Bracket assembly and high-capacity battery

Abstract

The utility model discloses a bracket assembly and a high-capacity battery. The bracket assembly comprises a supporting component and two L-shaped brackets. The supporting component comprises two supporting ribs, and the two supporting ribs are used for being inserted into two channels in the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack; the supporting rib comprises a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; the first insulating layer is an electroplated insulating layer; and the second insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer. The two insulating layers are arranged on the supporting rib, one insulating layer is the electroplating insulating layer, the other insulating layer is the plastic-coated insulating layer, the insulating performance between the supporting rib and the battery pack is improved through the two insulating layers, and meanwhile when the temperature of the battery pack is sharply increased, the insulating performance of the plastic-coated insulating layer is reduced or even fails, the battery pack is not damaged. And the electroplated insulating layer can still ensure the insulation between the high-capacity battery shell and the supporting rib, so that the insulation reliability of the supporting rib and the safety of the battery pack are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of batteries, in particular to a bracket assembly and a large-capacity battery. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the continuous growth of global energy demand and the improvement of environmental protection awareness, energy storage technology has gradually become one of the important means to solve energy problems.

[0003] Energy storage containers, as a new type of energy storage device, offer advantages such as portability, flexibility, and high efficiency, and are widely used in power systems, transportation, aerospace, and other fields. Existing energy storage containers on the market consist of a container, a battery pack support frame within the container, and multiple battery packs secured to the support frame.

[0004] Related technology provides a battery pack bracket assembly, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a support member 11 and two L-shaped brackets 12; the support member 11 is used to be placed at the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack; the L-shaped bracket 11 includes a first bracket 121 and a second bracket 122, wherein the first bracket 121 is parallel to the yz plane, and the second bracket 122 is parallel to the xy plane. The first brackets 121 of the two L-shaped brackets 12 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the support member 11, and the second brackets 122 of the two L-shaped brackets 12 are respectively used to fix to the side beams opposite to the battery pack support frame. Among them, the support member 11 includes two support ribs 111, which are respectively used to be inserted into the two channels at the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack. A thermoplastic tube is sleeved on the support ribs 111 between the support ribs 111 and the channels to maintain insulation between the support ribs 111 and the battery pack.

[0005] However, during actual use, the support ribs will deform, causing the insulation performance of the thermoplastic tube to deteriorate. Moreover, once the battery pack experiences thermal runaway and the temperature of the battery pack rises sharply, the insulation performance of the thermoplastic tube will also deteriorate under high temperature conditions. When the temperature is even too high, the thermoplastic tube will melt, which may cause direct electrical conduction between the support ribs and the battery pack, which may then cause more serious accidents. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to solve the problem that the insulation performance of the thermoplastic tube on the support rib decreases or even fails under deformation and high temperature conditions, which may cause accidents after the support rib and the battery pack are electrically connected, the first aspect of the present invention provides a bracket assembly.

[0007] The bracket assembly includes a support member and two L-shaped brackets; the support member includes two support ribs, which are respectively used to be inserted into two channels at the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack;

[0008] The improvements are:

[0009] The support ribs are provided with a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; the first insulating layer is an electroplated insulating layer; the second insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer. The support ribs of the present utility model are provided with two layers of insulating layers, one is an electroplated insulating layer and the other is a plastic-coated insulating layer. The two layers of insulation improve the insulation performance between the support ribs and the battery pack. At the same time, when the temperature of the battery pack rises sharply, resulting in the decline or even failure of the insulation performance of the plastic-coated insulating layer, the electroplated insulating layer can still ensure the insulation between the large-capacity battery housing and the support ribs, thereby improving the insulation reliability of the support ribs and the safety of the battery pack.

[0010] Further, in order to save the size of the battery pack in the x direction and improve the energy density of the energy storage system, the creepage distance between the L-shaped bracket and the large-capacity battery housing is insufficient. To ensure insulation, the above L-shaped bracket includes a first plate and a second plate fixedly connected, and the first plate and the second plate are perpendicular to each other; the first plate and the second plate are both provided with a third insulating layer.

