Stack replacing component

Abstract

To suppress generation of condensation in a battery case.SOLUTION: A stack replacing component is a stack replacing component arranged in an empty stack arrangement unit, which is an empty unit without a battery stack being arranged, of a plurality of stack arrangement units provided in a battery case. The stack replacing component includes: an external shell body forming the outer surface of the stack replacing component; and a floating body stored in the external shell 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 and the empty stack arrangement section is left empty, and the stack replacement part comprises an outer shell body that forms an outer surface of the stack replacement part, and a foam body contained in the outer shell body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack equipped with a stack replacement part; [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 shell body, and FIG. 5B is a front cross-sectional view of the shell body into which a foaming resin material has been injected. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of an outer shell body in which a blocking member is inserted into a through-hole, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of an outer shell body in which a through-hole is blocked by a blocking member pushed up by a foam. [Figure 7] FIG. 7A is a front cross-sectional view of a blocking member used in a stack replacement part according to another embodiment, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a through-hole of the stack replacement part according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [Embodiment] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stack replacement part 10 of this 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 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] As shown in FIG. 4, the stack replacement component 10 includes an outer shell 20 that forms the outer surface of the stack replacement component 10 , and a foam body 30 housed in the outer shell 20 .

[0013] A through hole 21 is formed in the outer shell body 20, and the through hole 21 is blocked by a blocking member 40 (see FIG. 6B). This closes the interior area of ​​the outer shell body 20. In this embodiment, the outer shell body 20 is a blow molded product, and the through hole 21 is a hole for blowing air into the shell body 20 (see FIG. 5A).

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

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the stack replacement component 10 is provided with a fixing portion 28 for fixing the outer shell body 20 to the empty stack arrangement portion 74A. The fixing portion 28 is integral with the outer shell body 20, and is formed integrally with the outer shell 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. In addition, 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. According to such a 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] As shown in FIG. 6A, the blocking member 40 includes an insertion portion 41 and a retaining portion 42. The insertion portion 41 is inserted into the outer shell body 20 through the through hole 21. The retaining portion 42 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 41 inside the outer shell body 20 and is wider (larger in diameter) than the through hole 21. The retaining portion 42 faces the opening edge of the through hole 21 from the inside of the outer shell body 20 and can prevent the blocking member 40 from being removed from the outer shell body 20. It is preferable that at least the retaining portion 42 of the blocking member 40 is deformable so that the retaining portion 42 can be inserted into the outer shell body 20 through the through hole 21. For example, it is preferable that at least the retaining portion 42 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0017] In this embodiment, the foam 30 is filled in the inner region of the outer shell 20 to fill the inner region. In addition, in this embodiment, a recess 31 is formed in the portion of the foam 30 facing the blocking member 40, into which the retaining portion 42 of the blocking member 40 is fitted. The foam 30 may be provided only in a portion of the inner region of the outer shell 20. If the inner region of the outer shell 20 is filled with the foam 30, air (and moisture such as water vapor contained in the air) is less likely to be contained inside the outer shell 20, making it easier to suppress the occurrence of condensation. In addition, by increasing the thermal insulation of the stack replacement part 10 with the foam 30, it is possible to suppress temperature changes on the surface of the stack replacement part 10, and it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of condensation. In addition, by filling the outer shell 20 with the foam 30, it is possible to improve the impact resistance of the stack replacement part 10.

[0018] The foam 30 preferably has a closed cell structure, but may have an open cell structure. In the former case, the foam 30 is less likely to absorb moisture (water vapor, etc.), which is preferable because condensation is less likely to occur inside the battery case 71. In this way, when the foam 30 is made of a material that is less likely to absorb water, the through-hole 21 does not need to be sealed (i.e., the blocking member 40 does not need to be provided). Note that, as in the latter case, when the foam 30 is made of a material that is more likely to absorb water, it is preferable that the outer shell 20 is sealed with the blocking member 40.

[0019] The foam 30 may be a foam of a thermosetting resin or a foam of a thermoplastic resin. In the example of the present embodiment, the foam 30 is a foam of a polyurethane resin, but may be a foam of a rubber, a foam of a phenolic resin, or a foam of a polyolefin resin such as a polyethylene resin or a polypropylene resin.

[0020] 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 blow molding dies 80 (see FIG. 5A). 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 outer shell body 20 is molded, and the fixing part 28 is molded integrally with the outer shell body 20. The holes for blowing air in the blow molding at this time become the through holes 21 of the outer shell body 20.

[0021] Next, foaming resin raw material G (e.g., raw material for polyurethane foam) is injected into the obtained shell body 20. In this embodiment, the foaming resin raw material G is injected through the through hole 21 of the shell body 20. In this manner, by using the through hole 21 for blowing air in blow molding as the hole for injecting the foaming resin raw material G, it is possible to omit the step of separately forming a hole for injection. Note that the through hole 21 for blowing air in blow molding and the hole for injecting the foaming resin raw material G may be different holes.

[0022] Once the foaming resin raw material G has been injected into the outer shell body 20, the through hole 21 is blocked from the outside by the blocking member 40 (see FIG. 6A). When the insertion portion 41 of the blocking member 40 is inserted into the through hole, for example, the retaining portion 42 is deformed by reducing its diameter, thereby allowing the insertion portion 41 to pass through the through hole 21. Note that the opening edge of the through hole 21 in the outer shell body 20 may be configured to be deformable, and the retaining portion 42 of the blocking member 40 may be configured not to deform.

