Battery pack

Abstract

To provide a battery pack capable of suppressing possibility that debris gets stuck in a cell valve.SOLUTION: A battery pack 100 according to the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle, and includes: a plurality of battery cells 1 stacked in a front-rear direction of the vehicle VE in a state where the battery pack 100 is mounted on a lower side of a vehicle room VR of the vehicle VE; and a case 2 accommodating the plurality of battery cells 1. The battery cell 1 includes a cell opening 1b and a cell valve 1a. The cell opening 1b is provided on a bottom surface 1aa. The cell valve 1a is provided on the cell opening 1b. The case 2 includes a case opening 2a communicating with the cell opening 1b. The cell opening 1b includes a first side 1c and a second side 1d opposite to the first side 1c. The cell valve 1a includes a first door 1e and a second door 1f. The first door 1e is provided on the first side 1c. The second door 1f is provided on the second side 1d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack. [Background technology]

[0002] In the battery module disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple battery cells are stacked. A casing houses the multiple battery cells arranged horizontally. A smoke exhaust cover is positioned between the multiple battery cells and the top plate of the casing. A pressure release valve is provided on the top surface of each of the multiple battery cells. For example, a short circuit may occur inside a battery cell, generating high-pressure gas or debris that may be released through the pressure release valve. Hereinafter, the phenomenon of gas or debris being released from the pressure release valve of a battery cell may be simply referred to as "smoke generation." The smoke exhaust cover can effectively guide the gas and debris that are ejected from the battery cell when smoke is generated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-065217 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors of the present application have discovered the following problems. The inventors of the present application came up with a battery pack in which a cell valve is provided on the bottom surface of each of a plurality of battery cells. A case accommodates the plurality of battery cells arranged horizontally. The case includes a case valve facing the cell valve. In such a battery pack, debris is ejected when smoking occurs. The debris is then discharged by passing through the cell valve and the case valve. However, there was a risk that the debris would become clogged in the cell valve.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a battery pack that can reduce the risk of debris clogging the cell valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The battery pack according to the present disclosure is a battery pack to be mounted on a vehicle, and when the battery pack is mounted on the underside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the battery pack comprises a plurality of battery cells stacked in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a case that houses the plurality of battery cells, the battery cells each having a cell opening and a cell valve, the cell opening being provided on a bottom surface of the battery cell and the cell valve being provided at the cell opening, the case having a case opening that communicates with the cell opening, the cell opening having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the cell valve having a first door and a second door, the first door being provided on the first side and the second door being provided on the second side, and the space surrounded by the first door, the second door, and the cell opening is formed in a substantially H-shape at the bottom surface.

[0007] In the above-described battery pack, the first door and the second door may be rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

[0008] In the above-described battery pack, the area of ​​the space on the bottom surface surrounded by the first door, the second door, and the cell opening may be equal to or greater than the sum of the areas of the first door and the second door. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the risk of debris clogging the cell valve can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a configuration example of a battery pack according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the battery module according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the battery module according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a bottom view of one configuration example of the cell valve according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the case according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an area 22A shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a modified example of the cell valve according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

[0012] <First Embodiment> Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a configuration example of a battery pack according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of a battery module according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the battery module shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a configuration example of a cell valve according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a case according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of region 22A shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery module taken along section line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6.

[0013] It should be understood that the three-dimensional coordinates shown in Figure 1 and other drawings are merely for the purpose of explaining the positional relationships of the components. Normally, the positive direction of the UPR axis is vertically upward in the vehicle VE, the positive direction of the FR axis is forward in the vehicle VE, and the positive direction of the RH axis is toward the right in the vehicle VE. The plane containing the FR axis and the RH axis is a horizontal plane, which is common to all drawings.

[0014] 1, the battery pack 100 includes a battery module 10, a case 2, and a share panel 3. The battery pack 100 is mounted on a vehicle VE. The battery pack 100 is disposed below the vehicle interior VR of the vehicle VE.

[0015] The case 2 houses the battery module 10. The case 2 includes a lower case 22 and an upper case 21. The shear panel 3 is disposed below the case 2. The shear panel 3 can receive input from the road surface while the vehicle VE is traveling. The shear panel 3 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the case 2. The shear panel 3 is preferably sized to cover the case 2. The case 2 and the shear panel 3 are preferably made of a metal material. Such a metal material is, for example, steel or an aluminum alloy.

[0016] A smoke exhaust space SP1 is formed between the shared panel 3 and the case 2. When smoke is generated, gas and debris are expelled from the battery module 10 and preferably passed through the smoke exhaust space SP1 and discharged to the outside of the vehicle VE.

