Replaceable battery

Abstract

To provide a replaceable battery capable of suppressing damage to a cell stack caused by a metal member for heat removal even if the cell stack falls.SOLUTION: A replaceable battery according to the present disclosure includes a cell stack which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a case for accommodating the cell stack, and a pair of rails fixed to a lower side of a bottom plate of the case and extending in a longitudinal direction of the case, the replaceable battery being configured to be slid in the longitudinal direction and removably mounted on a vehicle. A metal member for heat removal is provided on an upper side of the bottom plate and on a lower side of the cell stack, and the metal member is disposed between the pair of rails so as to extend, in a bar shape, in the longitudinal direction of the case.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to replaceable batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a replaceable battery that is detachably mounted on a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-169337 Summary of the Invention [Problem 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 and is slidable along a pair of rails extending in the longitudinal direction below the bottom plate of the case.

[0005] The inventors are considering providing a metal member below the cell stack for heat removal. However, if a replaceable battery were to fall and land on its bottom, there is a risk that the cell stack could be damaged by the metal member depending on its shape and its position relative to the rails.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a replaceable battery that can suppress damage to the cell stack caused by metal members for heat dissipation even if the battery is dropped. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The replaceable battery according to the present disclosure comprises: a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a case that houses the cell stack; a pair of rails fixed to the underside of the bottom plate of the case and extending in the longitudinal direction of the case; A replaceable battery that is detachably mounted on a vehicle by sliding in the longitudinal direction, a metal member for heat removal is provided above the bottom plate and below the cell stack, The metal member is provided between the pair of rails and extends in a rod shape in the longitudinal direction of the case.

[0008] In the replaceable battery of the present disclosure, a metal member for heat dissipation, which is provided above the bottom plate of the case and below the cell stack, extends in the shape of a rod in the longitudinal direction of the case between a pair of rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the case. Therefore, if the replaceable battery were to fall and land on its bottom, the bottom plate of the case would be pressed against the metal member provided below the cell stack and would deform so that it protruded downward, thereby minimizing damage to the cell stack caused by the metal member.

[0009] The metal member may be provided at the center of the cell stack in the width direction and at the center of the pair of rails. With this configuration, damage to the cell stack caused by the metal member can be more effectively suppressed.

[0010] The pair of rails may be provided at positions corresponding to both ends of the cell stack in the width direction. With this configuration, damage to the cell stack caused by metal members can be more effectively suppressed.

[0011] The center of the cell stack in the width direction may be offset from the center of the case in the width direction. With this configuration, electronic devices and the like can be arranged in the space between the cell stack and the side panel of the case while suppressing the height of the case.

[0012] The metal member may be made of a metal containing aluminum as a main component, which allows the weight of the replaceable battery to be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a replaceable battery that can suppress damage to the cell stack caused by metal members for heat dissipation even if the battery is dropped. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a replaceable battery according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of a front case provided at the front end of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of a rear case provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a modified example of the handle 131. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of assembling the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the flow of assembling the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the flow of assembling the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a replaceable battery according to a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) <Configuration of Replaceable Battery 1> First, the configuration of a replaceable battery 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the replaceable battery 1 according to embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of a front case provided at the front end of the replaceable battery according to embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of a rear case provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery according to embodiment 1.

[0017] The replaceable battery 1 is also called a battery pack or a battery module, and is detachably mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle that runs on a motor powered by electricity. The replaceable battery 1 is made small and lightweight so that workers (including work robots) can easily insert and remove it from the electric vehicle.

[0018] Naturally, the right-handed XYZ Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figures 1 to 3 is for the sake of convenience in explaining the positional relationships of the components. Normally, in Figure 1 and other figures, the positive direction of the Z axis is the vertically upward direction, and the XY plane is the horizontal plane, which is common among the figures.

