Cabinet, battery and electric appliance

Abstract

The application discloses a box, a battery and an electric device, and relates to the technical field of batteries. The box is used for containing a plurality of battery modules. At least two battery modules are electrically connected through an electrical connector. The box comprises a side wall, and the side wall has a containing portion used for containing the electrical connector. By arranging the electrical connector in the containing portion of the side wall of the box, the electrical connector and the side wall of the box share part of the space, so that the space utilization in the box is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a housing, a battery, and an electrical device. Background Technology

[0002] Batteries typically house multiple battery modules to increase voltage and capacity. These modules are electrically connected via connectors such as copper busbars, aluminum busbars, or data acquisition harnesses. Currently, these connectors are located inside the battery, for example, above the battery modules, leading to reduced battery space utilization. Utility Model Content

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a housing, a battery, and an electrical device to at least partially solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a housing for accommodating multiple battery modules, at least two of which are electrically connected via electrical connectors. The housing includes a side wall with a receiving portion for accommodating the electrical connectors.

[0005] In the above technical solution, by setting a receiving part on the side wall of the enclosure and arranging the electrical connector in the receiving part, the electrical connector can share part of the space with the side wall of the enclosure, thereby improving the space utilization rate inside the enclosure.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the receiving portion extends through at least one end of the sidewall along its length.

[0007] In the above technical solution, by having the receiving part penetrate through at least one end of the side wall along the length direction of the side wall, it is convenient to assemble the electrical connector into the receiving part at one end of the side wall, which helps to reduce the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the receiving portion is located within the sidewall.

[0009] The above technical solution can enhance the restraining effect of the sidewall on the electrical connector and reduce the risk of the electrical connector coming out of the receiving part.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the sidewall is an extruded profile structure, and the receiving portion is a cavity inside the sidewall.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the cavity of the sidewall is used as a receiving part to accommodate the electrical connector, which can reduce the difficulty of manufacturing the receiving part and meet the requirements of lightweight while ensuring the strength of the sidewall.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the receiving portion has opposing first and second openings along the length of the sidewall, the sidewall having an inner surface facing the housing, and at least one of the first and second openings penetrating the inner surface.

[0013] In the above technical solution, extending the first opening to the inner surface increases its size, reducing the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector from that side. Similarly, extending the second opening to the inner surface increases its size, reducing the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector from that side.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the dimension of the receiving portion along the height direction of the box body is H, satisfying 15mm ≤ H ≤ 100mm; and / or,

[0015] The dimension of the receiving portion along the thickness direction of the sidewall is L, satisfying 15mm ≤ L ≤ 40mm; and / or,

[0016] The sidewall has an inner surface facing the inside of the box, and the receiving portion is spaced apart from the inner surface by a distance W1, satisfying that 20mm ≤ W1 ≤ 40mm; and / or,

[0017] The sidewall has a bottom surface, and the receiving part is spaced apart from the bottom surface by a distance W2, satisfying that 20mm≤W2≤40mm.

[0018] In the above technical solution, the dimension of the receiving part along the height direction of the enclosure is controlled between 15mm and 100mm, so that the receiving part has sufficient space in the height direction of the enclosure to accommodate the electrical connector, while the receiving part has little impact on the structural strength of the side wall; the dimension of the receiving part along the thickness direction of the side wall is controlled between 15mm and 40mm, so that the receiving part has sufficient space in the width direction of the enclosure to accommodate the electrical connector, while the receiving part has little impact on the structural strength of the side wall; the distance between the receiving part and the inner surface is controlled between 20mm and 40mm, which can improve the structural strength of the side wall while meeting the requirements for lightweight side wall; the distance between the receiving part and the bottom surface is controlled between 20mm and 40mm, which can improve the structural strength of the side wall while meeting the requirements for lightweight side wall.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the side wall is provided with a mounting portion, and the receiving portion and the mounting portion are offset from each other in the height direction of the box.

[0020] In the above technical solution, the uneven load distribution at the location of the mounting portion on the side wall leads to stress concentration and relatively low strength. If the receiving portion and the mounting portion are at the same height, the stress concentration will be further aggravated. In the above solution, by staggering the receiving portion and the mounting portion in the height direction of the box, the stress concentration problem can be effectively alleviated, thereby improving the structural strength of the side wall.

[0021] In one possible implementation, two sidewalls are provided, spaced apart along the thickness direction of the sidewalls. The housing also includes a bottom wall connected between the two sidewalls. The bottom wall and the two sidewalls define a receiving space for accommodating the battery module. Along the height direction of the housing, the receiving portion is located between the mounting portion and the bottom wall.

