Stack replacing component

Abstract

To provide a stack replacing component for suppressing generation of condensation due to water vapor in the air of an empty space generated in a battery case.SOLUTION: A stack replacing component 10 is a stack replacing component 10 arranged in an empty stack arrangement unit 74A, which is an empty unit without a battery stack being arranged, of a plurality of stack arrangement units provided in a battery case 71, and is a sealed hollow body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to components disposed within a battery case. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A known battery case has a plurality of stack arrangement sections for arranging battery stacks (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-179190 (paragraphs

[0021] to

[0023] , Figure 3, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the number of battery stacks required may differ depending on the specifications. Therefore, if battery stacks are not placed in all of the stack placement sections in the battery case, empty spaces may be generated in the battery case, and water vapor contained in the air in those spaces may easily cause condensation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the invention is a stack replacement part that is placed in an empty stack arrangement section among a plurality of stack arrangement sections provided within a battery case, where a battery stack is not arranged therein and the empty stack arrangement section is an enclosed hollow body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack including a stack replacement part according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] Cross-section of the battery pack [Diagram 3] FIG. 3A is a front cross-sectional view of a battery pack in which battery stacks are arranged in all stack arrangement sections, and FIG. 3B is a front cross-sectional view of a battery pack in which battery stacks are not arranged in some stack arrangement sections. [Figure 4] Side cross-sectional view of stack alternative [Diagram 5] FIG. 5A is a front cross-sectional view of a blow-molded main body, and FIG. 5B is a front cross-sectional view of a stack replacement part in which the through-holes of the main body are blocked. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a battery pack provided with a stack replacement part according to a second embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a face material set on the molding surface of a molding die, and FIG. 7B is a front cross-sectional view of a main body portion that has been blow-molded in the molding die and is integrated with the face material. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a battery pack with a stack replacement part having pins; [Figure 9] FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of a molding die with a pin set on the molding surface, and FIG. 7B is a front cross-sectional view of a main body part that has been blow-molded in the molding die and is integrated with the pin. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of the face plate that is inserted into the pin and attached to the main body DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [First embodiment] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stack replacement part 10 of the first embodiment is used in a battery pack 70 and is arranged in a battery case 71. A plurality of battery stacks 72 can be arranged in the battery case 71. In the battery stack 72, a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other are arranged in a line. The battery cells are, for example, plate-shaped, and a plurality of battery cells are stacked in the thickness direction. In the example of this embodiment, the battery stack 72 is a plate-shaped substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the longitudinal direction of the battery cells is the stacking direction. For example, the battery stack 72 is also provided with a case that houses a plurality of battery cells.

[0008] The battery case 71 is provided with a plurality of stack arrangement sections 74 in which the battery stacks 72 are arranged. The battery stack 72 is provided with a fixing section 72K for fixing the battery stack 72 to the stack arrangement section 74. In the example of this embodiment, the battery stack 72 is in the shape of a rectangular plate, and the fixing section 72K is provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The fixing section 72K of the battery stack 72 includes an insertion hole 72A through which a connecting member such as a bolt or a pin is inserted, and the connecting member engages with an attachment hole of the stack arrangement section 74 to fix the battery stack 72 to the battery case 71. Note that, for example, a cooling mechanism (for example, having a cooling path through which cooling water flows) for cooling the battery stack 72 is arranged adjacent to the battery case 71 (for example, arranged adjacent to one side of the battery stack 72 in the thickness direction).

[0009] There is no particular limitation on the use of the battery pack 70. For example, the battery pack 70 may be used as a battery (e.g., a lithium ion battery, a fuel cell, etc.) for a vehicle such as a vehicle (e.g., an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc.).