[0019] 1, the rectangular parallelepiped outer shape of the replaceable battery 1 is determined by a case 100 that houses a cell stack and the like. The case 100 includes a rectangular cylindrical case body 101, a front case 102 that is a lid that closes one open end (the opening at the front end) of the case body 101, and a rear case 103 that is a lid that closes the other open end (the opening at the rear end) of the case body 101.

[0020] A rear case 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1 is provided with a connector 104 that protrudes outward and is connectable to a connector on the vehicle side. Although not shown, for example, an operator slides the replaceable battery 1 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and stores it in the vehicle's storage space, thereby connecting the connector 104 of the replaceable battery 1 to the connector on the vehicle side.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the front case (first lid portion) 102 is provided with a pull tab 141 for sliding the replaceable battery 1. Although not particularly limited, the pull tab 141 shown in Fig. 2 is a recessed pull tab. An operator can slide the replaceable battery 1 by grasping the pull tab 141 and pushing or pulling the replaceable battery 1.

[0022] The replaceable battery 1 can also be transported by placing it on a cart, for example. When storing the replaceable battery 1 from the cart into a storage space, the height of the cart is adjusted to match the storage space, and the handle 141 is pressed to store the replaceable battery 1 in the storage space. On the other hand, when removing the replaceable battery 1 from the storage space and placing it on the cart, the height of the cart is adjusted to match the storage space, and the handle 141 is pulled to remove the replaceable battery 1 from the storage space.

[0023] 3, rear case (second lid portion) 103 is provided with a handle 131 and a relief valve 132 in addition to connector 104. Here, connector 104 includes a base 1041, a high-voltage terminal 1042, a low-voltage terminal 1043, an alignment pin 1044, and a metal cover 1045.

[0024] The base 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 base 1041 . The cover 1045 is formed to surround the side surfaces of the high voltage terminal 1042 and the low voltage terminal 1043 .

[0025] The high-voltage terminal 1042 is a terminal for transmitting electricity output from the cell stack housed in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle in which the replaceable battery 1 is mounted. The low voltage terminal 1043 is a terminal for transmitting control signals from the vehicle to the replaceable battery 1, and for transmitting signals representing the cell stack monitoring results (voltage measurement results, etc.) from the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle.

[0026] 3, the handle 131 is provided rotatably 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 (i.e., the upper surface of the top panel) 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.

[0027] As will be described in detail later, in the replaceable battery 1 according to this embodiment, the cell stack, which has a large mass, is positioned close to one side panel inside the case 100. In other words, because the center of gravity of the replaceable battery 1 is shifted to one side, there is a risk that an operator may lose balance when carrying the replaceable battery 1. In contrast, when carrying the replaceable battery 1, the worker can hold the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the replaceable battery 1, while holding, for example, the pull tab 141 with the other hand to support the replaceable battery 1. This allows the worker to carry the replaceable battery 1 while maintaining balance.

[0028] Although not particularly limited, the handle 131 shown in Fig. 3 is a single plate-like member. As shown in Fig. 3, the base of the handle 131 is provided so as to be rotatable around an axis extending along the upper edge of the rear case 103. A rectangular opening is provided at the tip of the handle 131. An operator inserts his or her fingers into the opening and grasps the handle 131 to lift up the replaceable battery 1.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3, a rib groove 101c is formed on the top surface of the case body 101 (i.e., the top surface of the top plate) along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the case body 101. Therefore, the plate-shaped handle 131 is stored in the rib groove 101c when not in use. This makes it easier for an operator to store the replaceable battery 1 in the storage space of the vehicle. Furthermore, by forming the rib groove 101c, the strength of the top surface of the case body 101 is also improved.

[0030] Here, it is preferable that the thickness of case main body 101 is small and that the thickness of rear case 103 is greater than that of case main body 101. For example, a die-cast member is used for rear case 103. With such a configuration, the rigidity of rear case 103 is improved, and the operability of handle 131 when using it is also improved. Furthermore, by providing handle 131 to rear case 103 which is thick, deformation of case 100 can also be suppressed.

