A module frame, a battery module and a battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of module frame, battery module and battery pack, wherein module frame includes two end plates, two side plates and middle plate assembly, two side plates and two end plates form chamber by enclosing, middle plate assembly is arranged in chamber and is connected between two end plates, to separate chamber into at least two battery installation cavities;Middle plate assembly includes connected first middle plate and second middle plate, two ends of first middle plate are respectively welded with two end plates, and form two welds, two ends of second middle plate are respectively welded with two end plates, and form two welds, so that each end plate is connected with middle plate assembly by two welds, it is favorable to guarantee that the weld of entire module frame is more uniform in stress, it is favorable to increase the structural strength of module frame, also favorable to reduce welding process manufacturing difficulty, in turn, it is favorable to guarantee the stability of process capability, improve product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a module frame, a battery module, and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of integrated new energy battery packs, battery modules have gradually evolved from single-row to multi-row modules. For multi-row modules, the module frame typically requires welding technology to achieve reliable connections, meeting the strength requirements of the module frame during cell expansion. To minimize the deformation of the end plates of the module frame during cell expansion, the overall structural strength of the module frame needs to be increased. Typically, a middle plate is added between two rows of cells, and this middle plate is reliably connected to the end plates using welding, fastening, or other methods, thereby increasing the overall structural strength of the module frame.

[0003] When the end plates and middle plates are welded together, the weld between them typically needs to withstand greater weld forces (nearly twice the force of the weld between the end plates and side plates), leading to uneven stress distribution across the entire module frame. Furthermore, the weld between the end plates and middle plates becomes a weak point in the module frame's load-bearing capacity, making it more prone to structural failure. To meet the structural strength requirements at this point, stringent requirements must be placed on the welding process and weld quality, making it difficult to guarantee the stability of the manufacturing process and ultimately resulting in a significant increase in product manufacturing costs.

[0004] Therefore, a new solution is needed to address the aforementioned technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model provides a module frame, a battery module, and a battery pack to solve the technical problem of poor structural strength at the connection between the end plate and the middle plate.

[0006] This utility model provides a module frame, which includes two parallel end plates, two side plates connected to the two end plates, and a middle plate assembly. The two side plates and the two end plates together form a cavity. The middle plate assembly is disposed in the cavity and connected between the two end plates to divide the cavity into at least two battery mounting cavities. The middle plate assembly includes a first middle plate and a second middle plate connected to each other. The two ends of the first middle plate are respectively welded to the two end plates to form two weld seams. The two ends of the second middle plate are respectively welded to the two end plates to form two weld seams.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the end plate is provided with mounting holes; both ends of the first middle plate and the second middle plate are provided with insertion portions, which are used to insert and cooperate with the mounting holes.

[0008] In one embodiment of this utility model, the mounting hole includes a connecting section and a guide section arranged sequentially from the outer side to the inner side of the end plate; the plug-in part is guided into the connecting section via the guide section; a first welding gap is formed between the plug-in part of the first middle plate and the side wall of the connecting section adjacent to it; a second welding gap is formed between the plug-in part of the second middle plate and the side wall of the connecting section adjacent to it; the plug-in part is welded to the connecting section at the first welding gap and the second welding gap; and the size D of the first welding gap and the second welding gap satisfies 0mm≤D≤0.2mm.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide segment has a guide slope on one or both sides along its own width direction, so that the width of the guide segment gradually increases from the outer side to the inner side of the end plate.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, a light-blocking structure is provided on the first middle plate and / or the second middle plate, and the light-blocking structure is provided corresponding to the guide section.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the mounting hole is located in the middle of the end plate in the height direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first middle plate and the second middle plate are arranged in parallel and connected together by opposite surfaces, and an insulating layer is provided on the opposite side of the first middle plate and the second middle plate, the insulating layer being used to contact the battery cell.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulating layer is respectively provided on the sidewalls of the first middle plate and the second middle plate, and the first middle plate and the second middle plate having the insulating layer are connected together; or, the insulating layer is wrapped on the outer sidewall of the middle plate assembly.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first middle plate and the second middle plate are bonded together; or, the first middle plate and the second middle plate are welded together.

[0015] This utility model also provides a battery module, which includes a module frame as described in any of the above claims and at least two battery units. The battery units are placed in a battery mounting cavity, and each battery unit includes a plurality of individual cells arranged in sequence.

