Battery pack for vehicle, and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising the same. The battery pack comprises a housing provided with a cavity, an outer connecting member and an inner supporting member. In the height direction, a top surface of the outer connecting member is lower than a top wall of the cavity and higher than a top surface of the inner supporting member, and a bottom wall of the cavity is lower than the top surface of the inner supporting member. The side wall comprises a first and a second rib provided in the cavity, and in the height direction, the first rib is positioned between the top surface of the outer connecting member and the top wall of the cavity, and the second rib is positioned between the top surface of the outer connecting member and the top surface of the inner supporting member.

Description

BATTERY PACK FOR VEHICLE, AND VEHICLEThis invention claims the priority of the Chinese patent application 202311072567.5 filed on August 24, 2023, of which the content (Text, Drawings and Claims) is incorporated by reference.RELATED FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of vehicle components, and more particularly, to a battery pack for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising the same.BACKGROUND

[0002] A power battery pack of a vehicle is generally provided at the bottom of the vehicle. The battery pack comprises a housing, an outer connecting member provided outside the housing, an inner supporting member provided inside the housing, and a battery module provided inside the housing, etc. A side wall of the housing is susceptible to deformation and fracture when being impacted.

[0003] In the prior art, the strength of the side wall is improved generally by increasing the thickness of the side wall or by providing multiple reinforcing ribs in a cavity of the side wall. However, the above means may result in non-uniform stress distribution on the side wall. Since two sides of a lower portion of the side wall are supported by the outer connecting member and the inner supporting member at the same time, the lower portion of the side wall has a much larger strength than the upper portion of the side wall, so that the connection between the upper portion of the side wall and the lower portion of the side wall is easy to be deformed and fractured, thus damaging the battery cells inside the battery pack. In addition, the above means increases the difficulty and cost of manufacturing the side wall.SUMMARY

[0004] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a battery pack for a vehicle to overcome at least one disadvantage of the prior art. In other words, the battery pack according to the present disclosure can reduce the risk of deformation and fracture of the side wall of the housing, and is simple in structure and easy to manufacture.

[0005] For this object, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery pack for a vehicle, which comprises: a housing comprising a bottom plate and a side wall connected to the bottom plate, the bottom plate and the side wall delimiting a holding chamber for arranging a battery module, wherein the housing has a height direction perpendicular to the bottom plate; an outer connecting member provided on an outer side of the side wall and adapted to connect the housing to an underbody structure of the vehicle; and an inner supporting member provided on an inner side of the side wall and connecting the side wall to the battery module. The side wall is provided with a cavity, and the battery pack is configured such that in the height direction, a top surface of the outer connecting member is lower than a top wall of the cavity and higher than a top surface of the inner supporting member, and a bottom wall of the cavity is lower than the top surface of the inner supporting member. The side wall comprises a first rib and a second rib provided in the cavity, wherein in the height direction, the first rib is positioned between the top surface of the outer connecting member and the top wall of the cavity, and the second rib is positioned between the top surface of the outer connecting member and the top surface of the inner supporting member.

[0006] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the first rib and the second rib extends perpendicular to the height direction.

[0007] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the first rib and the second rib divide the cavity evenly in the height direction.

[0008] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance between the first rib and the top wall of the cavity is smaller than the distance between the second rib and the bottom wall of the cavity.

[0009] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first rib is between 2mm and 5mm, and / or the thickness of the second rib is between 2mm and 5 mm.

[0010] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first rib is between 3mm and 4mm, and / or the thickness of the second rib is between 3mm and 4mm.

[0011] In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the side wall is a one-piece member made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

[0012] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle comprising an underbody structure and the battery pack according to the first aspect of the present disclosure and connected to the underbody structure.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the battery pack according to the present disclosure has multiple advantages, in particular: the first and second ribs provided in the cavity of the side wall and the height difference between the inner supporting member and the outer connecting member optimize the plastic strain of the side wall, and reduce the risk of the fractured side wall invading into the interior of the housing. In addition, the battery pack has a simple structure and low cost, and can be widely used in various types of vehicles.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily understood through the following preferred embodiments described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a same reference numeral indicates same or similar components.

[0015] FIG. l is a schematic view of a vehicle, in which an underbody structure is shown;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 3a is a partially cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2;

[0018] FIG. 3b is a partially cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2 after the battery pack is impacted; and

[0019] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic view of the side wall of the housing of the battery pack.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The implementation and usage of specific embodiments are discussed in detail below. However, it is understood that the specific embodiments discussed herein are merely intended to illustrate specific ways of implementing and using the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0021] In the specification, when describing structures and positions of components, the directional expressions such as "up", "down", "top" and "bottom" are not absolute, but are relative. These directional expressions are appropriate when the components are provided as shown in the accompanying drawings, but should be changed accordingly when the positions of the components in the drawings are changed. In addition, the terms "inner" and "outer" are defined relative to the interior-exterior direction of the vehicle. For example, "an outer side" refers to a side facing towards the exterior of the vehicle.

