All-in-one relay and battery pack

Abstract

The application provides a multi-in-one relay and a battery pack, comprising a shell structure which is configured with a containing cavity; a relay structure which comprises a relay assembly and a signal piece, the relay assembly is connected with the signal piece, and the relay assembly and the signal piece are arranged in the containing cavity; and the relay assembly is configured with a contact part which is exposed outside the shell structure and is used as a high-voltage loop connection point. The relay assembly and the signal piece are arranged in the shell structure, the relay assembly is connected with the signal piece, the signal piece serves as a sampling line carrier, the contact part of the relay assembly is exposed outside the shell structure and serves as the high-voltage loop connection point, the whole structure saves a relay bus, can be directly integrated in the inside of the battery pack, reduces space waste caused by secondary packaging, and improves the space utilization rate of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically, to an all-in-one relay and battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] Battery packs, as a type of energy source characterized by high reaction efficiency, strong safety, and small size, are increasingly widely used. The Battery Distribution Unit (BDU), as the device that connects and disconnects high-voltage power to the power battery in new energy vehicles, plays a crucial role in the safety of the battery pack and is a critical component of new energy vehicles. The main function of the BDU is to control the power supply and disconnection of the battery pack, protecting electrical safety. Currently, for most BDUs, the primary design requirement is to meet the IPXXB rating upon assembly, ensuring that the fuse can cut off the circuit before the relay catches fire or explodes in the event of a short circuit.

[0003] With the development of batteries, high demands are being placed on fast charging of battery packs. Therefore, improving the space utilization of battery packs is particularly important. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an all-in-one relay and battery pack that eliminates the need for an adapter bus and whose contact part is directly the high-voltage circuit access point, and can be directly integrated into the battery pack, reducing the space waste caused by secondary packaging.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-functional relay, comprising: a housing structure having a receiving cavity; and a relay structure including a relay assembly and a signal element, wherein the relay assembly is connected to the signal element, both the relay assembly and the signal element are disposed in the receiving cavity, the relay assembly having a contact portion exposed outside the housing structure, and the contact portion being used as a high-voltage circuit connection point.

[0006] In the above implementation process, the relay assembly and signal element are set in the housing structure. The relay assembly is connected to the signal element, and the signal element serves as the sampling line carrier. The contact part of the relay assembly is exposed in the housing structure and serves as the connection point of the high voltage circuit. The entire structure eliminates the need for the adapter bus and can be directly integrated into the inside of the battery pack, reducing the space waste caused by secondary packaging and improving the space utilization of the battery pack.

[0007] In some embodiments, the relay assembly includes a fast-charging relay and a high-voltage relay, the fast-charging relay and the high-voltage relay being spaced apart in the receiving cavity.

[0008] In the above implementation process, the fast charging relay and the high voltage relay are connected to the signal element respectively. The signal element serves as the coil drive signal carrier for the fast charging relay and the high voltage relay. The fast charging relay and the high voltage relay can be directly used as the high voltage circuit access point, reducing the number of parts, saving costs and space.

[0009] In some embodiments, the fast charging relay is configured with a first ceramic cylinder, a first contact and a first arc extinguishing plate, wherein the first contact is disposed at one end of the first ceramic cylinder and the first arc extinguishing plate is disposed at the outer edge of the first ceramic cylinder.

[0010] In the above implementation process, the first contact is disposed on the first ceramic cylinder, the first arc extinguishing plate is located on the outer edge of the first ceramic cylinder, the first contact serves as a heat source, and the heat emitted by the first contact can be conducted by the first ceramic cylinder and the first arc extinguishing plate, which is conducive to heat transfer and heat dissipation of the first contact and more effectively reduces the operating temperature of the fast charging relay.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fast charging relay is further provided with a first thermally conductive adhesive, which is located on the side of the first ceramic cylinder near the first contact and between the first arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure.

[0012] In the above process, by placing the first thermally conductive adhesive on the outside of the first ceramic cylinder and between the first arc-extinguishing plate and the housing structure, heat transfer and heat dissipation through multiple paths can be achieved, which can more effectively reduce the operating temperature of the fast charging relay.

