Replaceable battery

Abstract

To provide a replaceable battery that can be carried by a handle without obstructing the connection of a connector.SOLUTION: A replaceable battery includes a cell stack in a rectangular parallelepiped shape composed of a plurality of stacked battery cells and a case for accommodating the cell stack. The replaceable battery is detachably mounted on a vehicle. The case includes: a rectangular tube shape main body; a first lid part closing one open end of the main body; and a second lid part closing the other open end of the main body. The second lid part is provided with a connector that protrudes outward and is connected to the vehicle, as well as a handle. The handle is rotatably mounted around a shaft extending along an upper edge of the second lid part from a state where it is placed on an upper surface of the main body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a replaceable battery.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a replaceable battery that is detachably attached to a vehicle.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventors have developed a replaceable battery in which a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack is housed in a case. Here, the case includes a rectangular tube-shaped main body portion and a pair of lid portions that close the open ends at both ends of the main body portion. The inventors are considering providing a handle for lifting the replaceable battery on the lid portion provided with the connector.

[0005] Here, the replaceable battery is housed in a housing space of a vehicle, and a connector of the replaceable battery is connected to a vehicle-side connector. Therefore, for example, it is not possible to provide the handle so as to protrude toward the connector side. Further, if the handle is protruded upward, the replaceable battery cannot be housed in the housing space of the vehicle (or it is necessary to expand the housing space). Thus, there are various restrictions on attaching the handle to the lid portion provided with the connector so as not to interfere with the connection of the connector.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a replaceable battery that can be carried by a handle without interfering with the connection of the connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The replaceable battery according to the present disclosure is a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, and a case that houses the cell stack. It is a replaceable battery that is detachably attached to a vehicle, wherein the case includes a rectangular tube-shaped main body portion, a first lid portion that closes one open end of the main body portion, and a second lid portion that closes the other open end of the main body portion. A connector that protrudes outward and is connected to the vehicle is provided on the second lid portion, and a handle is provided. The handle is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the second lid portion from a state of being placed on the upper surface of the main body portion.

[0008] In the replaceable battery according to the present disclosure, a connector that protrudes outward and is connected to the vehicle is provided on the second lid portion that closes the open end of the main body portion of the case, and a handle for lifting the replaceable battery is provided. The handle is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the second lid portion from a state of being placed on the upper surface of the main body portion. Therefore, it is possible to provide a replaceable battery that can be carried by the handle without interfering with the connection of the connector.

[0009] A rib groove extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion on the upper surface of the main body portion, and the handle may be accommodated in the rib groove in a state of being placed on the upper surface of the main body portion. With such a configuration, it becomes easier to store the replaceable battery in the storage space of the replaceable battery.

[0010] The thickness of the second lid portion may be larger than the thickness of the main body portion. With such a configuration, the weight of the case can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the main body portion, and deformation of the case can be suppressed by providing a handle on the second lid portion having a large thickness.

[0011] The second lid portion may be a die-cast member. With such a configuration, the rigidity of the second lid portion where the handle is provided is improved, and the workability when using the handle is also improved.

[0012] The replaceable battery slides in the longitudinal direction to be attached to and detached from the vehicle, and a handle may be provided on the first lid portion. With such a configuration, while supporting the handle provided on the first lid portion, the replaceable battery can be carried by the handle provided on the second lid portion.

[0013] The main body portion may be composed of a first member having an L-shaped cross section including a first side plate and a bottom plate that supports the cell stack, and a second member having an L-shaped cross section including a second side plate and a top plate on which the handle is placed. With such a configuration, at the time of assembly, it becomes easy to accommodate the contents such as the cell stack into the case, and the workability of assembly is improved.

[0014] The cell stack may be arranged closer to the first side plate than the second side plate. In this way, even when the center of gravity of the replaceable battery is offset, when the operator carries the replaceable battery, the operator can hold the rotatable handle with one hand to lift the replaceable battery and support the replaceable battery with the other hand. Therefore, the operator can carry the replaceable battery while maintaining balance.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a replaceable battery that can be carried by a handle without interfering with the connection of the connector.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) <Configuration of the Replaceable Battery 1> First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the configuration of the replaceable battery 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the replaceable battery 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view with an enlarged periphery of a front case provided at the front end of the replaceable battery according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view with an enlarged periphery of a rear case provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery according to Embodiment 1.