[0022] In the above technical solutions, a cooling component is usually set at the bottom of the battery to cool down the battery module. By placing the receiving part between the mounting part and the bottom wall, the receiving part is close to the bottom wall, and the electrical connectors assembled in the receiving part are also close to the bottom wall, which is beneficial for heat dissipation of the electrical connectors.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the interior of the bottom wall has channels for accommodating a heat exchange medium used to regulate the temperature of the battery module.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the heat exchange medium can be used to heat the battery module when the ambient temperature is low, or to cool the battery module during battery use, so that the battery module can work in a suitable temperature environment and improve the cycle life of the battery module.

[0025] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a battery including multiple battery modules and the aforementioned housing, wherein the battery modules are disposed within the housing.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electrical device, including the aforementioned battery or the aforementioned housing. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying 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.

[0028] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a battery provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 Electrical connection diagrams of battery modules provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 3 Exploded views of the enclosure provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a top view of the housing provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along AA;

[0033] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the sidewall structure provided for some embodiments of this application.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 100 - Box;

[0036] 10-Side wall; 12-Inner surface; 13-Hanging part; 11-Receiving part; 111-First opening; 112-Second opening;

[0037] 20-bottom wall;

[0038] 30-Cap;

[0039] 40 - Accommodation space;

[0040] 51-First end cap; 52-Second end cap;

[0041] 60 - Top cover;

[0042] 200 - Electrical connectors;

[0043] 300-Battery Module;

[0044] 1000-battery. Detailed Implementation

[0045] 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 a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0046] This application provides an electrical device, which includes a battery 1000 for supplying power to the device. The electrical device can be a vehicle, ship, server rack, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, the electrical device is a vehicle. The battery 1000 can be used to power the vehicle's power system, or the vehicle's air conditioning system, or the vehicle's display system.

[0048] For example, the vehicle includes a motor, and the battery 1000 is electrically connected to the motor.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the battery 1000 provided for some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the electrical connections of a battery module 300 provided for some embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, the battery 1000 includes a housing 100 and a battery module 300 disposed within the housing 100.

[0050] In one example, battery module 300 is a standardized module composed of multiple electrically connected battery cells assembled by a fixed frame. Multiple battery modules 300 are typically provided, and these modules are connected in series, parallel, or a combination of both to increase the voltage and capacity of battery 1000.

[0051] The battery modules 300 are electrically connected to each other via electrical connectors 200.

[0052] In one example, the electrical connector 200 is a copper busbar or an aluminum busbar, with one end of the electrical connector 200 connected to the positive terminal of a battery module 300 and the other end connected to the negative terminal of another battery module 300.

[0053] In another example, electrical connector 200 is a wire harness used to enable power signal transmission between modules.

[0054] In some embodiments, the battery module 300 further includes auxiliary components such as heat dissipation and temperature control.

[0055] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 The exploded view of the housing 100 provided for some embodiments of this application shows that, in some embodiments, the housing 100 includes a housing body and a top cover. The top of the housing body has an opening for inserting a battery module 300 into the housing 100. The top cover covers the opening, and the top cover and the housing body define a receiving space 40 for receiving the battery module 300.

[0056] In some embodiments, the box body includes two side walls 10, a first end cap 51, a second end cap 52, and a bottom wall 20. The two side walls 10, the first end cap 51, and the second end cap 52 surround the bottom wall 20. The two side walls 10 are spaced apart along the width direction of the box body 100, and the first end cap 51 and the second end cap 52 are spaced apart along the length direction of the box body 100.

[0057] Reference Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 4 This is a top view of the housing 100 provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along AA; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sidewall 10 provided for some embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, the housing 100 is used to accommodate multiple battery modules 300, and at least two battery modules 300 are electrically connected via electrical connectors 200. The housing 100 includes a sidewall 10, the sidewall 10 having a receiving portion 11 for accommodating the electrical connectors 200.

[0058] Typically, the electrical connector 200 (also known as a long jumper) is designed to be relatively long so that it can span a larger space between different battery modules 300, thereby enabling electrical connection between two battery modules 300 in different locations.

[0059] The electrical connector 200 occupies additional space within the housing 100, resulting in reduced space utilization within the housing 100. For example, if the electrical connector 200 is located on top of the battery module 300, it reduces the Z-axis space utilization.

[0060] For example, both sidewalls 10 are provided with receiving portions 11.

[0061] The receiving portion 11 can be a groove channel formed by the recess of the side wall 10 surface, or a through channel provided inside the side wall 10.

