Battery packs and power consuming devices

Abstract

The present application relates to a battery pack (100) and a power consuming device, comprising a housing (10) and a battery cell (20), the housing (10) comprising a body (11) and a bottom cover (12) removably connected to a bottom of the body (11), the body (11) and the bottom cover (12) together enclosing and forming a housing cavity (s) for housing the battery cell (20).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more particularly to battery packs and power consuming devices. [Background technology]

[0002] As new energy technology becomes more and more mature, new energy vehicles are gradually entering the public's field of vision. The main core technology of new energy vehicles is the battery pack, and the safety and stability of the battery pack directly determine the performance of the vehicle.

[0003] A battery pack generally includes a housing and a battery cell disposed within the housing. If components within the battery pack are damaged or fail (e.g., thermal failure of a battery cell), the components within the battery pack need to be maintained or replaced, and it is therefore necessary to provide a battery pack that is easy to maintain. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a battery pack and a power consuming device.

[0005] According to a first aspect, the present application provides a battery pack including a housing and a battery cell, the housing including a main body and a bottom cover removably connected to a bottom of the main body, the main body together with the bottom cover forming a housing cavity that surrounds and houses the battery cell.

[0006] In the technical solution of the present application, the main body can be directly attached to the mounting body, and the bottom cover forms an accommodating cavity together with the main body. When components (e.g., battery cells) in the accommodating cavity need to be replaced or maintained, the bottom cover can be simply removed to expose the components inside the battery pack, and these components can be maintained or replaced, without the need to remove the entire battery pack from the mounting body, greatly improving the convenience of battery pack maintenance.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bottom cover is removably connected to the main body via a fastener. At this time, the bottom cover is removably connected to the main body via the fastener, which not only facilitates attachment and detachment, but also has a simple structure and is economical.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bottom cover has a lid portion and a mounting portion. The mounting portion is connected to the edge of the lid portion surrounding it, the lid portion is used to define a receiving cavity, and the mounting portion is removably connected to the main body. At this time, the bottom cover defines the receiving cavity via the lid portion and realizes the connection with the main body via the mounting portion, with a clear structure and easy installation.

[0009] In some embodiments, the lid portion protrudes along a direction away from the receiving cavity from the mounting portion. At this time, the lid portion protrudes with respect to the mounting portion, and the lid portion of the bottom cover can be a reinforcing structure of the bottom cover, improving the flexural resistance of the bottom cover.

[0010] In some embodiments, the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover satisfies 0.2 mm < h < 20 mm. As proven, when the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover satisfies 0.2 mm < h < 20 mm, the weight of the battery pack can be effectively reduced, and the strength structure is reasonable.

[0011] In some embodiments, the weight m of the battery cell and the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover satisfy 0.03 mm / Kg ≤ h / m ≤ 100 mm / Kg. At this time, the battery pack not only has relatively good structural strength, but also has a relatively high energy density and is less likely to catch fire or explode.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery cells are installed at a distance from the bottom cover. At this time, it is possible to avoid the external force acting on the bottom cover being transmitted to the battery cells and damaging the battery cells. Especially when the battery pack is mounted on the bottom of a vehicle and the bottom cover is located at the lowest position of the battery pack, stones on the ground are likely to scatter to the bottom of the battery pack and hit the bottom cover during the vehicle's driving. At this time, the buffer space can interrupt the external force from being transmitted to the battery cells and affecting the battery cells.

[0013] In some embodiments, the body includes a support member located at the top of the housing, the support member is used to define the receiving cavity, and the battery cells are suspended from the support member. At this time, the battery cells are suspended below the support member, and the bottom cover is located at the bottom of the housing, so that when performing maintenance on the inside of the battery pack, the battery cells can be exposed by removing the bottom cover, and there is no need to remove the support member. At the same time, when performing maintenance on the battery pack, the battery cells can be attached and detached from the support member from below, and there is no need to remove the support member, particularly when the support member is subjected to force as at least a part of the vehicle chassis, so that maintenance of the battery pack can be easily realized. In addition, the battery cells suspended from the support member can reinforce the strength of the support member, and further improve the rigidity of the top of the battery pack.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the battery cell facing the support member is a first outer surface, the battery cell includes an electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal is disposed on an outer surface other than the first outer surface of the battery cell. At this time, the electrode terminal is disposed on an outer surface other than the first outer surface of the battery cell, and various components (e.g., sampling harness, high voltage harness, protective structure, etc.) connecting each electrode terminal can be disposed by the space between the battery cell and the bottom cover and / or the space between the battery cell and the inner surface of the main body, making it easier to dispose each component. In addition, at this time, by connecting the first outer surface on which the electrode terminal is not disposed to the support member, the bonding of the battery cell and the support member can be realized, which saves the space between the battery cell and the support member and improves the space utilization rate of the battery pack.

[0015] In some embodiments, the battery cell has a second outer surface that is disposed back-to-back with the first outer surface, and the electrode terminal is disposed on the second outer surface. At this time, a buffer space is provided between the second outer surface and the bottom cover, and the portion of the electrode terminal extending from the battery cell is located in the buffer space, and thus the wire harness and the connection sheet connected to the electrode terminal can be disposed in the buffer space. At the same time, the buffer space can also prevent the external force striking the bottom cover from acting on the battery cell and damaging the battery cell. Therefore, the buffer space can not only block the influence of the external force, but also allow the layout of the wire harness, etc., to be performed, which is a win-win situation.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery cells are bonded to the support members, which not only facilitates connection between the battery cells and the support members but also simplifies the structure of the battery pack.

[0017] In some embodiments, the body includes a support member and a frame, the frame surrounds and forms a cavity that is installed at both ends in a vertical direction, the bottom cover and the support member are respectively placed on the opposite ends in the vertical direction of the cavity, and the bottom cover, the frame and the support member together surround and form a receiving cavity, in which the battery pack receiving cavity can be formed after the support member and the bottom cover are respectively connected to both ends in the vertical direction of the frame based on the frame, and the housing structure is relatively simple.

[0018] In some embodiments, the support member is fixedly connected to the frame or integrally molded. When the support member is integrally molded with the frame and the main body is integrally molded, the main body can be assembled by simply connecting to the bottom cover, and the assembly of the housing is easy. When the support member is fixedly connected to the frame, the molding process of the support member and the frame is relatively easy, and the process cost of the housing can be reduced.

[0019] According to a second aspect, the present application further provides a power consuming device, the power consuming device comprising the above-mentioned battery pack, the battery pack being used for providing electrical energy to the power consuming device.

[0020] In some embodiments, the power consumption device includes a vehicle, and the battery pack is installed at the bottom of the vehicle body, so that the battery pack does not occupy space inside the vehicle body, and contributes to reducing the volume and weight of the vehicle body.

[0021] In some embodiments, the body includes a support member located on the top of the housing, the support member is used to define the receiving cavity, and the battery pack is attached to the vehicle body through the support member. When the battery cell is installed on the support member, the structure formed by the battery cell and the support member is connected to the vehicle body, which can improve the strength of the top of the battery pack and further improve the mounting strength of the battery pack.

[0022] In some embodiments, the support member is configured to form at least a part of the vehicle chassis, whereby the space occupied by the gap between the conventional chassis and the battery pack can be divided into the battery pack to improve the space of the battery pack, thus contributing to improving the energy of the battery pack and further improving the driving range of the vehicle.

[0023] The details of one or more embodiments of the application are set forth in the drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the application will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The drawings are only used for illustrating the purpose of the preferred embodiments, but are not considered as limitations to the present application. Note that the same drawing numbers refer to the same elements in all drawings. In the drawings, [Figure 1]1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present application. [Diagram 2] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery cell according to some embodiments of the present application. [Diagram 3] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the structure of the battery pack shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a bottom cover according to some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the bottom cover shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a front view of the bottom cover shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a bottom cover according to some other embodiments of the present application. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 7 is a schematic diagram of the bottom cover shown in FIG. 6 projected orthogonally in the vertical direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an external appearance of a battery cell in some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front view of the battery cell shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a support member in some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 14] 11A to 11C are structural schematic diagrams of a support member in some other embodiments of the present application. [Figure 15] 15 is a vertical orthographic projection of the support member shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 5 is a front view of the battery pack shown in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack used in a vehicle in some embodiments of the present application. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a first exploded view of the structure shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is a second exploded view of the structure shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 20]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a mounting relationship between a battery pack and a vehicle body in some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The following detailed description is given in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the technical solution of the present application. The following embodiments are merely for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present application, and are merely examples, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art of the present application, and the terms used herein are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application, and the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the description of the drawings above are intended to cover the non-exclusive "including".

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are merely for distinguishing different objects, and should not be understood as indicating or suggesting the relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or hierarchical relationship of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more.

[0028] An "embodiment" referred to in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to all the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art can explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described in this specification can be combined with other embodiments.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is merely a relation that describes related objects and indicates that three relations may exist, for example, A and / or B may represent three cases: A alone, a combination of A and B, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this specification generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0030] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to two or more (including two); similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets); and "multiple sheets" refers to two or more (including two sheets).

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial direction", "radial direction", "circumferential direction", etc. are orientations or positional relationships shown based on the drawings, and are intended only to facilitate and simplify the description of the embodiments of the present application, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to have a specific orientation and must be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, the technical terms "attached", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection, may be a mechanical connection, may be an electrical connection, may be a direct connection, may be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, may be a communication inside two elements, or may be an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art may understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application according to the specific situation.