[0019] The replaceable battery 1, also called a battery pack, a battery module, etc., is detachably mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle that runs on a motor using electricity as a power source. The replaceable battery 1 is miniaturized and lightweight, for example, so that an operator (including a work robot, etc.) can easily insert and remove it from the electric vehicle.

[0020] Of course, the right-handed XYZ orthogonal coordinates shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are for convenience in explaining the positional relationship of the components. Usually, in FIG. 1 etc., the positive Z-axis direction is the vertically upward direction, the XY plane is the horizontal plane, and they are common among the drawings.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, in the replaceable battery 1, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape is defined by a case 100 that houses a cell stack etc. The case 100 includes a case body (main body part) 101 having a square tube shape, a front case 102 that is a lid part for closing one opening end (front end opening part) of the case body 101, and a rear case 103 that is a lid part for closing the other opening end (rear end opening part) of the case body 101.

[0022] In addition, a connector 104 is provided on the rear case 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1, which protrudes outward and is formed so as to be connectable to a vehicle-side connector. Although not shown, for example, when an operator slides the replaceable battery 1 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and houses it in the housing space of the vehicle, the connector 104 of the replaceable battery 1 and the vehicle-side connector are connected.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, a handle 141 for sliding the replaceable battery 1 is provided on the front case (first lid part) 102. Although not particularly limited, the handle 141 shown in FIG. 2 is a recessed handle. The operator can slide the replaceable battery 1 by gripping the handle 141 and pushing or pulling the replaceable battery 1.

[0024] In addition, the replaceable battery 1 can be transported, for example, by being placed on a cart. When the replaceable battery 1 is stored from the cart into the storage space, the height of the cart is made to match that of the storage space, and the handle 141 is pushed to store the replaceable battery 1 in the storage space. On the other hand, when the replaceable battery 1 is taken out from the storage space and placed on the cart, the height of the cart is made to match that of the storage space, and the handle 141 is pulled to take out the replaceable battery 1 from the storage space.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, in the rear case (second lid portion) 103, in addition to the connector 104, a handle 131 and a relief valve 132 are provided. Here, the connector 104 includes a pedestal 1041, a high-voltage terminal 1042, a low-voltage terminal 1043, an alignment pin 1044, and a metal cover 1045.

[0026] The pedestal 1041 is disposed on the main surface of the rear case 103. The high-voltage terminal 1042, the low-voltage terminal 1043, and the alignment pin 1044 are all formed so as to protrude outward from the main surface of the pedestal 1041. The cover 1045 is formed so as to surround the side surfaces of the high-voltage terminal 1042 and the low-voltage terminal 1043.

[0027] The high-voltage terminal 1042 is a terminal for transmitting the electricity output from the cell stack housed in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle on which the replaceable battery 1 is mounted. The low-voltage terminal 1043 is a terminal for transmitting a control signal from the vehicle to the replaceable battery 1 or for transmitting a signal representing the monitoring result (such as a voltage measurement result) of the cell stack from the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the handle 131 is rotatably provided around an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the rear case 103, and is placed on the upper surface of the case body 101 (that is, the upper surface of the top plate) when not in use. Therefore, the replaceable battery 1 can be carried by the handle 131 without interfering with the connection of the connector 104.

[0029] More specifically, when the operator carries the replaceable battery 1, while lifting the replaceable battery 1 by gripping the rotatable handle 131 with one hand, the operator supports the replaceable battery 1 by gripping, for example, the pull handle 141 with the other hand. Therefore, the operator can carry the replaceable battery 1 while maintaining balance.

[0030] Although not particularly limited, the handle 131 shown in FIG. 3 is a single plate-shaped member. As shown in FIG. 3, the base portion of the handle 131 is rotatably provided around an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the rear case 103. A rectangular opening is provided at the tip of the handle 131. The operator inserts a finger into the opening, grips the handle 131, and lifts the replaceable battery 1.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, on the upper surface of the case body 101 (i.e., the upper surface of the top plate), a rib groove 101c is formed along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the case body 101. Therefore, the plate-shaped handle 131 is housed in the rib groove 101c when not in use. Thereby, it becomes easier for the operator to house the replaceable battery 1 in the storage space of the vehicle. Furthermore, by forming the rib groove 101c, the strength of the upper surface of the case body 101 is also improved.

[0032] Here, it is preferable that the thickness of the case body 101 is small and the thickness of the rear case 103 is larger than the thickness of the case body 101. For example, a die-cast member is used as the rear case 103. With such a configuration, the rigidity of the rear case 103 is improved, and the workability during the use of the handle 131 is also improved. Furthermore, by providing the handle 131 on the rear case 103 with a large thickness, deformation of the case 100 can also be suppressed.

