A box structure and a battery system

Abstract

The application discloses a box structure and a battery system. The box structure comprises a shell, has a containing cavity extending along a first direction, and the first direction is consistent with a stacking direction of to-be-assembled battery cells in the containing cavity. A movable baffle is in sliding connection with the shell and slides relative to the shell in the first direction, so as to continuously adjust an effective size of the containing cavity in the first direction, so as to adapt to different numbers of battery cells, and aims to solve the technical problem of how to improve the lightweight level and compatibility of a battery pack under the premise of guaranteeing the safety and pre-tightening requirement of the battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a housing structure and a battery system. Background Technology

[0002] In existing battery systems, a staged assembly method is typically used. This involves first assembling several individual cells into a cell module through processes such as fixing, pre-tightening, and electrical connection. The cell module is then installed into the battery housing, and finally, the housing's structural components and external interfaces are integrated to form a complete battery pack. While this method can ensure assembly standardization and cell consistency to a certain extent, it has significant shortcomings.

[0003] First, the tiered assembly method involves a complex process. Cells must first be assembled into cell modules, and then these modules are combined with the battery casing to form a battery pack. This results in a large number of components and complex assembly steps, making it difficult to achieve high efficiency in the production process. Second, cell modules themselves typically require independent frames or support structures for pre-tightening and positioning between cells. This not only increases the space occupied by the module layers but also adds extra weight, hindering the development of lightweight battery packs. Third, traditional modular solutions also have shortcomings in terms of compatibility and flexibility. Battery pack designs with different capacity levels or cell counts often require customized module frames, resulting in poor versatility and high design and manufacturing costs.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the lightweighting and compatibility of battery packs while ensuring cell safety and pre-tightening requirements has become a pressing technical problem in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] One objective of this application is to provide a housing structure and battery system that aims to solve the technical problem of improving the lightweighting and compatibility of the battery pack while ensuring cell safety and preload requirements.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a solution: a housing structure including a shell having a receiving cavity extending along a first direction, the first direction being consistent with the stacking direction of the battery cells to be assembled within the receiving cavity; and a movable baffle slidably connected to the shell and sliding relative to the shell in the first direction to continuously adjust the effective size of the receiving cavity in the first direction to accommodate different numbers of battery cells.

[0007] Optionally, the receiving cavity includes an opening oriented perpendicular to a first direction for inserting the battery cell into the receiving cavity from the opening.

[0008] Optionally, the movable baffle protrudes from the side of the wall facing the housing to form a sliding part, and the housing has a guide groove extending in the first direction. The sliding part is embedded in the guide groove and can slide along the guide groove.

[0009] Optionally, the guide groove penetrates the wall of the housing so that the receiving cavity communicates with the outside of the housing through the guide groove, and the sliding part extends through the guide groove to the outside of the housing so as to allow the position of the sliding part to be adjusted from the outside of the housing structure.

[0010] Optionally, the enclosure structure also includes a cover plate, which is movably connected to the housing and can cover or expose the guide groove and the sliding portion exposed to the outside of the housing to form a sealed structure or provide a maintenance passage.

[0011] Optionally, the movable baffle protrudes from both sides of the wall facing the housing to form a sliding part.

[0012] Optionally, the housing also includes a locking element that secures the movable baffle to the housing to limit the displacement of the sliding part relative to the housing and apply a preload to the battery cell assembly.

[0013] Optionally, the sliding part is provided with a locking hole, and a plurality of adjustment holes are spaced apart on the wall of the housing along a first direction; the locking member is detachably inserted into both the locking hole and any one of the adjustment holes to limit the displacement of the sliding part relative to the housing.

[0014] Optionally, each sliding part is provided with at least three locking holes spaced apart along the first direction, and the number of adjusting holes is greater than the number of locking holes.

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a solution: a battery system comprising multiple battery cells, an end plate, and the aforementioned housing structure, wherein the multiple battery cells are arranged along a first direction, the end plate is disposed at one end of the battery cell and abuts against a movable baffle, and the end plate and the battery cell are located within a receiving cavity.

