Battery structure and battery module

Abstract

To provide a battery structure having replaceable battery cells, and provide a battery module including the battery structure.SOLUTION: A battery structure includes an upper sheet member 100, a lower sheet member 102, a plurality of battery cells 104, a plurality of fixing members 106, an upper accommodation plate 108, and a lower accommodation plate 110. The battery cell has a plurality of conductive parts 1040. Each conductive part is located between the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. Each fixing member is configured to fix the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. The upper housing plate has an upper housing recess part. The upper housing recess part is configured to house the upper sheet member and a part of the conductive part. The lower housing plate has a lower housing recess part 1100. The lower housing recess part is configured to house the lower sheet member and another part of the conductive part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery structure and a battery module, and more particularly to a battery structure having replaceable battery cells and a battery module including the battery structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A battery pack is an important component of an electric vehicle. Generally, a battery pack includes multiple battery modules, and the battery cells in the battery modules are fixed by screws and welding structures, making it difficult to disassemble the battery cells. Furthermore, the welding structures can easily damage the battery cells during disassembly. Therefore, it is difficult to repair or recycle the battery modules of the prior art. How to improve the convenience of disassembling the battery modules has become a significant design issue. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a battery structure having replaceable battery cells and a battery module including the battery structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The battery structure of the present invention includes an upper sheet member, a lower sheet member, a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of fixing members, an upper housing plate, and a lower housing plate. The plurality of battery cells have a plurality of conductive portions. The plurality of conductive portions are located between the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. The plurality of fixing members are configured to fix the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. The upper housing plate has an upper housing recess. The upper housing recess is configured to accommodate the upper sheet member and a portion of the plurality of conductive portions. The lower housing plate has a lower housing recess. The lower housing recess is configured to accommodate the lower sheet member and another portion of the plurality of conductive portions.

[0005] The battery module of the present invention includes a plurality of battery structures and a plurality of plate members. The plurality of battery structures are stacked on one another. Each of the plurality of battery structures includes an upper sheet member, a lower sheet member, a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of fixing members, an upper housing plate, and a lower housing plate. The plurality of battery cells have a plurality of conductive portions. The plurality of conductive portions are located between the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. The plurality of fixing members are configured to fix the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member. The upper housing plate has an upper housing recess. The upper housing recess is configured to accommodate the upper sheet member and a portion of the plurality of conductive portions. The lower housing plate has a lower housing recess. The lower housing recess is configured to accommodate the lower sheet member and another portion of the plurality of conductive portions. The plurality of plate members surround the plurality of battery structures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] As described above, the present invention uses upper and lower sheet members to clamp the conductive parts of the battery cells and fastens the upper and lower sheet members using fastening members. The present invention then uses upper and lower housing plates to accommodate the upper and lower sheet members and conductive parts, completing the assembly of the battery structure. When the battery cells need to be disassembled, only the fastening members need to be removed. Because the battery cells are not fastened by welding, the present invention can prevent damage to the battery cells during disassembly. Furthermore, because the battery cells are not fastened by screws, the present invention can avoid poor contact of the battery cells due to loose screws.

[0007] These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those skilled in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing the battery structure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view showing the battery structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a partially exploded view showing the battery structure from another viewing angle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is another partial perspective view showing the battery structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is another partial perspective view showing the battery structure. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing upper and lower sheet members according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view showing upper and lower sheet members according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing a battery structure 10, Figure 3 is a partial exploded view showing the battery structure 10, Figure 4 is a partial exploded view of the battery structure 10 from another viewing angle, Figure 5 is another partial perspective view showing the battery structure 10, Figure 6 is another partial perspective view showing the battery structure 10, and Figure 7 is a partial perspective view showing a plate member 12.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 1, the battery module 1 includes a plurality of battery structures 10 and a plurality of plate members 12. The battery module 1 is formed by stacking the plurality of battery structures 10 on top of one another and surrounding the plurality of battery structures 10 with the plurality of plate members 12. The battery module 1 may be applied to an electric vehicle, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of battery structures 10 may be determined according to the actual application, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figures.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the battery structure 10 includes an upper sheet member 100, a lower sheet member 102, a plurality of battery cells 104, a plurality of fixing members 106, an upper storage plate 108, and a lower storage plate 110. The plurality of battery cells 104 have a plurality of conductive portions 1040, which are located between the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102. In other words, the conductive portions 1040 of the battery cells 104 are sandwiched between the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 to form an electrical connection. In another embodiment, foam or a similar structure may be disposed between the battery cells 104 to provide a buffering effect. In this embodiment, the battery structure 10 may include two battery cells 104, and both sides of each battery cell 104 may include two conductive portions 1040, which may be positive or negative conductive portions. Please note that for ease of illustration, only the conductive portion 1040 located on one side of the battery cell 104, the upper sheet member 100, the lower sheet member 102, the fixing member 106, the upper storage plate 108, and the lower storage plate 110 are shown.

