Battery housing for a motor vehicle battery

Abstract

Battery housing (10) for a motor vehicle battery of a motor vehicle, comprising a housing body (12) forming at least one flat housing wall (16), a cooling plate (20) resting on an outwardly facing surface (18) of the housing wall (16) for temperature control of the motor vehicle battery and a connection projection (24) projecting in a plane of the housing wall (16), wherein the connection projection (24) has at least one connection opening (26) communicating with a cooling channel (22) formed in the cooling plate (20), wherein the at least one connection opening (26) is part of a fluidic supply path for supplying a coolant into the cooling channel (22) and / or discharging the coolant from the cooling channel (22).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a battery housing for a motor vehicle battery, with the aid of which battery cells for the formation of the motor vehicle battery can be accommodated and temperature controlled, in particular cooled.

[0002] From WO 2012 / 126111 a cuboid battery housing for a motor vehicle battery is known, for the cooling of which a thin cooling plate with a cooling channel carrying a cooling medium can be placed on a top side of the battery housing, wherein connecting nozzles communicating with the cooling channel protrude from a narrow side of the cooling plate, the cross-section of which protrudes on both sides beyond the thickness of the narrow side of the cooling plate.

[0003] There is a constant need to reduce the installation space of vehicle batteries.

[0004] The purpose of the invention is to demonstrate measures that enable a space-saving vehicle battery.

[0005] The problem is solved by a battery housing having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description, each of which can individually or in combination represent an aspect of the invention.

[0006] One embodiment relates to a battery housing for a motor vehicle battery, comprising a housing body forming at least one flat housing wall, a cooling plate resting on an outwardly facing surface of the housing wall for temperature control of the motor vehicle battery, and a connection projection extending in a plane of the housing wall, wherein the connection projection has at least one connection opening communicating with a cooling channel formed in the cooling plate.

[0007] The connection point is located outside the interior of the housing intended for battery cells, so that it cannot interfere with their placement. The at least one connection opening provided in the connection point can be part of a fluidic supply line through which a coolant is supplied to or discharged from the cooling channel. The cooling channel can be connected to a cooling circuit via the connection point through the housing, without requiring any cooling circuit lines to pass through the interior of the housing intended for the battery cells.Due to the material thickness of the connection point, which corresponds in particular to the material thickness of the housing wall, a coolant hose can be connected offset accordingly, so that the coolant hose and / or a connecting piece for the coolant hose do not have to protrude beyond the outer surface of the cooling plate facing away from the surface of the housing wall. The space savings achieved by using a particularly thin cooling plate are not compromised by a protruding part of the coolant hose connection. Instead, the connection, offset by the material thickness of the connection point, can be completely integrated within the same height range as the rest of the housing, for which space is already provided within a vehicle.The indirect fluidic connection of the cooling channel of the cooling plate via the connection openings of the connection attachment eliminates the need for a connection technology for a coolant hose to protrude and minimizes the installation space requirement perpendicular to the surface of the housing wall, thus enabling a space-saving vehicle battery.

[0008] In particular, the cooling channel is formed in a cooling plane that is essentially parallel to the surface of the housing wall, and the cooling channel is connected to the respective connection opening via connecting openings extending transversely to the cooling plane. The cooling plate can, for example, be formed by two sheets connected to each other, in particular bonded and / or welded, between which the cooling channel is formed by suitable features. In a starting region and an end region of the cooling channel, the respective connection openings can be provided as material recesses in the sheet resting on the surface of the housing wall. The connection openings can be essentially aligned with the respective associated connection opening of the connection fitting and are preferably shaped to correspond essentially to each other.The cooling channel can thus continue through the connection openings of the cooling plate and the connection openings of the connection fitting on both the inlet and outlet sides, particularly before a connection device for a coolant hose or other line is provided at the connection fitting. The cooling fluid can originate from and be discharged from the cooling channel, which lies in the plane of the cooling plate, at a common height with the rest of the housing. If the housing wall containing the cooling plate forms a base or top of the housing, the extension of the battery housing in a vertical Z-direction can be minimized.

