Replaceable battery

Abstract

To provide a replaceable battery capable of achieving reduction in weight while preventing decrease in rigidity.SOLUTION: A replaceable battery according to the present disclosure is a replaceable battery removably mounted on a vehicle, the replaceable battery including at least: a cell stack which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a binding member which binds the cell stack; and a case for accommodating the cell stack bound by the binding member. The case includes: a rectangular tube shaped body part covering a side face of the cell stack; a first lid part which is connected to a front end of the cell stack and closes a front opening end of the rectangular tube shaped body part; and a second lid part which has a connector that projects outward to be formed so as to be connectable to the vehicle, is connected to a rear end of the cell stack via a support rod, and closes a rear opening end of the rectangular tube shaped body part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

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] Replaceable batteries are required to be lightweight while maintaining high rigidity.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above background, and aims to provide a replaceable battery that can achieve weight reduction while preventing a decrease in rigidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The replaceable battery according to the present disclosure is a replaceable battery detachably mounted to a vehicle, comprising at least a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack having a plurality of stacked battery cells, a binding member for binding the cell stack, and a case for housing the cell stack bound by the binding member, wherein the case comprises a rectangular tubular main body covering the side of the cell stack, a first lid connected to the front end of the cell stack and closing the front open end of the rectangular tubular main body, and a second lid having a connector protruding outward and connectable to the vehicle, connected to the rear end of the cell stack via a support rod and closing the rear open end of the rectangular tubular main body. In this replaceable battery, the front end of the cell stack is connected to the first lid, and the rear end of the cell stack is connected to the second lid via a support rod. This reduces the load on the main body of the case when an operator lifts the replaceable battery. Therefore, the thickness of the main body of the case, which has a reduced load, can be reduced, making the battery lighter. In other words, the battery can be lighter without losing its rigidity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a replaceable battery that can achieve weight reduction while preventing a decrease in rigidity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [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] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of assembling the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the assembly flow of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the assembly flow of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the YZ plane of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the replaceable battery according to the first embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 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.

[0010] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a replaceable battery 1 according to a first embodiment. The replaceable battery 1 is also called a battery pack, a battery module, or the like, 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, for example, an operator can easily insert or remove it from the electric vehicle. The operator also includes a work robot, etc.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the replaceable battery 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape defined by a case 100 that houses a cell stack and other components. The case 100 includes a rectangular cylindrical case body 101, a front case 102 that is a lid that closes the opening at the front end of the case body 101 (i.e., one open end), and a rear case 103 that is a lid that closes the opening at the rear end of the case body 101 (i.e., the other open end). The rear case 103, located 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. For example, an operator places the replaceable battery 1 in a vehicle storage space by sliding it in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction), thereby connecting the connector 104 of the replaceable battery 1 to the connector on the vehicle.

[0012] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the front case 102 provided at the front end of the replaceable battery 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the front case 102 is provided with a pull tab 141 for sliding the replaceable battery 1. An operator can slide the replaceable battery 1 by grasping the pull tab 141 and pushing or pulling the replaceable battery 1.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the rear case 103 provided at the rear end of the replaceable battery 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear case 103 is provided with a handle 131 and a relief valve 132 in addition to the connector 104.

[0015] The 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. 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 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. 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 a vehicle in 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 and a signal indicating the cell stack monitoring results (such as voltage measurement results) from the replaceable battery 1 to the vehicle.

[0016] The relief valve 132 discharges gas generated in the cell stack housed in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1. Even if 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.

[0017] Although not shown, in the storage space for the replaceable battery 1 provided in the vehicle, a wall surface facing the rear end (rear case) of the replaceable battery 1 is provided with an exhaust port for discharging gas discharged from the relief valve 132 of the replaceable battery 1 to the outside via the vehicle. The gas discharged from the relief valve 132 of the replaceable battery 1 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 of the replaceable battery 1 stored in the storage space of the vehicle, the gas will not flow around to the worker, ensuring the safety of the worker.

[0018] The handle 131 is rotatable around an axis extending along the upper edge of the rear case 103, and is placed on the top surface of the case body 101 when not in use. Therefore, the rear end of the replaceable battery 1 can be hung by the handle 131 and carried without interfering with the connection of the connector 104.