[0031] On the other hand, by reducing the thickness of case body 101, it is possible to reduce the weight of case 100. Furthermore, if gas is generated in the cell stack, case body 101 will deform and bulge outward, thereby preventing a sudden increase in the internal pressure of case 100.

[0032] The relief valve 132 discharges gas generated in the cell stack housed in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the handle 131 is provided in the center of the upper edge of the rear case 103, and therefore the relief valve 132 is provided in a corner of the upper edge of the rear case 103. In FIG. 3, relief valve 132 is provided at a corner on the negative Y-axis side of the upper edge of rear case 103, but it may also be provided at a corner on the positive Y-axis side.

[0033] When replacing the replaceable battery 1, the worker works on the front case 102 side where the pull tab 141 is provided. Even if gas is released from the relief valve 132 during the work of replacing the replaceable battery 1, the relief valve 132 is provided on the rear case 103, which is located on the opposite side of the worker with the replaceable battery 1 in between, and the gas is released in the opposite direction from the worker. This ensures the safety of the worker. If the worker is a work robot or the like, the adverse effects of the gas can be reduced.

[0034] Furthermore, even if gas is released from the relief valve 132 when an operator is carrying the replaceable battery 1 by holding the handle 131 and the pull tab 141, the gas will not be released toward the operator, thereby ensuring the safety of the operator.

[0035] Furthermore, even if gas is discharged from relief valve 132, metal cover 1045 can protect high-voltage terminal 1042 and low-voltage terminal 1043. Plastic covers are at risk of being melted and damaged by gas, but there is no risk of melting and damaging metal cover 1045. Furthermore, since connector 104 is repeatedly inserted and removed, metal cover 1045 is preferable because it has excellent durability.

[0036] Although not shown, an exhaust port is provided on the wall surface facing the rear case 103 in the vehicle storage space in which the replaceable battery 1 is stored, for discharging gas discharged from the relief valve 132 to the outside via the vehicle. The gas discharged from the relief valve 132 is then discharged to the outside of the vehicle, for example, from below the vehicle, via a duct connected to the exhaust port. Therefore, even if gas is discharged from the relief valve 132 while the replaceable battery 1 is stored in the vehicle storage space, the gas will not find its way to the worker, ensuring the safety of the worker.

[0037] <Modification of the handle 131> Here, a modified example of the handle 131 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a modified example of the handle 131. As shown in Fig. 4, handle 131 according to the modified example includes a support portion 131a and a pair of grip portions 131b. The base portion of plate-shaped support portion 131a is rotatable around an axis extending along the upper edge portion of rear case 103. The base portions of the pair of grip portions 131b are rotatably connected to the tip end of support portion 131a. Therefore, in handle 131 according to the modified example shown in Fig. 4, the pair of grip portions 131b can be folded.

[0038] Although not shown, when not in use, the longitudinal direction of the pair of gripping parts 131b is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support part 131a, and the handle 131 is folded up. In this state, the handle 131 is placed on the top surface of the case body 101.

[0039] On the other hand, during use, the pair of gripping portions 131b rotate about 90 degrees away from each other and open until they are linear, as shown in Fig. 4. As a result, the handle 131 becomes T-shaped as a whole, as shown in Fig. 4. The operator grasps the pair of gripping portions 131b that are open linearly.

[0040] 4, the width of the tip of the support portion 131a is smaller than the width of the base of the support portion 131a. However, this is not particularly limited, and for example, the width of the tip of the support portion 131a may be equal to the width of the base of the support portion 131a.

[0041] <Assembly and internal structure of replaceable battery 1> Next, the assembly and internal configuration of the replacement battery 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the assembly of the replacement battery 1. Figures 6 and 7 are schematic perspective views for explaining the assembly flow of the replacement battery 1. The display contents of steps S101 to S105 in Figures 6 and 7 correspond to the processing results of steps S101 to S105 in Figure 5.