[0009] Preferably, a connection nozzle for a fluid line is attached to the respective connection opening on the underside of the connection fitting, facing away from the cooling plate. This allows the connection nozzle to protrude at the same height as the rest of the housing, so that no additional installation space above the cooling plate resting on the surface of the housing wall is required for the connection nozzle. The connection nozzle is therefore not arranged in the same plane as the cooling plate, but is oriented essentially perpendicular to the plane of the cooling plate. A coolant hose or other line extending from the connection nozzle can also be provided at the same height as the rest of the housing, so that the piping infrastructure of a cooling circuit supplying the cooling plate with coolant can be installed in a space-saving manner.In particular, the space required in a vertical Z-direction can be minimized.

[0010] The connection nozzle for connecting a coolant hose, which can be connected essentially perpendicular to the cooling plane of the cooling plate, is particularly preferred in its straight design. This allows the coolant hose to be routed perpendicular to the cooling plate and the cooled housing wall from the connection nozzle, so that the coolant hose can run at the same height as the rest of the housing. If necessary, the coolant hose can be deflected, for example by approximately 90°, so that it can run along a side wall of the housing body, extending away from the cooled housing wall, at a height offset from the cooling plate and the cooled housing wall.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the connection nozzle for connecting a coolant hose, which is essentially parallel to the cooling plane of the cooling plate and essentially perpendicular to a projection of the connection arm, is angled. This eliminates the need to deflect the coolant hose by 90° to run it at a height offset from the cooling plate and the cooled housing wall along a side wall of the housing body extending from the cooled housing wall. Preferably, the angled deflection of various connection nozzles is provided at different height levels, i.e., at different distances from the plane of the cooled housing wall, so that a supply and return line for the cooling channel of the cooling plate, each formed by a coolant hose, can be automatically routed past each other in a space-saving manner.For example, the coolant hose intended for the supply and the coolant hose intended for the return can be arranged one above the other and routed along a side wall of the housing body extending from the cooled housing wall. This also minimizes the installation space required in the horizontal direction, i.e., in the X-direction and / or in the Y-direction.

[0012] In particular, the same housing wall has two or more different, especially offset, connection points for connecting two or more different, separately designed cooling plates. This allows the same housing wall to be cooled by different, independently operated cooling plates, thus accommodating varying cooling requirements along a longitudinal direction of the housing body and addressing them in an energy-efficient manner.

[0013] Preferably, two housing walls are provided, offset from one another and connected by connecting walls, and in particular running substantially parallel to each other. Both housing walls have at least one connecting projection extending in the respective plane of the housing wall, and at least one cooling plate is provided on each of the outwardly facing surfaces of the respective housing wall, resting on the surface of the housing wall. For example, the two cooled housing walls can form a bottom and a top of the housing body, which are joined via the connecting walls to form a cuboid housing body. The at least one connecting projection of each cooled housing wall extends, in particular, from the same connecting wall.Since space is already required for the connection technology and the connected cables of one cooled housing wall, this space can also be used for the second cooled housing wall. Despite the doubling of the cooling capacity, the required installation space is increased only disproportionately.

[0014] It is particularly advantageous for all connection points to protrude in only one direction. All connection points, connection technologies, and / or connected cables can be concentrated in a common installation area, even with different cooled housing walls and / or different cooling plates, thus minimizing the space required laterally next to the housing wall.

[0015] In particular, a common connection point or separate, spaced-apart connection points are provided for the supply of coolant to and the discharge of coolant from the cooling channel of the cooling plate. Depending on the intended routing of the cooling channel for the cooling plate, the supply and discharge points can be located close together in a common connection point or spaced apart in separate connection points. This allows the material usage for the cooling channel connection technology to be kept to a minimum without requiring design specifications for the cooling channel's routing that would impair cooling efficiency.

[0016] Preferably, the housing body, apart from the at least one connection point, is cuboid in shape. This results in a simple basic shape that can be manufactured cost-effectively. For example, the housing body can be produced by extrusion or compression molding, cut to the desired longitudinal length, and the connection points subsequently formed, provided that the at least one connection point is not part of a continuous longitudinal section.

[0017] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, wherein the features shown below can represent an aspect of the invention, either individually or in combination. The drawings show: Fig. 1: A schematic perspective exploded view of part of a battery housing, Fig. 2: a schematic perspective view of the battery housing made of Fig. 1 in a composite state, Fig. 3: a schematic perspective exploded view of another part of the battery casing and Fig. 4: a schematic sectional view of the battery housing made of Fig. 3 in a composite state.