[0011] Further, the above third insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

[0012] Further, the above L-shaped bracket further includes a connecting rod inserted into the support rib. The support rib and the connecting rod are positioned and fixed by means of bolt connection, and an insulating sleeve is coated at the bolt connection position. The bolt fixing method improves the stability of the connection between the L-shaped bracket and the large-capacity battery. At the same time, the insulating sleeve can also improve the insulation between the screw and the large-capacity battery housing.

[0013] Another aspect of the present utility model provides a large-capacity battery, which includes a housing, a bracket assembly and n single cells; where n is an integer greater than 1; the n single cells are arranged in the housing in the same direction;

[0014] The housing is provided with at least one shared chamber extending in the x direction;

[0015] The top plate of the housing is provided with avoidance holes that can make the polar terminals of each single cell extend out; the polar terminals of each single cell extend out of the corresponding avoidance holes, and the area of the housing around the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the housing of the single cell;

[0016] The bracket assembly includes a support member and two L-shaped brackets;

[0017] The support member includes two support ribs, and the two support ribs are respectively used to insert into two channels at the bottom of the housing; the support ribs are provided with a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; the first insulating layer is an electroplated insulating layer; the second insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

[0018] Further, there are two such shared chambers. One shared chamber connects the gas regions of each single battery cell, and the other shared chamber connects the electrolyte regions of each single battery cell.

[0019] Further, the above L-shaped bracket includes a first plate and a second plate fixedly connected, and the first plate and the second plate are perpendicular to each other; both the first plate and the second plate are provided with a third insulating layer.

[0020] Further, the above third insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

[0021] Further, the above L-shaped bracket further includes a connecting rod inserted into the support rib. The support rib and the connecting rod are positioned and fixed by means of bolt connection, and an insulating sleeve is coated at the bolt connection position.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:

[0023] The support rib of the present utility model has a layer of electroplated insulating layer and a layer of plastic-coated insulating layer. On the one hand, compared with the support rib having only the electroplated insulating layer, the plastic-coated insulating layer can avoid the problem that the electroplated insulating layer is damaged during the assembly process, resulting in a decrease in insulation performance. On the other hand, compared with the support rib having only the plastic-coated insulating layer, even if the temperature of the battery pack rises sharply, resulting in a decrease or even failure of the insulation performance of the plastic-coated insulating layer, the electroplated insulating layer can still ensure the insulation between the large-capacity battery housing and the support rib, thereby improving the insulation reliability of the support rib and the safety of the battery pack. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a battery pack bracket assembly in the prior art;

[0025] Figure 2 It is an exploded view of the bracket assembly in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the L-shaped bracket in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the large-capacity battery in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a partial exploded view of the large-capacity battery in the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the large-capacity battery from the first perspective in the embodiment;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view of the large-capacity battery from the second perspective in the embodiment;

[0031] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the large-capacity battery from the third perspective in the embodiment;

[0032] The reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0033] 1. Bracket assembly; 11. Support member; 111. Support rib; 12. L-shaped bracket; 121. First bracket; 122. Second bracket; 124. Connecting rod; 125. Hollowed-out part; 126. Positioning hole; 2. High-capacity battery; 21. Outer shell; 211. Outer shell bottom plate; 2111. Channel; 212. First side plate; 213. Outer shell top plate; 214. Second side plate; 22. Single battery; <24>. Single battery polarity terminal; 25. Liquid cooling pipe; 28. Electrolyte sharing chamber; 29. Support block; 30. Gas sharing chamber; 3. Explosion vent pipe assembly. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present utility model more apparent and understandable, the following provides a detailed description of the specific implementation manners of the present utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present utility model, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0035] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present utility model. However, the present utility model can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the connotation of the present utility model. Therefore, the present utility model is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0036] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "top, bottom", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first, second, third, fourth, etc." are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0037] The present utility model is a bracket assembly mainly composed of a support member and two L-shaped brackets.

[0038] Generally, the battery pack has a cuboid structure. The present utility model takes the battery pack with a cuboid structure as an example for illustration. For the convenience of description hereinafter, the length direction of the battery pack is defined as the x direction, the width direction is defined as the y direction, and the height direction is defined as the z direction.

[0039] The support member is used to be placed at the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack, and it can adopt various different structural forms. For example, it can adopt a support rib structure or a support plate structure. When adopting the support rib structure, it is preferably provided with corresponding channels at the bottom of the corresponding battery pack for the support ribs to be inserted into the channels and cooperate with the L-shaped bracket to support the battery pack. When adopting the support plate structure, it is preferably that the shape of the support plate is a plate shape adapted to the shape of the bottom of the battery pack to stably support the battery pack.