[0033] At present, according to the development trend of the market, the application of the battery pack is becoming more and more widespread. The battery pack is not only widely used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind and solar power stations, but also in electric transportation such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric cars, and military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application fields of the battery pack, the market demand for it is also constantly increasing.

[0034] The inventor realised that when a battery pack is used in a power consuming device (e.g. a vehicle), the entire battery pack needs to be removed from the mounting body (a structure for mounting the battery pack in the power consuming device) and then the housing can be removed before components within the housing (e.g. battery cells) can be replaced and maintained, which is very inconvenient.

[0035] In order to improve the convenience of battery pack maintenance, the applicant's research has shown that the part of the housing that is not directly connected to the mounting body can be installed in a removably manner, and when it is necessary to maintain or replace a battery cell in the battery pack, it is only necessary to remove the structure in the housing that is not directly connected to the mounting body and expose the components within the battery pack, and the components within the battery pack can be maintained and replaced without the need to remove the entire battery pack.

[0036] Based on the above idea, in order to improve the convenience of the maintenance of the battery pack, the inventor has conducted extensive research and designed a battery pack including a housing and battery cells, the housing includes a main body and a bottom cover removably connected to the bottom of the main body, and the main body together with the bottom cover forms a housing cavity for enclosing and housing the battery cells. At this time, the main body can be directly attached to the mounting body, and the bottom cover forms the housing cavity together with the main body, and when it is necessary to replace or maintain a component (e.g., a battery cell) in the housing cavity, the component in the battery pack can be exposed by simply removing the bottom cover, and these components can be maintained or replaced, without the need to remove the entire battery pack from the mounting body, greatly improving the convenience of the maintenance of the battery pack.

[0037] The battery pack disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used in, but is not limited to, a power consuming device such as a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft. The battery pack disclosed in the present application can be used to configure a power supply system for the power consuming device. The mounting body according to the present application is a structure for mounting the battery pack in the power consuming device.

[0038] An embodiment of the present application provides a power consuming device that uses a battery pack as a power source, and the power consuming device may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery car, an electric car, a steamship, a spacecraft, etc. Here, the electric toy may include a stationary or mobile electric toy, such as a game machine, an electric car toy, an electric boat toy, an electric plane toy, etc., and the spacecraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a spacecraft, a spaceship, etc.

[0039] For convenience of explanation, the following embodiment will be described by taking as an example that the power consuming device in one embodiment of the present application is a vehicle 1000.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1000 according to some embodiments of the present application. The vehicle 1000 may be a gasoline vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a range extender vehicle, etc. A battery pack 100 is installed inside the vehicle 1000, and the battery pack 100 may be installed at the bottom, head, or tail of the vehicle 1000. The battery pack 100 may be used to supply power to the vehicle 1000, for example, the battery pack 100 may be an operating power source for the vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may further include a controller and a motor, and the controller is used to control the battery pack 100 to supply power to the motor, for example, for starting the vehicle 1000, navigation, and operating power consumption needs during driving.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery pack 100 can be used not only as an operating power source for the vehicle 1000, but also as a driving power source for the vehicle 1000, providing driving power to the vehicle 1000 in place of, or in place of, gasoline or natural gas.

[0042] Referring to Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle 1000 according to some embodiments of the present application. A battery cell 20 is a minimum unit constituting a battery pack 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the battery cell 20 includes an end cover 21, a case 22, an electrode assembly 23, and other functional members.

[0043] The end cap 21 refers to a member that covers the opening of the case 22 to isolate the internal environment of the battery cell 20 from the external environment. The shape of the end cap 21 may be adapted to the shape of the case 22 so as to match with the case 22, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the end cap 21 may be made of a material (e.g., aluminum alloy) having a certain hardness and strength, so that the end cap 21 is less likely to be deformed when extruded and hit, and the battery cell 20 can have higher structural strength and improved safety performance. A functional member such as an electrode terminal 21a may be installed on the end cap 21. The electrode terminal 21a may be used to electrically connect to the electrode assembly 23 to output or input electrical energy of the battery cell 20. In some embodiments, the end cap 21 may further be installed with a pressure relief mechanism for releasing the internal pressure when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 reaches a threshold value. The material of the end cap 21 may be various, for example, copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not particularly limited thereto. In some embodiments, an insulating member may be further installed on the inside of the end cap 21, and the insulating member may be used to isolate the electrical connection members in the case 22 from the end cap 21, so as to reduce the risk of short circuit. Illustratively, the insulating member may be plastic, rubber, etc.

[0044] The case 22 is an assembly to be fitted to the end cap 21 to form an internal environment of the battery cell 20, where the internal environment formed may be used to accommodate the electrode assembly 23, the electrolyte, and other components. The case 22 and the end cap 21 may be independent members, or an opening may be provided on the case 22, and the end cap 21 may cover the opening to form the internal environment of the battery cell 20. Alternatively, the end cap 21 and the case 22 may be integrated together, specifically, the end cap 21 and the case 22 may first form a common connection surface before other components are inserted into the case, and when the inside of the case 22 needs to be packaged, the end cap 21 is further covered by the case 22. The case 22 may have various shapes and dimensions, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylindrical body, a hexagonal prism, etc. Specifically, the shape of the case 22 may be determined according to the specific shape and size of the electrode assembly 23. The case 22 may be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not particularly limited in this regard.

[0045] The electrode assembly 23 is a member that generates an electrochemical reaction in the battery cell 20. One or more electrode assemblies 23 may be included in the case 22. The electrode assembly 23 is mainly formed by winding or stacking a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and a separator is generally provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The parts of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate that have active materials constitute the body 11 of the electrode assembly 23, and the parts of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate that do not have active materials constitute the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, respectively. The positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab may both be located at one end of the body 11, or may be located at both ends of the body 11. During charging and discharging of the battery, the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material react with the electrolyte, and the tabs are connected to the electrode terminal 21a to form a current circuit.

[0046] Fig. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery pack 100 according to some embodiments of the present application, and Fig. 4 is a structural exploded view of the battery pack 100 shown in Fig. 3. According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the embodiment of the present application provides a battery pack 100 including a battery cell 20 and a housing 10, in which a receiving cavity s is formed in the housing 10, and the battery cell 20 is received in the receiving cavity s.

[0047] In the battery pack 100, the battery cells 20 may be multiple, and the multiple battery cells 20 may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel. The series-parallel connection means that the multiple battery cells 20 may be connected in series or in parallel. The multiple battery cells 20 may be directly connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel, and the entire battery pack 10 may be housed in the housing 10. Of course, the battery pack 100 may be a battery module formed by first connecting the multiple battery cells 20 in series, parallel, or series-parallel, and then the multiple battery modules may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form an integrated battery module and housed in the housing 10. The battery pack 100 may further include other structures. For example, the battery pack 100 may further include a bus bar member for realizing electrical connection between the multiple battery cells 20. Here, each battery cell 20 may be a secondary battery or a primary battery, and may be, but is not limited to, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium ion battery, or a magnesium ion battery. The battery cell 20 may have a cylindrical shape, a flat shape, a rectangular shape, or other shapes.

[0048] The housing 10 may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical body or a rectangular parallelepiped, and the specific structure of the housing 10 may adopt various structural methods.

[0049] In some embodiments, with continued reference to Figures 3 and 4, the housing 10 includes a main body 11 and a bottom cover 12 installed on the bottom of the main body 11, and the bottom cover 12 together with the main body 11 surrounds and forms a storage cavity s that accommodates the battery cell 20.

[0050] The main body 11 may be an integrally molded structure or may be formed by assembling a plurality of parts. The main body 11 may be a hollow case 22 structure, which defines a first space, the bottom of the first space is open, and the bottom cover 12 covers the open portion of the first space. The bottom cover 12 may have a hollow structure with an opening on one side, and may have a second space, and the second space of the bottom cover 12 forms a storage cavity s together with the first space of the main body 11. The bottom cover 12 itself may not have a space that forms the storage cavity s, and when the bottom cover 12 covers the open portion of the first space of the main body 11, the bottom cover 12 seals the first space of the main body 11 and the two surround each other to form a storage cavity s equivalent to the first space, and at this time, the bottom cover 12 may have a flat plate structure. Of course, the accommodating cavity s of the housing 10 may be formed in a portion of the first space provided in the main body 11, and in this case, the bottom cover 12 covers the open portion of the first space, is recessed into the first space, and occupies a portion of the first space, and the first space excluding the portion of the space occupied by the bottom cover 12 forms the accommodating cavity s of the housing 10.

[0051] As can be understood, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 10 and is used to define the receiving cavity s together with the main body 11. Specifically, the bottom cover 12 may be a plate-like structure, a block-like structure, etc., but is not limited thereto, and may be a flat plate-like, curved plate-like, etc., and is not specifically limited thereto.

[0052] When the battery cell 20 is located in the receiving cavity s, the battery cell 20 may be installed on the bottom cover 12 and / or the body 11.

[0053] When the body 11 is formed by assembling a plurality of parts, the battery cell 20 may be installed on one of the parts or on all of the parts. In one embodiment, the body 11 may include a top cover (not shown), a shroud (not shown) and a support plate (not shown), the shroud surrounds and forms a third space that is open at both ends in the vertical direction, the top cover and the bottom cover 12 seal and cover both ends in the vertical direction of the third space, the top cover, the shroud and the bottom cover 12 together surround and form a receiving cavity s, the support plate is located in the third space, and the battery cell 20 is supported on the support plate. In another embodiment, the body 11 may include a support member 11a and a frame 11b described below, which will be described in detail below.