[0062] In this embodiment of the application, by providing a receiving portion 11 on the side wall 10 of the housing 100 and arranging the electrical connector 200 in the receiving portion 11, the electrical connector 200 can share part of the space with the side wall 10 of the housing 100, thereby improving the space utilization rate inside the housing 100.

[0063] In some embodiments, the receiving portion 11 extends through at least one end of the sidewall 10 along its length. This arrangement facilitates the assembly of the electrical connector 200 into the receiving portion 11 at one end of the sidewall 10, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector 200.

[0064] For example, the receiving portion 11 extends through both ends of the sidewall 10 along the length direction of the sidewall 10.

[0065] In some embodiments, the receiving portion 11 is located within the sidewall 10. This arrangement enhances the restraining effect of the sidewall 10 on the electrical connector 200 and reduces the risk of the electrical connector 200 dislodging from the receiving portion 11.

[0066] In some embodiments, the sidewall 10 is an extruded profile structure, and the receiving portion 11 is a cavity inside the sidewall 10.

[0067] The sidewalls 10 of the housing 100 are typically extruded hollow profile structures. The extrusion process can continuously produce sidewalls 10 with uniform cross-sections, achieving efficient mass production and cost control. The hollow design inside the profile can reduce weight through structural design and utilize closed cross-sectional geometry (such as rectangular or trapezoidal cavities) to form a mechanical structure similar to an "I-beam," uniformly distributing stress to enhance impact resistance and torsional stiffness, thus meeting the lightweight requirements while ensuring the strength of the sidewalls 10.

[0068] In this embodiment, the cavity of the sidewall 10 is used as the receiving part 11 to accommodate the electrical connector 200, which can reduce the manufacturing difficulty of the receiving part 11 and meet the lightweight requirements while ensuring the strength of the sidewall 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, the sidewall 10 is made of aluminum profile.

[0070] In some embodiments, along the length of the sidewall 10, the receiving portion 11 has a first opening 111 and a second opening 112 opposite to each other, and the sidewall 10 has an inner surface 12 facing the inside of the housing 100, and at least one of the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 penetrates the inner surface 12.

[0071] For example, both the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 extend to the inner surface 12.

[0072] The first opening 111 extends to the inner surface 12, which can increase the size of the first opening 111 and reduce the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector 200 from that side. The second opening 112 extends to the inner surface 12, which can increase the size of the second opening 112 and reduce the assembly difficulty of the electrical connector 200 from that side.

[0073] Reference Figure 5 In some embodiments, the dimension of the receiving portion 11 along the height direction of the housing 100 is H, satisfying 15mm≤H≤100mm. With this configuration, the receiving portion 11 has sufficient space in the height direction of the housing 100 to accommodate the electrical connector 200, while the receiving portion 11 has a minimal impact on the structural strength of the sidewall 10.

[0074] For example, H can be 15mm, 20mm, 30mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, 80mm, 90mm, 100mm, and any value in between.

[0075] In some embodiments, the dimension of the receiving portion 11 along the thickness direction of the sidewall 10 is L, satisfying 15mm≤L≤40mm. With this configuration, the receiving portion 11 has sufficient space in the width direction of the housing 100 to accommodate the electrical connector 200, while the receiving portion 11 has a minimal impact on the structural strength of the sidewall 10.

[0076] For example, L can be 15mm, 17mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 38mm, 40mm, and any value in between.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 In some embodiments, the sidewall 10 has an inner surface 12 facing the inside of the housing 100, and the receiving portion 11 is spaced apart from the inner surface 12 by a distance W1, satisfying that 20mm≤W1≤40mm.

[0078] For example, W1 can be 20mm, 23mm, 25mm, 28mm, 32mm, 36mm, 39mm, 40mm, and any value in between.

[0079] In this embodiment of the application, controlling W1 between 20mm and 40mm can improve the structural strength of the sidewall 10 while meeting the lightweight requirements of the sidewall 10.

[0080] In some embodiments, the receiving portion 11 is disposed near the bottom of the side wall 10, the side wall 10 has a bottom surface, the receiving portion 11 is disposed at a distance W2 from the bottom surface, and the distance between them satisfies 20mm≤W2≤40mm.

[0081] For example, W2 can be 20mm, 23mm, 25mm, 28mm, 32mm, 36mm, 39mm, 40mm, and any value in between.

[0082] In this embodiment of the application, W2 is controlled between 20mm and 40mm, which can improve the structural strength of the sidewall 10 while meeting the lightweight requirements of the sidewall 10.

[0083] In some embodiments, the side wall 10 is provided with a mounting part 13 to facilitate the connection of the housing 100 with other structures, thereby enabling the placement and fixation of the battery 1000.