[0022] Besides, in the specification, the X direction indicates a longitudinal direction of the vehicle V (i.e., a direction of travel of the vehicle V), the Y direction indicates a transverse direction of the vehicle V (i.e., a direction at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the direction of travel), and the Z direction indicates a vertical direction of the vehicle V (i.e., an up-down direction).

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3a, the vehicle V comprises an underbody structure B and a battery pack 100 connected to the underbody structure B. The battery pack 100 comprises a housing 10, an outer connecting member 2 and an inner supporting member 3. The housing 10 comprises a bottom plate 11 and a side wall 12 connected to the bottom plate 11. The bottom plate 11 and the side wall 12 delimit a holding chamber 14 for arranging a battery module 13. The housing 10 has a height direction (i.e., the vertical direction Z) perpendicular to the bottom plate 11. The outer connecting member 2 is provided on an outer side of the side wall 12, and connects the housing 10 to the underbody structure B of the vehicle V. The inner supporting member 3 is provided on an inner side of the side wall 12, and connects the side wall 12 to the battery module 13.

[0025] The outer connecting member 2 and the inner supporting member 3 are respectively fixedly connected to an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface of the side wall 12, for example, by welding. The outer connecting member 2 is connected to the underbody structure B, for example, by screwing and / or welding, and the inner supporting member 3 is connected to the inner structure (such as the battery module 13) of the housing 10, for example, by screwing and / or welding.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3a to 4, the side wall 12 defines a cavity 15. The arrangement of the cavity 15 can reduce the mass of the side wall 12 and improve the overall performance of the vehicle V. In the Z direction, a top surface 21 of the outer connecting member 2 is lower than a top wall 151 of the cavity 15 and higher than a top surface 31 of the inner supporting member 3, and a bottom wall 152 of the cavity 15 is lower than the top surface 31 of the inner supporting member 3. In a case that the side wall is subjected to a lateral external force, the arrangement of the height difference between the inner supporting member 3 and the outer connecting member 2 allows the force to be dispersed along the Z direction in the side wall 12, so that the external force is not concentrated on the side wall 12, thereby reducing the risk of fracture of the side wall 12.

[0027] The side wall 12 comprises a first rib 16 and a second rib 17 provided in the cavity 15, and in the Z direction, the first rib 16 is positioned between the top surface 21 of the outer connecting member 2 and the top wall 151 of the cavity 15, and the second rib 17 is positioned between the top surface 21 of the outer connecting member 2 and the top surface 31 of the inner supporting member 3. The second rib 17 is provided in a relatively weak position in the side wall 12, mainly providing support for the lower portion of the side wall 12.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, in accordance with the present embodiment, each of the first rib16 and the second rib 17 extends substantially perpendicular to the Z direction. More particularly, the first rib 16 and the second rib 17 are substantially in parallel with each other and divide the cavity 15 into upper, middle and lower sub-cavities. In accordance with some other embodiments, the first rib 16 and / or the second rib 17 may be provided to be tilted with respect to the Z direction.

[0029] In accordance with one embodiment, in a case where the first rib 16 and the second rib17 are in parallel with each other, the first rib 16 and the second rib 17 divide the cavity 15 evenly in the Z direction, i.e. the distance DI between the first rib 16 and the top wall 151 of the cavity 15, the distance D2 between the second rib 17 and the bottom wall 152 of the cavity 15, and the distance D3 between the first rib 16 and the second rib 17 are equal. In accordance with another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the distance DI may be less than the distance D2. For example, the distance DI is provided to be 14.5 mm, the distance D2 is provided to be 29 mm, and the distance D3 between the first rib 16 and the second rib 17 is provided to be 39.5 mm.

[0030] The thickness T1 of the first rib 16 is, for example, between 2mm and 5mm, and / or the thickness T2 of the second rib 17 is, for example, between 2mm and 5mm. Preferably, the thickness T1 of the first rib 16 is between 3mm and 4mm, and / or the thickness T2 of the second rib 17 is between 3mm and 4mm. More preferably, the thickness T1 of the first rib 16 is between 3.5mm and 4mm, and / or the thickness T2 of the second rib 17 is between 3.5mm and 4mm. The "thickness" here should be understood as the average thickness of the first rib 16 or the second rib 17.

