Battery module and battery

Abstract

Battery module (B), comprising a plurality of individual electrical cells arranged within a common housing (1), wherein a front end face (2) of the housing (1) has mechanical connecting elements (3) for connecting the battery module (B) to a temperature control element (K) provided outside the battery module (B) in order to enable good heat transfer between the battery module (B) and the temperature control element (K), characterized in that the mechanical connecting elements (3) are provided as corresponding upper and lower recesses (4, 5) in the front end face (2) of the housing (1), which are connected to each other via a passage (6), for receiving a connecting element (11) whose head (12) can be positioned in the upper recess (4), which is extendable vertically along the passage (6), and which is connectable to a counterpart (13),which can be positioned at least partially in the other lower recess (5) and is firmly connected to the tempering element (K).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a battery module comprising a plurality of electrical individual cells which are arranged within a common housing, according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a battery comprising corresponding battery modules.

[0002] From DE 10 2009 018 787 A1, a battery module is known that comprises a plurality of individual electrical cells arranged within a common housing. The housing is designed in two parts, with the lower part having threaded inserts that correspond to bores in the upper part for screwing the two parts of the housing together. The battery module also has an electrical connection that is accessible from above, but is located below the upper side of the battery module due to a step in the module. A temperature control element is provided inside the housing for temperature regulation.

[0003] The generic patent DE 11 2012 000 438 T5 also discloses a battery module comprising a plurality of individual electrical cells arranged within a common housing. An end face of the housing has mechanical connecting elements for connecting the battery module to a temperature control element located outside the battery module, thus enabling good heat transfer between the battery module and the temperature control element. The connecting elements between the battery module and the temperature control element located laterally are designed as corresponding male and female connecting elements.

[0004] DE 10 2013 021 232 A1 discloses a battery with a battery housing comprising a number of individual cells electrically connected in series and / or parallel. The individual cells are arranged in several electrically insulated cell blocks and can be connected to the battery housing by means of a holding device made of an electrically insulating material, either by force-fit, form-fit, and / or material-fit connection.

[0005] DE 10 2015 118 974 A1 discloses a battery assembly with an array frame comprising a frame body and a slot formed by the frame body. A heat exchanger is accommodated in the slot.

[0006] DE 10 2010 028 191 A1 discloses a battery which comprises at least one battery module with a bottom, a cooling plate with a top and a fastening system arranged on the top of the cooling plate for the at least one battery module.

[0007] US 2015 / 0 349 394 A1 and US 2014 / 0 356 684 A1 reveal further state of the art.

[0008] The object of the invention is to design the connection of the battery module to the temperature control element provided outside the battery module in such a way that the required installation space is minimized, particularly with regard to its height.

[0009] The problem is solved by a battery module having the features of claim 1 and a battery having the features of claim 7.

[0010] One advantage of the battery module according to the invention is that it can be connected to different temperature control elements particularly easily. For example, the temperature control element can be located below the battery module.

[0011] Alternatively, the temperature control element can be located at the bottom as well as on the left and / or right side of the battery module. Furthermore, the size of the temperature control element can differ from the size of the battery module in the connection area. To connect the battery module according to the invention to the temperature control element, only a counterpart firmly connected to the temperature control element is required, which is connected to the connecting elements on the front face of the housing by means of the connecting element. With a suitable design of the housing, i.e., with a thermally conductive design of at least the side surface to be connected to the temperature control element, good heat transfer between the battery module and the temperature control element is thus ensured. The temperature control element can be designed as a cooling element, a heating element, or a combination of both.

[0012] The positional terms used here and in the following, such as top, bottom, etc., always refer to the installation position of the battery module, i.e., the state after the battery module has been inserted into the battery formed by all these battery modules. The term end face refers to a side surface of the battery module housing, in particular the side surface with the smallest area.

[0013] Furthermore, a recess is defined as a small area which, when viewed from a surrounding area, is lowered compared to that surrounding area.

[0014] A further advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the height of the combination of battery module and temperature control element can be minimized if the temperature control element is positioned above or below the battery module. This is because the counterpart, which is rigidly connected to the temperature control element, can be positioned, at least partially, in one of the recesses, meaning that no additional installation space is required vertically for connecting the temperature control element to the battery module. Furthermore, since the head of the connecting element for connecting the battery module to the temperature control element can be positioned in the other recess, the connecting element does not protrude beyond the respective side surface of the battery module when it is connected to the temperature control element.

[0015] The battery module according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously in a battery which has a number of chambers for inserting the respective battery modules. These chambers are open only on one side, and the side surfaces of the chambers are at least partially designed as a temperature control element. Here, the battery modules simply need to be inserted into the chamber and connected accordingly with the connecting means to ensure a secure fit and, at the same time, good heat transfer between the battery module and the temperature control element.

[0016] It is advantageous to provide upper and lower recesses on the left and / or right edge of the front face of the battery module. This results in a particularly stable fit of the battery module to the temperature control element, thus ensuring good thermal contact between the two.

[0017] Preferably, the battery module has a step in the upper or lower region of its end face, on which at least one electrical terminal contact of the battery module is arranged horizontally such that it is positioned vertically above or below each upper or lower recess. In other words, the electrical terminal contact is located next to the recesses, but higher or lower than them. In this case, the electrical terminal connector(s) that electrically connect to each electrical terminal contact of the battery module can be routed over the head of the connector. This allows for optimal use of the available space for the battery module, as the terminal connectors do not protrude beyond the top or bottom of the battery module.