[0019] More specifically, when carrying the replacement battery 1, the worker holds the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the replacement battery 1, while holding the pull tab 141 with the other hand to support the replacement battery 1. This allows the worker to carry the replacement battery 1 while stabilizing its center of gravity (maintaining balance).

[0020] Here, a rib groove 101c is formed on the top surface of the case body 101 along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the case body 101. Therefore, the 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.

[0021] It is preferable that the thickness of case body 101 is small and that the thickness of rear case 103 is larger than that of case body 101. Reducing the thickness of case body 101 reduces the weight of case 100, and providing handle 131 on thick rear case 103 suppresses deformation of case 100. For example, a die-cast member is used for rear case 103. This configuration improves the rigidity of rear case 103 on which handle 131 is provided, and also improves the ease of use of handle 131 when in use. Furthermore, by reducing the thickness of case body 101, even if gas is generated in cell stack 110, case body 101 elastically deforms and expands outward, suppressing a sudden increase in internal case pressure.

[0022] Next, the assembly flow of the replaceable battery 1 will be described while explaining the contents contained in the case 100 of the replaceable battery 1 using Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the assembly flow of the replaceable battery 1. Figures 5 and 6 are schematic perspective views for explaining the assembly flow of the replaceable battery 1. The display contents of steps S101 to S105 in Figures 5 and 6 correspond to the processing results of steps S101 to S105 in Figure 4.

[0023] First, the lower case 101b, which forms the bottom plate and one side plate of the case body 101, is arranged (step S101). The lower case 101b is formed so that its YZ cross section is L-shaped and extends along the X-axis direction. A pair of rails 106 is provided below the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b, along the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the lower case 101b. This makes it easier for the replaceable battery 1 to slide along the guide. In addition, a metal member 105 is provided above the bottom plate, along the longitudinal direction of the lower case 101b. The metal member 105 is formed of, for example, aluminum or an alloy containing aluminum (i.e., a metal mainly composed of aluminum).

[0024] Thereafter, a rectangular parallelepiped cell stack 110 is placed on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b, close to one of the side plates formed by the lower case 101b (step S102). The cell stack 110 is made up of a plurality of stacked battery cells, and is bound into a rectangular parallelepiped shape by binding members 111 such as cable ties. Here, metal members 105 provided on the upper side of the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b and below the cell stack 110 play a role in dissipating heat from the cell stack 110 to the outside of the case 100.

[0025] 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 formed by 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 constitutes the cell stack. The battery monitoring device 107 is arranged in a spatial region between the cell stack 110 and the other side plate of the case body 101, which will be described later, within the region above the bottom plate formed by the lower case 101b. This spatial 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 spatial region between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and a rear case 103, which will be described later.

[0026] 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). The rear end of the cell stack 110 and the rear case 103 are connected via support rods 114. This ensures a sufficient space between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and the rear case 103 for disposing the junction box 108. Furthermore, by connecting the front end of the cell stack 110 to the front case 102 having the pull tab 141 and by connecting the rear end of the cell stack 110 to the rear case 103 having the handle 131 via the support rods 114, the load on the case body 101 is reduced when an operator lifts the replaceable battery 1 by grasping the pull tab 141 and the handle 131.

[0027] The support rod 114 is formed of a highly rigid material such as steel. The support rod 114 may be formed integrally with the rear case 103 by die-casting or the like. This increases the strength of the connection between the support rod 114 and the rear case 103.

[0028] In this embodiment, the case where a support rod 114 is provided between the rear end of the cell stack 110 and the rear case 103 to connect them has been described as an example, but this is not limiting, and a support rod may also be provided between the front end of the cell stack 110 and the front case 102 to connect them. In this case, it is preferable that the two support rods are arranged so that they overlap when viewed in the stacking direction (x-axis direction) of the multiple battery cells. This improves stability when the replaceable battery 1 is lifted.