[0031] In accordance with one embodiment, the thickness T1 of the first rib 16 is substantially the same as the thickness T2 of the second rib 17. For example, the thickness T1 of the first rib 16 and the thickness T2 of the second rib 17 are both provided to be about 4 mm. In accordance with another embodiment, the thickness T1 of the first rib 16 may be different from the thickness T2 of the second rib 17. For example, the thickness T1 is provided to be about 4 mm and the thickness T2 is provided to be about 2 mm.

[0032] Since the density of aluminum or aluminum alloy is smaller relative to other materials, the side wall 12 may preferably be a one-piece member made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, that is, the wall surface 18 of the side wall 12 is preferably integrally formed with the first rib 16 and the second rib 17.

[0033] When the side wall 12 is subjected to an external force, the first rib 16 can improve the structural strength of the protruding portion of the side wall 12 relative to the outer connecting member 2, optimize the deformation of the side wall 12, reduce the risk of fracture of the side wall 12, and prevent the deformed side wall 12 from invading into the holding chamber 14 and contacting with the components such as the module 13 inside the housing 10, thereby preventing damage to these components and satisfying the SDF (Functional Safety) criterion of the vehicle V. The arrangement of the second rib 17 can adjust the transmission path of the force in the side wall 12, making the overall stress of the side wall 12 more uniform.

[0034] The position, thickness and material of the first rib 16 or the second rib 17 can be flexibly determined according to the structural strength requirements of the side wall 12, which on the one hand, can optimize the plastic strain of the side wall 12, satisfy the overall structural strength requirements of the side wall 12, and reduce the risk of deformation and fracture of the side wall 12, and on the other hand, can optimize the overall structure of the side wall 12, avoidredundant support structures, and reduce the overall weight of the side wall 12.

[0035] In addition, the top portion of the side wall 12 also constitutes a connecting portion 121 (connected to the rest of the housing of the battery pack), and the top surface of the side wall 12 is covered with a connecting strip 4 comprising connecting holes 42, such that the connecting strip 4 is connected to the top surface of the side wall 12 via screws 41 passing through the connecting holes 42. The connecting portion 121 may be provided with at least one second cavity 19 to further reduce the weight of the side wall 12.

[0036] The technical contents and features of the present disclosure have been disclosed above.However, it is understood that those skilled in the art can make various changes and improvements to the above-disclosed conception under the creative concept of the present disclosure, and all these various changes and improvements fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] The description of the above embodiments is exemplary rather than limitative, and the protection scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A battery pack (100) for a vehicle (V), comprising: a housing (10) comprising a bottom plate (11) and a side wall (12) connected to the bottom plate (11), the bottom plate (11) and the side wall (12) delimiting a holding chamber (14) for arranging a battery module (13), wherein the housing (10) has a height direction (Z) perpendicular to the bottom plate (11); an outer connecting member (2) provided on an outer side of the side wall (12) and adapted to connect the housing (10) to an underbody structure (B) of the vehicle (V); and an inner supporting member (3) provided on an inner side of the side wall (12) and connecting the side wall (12) to the battery module (13); wherein the side wall (12) is provided with a cavity (15), wherein the battery pack (100) is configured such that in the height direction (Z), a top surface (21) of the outer connecting member (2) is lower than a top wall (151) of the cavity (15) and higher than a top surface (31) of the inner supporting member (3), and a bottom wall (152) of the cavity (15) is lower than the top surface (31) of the inner supporting member (3), and wherein the side wall (12) comprises a first rib (16) and a second rib (17) provided in the cavity (15), and in the height direction (Z), the first rib (16) is positioned between the top surface (21 ) of the outer connecting member (2) and the top wall ( 151 ) of the cavity (15), and the second rib (17) is positioned between the top surface (21) of the outer connecting member (2) and the top surface (31) of the inner supporting member (3).

2. The battery pack (100) according to claim 1, wherein each of the first rib (16) and the second rib (17) extends perpendicular to the height direction (Z).

3. The battery pack (100) according to claim 2, wherein the first rib (16) and the second rib (17) divide the cavity (15) evenly in the height direction (Z).

4. The batery pack (100) according to claim 2, wherein the distance (DI) between the first rib (16) and the top wall (151) of the cavity (15) is smaller than the distance (D2) between the second rib (17) and the botom wall (152) of the cavity (15).

5. The battery pack (100) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness (Tl) of the first rib(16) is between 2mm and 5mm, and / or the thickness (T2) of the second rib (17) is between 2mm and 5mm.

6. The battery pack (100) according to claim 5, wherein the thickness (Tl) of the first rib (16) is between 3mm and 4mm, and / or the thickness (T2) of the second rib (17) is between3 mm and 4mm.

7. The batery pack (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the side wall (12) is a one-piece member made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

8. A vehicle (V), comprising an underbody structure (B) and the battery pack (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and connected to the underbody structure (B).

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