Battery module, battery pack and electric device
By setting fixed structural components and spacers in the battery module, and combining them with elastic components to buffer cell expansion, the cell expansion problem is solved, and the stability and efficient assembly of the battery module are achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies struggle to effectively suppress cell expansion during charging while maintaining cell assembly efficiency.
By setting a first fixing structure in the battery module to press and hold the battery cell around the outside, a spacer buffers the expansion of the battery cell, and a second fixing structure is set on the outside of the battery module to press multiple battery cell assemblies, and elastic elements are used in combination to buffer and protect the battery cell.
It effectively limits cell expansion, maintains the structural stability and assembly efficiency of the battery module, and improves the cell space utilization and overall structural strength.
Smart Images
Figure CN224082565U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a battery module, a battery pack, and an electrical device. Background Technology
[0002] Battery modules typically consist of multiple cells. During charging, cell expansion is a common phenomenon. This not only affects the structural stability of the battery module but can also adversely impact the performance and lifespan of the internal cells. To suppress cell expansion during charging, current methods commonly use materials with sufficient tensile strength to wrap around the outside of the battery module to simultaneously restrain the expansion of multiple cells. Alternatively, each cell in the battery module can be individually housed in a casing or other constraint structure to secure the various cell assemblies together.
[0003] However, the method of directly wrapping and binding the battery module is difficult to effectively limit the expansion of the cells, and the method of binding each cell will lead to a significant reduction in the efficiency of cell assembly.
[0004] Therefore, the problem that this disclosure aims to solve is: how to maintain cell packing efficiency while suppressing cell expansion. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides a battery module, a battery pack, and an electrical device.
[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising: a plurality of battery cell assemblies stacked along a first direction, the plurality of battery cell assemblies including two first battery cell assemblies located at opposite ends of the first direction, and at least one second battery cell assembly located between the two first battery cell assemblies, wherein the first battery cell assembly includes: a first battery cell; a first fixing structure disposed around the outside of the first battery cell for pressing and holding the first battery cell; a spacer disposed between two adjacent battery cell assemblies for buffering the expansion of the battery cell assembly along the first direction; and a second fixing structure disposed around the outside of the plurality of battery cell assemblies for pressing and holding the plurality of battery cell assemblies.
[0007] In the technical solution of this disclosure embodiment, the battery module is composed of multiple stacked battery cell assemblies. A second fixing structure is wound around the outside of the battery module to press and hold the multiple battery cell assemblies. This design limits excessive expansion of the multiple battery cell assemblies along the first direction and presses them together, ensuring the overall structural stability of the battery module. Spacers are provided between adjacent battery cell assemblies to buffer their expansion and prevent them from squeezing each other due to expansion forces. Furthermore, inside the battery module, there are two first battery cell assemblies located at opposite ends of the first direction, with a first fixing structure wound around their outer sides. This design takes into account the expansion characteristics of the battery cells; the expansion amount of the first battery cell assemblies at both ends is much greater than that of the second battery cell assemblies in the middle, thus requiring further limitation of the expansion of the first battery cell assemblies to protect the overall structure of the battery module.
[0008] In some embodiments, the spacer includes a first elastic member to cushion the expansion of the cell assembly along a first direction.
[0009] In some embodiments, the thickness of the spacer along the first direction is adapted to the expansion amount of the cell assembly along the first direction. As mentioned above, the expansion amount of cell assemblies at different locations in the battery module is different. Therefore, spacers of corresponding thickness are provided between adjacent cell assemblies for different expansion amounts. This design can prevent cell assemblies from squeezing each other and reduce the volume of the spacers, thereby improving the space utilization of the cell assembly.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first cell assembly further includes a second elastic member disposed between the first fixing structure and the first cell, for further buffering the expansion of the first cell along the first direction.
[0011] In some embodiments, the second elastic member covers two main planes of the first cell that are opposite each other along a first direction, for the purpose of protecting the first cell.
[0012] In some embodiments, the first fixing structure includes a filament or strip tensioned around the outside of the first battery cell and the second elastic member to press the first battery cell via the second elastic member, and / or the second fixing structure includes a filament or strip tensioned around the outside of a plurality of battery cell assemblies to press the plurality of battery cell assemblies.
[0013] In some embodiments, at least one of the first elastic member and the second elastic member comprises foam.
[0014] In some embodiments, the number of multiple cell assemblies is even.
[0015] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, including the battery module of the above embodiments. Such a battery pack can provide the advantages described above regarding the cell assembly, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.