[0018] A particularly stable fit of the battery module is achieved when the other end face of the battery module, which is opposite the first end face, also has corresponding upper and lower recesses which are connected to each other via a passage, for receiving a connecting element whose head can be positioned in one recess and which can be extended vertically along the passage, and which can be connected to a counterpart which can be positioned at least partially in the other recess and is firmly connected to the temperature control element.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connecting elements are designed as screws, wherein the mating part to be connected has a corresponding threaded insert. This enables a particularly cost-effective implementation.

[0020] It is advantageous to position the temperature control element below and / or next to the battery module. This allows for optimal adaptation of the battery module to the specific installation space requirements.

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing.

[0022] This shows: Fig. 1 an exploded view showing a battery module according to the invention before connection with a temperature control element; and Fig. 2 a battery module according to the invention after connection with a temperature control element.

[0023] According to Fig. Figure 1 shows a battery module B together with other, similar battery modules as part of an underfloor battery in an electrically powered motor vehicle. The underfloor battery has side walls 13b extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and intermediate walls 13a extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

[0024] Below the side walls 13b and the intermediate walls 13a, a temperature control element K is provided, which cools or regulates the temperature of the battery modules B above it by means of a flowing fluid. The temperature control element K has internal chambers (not shown) through which the fluid flows. The top surface of the temperature control element K is firmly connected to the underside of the longitudinal walls 13b and the intermediate walls 13a, e.g., by welding. This creates chambers whose bottom is represented by the surface of the temperature control element K, and whose side walls are each formed by sections of two intermediate walls 13a and two longitudinal walls 13b.

[0025] Counterparts 13 are now arranged in the respective corners of these chambers. The counterparts 13 each have a height that is significantly less than the height of the partition walls 13a or the longitudinal walls 13b. In addition, a threaded insert 11a is provided on the upper surface of each counterpart 13.

[0026] The housing 1 of the battery module has a front end face 2 and a rear end face 20. Both end faces have upper recesses 4 and lower recesses 5 on their left and right sides, respectively. These recesses are each connected to each other via a passage 6.

[0027] The front face 2 also features a step 14. Step 14 is recessed relative to the top of the housing 1 and carries two electrical terminal contacts 15, 16. These electrical terminal contacts 15, 16 provide electrical access to the individual electrical cells inside battery module B. Each electrical terminal contact 15, 16 can be electrically connected to other battery modules via corresponding electrical terminal connectors 15a, 16a. The height of step 14 is chosen such that, with the terminal connectors 15a, 16a in place, they do not extend above the top of the housing 1.

[0028] According to Fig.2. The battery module B is connected to the counterparts 13 by means of fasteners 11 designed as screws. For this purpose, the battery module B is positioned such that all four passages 6 are arranged exactly above the corresponding threaded inserts 11a in the counterparts 13. This allows a screw 11 to be extended along each passage 6 and screwed in by means of the corresponding threaded insert 11a.

[0029] This ensures a secure fit of the battery module B in relation to the temperature control element K. Since all four screws 11 reliably fasten each corner of the housing 1, a particularly good thermal connection is established between the temperature control element K and the base of the battery module B. Thus, good heat transfer between the battery module B and the temperature control element K is ensured when the battery module B is installed.

[0030] The housing 1 of battery module B is made of a thermally conductive material, e.g., metal. This results in a height-optimized design for the underfloor battery. When battery module B is installed, the terminal connectors 15a and 16a do not protrude above the top of the battery module B. The heads 12 of the screws 11 are located within the recesses 4. Due to the step 14 on the front face 2, the recess 4 is positioned below the flat surface of the step 14. Since the depth of the recess 4 is greater than the height of the screw head 12, the terminal connectors 15a and 16a reliably engage over the screw 11.

[0031] The counterpart 13, for screwing in the screw 11 using the threaded insert 11a, is essentially positioned in the lower recess 5. This minimizes the required height for installing the battery module 1.

Claims

[1] Battery module (B) comprising a plurality of electrical individual cells which are arranged within a common housing (1), wherein a front end face (2) of the housing (1) has mechanical connecting elements (3) for connecting the battery module (B) to a temperature control element (K) provided outside the battery module (B) in order to enable good heat transfer between the battery module (B) and the temperature control element (K), characterized by, that the mechanical connecting elements (3) are provided as corresponding upper and lower recesses (4, 5) in the front end face (2) of the housing (1), which are connected to each other via a passage (6), for receiving a connecting element (11) whose head (12) can be positioned in the upper recess (4), which can be extended vertically along the passage (6), and which can be connected to a counterpart (13) which can be positioned at least partially in the other lower recess (5) and is firmly connected to the tempering element (K). [2] Battery module (B) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the recesses (4, 5) are provided on the left and / or right edge of the front face (2). [3] Battery module (B) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the battery module (B) has a step (14) in the upper or lower area of ​​the front end face (2) on which at least one electrical pole contact (15, 16) of the battery module (B) is arranged in a horizontal direction such that it is positioned vertically above or below the or each upper or lower recesses (4, 5). [4] Battery module (B) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that in the other rear end face (20) of the battery module (B) corresponding upper and lower recesses (4, 5) are also provided, which are connected to each other via a passage (6) for receiving a connecting element (3) whose head can be positioned in one of the recesses (4), which can be extended vertically along the passage (6), and which can be connected to a counterpart (13), which can be positioned at least partially in the other rear recess (5) and is firmly connected to the temperature control element (K). [5] Battery module (B) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connecting means (11) are designed as a screw and the connectable counterpart (13) has a corresponding threaded insert (11a). [6] Battery module (B) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the temperature control element (K) is provided below and / or next to the battery module (B). [7] Battery, in particular an underfloor battery in an electrically powered motor vehicle, comprising battery modules (B) according to any of the preceding claims.

Images