[0054] The bottom cover 12 and the body 11 can be fixed to each other by welding, hot melt connection, adhesion, fastening connection, locking, etc. Here, the fastening connection refers to the connection by the fastener 13, which includes bolts, plugs, rivets, pins, screws, etc. Here, the locking refers to the fixing by an engagement structure, for example, a hook is provided on the bottom cover 12, a locking hole is provided on the body 11, and the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 can be engaged and fixed when the hook is engaged in the locking hole. Of course, the connection method between the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 is not limited to these, and is not covered in this application.

[0055] In some embodiments, the bottom cover 12 is sealingly connected to the body 11 and together they form a sealed receiving cavity s.

[0056] There are various methods for sealing the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11, including, but not limited to, a method in which a sealant is placed between the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are sealed together by the sealant, and a method in which the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are sealed together by a blocking structure formed by an insertion surface by inserting the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 into each other.

[0057] In this case, the housing 10 of the battery pack 100 forms a storage cavity s that is surrounded and sealed with its own body 11 by its own bottom cover 12, and there is no need to install any other sealing structure separately inside the housing 10. This simplifies the structure of the battery pack 100, reduces the cost of the battery pack 100, and ensures the safety and service life of the battery pack 100.

[0058] In the description of the present application, the bottom cover 12 of the battery pack 100 is located at the bottom of the body 11, that is, in the vertical orientation shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the body 11. In actual use, the vertical orientation shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be, but is not limited to, a vertical direction, and is determined according to the actual installation situation of the battery pack 100. It should be noted that in the following description of the present application, the positional relationship, size, etc. of each structure of the battery pack 100 are described with reference to the vertical direction, and are not intended to limit the use manner of the battery pack 100, but are merely intended to more clearly describe the solution.

[0059] In some embodiments, the bottom cover 12 is sealingly connected to the body 11 via a sealant.

[0060] The sealant is a component that can prevent fluids or solid particles from leaking between adjacent joint surfaces, and can prevent external impurities, such as dust and moisture, from entering the battery pack 100. The sealant sealingly connects the body 11 and the bottom cover 12 means that the sealant is connected between two opposing surfaces of the body 11 and the bottom cover 12 and has an annular contact interface between the two surfaces, which can prevent external moisture from entering the inside of the battery pack 100 through the contact surface between the sealant and the two surfaces, and also provides a sealing effect.

[0061] The seal may be a seal ring or a gasket. Specifically, the seal may be made of rubber, silica gel, or other materials. Specifically, the seal may be an O-ring seal, a square seal, a profile seal, or other material. The specific shape of the seal may be adapted to the shapes of the two opposing surfaces of the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11. For example, when the two opposing surfaces of the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are annular surfaces, the seal may be an O-ring seal.

[0062] At this time, the bottom cover 12 realizes a sealed connection with the body 11 by the sealing material, so that the sealing is reliable and the cost is relatively low.

[0063] It should be noted that, after the bottom cover 12 is sealed with the body 11 by the sealant, it can be fixedly connected to the body 11 by other methods, including but not limited to locking, inserting, screwing, riveting, welding, gluing, etc. It can be understood that, when the bottom cover 12 is sealed to the body 11 by the sealant, based on the adhesiveness of the sealant, when the adhesive performance of the sealant meets the requirement (i.e., the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 are fixed and not separated), there is no need to fix the two together by other methods.

[0064] In some embodiments, the bottom cover 12 is removably connected to the bottom of the body 11 .

[0065] The bottom cover 12 being detachably connected to the main body 11 means that when the bottom cover 12 is connected to the main body 11, the bottom cover 12 has a first state in which it is completely connected to the main body 11 and forms an accommodating cavity s, and a second state in which it is incompletely connected to or separated from the main body 11 so that the battery cells 20 can be exposed to be opened, and the bottom cover 12 can be switched from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state by an external force operation, without damaging any parts in the process.

[0066] When the bottom cover 12 has a second state in which the bottom cover 12 is incompletely connected to the body 11 and opens the receiving cavity s, the attachment manner of the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 may be a manner in which the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 are rotatably connected and can be fixedly connected by a fastener 13 or an engagement manner. When the bottom cover 12 rotates to close the receiving cavity s with respect to the body 11, the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 are fixedly connected by the fastener 13 or an engagement manner, and the battery cells 20 are accommodated in the receiving cavity s and cannot be seen, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is in the first state. When the fastener 13 is removed or the engagement connection is released, the bottom cover 12 can be rotated to a position in which the receiving cavity s is opened with respect to the body 11 and the battery cells 20 are exposed, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is in the second state. Here, the rotatable connection between the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 may be a connection in which the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are rotatable via a rotation shaft, but is not limited thereto.

[0067] When the bottom cover 12 has a second state in which it is separated from the main body 11 and opens the receiving cavity s, the attachment manner of the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 may be a manner in which the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are fixedly connected only by the fastener 13 or the engagement manner. When the fastener 13 is attached to the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 or the engagement structure of the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 is engaged, the bottom cover 12 and the main body 11 are completely fixed and together form the receiving cavity s, and the battery cell 20 is accommodated in the receiving cavity s and cannot be seen, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is in the first state. When the fastener 13 is removed or all the engagement connections are released, the bottom cover 12 can be separated from the main body 11 and further exposes the battery cell 20, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is in the second state.

[0068] When the bottom cover 12 is in the first state, it forms a receiving cavity s with the body 11, thereby providing protection for the battery cells 20. When the bottom cover 12 is in the second state, the body of the battery pack 20 is exposed, thus facilitating maintenance or replacement of the battery cells 20 by personnel.

[0069] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, the bottom cover 12 is removably connected to the main body 11 via a fastener 13.

[0070] The fastener 13 refers to a member that can integrally fasten two or more parts (or members), and may be, but is not limited to, a screw, a bolt, a rivet, a plug, a pin, a welding pin, etc.

[0071] At this time, the bottom cover 12 is removably connected to the main body 11 via the fastener 13, which not only facilitates attachment and detachment, but also has a simple structure and is economical.

[0072] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural view of the bottom cover 12 according to some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 6 is a top view of the bottom cover 12 shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a front view of the bottom cover 12 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a schematic structural view of the bottom cover 12 according to some other embodiments of the present application.

[0073] In some embodiments, the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 satisfies 0.2 mm < h < 20 mm.

[0074] The thickness of the bottom cover 12 refers to the distance between the two vertical surfaces on both sides of the bottom cover 12 in the vertical cross-section. The minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 is the shortest distance between the two sides of the bottom cover 12 in the vertical direction. When the thickness of each part of the bottom cover 12 is uniform, the bottom cover 12 may exhibit a flat plate shape (shown in FIG. 8), and the minimum thickness of the bottom cover 12 is the equal thickness provided by each part of the bottom cover 12. When the thickness of the bottom cover 12 is not uniform, the minimum thickness of the bottom cover 12 is the thickness of the thinnest part of the bottom cover 12.

[0075] Specifically, the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 is selectively 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.8 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 3.8 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.7 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 5.8 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 7.5 mm, 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 9.5 mm, 10 mm, 10.5 mm, 11 mm, 11.5 mm, 12 mm, 12.5 mm, 13 mm, 13.5 mm, 14 mm, 14.5 mm, 15 mm, 16 mm, 16.5 mm, 17 mm, 17.5 mm, 18 mm, 18.5 mm, 19 mm, 19.5 mm, etc. Preferably, 0.5 mm ≤ h ≤ 3 mm.

[0076] At this time, as proven, when the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 satisfies 0.2 mm < h < 20 mm, the weight of the battery pack 100 can be effectively reduced, and the structural strength is reasonable.

[0077] It should be noted that in the description of this application, with the vertical direction as a reference, the "thickness" of a certain structure refers to the distance between the two vertical surfaces of this structure in the vertical cross-section. In the following description, do not over-interpret the "thickness", and the description here can be referred to. Of course, as can be understood, the vertical direction is only for more easily explaining the solution of this application and does not limit the usage mode of the battery pack 100.

[0078] In some embodiments, the weight m of the battery cell 20 and the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 satisfy 0.03 mm / Kg ≤ h / m ≤ 100 mm / Kg.

[0079] The weight m of the battery cell 20 refers to the weight m of a single battery cell 20. When the battery pack 100 includes a plurality of battery cells 20, the weight of the battery cell 20 is the weight of each battery cell 20.

[0080] Specifically, the ratio of the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 to the weight m of the battery cell 20 is selectively set to 0.04 mm / Kg, 0.05 mm / Kg, 0.1 mm / Kg, 0.4 mm / Kg, 0.8 mm / Kg, 1 mm / Kg, 1.5 mm / Kg, 2 mm / Kg, 2.5 mm / Kg, 3 mm / Kg, 3.5 mm / Kg, 4 mm / Kg, 5 mm / Kg, 6 mm / Kg, 8 mm / Kg, 10 mm / Kg, 12 mm / Kg, g, 13mm / Kg, 15mm / Kg, 16mm / Kg, 18mm / Kg, 20mm / Kg, 30mm / Kg, 35mm / Kg, 40mm / Kg, 45mm / Kg, 50mm / Kg, 55mm / Kg, 60mm / Kg, 65mm / Kg, 68mm / Kg, 70mm / Kg, 75mm / Kg, 80mm / Kg, 85mm / Kg, 90mm / Kg, 95mm / Kg, 98mm / Kg.