[0013] In some embodiments, the high-voltage relay is configured with a second ceramic cylinder, a second contact, and a second arc-extinguishing plate. The second contact is disposed at one end of the second ceramic cylinder, and the second arc-extinguishing plate is disposed on the outer edge of the second ceramic cylinder.

[0014] In the above implementation process, the second contact is disposed on the second ceramic cylinder, the second arc extinguishing plate is located on the outer edge of the second ceramic cylinder, and the second contact serves as a heat source. The heat emitted by the second contact can be conducted by the second ceramic cylinder and the second arc extinguishing plate, which is conducive to heat transfer and heat dissipation of the second contact and more effectively reduces the operating temperature of the high voltage relay.

[0015] In some embodiments, the high-voltage relay is further provided with a second thermally conductive adhesive, which is located on the side of the second ceramic cylinder near the second contact and between the second arc-extinguishing plate and the housing structure.

[0016] In the above process, by placing the second thermally conductive adhesive on the outside of the second ceramic cylinder and between the second arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure, heat transfer and heat dissipation through multiple paths can be achieved, which can more effectively reduce the operating temperature of the high-voltage relay.

[0017] In some embodiments, the relay assembly further includes a precharge relay and a precharge resistor, both of which are disposed between the fast-charging relay and the high-voltage relay.

[0018] In the above implementation process, the pre-charge relay and pre-charge resistor are integrated into the housing structure, and the signal element serves as the signal sampling line carrier for the pre-charge route, which improves the integration and enables the electrical arrangement within the battery pack with a simpler structure and smaller space requirements.

[0019] In some embodiments, the housing structure includes a cover and a bottom shell, the cover being connected to the bottom shell to enclose and form the receiving cavity.

[0020] In some embodiments, the cover is provided with a first mating body along its circumference, and the bottom shell is provided with a second mating body adapted to the first mating body along its circumference. The connection between the cover and the bottom shell can be achieved through the cooperation of the first and second mating bodies, resulting in a simple structure, convenient connection, and beneficial protection for the relay structure.

[0021] Secondly, this application also provides a battery pack including an all-in-one relay as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0022] Since the battery pack provided in the second aspect includes a multi-function relay, the battery pack has all the technical effects of a multi-function relay, which will not be elaborated here.

[0023] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description, or some features and advantages may be inferred from the description or determined without doubt, or may be learned by practicing the above-described techniques of this application.

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-functional relay provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 An exploded view of the multi-function relay provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the multi-function relay provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the relay structure of the multi-function relay provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure Labels

[0031] 10. Housing structure; 11. Cover; 110. First mating body; 12. Bottom shell; 120. Second mating body; 20. Relay structure; 21. Fast charging relay; 210. First ceramic cylinder; 211. First contact; 212. First arc extinguishing plate; 213. First coil; 214. First thermally conductive adhesive; 215. First bracket; 22. High voltage relay; 220. Second ceramic cylinder; 221. Second contact; 222. Second arc extinguishing plate; 223. Second coil; 224. Second thermally conductive adhesive; 225. Second bracket; 23. Pre-charge relay; 24. Pre-charge resistor; 25. Signal component. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0034] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or a point connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, components, or parts (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, components, or parts. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0037] Example

[0038] In existing power battery system solutions, the high-voltage circuit is controlled by relays. The relays are integrated into the BDU (Battery Unit) via slots or bolts. The BDU is then bolted onto the lower housing of the battery pack. For example, connecting the relay to the high-voltage circuit of the entire pack requires two busbars: one connecting the relay inside the BDU to the high-voltage interface of the BDU, and the other connecting the high-voltage interface of the BDU to the high-voltage port of the module or the entire pack. However, with the rapid development of fast-charging technology for batteries, the heat dissipation problem of relays has become increasingly apparent. The usual solution is to replace them with high-current models or to operate them using liquid cooling without changing the specifications. Due to cost factors, liquid cooling is currently the mainstream solution for relay selection.