[0010] Incidentally, the number of battery stacks required may differ depending on the specifications of the battery pack 70, and the number of battery stacks 72 provided in the battery case 71 may differ (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). In other words, the battery case 71 can be used for a plurality of specifications that accommodate different numbers of battery stacks 72. Therefore, when the battery stacks 72 are not arranged in all of the stack arrangement sections 74 in the battery case 71 (see FIG. 3B), an empty space is generated in the battery case 71, that is, the stack arrangement section 74 in which the battery stacks 72 are not arranged and is left empty (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as an "empty stack arrangement section 74A"). In this case, the amount of air contained in the battery case 71 corresponds to the empty space. As a result, in the battery pack 70 cooled by the cooling mechanism, there is a risk that condensation is easily caused inside due to moisture such as water vapor contained in the air in the battery case 71, which may cause malfunctions in the electric components. Therefore, a measure against this is required.

[0011] In contrast, the stack replacement component 10 of the present embodiment is arranged in the empty stack arrangement portion 74A instead of the battery stack 72, and can fill the empty space in the battery case 71. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of air (and moisture such as water vapor contained in the air) in the battery case 71 compared to a case where nothing is arranged in the empty stack arrangement portion 74A, and makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the battery case 71.

[0012] 4, the stack replacement component 10 of this embodiment is a sealed hollow body. The stack replacement component 10 includes a main body portion 20, which is a hollow body, and a fixing portion 28 that fixes the main body portion 20 to the vacant stack arrangement portion 74A.

[0013] A through hole 21 is formed in the main body 20, and the through hole 21 is closed by the cover 40 (see FIG. 5B). This seals the main body 20, and prevents air containing water vapor from entering or leaving the main body 20. In this embodiment, the main body 20 is a blow molded product, and the through hole 21 is a hole for blowing air in the blow molding (see FIG. 5A). The through hole 21 may be sealed by a member that covers the through hole 21 or a member that is filled inside the through hole 21, or may be closed by resin welding.

[0014] In this embodiment, the size of the stack replacement component 10 is approximately the same as that of the battery stack 72, and the main body 20 is a plate-like shape that is approximately rectangular in plan view. In this embodiment, the main body 20 includes a pair of opposing walls 22 opposing each other in the thickness direction, a pair of end walls 23 opposing each other in the longitudinal direction of the main body 20, and a pair of side walls 24 opposing each other in the lateral direction of the main body 20 (see FIG. 5A), as outer shell walls that form the outer surface of the main body 20. The above-mentioned through hole 21 is provided, for example, in one of the opposing walls 22 (see FIG. 5A). The stack replacement component 10 and the battery stack 72 may have different outer shapes and sizes.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing portion 28 is integral with the main body 20, and is formed integrally with the main body 20, for example. In the example of this embodiment, the fixing portion 28 protrudes outward from each of the pair of end walls 23. Also, for example, the fixing portion 28 has an insertion hole 28A through which a connecting member (bolt, pin, etc.) is inserted. It is preferable that the stack replacement component 10 can be fixed by the same connecting member (bolt, pin, etc.) used to fix the battery stack 72. In this case, for example, the insertion hole 28A of the fixing portion 28 has the same configuration as the insertion hole 72A of the fixing portion 72K of the battery stack 72. With this configuration, the above-mentioned connecting member can be used (shared) both when fixing the battery stack 72 and when fixing the stack replacement component 10, and an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the example of this embodiment, the stack replacement part 10 can be fixed using mounting holes (bolt holes, pin holes, etc.) provided in the battery case 71 for fixing the battery stack 72, and there is no need to form a dedicated connecting structure in the battery case 71.

[0016] 4, the stack substitute component 10 has an uneven portion 25 on an outer shell wall of the main body portion 20. In the example of this embodiment, the uneven portion 25 is provided on one of the pair of opposing walls 22, a first opposing wall 22A of the main body portion 20, and is not provided on the other, second opposing wall 22B. For example, the uneven portion 25 may be configured such that recesses or protrusions are repeated in a certain pattern.

