second state.

[0068] Return to reference Figure 13 , According to some embodiments, a plurality of suspension ridges 230 spaced apart from each other are provided between the second support portion 226b and the third support portion 226c, and the second support portion 226b is connected to the third support portion 226c through these suspension ridges 230, which is also visible in the perspective view of Figure 7 . The number of the suspension ridges 230 can be adjusted according to specific needs, for example, one or more, and is not limited to the 6 shown in Figure 7 . Thereby, the third support portion 226c can be suspended and connected to the second support portion 226b, so as to form a second fluid passage F2 between the third support portion 226c and the joint portion 210.

[0069] In Figure 13 the illustrated embodiment, a second groove 240 is provided on the second side 210b of the joint portion 210, the second groove 240 is disposed around the connecting portion 228 and is spaced apart from the connecting portion 228, and the exhaust valve 200 further includes a second sealing ring 242 partially located in the second groove 240, thereby forming an airtight seal between the exhaust valve 200 and the housing to which it is installed, such as the housing 110 of the battery pack 100. The separation of the second sealing ring 242 from the connecting portion 228 also avoids the edge of the through hole on the connecting portion 228 or the housing / component to be connected from squeezing the second sealing ring 242 during installation. In several further embodiments, the second sealing ring 242 has a plurality of protruding ribs 244 spaced apart therefrom, as shown in Figure 3As shown, it is to achieve stable fixation and fit of the second sealing ring 242 in the second groove 240.

[0070] Reference Figure 18 As shown in the cross-sectional view of, in some other embodiments of the present application, an exhaust valve 200' is further provided. The exhaust valve 200' may include an upper cover 206' and a main body 202'. The upper cover 206' includes a cover body 218' and a first flange 220' extending from the cover body 218' towards the main body 202'. A first opening 214' is located between the first flange 220' and the main body 202'. The main body 202' further includes a second flange 256 disposed radially inside the first opening 214' and extending towards the cover body 218'. A second opening 224' is located between the second flange and the cover body 218'. Among them, the first opening 214' and the second opening 224' are relatively offset in the axial direction X. In this structure, the second flange 256 is formed by the upward extension of the main body 202', and the first flange 220' and the second flange 256 cooperate with each other to form an axial staggered occlusion of the breathable membrane and other internal components, so as to optionally achieve the air flow between the two openings while protecting the breathable membrane and other internal components.

[0071] Reference Figure 19 As shown in the schematic diagram of, in some other embodiments of the present application, an exhaust valve 200'' is further provided. The structure of the unnumbered part can be referred to the drawings of the related embodiments of the exhaust valve 200. The exhaust valve 200'' may include an upper cover 206'' and a main body. The upper cover 206'' includes a cover body and a first flange 220'' extending from the cover body towards the main body. A first opening 214'' is located between the first flange 220'' and the main body and extends circumferentially along the first section A of the upper cover 206''. The upper cover 206'' further includes a baffle 222'' disposed radially inside the first opening 214''. A second opening 224'' is located on the baffle and extends circumferentially along the second section B of the upper cover 206''. The first section A and the second section B are circumferentially offset from each other. In this structure, openings are formed in different circumferential sections of the first flange 220' and the baffle 222'', and they cooperate with each other to form a circumferential staggered occlusion of the breathable membrane and other internal components, so as to optionally achieve the air flow between the two openings while protecting the breathable membrane and other internal components.

[0072] Reference Figure 20As shown in the schematic diagram, some other embodiments of the present application further provide an exhaust valve 200''', the structure of the unnumbered part can be referred to the drawings of the related embodiments of the exhaust valve 200', and the exhaust valve 200''' may include an upper cover 206''' and a main body. The upper cover 206''' includes a cover body and a first flange 220''' extending from the cover body towards the main body. A first opening 214''' is located between the first flange 220''' and the main body 202 and extends circumferentially along a first section A''' of the upper cover 206'''. The main body 202 further includes a second flange 256''' disposed radially inside the first opening 214''' and extending towards the cover body 218. A second opening 224''' is located on the second flange 256''' and extends circumferentially along a second section B''' of the upper cover 206''', and the first section A''' and the second section B''' are circumferentially offset from each other. In this structure, the second flange 256''' is formed by the main body extending upwards, and openings are formed in different circumferential sections of the first flange 220''' and the second flange 256''' to cooperate with each other to form a circumferential staggered shielding of the breathable membrane and other internal components, so as to optionally allow the air flow between the two openings while protecting the breathable membrane and other internal components.

