Busbar, cold plate assembly, cold plate temperature control device and battery pack

Abstract

The application discloses a bus joint, a cold plate assembly, a cold plate temperature control device and a battery pack. The bus joint comprises a joint body, the joint body is provided with a joint cavity for communication with a cold plate unit, and a plurality of positioning portions are arranged on the joint body at intervals; an isolation piece is inserted into the joint cavity and selectively positioned on one of the positioning portions to separate the joint cavity into a liquid inlet cavity and a liquid return cavity; a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid return pipe are arranged on the upper joint body, the liquid inlet pipe communicates with the liquid inlet cavity, and the liquid return pipe communicates with the liquid return cavity. The application can improve the uniformity of the cooling efficiency of each cold plate unit. The isolation piece only needs to be fixed at a corresponding position of the joint cavity to obtain a liquid inlet cavity with a corresponding cross-sectional area. Different bus joints do not need to be configured for each cold plate unit, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cold plate temperature control device technology, and more specifically, to a busbar connector, cold plate assembly, cold plate temperature control device and battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] During charging and discharging, power batteries generate a significant amount of heat. If the temperature is too high, the chemical reaction rate within the battery accelerates, leading to an increased self-discharge rate, faster capacity decay, and a shortened battery lifespan. Furthermore, excessively high battery temperatures can trigger thermal runaway. Thermal runaway causes a dramatic acceleration of internal chemical reactions, generating large amounts of heat and gas, potentially causing the battery to bulge or even explode.

[0003] To control battery temperature, existing technologies typically employ cold plate temperature control devices. These devices effectively dissipate heat generated by the battery, preventing overheating and thus mitigating the risk of thermal runaway, ensuring battery safety. Furthermore, cold plate temperature control devices can regulate the temperature, ensuring the battery operates within a suitable range and reducing the negative impact of high temperatures during charging and discharging on battery performance.

[0004] Cold plate temperature control devices typically consist of multiple spaced-apart cold plate units connected by manifolds. The heat exchange medium is sequentially introduced into each cold plate unit through these manifolds, where it exchanges heat with the battery. Because the cold plate units are connected in parallel via manifolds, the flow rate of the upstream cold plate unit is greater than that of the downstream unit, resulting in varying cooling efficiencies, with the downstream units exhibiting lower cooling efficiency. In existing technologies, different manifolds are required for different cold plate units to achieve a more uniform medium flow rate, leading to higher costs.

[0005] Therefore, how to ensure that each cold plate unit achieves relatively uniform cooling efficiency without significantly increasing costs is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a manifold connector to ensure that each cold plate unit obtains a relatively uniform cooling efficiency without significantly increasing the cost;

[0007] Another objective of this application is to provide a cold plate assembly having the above-mentioned busbar connector, a cold plate temperature control device, and a battery pack.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0009] A first aspect of this application provides a bus connector comprising:

[0010] The connector body has a connector cavity for communicating with the cold plate unit, and the connector body is provided with a plurality of spaced positioning parts.

[0011] An isolating element is inserted into the connector cavity and can be selectively positioned on one of the positioning portions to divide the connector cavity into an inlet cavity and a return cavity;

[0012] The inlet and return pipes are both located on the connector body, with the inlet pipe communicating with the inlet chamber and the return pipe communicating with the return chamber.

[0013] The manifold provided in this application has multiple spaced positioning parts on the manifold body. An isolating element can be inserted into the manifold cavity of the manifold body, dividing the cavity into an inlet cavity and a return cavity. The inlet port communicates with the inlet cavity, and the return port communicates with the return cavity. The inlet cavity communicates with the inlet area of ​​the cold plate unit, and the return cavity communicates with the return area of ​​the cold plate unit. The heat exchange medium entering through the inlet port can enter the inlet area of ​​the cold plate unit through the inlet cavity, flow into the return cavity of the manifold body through the return area, and exit through the return port. The heat exchange medium completes heat exchange with the cold plate unit within the cold plate unit.

[0014] The isolator can be selectively positioned on one of the positioning parts, thus allowing for installation on the appropriate positioning part to control the size of the inlet and return liquid chambers as needed. For multiple manifolds connected sequentially, the inlet liquid chamber of the upstream manifold can be designed to be smaller, while the inlet liquid chamber of the downstream manifold can be designed to be larger. When the heat exchange medium flows sequentially into each cold plate unit, the manifold located in the upstream cold plate unit has a smaller inlet pipe area but a larger inlet pressure; the manifold located in the downstream cold plate unit has a larger inlet pipe area but a smaller inlet pressure. Therefore, each cold plate unit can obtain a more uniform medium flow rate, improving the uniformity of cooling efficiency of each cold plate unit. This application only requires fixing the isolator at the corresponding position in the joint cavity to obtain an inlet chamber with a corresponding cross-sectional area, eliminating the need to configure different manifolds for each cold plate unit, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

[0015] A second aspect of this application provides a cold plate assembly including a cold plate unit and a manifold connected to an open end of the cold plate unit, the manifold being as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0016] The cold plate assembly provided in this application has the above-mentioned busbar connector, and therefore has all the technical effects of the above-mentioned busbar connector, which will not be repeated here.

[0017] A third aspect of this application provides a cold plate temperature control device, which includes an inlet pipe, a return pipe, and at least one heat dissipation zone assembly, wherein the heat dissipation zone assembly includes a plurality of cold plate assemblies connected in sequence.