[0017] The uneven portion 25 may be formed by curving or bending the outer shell wall of the main body 20. For example, the uneven portion 25 may have a recess 27 formed by curving or bending the first opposing wall 22A so as to protrude inward on the outer surface of the first opposing wall 22A. Such recesses 27 may be provided in a plurality of portions or may be arranged in a line. In the example of this embodiment, the plurality of recesses 27 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the main body 20, and are arranged, for example, at equal intervals. In addition, in the example of this embodiment, the recess 27 extends in the short direction of the main body 20. Here, in the example of this embodiment, the recess 27 in the uneven portion 25 is formed by curving or bending the outer shell wall of the main body 20 so as to protrude inward (toward the internal space R of the main body 20), so that a portion protruding toward the internal space R is provided on the back side of the recess 27 on the inner surface of the outer shell wall. In the example of this embodiment, the protruding portion divides the area of ​​the internal space R on the first opposing wall 22 side into a plurality of rooms 38. In this embodiment, the portion of the internal space R of the main body 20 on the side of the second opposing wall 22B is not partitioned.

[0018] The stack replacement part 10 of this embodiment is manufactured, for example, as follows. First, a parison is extruded from an extruder between a pair of molding dies 80 (see FIG. 5A) for blow molding. Then, air is blown into the parison, causing it to expand, and it is pressed against the inner surface of the molding die 80 and cooled. As a result, the main body part 20 is molded, and the fixing part 28 is molded integrally with the main body part 20. In this embodiment, the through hole 21 of the main body part 20 serves as an air blowing hole for blow molding. Note that a hole other than the air blowing hole for blow molding may be provided as the through hole 21 of the main body part 20.

[0019] When the main body 20 is removed from the molding die 80, the through-hole 21 is blocked from the outside by the cover 40 (see FIG. 5B), sealing the main body 20. In this manner, the stack substitute part 10 is obtained.

[0020] As described above, in this embodiment, by arranging the stack replacement component 10 in the vacant stack arrangement portion 74A, it is possible to reduce the air (and moisture such as water vapor contained in the air) inside the battery case 71 compared to a case in which the stack replacement component 10 is not arranged in the vacant stack arrangement portion 74A, and the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed.

[0021] In this embodiment, the main body 20 is a blow molded product, which allows the main body 20 to be easily manufactured. Generally, blow molded products can use higher molecular weight resins than injection molded products, making it possible to make the main body 20 less likely to crack. For example, blow molding can reduce the manufacturing cost of the main body 20 compared to injection molding (for example, it is possible to make the molding die cheaper), and it is possible to improve the productivity of the stack replacement part 10.

[0022] When the main body portion 20 is a blow-molded product, a through hole 21 is formed in the main body portion 20 for blowing air into the main body portion 20 during blow molding. By blocking this through hole 21 with the cover portion 40, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring due to the air in the internal space R of the main body portion 20 being released to the outside of the stack replacement part 10.

[0023] In this embodiment, the uneven portion 25 is formed in the main body 20, and a plurality of chambers 38 are formed in the internal space R of the main body 20. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of convection due to the air temperature distribution in the internal space R of the main body 20. In other words, the plurality of chambers 38 can improve the thermal insulation of the stack replacement part 10, making it possible to suppress temperature changes on the surface of the stack replacement part 10, and making it possible to further suppress the occurrence of condensation. For example, the uneven portion 25 may be provided in a portion of the outer wall of the main body 20 that is disposed on the opposite side to the above-mentioned cooling mechanism. In addition, the uneven portion 25 formed by curving or bending the outer wall of the main body 20 makes it possible to increase the strength of the main body 20.

[0024] [Second embodiment] FIG. 6 shows a stack replacement component 10 of the second embodiment. The stack replacement component 10 of this embodiment includes a face material 33 having heat insulating properties that covers the outer surface of the main body 20, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the face material 33 covers a pair of opposing walls 22 of the main body 20. The face material 33 may cover only a part of the outer shell wall of the main body 20, or may cover the entire outer shell wall. For example, the face material 33 and the main body 20 may be integrated by an adhesive or welding, or the main body 20 may be integrally molded with the face material 33.