[0016] Optionally, the battery system also includes foam disposed between adjacent cells.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: To address the existing technology where battery cells must first be assembled into modules before being installed into the battery housing, this application proposes an improved housing structure. By eliminating the traditional module frame, the battery cells are directly placed into the housing's receiving cavity, and a movable baffle that can slide along the cell stacking direction is used for pre-tightening and positioning. This significantly reduces the number of components, simplifies the battery pack manufacturing and assembly process, and improves production efficiency. Furthermore, because the baffle position is flexibly adjustable, the effective length of the receiving cavity can be adapted to different numbers or specifications of battery cells according to actual needs, thereby improving the compatibility and versatility of the battery system. This application, while meeting the requirements for cell pre-tightening and safety, reduces intermediate layers and lowers the overall weight, which is more conducive to the lightweight development of battery packs. Attached Figure Description

[0018] 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a box structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is provided by the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of region A in the middle; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a movable baffle provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a box structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cell structure provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Explanation of icon numbers: 10. Box structure; 11. Shell; 111. Receiving cavity; 112. Opening; 113. Guide groove; 114. Adjustment hole; 12. Movable baffle; 121. Sliding part; 1211. Locking hole; 13. Cover plate; 14. Locking element; 20. Battery cell; 30. End plate; 40. Foam. Detailed Implementation

[0021] 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 the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0023] It should also be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may be connected to an intermediary component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or indirectly connected to the other component through an intermediary component.

[0024] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a box structure 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is provided by the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of region A in the middle. Figure 1 The X direction shown is the first direction.

[0025] The present application provides a housing structure 10 to reduce structural layers and improve overall flexibility and lightweighting while ensuring the safety and pre-tightening requirements of the battery cell 20.

[0026] The housing structure 10 includes a shell 11 and a movable baffle 12. The shell 11 has a long and narrow frame structure with an internal receiving cavity 111 for directly accommodating multiple battery cells 20. The receiving cavity 111 extends along a first direction, and the battery cells 20 can be arranged and stacked sequentially in this direction. A movable baffle 12 is provided at one end of the shell 11. The movable baffle 12 cooperates with the shell 11 through a sliding groove or guide rail mechanism, and can slide smoothly along the direction in which the battery cells 20 are arranged. The sliding position of the baffle determines the effective length of the receiving cavity 111. That is, by moving the movable baffle 12, the available installation space can be flexibly adjusted to accommodate the assembly requirements of different numbers of battery cells 20. At the same time, by moving the movable baffle 12, the battery cells 20 can be pressed at an appropriate position to achieve pre-tightening of the battery cells 20 and prevent the battery cells 20 from shifting during operation.

[0027] In this embodiment, the traditional module frame design is eliminated, eliminating the need for pre-assembly of the battery cell 20 modules. Instead, the battery cells 20 are directly installed into the housing. During assembly, workers simply insert the battery cells 20 one by one into the cavity of the housing 11 and then push the movable baffle 12 to the appropriate position to complete the clamping. Compared with the traditional modular solution, the number of parts is reduced, the assembly steps are greatly simplified, and the overall manufacturing efficiency is improved. In addition, this structure also has good compatibility. By adjusting the position of the baffle, different numbers and capacities of battery cells 20 can be accommodated, no longer limited by a fixed module size. This allows the same housing platform to cover multiple battery packs.

[0028] In a partially optimized embodiment, an opening 112 is provided on one side of the receiving cavity 111, the opening direction of which is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the battery cells 20 within the receiving cavity 111. During assembly, the battery cells 20 can be directly inserted into the receiving cavity 111 from the opening 112. The width of the opening 112 is designed according to the external dimensions of the battery cells 20 to ensure smooth insertion and a tight fit with the inner wall of the housing 11 after the battery cells 20 are fully in place, preventing displacement of the battery cells 20 during operation. To facilitate assembly, the edges of the opening 112 can also be machined into rounded corners or beveled surfaces to reduce friction and interference during assembly.