[0039] During the design process, the inventors discovered that because the relay itself already has a packaged housing, the relay connects to the high-voltage circuit through two encapsulations. The complex housing structure occupies a large amount of internal space. Currently, mass-produced BDUs generally require more than 100mm of space in the X direction (driving direction). Multiple encapsulations mean that the relay's heat dissipation can only be achieved by transferring heat to the liquid cooling plate through the busbar at the high-voltage contact position. Therefore, the relay is mostly installed upside down (contacts vertically downwards). However, the assembly process requires upright installation, resulting in a complex internal busbar structure for the BDU or connecting to the BDU high-voltage interface through copper pillars, which is expensive and has low space utilization, especially in the X direction, which greatly limits the stacking space of the battery cells.

[0040] In view of this, such as Figures 1-4As shown, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-functional relay, including: a housing structure 10, which is configured with a receiving cavity; a relay structure 20, including a relay assembly and a signal element 25, wherein the relay assembly is connected to the signal element 25, and both the relay assembly and the signal element 25 are configured in the receiving cavity, the relay assembly is configured with a contact portion, and the contact portion is exposed outside the housing structure 10 for high-voltage circuit connection points.

[0041] For example, the relay assembly can be an existing structure, but compared with the existing structure, the relay assembly eliminates the external housing of the existing structure, and connects the relay assembly and signal element 25 and integrates them inside the housing structure 10 to replace the existing BDU, so as to realize the electrical arrangement within the battery pack with a simpler structure and smaller space requirements.

[0042] The signal component 25 can be a PCB circuit board, which can serve as an internal circuit carrier. The relay assembly is directly connected to the PCB circuit board by soldering. Of course, in other embodiments, the signal component 25 can also be replaced by a wire harness and quick-connect terminals instead of the PCB circuit board.

[0043] In the above implementation process, the relay assembly and signal element 25 are disposed in the housing structure 10. The relay assembly is connected to the signal element 25, and the signal element 25 serves as the sampling line carrier. The contact part of the relay assembly is exposed in the housing structure 10 and serves as the connection point of the high voltage circuit. The entire structure eliminates the need for the adapter bus and can be directly integrated into the inside of the battery pack, reducing the space waste caused by secondary packaging and improving the space utilization of the battery pack.

[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the relay assembly includes a fast-charging relay 21 and a high-voltage relay 22, which are spaced apart in the receiving cavity.

[0045] For example, the fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay 22 are arranged side by side in the receiving cavity, and the specific positions of the fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay can be set according to the actual situation;

[0046] It should be noted that, in order to ensure the versatility of the product, the fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay can adopt existing structures on the market, which will not be described in detail here.

[0047] In the above implementation process, the fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay are respectively connected to the signal element 25. The signal element 25 serves as the coil drive signal carrier for the fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay. The fast charging relay 21 and the high voltage relay can be directly used as the high voltage circuit access point, reducing parts, saving costs and space.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, the fast charging relay 21 is equipped with a first ceramic cylinder 210, a first contact 211 and a first arc extinguishing plate 212. The first contact 211 is disposed at one end of the first ceramic cylinder 210, and the first arc extinguishing plate 212 is disposed on the outer edge of the first ceramic cylinder 210.

[0049] For example, the fast charging relay 21 is also equipped with a first coil 213 and a first bracket 215. The first bracket 215 is used to accommodate the first coil 213. The first coil 213 is used to control the connection and disconnection of the first contact 211 and the high voltage circuit. Its principle is to control the connection and disconnection by electromagnetic force. When the input excitation reaches a certain threshold, the output is triggered to change.

[0050] In the above implementation process, the first contact 211 is disposed on the first ceramic cylinder 210, the first arc extinguishing plate is located on the outer edge of the first ceramic cylinder 210, the first contact 211 serves as a heat source, and the heat emitted by it can be conducted by the first ceramic cylinder 210 and the first arc extinguishing plate 212, which is conducive to heat transfer and heat dissipation of the first contact 211 and more effectively reduces the operating temperature of the fast charging relay 21.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, the fast charging relay 21 is also equipped with a first thermally conductive adhesive 214, which is located on the side of the first ceramic cylinder 210 near the first contact 211 and between the first arc extinguishing plate 212 and the housing structure 10.