[0040] The L-shaped bracket includes a first bracket and a second bracket. Among them, the first bracket is parallel to the yz plane, and the second bracket is parallel to the xy plane. That is to say, in the L-shaped bracket of the present invention, the first bracket and the second bracket are perpendicular to each other, and the included angle between the two is 90°. The first brackets of the two L-shaped brackets are respectively fixed at both ends of the support member, and the second brackets are respectively used to be fixed to the opposite frames of the battery pack support frame. The L-shaped bracket can also adopt various different structural forms. For example, it can adopt an L-shaped plate. The plate parallel to the yz plane can be used as the first bracket and connected to the support member, and the plate parallel to the xy plane can be used as the second bracket to be fixed to the frame of the battery pack support frame. It can also adopt an L-shaped support rod. The rod parallel to the yz plane can be used as the first bracket and connected to the support member, and the rod parallel to the xy plane can be used as the second bracket to be fixed to the frame of the battery pack support frame.

[0041] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] As Figure 1 shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of the bracket assembly 1 of this embodiment. It can be seen from the figure that in this embodiment, two mutually parallel support ribs 111 are used as the support member 11, and an L-shaped plate is used as the L-shaped bracket 12.

[0043] In some other embodiments, the number of the support ribs 111 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0044] The first plates (plates parallel to the yz plane) of the two L-shaped plates are used as the first brackets 121 and are respectively connected to the ends on the same side of the two support ribs 111. The second plates (plates parallel to the xy plane) of the two L-shaped plates are used as the second brackets 122 and are respectively used to be fixed to the opposite frames of the battery pack support frame. The first plate and the second plate can be an integral part or a split part.

[0045] The support rib 111 can be a solid structure or a hollow structure, and its cross-section is preferably adapted to the channel 2111 of the bottom plate 211 of the battery pack housing. For example, it can be a rectangular cross-section, a trapezoidal cross-section, or other polygonal cross-sections. Examples are not listed one by one here.

[0046] As Figure 2As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the support rib 111 with a relatively simple rectangular cross-section is selected. Then, the cross-section of the channel 2111 of the bottom plate 211 of the battery pack housing is also preferably rectangular. Using the rectangular cross-section support rib 111 to support the battery pack has better support stability. In addition, from Figure 2 it can be seen that the support rib 111 in this embodiment is a hollow structure to facilitate connection with the L-shaped plate. The specific connection method will be described in detail below.

[0047] To ensure the support strength of the support rib 111, in this embodiment, a metal material is selected as the material of the support rib 111. At the same time, a first insulating layer (i.e., an electroplated insulating layer) can be formed on the support rib 111 by electroplating, and then a second insulating layer (i.e., a plastic-coated insulating layer) is formed outside the first insulating layer by plastic coating, so as to improve the insulation performance between the support rib 111 and the battery pack. When the temperature of the battery pack rises sharply, resulting in the insulation performance of the plastic-coated insulating layer decreasing or even failing, the electroplated insulating layer can still ensure insulation between the large-capacity battery housing and the support rib, thereby improving the insulation reliability of the support rib 111 and the safety of the battery pack.

[0048] At the same time, the plastic-coated insulating layer can also protect the electroplated insulating layer to avoid the problem that the electroplated insulating layer is damaged when the support rib is installed into the channel.

[0049] Since in the assembly process of this embodiment, the support rib 111 needs to be inserted into the channel 2111 of the bottom plate 211 of the battery pack housing first, and then the L-shaped plates are fixed at both ends of the support rib 111 extending out of the channel 2111. Therefore, in this embodiment, the support rib 111 and the L-shaped plate are separate parts.

[0050] Combined with Figure 3 it can be seen that in this embodiment, a connecting rod 124 extending in the x direction is provided on the first plate (the first bracket 121) of the L-shaped plate for connecting with the support rib 111. Corresponding positioning holes 126 are opened on the support rib 111 and the connecting rod 124.