[0081] The effect of the ratio of the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 to the weight m of the battery cell 20 on the safety performance of the battery pack 100 [Table 1]

[0082] Table 1 shows the test results of the influence of the ratio of the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 and the weight m of the battery cell 20 on the safety performance of the battery pack 100 when the test is performed according to the standard of GB 38031-2020 "Safety Requirements for Power Storage Batteries for Electric Vehicles". As can be seen from Table 1, when h / m is equal to 0.02 mm / Kg, the battery pack 100 is prone to ignition and explosion, because the structural strength of the battery pack 100 does not meet the requirements. When h / M is greater than 0.02 mm / Kg, the structural strength of the bottom cover 12 is relatively good and the battery pack 100 is not prone to ignition and explosion, but if h / m is too large, it is likely to cause space waste and low energy density, so it is preferable that h / m does not exceed 100 mm / Kg.

[0083] At this time, it is proved that when the minimum thickness h of the bottom cover 12 and the weight m of the battery cell 20 satisfy 0.03 mm / Kg≦h / m≦100 mm / Kg, the battery pack 100 not only has relatively good structural strength, but also has relatively high energy density and is not easily ignited or exploded.

[0084] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 5 to 7 together, the bottom cover 12 has a lid portion 12a and an attachment portion 12b, the attachment portion 12b is connected to a surrounding edge of the lid portion 12a, the lid portion 12a is used to define the receiving cavity s, and the attachment portion 12b is connected to the main body 11.

[0085] The cover 12a is used to define the receiving cavity s, and the cover 12a and the body 11 together surround the receiving cavity s, and the mounting portion 12b is connected to the body 11 and does not participate in the definition of the receiving cavity s. The cover 12a may be a plate-shaped or block-shaped member, or a flat or curved plate-shaped member, and is not specifically limited. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the mounting portion 12b is surrounded by the edge of the cover 12a, and the mounting portion 12b is continuously provided along the edge of the cover 12a, and has a structure in which the head and tail are connected in a sealed manner. As can be seen, in the vertical projection, the mounting portion 12b has a certain width, and thus can have an appropriate contact area with the body 11, which not only facilitates the positioning and mounting between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11, but also facilitates the installation of a sealant and contributes to improving the sealing property between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11.

[0086] The lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be integrally molded. When the bottom lid 12 is made of a metal material (e.g., aluminum, iron, stainless steel, etc.), the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be integrally molded using a method such as die casting, forging, hot pressing, or cold pressing. When the bottom lid 12 is made of a plastic material (e.g., PP, PE, ABS, etc.), the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be integrally molded using injection molding. The lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be molded separately and then connected together. When the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b are made of a metal material, the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be welded or bonded together. When the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b are made of a plastic material, the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be bonded together. Of course, the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be fixed together by other methods such as locking or riveting.

[0087] The cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may be located in the same plane. Specifically, the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may have two surfaces facing the main body 11 located in the same plane, and / or the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may have two surfaces facing away from the main body 11 located in the same plane. When the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b have two surfaces facing the main body 11 and two surfaces facing away from the main body 11 located in the same plane, the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may form a flat bottom cover 12 (shown in FIG. 8).

[0088] The lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b do not have to be located in the same plane. Specifically, the lid portion 12a is recessed toward the body 11 with respect to the mounting portion 12b, or the lid portion 12a protrudes away from the body 11 with respect to the mounting portion 12b, and there is no specific limitation. The thicknesses of the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b may or may not be equal, and there is no specific limitation.

[0089] At this time, the bottom cover 12 defines the receiving cavity s via the cover portion 12a, and realizes the connection with the main body 11 via the mounting portion 12b, so that the structure is clear and the mounting is easy.

[0090] As can be understood, when the bottom cover 12 is sealingly connected to the body 11, the bottom cover 12 is sealingly connected to the body 11 via the mounting portion 12b, that is, the mounting portion 12b is sealingly connected to the body 11. The sealing connection manner between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11 may be a sealing connection by a sealant, a sealing connection by a sealant, etc., and is not specifically listed. The sealant may be the sealant mentioned in the above description, and the installation manner of the sealant can refer to the above description, with the difference being that the sealant is installed between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11. When the mounting portion 12b and the body 11 are sealingly connected by a sealant, the sealant may be applied to all surfaces where the mounting portion 12b and the body 11 come into contact with each other.

[0091] As can be understood, when the bottom cover 12 is detachably connected to the body 11, the bottom cover 12 is detachably connected to the body 11 via the mounting portion 12b, that is, the mounting portion 12b is detachably connected to the body 11. The detachable connection manner between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11 can refer to the detachable connection manner between the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 described above, and since it is only necessary to set the portion of the bottom cover 12 that is detachably connected to the body 11 at the mounting portion 12b, the detachable connection manner between the mounting portion 12b and the body 11 will not be further described here.

[0092] In some embodiments, the mounting portion 12 b is removably connected to the body 11 .

[0093] Specifically, the bottom cover 12 further includes a fixing hole 12c installed in the mounting portion 12b, and the fastener 13 is drilled into the fixing hole 12c on the mounting portion 12b and then fastened to the body 11. The fixing hole 12c is a through hole that passes through the mounting portion 12b in the vertical direction, and specifically, the fixing hole 12c may be a smooth through hole (for example, when the fastener 13 is a rivet), a through hole with a thread (for example, when the fastener 13 is a screw), or a through hole of other types (for example, a hexagonal hole, a square hole, a long hole, etc.). The specific type of the fixing hole 12c is determined based on the specific type and specific setting method of the fastener 13, and will not be further described here.

[0094] In some embodiments, the thickness of the lid portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b are equal.

[0095] When the cover part 12a and the mounting part 12b are integrally formed, they can be integrally formed using the methods described above, such as die-cast integral forming, cold press integral forming, hot press integral forming, injection molding integral forming, etc., which will not be described further here. Since the cover part 12a and the mounting part 12b have the same thickness, they can be quickly processed by methods such as pressing and cutting based on the same metal plate during molding.

[0096] In this case, the thickness of the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b are the same, the stress at each point is uniform during molding, the molding rate of one-piece molding can be improved, and it can be quickly processed using a simple method such as cutting plate material, the structure of the bottom cover 12 is simpler, and processing is easier.

[0097] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 7, the cover portion 12a protrudes from the mounting portion 12b in a direction away from the receiving cavity s.

[0098] As can be seen from the above, the lid portion 12a defines the storage cavity s, and when the lid portion 12a protrudes away from the storage cavity s, it means that the lid portion 12a protrudes away from the main body 11. In other words, the lid portion 12a and the attachment portion 12b are arranged offset in the vertical direction, and the lid portion 12a is located at the lowest point of the bottom lid 12.

[0099] When the cover portion 12a protrudes away from the accommodating cavity s beyond the mounting portion 12b, a certain redundant space can be formed between the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b. This redundant space can increase the distance between the cover portion 12a and the battery cell 20. When an external force acts on the cover portion 12a, this redundant space can reduce the external force and reduce or avoid the external force acting on the battery cell 20 and causing damage to the battery cell 20. In particular, when the battery pack 100 is attached to the bottom of the vehicle 1000 and the bottom cover 12 is located at the lowest point of the battery pack 100, stones and the like on the ground are likely to fly up to the bottom of the battery pack 100, i.e., the bottom cover 12, while the vehicle 1000 is running, and hit the bottom cover 12. At this time, the redundant space can reduce the impact of the external force on the battery cell 20. At the same time, the lid portion 12a protrudes from the mounting portion 12b, and the lid portion 12a of the bottom lid 12 can serve as a reinforcing structure for the bottom lid 12, thereby improving the bending resistance of the bottom lid 12.

[0100] As can be seen, in the embodiment of the present application, the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 10 and is used to define the receiving cavity s.

[0101] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 100 shown in Fig. 4. In some embodiments, referring to Fig. 9, the bottom cover 12 is disposed with a space between the battery cells 20.

[0102] The bottom cover 12 is disposed at a distance from the battery cells 20, which means that a set distance r is maintained between the bottom cover 12 and the battery cells 20 in the vertical direction. This set distance r forms a buffer space between the bottom cover 12 and the battery cells 20, which prevents an external force acting on the bottom cover 12 from being transmitted to the battery cells 20 and damaging the battery cells 20. In particular, when the battery pack 100 is attached to the bottom of the vehicle 1000 and the bottom cover 12 is located at the lowest point of the battery pack 100, stones and the like on the ground are likely to fly down to the bottom of the battery pack 100 while the vehicle 1000 is running and hit the bottom cover 12. At this time, the buffer space can stop the external force from being transmitted to the battery cells 20 and affecting the battery cells 20.

[0103] The manner in which the bottom cover 12 and the battery cell 20 are installed with a gap therebetween may be a manner in which a redundant space is formed between the protruding cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b in the above embodiment, or a manner in which a set distance is maintained between one end of the battery cell 20 located within the main body 11 facing the bottom cover 12 and one end of the main body 11 facing the bottom cover 12, that is, the battery cell 20 is located only within a portion of the accommodating cavity s defined by the main body 11, and is not located within the accommodating cavity s defined by the bottom cover 12, thereby ensuring that a set gap r is maintained between the battery cell 20 and the bottom cover 12 to form a buffer space.

[0104] As can be understood, when the battery pack 100 includes a plurality of battery cells 20, all the battery cells 20 are disposed with a space between them and the bottom cover 12. Furthermore, in order to standardize the size of the battery cells 20, the space between each battery cell 20 and the bottom cover 12 is equal.

[0105] In some embodiments, referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the bottom cover 12 has a characteristic surface d facing the receiving cavity s, and the characteristic surface d is configured as a plane.