[0029] Thereafter, the upper case 101a, which forms the top plate and the other 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. Within the interior area of ​​this case body 101, a spatial region 160 is provided above the cell stack 110. This spatial region 160 is also used as a smoke exhaust region for releasing gas generated in the cell stack 110. For example, gas generated in the cell stack 110 is discharged from the spatial region 160 to the outside of the case 100 via the relief valve 132.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper case 101a and the lower case 101b are fastened together by fastening members 151 and 152 (step S104). FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the replaceable battery 1 taken along the YZ plane. As shown in FIG. 7, the fastening member 151 fastens an end of one of the side panels formed by the lower case 101b, which protrudes into the spatial region 160, to an end of the top panel formed by the upper case 101a. The fastening member 152 fastens an end of the other side panel formed by the upper case 101a to an end of the bottom panel formed by the lower case 101b. This allows the cell stack 110 to be positioned close to one of the side panels formed by the lower case 101b without interference from the fastening member 151. This ensures that a spatial region sufficient for placing the battery monitoring device 107 is secured between the cell stack 110 and the other side panel formed by the upper case 101a.

[0031] 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 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 makes it possible to prevent gas from leaking from the front case 102 side where the worker is working, before the gas is discharged from the relief valve 132.

[0032] Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ZX plane of the replaceable battery 1. As shown in Fig. 8, in the replaceable battery 1, the front end of the cell stack 110 is connected to a front case 102 having a pull tab 141, and the rear end of the cell stack 110 is connected to a rear case 103 having a handle 131 via a support rod 114. This reduces the load on the case body 101 when an operator lifts the replaceable battery 1 by grasping the pull tab 141 and the handle 131.

[0033] In this way, in the replaceable battery 1 according to the present disclosure, the front end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the front case 102 having the pull tab 141, and the rear end of the cell stack 110 is connected to the rear case 103 having the handle 131 via the support rod 114. This reduces the load on the case body 101 when an operator grasps the pull tab 141 and the handle 131 to lift the replaceable battery 1. As a result, the thickness of the case body 101, which has the reduced load, can be reduced, making the replaceable battery 1 lighter. In other words, the replaceable battery 1 can be made lighter without reducing its rigidity.

[0034] In the replaceable battery 1 according to the present disclosure, the heavy cell stack is positioned offset within the case. Therefore, due to a shift in the center of gravity of the replaceable battery 1, it is easy for a worker to lose balance when carrying the replaceable battery 1. In contrast, with the replaceable battery 1 according to the present disclosure, as described above, the replaceable battery 1 can be lifted by suspending one end of the battery 1 using the rotatable handle 131. More specifically, when carrying the replaceable battery 1, a worker holds the rotatable handle 131 with one hand to lift the battery 1, while holding the pull tab 141 with the other hand to support the battery 1. This allows the worker to carry the battery 1 while stabilizing its center of gravity (maintaining balance).

[0035] Furthermore, in the replaceable battery according to the present disclosure, the case body is configured from a pair of L-shaped cross-section members, which makes it easy to accommodate items such as cell stacks in the case during assembly. In other words, the replaceable battery according to the present disclosure improves workability during assembly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 replaceable battery 100 cases 101 Case body (main body) 101a Upper case (second case member) 101b Lower case (first case member) 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 114 Support rod 131 Toride 132 Relief valve 141 Pull handle 151 Fastening members 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 having a plurality of stacked battery cells; a bundling member for bundling the cell stack; a case that houses the cell stack bound by the binding member; A replaceable battery that is detachably mounted on a vehicle, comprising at least: The case is a main body portion having a square cylindrical shape that covers a side surface of the cell stack; a first lid portion connected to a front end of the cell stack and closing a front open end of the rectangular cylindrical main body portion; a second lid portion having a connector formed to protrude outward and connectable to the vehicle, the second lid portion being connected to the rear end of the cell stack via a support rod and closing the rear open end of the rectangular cylindrical main body portion; Equipped with a replaceable battery.

2. The binding member is a strip-shaped member extending along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells; gripping portions provided at both ends of the strip-shaped member for gripping the cell stack at both ends of the cell stack; The replaceable battery of claim 1 .

3. a relay provided between the connector and the cell stack; the relay is disposed in a spatial region between the second lid portion and a rear end of the cell stack. The replaceable battery of claim 1 .

4. The replaceable battery is slid longitudinally to be attached to and detached from the vehicle, The first lid portion has a pull tab, The second lid portion has a handle. The replaceable battery of claim 1 .

5. A rib groove is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion, The handle is accommodated in the rib groove when not in use. The replaceable battery of claim 4.

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