[0029] In some further optimized designs, a movable plate or a limiting structure can be installed at the opening 112. After the battery cell 20 is inserted, the movable plate can close the opening 112, thereby maintaining the overall strength and sealing of the housing 11; the limiting structure can prevent the battery cell 20 from sliding out from the opening 112 due to vibration or external force. The movable plate can adopt a flip-type, sliding type, or snap-on type structure, etc.

[0030] As one implementation method, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a movable baffle 12 provided in an embodiment of this application. In some optimized embodiments, the movable baffle 12 and the housing 11 are adjusted in relative position through a sliding fit. Specifically, the movable baffle 12 extends outward on one edge near the wall of the housing 11 to form a sliding part 121, and a matching guide groove 113 is machined at the corresponding position on the housing 11. The guide groove 113 extends along the first direction of the cell stacking 20, and its length covers the sliding range of the baffle.

[0031] During assembly, the sliding part 121 can be embedded inside the guide groove 113 and achieve restricted sliding within the guide groove 113. Because the sliding part 121 and the guide groove 113 have a linear fit, the movable baffle 12 can maintain its movement in a predetermined direction without lateral swaying or tilting, ensuring the stability and uniform force distribution of the baffle when pressing the battery cell 20. Furthermore, a clearance fit or sliding pair structure can be provided between the sliding part 121 and the guide groove 113. For example, a wear-resistant layer or a low-friction coating can be added to the surface of the sliding part 121, or balls or sliders can be embedded inside the guide groove 113 to reduce frictional resistance and improve the smoothness of sliding.

[0032] Furthermore, in some optimized embodiments, the guide groove 113 on the wall of the housing 11 is not only opened within the inner wall area, but extends through the entire wall thickness, so that the receiving cavity 111 is connected to the outside of the housing 11 through the guide groove 113. The sliding part 121 on the movable baffle 12 is not only embedded inside the guide groove 113, but can also pass through the guide groove 113 and extend to the outside of the housing 11.

[0033] In this structure, the sliding part 121 has a portion of its operating end exposed outside the housing 11. The operator can directly push or pull the sliding part 121 from outside the housing structure 10, thereby causing the movable baffle 12 to move smoothly along the first direction within the receiving cavity 111. After the battery cell 20 is assembled, there is no need to enter the cavity for adjustment; the baffle position can be adjusted from the outside, greatly improving assembly convenience and maintenance efficiency.

[0034] To ensure airtightness, in some optimized embodiments, the housing structure 10 is also provided with a cover plate 13. The cover plate 13 is movably connected to the housing 11, preferably using a pivot, hinge, or sliding connection method, allowing the cover plate 13 to freely switch between a covered position and an open position. When the cover plate 13 is closed, it can completely cover the outer opening of the guide groove 113 on the outer wall of the housing 11 and the exposed sliding part 121, forming a continuous and complete outer surface. This prevents external impurities such as dust and moisture from entering the receiving cavity 111 through the guide groove 113, thereby improving the sealing performance and environmental adaptability of the battery pack.

[0035] The cover plate 13 can be designed as a sheet or arc-shaped structure according to the shape of the housing 11, and its size is larger than the opening area of ​​the guide groove 113 to ensure complete coverage of the sliding part 121. A flexible sealing strip or rubber ring can be provided on the inner side of the cover plate 13. When the cover plate 13 is in contact with the housing 11, the sealing strip can press against the surface of the housing 11, thereby forming a reliable sealing barrier. It can effectively prevent the infiltration of liquids or gases in environments such as vehicle wading, outdoor energy storage, or high humidity.

[0036] When it is necessary to adjust the position of the baffle or inspect the battery cell 20, the operator only needs to open the cover 13 to expose the guide groove 113 and the sliding part 121. At this time, the cover 13 itself serves as the entrance to the maintenance channel, and the operation and adjustment of the baffle can be completed without disassembling the housing 11. To enhance the convenience of operation, fasteners, snaps, or magnetic structures can also be used on the outside of the cover 13 to make it secure and reliable in the closed state and quick to unlock when opened. Furthermore, the cover 13 can also be designed to be transparent or have an observation window so that the position of the sliding part 121 and the pre-tightening state of the baffle can be viewed intuitively without opening the cover 13, thereby achieving rapid inspection.