[0073] According to another aspect of the present invention, an exhaust valve 300 is further provided. Refer to Figure 21 As shown, it includes a main body 302, a breathable membrane 304 and an upper cover 306. The main body 302 has a first end 302a, a second end 302b and a joint portion 310. The joint portion 310 extends circumferentially between the first end 302a and the second end 302b. A through hole 308 extends through the main body 302 from the first end 302a to the second end 302b. The breathable membrane 304 is connected to the first end 302a and at least partially covers the through hole 308, and the upper cover 306 covers the breathable membrane 304. The joint portion 310 has a first connection surface 312 for connecting an airtight detection tooling. Providing the first connection surface 312 on the joint portion 310 can facilitate connecting the airtight detection tooling to the exhaust valve 300 to facilitate the airtightness inspection operation inside the housing to which the exhaust valve 300 is installed, such as the housing 110 of the battery pack 100. In the prior art, when detecting the airtightness of the battery pack, it is often necessary to first remove the exhaust valve and inflate and detect the airtightness of the battery pack through the opening for installing the valve. However, it is very difficult to confirm the airtightness of the battery pack after the exhaust valve is reinstalled on the battery pack. The exhaust valve 300 allows for convenient airtightness inspection operations on the applied battery pack and the valve body while the valve itself is in the installed state, which is beneficial for more conveniently and accurately judging the airtightness.

[0074] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, refer to Figure 2, a vehicle battery pack 100 is also provided, which has an exhaust valve 200, 200'', 200''' or 300 as described in any of the above embodiments. Similarly, it should be understood that, without conflict, all the embodiments, features and advantages described above for the exhaust valve 200, 200'', 200''' or 300 according to the present invention are equally applicable to the vehicle battery pack 100 according to this other aspect of the present invention. That is to say, all the above-described embodiments and their variations can be directly transferred and applied and combined herein. For the sake of brevity of this disclosure, they will not be elaborated herein again.

[0075] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an exhaust valve and a vehicle battery pack having the exhaust valve. The technical solution of the present invention can achieve various different ventilation efficiencies and pressure exchange effects according to different working conditions / usage scenarios without increasing the overall structural complexity of the exhaust valve, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0076] It should be understood that on the premise of technical feasibility, the technical features listed for different embodiments above can be combined with each other to form other embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0077] In this application, the use of the disjunctive connective is intended to include the conjunctive. The use of the definite or indefinite article is not intended to indicate cardinality. Specifically, the reference to "the" object or "a" and "an" object is intended to mean one of the possible multiple such objects. In addition, the connective "or" can be used to convey co-existing features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the connective "or" should be understood to include "and / or". The term "comprising" is inclusive and has the same scope as "including".

[0078] The above embodiments are possible examples of the embodiments of the present invention and are only given to clearly understand the principle of the present invention by those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art should understand that: the discussion of any of the above embodiments is only exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of the disclosure of the embodiments of the present invention (including the claims) is limited to these examples. Under the overall concept of the present invention, the technical features between the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined with each other, and many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of the present invention as described above will be generated. For the sake of brevity, they are not provided in the specific embodiments. Therefore, any omission, modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the embodiments of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope required by the present invention.

Claims

1. An exhaust valve, comprising: A main body having a first end and a second end, and a through hole extending from the first end to the second end; A breathable film connected to the first end and covering the through hole; Wherein, the breathable film includes a first part and a second part, and the breathability of the first part is different from that of the second part.

2. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, The first part covers at least a part of the through hole, and the second part surrounds the first part.

3. The exhaust valve according to claim 2, wherein, The breathability of the first part is greater than that of the second part.

4. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, Both the first part and the second part cover at least a part of the through hole, and the second part is adjacent to the first part.

5. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the second part is greater than that of the first part.

6. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, The breathable film is welded and connected to the main body through a welding ring.

7. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, The breathable film is snap-connected to the main body.

8. The exhaust valve according to claim 1, wherein, The breathable film further includes a third part with breathability different from that of the first part and the second part, and the first part, the second part and the third part all cover at least a part of the through hole.

9. The exhaust valve according to claim 2, wherein The first part includes a waterproof breathable film, and the second part includes an airtight and elastically expandable material.

10. A vehicle battery pack, characterized in that, An exhaust valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is included.

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