[0033] On the other hand, by reducing the thickness of the case body 101, the weight of the case 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, in the event that gas is generated in the cell stack 110, since the case body 101 deforms and bulges outward, a rapid increase in the case internal pressure can be suppressed.

[0034] The relief valve 132 discharges the gas generated in the cell stack housed in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1. Even when gas is discharged from the relief valve 132, the high-voltage terminal 1042 and the low-voltage terminal 1043 are protected by the metal cover 1045.

[0035] <Modification example of the handle 131> Here, with reference to FIG. 4, a modification example of the handle 131 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a modification example of the handle 131. As shown in FIG. 4, the handle 131 according to the modification example includes a support portion 131a and a pair of gripping portions 131b. The base portion of the plate-shaped support portion 131a is rotatably provided around an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the rear case 103. And the base portions of the pair of gripping portions 131b are rotatably connected to the tip end portion of the support portion 131a. Therefore, the handle 131 according to the modification example shown in FIG. 4 can fold the pair of gripping portions 131b.

[0036] Although not shown, when not in use, the longitudinal direction of the pair of gripping portions 131b becomes parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support portion 131a and is in a folded state. In this state, the handle 131 is placed on the upper surface of the case body 101.

[0037] On the other hand, when in use, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of gripping portions 131b are each rotated about 90 degrees so as to be separated from each other until they become linear. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the handle 131 as a whole becomes T-shaped. The operator grips the pair of gripping portions 131b that are opened linearly.

[0038] In addition, in the handle 131 shown in FIG. 4, the width of the tip end portion of the support portion 131a is smaller than the width of the base portion of the support portion 131a. However, it is not particularly limited, and for example, the width of the tip end portion of the support portion 131a may be equal to the width of the base portion of the support portion 131a.

[0039] <Assembly of the replaceable battery 1> Next, while explaining the contents of the case 100 of the rechargeable battery 1 with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the assembly of the rechargeable battery 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the assembly of the rechargeable battery 1. FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic perspective views for explaining the flow of the assembly of the rechargeable battery 1. The display contents of steps S101 to S105 in FIGS. 6 and 7 correspond to the processing results of steps S101 to S105 in FIG. 5.

[0040] First, a lower case (second member) 101b that forms the bottom plate and one side plate (second side plate) of the case body 101 is arranged (step S101). The lower case 101b is formed such that its YZ cross section is L-shaped and extends along the X-axis direction.

[0041] Thereafter, on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b, a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack 110 is arranged close to one side plate formed by the lower case 101b (step S102). The cell stack 110 is composed of a plurality of battery cells stacked thereon and is bundled into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by a bundling member 111 such as a binding band.

[0042] Thereafter, on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b, electronic devices such as a junction box 108 including a relay and a battery monitoring device 107 are further arranged (step S103). The battery monitoring device 107 includes a voltage measuring device that measures the voltage of the cell stack 110 or the voltage of each battery cell constituting the cell stack. The battery monitoring device 107 is arranged in a space region between the cell stack 110 and the other side plate of the case body 101, which will be described later, among the regions on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b. This space region is formed by arranging the cell stack 110 close to one side plate of the case body 101. The junction box 108 is arranged in a space region between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and a rear case 103, which will be described later.

[0043] Further, the inner case 102a of the front case 102 is disposed at the front end of the lower case 101b (case body 101) (step S103). The rear case 103 having the connector 104 is disposed at the rear end of the lower case 101b (case body 101) (step S103).

[0044] Thereafter, the upper case (first member) 101a that forms the top plate and the other side plate (first side plate) of the case body 101 is disposed to face the lower case 101b (step S104). The upper case 101a is formed such that its YZ cross-section is L-shaped and extends along the X-axis direction. The upper case 101a and the lower case 101b form the case body 101 having a rectangular tube shape.

[0045] In the internal region of this case body 101, a space region 160 is provided above the cell stack 110. This space region 160 is also used as a smoke exhaust region for discharging the gas generated in the cell stack 110. For example, the gas generated in the cell stack 110 is discharged from the space region 160 to the outside of the case 100 via the relief valve 132.

[0046] Also, the upper case 101a and the lower case 101b are fastened by fastening members 151 and 152 (step S104). FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the end portion of one side plate formed by the lower case 101b that protrudes into the space region 160 and the end portion of the top plate formed by the upper case 101a are fastened by the fastening member 151. Also, the end portion of the other side plate formed by the upper case 101a and the end portion of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b are fastened by the fastening member 152.