[0016] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, an electrical device is provided, including the battery pack described in the above embodiments, the battery pack being used to provide electrical energy. Such an electrical device can provide the advantages described above regarding the battery cell assembly, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.
[0017] It should be understood that the above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this disclosure. In order to better understand the technical means of this disclosure and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and in order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure are given below. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the dimensions of some features may be exaggerated for clarity. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts. In the drawings:
[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown;
[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module according to other embodiments of this disclosure is shown.
[0021] 1 Battery Module
[0022] 10 First cell assembly
[0023] 11 First Battery Cell
[0024] 12 First structural fastener
[0025] 13 Second elastic element
[0026] 20 Second cell assembly
[0027] 30 Second fixed structural component
[0028] 40 spacers Detailed Implementation
[0029] The embodiments of the technical solutions disclosed herein will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions disclosed herein and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.
[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims and foregoing description of the drawings of this disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.
[0031] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary or secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.
[0032] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.
[0033] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0034] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple groups" refers to two or more (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).
[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this disclosure.
[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.
[0037] In existing technologies, battery modules are typically composed of multiple cells or multiple packaged cell assemblies stacked together. To suppress cell expansion, a material with a certain tensile strength can be wound around the outside of the battery module, or a receiving space matching the shape of the battery module can be set on the outside of the battery module, such as a seat, slot, or a shell formed by multiple side plates / end plates. However, this technical solution of only setting a constraint structure on the outside of the battery module is difficult to effectively limit cell expansion. Alternatively, each cell in the battery module can be individually encapsulated with a shell or winding structure, and then each encapsulated cell assembly can be fixed together to limit cell expansion. However, this method requires setting a constraint structure for each cell individually, which significantly reduces the cell assembly efficiency.
[0038] This disclosure relates to a battery module that can maintain cell packing efficiency while suppressing cell expansion. The battery module disclosed in this disclosure can be used in batteries.
[0039] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module 1 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. The battery module 1 includes: a plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20 stacked along a first direction, a spacer 40, and a second fixing structure 30. The plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20 includes two first battery cell assemblies 10 located at opposite ends in the first direction and at least one second battery cell assembly 20 located between the two first battery cell assemblies 10. The first battery cell assembly 10 includes: a first battery cell 11 and a first fixing structure 12. The first fixing structure 12 is disposed around the outside of the first battery cell 11 for pressing and holding the first battery cell 11. The spacer 40 is disposed between two adjacent battery cell assemblies 10, 20 for buffering the expansion of the battery cell assemblies 10, 20 along the first direction. The second fixing structure 30 is disposed around the outside of the plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20 for pressing and holding the plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20.
[0040] In embodiments of this disclosure, the battery module comprises a plurality of cell assemblies 10, 20, and the cell assemblies 10, 20 further include cells. The cells are approximately cubic in shape, having two opposing main planes, two side planes, and two end faces. Specifically, the main planes and side planes are the two surfaces with relatively large surface areas of the cell, while the end faces are used for external electrical connections, with one end face having a tab.
[0041] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the first direction is perpendicular to the main plane of the cell and is also the height direction of the cell assemblies 10 and 20. During the charging process of the cell assemblies 10 and 20, the main plane exhibits the greatest expansion. Therefore, the second fixing structure 30 is wound around the outer side of the main planes of the two first cell assemblies 10 at both ends and the side planes of the plurality of cell assemblies 10 and 20, thereby adapting to limit the expansion of the cell assemblies 10 and 20 along the first direction. A spacer 40 is provided between adjacent cell assemblies 10 and 20 to buffer the expansion of the cell assemblies 10 and 20 along the first direction. It should be understood that the spacer 30 can be provided between adjacent first cell assemblies 10 and second cell assemblies 20, or between adjacent second cell assemblies 20. Inside the battery module 1, the expansion amounts of each cell assembly 10 and 20 are not the same. Due to the interaction between the battery cell assemblies 10 and 20, the first battery cell assembly 10, which is usually located at both ends in the first direction, expands the most along the first direction, and the second fixing structure 30 is unable to effectively limit the excessive expansion of the first battery cell assembly 10. Therefore, an additional first fixing structure 12 is provided on the outside of the two first battery cell assemblies 10 to further limit the expansion of the first battery cell assembly 10 along the first direction. At the same time, a certain gap is left between the side plane of the second battery cell assembly 20 and the second fixing structure 30 to prevent the winding structure from scratching the side plane of the second battery cell assembly 20.