[0106] The characteristic surface d facing the storage cavity s indicates that the characteristic surface d is an inner surface that can define the storage cavity s in the bottom cover 12. The characteristic surface d being configured as a plane means that in the arrangement direction of the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12, the characteristic surface d is a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction. In an actual situation, when the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the vertical direction, the characteristic surface d of the bottom cover 12 is a plane parallel to a horizontal plane. When the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the horizontal direction, the characteristic surface d of the bottom cover 12 is a plane parallel to a vertical plane.

[0107] When the characteristic surface d is a plane, the characteristic surface d can maintain a more uniform distance (which may be zero) between each battery cell 20 accommodated in the accommodation cavity s. When the distance between the characteristic surface d and the battery cell 20 is relatively uniform, the accommodation cavity s can accommodate more battery cells 20, i.e., the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s is higher, the battery pack 100 can have a higher energy density, and the cruising capability of the battery pack 100 is higher.

[0108] As can be understood, when the bottom cover 12 has the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b, the characteristic surface d may be formed by an inner surface structure of the cover portion 12a facing the receiving cavity s. As can be further understood, when the bottom cover 12 is installed with a gap between it and the battery cell 20, the characteristic surface d is installed with a gap between it and the battery cell 20.

[0109] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the lid portion 12a facing away from the receiving cavity s is parallel to the characteristic surface d.

[0110] The cover portion 12a is disposed back-to-back with the characteristic surface d along the vertical direction away from the outer surface of the receiving cavity s. The outer surface of the cover portion 12a is used to contact the atmospheric environment and to receive impacts from external forces. When the outer surface of the cover portion 12a is flush with the characteristic surface d, and particularly when the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 are disposed at the bottom of the vehicle 1000 along the vertical direction and the bottom cover 12 is located at the lowest point of the battery pack 100, the wind resistance generated by the battery pack 100 can be significantly reduced when the outer surface of the cover portion 12a is flat, thereby reducing the running resistance of the vehicle 1000, reducing the running energy consumption of the vehicle 1000, and contributing to improving the driving capability of the battery pack 100.

[0111] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of an orthogonal projection in the vertical direction of the bottom lid 12 shown in Fig. 6. Here, S1 indicates the projected area of ​​the characteristic surface d, and S2 indicates the projected area of ​​the bottom lid 12.

[0112] In some embodiments, in the vertical direction, the area S1 of the orthogonal projection of the feature surface d and the area S2 of the orthogonal projection of the bottom cover 12 satisfy S1 / S2≧0.2. Furthermore, S1 / S2≧0.5.

[0113] 10, in the orthogonal projection in the vertical direction, the feature surface d is surrounded and formed by the first feature side d1, the second feature side d2, the third feature side d3, and the fourth feature side d4, and the area S1 of the orthogonal projection of the feature surface d is the area of ​​the region defined by the first feature side d1, the second feature side d2, the third feature side d3, and the fourth feature side d4. The area S2 of the orthogonal projection of the bottom lid 12 is the area of ​​the region defined by the edges of the bottom lid 12.

[0114] Specifically, the ratio of the area S1 of the orthogonal projection of the characteristic surface d to the area S2 of the orthogonal projection of the bottom cover 12 may be 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, or 1.

[0115] Effect of the ratio of area S1 to area S2 on the driving range of the battery pack 100 [Table 2]

[0116] Table 2 shows the influence of the ratio of the orthogonal projection area S1 of the characteristic surface d to the orthogonal projection area S2 of the bottom cover 12 on the driving range of the battery pack 100, which is tested according to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standard. When S1 / S2 is smaller than 0.2, the driving range of the battery pack 100 is relatively poor, because when the characteristic surface d is relatively small, the space utilization rate of the receiving cavity s is relatively low, the number of battery cells 20 received in the battery pack 100 is relatively small, the energy density of the battery pack 100 is relatively low, the driving range of the battery pack 100 is relatively short, and the test result is relatively poor. When the ratio of S1 / S2 reaches 0.2 or more (especially when S1 / S2 reaches 0.5 or more), the larger the ratio, the better the driving range of the battery pack 100, because the larger the characteristic surface d, the higher the space utilization rate of the accommodating cavity s and the higher the energy density of the battery pack 100, so the driving range of the battery pack 100 becomes longer and the test results become better.

[0117] Since the characteristic surface d is a flat surface, the larger the area of ​​the characteristic surface d occupies in the bottom cover 12, the smaller the area of ​​the inner surface of the bottom cover 12 that is recessed or protruding from the characteristic surface d. The inner surface recessed from the characteristic surface d makes a part of the space in the accommodation cavity s irregular, making it impossible to mount the battery cell 20, and lowers the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s. The part of the space of the accommodation cavity s formed against the protruding inner surface of the characteristic surface d is also irregular, making it impossible to accommodate the battery cell 20, and the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s is low. When the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s is low, the volume occupied by the battery cell 20 per unit space in the battery pack 100 is small, and the energy density of the battery pack 100 is low. Therefore, the larger the area of ​​the characteristic surface d occupies in the bottom cover 12, the greater the space utilization rate of the battery pack 100, the higher the energy density of the battery pack 100, and the better the driving range of the battery pack 100.

[0118] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 10, in the vertical direction, the orthogonal projection of the feature surface d presents a rectangle.

[0119] 10 , the rectangular characteristic surface d is an area defined by a first characteristic side d1, a second characteristic side d2, a third characteristic side d3, and a fourth characteristic side d4. In the battery pack 100, many of the battery cells 20 are assembled to form a rectangular structure, and the structure of the characteristic surface d is rectangular and can be adapted to the overall structure formed by the battery cells 20 in the battery pack 100, contributing to arranging more battery cells 20 in the accommodating cavity s, and improving the energy density of the battery pack 100.

[0120] Of course, in other embodiments, in the vertical direction, the orthogonal projection of the feature surface d may take on other shapes, such as circles, polygons, ellipses and other irregular shapes.

[0121] In the embodiment of the present application, the body 11 includes a support member 11a.

[0122] The support member 11a may be a member for defining the storage cavity s in the main body 11 (for example, the support member 11a is the top cover or frame mentioned above), or may be a member that is not used for defining the storage cavity s but is located within the storage cavity s (for example, the support member 11a is the support plate mentioned above), and is not specifically limited. When the support member 11a is used for defining the storage cavity s, the support member 11a may be a member that is directly connected to the bottom cover 12 in the main body 11 (for example, the frame mentioned above), or may be a member that is not connected to the bottom cover 12 (for example, the top cover mentioned above).

[0123] In some embodiments, the battery cells 20 are mounted on the surface of the support member 11a.

[0124] At this time, the supporting member 11a is a member capable of supporting the weight of the battery cell 20, and may be a supporting plate, a supporting rod, a supporting block, a supporting seal, a supporting frame, a supporting rope, etc., and is not specifically limited. Specifically, the battery cell 20 is supported by the supporting member 11a. At this time, the battery cell 20 may be installed above the supporting member 11a. Specifically, the battery cell 20 may be hung on the supporting member 11a. At this time, the battery cell 20 may be hung on the wall surface of the supporting member 11a parallel to the gravity direction of the battery cell 20.

[0125] The battery cell 20 may be installed above the supporting member 11a (for example, when the supporting member 11a is a supporting plate located in the accommodation cavity s), the battery cell 20 may be installed below the supporting member 11a (for example, when the supporting member 11a is a top cover for defining the accommodation cavity s), and the battery cell 20 may be installed on the side of the supporting member 11a (for example, when the supporting member 11a is a frame for defining the accommodation cavity s).

[0126] In some embodiments, the battery cell 20 is adhered to the supporting member 11a.

[0127] Specifically, the adhesion between the battery cell 20 and the supporting member 11a may be realized by an adhesive such as an epoxy resin adhesive or an acrylic ester adhesive, and is not specifically limited. At this time, the adhesion between the battery cell 20 and the supporting member 11a can not only facilitate the connection, but also simplify the structure of the battery pack 100.

[0128] In some embodiments, the battery cell 20 is installed on the surface of the supporting member 11a, and the minimum thickness H of the supporting member 11a and the weight M of the battery pack 100 satisfy 0.0002 mm / Kg < H / M ≤ 0.2 mm / Kg.

[0129] The thickness of the support member 11a refers to the distance between the surface of the support member 11a on which the battery cell 20 is installed and the opposite surface on the other side. When the battery cell 20 is installed on the vertical surface of the support member 11a, the minimum thickness H of the support member 11a refers to the point where the distance between both surfaces of the support member 11a in the vertical direction is the smallest, and when the battery cell 20 is located on the horizontal surface of the support member 11a, the thickness of the support member 11a refers to the point where the distance between both surfaces of the support member 11a in the horizontal direction is the smallest.

[0130] The weight of the battery pack 100 includes the total weight of the body 11, the bottom cover 12, the battery cells 20, and other components (eg, wiring harnesses, thermal management systems, power management systems, etc.).

[0131] Specifically, the ratio of the minimum thickness H of the support member 11a to the weight M of the battery pack 100 may be designed to be 0.0003mm / Kg, 0.0005mm / Kg, 0.0008mm / Kg, 0.001mm / Kg, 0.003mm / Kg, 0.005mm / Kg, 0.008mm / Kg, 0.01mm / Kg, 0.03mm / Kg, 0.05mm / Kg, 0.06mm / Kg, 0.08mm / Kg, 0.1mm / Kg, 0.12mm / Kg, 0.15mm / Kg, 0.16mm / Kg, 0.19mm / Kg, or 0.2mm / Kg.