[0023] When the foaming resin raw material G foams and hardens inside the shell body 20, the foam 30 is foam-molded (see FIG. 6B). At this time, the foam 30 pushes up the blocking member 40, and the retaining portion 42 of the blocking member 40 is pressed against the opening edge of the through hole 21 of the shell body 20 from the inside. This seals the through hole 21 and hermetically seals the shell body 20. Also, the foam 30 forms a recess 31 into which the retaining portion 42 fits. In this manner, the stack replacement part 10 is formed.

[0024] 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.

[0025] In this embodiment, the outer shell 20 is a blow molded product, which allows the outer shell 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 outer shell 20 less likely to crack. For example, blow molding can reduce the manufacturing cost of the outer shell 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.

[0026] [Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the fixing portion 28 does not have to be formed integrally with the outer shell body 20, and may be formed separately. For example, the fixing portion 28 may be a component attached to the outer shell body 20.

[0027] The outer shell 20 does not have to be a blow-molded product. Moreover, the outer shell 20 does not have to be made of resin.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the article filling the empty space in the battery case 71 is the stack replacement part 10 arranged in place of the battery stack 72, but as such an article, an article including an outer shell 20 and a foam 30 housed inside the outer shell 20 may be provided in the battery case other than the stack replacement part 10. Furthermore, such an article including an outer shell and a foam may be used to fill the empty space in an application other than the battery pack 70. Furthermore, an article having an outer shape and size completely different from the battery stack 72 may be placed in the empty stack placement portion 74A.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the foam 30 housed in the shell body 20 does not have to be a single piece, but may be divided into several pieces. Moreover, the foam 30 does not have to be foam-molded inside the shell body 20, but may be foam-molded and then housed in the shell body 20. In this case, if the foam 30 is divided into several pieces, it is easier to house the foam 30 in the shell body 20.

[0030] In the above embodiment, a non-foamed material may be provided inside the outer shell 20 in addition to or instead of the foamed material 30. Examples of the non-foamed material include elastic materials such as rubber, fibrous materials, and granular materials.

[0031] 7A and 7B, in the above embodiment, the blocking member 40 does not necessarily have to be provided with the retaining portion 42. The blocking member 40 shown in the figures may be, for example, a jig attached to the molding die 80 to suppress deformation of the blow molded product, and has an insertion portion 41 to be inserted into the through hole 21. Then, as shown in Fig. 7B, when the inside of the outer shell body 20 is filled with the foam 30, the through hole 21 is blocked by the foam 30, and the blocking member 40 can be removed.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the blocking member 40 for blocking the through-hole 21 of the outer shell body 20 does not have to be provided. In this way, when the blocking member 40 is not provided, it is preferable that the item housed in the outer shell body 20 has a structure that is difficult to contain moisture (water vapor, etc.), and it is preferable that the foam 30 has a closed cell structure. In this way, if the item housed in the outer shell body 20 has a structure that is difficult to contain moisture (water vapor, etc.), it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation inside the battery case 71.

[0033] <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, etc., but these feature groups are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses, etc.

[0034] 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."

[0035] [Feature 1] A stack replacement part that is arranged in an empty stack arrangement portion that is empty because no battery stack is arranged in the empty stack arrangement portion among a plurality of stack arrangement portions provided in a battery case, An outer shell forming an outer surface of the stack replacement part; A stack replacement part comprising: a foam body housed in the outer shell.

[0036] 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.

[0037] [Feature 2] The stack replacement part according to Feature 1, wherein the outer shell is a blow-molded product.

[0038] By forming the outer shell as a blow molded product, the outer shell can be easily manufactured and the outer shell 20 can be made less likely to crack than an injection molded product.

[0039] [Feature 3] 3. The stack replacement part according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the foam has a closed cell structure.

[0040] When the foam has a closed cell structure, it is less likely to contain moisture (water vapor, etc.) than when the foam has an open cell structure, making it possible to better suppress the occurrence of condensation inside the battery case.

[0041] [Feature 4] A stack replacement part according to any one of features 1 to 3, comprising a fixing portion for fixing the outer shell body to the vacant stack arrangement portion.

[0042] [Feature 5] A blocking member is provided for blocking a hole (through hole 21) for blowing air in the blow molding, the hole being provided in the outer shell, The blocking member is an insertion portion that is inserted into the shell body through the hole; a retaining portion that protrudes from an outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion within the shell and is wider than the hole, The stack replacement part according to Feature 2, or Feature 3 or 4 citing Feature 2, wherein the foam has a recess into which the retaining portion is fitted.

[0043] [Feature 6] A method for manufacturing a stack replacement part according to any one of features 1 to 5, A method for manufacturing a stack replacement part, comprising blow molding the outer shell and then foaming the foam inside the outer shell.

[0044] 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]

[0045] 10 Stack Replacement Parts 20 Exoskeleton 30 Foam 71 Battery case 72 Battery Stack 74 Stack placement section 74A Free stack placement area

Claims

1. A stack replacement part that is arranged in an empty stack arrangement portion that is empty because no battery stack is arranged in the empty stack arrangement portion among a plurality of stack arrangement portions provided in a battery case, An outer shell forming an outer surface of the stack replacement part; A stack replacement part comprising: a foam body housed in the outer shell.

2. The stack replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is a blow molded product.

3. 3. The stack replacement part according to claim 1, wherein the foam has a closed cell structure.

4. The stack replacement part according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a fixing portion for fixing the outer shell to the vacant stack arrangement portion.

5. a blocking member for blocking a hole for blowing air in the blow molding provided on the outer shell, The blocking member is an insertion portion that is inserted into the shell body through the hole; a retaining portion that protrudes from an outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion within the shell and is wider than the hole, 3. The stack replacement part according to claim 2, wherein the foam is provided with a recess into which the retaining portion is fitted.

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