[0016] This utility model also provides a battery pack, which includes the battery module described in any of the above claims.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model proposes a module frame, a battery module, and a battery pack. The module frame divides the cavity formed by the end plates and side plates into at least two battery mounting cavities by connecting a middle plate assembly between two end plates. The middle plate assembly includes a first middle plate and a second middle plate connected to each other. The two ends of the first middle plate are welded to the two end plates respectively, forming two welds. The two ends of the second middle plate are also welded to the two end plates respectively, forming two welds. This allows each end plate to be connected to the middle plate assembly through two welds. The two welds share the load-bearing capacity of one weld in related technologies, thereby improving the strength of a single weld and making the weld stress of the entire module frame more uniform. This is beneficial for increasing the structural strength of the module frame, reducing the difficulty of welding process manufacturing, ensuring the stability of process capability, and improving product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0019] In the attached diagram:

[0020] Figure 1 A module frame provided in one embodiment of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the middle plate assembly provided in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the first or second middle plate provided in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a side view of the module frame provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Sectional view of BB;

[0026] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A magnified view of part C in the middle.

[0027] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0028] 1-End plate; 11-Mounting hole; 12-Connecting section; 13-Guide section;

[0029] 2-Side panels;

[0030] 3-Middle plate assembly; 31-First middle plate; 32-Second middle plate; 33-Structural adhesive; 34-Insulation layer; 35-Interlocking part; 36-First weld; 37-Second weld; 38-Light-blocking structure;

[0031] 4-Battery mounting cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments. Various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0033] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. The drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0034] In the following description, numerous details are explored to provide a more thorough explanation of embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail to avoid obscuring embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This utility model provides a module frame including an end plate 1, side plates 2, and a middle plate assembly 3. Two end plates 1 and two side plates 2 are provided, arranged parallel to each other, and together they form a cavity. The middle plate assembly 3 is disposed within this cavity and connected between the two end plates 1, dividing the cavity into at least two battery mounting cavities 4 for placing battery cells. It should be noted that at least one, two, or three middle plate assemblies 3 are provided, thereby enabling the middle plate assembly 3 to divide the cavity into at least two battery mounting cavities 4 for placing battery cells.

[0036] The middle plate assembly 3 includes a first middle plate 31 and a second middle plate 32 connected together. The two ends of the first middle plate 31 are welded to two end plates 1 respectively, forming two weld seams. Similarly, the two ends of the second middle plate 32 are welded to two end plates 1 respectively, forming two weld seams. That is, each end plate 1 is simultaneously welded to both the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, so that each end plate 1 is connected to the middle plate assembly 3 via two weld seams. The two weld seams on the end plate 1 share the load-bearing capacity of a single weld seam in related technologies, thereby increasing the strength of each individual weld seam. This allows the module frame to withstand greater cell cyclic expansion forces, which helps suppress deformation of the end plate 1 caused by cell expansion and reduces the risk of weld seam cracking between the end plate 1 and the middle plate assembly 3. Furthermore, the connection of the two weld seams makes the stress on the weld seams of the entire module frame more uniform, which helps increase the structural strength of the module frame. Meanwhile, with two welds present, the manufacturing difficulty of welding a single weld can be reduced while ensuring structural strength, which in turn helps to ensure the stability of process capability and improve product yield.

[0037] For example, when the end plate 1 and the middle plate assembly 3 are connected by two welds, since the two welds share the load-bearing capacity of one weld in the related technology, the weld length of the two welds can be appropriately shortened under the premise of meeting the structural strength requirements, which is beneficial to reducing the risk of cracking near the weld on the end plate 1.

[0038] Please see Figure 2 In one example, the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are bonded together. Structural adhesive 33 is applied to the surfaces where the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 connect, and the adhesive 33 is used to bond the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 together. In another example, the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are welded together. This can be done by partially welding the top and bottom of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 along their height, or by welding the entire surface where the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 connect. Welding methods can include argon arc welding, laser welding, friction welding, etc.

[0039] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are arranged in parallel and connected together by opposing surfaces, which helps to increase the structural strength of the middle plate body of the middle plate assembly 3. The middle plate body is the structure located inside the cavity of the middle plate assembly 3.

[0040] An insulating layer 34 is provided on the opposite side of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32. The first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are in contact with the battery cell through the insulating layer 34. This not only achieves the insulation between the middle plate assembly 3 and the battery cell, but also improves the adhesion between the middle plate assembly 3 and the battery cell due to the adhesiveness of the insulating layer 34, thereby increasing the surface energy of the middle plate assembly 3.

[0041] For example, the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are provided with insulating layers 34 only on the middle plate bodies located inside the cavity, and the middle plate bodies are provided with insulating layers 34 in the circumferential direction. The insulating layer 34 can be an insulating film attached to the outer surface of the middle plate assembly 3, or it can be an insulating coating formed by powder spraying or electrophoresis.