[0012] The multiple fixing members 106 are configured to fix the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 together. In this embodiment, each of the multiple conductive portions 1040 has multiple through holes 1042, and the multiple fixing members 106 can pass through the multiple through holes 1042 to fix the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 together. In this embodiment, the multiple fixing members 106 may be, but are not limited to, multiple riveted members. When the fixing members 106 are riveted members, at least one of the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 may have multiple riveted holes. Furthermore, the multiple fixing members 106 may be integrally formed with one of the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102. In this embodiment, the multiple fixing members 106 may be integrally formed with the lower sheet member 102. In this case, the upper sheet member 100 may have a plurality of rivet holes 1000, each of which is tapered from the side away from the conductive portion 1040 to the side closer to the conductive portion 1040.

[0013] During assembly, the riveting member (i.e., the fixing member 106) can be sequentially passed through the through-hole 1042 of the conductive portion 1040 and the rivet hole 1000 of the upper sheet member 100 to rivet the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102. As shown in FIG. 5 , after the riveting member rivetes the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 together, a first surface 1060 of the riveting member may be flush with the upper sheet member 100 to avoid interference with other components.

[0014] In another embodiment, the fastening member 106 may be integrally formed with the upper sheet member 100 or may be a separate component. In this case, the lower sheet member 102 may also have a plurality of rivet holes. After the riveting member passes through the rivet holes in the lower sheet member 102 and rivets the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 together, the second surface of the riveting member is flush with the lower sheet member 102.

[0015] If the fastening member 106 is a riveted member, the fastening member 106 may be a solid rivet, a hollow rivet, a grooved hollow rivet, or a general rivet, depending on the practical application.

[0016] 6, the width of the through-hole 1042 of the conductive portion 1040 may be larger than the width of the fixing member 106 so that the fixing member 106 does not come into contact with the conductive portion 1040. Therefore, the present invention can prevent the battery cell 104 from being damaged when the fixing member 106 is disassembled.

[0017] 3 and 4 , the upper accommodating plate 108 has an upper accommodating recess 1080, and the lower accommodating plate 110 has a lower accommodating recess 1100. After the fixing member 106 fixes the conductive portion 1040 of the battery cell 104 between the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102, the upper accommodating recess 1080 is configured to accommodate a portion of the upper sheet member 100 and the conductive portion 1040, and the lower accommodating recess 1100 is configured to accommodate another portion of the lower sheet member 102 and the conductive portion 1040. Therefore, the upper accommodating plate 108 and the lower accommodating plate 110 not only support the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102, but also provide insulating protection and prevent the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 of two adjacent battery structures 10 from coming into contact and shorting out.

[0018] In this embodiment, the upper accommodating plate 108 may include a first intermediate portion 1082, the upper accommodating recess 1080 may be disposed in the first intermediate portion 1082, and the short side of the upper accommodating recess 1080 may be shorter than the short side of the first intermediate portion 1082. Further, the lower accommodating plate 110 may include a second intermediate portion 1102, the lower accommodating recess 1100 may be disposed in the second intermediate portion 1102, and the short side of the lower accommodating recess 1100 may be shorter than the short side of the second intermediate portion 1102.

[0019] In this embodiment, each of the two sides of the first intermediate portion 1082 has a side portion 112, and each of the two sides of the second intermediate portion 1102 also has a side portion 112. The side portions 112 may have assembly holes 1120, positioning protrusions 1122, and positioning holes 1124, which are located on opposite sides of the upper storage plate 108 or the lower storage plate 110. Furthermore, the assembly holes 1120 are adjacent to both the positioning protrusions 1122 and the positioning holes 1124. When assembling the upper storage plate 108 and the lower storage plate 110, the positioning protrusions 1122 of one of the upper storage plate 108 and the lower storage plate 110 may be inserted into one of the assembly holes 1120 and the positioning holes 1124 of the other of the upper storage plate 108 and the lower storage plate 110. This allows the upper and lower storage plates 108 and 110 of two adjacent battery structures 10 to be aligned.

[0020] It should be noted that in this embodiment, two adjacent cell structures 10 may share an upper containing plate 108 or a lower containing plate 110. For purposes of further explanation, the lower containing plate 110 of the upper cell structure 10 may be the upper containing plate 108 of the lower cell structure 10, and conversely, the upper containing plate 108 of the lower cell structure 10 may be the lower containing plate 110 of the upper cell structure 10.