[0018] Each of the aforementioned cold plate assemblies includes at least a first cold plate assembly, a second cold plate assembly, and a third cold plate assembly;

[0019] The first cold plate assembly is a cold plate assembly having a first manifold connector, the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the liquid inlet of the first cold plate assembly, and the liquid return pipe is connected to the liquid return outlet of the first cold plate assembly.

[0020] The second cold plate assembly is a cold plate assembly with a second busbar connector, and the second cold plate assembly is arranged on both sides of the first cold plate assembly;

[0021] The third cold plate assembly is a cold plate assembly with a third busbar connector, and the outermost cold plate assembly of the heat dissipation area assembly is the third cold plate assembly.

[0022] The cold plate temperature control device provided in this application has the above-mentioned manifold, and therefore has all the technical effects of the above-mentioned manifold, which will not be repeated here.

[0023] A fourth aspect of this application provides a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells and a cold plate temperature control device for regulating the temperature of the battery cells, wherein the cold plate temperature control device is as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0024] The battery pack provided in this application has all the technical effects of the aforementioned cold plate temperature control device, which will not be elaborated further here. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cold plate temperature control device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a front view of the cold plate temperature control device disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cold plate assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after multiple busbar connectors are connected, as disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a partial enlarged view of the multiple busbar connectors disclosed in the embodiments of this application after being connected;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second cold plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first cold plate assembly disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third cold plate assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the isolation component disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cold plate unit disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0037] 100 - Piping assembly; 110 - Inlet pipe; 120 - Return pipe;

[0038] 200 - Busbar connector; 210 - First busbar connector; 220 - Second busbar connector; 230 - Third busbar connector; 240 - Isolator; 241 - Isolation body; 242 - Positioning body;

[0039] 201-Connector body; 2011-Cold plate interface; 2012-Connector cavity; 2013-Positioning part; 202-Liquid inlet; 2021-First liquid inlet; 2022-Second liquid inlet; 203-Liquid return inlet; 2031-First liquid return inlet; 2032-Second liquid return inlet; 204-Limiting hollow groove; 205-Limiting slot; 206-Main liquid inlet; 207-Main liquid return inlet; 208-Limiting spring;

[0040] 300-Cold plate unit; 310-Cold plate body; 320-Head interface; 321-Liquid inlet area; 322-Liquid return area; 323-Intermediate partition. Detailed Implementation

[0041] This application discloses a manifold connector to ensure that each cold plate unit obtains a relatively uniform cooling efficiency without significantly increasing costs;

[0042] This application also discloses a cold plate assembly having the above-mentioned busbar connector, a cold plate temperature control device, and a battery pack.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below do not limit the scope of the application as described in the claims. Additionally, the complete composition represented in the embodiments below is not limited to what is necessary as the solution to the application described in the claims. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the application are shown in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0044] Cold plate temperature control devices typically include multiple spaced cold plate units, which are connected by manifolds. The heat exchange medium is introduced into each cold plate unit through the manifolds, and the heat exchange medium is exchanged with the battery through the cold plate unit to remove the battery's heat.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that pressure is the driving force behind the flow of fluid in a pipeline. Upstream, the fluid has higher pressure, but as it flows through the pipeline, the pressure gradually decreases due to the need to overcome frictional resistance and the continuous outflow of fluid from the upstream outlet. Therefore, the pressure at the upstream outlet is relatively high, while the pressure at the downstream outlet is relatively low. According to the relationship between flow rate and pressure, all other things being equal, the higher the pressure, the greater the flow rate through the outlet; therefore, the upstream outlet has a larger flow rate.

[0046] Because the cold plate units are connected in parallel via a busbar, the flow rate of the upstream cold plate unit is greater than that of the downstream cold plate unit. This results in different cooling efficiencies among the cold plate units; the upstream cold plate units have higher cooling efficiencies, while the downstream cold plate units have lower cooling efficiencies.

[0047] To ensure a more uniform flow rate across all cold plate units, the applicant discovered through research that appropriate manifolds can be selected based on the upstream and downstream positions of the cold plate units. The manifold for the upstream cold plate unit has a smaller inlet cavity, thus reducing the inlet area; conversely, the inlet area for the downstream cold plate unit's manifold is increased. Combined with a higher inlet pressure upstream and a lower inlet pressure downstream, this results in a more uniform flow rate across all cold plate units.

[0048] However, each cold plate unit needs to be equipped with a different manifold, which is costly.

[0049] like Figures 3-6As shown in the embodiment of this application, a manifold is disclosed that can ensure that each cold plate unit obtains a relatively uniform cooling efficiency without significantly increasing the cost.

[0050] The manifold includes a connector body 201, an isolation element 240, an inlet port 202, and a return port 203. The connector body 201 has a connector cavity 2012 for communicating with the cold plate unit 300, and the connector body 201 is provided with a plurality of spaced positioning parts 2013.

[0051] An isolator 240 is inserted into the connector cavity 2012 and can be selectively positioned on one of the positioning portions 2013 to divide the connector cavity 2012 into an inlet cavity and a return cavity. The positioning portion 2013 is used to fix the isolator 240 so that the isolator 240 is held in the corresponding position. The isolator 240 can maintain a sealed connection with the inner wall of the connector cavity 2012, so that the inlet cavity and the return cavity separated by the isolator 240 can remain sealed, preventing the medium from flowing between the inlet cavity and the return cavity. It should be noted that the sealing requirements between the isolator 240 and the inner wall of the connector cavity 2012 are not high in this embodiment, and even if there is medium flow between the two cavities, it will not affect the use.