[0025] The stack replacement part 10 of this embodiment is manufactured, for example, as follows: First, the face material 33 is set on the molding surface of the molding die 80 shown in Fig. 7A. An adhesive is applied to the surface of the face material 33 that faces the inside of the molding die 80 (the surface opposite to the molding surface of the molding die 80).

[0026] Thereafter, the parison is extruded from the extruder between a pair of molding dies 80 for blow molding. Air is then blown into the parison, causing it to expand, and it is pressed against the inner surface of the molding die 80 (against the face material 33 in the portion where the face material 33 is provided), and cooled (see FIG. 7B). As a result, the main body 20 is molded, and the main body 20 is bonded to the face material 33. Note that, for example, if a thermoplastic adhesive is used as the adhesive, the adhesive melts due to the heat of the parison, and the bonding can be performed simultaneously with the molding of the main body 20, and can be easily performed.

[0027] As in the first embodiment, when the body portion 20 is removed from the molding die 80, the through-hole 21 is blocked from the outside by the cover portion 40 (see FIG. 5B), sealing the body portion 20. In this manner, the stack substitute part 10 is obtained.

[0028] Note that, as a fixing member for fixing the face material 33 to the main body 20, a member that protrudes from the main body 20 and engages with (e.g., pierces) the face material 33 may be provided instead of or in addition to an adhesive. In Fig. 8, a pin 36 is provided as such a fixing member. The pin 36 is fixed to the main body 20 and protrudes from the outer surface of the main body 20, with the protruding tip piercing the face material 33. The pin 36 may be provided at multiple positions on one face material 33.

[0029] For example, the pin 36 may be integrated into the main body 20 as an insert part. In the manufacturing method of the stack substitute part 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the pin 36 is attached to a molding surface of a molding die 80 (for example, a portion for molding the opposing wall 22). At this time, the pin 36 is inserted so that the tip side portion that penetrates the face material 33 penetrates the molding surface of the molding die 80. Thereafter, when the main body 20 is blow molded as described above, the pin 36 is integrated into the outer surface of the main body 20 (see FIG. 9B).

[0030] When the main body 20 is removed from the molding die 80, the pin 36 integrated with the main body 20 is also removed. Then, the face material 33 is placed on and attached to the portion of the outer shell wall of the main body 20 where the pin 36 is provided (the pair of opposing walls 22 in this embodiment) (see FIG. 10). At this time, the pin 36 protruding from the main body 20 is pierced into the face material 33, thereby fixing the face material 33 to the main body 20. The pin 36 may be long enough to penetrate the face material 33, or may be long enough not to penetrate the face material 33.

[0031] According to the stack replacement component 10 of the present embodiment described above, the heat insulating property of the stack replacement component 10 can be improved by the face material 33 having heat insulating properties.

[0032] [Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the fixing portion 28 does not have to be formed integrally with the main body portion 20, and may be formed separately. For example, the fixing portion 28 may be a component attached to the main body portion 20.

[0033] The main body 20 does not have to be a blow molded product. Moreover, the main body 20 does not have to be made of resin.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the item filling the empty space in the battery case 71 is the stack replacement part 10 arranged in place of the battery stack 72, but an item arranged in a place other than the empty stack arrangement portion 74A may be provided in the battery case as such an item. Furthermore, such an item may be used to fill the empty space in an application other than the battery pack 70. Furthermore, an item whose external shape or size is completely different from that of the battery stack 72 may be arranged in the empty stack arrangement portion 74A.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the concave and convex portions 25 have the multiple concave portions 27 arranged in a line, but they may be arranged two-dimensionally, for example, in a two-dimensional repeating pattern. Also, the multiple concave portions 27 do not need to be aligned, and may be arranged randomly.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the uneven portion 25 may be provided on a portion of the outer shell wall of the main body 20 other than the first opposing wall 22A (for example, the second opposing wall 22B). In this case, the uneven portion 25 does not have to be provided on the first opposing wall 22A. The stack substitute component 10 may also be configured such that the uneven portion 25 is not provided on the main body 20.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the uneven portion 25 does not have to be formed by curving or bending the outer shell wall of the main body portion 20. For example, the uneven portion 25 (e.g., the uneven portion 25 forming a portion such as the room 38) may be provided on only one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the outer shell wall of the main body portion 20.