[0051] During specific assembly, the support rib 111 is inserted into the channel 2111 of the bottom plate 211 of the battery pack housing, and then the connecting rod 124 is inserted into the support rib 111, and the two are fixed by passing bolts or pins through the positioning holes 126. The fixing method of bolts or pins improves the connection stability between the L-shaped bracket and the battery pack. At the same time, the insulating sleeve can also improve the insulation between the bolts or pins and the battery pack.

[0052] In addition, in order to save the size of the battery pack in the x direction to improve the energy density of the energy storage system, the creepage distance between the L-shaped bracket and the large-capacity battery housing is insufficient. To ensure insulation, a third insulating layer is provided on both the first plate and the second plate of the above L-shaped bracket, and the third insulating layer is also a plastic-coated insulating layer.

[0053] From Figure 3 It can also be seen that in this embodiment, a hollowed-out portion 125 is provided on the first plate, and the portions on both sides of the hollowed-out portion 125 are respectively connected to the two support ribs 111. By providing the hollowed-out portion 125, on the one hand, the weight of the L-shaped plate is reduced, thereby reducing its impact on the normal use of the battery pack support frame. On the other hand, the hollowed-out portion 125 can allow certain functional structures on the battery pack to protrude. For example, Figure 5 in it, the explosion vent pipe assembly 3 on the battery pack can protrude.

[0054] In this embodiment, a long hole is opened on the second plate (the second bracket 122) of the L-shaped plate; the battery pack support frame is fixed by inserting screws into the long hole. The setting of the long hole can compensate for the dimensional error of the battery pack assembly in the x direction and ensure the reliability of the connection.

[0055] The bracket assembly of this embodiment can also be used for insulating support of large-capacity batteries. Combining Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the large-capacity battery of this embodiment includes a housing 21 and a plurality of parallel monomer batteries 22 arranged in the housing 21.

[0056] The monomer battery 22 in this embodiment is a square shell battery, and the number is 13. In other embodiments, the number can be adjusted according to actual needs. The inner cavity of each monomer battery 22 includes an electrolyte area and a gas area.

[0057] On the bottom plate 211 of the housing, an electrolyte sharing chamber 28 is provided along the x direction, and the inner cavity of the electrolyte sharing chamber 28 is communicated with the electrolyte areas of the inner cavities of the respective monomer batteries 22.

[0058] On the top plate 213 of the housing, a gas sharing chamber 30 is provided along the x direction, and the inner cavity of the gas sharing chamber 30 is communicated with the gas areas of the inner cavities of the respective monomer batteries 22.

[0059] In some other embodiments, only the electrolyte sharing chamber 28 or the gas sharing chamber 30 may be provided, or a gas-liquid sharing chamber may be provided along the x direction on the second side plate 214 (the side plate parallel to the xz plane) of the housing, and the inner cavity of the gas-liquid sharing chamber is communicated with both the electrolyte area and the gas area of the inner cavities of the respective monomer batteries 22.

[0060] In this embodiment, the top plate 213 of the large-capacity battery housing is provided with avoidance holes that can allow the polar terminals 24 of each monomer battery to protrude; the polar terminals 24 of each monomer battery protrude through the corresponding avoidance holes, and the housing area around the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the housing of the monomer battery 22.

[0061] In this embodiment, a through groove is formed at the part where the polar terminal 24 of the single battery extends out of the avoidance hole, serving as the clamping part for the liquid cooling pipe 25. The liquid cooling pipe 25 is fixed in the through groove. When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is higher than the set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a lower temperature is passed into the liquid cooling pipe 25 to cool down the large-capacity battery. When the temperature of the large-capacity battery is lower than the set threshold, a heat transfer medium with a higher temperature is passed into the liquid cooling pipe 25 to heat up the large-capacity battery. By controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium, it can be ensured that the large-capacity battery always operates at the normal working temperature.

[0062] In order to cooperate with the battery pack bracket assembly 1, in this embodiment, support blocks 29 are respectively provided in the outer regions of the outer shell bottom plates 211 on both sides of the electrolyte sharing chamber 28, and the support blocks 29 extend along the x direction. As can be seen from the figure, a channel 2111 is formed on the support block 29 along the x direction.

[0063] In this embodiment, the channel 2111 is a through hole and penetrates the support block 29 in the x direction. A support rib 111 with a length greater than that of the outer shell and a cross-section adapted to the cross-section of the channel 2111 can be inserted into the through hole of the support block 29, and both ends of the insulating support rod are ensured to extend out of the first side plate 212 of the outer shell.