[0052] Both the inlet pipe 202 and the return pipe 203 are located on the connector body 201, with the inlet pipe 202 communicating with the inlet chamber and the return pipe 203 communicating with the return chamber. The heat exchange medium enters the inlet chamber through the inlet pipe 202, and the heat exchange medium in the return chamber flows out through the return pipe 203.

[0053] The manifold disclosed in this application has a plurality of spaced positioning parts 2013 on the connector body 201. The isolation member 240 can be inserted into the connector cavity 2012 of the connector body 201 and divide the connector cavity 2012 into an inlet cavity and a return cavity. The inlet port 202 is connected to the inlet cavity, and the return port 203 is connected to the return cavity.

[0054] like Figure 10 As shown, the cold plate unit 300 generally includes a cold plate body 310 and a head interface 320 and a tail interface 330 respectively disposed at both ends of the cold plate body 310. The head interface 320 is used to connect to a manifold connector, and the tail interface 330 is used to close the tail end of the cold plate body 310. The head interface 320 has a liquid inlet area 321 and a liquid return area 322 separated by an intermediate partition 323.

[0055] The liquid inlet chamber is used to communicate with the liquid inlet area 321 of the cold plate unit 300, and the liquid return chamber is used to communicate with the liquid return area 322 of the cold plate unit 300. The heat exchange medium entering through the liquid inlet port 202 can enter the liquid inlet area 321 of the cold plate unit 300 through the liquid inlet chamber, flow into the liquid return chamber of the connector body 201 through the liquid return area 322, and flow out through the liquid return port 203. The heat exchange medium completes heat exchange with the cold plate unit 300 within the cold plate unit 300, and the cold plate unit 300 completes heat exchange with the battery.

[0056] The isolator 240 can be selectively positioned on one of the positioning parts 2013, thus allowing the isolator 240 to be installed on the corresponding positioning part 2013 as needed to control the size of the inlet and return chambers. For multiple manifolds connected in sequence, the inlet chamber of the upstream manifold can be designed to be smaller, while the inlet chamber of the downstream manifold can be designed to be larger. When the heat exchange medium flows into each cold plate unit 300 in sequence, the manifold of the upstream cold plate unit 300 has a smaller inlet port area (which reduces the medium flow rate) but a larger inlet pressure (which increases the medium flow rate); the manifold of the downstream cold plate unit 300 has a larger inlet port area (which increases the medium flow rate) but a smaller inlet pressure (which reduces the medium flow rate). Therefore, each cold plate unit 300 can obtain a more uniform medium flow rate, improving the uniformity of the cooling efficiency of each cold plate unit 300.

[0057] This application only requires fixing the isolator 240 to the corresponding position in the connector cavity 2012 to obtain a liquid inlet cavity with a corresponding cross-sectional area. It eliminates the need to configure different manifolds for each cold plate unit 300, thus reducing manufacturing costs. In this embodiment, the basic structure of the manifolds is the same, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet cavity can be adjusted by the installation position of the isolator. This eliminates the need to redesign the structure of the manifolds, further reducing manufacturing costs.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, those skilled in the art will understand that the port of the manifold varies slightly depending on its location. This article will introduce different types of manifolds below.

[0059] like Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the manifold is a first manifold 210. The first manifold 210 is one type of manifold. Other manifolds are connected to both sides of the first manifold 210. Moreover, the first manifold 210 needs to be connected to the inlet pipe 110 and the return pipe 120.

[0060] The first manifold 210 also includes a main inlet 206 communicating with the inlet chamber and a main return inlet 207 communicating with the return chamber. The main inlet 206 is used to communicate with the inlet pipe 110, and the main return inlet 207 is used to communicate with the return pipe 120. The inlet pipe 110 and the return pipe 120 are used to realize the circulation of the heat exchange medium within each cold plate unit 300. It should be noted that in a group of cold plate assembly units 300, only one manifold can be designed as the first manifold 210. That is, in a group of cold plate assembly units 300, only one manifold is connected to the inlet pipe 110 and the return pipe 120. Other manifolds do not need to be connected to the inlet pipe 110 and the return pipe 120. Instead, they are connected sequentially to the first manifold 210 to realize the supply of medium.

[0061] Taking the cold plate unit 300 for cooling the battery as an example, the liquid inlet pipe 110 introduces a low-temperature heat exchange medium into the liquid inlet chamber of the first manifold 210 through the liquid inlet main port 206, and then flows through the liquid inlet pipe port 202 of the liquid inlet chamber to the liquid inlet chambers of other manifolds, so that the liquid inlet chambers of each manifold have heat exchange medium. The heat exchange medium enters the liquid inlet area 321 of the corresponding cold plate unit 300 through the liquid inlet chamber of its respective manifold, and then enters the liquid return area 322 of the cold plate unit 300 through the tail interface 330, so that heat exchange can be achieved between the cold plate unit 300 and the battery, absorbing the battery's heat. The heat exchange medium, after its temperature rises, enters the liquid return chamber of each manifold, and is collected at the liquid return main port 207 of the first manifold 210 through the liquid return pipe port 203 connected to the liquid return chamber, and finally flows away through the liquid return pipe 120; this cycle achieves continuous cooling of the battery.