[0037] In some embodiments, the movable baffle 12 is not provided with a sliding part 121 on only one side, but rather with sliding parts 121 protruding from both sides facing the wall of the housing 11. The two sliding parts 121 respectively cooperate with the corresponding guide grooves 113 on both sides of the wall of the housing 11, so that the movable baffle 12 can form a bilateral constraint inside the housing 11.

[0038] The dual-sliding-part 121 structure offers higher stability compared to the single-sliding-part 121 structure. When the movable baffle 12 moves in the first direction, the two sliding parts 121 simultaneously guide within the guide groove 113, effectively preventing the baffle from tilting, jamming, or wobbling, ensuring it remains parallel to the end face of the battery cell 20, thus making the force on the battery cell 20 more even during compression. This is suitable for battery pack assembly scenarios with high requirements for balance and positioning accuracy. To improve assembly convenience, the two sliding parts 121 can be integrally formed with the baffle body, or they can be detachably installed using bolts or clips. The latter method allows for quick replacement of the sliding parts 121 when damaged or worn, reducing maintenance costs.

[0039] Additionally, please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a housing structure 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the housing is further provided with a locking member 14 for fixing the movable baffle 12 to the housing 11 after it has been adjusted to the target position. In this way, the displacement of the sliding part 121 relative to the housing 11 can be effectively limited, so that the movable baffle 12 remains stable during operation, thereby ensuring that the battery cell 20 group is always in a pre-tightened state.

[0040] Specifically, the sliding part 121 is machined with a locking hole 1211, and the housing 11 wall is provided with a plurality of adjustment holes 114 along the first direction. These adjustment holes 114 are arranged at a certain interval, covering the range in which the baffle may move. When the movable baffle 12 moves to the appropriate position, the locking member 14 can pass through the locking hole 1211 of the sliding part 121 and one of the adjustment holes 114 of the housing 11 wall at the same time, thereby fixing the baffle in that position.

[0041] The locking element 14 can be designed as a bolt, pin, or latch, depending on different requirements. The bolt structure can achieve reliable fastening through threaded connection, which is suitable for use in high vibration environments; the pin or latch can achieve quick insertion and removal, which is convenient for quickly unlocking and repositioning the baffle when the number or layout of the battery cells 20 needs to be adjusted.

[0042] The adjustment holes 114 can be arranged in an equidistant manner, for example, one hole can be set at certain intervals to make the adjustment of the baffle step-like. Alternatively, a non-equidistant design can be adopted, for example, the hole spacing is denser near the entrance of the receiving cavity 111, while the hole spacing is relatively larger in the depth of the cavity, thus taking into account both the needs of fine adjustment and rapid adjustment.

[0043] Furthermore, in some optimized embodiments, each sliding part 121 is provided with at least three locking holes 1211, which are distributed at intervals along the first direction on the sliding part 121, providing multiple stable locking points, which facilitates flexible selection of appropriate locking positions according to actual needs.

[0044] The number of locking holes 1211 is limited to at least three, mainly to form a multi-point fixed constraint relationship in the locked state. Compared with the single-point or double-point constraint of two or one locking hole 1211, the locking layout of three points or more can effectively prevent the sliding part 121 from shaking or swaying due to external force during use, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability after locking.

[0045] Meanwhile, the number of adjustment holes 114 is greater than the number of locking holes 1211. On the one hand, it can provide a higher degree of adjustment freedom under different working conditions, allowing users to adjust the position of the sliding part 121 with smaller intervals. On the other hand, it also allows the same set of locking holes 1211 to be combined with adjustment holes 114 in different positions, thereby significantly improving the flexibility and adaptability of adjustment and meeting diverse installation and use requirements.