[0017] A cell space SP2 is formed between the lower case 22 and the upper case 21. The battery module 10 is housed in the cell space SP2.

[0018] An equipment space SP3 may be formed inside the upper case 21. Equipment constituting the vehicle VE may be arranged in the equipment space SP3.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, a battery module 10 includes multiple battery cells 1 and two end plates 4. The multiple battery cells 1 are stacked in the FR axis direction with a heat insulating material 5 interposed between them. The two end plates 4 sandwich the multiple battery cells 1 with the heat insulating material 5 interposed between them. As shown in FIG. 3, a cell valve 1a is provided on the bottom surface 1aa of each battery cell 1. An example of the cell valve 1a shown in FIG. 3 is provided near the center of the bottom surface 1aa of the battery cell 1. A positive terminal and a negative terminal may be provided on both side surfaces of the battery cell 1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the battery cell 1 has a cell opening 1b. The battery cell 1 may have multiple cell openings 1b. The cell openings 1b are provided on the bottom surface 1aa of the battery cell 1. The shape of the cell openings 1b may be, for example, rectangular, elliptical, or racetrack (oval) when viewed from below. An example of the shape of the cell opening 1b shown in FIG. 4 is rectangular. The cell opening 1b has a first side 1c and a second side 1d. The first side 1c and the second side 1d face each other and extend parallel to each other. The cell valve 1a has a first door 1e and a second door 1f. The first door 1e and the second door 1f are hinged doors in a double door configuration. The first door 1e and the second door 1f may be approximately rectangular when viewed from below. The first door 1e is provided on the first side 1c so as to be rotatable around an axis extending on the first side 1c. The second door 1f is provided on the second side 1d so as to be rotatable around an axis extending on the second side 1d. The first side 1c and the second side 1d may extend along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 1 (here, the RH axis direction). That is, the first door 1e and the second door 1f are rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 1. The first door 1e is rotatable from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22 shown in FIG. 1 (here, in the negative direction of the UPR axis). The second door 1f is rotatable from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22. A space SP11 is surrounded by the first door 1e, the second door 1f, and the cell opening 1b. The space SP11 is formed in an H-shape on the bottom surface 1aa of the battery cell 1. The area of ​​the space SP11 surrounded by the first door 1e, the second door 1f, and the cell opening 1b on the bottom surface 1aa should be equal to or greater than the sum of the areas of the first door 1e and the second door 1f.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the lower case 22 has a case opening 2a. The lower case 22 may have a plurality of case openings 2a. The case openings 2a may have, for example, a rectangular, oval, or racetrack shape when viewed from below. An example of the shape of the case openings 2a shown in FIG. 5 is a racetrack shape. The case openings 2a are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the battery module 10 (here, the FR axis direction). Specifically, each case opening 2a is aligned so as to face each cell opening 1b. Each case opening 2a and each cell opening 1b are preferably in communication with each other.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6, when the region 22A of the lower case 22 is viewed from below, the case opening 2a encompasses the cell valve 1a. As shown in FIG. 7, the case opening 2a may be covered by the lid 2b and the lid 2c. The lid 2c may be attached to the case opening 2a via an adhesive 2d. The lid 2c may be made of, for example, a resin material. The lid 2c may have a predetermined melting temperature and mechanical strength so that debris resulting from smoke generation from the battery cell 1 can pass through the lid 2c. The lid 2c may also ensure the necessary airtightness of the lower case 22.

[0023] At this point, the battery cell 1 emits smoke, generating high-pressure debris inside the battery cell 1, which reaches the cell valve 1a. This causes the cell valve 1a to open. Specifically, the first door 1e and the second door 1f open. More specifically, the first door 1e rotates from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22. The second door 1f rotates from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22. This allows the debris to pass through the cell opening 1b and the case opening 2a and be discharged to the outside of the vehicle VE. This prevents the cell valve 1a from becoming clogged with debris.

[0024] Furthermore, the first door 1e and second door 1f according to this embodiment are rotatable around an axis that extends along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 1. The axis of the first door 1e and the axis of the second door 1f preferably extend along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 1. This configuration allows debris to easily pass through the cell valve 1a, further preventing debris from clogging the cell valve 1a.

[0025] Furthermore, the area of ​​the space SP11 surrounded by the first door 1e, the second door 1f, and the cell opening 1b in this embodiment is equal to or greater than the sum of the areas of the first door 1e and the second door 1f at the bottom surface 1aa. This configuration allows debris to easily pass through the cell valve 1a, further suppressing clogging of the cell valve 1a with debris.