[0084] For example, the mounting part 13 is a threaded hole provided on the outside of the side wall 10.

[0085] In some embodiments, the receiving part 11 and the mounting part 13 are offset in the height direction of the housing 100.

[0086] Because the location of the mounting portion 13 on the side wall 10 experiences stress concentration due to uneven load distribution, its strength is relatively low. If the receiving portion 11 and the mounting portion 13 are at the same height, the stress concentration will be further aggravated. In this embodiment, by staggering the receiving portion 11 and the mounting portion 13 in the height direction of the housing 100, the stress concentration problem can be effectively alleviated, thereby improving the structural strength of the side wall 10.

[0087] In some embodiments, two sidewalls 10 are provided, and the two sidewalls 10 are spaced apart along the thickness direction of the sidewalls 10. The housing 100 also includes a bottom wall 20, which is connected between the two sidewalls 10. The bottom wall 20 and the two sidewalls 10 define a receiving space 40 for receiving the battery module 300. Along the height direction of the housing 100, the receiving part 11 is located between the mounting part 13 and the bottom wall 20.

[0088] Typically, a cooling component is provided at the bottom of the battery 1000 to cool down the battery module 300. However, in this embodiment, by placing the receiving part 11 between the mounting part 13 and the bottom wall 20, the receiving part 11 is placed close to the bottom wall 20, thereby allowing the electrical connector 200 assembled in the receiving part 11 to also be close to the bottom wall 20, which is beneficial for heat dissipation of the electrical connector 200.

[0089] In some embodiments, the sidewall 10 is welded to the bottom wall 20.

[0090] In one possible implementation, the interior of the bottom wall 20 has channels for accommodating a heat exchange medium used to regulate the temperature of the battery module 300.

[0091] The heat exchange medium can be used to heat the battery module 300 when the ambient temperature is low, or to cool the battery module 300 during the use of the battery 1000, so that the battery module 300 can work in a suitable temperature environment and extend the cycle life of the battery module 300.

[0092] The heat exchange medium can be water, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, a fluorinated liquid, etc.

[0093] In some embodiments, the heat exchange medium is configured to be circulated to improve heat exchange efficiency.

[0094] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0095] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0096] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0097] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A housing (100), characterized in that, For accommodating multiple battery modules (300), at least two of the battery modules (300) are electrically connected via electrical connectors (200), and the housing (100) includes: The sidewall (10) has a receiving portion (11) for receiving the electrical connector (200).

2. The housing (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving portion (11) extends through at least one end of the sidewall (10) along its length.

3. The housing (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving portion (11) is located inside the side wall (10).

4. The housing (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sidewall (10) is an extruded profile structure, and the receiving part (11) is a cavity inside the sidewall (10).

5. The housing (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the length of the sidewall (10), the receiving portion (11) has a first opening (111) and a second opening (112) opposite to each other, the sidewall (10) has an inner surface (12) facing the inside of the housing (100), and at least one of the first opening (111) and the second opening (112) penetrates the inner surface (12).

6. The housing (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimension of the receiving part (11) along the height direction of the box body (100) is H, satisfying that 15mm ≤ H ≤ 100mm; and / or, The dimension of the receiving portion (11) along the thickness direction of the sidewall (10) is L, satisfying 15mm≤L≤40mm; and / or, The sidewall (10) has an inner surface (12) facing the inside of the housing (100), and the receiving part (11) is spaced apart from the inner surface (12) by a distance W1, satisfying that 20mm≤W1≤40mm; and / or, The sidewall (10) has a bottom surface, and the receiving part (11) is spaced apart from the bottom surface by a distance of W2, satisfying that 20mm≤W2≤40mm.

7. The housing (100) according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The side wall (10) is provided with a mounting part (13), and the receiving part (11) and the mounting part (13) are offset in the height direction of the box (100).

8. The housing (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, Two sidewalls (10) are provided, and the two sidewalls (10) are spaced apart along the thickness direction of the sidewalls (10). The housing (100) further includes: A bottom wall (20) is connected between the two side walls (10), the bottom wall (20) and the two side walls (10) define a receiving space (40) for accommodating the battery module (300), and the receiving part (11) is located between the mounting part (13) and the bottom wall (20) along the height direction of the housing (100).

9. The housing (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The bottom wall (20) has a flow channel inside to accommodate a heat exchange medium used to regulate the temperature of the battery module (300).

10. A battery (1000), characterized in that, It includes multiple battery modules (300) and a housing (100) as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the battery modules (300) are disposed within the housing (100).

11. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, Includes the battery (1000) as described in claim 10 or the housing (100) as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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