[0062] The inlet port 202 of the first manifold 210 includes a first inlet port 2021 and a second inlet port 2022 located on both sides of the manifold body 201. The first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 are configured as an interface structure that allows for a mutually sealing insertion. This allows the first inlet port 2021 of the first manifold 210 to be sealed and inserted with the second inlet port 2022 of the corresponding manifold on its side; and the second inlet port 2022 of the first manifold 210 to be sealed and inserted with the first inlet port 2021 of the corresponding manifold on its side. This configuration improves the installation efficiency when connecting various manifolds.

[0063] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the liquid inlet ports 202 of each manifold may not be connected to each other. For example, they may all be connected to the liquid inlet pipe 110 through branch pipes, which can also achieve the purpose of supplying heat exchange medium to each manifold.

[0064] The return port 203 of the first manifold 210 includes a first return port 2031 and a second return port 2032 located on both sides of the manifold body 201. The first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 are configured as an interface structure that allows for a mutually sealing insertion. This allows the first return port 2031 of the first manifold 210 to be sealed and inserted with the second return port 2032 of the corresponding manifold on its side; and the second return port 2032 of the first manifold 210 to be sealed and inserted with the first return port 2031 of the corresponding manifold on its side. This configuration improves the installation efficiency when connecting various manifolds.

[0065] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the return pipe ports 203 of each manifold may not be connected to each other. For example, they may all be connected to the return pipe 120 through branch pipes, which can also enable the heat exchange medium of each manifold to circulate.

[0066] like Figure 6 As shown, the manifold is a second manifold 220, which is another type of manifold. Both sides of the second manifold 220 have manifolds connected to it, and the second manifold 220 does not need to be connected to the inlet pipe 110 and the return pipe 120. It uses the upstream manifold to supply the heat exchange medium.

[0067] The inlet port 202 includes a first inlet port 2021 and a second inlet port 2022 located on both sides of the connector body 201. The first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 are configured as an interface structure that allows for a mutually sealing insertion. This allows the first inlet port 2021 of the second manifold 220 to be sealed and inserted with the second inlet port 2022 of the corresponding manifold on its side; and the second inlet port 2022 of the second manifold 220 to be sealed and inserted with the first inlet port 2021 of the corresponding manifold on its side. This configuration improves the installation efficiency when connecting various manifolds.

[0068] The return port 203 includes a first return port 2031 and a second return port 2032 located on both sides of the connector body 201. The first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 are configured as an interface structure that allows for a mutually sealing insertion. This allows the first return port 2031 of the second manifold 220 to be sealed and inserted with the second return port 2032 of its corresponding side manifold; and the second return port 2032 of the second manifold 220 to be sealed and inserted with the first return port 2031 of its corresponding side manifold. This configuration improves the installation efficiency when connecting various manifolds.

[0069] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, in the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220, one of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. The male connector can be inserted into the female connector to achieve connection between the two. In this embodiment, one of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 is designed as a male connector, and the other as a female connector, so that the male connector of one manifold (one of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022) can be easily inserted and mated with the female connector of the other manifold (the other of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022). It should be noted that, in order to ensure sealing, a sealing ring can be fitted on the male connector of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 to maintain the sealing performance after the male connector and the female connector are connected.

[0070] One of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 of the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. In this embodiment, one of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 is designed as a male connector, and the other as a female connector, so that the male connector of one manifold (one of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032) can easily be inserted and mated with the female connector of the other manifold (the other of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032). It should be noted that, in order to ensure a seal, a sealing ring can be fitted on the male connector of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 to maintain the sealing performance after the male connector and the female connector are connected.

[0071] To improve versatility, the male connectors of the first liquid inlet 2021, the second liquid inlet 2022, the first liquid return 2031, and the second liquid return 2032 can have the same structure. Of course, the female connectors of the first liquid inlet 2021, the second liquid inlet 2022, the first liquid return 2031, and the second liquid return 2032 can also have the same structure.

[0072] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first liquid inlet 2021 and the first liquid return 2031 are located on the same side of the connector body 201, and the second liquid inlet 2022 and the second liquid return 2032 are located on the same side of the connector body 201.

[0073] One of the first inlet port 2021 and the first return port 2031 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. Taking the side where the first inlet port 2021 and the first return port 2031 are located as the first side of the connector body 201 as an example, if the first inlet port 2021 on the first side of the connector body 201 is a male connector, then the first return port 2031 is a female connector; of course, if the first inlet port 2021 on the first side of the connector body 201 is a female connector, then the first return port 2031 is a male connector.

[0074] One of the second inlet port 2022 and the second return port 2032 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. Taking the side where the second inlet port 2022 and the second return port 2032 are located as the second side of the connector body 201 as an example, if the second inlet port 2022 on the second side of the connector body 201 is a male connector, then the second return port 2032 is a female connector; of course, if the second inlet port 2022 on the first side of the connector body 201 is a female connector, then the second return port 2032 is a male connector.

[0075] It should be noted that, of the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022, one is a male connector and the other is a female connector; similarly, of the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032, one is a male connector and the other is a female connector.