[0018] The in Fig. The battery housing 10 shown in Figure 1, for a motor vehicle battery, has a housing body 12 designed essentially as a rectangular tubular profile, in the interior of which battery cells can be accommodated. The housing body 12 has two housing walls 16 connected to each other by lateral connecting walls 14, which in the illustrated embodiment form a bottom and a top of the housing body 12. The housing walls 16, which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical Z-direction via the connecting walls 14, can be provided with at least one cooling plate 20 on their outwardly facing surface 18. Each cooling plate 20 can be designed from two interconnected sheets, between which a cooling channel 22 can be formed. In the plane of each housing wall 16, at least one connection projection 24 projects from the junction with the same connecting wall 14.The respective connection point 24 protrudes outwards, that is, away from the interior of the housing body 12, and extends the surface 18 of the associated housing wall 16.

[0019] When the cooling plate 20 is placed on the surface 18 of the associated housing wall 16, part of the cooling plate 20 can also rest on the part of the surface 18 formed by the connection extension 24, as shown in Fig. Figure 2 shows that at least one connection opening 26 is formed in the connection fitting, which can be fluidically connected to the cooling channel 22 of the cooling plate via a corresponding connection opening formed in the cooling plate 20.

[0020] As in Fig. 3 and Fig.As shown in Figure 4, a connection fitting 28 can be attached to the side of the connection extension 24 facing away from the cooling plate 20. This fitting allows the connection opening 26 and the fluidically connected cooling channel 22 to be connected to a fluid line, particularly a coolant hose. The fluid line can be part of a coolant circuit used to regulate the temperature of the battery housing 10. The connection fitting 28 can be straight or angled to allow the fluid line connected to it to be routed along the connecting wall 14 in a space-saving manner. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2012 / 126111

[0002]

Claims

[1] Battery housing for a motor vehicle battery of a motor vehicle, with a housing body (12) forming at least one flat housing wall (16), a cooling plate (20) resting on an outwardly facing surface (18) of the housing wall (16) for controlling the temperature of the motor vehicle battery and a connection projection (24) projecting in a plane of the housing wall (16), wherein the connection projection (24) has at least one connection opening (26) communicating with a cooling channel (22) formed in the cooling plate (20). [2] Battery housing according to claim 1 characterized by that the cooling channel (22) is formed in a cooling plane substantially parallel to the surface (18) of the housing wall (16), wherein the cooling channel (24) is connected to the respective connection opening (26) via connecting openings extending transversely to the cooling plane. [3] Battery housing according to claim 1 or 2 characterized bythat on an underside of the connection attachment (24) facing away from the cooling plate (20) there is connected in each case a connection piece (28) connected to the respective connection opening (26) for connecting a fluid line. [4] Battery housing according to claim 3 characterized by that the connecting piece (28) for connecting a coolant hose which can be connected essentially perpendicular to the cooling plane of the cooling plate (20) is straight. [5] Battery housing according to claim 3 characterized by that the connecting piece (28) is designed at an angle for connecting a coolant hose which can be connected essentially parallel to the cooling plane of the cooling plate (20) and essentially perpendicular to a projection direction of the connecting attachment (24). [6] Battery housing according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized bythat the same housing wall (16) has two or more different, in particular mutually offset, connection projections (24) for connecting two or more different separately designed cooling plates (20). [7] Battery housing according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized by that two housing walls (16) are provided which are offset from one another and connected to one another via connecting walls (14), in particular which run essentially parallel to one another, wherein both housing walls (16) have at least one connection projection (24) projecting in the respective plane of the housing wall (16) and at least one cooling plate (20) resting on the surface (18) of the housing wall is seen on both outwardly facing surfaces (18) of the respective housing wall (16). [8] Battery housing according to one of claims 1 to 7 characterized by that all connection projections (24) protrude in exactly one protrusion direction only. [9] Battery housing according to one of claims 1 to 8 characterized by that a common connection projection (24) or separate connection projections (24) spaced apart from one another are provided for the supply of coolant into the cooling channel (22) of the cooling plate (20) and for the removal of coolant from the cooling channel (22) of the cooling plate (20). [10] Battery housing according to one of claims 1 to 9 characterized by that the housing body (12) is cuboid-shaped apart from the at least one connection projection (24).

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