[0046] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] In another embodiment of this application, a battery system is also proposed. This battery system includes multiple battery cells 20, an end plate 30, and the aforementioned housing structure 10. The multiple battery cells 20 are arranged sequentially according to a preset stacking direction, preferably arranged in an orderly manner along a first direction, thereby forming a regular and compact array of battery cells 20. An end plate 30 structure is provided at one end of the battery cell 20 array. The end plate 30 serves two purposes: firstly, it provides restraint and support for the battery cells 20, preventing displacement during transportation, vibration, or thermal expansion; secondly, the end plate 30 also abuts against a movable baffle 12 on the housing, forming a reliable force transmission relationship. With this structure, the preload of the battery cell stack can be adjusted by adjusting the movable baffle 12, thereby effectively improving the safety of the system. Both the end plate 30 and the battery cells 20 are housed within the receiving cavity 111 of the housing. The housing 111 provides a relatively sealed environment, which not only prevents the battery cell 20 from being directly exposed to the external environment and causing pollution or moisture, but also works in conjunction with functional components such as the cooling system, insulation layer, and buffer pad to further enhance the heat dissipation capacity and environmental adaptability of the battery system.

[0048] Further, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell 20 structure provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the battery system further includes foam 40, which may be made of a porous material with certain elasticity and cushioning properties, and is disposed between adjacent battery cells 20. On the one hand, it can buffer and absorb energy when the battery cell 20 is subjected to external impact or vibration, reducing the direct impact of mechanical load on the battery cell 20 body, thereby improving the battery system's vibration resistance and drop resistance during transportation and use. On the other hand, the foam 40 forms an isolation layer between adjacent battery cells 20, which can prevent hard contact or friction between the battery cells 20 due to minor deformation, reducing shell wear and the resulting safety hazards.

[0049] Furthermore, the presence of foam 40 can provide slight restraint and positioning for the battery cell 20, compensating for dimensional deviations caused by thermal expansion and contraction, and preventing wobbling due to excessively large gaps between the battery cells 20 or excessive compression due to excessively small gaps, thereby ensuring the overall structural stability of the assembled battery cell 20. Moreover, foam 40 can be made of thermally conductive or thermally insulating materials according to the heat dissipation design requirements of the battery system, thus balancing temperature regulation and safety protection requirements.

[0050] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the content of this application's specification and drawings under the concept of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A box structure, characterized in that, include: The housing has a receiving cavity extending along a first direction, the first direction being consistent with the stacking direction of the battery cells to be assembled within the receiving cavity; A movable baffle is slidably connected to the housing and slides relative to the housing in the first direction to continuously adjust the effective size of the receiving cavity in the first direction to accommodate different numbers of battery cells.

2. The box structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving cavity includes an opening oriented perpendicular to the first direction for inserting a battery cell into the receiving cavity through the opening.

3. The box structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable baffle protrudes from the side of the wall of the housing to form a sliding part. The housing has a guide groove extending in a first direction. The sliding part is embedded in the guide groove and can slide along the guide groove.

4. The box structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide groove penetrates the wall of the housing so that the receiving cavity communicates with the outside of the housing through the guide groove, and the sliding part extends through the guide groove to the outside of the housing so as to allow the position of the sliding part to be adjusted from outside the housing structure.

5. The box structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The enclosure structure also includes a cover plate, which is movably connected to the housing. The cover plate can cover or expose the guide groove and the sliding portion exposed to the outside of the housing to form a sealed structure or provide a maintenance passage.

6. The box structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The movable baffle protrudes from both sides of the wall of the housing to form a sliding part.

7. The box structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The enclosure also includes: A locking element secures the movable baffle to the housing to limit the displacement of the sliding portion relative to the housing and to apply a preload force to the battery cell assembly.

8. The box structure according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sliding part is provided with a locking hole, and the wall of the housing has a plurality of adjustment holes spaced apart along the first direction; The locking element is detachably inserted into both the locking hole and any of the adjustment holes to limit the displacement of the sliding part relative to the housing.

9. The box structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each of the sliding parts is provided with at least three locking holes spaced apart along a first direction, and the number of adjustment holes is greater than the number of locking holes.

10. A battery system, characterized in that, The device includes multiple battery cells, an end plate, and a housing structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8. The multiple battery cells are arranged along the first direction, the end plate is disposed at one end of the battery cell and abuts against the movable baffle, and the end plate and the battery cell are located within the receiving cavity.

11. The battery system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The battery system also includes foam disposed between adjacent battery cells.

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