[0038] In the above embodiment, a material that does not have heat insulating properties may be used as the face material 33. For example, the face material 33 may be a reinforcing material.

[0039] <Additional Notes> The following describes the feature groups extracted from the above-described embodiments, while indicating their effects, etc., as necessary. Note that, in the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above-described embodiments are appropriately indicated in parentheses, but these feature groups are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0040] For example, the following features of the present disclosure relate to "components placed in a battery case," and can be considered to have been conceived in response to the following problem in the background art: "It is known that a battery case has a plurality of stack arrangement sections for arranging battery stacks (see, for example, JP 2006-179190 (paragraphs

[0021] to

[0023] , FIG. 3, etc.))." The problem is that "The number of battery stacks required may differ depending on the specifications. Therefore, if battery stacks are not placed in all of the stack arrangement sections in the battery case, empty space is generated in the battery case, and there is a risk that condensation may easily occur due to water vapor contained in the air in that space."

[0041] [Feature 1] A stack replacement part to be placed in an empty stack placement portion, which is empty because no battery stack is placed in the empty stack placement portion among a plurality of stack placement portions provided in a battery case, A stack alternative that is a sealed hollow body.

[0042] According to feature 1, by arranging a stack replacement part in an empty stack arrangement section, it is possible to reduce the air (and moisture such as water vapor contained in the air) inside the battery case compared to a case in which a stack replacement part is not arranged in the empty stack arrangement section, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation.

[0043] [Feature 2] A hollow main body; The stack replacement part according to feature 1, further comprising: a fixing portion for fixing the main body portion to the vacant stack placement portion.

[0044] [Feature 3] The main body is a blow molded product, 3. The stack replacement part according to claim 2, further comprising a cover portion for closing the air blowing hole (through hole 21) of the main body portion.

[0045] By forming the main body as a blow molded product, the main body can be manufactured easily and the outer shell can be made less likely to crack than an injection molded product.

[0046] [Feature 4] A stack replacement part according to feature 2 or 3, wherein an outer shell wall forming the outer surface of the main body portion is provided with a recess that is curved or bent inwardly.

[0047] [Feature 5] A stack replacement part according to any one of features 2 to 4, wherein the outer surface of the main body is covered with a surface material having thermal insulation properties.

[0048] In addition, although this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 Stack Replacement Parts 20 Main body 25 Uneven part 27 Recess 33 Surface material 40 Cover part 71 Battery case 72 Battery Stack 74 Stack placement section 74A Free stack placement area

Claims

1. A stack replacement part to be placed in an empty stack placement portion, which is empty because no battery stack is placed in the empty stack placement portion among a plurality of stack placement portions provided in a battery case, A stack alternative that is a sealed hollow body.

2. A hollow main body; The stack replacement component according to claim 1 , further comprising: a fixing portion for fixing the main body portion to the vacant stack arrangement portion.

3. The main body is a blow molded product, The stack replacement part according to claim 2 , further comprising a cover portion for closing the air blowing hole of the main body portion.

4. 4. The stack replacement part according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an outer shell wall forming an outer surface of the main body portion is provided with a recess that is curved or bent inwardly.

5. 4. The stack replacement component according to claim 2, wherein an outer surface of the main body is covered with a surface material having heat insulating properties.

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