[0042] In one example, before connecting the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, an insulating layer 34 is provided on the sidewalls of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, respectively. Then, the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, each with the insulating layer 34, are connected together. In another example, after connecting the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, an insulating layer 34 is wrapped around the outer sidewall of the middle plate assembly 3 formed by the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32.

[0043] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the end plate 1 is provided with mounting holes 11, and both ends of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 are provided with insertion portions 35. The connection between the middle plate assembly 3 and the end plate 1 is achieved by inserting the insertion portions 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 into the mounting holes 11 of the end plate 1.

[0044] For example, the mounting hole 11 is located at the middle of the end plate 1 in the height direction.

[0045] In one example, the height of the middle plate assembly 3 located inside the cavity is higher than the height of the end plate 1, which makes it easier for the operator to insert the middle plate assembly 3 onto the end plate 1 when a battery unit is placed inside the cavity.

[0046] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one example, the mounting hole 11 on the end plate 1 includes a connecting section 12 and a guide section 13 connected together, wherein the connecting section 12 and the guide section 13 are arranged sequentially from the outer side of the end plate 1 away from the cavity to the inner side facing the cavity, and the insertion portion 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 is inserted into the connecting section 12 under the guidance of the guide section 13.

[0047] To weld the insertion portion 35 of the middle plate assembly 3 to the connecting segment 12 of its corresponding end plate 1, a first welding gap is formed between the insertion portion 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the side wall of the adjacent connecting segment 12. The insertion portion 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the connecting segment 12 of its corresponding end plate 1 are welded together at the first welding gap. Similarly, a second welding gap is formed between the insertion portion 35 of the second middle plate 32 and the side wall of the adjacent connecting segment 12. The insertion portion 35 of the second middle plate 32 and the connecting segment 12 of its corresponding end plate 1 are welded together at the second welding gap. In other words, the middle plate assembly 3 is welded to the end plate 1 through the first welding gap and the second welding gap.

[0048] It should be noted that the sizes of the first and second weld gaps can be adjusted adaptively based on the welding materials, welding processes, welding standards, etc. In this embodiment, the sizes D of the first and second weld gaps satisfy 0mm ≤ D ≤ 0.2mm.

[0049] For example, before welding the middle plate assembly 3 and the end plate 1, if the insertion part 35 of the first middle plate 31 is abutted against the side wall in the width direction of the connecting section 12, and the size of the first welding gap is 0mm, then there is a second welding gap between the insertion part 35 of the second middle plate 32 and the side wall in the width direction of the connecting section 12, and the size D of the second welding gap is 0mm < D ≤ 0.2mm.

[0050] If the insertion part 35 of the second middle plate 32 is abutted against the side wall in the width direction of the connecting section 12, and the size of the second welding gap is 0mm, then there is a first welding gap between the insertion part 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the side wall in the width direction of the connecting section 12. At this time, the size D of the first welding gap is 0mm < D ≤ 0.2mm.

[0051] Subsequently, laser welding can be used to weld the two sides of the connecting segment 12 in the width direction to the insertion parts 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32, respectively, to form the first weld 36 and the second weld 37, thereby achieving a reliable connection between the middle plate assembly 3 and the end plate 1. It should be noted that the welding position of the insertion part 35 and the connecting segment 12 is located on the outer side of the end plate 1 away from the cavity.

[0052] In one example, in order to make the first weld gap and the second weld gap meet the welding requirements, when the width of the connecting section 12 of the end plate 1 is known, the thickness of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 of different thicknesses can be combined to make the sum of the thicknesses of the insertion parts 35 of the first middle plate 31 and the second middle plate 32 match the width of the connecting section 12.

[0053] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, to prevent the laser from entering the battery mounting cavity 4 through the gap between the welding connector 35 and the connecting section 12 during the welding process, and thus damaging the battery cell located in the battery mounting cavity 4, a light-blocking structure 38 is provided on the first intermediate plate 31 and the second intermediate plate 32. During the process of the laser entering the battery mounting cavity 4 through the gap between the connector 35 and the connecting section 12, the laser is blocked by the light-blocking structure 38, preventing the laser from entering the battery mounting cavity 4 and damaging the battery cell.

[0054] When the insertion portion 35 on the first intermediate plate 31 can completely fit against the sidewall of the connecting section 12 of the end plate 1 in the width direction, the light-blocking structure 38 can be provided only on the second intermediate plate 32. When the insertion portion 35 on the second intermediate plate 32 can completely fit against the sidewall of the connecting section 12 of the end plate 1 in the width direction, the light-blocking structure 38 can be provided only on the first intermediate plate 31. Preferably, the light-blocking structure 38 is provided on both the first intermediate plate 31 and the second intermediate plate 32.