[0132] Effect of the ratio of the minimum thickness H of the support member 11a to the weight M of the battery pack 100 on the safety performance of the battery pack 100 [Table 3]

[0133] Table 3 shows the influence results of the ratio of the minimum thickness H of multiple sets of support members 11a tested according to the standards of GB 38031-2020 "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" on the safety performance of the battery pack 100. As can be seen from Table 3, when the ratio of H / M does not exceed 0.0002 mm / Kg, the battery pack 100 catches fire and explodes, and the reason is that the structural strength of the battery pack 100 does not meet the requirements. When the ratio of H / M exceeds 0.0002 mm / Kg, the battery pack 100 does not catch fire and explode. However, when H / M is too large (for example, when it exceeds 0.1), since the weight of the battery pack 100 is small and the thickness of the support plate is large, the occupancy rate of the battery cells 20 in the battery pack 100 per unit volume is relatively low, the space utilization rate is relatively low, the energy density of the battery pack 100 is too low, and the usage cost of the battery pack 100 is relatively high. Furthermore, 0.0005 mm / Kg ≤ H / M ≤ 0.1 mm / Kg, and at this time, the structural strength of the battery pack 100 meets the requirements and the energy density of the battery pack 100 is relatively high, the cruising ability of the battery pack 100 is stronger and safety accidents such as fire and explosion do not occur.

[0134] In some embodiments, the minimum thickness H of the support member 11a satisfies 0.2 mm < H < 20 mm.

[0135] Specifically, the minimum thickness H of the support member 11a may be 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 7.5 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm, 19 mm. Furthermore, 0.5 mm ≤ H ≤ 10 mm, and at this time, the support member 11a has relatively good structural strength, the overall strength of the battery pack 100 is relatively high, and the battery pack 100 is less likely to catch fire and explode. At the same time, the volume occupancy of the support member 11a with respect to the entire battery pack 100 is relatively small, the space utilization rate of the battery pack 100 is relatively high, and the energy density of the battery pack 100 is relatively high.

[0136] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the battery cells 20 are suspended from a support member 11a.

[0137] The battery cell 20 being suspended from the support member 11a means that the battery cell 20 is placed vertically below the support member 11a and the weight of the battery cell 20 is supported by the support member 11a. Methods for suspending the battery cell 20 from the support member 11a include a method in which the battery cell 20 is directly attached to the lower surface of the support member 11a, a method in which the battery cell 20 is connected to the support member 11a via fasteners 13 and positioned below the support member 11a, a method in which the battery cell 20 is hung on the support member 11a via a hook or the like and positioned below the support member 11a, and the like.

[0138] At this time, the battery cells 20 are suspended below the support member 11a, the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 10, and when performing maintenance on the inside of the battery pack 100, the battery cells 20 can be exposed by removing the bottom cover 12, without the need to remove the support member 11a, making maintenance of the battery pack 100 easier. At the same time, when performing maintenance on the battery pack 100, the battery cells 20 can be attached and detached to and from the support member 11a from below, and particularly when the support member 11a receives force as at least a part of the chassis of the vehicle 1000, it is not necessary to remove the support member 11a, so maintenance of the battery pack 100 is made easier by simply attaching and detaching the battery cells 20 from below the support member 11a.

[0139] 11 is a schematic external view of a battery cell 20 according to some embodiments of the present application. FIG. 12 is a front view of the battery cell 20 shown in FIG.

[0140] In some embodiments, referring to both Figures 4 and 11, the outer surface of the battery cell 20 facing the support member 11a is a first outer surface m1, and the battery cell 20 includes an electrode terminal 21a, and the electrode terminal 21a is disposed on an outer surface of the battery cell 20 other than the first outer surface m1.

[0141] As introduced above, the electrode terminal 21a is used for electrically connecting with the electrode assembly 23 inside the battery cell 20, and is a member for outputting or inputting electrical energy of the battery cell 20. The electrode terminal 21a at least partially extends from the battery cell 20 for electrical connection with the outside. The series connection and parallel connection between the battery cells 20 are both realized by the series connection and parallel connection between the respective electrode terminals 21a. The electrode terminal 21a has electrical conductivity and realizes electrical transmission, and may be an aluminum electrode, a copper electrode, etc.

[0142] The electrode terminal 21a is disposed on an outer surface of the battery cell 20 other than the first outer surface m1. The first outer surface m1 faces the support member 11a and is usually a smooth surface on which no structures such as the electrode terminal 21a or the electrolyte injection hole are protruding or recessed. When the battery cell 20 is suspended on the support member 11a, the first outer surface m1 is the upward outer surface of the battery cell 20. In a specific embodiment, the battery cell 20 includes the above-mentioned case 22 and end cover 21, and the case 22 and the end cover 21 form an internal environment in which the battery cell 20 accommodates the electrode assembly 23. The end cover 21 is located at one end of the case 22, and the electrode terminal 21a is disposed on the end cover 21. At this time, any one of the outer surfaces of the case 22 can be the first outer surface m1 of the battery cell 20.

[0143] The electrode terminal 21a includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the positive terminal is used to electrically connect with a positive plate in the electrode assembly 23, and the negative terminal is used to electrically connect with a negative plate in the electrode assembly 23. It should be noted that the positive terminal and the negative terminal may be disposed on the same outer surface of the battery cell 20 (e.g., a rectangular battery cell 20), or may be disposed on two different outer surfaces of the battery cell 20 (e.g., a cylindrical battery cell 20), respectively. When the positive terminal and the negative terminal are disposed on two different outer surfaces of the battery cell 20, the first outer surface m1 is a surface of the battery cell 20 that is different from the two outer surfaces.

[0144] In addition to the battery cells 20, the battery pack 100 is usually further provided with components such as a sampling harness that electrically connects each battery cell 20, a high-voltage harness, and a protective structure that protects the battery cell 20. In this case, when the electrode terminal 21a is arranged on a surface other than the first outer surface m1 of the battery cell 20 and components such as the sampling harness, high-voltage harness, and protective structure are arranged on the electrode terminal 21a, each component can be arranged in the space between the battery cell 20 and the structure of the main body 11 other than the support member 11a (for example, the space between the battery cell and the bottom cover and / or the space between the battery cell and the inner surface of the main body) without being limited by the support member 11a, making it easier to install each component. At the same time, since the first outer surface m1 has a smooth surface, the first outer surface m1 can be bonded to the support member 11a, and thus the battery cell 20 and the support member 11a can be bonded to each other, and there is no need to leave a space between the battery cell 20 and the support member 11a in advance, which contributes to improving the space utilization rate of the battery pack 100.

[0145] In some embodiments, referring to both Figures 11 and 12, the battery cell 20 has a second outer surface m2 that is placed back-to-back with the first outer surface m1, and the electrode terminal 21a is disposed on the second outer surface m2.

[0146] The second outer surface m2 is an outer surface on which the battery cell 20 is installed back to back with the first outer surface m1, and when the battery cell 20 is suspended from the support member 11a, the second outer surface m2 faces the bottom cover 12. As described above, the battery cell 20 and the bottom cover 12 may be installed with a gap therebetween. At this time, a buffer space is provided between the second outer surface m2 and the bottom cover 12, and the portion of the electrode terminal 21a extending from the battery cell 20 is located in this buffer space, and the wire harness and the connection sheet connected to the electrode terminal 21a in this manner can be disposed in the buffer space. At the same time, the buffer space can further prevent the external force striking the bottom cover 12 mentioned above from acting on the battery cell 20 and damaging the battery cell 20. Therefore, the buffer space not only blocks the influence of the external force, but also allows the layout of the wire harness and the like, which is a win-win situation. In addition, the space utilization rate of the buffer space and the battery pack 100 is improved.

[0147] Of course, in other embodiments, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the electrode terminal 21a may be disposed on a third outer surface of the battery cell 20 that intersects with the first outer surface m1.

[0148] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 9, the support member 11a is located at the top of the housing 10 and is used to define the receiving cavity s. Since the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 10, the support member 11a is disposed opposite the bottom cover 12. The support member 11a is a structure at the top of the housing 10, and the housing 10 can be attached to a mounting body via the support member 11a. At this time, the battery cells 20 installed on the support member 11a can reinforce the strength of the support member 11a and further improve the rigidity of the top of the battery pack 100, thus extending the application scenario of the battery pack 100 to a scenario in which the top is subjected to force, for example, used as a part of the chassis of a vehicle 1000.

[0149] Fig. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of a support member 11a in some embodiments of the present application. Fig. 14 is a structural schematic diagram of a support member 11a in some other embodiments of the present application. Fig. 15 is an orthographic projection view of the support member 11a shown in Fig. 14 in the vertical direction.

[0150] In some embodiments, the support member 11a has a support surface f facing the receiving cavity s, the support surface f being configured as a plane.

[0151] The support surface f is an inner surface of the support member 11a facing the receiving cavity s and is used to define the receiving cavity s. The support surface f being configured as a plane means that in the arrangement direction of the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12, the support surface f is a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction. In a practical situation, when the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the vertical direction, the support member 11a and the bottom cover 12 are installed opposite each other along the vertical direction, and the support surface f of the support member 11a is a plane parallel to the horizontal plane. When the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the horizontal direction, the support member 11a and the bottom cover 12 are installed opposite each other along the horizontal direction, and the support surface f of the support member 11a is a plane parallel to the vertical plane.

[0152] As shown in Fig. 13, the support surface f may be the entire inner surface of the support member 11a facing the receiving cavity s, and in this case, the support member 11a may have a flat plate shape. As shown in Fig. 14 and Fig. 15, the support surface f may be a part of the inner surface of the support member 11a facing the receiving cavity s, and in this case, the support surface f is only a part of the inner surface of the support member 11a for defining the receiving cavity s.