[0076] Furthermore, the first return port 2031 and the second return port 2032 are arranged coaxially; the first inlet port 2021 and the second inlet port 2022 are also arranged coaxially. This arrangement facilitates the insertion and connection of the two manifolds. It should be noted that as long as the center distance between the first inlet port 2021 and the first return port 2031 is equal to the center distance between the second inlet port 2022 and the second return port 2032, the sequential insertion and connection of each manifold can be achieved.

[0077] like Figure 8 As shown, the manifold is a third manifold 230, with an inlet 202 and a return 203 arranged only on one side of the manifold body 201. The third manifold 230 is a third type of manifold, located on the outermost side of a group of connected manifolds. Since there are no other manifolds downstream of it, it only has an inlet 202 and a return 203 on one side.

[0078] The inlet port 202 of the third manifold 230 is configured to be sealed and inserted with the inlet port 202 of the adjacent manifold; the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 is configured to be sealed and inserted with the return port 203 of the adjacent manifold. This allows the inlet port 202 of the third manifold 230 to be sealed and inserted with the inlet port 202 of the corresponding manifold on its side; the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 to be sealed and inserted with the return port 203 of the corresponding manifold on its side. This configuration improves the installation efficiency when connecting the various manifolds.

[0079] In this embodiment, one of the inlet port 202 and the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. Of course, both the inlet port 202 and the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 can be female connectors or both can be male connectors, depending on the connectors that mate with it. For example, if all the connectors that mate with it are female connectors, then both the inlet port 202 and the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 are male connectors; correspondingly, if all the connectors that mate with it are male connectors, then both the inlet port 202 and the return port 203 of the third manifold 230 are female connectors.

[0080] In this embodiment, for the first manifold 210, the second manifold 220, and the third manifold 230, the inlet and outlet ports on the same side of the connector body 201 all use a combination of a male connector and a female connector. This arrangement ensures that there is only one installation method when inserting each manifold: the male and female connectors work together. This allows for quick identification of the installation direction; only with the correct installation direction can both manifolds be installed, preventing incorrect insertion.

[0081] In addition, the bus connector has both a male and a female connector on one side, which ensures that either side of the bus connector can be inserted into its adjacent bus connector without requiring a specific male or female side.

[0082] like Figures 6-8 As shown, in order to ensure that the male and female connectors can maintain a reliable and stable fit after being plugged in and to prevent them from separating under medium pressure, in this embodiment, the male connector and the female connector that it mates with are engaged by a limiting snap ring 208. The limiting snap ring 208 can restrict the relative movement of the male and female connectors along the axis, thereby preventing them from separating.

[0083] Specifically, the male connector has a limiting slot 205, and the female connector has a limiting slot 204. A limiting spring 208 is clamped onto the female connector and is embedded in the limiting slot 205 through the limiting slot 204. The limiting spring 208 is elastic. When installing the limiting spring 208, its two spring arms need to open and engage in the limiting slot 204. After the two spring arms return to their original position, they continue to move along the axis of the male and female connectors. Since the limiting slot 204 and the limiting slot 205 are connected after the male connector is inserted into the female connector, the two spring arms will sink into the limiting slot 205 through the limiting slot 204.

[0084] The limiting slot 204 is only provided at a partial position in the circumferential direction of the female connector, meaning it does not extend through the entire circumference. Therefore, a portion of the limiting spring 208 is inserted into the limiting groove 205 through the limiting slot 204, while a portion remains outside the outer circumference of the female connector. This design means that when the male connector is pulled out of the female connector, it is constrained by the limiting spring 208. Since the limiting spring 208 is fixed to the female connector, the male connector cannot be pulled out. To remove the male connector, the limiting spring 208 must first be removed from the female connector.

[0085] like Figure 6 and Figure 9 As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the positioning part 2013 is a positioning slot, and the isolating member 240 includes an isolating body 241 and a positioning body 242 located at one end of the isolating body 241. The isolating body 241 is inserted into the connector cavity 2012 and divides the connector cavity 2012 into an inlet cavity and a return cavity. The positioning body 242 is inserted into the positioning slot. In this embodiment, the isolating body 241 is used to separate the inlet cavity and the return cavity, while the positioning body 242 is used to cooperate with the positioning slot to fix the isolating member 240 on the connector body 201.

[0086] Isolator 240 can be presented Figure 9 The T-shaped structure shown is such that the isolating body 241 and the positioning body 242 are perpendicular. Each positioning body 242 is positioned by two positioning slots to improve the reliability of the isolating member 240. Multiple positioning parts 2013 are arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction of the inlet and return chambers, and the area where each positioning part is located is in the middle area of ​​the connector cavity 2012, so that the size of the inlet and return chambers separated by the isolating member 240 is as uniform as possible.

[0087] After the positioning body 242 is inserted into the positioning slot, it can be fixed by adhesive or left unfixed. The tight fit between the positioning body 242 and the positioning slot maintains the connection between the two. Alternatively, after the cold plate unit 300 and the busbar connector are installed, the cold plate unit 300 can also prevent the isolator 240 from detaching from the positioning slot. It should be noted that the positioning part 2013 can also be a positioning protrusion, with a positioning groove on the isolator 240 that mates with the positioning protrusion, thus achieving the connection between the two. Furthermore, the positioning part 2013 can also be a screw hole, with the isolator 240 fixed to the positioning part 2013 by screws. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the positioning part 2013.