[0042] The "normal expansion" mentioned above refers to the normal expansion phenomenon that occurs during the use of the battery cell, which will not cause damage to the battery cell or other adverse phenomena. It should be understood that restricting the battery cell through external structures when it expands may lead to excessive internal pressure in a localized area of the battery cell, causing internal damage, surface damage, or even explosion. The embodiments of this disclosure, by combining the second fixing structure 30 on the outside of the battery module 1 with the first fixing structure on the outside of the first battery cell assembly 10, have the following advantages compared to the prior art: they can reasonably restrict the expansion of the battery cell and improve the efficiency of battery cell assembly.
[0043] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the spacer 40 includes a first elastic member to buffer the expansion of the cell assemblies 10, 20 along a first direction. The elastic spacer 40 further buffers the expansion of the cell assemblies 10, 20, preventing damage due to mutual compression. The first elastic member is a material with a certain deformation capacity; in other words, it is a compressible and resilient material. During charging, when the cell assemblies 10, 20 expand, the first elastic member can be compressed by adjacent cell assemblies 10, 20 to offset the volume change caused by the expansion. After charging, when the volume of the cell assemblies 10, 20 recovers, the first elastic member can rebound in accordance with the volume reduction of the cell assemblies 10, 20. In this design, the first elastic member always fills the space between adjacent cell assemblies 10, 20 and can also provide support for the second fixing structure 30. Furthermore, the first elastic member can be made of a thermally conductive material to optimize heat dissipation of the cell assemblies 10, 20.
[0044] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the thickness of the spacer 40 along the first direction is adapted to the expansion amount of the cell assemblies 10 and 20 along the first direction. It should be noted that the "expansion amount" mentioned above refers to the calculated or estimated value of the expansion amount calculated or simulated based on the cell's design parameters and operating conditions, or the actual measured value of the expansion amount measured in actual application or testing environments. The expansion amount can be further calculated based on the average expansion amount obtained from multiple calculations, simulations, or measurements to more accurately design the thickness of the spacer 40. Through this design, the spacer between the cell assemblies 10 and 20 can minimize its volume and mass while ensuring buffering cell expansion, thereby effectively improving cell assembly efficiency.
[0045] Please refer to the following. Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module 1 according to other embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the first cell assembly 10 further includes a second elastic member 13 disposed between the first fixing structure 12 and the first cell 11, for further buffering the expansion of the first cell 11 along the first direction.
[0046] and Figure 1 Compared to the illustrated embodiments, in Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, a second elastic member 13 is additionally added between the first fixing structure 12 and the first battery cell 11. This design provides better cushioning. The second elastic member 13 is made of a compressible and resilient material. During charging, when the first battery cell 11 expands, the second elastic member 13 can be compressed by the first battery cell 11 to offset the volume change caused by the expansion. After charging is completed, when the volume of the first battery cell 11 returns to its original state, the second elastic member 13 can rebound in accordance with the reduction in volume of the first battery cell 11. In this design, the second elastic member 13 is always filled between the first fixing structure 12 and the first battery cell 11, and can also provide support for the first fixing structure 12. Furthermore, the second elastic member 13 can be made of a thermally conductive material to optimize the heat dissipation of the first battery cell 11.
[0047] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second elastic member 13 covers the two main planes of the first battery cell 11 that are opposite each other along a first direction, for the purpose of protecting the first battery cell. As described above, the first fixing structure 12 is disposed around the outside of the first battery cell 11. Therefore, at the corners of the winding structure, the structure of the first battery cell 11 is easily damaged. By having the second elastic member 13 cover the main planes of the first battery cell 11, the first fixing structure 12 at the corners can be buffered by the second elastic member 13 before being wound around the outside of the first battery cell 11, thus protecting the structure of the first battery cell. In addition, this design allows the second elastic member 13 to fit and cover the entire area of the main planes of the first battery cell 11, thereby improving the buffering effect of the second elastic member 13 on the expansion of the first battery cell 11.
[0048] Continue to refer to Figure 2 The first fixing structure 12 includes filaments or strips that are tensioned and wound around the outside of the first battery cell 11 and the second elastic member 13 to press the first battery cell 11 via the second elastic member 13, and / or the second fixing structure 30 includes filaments or strips that are tensioned and wound around the outside of the plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20 to press the plurality of battery cell assemblies 10, 20.