[0042] First, a lower case (first case member) 101b is arranged (step S101), which forms the bottom plate and one side plate (first side plate) of the case main body 101. The lower case 101b is formed so that its YZ cross section is L-shaped and extends along the X-axis direction.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, a pair of rails 106 extending along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the lower case 101b are fixed to the underside of the bottom plate of the lower case 101b (i.e., the case body 101). This makes it easier for the replaceable battery 1 to slide longitudinally. For example, the replaceable battery 1 slides longitudinally along a guide provided on the vehicle. The rails 106 are omitted in the drawings other than FIG.

[0044] 6, a square bar-shaped metal member 105 extends longitudinally above the bottom plate of lower case 101b. Cell stack 110 is provided on top of metal member 105. That is, metal member 105 is provided above the bottom plate of case body 101 and below cell stack 110, and is a heat dissipation member for dissipating heat from cell stack 110 to the outside of case 100.

[0045] 6, the metal member 105 is provided between the pair of rails 106 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the case body 101. That is, the metal member 105 is provided so as not to overlap the pair of rails 106 in an XY plan view. Due to the shape of the metal member 105 and its positional relationship with the rails 106, if the replaceable battery 1 were to fall and land on its bottom surface, the bottom plate of the case body 101 would be pushed by the metal member 105 and would deform so as to protrude downward. As a result, damage to the cell stack 110 caused by the metal member 105 can be reduced. It should be noted that a plurality of metal members 105 may be provided.

[0046] 6, the metal member 105 is provided at the center of the width of the cell stack 110 and at the center of the pair of rails 106. With this configuration, if the replaceable battery 1 is dropped, damage to the cell stack 110 caused by the metal member 105 can be more effectively reduced.

[0047] 6, the pair of rails 106 are provided at positions corresponding to both ends in the width direction of the cell stack 110. With this configuration, if the replaceable battery 1 is dropped, damage to the cell stack 110 caused by the metal members 105 can be more effectively reduced, and the pair of rails 106 can stably support the case 100 including the cell stack 110 while allowing it to slide.

[0048] Although not particularly limited, the metal member 105 is made of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy (that is, a metal containing aluminum as a main component) which has excellent thermal conductivity. The metal member 105 may be made of a metal containing copper as a main component, which has excellent thermal conductivity, but by using a metal containing aluminum as a main component, the weight of the replaceable battery 1 can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, electrical insulation is required between the metal member 105 and the cell stack 110. Therefore, the contact surface of the metal member 105 with the cell stack 110 is coated with, for example, a thermally conductive insulating film. Aluminum is suitable for the metal member 105 because a dense oxide film forms on the surface of aluminum.

[0050] Thereafter, a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack 110 is placed on the top side of the bottom plate of the lower case 101b, close to the side plate of the lower case 101b (step S102). The cell stack 110 is made up of multiple stacked battery cells, and is bound into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by binding members 111 such as binding bands.

[0051] Thereafter, electronic devices such as a junction box 108 including relays and the like, and a battery monitoring device 107 are further arranged above the bottom plate of the lower case 101b (step S103). The battery monitoring device 107 includes a voltage measuring device that measures the voltage of the cell stack 110 and the voltage of each battery cell that makes up the cell stack. The battery monitoring device 107 is arranged above the bottom plate of the lower case 101b in the spatial region between the cell stack 110 and a side plate of the upper case 101a, which will be described later. This spatial region is formed by positioning the cell stack 110 close to the side plate of the lower case 101b. The junction box 108 is arranged in the spatial region between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and a rear case 103, which will be described later.

[0052] Furthermore, 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).

[0053] Thereafter, the upper case (second case member) 101a, which forms the top plate and the other side plate (second side plate) of the case body 101, is arranged to face the lower case 101b (step S104). The upper case 101a is formed so 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 rectangular cylindrical case body 101.

[0054] Within the interior area of ​​this case body 101, a spatial area 160 is provided above the cell stack 110. This spatial area 160 is also used as a smoke exhaust area for releasing gas generated in the cell stack 110. For example, gas generated in the cell stack 110 is discharged from the spatial area 160 to the outside of the case 100 via the relief valve 132. Because the relief valve 132 is provided at the upper edge of the rear case 103, gas generated in the cell stack 110 can be efficiently discharged from the spatial area 160 above the cell stack 110 via the relief valve 132.