[0088] To facilitate the connection between the cold plate unit 300 and the busbar connector, a cold plate interface 2011 is provided on the connector body 201, and the open end of the cold plate unit 300 is connected to the cold plate interface 2011. After the open end of the cold plate unit 300 is inserted into the cold plate interface 2011, it can be glued together to achieve a reliable connection between the cold plate unit 300 and the busbar connector. It should be noted that the cold plate unit 300 and the busbar connector can also be fixed in other ways, and this embodiment does not limit the fixing method of the two.

[0089] In this embodiment, the manifold can have a single isolator 240, and the inlet and outlet chambers are symmetrical along the isolator 240. For example... Figure 5 In the illustrated scheme, the second manifold from the left is equipped with only one isolator 240. When only one isolator 240 is provided, the isolator 240 should be fixed on the middle positioning part 2013 so that the opening areas of the inlet chamber and the return chamber separated by the isolator 240 are the same.

[0090] The isolation element 240 inside the bus connector can also be two, such as... Figure 5 In the illustrated scheme, except for the second manifold from the left, all other manifolds are provided with two isolators 240. The connector cavity 2012 forms a media isolation zone between the two isolators 240. For ease of understanding, the two isolators 240 are defined as the first isolator and the second isolator, respectively, and the area between the first and second isolators in the connector cavity 2012 is the media isolation zone. A liquid inlet chamber is formed on the side of the first isolator away from the second isolator; a liquid return chamber is formed on the side of the second isolator away from the first isolator. No heat exchange medium flows through the media isolation zone. In this embodiment, a liquid inlet chamber is formed on one side of each of the two isolators 240, and a liquid return chamber is formed on the other side; the liquid inlet and liquid return chambers are symmetrical along the media isolation zone. This embodiment allows control of the position of the two isolators 240, control of the length of the media isolation zone, and consequently, control of the opening area of ​​the liquid inlet and liquid return chambers.

[0091] like Figure 10As shown, the cold plate unit 300 includes a cold plate body 310 and a head interface 320 and a tail interface 330 respectively disposed at both ends of the cold plate body 310. The head interface 320 is used to connect to a manifold connector, and the tail interface 330 is used to close the tail end of the cold plate body 310. The head interface 320 has a liquid inlet area 321 and a liquid return area 322 separated by an intermediate partition 323. The liquid inlet area 321 and the liquid return area 322 are symmetrically arranged along the intermediate partition 323.

[0092] After the head interface 320 is connected to the cold plate interface 2011 of the manifold, the liquid inlet chamber of the manifold is connected to the liquid inlet area 321 of the head interface 320, and the liquid return chamber of the manifold is connected to the liquid return area 322 of the head interface 320.

[0093] When the manifold is equipped with only one isolator 240, the isolator 240 of the manifold corresponds to the middle partition 323 of the head interface 320, that is, the opening size of the liquid inlet chamber is basically the same as the opening size of the liquid inlet area 321, and the opening size of the liquid return chamber is basically the same as the opening size of the liquid return area 322.

[0094] When the manifold is equipped with two isolation components 240, the medium isolation area of ​​the manifold corresponds to the middle partition 323 of the head interface 320, that is, the opening size of the liquid inlet chamber is smaller than the opening size of the liquid inlet area 321, and the opening size of the liquid return chamber is smaller than the opening size of the liquid return area 322.

[0095] In this embodiment, when one isolator 240 is provided, it is positioned in the middle of the connector cavity 2012; when two isolators 240 are provided, the media isolation area between the two isolators 240 is positioned in the middle of the connector cavity 2012. That is, in this embodiment, the number of isolators 240 can be selected based on the opening area requirements of the inlet and return chambers. When the opening area of ​​the inlet and return chambers is at its maximum, only one isolator 240 is required; when the opening area of ​​the inlet and return chambers needs to be reduced, two isolators 240 can be provided. This ensures that the inlet and return chambers are symmetrically arranged and can maintain communication with the inlet area 321 and return area 322 of the cold plate unit 300, without requiring changes to the structure of the cold plate unit 300.

[0096] like Figures 1-3 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a cold plate assembly, which includes a cold plate unit 300 and a manifold 200 connected to the open end of the cold plate unit 300. The manifold 200 is the same as the manifold 200 disclosed in the above embodiment. Since the cold plate assembly disclosed in this application has the aforementioned manifold 200, it possesses all the technical effects of the aforementioned manifold 200, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0097] Cold plate assemblies can also be of various types, such as a first cold plate assembly, a second cold plate assembly, and a third cold plate assembly. A first cold plate assembly includes a cold plate unit 300 and a first busbar 210 connected to the open end of the cold plate unit 300. The first busbar 210 is the same as the one disclosed in the above embodiments. A second cold plate assembly includes a cold plate unit 300 and a second busbar 220 connected to the open end of the cold plate unit 300. The second busbar 220 is the same as the one disclosed in the above embodiments. A third cold plate assembly includes a cold plate unit 300 and a third busbar 230 connected to the open end of the cold plate unit 300. The third busbar 230 is the same as the one disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0098] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the illustration, this application discloses a cold plate temperature control device, which includes a piping assembly 100 and at least one heat dissipation zone assembly. The piping assembly 100 includes an inlet pipe 110 and a return pipe 120. The heat dissipation zone assembly includes multiple cold plate assemblies connected in sequence, that is, the manifolds 200 of each cold plate assembly in a heat dissipation zone assembly are sequentially plugged in and connected. Each cold plate assembly in the heat dissipation zone assembly includes a first cold plate assembly, a second cold plate assembly, and a third cold plate assembly. That is, each cold plate assembly in a heat dissipation zone assembly includes both a first cold plate assembly and a second and a third cold plate assembly.