[0049] It should be understood that tensioned winding refers to providing a predetermined tension force to the first fixing structure 12 and / or the second fixing structure 30, which are made of filaments or strips, and ensuring that the first fixing structure 12 and / or the second fixing structure 30 remain taut for a predetermined period of time after winding. In some embodiments, the predetermined period may be, for example, the service life specified by the cell manufacturer. By tensioning the first fixing structure 12 to the outside of the first cell 11 and the second elastic member 13 and / or tensioning the second fixing structure 30 to the outside of the plurality of cell assemblies 10, 20, on the one hand, the volume can be reduced, making the structure of the battery module 1 more compact and increasing the energy density of the battery module 1; on the other hand, the first fixing structure 12 and / or the second fixing structure 30 can maintain a certain shear strength and stiffness, thereby helping to protect the internal structure of the battery module 1. For example, the first fixing structure 12 and / or the second fixing structure 30, which are made of filaments or strips, can be composed of carbon fiber filaments or glass fiber. Carbon fiber or glass fiber materials have the characteristics of high tensile strength, light weight, high temperature resistance and wear resistance, which allows for the application of greater tension during the winding process, which can significantly improve the structural strength and stability of battery module 1 without significantly increasing the overall weight.
[0050] In some embodiments of this disclosure, at least one of the first elastic element and the second elastic element 13 comprises foam. Foam is a material that combines lightweight and cushioning properties. By selecting foam material as the first elastic element and / or the second elastic element 13, cell expansion can be effectively buffered without significantly increasing the weight of the entire battery module 1. In addition, foam also has high durability and can withstand long-term use and repeated compression and expansion cycles.
[0051] In some embodiments, the number of multiple cell components 10, 20 is even. The purpose of this design is that an even number of cell components 10, 20 can achieve symmetrical stacking and layout, making the structure of the battery module 1 more stable and compact. Furthermore, during the stacking of multiple cell components 10, 20 into the battery module 1, an even number of cell components 10, 20 makes it easier to achieve uniform stacking, reducing the process complexity caused by mismatches in the number of cell components 10, 20.
[0052] In the battery module 1 described above, multiple cell assemblies 10 and 20 can be arranged in parallel or in series within the battery module 1. The specific number and connection method of the cell assemblies 10 and 20 can be configured according to the desired voltage, current, or other output parameters.
[0053] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, including the battery module 1 described in the above embodiments. Multiple battery modules 1 can be integrated within the battery pack to provide greater energy storage capacity and output power. For example, the battery pack may further include a battery management system (BMS), a cooling system, a housing, and connectors to monitor the normal operation of the battery modules 1 and provide the desired energy output. It should be understood that the battery pack is a highly integrated battery system capable of providing or storing electrical energy as needed. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the battery pack may be configured with connectors, switches, or other electrical components for external electrical connections as required.
[0054] In some embodiments of this disclosure, an electrical device is provided, including the battery pack described above, which provides electrical power. The electrical device may be, for example, a car, a large work platform, a portable digital product, or other electronic equipment.
[0055] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and not to limit them. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this disclosure. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. This disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A battery module, comprising: a plurality of cell assemblies arranged in a stack along a first direction, the plurality of cell assemblies comprising two first cell assemblies respectively located at two ends in the first direction, and at least one second cell assembly located between the two first cell assemblies, wherein the first cell assembly comprises: a first cell; and a first fixing structure arranged around an outer side of the first cell for compressing and holding the first cell; a spacer arranged between two adjacent cell assemblies for buffering expansion of the cell assemblies along the first direction; and a second fixing structure arranged around an outer side of the plurality of cell assemblies for compressing and holding the plurality of cell assemblies.
2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The spacer comprises a first elastic member for buffering expansion of the cell assemblies along the first direction.
3. The battery module of claim 2, wherein, A thickness of the spacer along the first direction is adapted to an amount of expansion of the cell assemblies along the first direction.
4. The battery module according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first cell assembly further comprises: a second elastic member arranged between the first fixing structure and the first cell for further buffering expansion of the first cell along the first direction.
5. The battery module of claim 4, wherein, The second elastic member covers two opposite main surfaces of the first cell along the first direction for protecting the first cell.
6. The battery module of claim 4, wherein, The first fixing structure comprises a wire or a belt which is tightly wound around an outer side of the first cell and the second elastic member to compress the first cell via the second elastic member, and / or the second fixing structure comprises a wire or a belt which is tightly wound around an outer side of the plurality of cell assemblies to compress the plurality of cell assemblies.
7. The battery module of claim 4, wherein, At least one of the first elastic member and the second elastic member comprises foam.
8. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of cell assemblies is even. 9.A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1-8. 10.An electric device comprising the battery pack according to claim 9 for providing electric energy.