[0064] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned cylinder (here the cylinder is the component after removing the two first side plates 212 of the outer shell) can be integrally formed by an aluminum extrusion process. For the cylinder formed by the aluminum extrusion process, in the x direction, the size of the support block 29 is equal to the size of the cylinder, and the end face of the support block 29 and the end face of the cylinder are located on the same plane. In order to make the above-mentioned cylinder have a more regular structure, in the y direction, the size of the support block 29 is equal to the size of the area of the outer shell bottom plates 211 on both sides of the electrolyte sharing chamber 28, the outer bottom surface of the support block 29 and the outer bottom surface of the electrolyte sharing chamber 28 are located on the same plane, and in the z direction, the size of the support block 29 is equal to the size of the outer side wall of the electrolyte sharing chamber 28, and the outer side wall of the support block 29 and the outer side wall of the cylinder are located on the same plane.

[0065] It can also be understood that in this embodiment, a cylinder with the following structure is integrally formed by an aluminum extrusion process:

[0066] Both ends of the cylinder are open ends; the inner bottom surface has two convex platforms extending along the x direction and arranged in the y direction with the same length as the cylinder. The top surface of the convex platform is the support surface for each single battery 22. In the y direction, a first channel 2111 is formed between the two convex platforms as the electrolyte sharing chamber 28; the above-mentioned channel 2111 is formed in the convex platform along the x direction.

[0067] In some other embodiments, the channel 2111 may be a blind hole. Preferably, blind holes extending in the x-direction are respectively formed at both ends of the support block 29. Multiple support ribs 111 with a length less than that of the cylinder body and a cross-section adapted to the cross-section of the channel 2111 may be respectively inserted into the blind holes, and both ends of each support rib 111 extend out of the end face of the cylinder body. However, compared with the through-hole structure, the contact area between the support rib 111 and the large-capacity battery is relatively small, thereby resulting in relatively weak support strength.

Claims

1. A bracket assembly, comprising a support member and two L-shaped brackets; the support member includes two support ribs, and the two support ribs are respectively used to insert into two channels at the bottom of the battery pack to support the battery pack. It is characterized in that: The support rib is provided with a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; the first insulating layer is an electroplated insulating layer; the second insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

2. The bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The L-shaped bracket includes a first plate and a second plate fixedly connected, and the first plate and the second plate are perpendicular to each other; the first plate and the second plate are both provided with a third insulating layer.

3. The bracket assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The third insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

4. The bracket assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The L-shaped bracket further includes a connecting rod inserted into the support rib, and the support rib and the connecting rod are positioned and fixed by means of bolt connection, and an insulating sleeve is coated at the bolt connection position.

5. A high-capacity battery, characterized in that, It includes a housing, a bracket assembly and n single cells; where n is an integer greater than 1; the n single cells are arranged in the housing in the same direction. The housing is provided with at least one shared chamber extending in the x direction. The housing top plate is provided with avoidance holes through which the polarity terminals of each single cell can protrude; the polarity terminals of each single cell protrude through the corresponding avoidance holes, and the area of the housing around the avoidance holes is fixedly sealed with the single cell housing. The bracket assembly includes a support member and two L-shaped brackets. The support member includes two support ribs, and the two support ribs are respectively used to insert into two channels at the bottom of the housing; the support rib is provided with a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer; the first insulating layer is an electroplated insulating layer; the second insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

6. The large-capacity battery according to claim 5, wherein: There are two of the shared chambers, one shared chamber connects the gas areas of each single cell, and the other shared chamber connects the electrolyte areas of each single cell.

7. A large-capacity battery according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The L-shaped bracket includes a first plate and a second plate fixedly connected, and the first plate and the second plate are perpendicular to each other; the first plate and the second plate are both provided with a third insulating layer.

8. A large-capacity battery according to claim 7, characterized in that: The third insulating layer is a plastic-coated insulating layer.

9. The large-capacity battery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The L-shaped bracket further includes a connecting rod inserted into the support rib, and the support rib and the connecting rod are positioned and fixed by means of bolt connection, and an insulating sleeve is coated at the bolt connection position.

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