[0099] The liquid inlet pipe 110 is connected to the liquid inlet 206 of the first cold plate assembly, and the liquid return pipe 120 is connected to the liquid return outlet 207 of the first cold plate assembly. Second cold plate assemblies are arranged on both sides of the first cold plate assembly; the outermost cold plate assembly of the heat dissipation area assembly is the third cold plate assembly. That is, in this embodiment, there is one first cold plate assembly, two third cold plate assemblies, and at least two second cold plate assemblies.

[0100] The first cold plate assembly is located in the middle of the heat dissipation area assembly, and the two third cold plate assemblies are located on both sides of the heat dissipation area assembly. A second cold plate assembly is provided between any third cold plate assembly and the first cold plate assembly. One or more second cold plate assemblies can be provided between the third cold plate assembly and the first cold plate assembly.

[0101] The first cold plate assembly is the first cold plate assembly in the heat dissipation zone assembly. The further away a cold plate assembly is from the first cold plate assembly, the larger the opening area of ​​its liquid inlet and liquid return chambers; the closer a cold plate assembly is to the first cold plate assembly, the smaller the opening area of ​​its liquid inlet and liquid return chambers. Of course, the third cold plate assembly is the last cold plate assembly in the heat dissipation zone assembly and will not distribute heat exchange medium downstream. Therefore, it can choose to have the largest or smallest opening area of ​​its liquid inlet and liquid return chambers, or choose arbitrarily based on requirements.

[0102] In this embodiment, there may be multiple heat dissipation zone components. Figure 2 The illustrated scheme includes three heat dissipation components: a first heat dissipation component, b second heat dissipation component, and c third heat dissipation component. It should be noted that the heat dissipation components are not limited to... Figure 2 The three shown in the figure allow those skilled in the art to select the specific number of heat dissipation zone components based on their needs.

[0103] Each heat dissipation zone component is connected in series to the liquid inlet pipe 110 and the liquid return pipe 120. Specifically, the main liquid inlet 206 of each heat dissipation zone component is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 110, and the main liquid return port 207 of each heat dissipation zone component is connected to the liquid return pipe 120. The number of cold plate components in each heat dissipation zone component can be the same or different, depending on the temperature control requirements.

[0104] The first cold plate assembly is the first cold plate assembly in each heat dissipation zone assembly. The opening area of ​​the liquid inlet chamber and liquid return chamber of the first cold plate assembly can be controlled based on the upstream and downstream relationship of each first cold plate assembly. The upstream first cold plate assembly has a smaller opening area for its liquid inlet chamber and liquid return chamber; the downstream first cold plate assembly has a larger opening area for its liquid inlet chamber and liquid return chamber.

[0105] This application also discloses a battery pack, which includes multiple battery cells and a cold plate temperature control device for regulating the temperature of the battery cells. This cold plate temperature control device is the same as the one disclosed in the above embodiments. Since it incorporates the aforementioned cold plate temperature control device, it possesses all the technical effects of the above-described cold plate temperature control device, and will not be elaborated upon further here.

[0106] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "a," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include the plural. Generally, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements. An element defined by the phrase "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0107] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0108] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0109] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this application without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A manifold connector, characterized in that, include: The connector body (201) has a connector cavity (2012) for communicating with the cold plate unit (300), and the connector body (201) is provided with a plurality of spaced positioning parts (2013). An isolator (240) is inserted into the connector cavity (2012) and can be selectively positioned on one of the positioning parts (2013) to divide the connector cavity (2012) into an inlet cavity and a return cavity; The inlet pipe (202) and the return pipe (203) are both provided on the connector body (201), and the inlet pipe (202) is connected to the inlet chamber, and the return pipe (203) is connected to the return chamber.

2. The manifold as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The manifold is a first manifold (210), which further includes a main inlet (206) communicating with the inlet chamber and a main return inlet (207) communicating with the return chamber. The main inlet (206) is used to communicate with the inlet pipeline (110), and the main return inlet (207) is used to communicate with the return pipeline (120). The liquid inlet (202) includes a first liquid inlet (2021) and a second liquid inlet (2022) located on both sides of the connector body (201), and the first liquid inlet (2021) and the second liquid inlet (2022) are configured as an interface structure that can be mutually sealed and inserted. The return port (203) includes a first return port (2031) and a second return port (2032) located on both sides of the connector body (201), and the first return port (2031) and the second return port (2032) are configured as an interface structure that can be mutually sealed and inserted.

3. The manifold as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bus connector is a second bus connector (220); The liquid inlet (202) includes a first liquid inlet (2021) and a second liquid inlet (2022) located on both sides of the connector body (201), and the first liquid inlet (2021) and the second liquid inlet (2022) are configured as an interface structure that can be mutually sealed and inserted. The return port (203) includes a first return port (2031) and a second return port (2032) located on both sides of the connector body (201), and the first return port (2031) and the second return port (2032) are configured as an interface structure that can be mutually sealed and inserted.