[0153] When the support surface f is a flat surface, a relatively uniform distance (which may be zero) can be maintained between the support surface f and each battery cell 20 accommodated in the accommodation cavity s. When the distance between the support surface f and the battery cells 20 is more uniformly maintained, more battery cells 20 can be accommodated in the accommodation cavity s, that is, the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s is higher, the battery pack 100 can have a higher energy density, and the cruising capability of the battery pack 100 is higher.

[0154] In some embodiments, the battery cells 20 are installed on a support surface f. The battery cells 20 are attached to the support member 11a via the support surface f. The battery cells 20 may be bonded to the support surface f, may be fixedly connected to the support surface f via fasteners 13 or the like, or may be welded or locked to the support surface f, but this is not specifically limited.

[0155] Since the support surface f is flat, the support surface f can have a large contact area with the battery cells 20 installed thereon, and the attachment of the battery cells 20 can be more firmly achieved. At the same time, when the support surface f is flat, it can realize connection with a larger number of battery cells 20 compared to when the support surface f is a non-flat surface such as a curved surface, thereby increasing the number of battery cells 20 attached in the battery pack 100 and further improving the space utilization rate and energy density of the battery pack 100.

[0156] As can be understood, when the battery cell 20 is suspended from the support member 11a, the battery cell 20 is then suspended from the support surface f.

[0157] In some embodiments, in the vertical direction, the area N1 of the orthogonal projection of the support surface f and the area N2 of the orthogonal projection of the support member 11a satisfy N1 / N2≧0.2. Furthermore, N1 / N2≧0.5.

[0158] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 15, in the orthogonal projection in the vertical direction, the support surface f is surrounded and formed by the connection of the first support edge f1, the second support edge f2, the third support edge f3, and the fourth support edge f4, and the area N1 of the orthogonal projection of the support surface f is the area of ​​the region defined by the first support edge f1, the second support edge f2, the third support edge f3, and the fourth support edge f4. The area N2 of the orthogonal projection of the support member 11a is the area of ​​the region defined by the edges of the support member 11a.

[0159] Specifically, the ratio of the area N1 of the orthogonal projection of the support surface f to the area N2 of the orthogonal projection of the support member 11a may be 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, or 1.

[0160] Effect of the ratio of area N1 to area N2 on the driving range of the battery pack 100 [Table 4]

[0161] Table 4 shows the influence of the ratio of the orthogonal projection area N1 of the sets of support surfaces f to the orthogonal projection area N2 of the support member 11a on the cruising distance of the battery pack 100 when testing according to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standard. When N1 / N2 is smaller than 0.2, the cruising distance of the battery pack 100 is relatively poor, because when the support surface f is relatively small, the number of battery cells 20 supported by the support member 11a is relatively small, the space utilization rate of the accommodating cavity s is relatively low, and the energy density of the battery pack 100 is relatively low, so the cruising distance of the battery pack 100 is relatively short, and the test result is relatively poor. When the ratio of N1 / N2 reaches 0.2 or more (especially when N1 / N2 reaches 0.5 or more), the larger the ratio, the better the cruising distance of the battery pack 100, because the larger the support surface f, the more battery cells 20 are supported by the support member 11a, the higher the space utilization rate of the accommodation cavity s, and the higher the energy density of the battery pack 100, so the cruising distance of the battery pack 100 becomes higher and the test structure becomes better. When the support member 11a has a flat plate structure as shown in Fig. 13, the orthogonal projection area N1 of the support surface f at this time is equal to the orthogonal projection area N2 of the support member 11a, and the cruising distance effect of the battery pack 100 is the highest.

[0162] In some embodiments, in the vertical direction, the orthogonal projection of the bearing surface f presents a rectangle.

[0163] 15, the rectangular support surface f is an area defined by a first support edge f1, a second support edge f2, a third support edge f3, and a fourth support edge f4. In the battery pack 100, many of the battery cells 20 are assembled to form a rectangular structure, and the support surface f is configured as a rectangle, which can accommodate the overall structure formed by the battery, and contributes to arranging more battery cells 20 in the accommodation cavity s, thereby improving the energy density of the battery pack 100.

[0164] Of course, in other embodiments, in the vertical direction, the orthogonal projection of the bearing surface f may assume other shapes, for example circular, polygonal, elliptical and other irregular shapes.

[0165] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 14, support member 11a has a support portion 11a1 and a connecting portion 11a2, where connecting portion 11a2 is connected to a surrounding edge of support portion 11a1, support portion 11a1 is used to define a receiving cavity s, and connecting portion 11a2 is connected to a portion of housing 10 other than support member 11a.

[0166] The support portion 11a1 is used to define the receiving cavity s, and the connection portion 11a2 is used to connect to a portion of the housing 10 other than the support member 11a, and is not involved in the definition of the receiving cavity s. The support portion 11a1 may be a plate-like or block-like member, or may be a flat or curved plate-like member, and is not specifically limited. As can be seen from FIG. 14, the fact that the connection portion 11a2 is surrounded by the edge of the support portion 11a1 means that the connection portion 11a2 is continuously provided along the edge of the support portion 11a1, and has a structure in which the connection portion 11a2 is connected in a hermetically sealed manner. As can be seen, in the vertical projection, the connection portion 11a2 has a certain width, and thus can have an appropriate contact area with other structures other than the support member 11a of the housing 10, which further facilitates the realization of the mounting connection between the connection portion 11a2 and other structures other than the support member 11a of the housing 10.

[0167] The support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be integrally molded. When the support member 11a is made of a metal material (e.g., aluminum, iron, stainless steel, etc.), the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be integrally molded using a method such as die casting, forging, hot pressing, or cold pressing. When the support member 11a is made of a plastic material (e.g., PP, PE, ABS, etc.), the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be integrally molded using injection molding. The support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be molded separately and then integrally connected. When the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 are made of a metal material, the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be integrally welded or bonded. When the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 are made of a plastic material, the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be integrally bonded. Of course, the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be fixedly connected together by other methods such as locking or riveting.

[0168] Specifically, the connection portion 11a2 is connected to a portion of the main body 11 other than the support member 11a, and the connection method may be integral molding or fixed connection. When the connection portion 11a2 is integrally molded with a portion of the main body 11 other than the support member 11a, that is, the main body 11 is an integrally molded product, and may be integrally molded by methods such as die casting, forging, hot pressing, cold pressing, and injection molding. When the connection portion 11a2 is fixedly connected to a portion of the main body 11 other than the support member 11a, the connection may be fixedly connected by a fastening connection via the fastener 13, a locking connection with an engagement structure, or the like, and is not specifically limited.

[0169] The support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be located in the same plane. Specifically, the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may have two surfaces facing the bottom cover 12 located in the same plane, and / or the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may have two surfaces facing the bottom cover 12 located in the same plane. When the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 have two surfaces facing the bottom cover 12 and two surfaces facing the bottom cover 12 located in the same plane, the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 can form a flat support member 11a (shown in FIG. 13).

[0170] The support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may not be located in the same plane. Specifically, the support portion 11a1 may protrude away from the receiving cavity s relative to the connection portion 11a2, or the support portion 11a1 may be recessed toward the receiving cavity s relative to the connection portion 11a2, and there is no specific limitation. The thicknesses of the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 may be equal or unequal, and there is no specific limitation.

[0171] In this case, the support member 11a defines the receiving cavity s via the support portion 11a1, and realizes the connection between the main body 11 and a structure other than the support member 11a via the connection portion 11a2, so that the structure is clear.

[0172] As can be understood, when the support member 11a includes the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2, the battery cell 20 is placed on the support portion 11a1.

[0173] As can be understood, when the support member 11a includes the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2, the inner surface structure of the support portion 11a1 facing the receiving cavity s forms a support surface f.

[0174] In some embodiments, the support portion 11a1 is provided to protrude from the connection portion 11a2 in a direction away from the receiving cavity s.

[0175] As can be seen from the above, the support portion 11a1 defines the storage cavity s, and the support portion 11a1 protruding away from the storage cavity s means that the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 are arranged to be offset in the vertical direction. The support portion 11a1 is located at the highest point of the support member 11a. At this time, a certain space that becomes part of the storage cavity s can be formed between the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2, and this space can accommodate the battery cell 20.

[0176] When the support portion 11a1 protrudes away from the receiving cavity s beyond the connecting portion 11a2, the support portion 11a1 can serve as a reinforcing structure for the support member 11a, thereby improving the bending resistance of the support member 11a.

[0177] In some embodiments, the thickness of the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2 are equal.

[0178] When the thickness of the support portion 11a1 and the connecting portion 11a2 are the same, the support portion 11a1 and the connecting portion 11a2 may be integrally molded by die casting, cold pressing, or hot pressing using the same plate material, which makes it easier to mold the support member 11a. At the same time, the thickness of the support portion 11a1 and the connecting portion 11a2 are the same, and the stress at each point during molding is uniform, which improves the molding rate of the support member 11a.

[0179] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the support portion 11a1 facing away from the receiving cavity s is parallel to the support surface f.

[0180] The outer surface of the support portion 11a1 facing away from the receiving cavity s is arranged back to back with the support surface f along the vertical direction. The outer surface of the support portion 11a1 is capable of contacting the atmospheric environment. When the battery pack 100 is attached to the vehicle 1000, the support portion 11a1 having a flat outer surface can reduce the running resistance of the vehicle 1000, reduce the running energy consumption of the vehicle 1000, and improve the driving capability of the battery pack 100.

[0181] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3, 4 and 9, the main body 11 includes a frame 11b and a support member 11a, the frame 11b surrounds and forms a cavity q that is installed through both ends in the vertical direction, the bottom cover 12 and the support member 11a respectively cover opposite ends of the cavity q in the vertical direction, and the bottom cover 12, the frame 11b and the support member 11a together surround and form a storage cavity s.