[0047] With such a configuration, the cell stack 110 can be placed close to one of the side plates formed by the lower case 101b without being interfered with by the fastening member 151. As a result, for example, a sufficient space region can be secured between the cell stack 110 and the other side plate formed by the upper case 101a to arrange the battery monitoring device 107.

[0048] Thereafter, the outer case 102b of the front case 102 is arranged at the front end of the case body 101. Thereby, the replaceable battery 1 is completed (step S105). The outer case 102b has a cap shape and is attached so as to also wrap the opening (open end) at the front end of the case body 101 from the side. Thereby, it is possible to suppress gas from leaking from the front case 102 side where the operator is working before the gas is discharged from the relief valve 132.

[0049] As described above, the replaceable battery 1 according to the present disclosure is provided with a connector 104 that protrudes outward and is connected to the vehicle on the rear case 103 that closes the open end of the case body 101, and a handle 131 for lifting the replaceable battery 1. The handle 131 is rotatably provided around an axis extending along the upper edge of the rear case 103, and is placed on the upper surface of the case body 101 when not in use. Therefore, it is possible to provide a replaceable battery that can be carried by the handle 131 without interfering with the connection of the connector.

[0050] In addition, in the replaceable battery 1 according to the present embodiment, the cell stack with a large mass is arranged close to one side plate within the case 100. That is, since the center of gravity of the replaceable battery 1 is offset, there is a risk of losing balance when an operator carries the replaceable battery 1. In contrast, in the replaceable battery 1 according to the present disclosure, when carrying the replaceable battery 1, the operator can hold the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1, and hold, for example, the pull handle 141 with the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1. Therefore, the operator can carry the replaceable battery 1 while maintaining balance. Note that the cell stack does not necessarily have to be arranged offset within the case 100, and may be arranged at the center within the case 100.

[0051] Furthermore, in the replaceable battery according to the present embodiment, since the case body 101 is composed of a pair of upper cases 101a and lower cases 101b having an L-shaped cross section, when assembling, it becomes easier to accommodate the contents such as the cell stack into the case. That is, in the replaceable battery according to the present disclosure, the workability during assembly is improved. Note that the case body 101 does not necessarily have to be composed of a pair of upper cases 101a and lower cases 101b having an L-shaped cross section. For example, the case body 101 may be composed of an upper case having a U-shaped cross section and a flat lower case, or may be a single cylindrical member.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0052] 1 Replaceable battery 100 Case 101 Case body (main body part) 101a Upper case (first member) 101b Lower case (second member) 101c Rib groove 102 Front case (first lid part) 102a Inner case 102b Outer case 103 Rear case (second lid part) 104 Connector 107 Battery Monitoring Device 108 Junction Box 110 Cell Stack 111 Binding Member 131 Handle 131a Support Portion 131b Gripping Portion 132 Relief Valve 141 Pulling Handle 151, 152 Fastening Member 160 Space Region 1041 Pedestal 1042 High-Voltage Terminal 1043 Low-Voltage Terminal 1044 Pin 1045 Cover

Claims

1. A rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, and a case that houses the cell stack, and is a replaceable battery that is detachably attached to a vehicle, wherein the case includes a rectangular tube-shaped main body portion, a first lid portion that closes one open end of the main body portion, and a second lid portion that closes the other open end of the main body portion, wherein the second lid portion is provided with a connector that protrudes outward and is connected to the vehicle, and a handle is provided, wherein the handle is rotatably provided about an axis extending along the upper edge portion of the second lid portion from a state of being placed on the upper surface of the main body portion. Replaceable battery.

2. A rib groove extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion on the upper surface of the main body portion, and the handle is housed in the rib groove in a state of being placed on the upper surface of the main body portion. The replaceable battery according to claim 1.

3. The thickness of the second lid portion is larger than the thickness of the main body portion. The replaceable battery according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The second lid portion is a die-cast member. The replaceable battery according to claim 3.

5. The replaceable battery slides in the longitudinal direction to be attached to and detached from the vehicle, and a pull handle is provided on the first lid portion. The replaceable battery according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The main body portion is composed of a first member having an L-shaped cross section including a first side plate and a bottom plate that supports the cell stack, and a second member having an L-shaped cross section including a second side plate and a top plate on which the handle is placed. The replaceable battery according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The cell stack is arranged closer to the first side plate than the second side plate. The replaceable battery according to claim 6. ​

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