[0021] In this embodiment, at least one of the plate members 12 may have at least one assembly protrusion 120, as shown in FIG. 7 . After the battery structures 10 are stacked together, the assembly protrusion 120 is inserted into one of the assembly holes 1120 or the positioning holes 1124 of the upper accommodating plate 108 or the lower accommodating plate 110 to complete the assembly of the battery module 1. In this embodiment, the plate member 12 may include two cover plates and two side plates. The two cover plates may be assembled into one of the assembly holes 1120 or the positioning holes 1124 of the upper accommodating plate 108 or the lower accommodating plate 110 by the assembly protrusion 120. Furthermore, the two cover plates may be assembled to the two side plates by other fixing members (e.g., screws).

[0022] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, Figure 8 is a partial perspective view showing an upper sheet member 100 and a lower sheet member 102 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a partial perspective view showing an upper sheet member 100 and a lower sheet member 102 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] 8 and 9, the opposing surfaces of the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 may be non-planar (e.g., curved, jagged, etc.) to provide better contact and lower impedance between the conductive portions 1040 of the battery cells 104. Needless to say, the opposing surfaces of the upper sheet member 100 and the lower sheet member 102 may also be planar (see FIG. 2) depending on the actual application.

[0024] As described above, the present invention uses upper and lower sheet members to clamp the conductive parts of the battery cells and fastens the upper and lower sheet members using fastening members. The present invention then uses upper and lower housing plates to accommodate the upper and lower sheet members and conductive parts, completing the assembly of the battery structure. When the battery cells need to be disassembled, only the fastening members need to be removed. Because the battery cells are not fastened by welding, the present invention can prevent damage to the battery cells during disassembly. Furthermore, because the battery cells are not fastened by screws, the present invention can avoid poor contact of the battery cells due to loose screws.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications and variations of the apparatus and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery structure, an upper sheet member; a lower sheet member; a plurality of battery cells each having a plurality of conductive portions positioned between the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member; a plurality of fastening members configured to fasten the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member; an upper receiving plate having an upper receiving recess configured to receive the upper sheet member and a portion of the plurality of conductive portions; a lower receiving plate having a lower receiving recess configured to receive the lower sheet member and another portion of the plurality of conductive portions; A battery structure comprising:

2. 2. The battery structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of conductive portions has a plurality of through holes, and the plurality of fixing members pass through the plurality of through holes to fix the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member.

3. The battery structure according to claim 2 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of through holes is greater than a width of each of the plurality of fixing members, and the plurality of fixing members are not in contact with the plurality of conductive portions.

4. 3. The battery structure of claim 2, wherein the plurality of fixing members are a plurality of rivet fastening members, and at least one of the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member has a plurality of rivet holes, each of which tapers from a side away from the conductive portion to a side closer to the conductive portion, and the plurality of rivet fastening members pass through the plurality of rivet holes to rivet the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member together.

5. 5. The battery structure of claim 4, wherein a first surface of each of the plurality of riveting members is flush with the upper sheet member and a second surface of each of the plurality of riveting members is flush with the lower sheet member.

6. The battery structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixing members are integrally formed on one of the upper sheet member and the lower sheet member.

7. 10. The battery structure of claim 1, wherein the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower sheet members are non-planar.

8. A plurality of battery structures according to any one of claims 1 to 7 stacked together; a plurality of plate members surrounding the plurality of battery structures; A battery module comprising:

9. 9. The battery module of claim 8, wherein the upper accommodating plate has a first intermediate portion, the upper accommodating recess is located within the first intermediate portion, and each of two side portions of the first intermediate portion has a side portion, the lower accommodating plate has a second intermediate portion, the lower accommodating recess is located within the second intermediate portion, and each of the two side portions of the second intermediate portion also has the side portion, and the side portions have an assembly hole, a positioning protrusion, and a positioning hole, the positioning protrusion and the positioning hole are located on both sides of the upper accommodating plate or the lower accommodating plate, the assembly hole is adjacent to the positioning protrusion and the positioning hole, and the positioning protrusion of one of the upper accommodating plate and the lower accommodating plate is inserted into one of the assembly hole and the positioning hole of the other of the upper accommodating plate and the lower accommodating plate.

10. The battery module according to claim 9 , wherein a short side of the upper accommodating recess is shorter than a short side of the first intermediate portion, and a short side of the lower accommodating recess is shorter than a short side of the second intermediate portion.

11. The battery module according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of plate members has at least one assembly protrusion, and the at least one assembly protrusion is inserted into one of the assembly hole or the positioning hole.

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