[0026] <One variation> Next, a modified example of the cell valve 1a will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the modified example of the cell valve shown in Fig. 5.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 8, the cell valve 21a includes a first door 21e, a second door 21f, and protrusions 21g and 21h.

[0028] The first door 21e and the second door 21f are hinged doors of a double door type. The first door 21e and the second door 21f may be approximately trapezoidal in bottom view. The base of the first door 21e's approximate trapezoid on the center side of the cell opening 1b may be shorter than the base of the first side 1c of the trapezoid. The base of the second door 21f's approximate trapezoid on the center side of the cell opening 1b may be shorter than the base of the second side 1d of the trapezoid. The first door 21e is provided on the first side 1c so as to be rotatable about an axis extending on the first side 1c. The second door 21f is provided on the second side 1d so as to be rotatable about an axis extending on the second side 1d. The first door 21e is rotatable from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22 shown in FIG. 1 (here, in the negative direction of the UPR axis). The second door 21f can be rotated from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22.

[0029] An example of the cell opening 1b shown in FIG. 8 has a third side 1g and a fourth side 1h. The third side 1g and the fourth side 1h face each other and extend parallel to each other. The third side 1g and the fourth side 1h intersect with the first side 1c and also with the second side 1d. The protrusion 21g protrudes from the third side 1g toward the center of the cell opening 1b. The protrusion 21h protrudes from the fourth side 1h toward the center of the cell opening 1b. The protrusions 21h and 21g may be substantially triangular when viewed from below.

[0030] The space SP12 is surrounded by the first door 21e, the second door 21f, the protrusions 21g and 21h, and the cell opening 1b. The space SP12 is formed in a generally H-shape on the bottom surface 1aa of the battery cell 1. The space SP12 includes a central portion SP12a, a first side portion SP12g, and a second side portion SP12h. The central portion SP12a extends in the RH axis direction at the center of the cell opening 1b. The first side portion SP12g and the second side portion SP12h extend in a generally V-shape. Specifically, the first side portion SP12g extends from one end of the central portion SP12a to the intersection of the third side 1g and the first side 1c and the intersection of the third side 1g and the second side 1d. The second side portion SP12h extends from the other end of the central portion SP12a to an intersection of the fourth side 1h and the first side 1c and an intersection of the fourth side 1h and the second side 1d.

[0031] At this point, the battery cell 1 emits smoke, generating high-pressure debris inside the battery cell 1, which reaches the cell valve 21a. This causes the cell valve 21a to open. Specifically, the first door 21e and the second door 21f open. More specifically, the first door 21e rotates from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22. The second door 21f rotates from the center of the cell opening 1b toward the lower case 22. This allows the debris to pass through the cell opening 1b and the case opening 2a and be discharged to the outside of the vehicle VE. This prevents the cell valve 21a from becoming clogged with debris.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented by appropriately combining the above-described embodiment and examples thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 100 battery packs 10 Battery Module 1 battery cell 1a Cell valve 1aa bottom 1b Cell opening 1c First side 1d second side 1e, 21e First door 1st floor, 21st floor, second door 1g third side 1h Fourth side 2 cases 2a Case opening 2b, 2c lid 2D adhesive 21 Upper case 21a Cell valve 21g, 21h protrusion 22 Lower case 22A area 3 Share Panel 4 End Plates 5. Insulation SP1 Smoke exhaust space SP11, SP12 Space SP12a central part SP12g First Side SP12h Second Side SP2 Cell Space SP3 equipment space VE vehicle VR cabin

Claims

1. A battery pack to be mounted on a vehicle, With the battery pack mounted under the passenger compartment of the vehicle, a plurality of battery cells stacked in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; a case that houses the plurality of battery cells; Equipped with the battery cell includes a cell opening and a cell valve; the cell opening is provided on a bottom surface of the battery cell, the cell valve is provided at the cell opening, the case has a case opening communicating with the cell opening, the cell opening has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the cell valve includes a first door and a second door; the first door is provided on the first side, the second door is provided on the second side, The space surrounded by the first door, the second door, and the cell opening is formed in a substantially H-shape at the bottom surface. Battery pack.

2. the first door and the second door are rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell. The battery pack according to claim 1 .

3. an area of ​​a space enclosed by the first door, the second door, and the cell opening at the bottom surface is equal to or greater than the sum of the areas of the first door and the second door; The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2.

Images