[0055] Furthermore, the upper case 101a and the lower case 101b are fastened together 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 upper end of the side plate of the lower case 101b that projects into the spatial region 160 is fastened to the end of the top plate of the upper case 101a by the fastening member 151. Furthermore, the lower end of the side plate of the upper case 101a is fastened to the end of the bottom plate of the lower case 101b by the fastening member 152.

[0056] With this configuration, the cell stack 110 can be positioned close to the side plate of the lower case 101b without interference from the fastening member 151. Furthermore, by positioning the cell stack 110 close to one side plate within the case 100, the height of the case 100 can be reduced, and electronic devices such as the battery monitoring device 107 can be positioned in the space between the cell stack 110 and the other side plate. The cell stack 110 does not need to be positioned offset within the case 100, and may be positioned in the center of the case 100.

[0057] In this way, the case body 101 is composed of a pair of upper case 101a and lower case 101b, each having an L-shaped cross section. This makes it easier to accommodate items such as the cell stack 110 inside the case body 101 during assembly, improving workability. It should be noted that case body 101 does not necessarily have to be configured by a pair of upper case 101a and lower case 101b each having an L-shaped cross section. For example, case body 101 may be configured by an upper case having a U-shaped cross section and a flat lower case, or may be a single cylindrical member.

[0058] Thereafter, the outer case 102b of the front case 102 is placed on the front end of the case body 101. This completes the replacement battery 1 (step S105). The outer case 102b has a cap shape and is attached so as to enclose the opening (open end) at the front end of the case body 101 from the side as well. This prevents gas from leaking from the front case 102 side where the worker is working before the gas is discharged from the relief valve 132.

[0059] As described above, in the replaceable battery 1 according to this embodiment, the heat-dissipating metal member 105 is provided above the bottom plate of the case body 101 and below the cell stack 110. This metal member 105 is provided in a rod-like shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the case body 101 between a pair of rails 106 extending in the longitudinal direction of the case body 101. Therefore, if the replaceable battery 1 falls and lands on its bottom, the bottom plate of the case body 101 is pressed by the metal member 105 provided on the underside of the cell stack 110 and can deform so as to protrude downward, thereby reducing damage to the cell stack 110 caused by the metal member 105.

[0060] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. This disclosure also promotes the use of batteries and contributes to carbon neutrality, decarbonization, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 replaceable battery 100 cases 101 Case body 101a Upper case (second case member) 101b Lower case (first case member) 101c Rib groove 102 Front case (first lid) 102a Inner case 102b Outer case 103 Rear case (second lid) 104 Connector 105 Metallic parts 106 Rail 107 Battery monitoring device 108 Junction Box 110 Cell Stack 111 Binding member 131 Toride 131a Support part 131b Grip part 132 Relief valve 141 Pull handle 151, 152 Fastening members 160 Spatial domain 1041 Pedestal 1042 High voltage terminal 1043 Low voltage terminal 1044 pins 1045 Cover

Claims

1. a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a case that houses the cell stack; a pair of rails fixed to the underside of the bottom plate of the case and extending in the longitudinal direction of the case; A replaceable battery that is detachably mounted on a vehicle by sliding in the longitudinal direction, a metal member for heat removal is provided above the bottom plate and below the cell stack, The metal member is provided between the pair of rails and extends in a rod shape in the longitudinal direction of the case. Replaceable battery.

2. the metal member is provided at the center of the cell stack in the width direction and at the center of the pair of rails; The replaceable battery of claim 1 .

3. the pair of rails are provided at positions corresponding to both ends of the cell stack in the width direction; The replaceable battery of claim 2.

4. The center of the cell stack in the width direction is offset from the center of the case in the width direction.

4. The replaceable battery according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The metal member is made of a metal containing aluminum as a main component. The replaceable battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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