4. The manifold as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, One of the first liquid inlet (2021) and the second liquid inlet (2022) is a male connector, and the other is a female connector. One of the first return liquid port (2031) and the second return liquid port (2032) is a male connector and the other is a female connector.

5. The manifold as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first liquid inlet (2021) and the first liquid return (2031) are located on the same side of the connector body (201), and the second liquid inlet (2022) and the second liquid return (2032) are located on the same side of the connector body (201). One of the first liquid inlet (2021) and the first liquid return (2031) is a male connector and the other is a female connector. One of the second liquid inlet (2022) and the second liquid return (2032) is a male connector and the other is a female connector.

6. The manifold as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first return pipe port (2031) and the second return pipe port (2032) are arranged coaxially; The first liquid inlet (2021) and the second liquid inlet (2022) are arranged coaxially.

7. The manifold as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The manifold is a third manifold (230), with the inlet port (202) and the return port (203) arranged only on one side of the main body (201).

8. The manifold as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The inlet port (202) of the third manifold (230) is configured as an interface structure capable of being sealed and inserted with the inlet port (202) of an adjacent manifold; The return port (203) of the third manifold (230) is configured as an interface structure capable of being sealed and inserted with the return port (203) of an adjacent manifold.

9. The manifold as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The third manifold (230) has a male connector for the inlet (202) and a female connector for the return (203).

10. The manifold as described in claim 5 or 9, characterized in that, The male connector and the female connector that mate with it are engaged by a retaining snap ring (208); The male connector has a limiting slot (205), and the female connector has a limiting slot (204). The limiting spring (208) is clamped on the female connector and is embedded in the limiting slot (205) through the limiting slot (204).

11. The manifold as described in any one of claims 1-3 and 5-9, characterized in that, The positioning part (2013) is a positioning slot; The isolation component (240) includes an isolation body (241) and a positioning body (242) located at one end of the isolation body (241). The isolation body (241) is inserted into the connector cavity (2012) and divides the connector cavity (2012) into an inlet cavity and a return cavity. The positioning body (242) is inserted into the positioning slot.

12. The manifold as described in any one of claims 1-3 and 5-9, characterized in that, The connector body (201) is provided with a cold plate interface (2011), and the open end of the cold plate unit (300) is connected to the cold plate interface (2011).

13. The manifold as described in any one of claims 1-3 and 5-9, characterized in that, There is one isolation element (240), and the liquid inlet chamber and the liquid return chamber are symmetrical along the isolation element (240); or, There are two isolation elements (240), and the connector cavity (2012) forms a medium isolation zone in the area between the two isolation elements (240). The liquid inlet cavity is formed on one side of the two isolation elements (240), and the liquid return cavity is formed on the other side. The liquid inlet cavity and the liquid return cavity are symmetrical along the medium isolation zone.

14. A cold-plate assembly, characterized in that, It includes a cold plate unit (300) and a manifold (200) connected to the open end of the cold plate unit (300), wherein the manifold (200) is the manifold (200) as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A cold-plate assembly, characterized in that, The cold plate assembly is a first cold plate assembly, which includes a cold plate unit (300) and a first manifold (210) connected to the open end of the cold plate unit (300). The first manifold (210) is the manifold (200) as described in claim 2.

16. A cold-plate assembly, characterized in that, The cold plate assembly is a second cold plate assembly, which includes a cold plate unit (300) and a second manifold (220) connected to the open end of the cold plate unit (300). The second manifold (220) is the manifold (200) as described in claim 3.

17. A cold plate assembly, characterized in that, The cold plate assembly is a third cold plate assembly, which includes a cold plate unit (300) and a third bus connector (230) connected to the open end of the cold plate unit (300). The third bus connector (230) is the bus connector (200) as described in any one of claims 7-9.

18. A cold plate temperature control device, characterized in that, It includes an inlet pipe (110), a return pipe (120), and at least one heat dissipation zone assembly, wherein the heat dissipation zone assembly includes a plurality of cold plate assemblies connected in sequence; Each of the aforementioned cold plate assemblies includes at least a first cold plate assembly, a second cold plate assembly, and a third cold plate assembly; The first cold plate assembly is the cold plate assembly as described in claim 15, the liquid inlet pipe (110) is connected to the liquid inlet (206) of the first cold plate assembly, and the liquid return pipe (120) is connected to the liquid return outlet (207) of the first cold plate assembly; The second cold plate assembly is the cold plate assembly as described in claim 16, and the second cold plate assembly is arranged on both sides of the first cold plate assembly; The third cold plate assembly is the cold plate assembly as described in claim 17, and the outermost cold plate assembly of the heat dissipation area assembly is the third cold plate assembly.

19. The cold plate temperature control device as described in claim 18, characterized in that, There is one first cold plate assembly and two third cold plate assemblies. Multiple second cold plate assemblies are provided between each third cold plate assembly and the first cold plate assembly.

20. The cold plate temperature control device as described in claim 18, characterized in that, There are multiple heat dissipation zone components, and each heat dissipation zone component is connected in series on the liquid inlet pipe (110) and the liquid return pipe (120).

21. A battery pack, characterized in that, The device includes multiple battery cells and a cold plate temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of the battery cells, wherein the cold plate temperature control device is the cold plate temperature control device as described in any one of claims 18-20.

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