[0052] For example, the first ceramic cylinder 210 and the first arc-extinguishing plate 212 can be fitted with a gap, and the gap can be filled with the first thermally conductive adhesive 214. Regardless of the location of the first thermally conductive adhesive 214, the material of the first thermally conductive adhesive 214 includes, but is not limited to, single-component epoxy thermally conductive adhesive or thermally conductive silicone grease, two-component polyurethane or epoxy thermally conductive adhesive, and the thermal conductivity must be greater than 0.8 W / (m·K).

[0053] In the above implementation process, by placing the first thermally conductive adhesive 214 on the outside of the first ceramic cylinder 210 and between the first arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure 10, heat transfer and heat dissipation through multiple paths can be achieved, which can more effectively reduce the operating temperature of the fast charging relay 21.

[0054] like Figure 4As shown, the high-voltage relay 22 is equipped with a second ceramic cylinder 220, a second contact 221 and a second arc-extinguishing plate 222. The second contact 221 is disposed at one end of the second ceramic cylinder 220, and the second arc-extinguishing plate 222 is disposed on the outer edge of the second ceramic cylinder 220. The second contact 221 and the first contact 211 are located on the same side of the housing structure 10.

[0055] For example, the high-voltage relay 22 is also equipped with a second coil 223 and a second bracket 225. The second bracket 225 is used to accommodate the second coil 223. The second coil 223 is used to control the connection and disconnection of the second contact 221 with the high-voltage circuit. Its principle is to control the connection and disconnection by electromagnetic force. When the input excitation reaches a certain threshold, the output is triggered to change.

[0056] In the above implementation process, the second contact 221 is disposed on the second ceramic cylinder 220, and the second arc extinguishing plate 222 is located on the outer edge of the second ceramic cylinder 220. The second contact 221 serves as a heat source, and the heat emitted by it can be conducted by the second ceramic cylinder 220 and the second arc extinguishing plate 222, which is conducive to heat transfer and heat dissipation of the second contact 221 and more effectively reduces the operating temperature of the high voltage relay 22.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, the high-voltage relay 22 is also equipped with a second thermally conductive adhesive 224, which is located on the side of the second ceramic cylinder 220 near the second contact 221 and between the second arc extinguishing plate 222 and the housing structure 10.

[0058] For example, the second ceramic cylinder 220 and the second arc-extinguishing plate 222 can be fitted with a gap, and the gap can be filled with the second thermally conductive adhesive 224. Regardless of the location of the second thermally conductive adhesive 224, the material of the second thermally conductive adhesive 224 includes, but is not limited to, single-component epoxy thermally conductive adhesive or thermally conductive silicone grease, two-component polyurethane or epoxy thermally conductive adhesive, and the thermal conductivity must be greater than 0.8 W / (m·K).

[0059] In the above implementation process, by placing the second thermally conductive adhesive 224 on the outside of the second ceramic cylinder and between the second arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure 10, heat transfer and heat dissipation through multiple paths can be achieved, which can more effectively reduce the operating temperature of the high voltage relay.

[0060] like Figure 2 As shown, the relay assembly also includes a pre-charge relay 23 and a pre-charge resistor 24, both of which are disposed between the fast-charge relay 21 and the high-voltage relay.

[0061] For example, the precharge relay 23 and the precharge resistor 24 are soldered to the PCB circuit board through their solder joints, without the need for additional connection to the housing structure 10. In this embodiment, the housing structure 10 is provided with a receiving space for accommodating the precharge relay 23 and the precharge resistor 24. Of course, in order to further optimize the space of the multi-in-one relay, the precharge relay 23 and the precharge resistor 24 can be directly integrated on the PCB circuit board.

[0062] In the above implementation process, the pre-charge relay 23 and the pre-charge resistor 24 are integrated into the housing structure 10, and the signal element 25 serves as the signal sampling line carrier for the pre-charge route, which improves the integration and realizes the electrical arrangement in the battery pack with a simpler structure and smaller space requirements.