[0055] In one example, the light-blocking structure 38 is disposed within the battery mounting cavity 4 and located near the mounting hole 11 of the end plate 1.

[0056] For example, the light-blocking structure 38 can be configured as a light-blocking sheet, or as a stepped surface disposed on the first middle plate 31 and / or the second middle plate 32, or as a combination of a light-blocking sheet and a stepped surface.

[0057] Please see Figure 7 In one example, the guide segment 13 of the end plate 1 has a guide slope on one side along its width direction, or the guide segment 13 has guide slopes on both sides along its width direction, so that the width of the guide segment 13 gradually increases from the outer side to the inner side of the end plate 1, resulting in the width of the guide segment 13 being greater than the width of the connecting segment 12, which is more conducive to the insertion of the plug 35 into the mounting hole 11. Furthermore, the guide slope of the guide segment 13 has a guiding function during the insertion of the plug 35 into the connecting segment 12.

[0058] For example, the light-blocking structure 38 is correspondingly arranged with the guide section 13. For instance, placing the light-blocking structure 38 on the side of the guide section 13 with the guide slope helps to avoid the light-blocking structure 38 occupying the space of the battery mounting cavity 4. It should be noted that when the guide section 13 of the end plate 1 only has a guide slope on one side in the width direction, before welding the plug-in part 35 and the connecting section 12, the side wall of the plug-in part 35 of the first middle plate 31 or the second middle plate 32 needs to be completely fitted with the side wall of the connecting section 12 in the width direction. The side wall of the connecting section 12 that the plug-in part 35 is fitted with is on the same side as the side wall of the guide section 13 that does not have the guide slope.

[0059] One embodiment of this utility model also provides a battery module, including at least two battery cells and the aforementioned module frame. The battery cells are placed within the battery mounting cavities 4 of the module frame, with one battery cell per cavity 4. Each battery cell comprises multiple sequentially arranged individual battery cells. It should be noted that the number of battery cells placed within the module frame corresponds to the number of battery mounting cavities 4 formed by the partition chambers of the mid-plate assembly 3.

[0060] An embodiment of this utility model also provides a battery pack, which includes the battery module described above.

[0061] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A modular frame, characterized in that, include: Two end plates, the two end plates being arranged in parallel; Two side plates are connected to the two end plates and together with the two end plates form a cavity; A middle plate assembly is disposed within the cavity and connected between the two end plates to divide the cavity into at least two battery mounting cavities; The middle plate assembly includes a first middle plate and a second middle plate connected to each other. The two ends of the first middle plate are respectively welded to the two end plates to form two weld seams. The two ends of the second middle plate are respectively welded to the two end plates to form two weld seams.

2. The module frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end plate is provided with mounting holes; both ends of the first middle plate and the second middle plate are provided with plug-in parts, which are used to plug into the mounting holes.

3. The module frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting hole includes a connecting section and a guide section arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside of the end plate. The insertion part is guided into the connecting section via the guide section. A first welding gap is formed between the insertion part of the first middle plate and the side wall of the connecting section adjacent to it. A second welding gap is formed between the insertion part of the second middle plate and the side wall of the connecting section adjacent to it. The insertion part is welded to the connecting section at the first welding gap and the second welding gap. The size D of the first welding gap and the second welding gap satisfies 0mm≤D≤0.2mm.

4. The module frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide segment has guide ramps on one or both sides along its width direction, so that the width of the guide segment gradually increases from the outer side to the inner side of the end plate.

5. The module frame according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first middle plate and / or the second middle plate are provided with a light-blocking structure, and the light-blocking structure is provided in correspondence with the guide section.

6. The module frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting hole is located in the middle of the end plate in the height direction.

7. The module frame according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The first middle plate and the second middle plate are arranged in parallel and connected together by opposite surfaces, and an insulating layer is provided on the opposite side of the first middle plate and the second middle plate, the insulating layer being used to contact the battery cell.

8. The module frame according to claim 7, characterized in that: The insulating layer is respectively provided on the sidewalls of the first middle plate and the second middle plate, and the first middle plate and the second middle plate having the insulating layer are connected together; or, the insulating layer is wrapped on the outer sidewall of the middle plate assembly.

9. The module frame according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The first middle plate and the second middle plate are bonded together; or, the first middle plate and the second middle plate are welded together.

10. A battery module, characterized in that, include: The module frame as described in any one of claims 1-9; At least two battery cells are placed inside a battery mounting cavity, and each battery cell includes a plurality of individual cells arranged in sequence.

11. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack includes the battery module as described in claim 10.

Images