[0063] like Figures 1-2 As shown, the shell structure 10 includes a cover 11 and a bottom shell 12, with the cover 11 connected to the bottom shell 12 to enclose and form the receiving cavity.

[0064] In some embodiments, the cover 11 is provided with a first mating body 110 along its circumference, and the bottom shell 12 is provided with a second mating body 120 adapted to the first mating body 110 along its circumference. The connection between the cover 11 and the bottom shell 12 can be achieved through the cooperation of the first mating body 110 and the second mating body 120. The structure is simple, the connection is convenient, and it is beneficial to the protection of the relay structure 20.

[0065] For example, the first mating body 110 includes a first limiting groove and a second limiting groove. The first limiting groove is distributed around the periphery of the cover 11, and the second limiting groove is located on the side of the cover 11 near the contact portion. The second mating body 120 includes a buckle adapted to the first limiting groove and a limiting plate adapted to the second limiting groove. Of course, in other embodiments, all or part of the structure of the first mating body 110 and the second mating body 120 can be interchanged, as long as the connection between the cover 11 and the bottom shell 12 can be achieved. No specific limitation is made here.

[0066] It should be noted that the shell structure 10 can be made of thermoplastic material with thermal conductivity, and the thermal conductivity coefficient must be greater than 0.8 W / (m·K). However, its thermal conductivity is not necessary, and it is also possible to choose a shell structure that does not need to bear the thermal conductivity, depending on the actual use.

[0067] Secondly, this application also provides a battery pack including the multi-function relay described above.

[0068] Of course, the all-in-one relay can also be used in energy storage, low-voltage power supply, and other fields.

[0069] Since the battery pack provided in the second aspect includes a multi-function relay, the battery pack has all the technical effects of a multi-function relay, which will not be elaborated here.

[0070] In all embodiments of this application, "large" and "small" are relative terms, "more" and "less" are relative terms, and "upper" and "lower" are relative terms. The embodiments of this application will not elaborate further on the expression of such relative terms.

[0071] It should be understood that the phrases "in this embodiment," "in this application embodiment," or "as an optional implementation" throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, the phrases "in this embodiment," "in this application embodiment," or "as an optional implementation" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are all optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0072] In the various embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not necessarily imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0073] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-functional relay, characterized in that, include: A shell structure having a receiving cavity; A relay structure includes a relay assembly and a signal element. The relay assembly is connected to the signal element. Both the relay assembly and the signal element are disposed in the receiving cavity. The relay assembly is provided with a contact portion, which is exposed outside the housing structure and is used as a high-voltage circuit connection point.

2. The multi-functional relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay assembly includes a fast-charging relay and a high-voltage relay, which are spaced apart in the receiving cavity.

3. The multi-functional relay according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fast charging relay is configured with a first ceramic cylinder, a first contact and a first arc extinguishing plate. The first contact is configured at one end of the first ceramic cylinder, and the first arc extinguishing plate is configured on the outer edge of the first ceramic cylinder.

4. The multi-functional relay according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fast charging relay is also equipped with a first thermally conductive adhesive, which is located on the side of the first ceramic cylinder near the first contact and between the first arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure.

5. The multi-function relay according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that, The high-voltage relay is equipped with a second ceramic cylinder, a second contact, and a second arc-extinguishing plate. The second contact is located at one end of the second ceramic cylinder, and the second arc-extinguishing plate is located on the outer edge of the second ceramic cylinder.

6. The multi-function relay according to claim 5, characterized in that, The high-voltage relay is also equipped with a second thermally conductive adhesive, which is located on the side of the second ceramic cylinder near the second contact and between the second arc extinguishing plate and the housing structure.

7. The multi-function relay according to claim 5, characterized in that, The relay assembly further includes a pre-charge relay and a pre-charge resistor, both of which are disposed between the fast-charge relay and the high-voltage relay.

8. The multi-function relay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell structure includes a cover and a bottom shell, with the cover connected to the bottom shell to enclose and form the receiving cavity.

9. The multi-function relay according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cover is provided with a first mating body along its circumference, and the bottom shell is provided with a second mating body that is adapted to the first mating body along its circumference.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that, Including the multi-function relay as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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