[0182] The frame 11b itself surrounds and forms a cavity q penetrating both ends in the vertical direction, the support member 11a covers the top of the cavity q, and the bottom cover 12 covers the bottom of the cavity q, that is, the support member 11a is located at the top of the housing 10 and is used to define the storage cavity s, and the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 10 and is used to define the storage cavity s. The frame 11b, the support member 11a, and the bottom cover 12 surround and form the storage cavity s. The frame 11b, the support member 11a, and the bottom cover 12 may be made of the same material, such as aluminum alloy, copper alloy, steel, plastic, etc. Of course, the frame 11b, the support member 11a, and the bottom cover 12 may be made of different materials, and there is no specific limitation. In the orthogonal projection in the vertical direction, the frame 11b may have a rectangular, circular, polygonal, etc., and there is no specific limitation.

[0183] When the support member 11a includes the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2, the support member 11a is connected to the frame 11b via the connection portion 11a2. When the bottom cover 12 includes the cover portion 12a and the mounting portion 12b, the bottom cover 12 is connected to the frame 11b via the mounting portion 12b.

[0184] In this case, the frame 11b is used as a base, and the support member 11a and the bottom cover 12 are connected to both vertical ends of the frame 11b, respectively, to form the storage cavity s for the battery pack 100, and the structure of the housing 10 is relatively simple.

[0185] In some embodiments, the support member 11a is fixedly connected to the frame 11b or is integrally formed with the frame 11b. The support member 11a and the frame 11b may be integrally formed by injection molding, die casting, forging, cold pressing, hot pressing, etc. The support member 11a and the frame 11b may be fixedly connected to each other by fastening the fastener 13, locking the engagement structure, welding, gluing, hot melt connection, etc.

[0186] When the support member 11a and the frame 11b are integrally molded and the main body 11 is integrally molded, the housing 10 can be assembled simply by connecting the main body 11 to the bottom cover 12, and the assembly of the housing 10 is easy. When the support member 11a is fixedly connected to the frame 11b, the molding process of the support member 11a and the frame 11b is relatively easy, and the process cost of the housing 10 can be reduced.

[0187] As can be seen, when the support member 11a has a support portion 11a1 and a connecting portion 11a2, it is connected to the frame 11b by the connecting portion 11a2. When the bottom cover 12 has a cover portion 12a and an attachment portion 12b, it is connected to the frame 11b by the attachment portion 12b.

[0188] Fig. 16 is a front view of the battery pack 100 shown in Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 16 and Fig. 12, in some embodiments, in the vertical direction, the height Hc of the battery cell 20 and the height Hp of the battery pack 100 satisfy 0.02≦Hc / Hp≦0.98.

[0189] The height Hc of the battery cell 20 refers to the maximum length of the battery cell 20 in the vertical direction when the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the vertical direction. Taking the battery cell 20 shown in FIG. 12 as an example, when the first outer surface m1 of the battery cell 20 is installed back-to-back with the outer surface on which the electrode terminal 21a is located, the maximum length of the battery cell 20 refers to the distance between the electrode terminal 21a and the first outer surface m1. Of course, when the first outer surface m1 of the battery cell 20 is adjacent to the outer surface on which the electrode terminal 21a is located, the height Hc of the battery cell 20 refers to the distance from the first outer surface m1 of the battery cell 20 to the outer surface installed back-to-back therewith.

[0190] The height Hp of the battery pack 100 refers to the maximum length of the battery pack 100 in the vertical direction when the main body 11 and the bottom cover 12 are arranged along the vertical direction.

[0191] Specifically, the ratio of the height Hc of the battery cell 20 to the height Hp of the battery pack 100 may be 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, 0.08, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, or 0.98.

[0192] Effect of the ratio of the height Hc of the battery cell 20 to the height Hp of the battery pack 100 on the safety of the battery pack 100 [Table 5]

[0193] Table 5 shows the effect of the ratio of the height Hc of the battery cells 20 to the height Hp of the battery pack 100 on the safety of the battery pack 100, which was tested according to the standard GB 38031-2020 "Safety Requirements for Power Storage Batteries for Electric Vehicles". As can be seen from Table 5, when Hc / Hp exceeds 0.98, the height of the battery pack 100 occupied by the structure of the housing 10 is small, the strength of the housing 10 cannot meet the requirements, and a safety accident such as fire or explosion occurs. When Hc / Hp is 0.02≦Hc / Hp, the structural strength of the housing 10 can meet the requirements, and no fire or explosion occurs. When Hc / Hp is less than 0.2, the structural strength of the housing 10 can meet the requirements, but the space utilization rate of the battery pack 100 is low and the energy density is too low.

[0194] Furthermore, 0.5≦Hc / Hp<0.94, not only does the strength of the battery pack 100 meet the requirements, and no safety accidents such as fire or explosion occur, but the space utilization rate of the battery pack 100 is relatively high, and the energy density of the battery pack 100 is relatively high.

[0195] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the present application provides a battery pack 100 for a bolt, which includes a housing 10 and a battery cell 20, and the housing 10 includes a body 11 and a bottom cover 12 detachably connected to the bottom of the body 11, and the body 11, together with the bottom cover 12, forms an accommodation cavity s for enclosing and accommodating the battery cell 20. At this time, the body 11 can be directly attached to an attachment body, and the bottom cover 12 and the body 11 together form the accommodation cavity s, and when it is necessary to replace or maintain a member (e.g., the battery cell 20) in the accommodation cavity s, the bottom cover 12 can be simply removed to expose the members in the battery pack 100, and these members can be maintained or replaced, without the need to remove the entire battery pack 100 from the attachment body, which greatly improves the convenience of maintenance of the battery pack 100.

[0196] On the other hand, the present application further provides a power consuming device, which includes the battery pack 100 according to any of the above embodiments, and the battery pack 100 is used to provide electrical energy to the power consuming device. The introduction of the power consuming device can be referred to the description in the above description, and will not be further described here.

[0197] Since this power consuming device includes the battery pack 100, it has all the beneficial effects in the above embodiment and will not be described further here.

[0198] Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack 100 in some embodiments of the present application applied to a vehicle body 200. Fig. 18 is a first exploded view of the structure shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a second exploded view of the structure shown in Fig. 17.

[0199] 17 to 19, in some embodiments, the power consumption device includes a vehicle 1000, and the battery pack 100 is installed at the bottom of a body 200 of the vehicle 1000. For an introduction of the vehicle 1000, please refer to the description in the above description, and will not be further described here.

[0200] The body 200 of the vehicle 1000 refers to a portion of the vehicle 1000 for carrying people and luggage, and includes a driver's cabin, a passenger cabin, an engine cabin, a luggage cabin, etc. The body 200 generally includes a case 22 of the body 200 and doors, windows, garnishes, seats, air conditioning devices, etc. provided on the case 22 of the body 200. The case 22 of the body 200 generally refers to a structure composed of main load-bearing elements of the vehicle 1000, such as longitudinal beams, transverse beams, a chassis, and pillars, and sheet metal members connected thereto. In the embodiment of the present application, the battery pack 100 is installed at the bottom of the body 200 mainly means that the battery pack 100 is installed at the bottom of the case 22 of the body 200.

[0201] At this time, by installing the battery pack 100 at the bottom of the vehicle body 200, it does not occupy space inside the vehicle body 200, which contributes to reducing the volume and weight of the vehicle body 200.

[0202] Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram of an attachment relationship between the battery pack 100 and the vehicle body 200 in some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, referring to Fig. 20, the main body 11 includes a support member 11a located on the top of the housing 10, the support member 11a is used to define the receiving cavity s, and the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 in the vertical direction satisfies L ≧ 0.

[0203] Since the battery pack 100 is located at the bottom of the vehicle body 200 and the support member 11a is located at the top of the housing 10, the support member 11a is closest to the vehicle body 200 in the battery pack 100. The distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 refers to the distance in the vertical direction between the highest point of the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 located above the support member 11a. When the support member 11a includes the support portion 11a1 and the connection portion 11a2, the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 is the distance between the outer surface of the support portion 11a1 that faces away from the accommodation cavity s and the vehicle body 200 located above the support member 11a.

[0204] When the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 is equal to 0, the support member 11a is attached to the vehicle body 200, and when the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 is greater than 0, the support member 11a is separated from the vehicle body 200 and is not attached. As can be seen, at this time, the bottom cover 12 is located at the bottom of the support member 11a, and the distance g between the bottom cover 12 and the vehicle body 200 is greater than 0.

[0205] When the battery pack 100 is installed below the vehicle body 200, the range within the distance from the bottom of the battery pack 100 to the vehicle body 200 is the mounting space occupied by the battery pack 100. When there is a gap between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200, a certain amount of wasted space exists between the battery pack 100 and the vehicle body 200, and by attaching the support member 11a to the vehicle body 200, the wasted space existing between the battery pack 100 and the vehicle body 200 can be defined within the spatial range of the battery pack 100. In this way, when the lower part of the vehicle body 200 occupies the same space, by attaching the battery pack 100 to the vehicle body 200, the volume of the battery pack 100 can be increased, and further the electrical quantity and energy density of the battery pack 100 can be increased.

[0206] At this time, when the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 is equal to zero, the battery pack 100 can have a larger amount of electricity and a relatively high energy density, and the driving range of the vehicle 1000 is high. When the distance L between the support member 11a and the vehicle body 200 is greater than zero, the attachment of the support member 11a is more flexible.

[0207] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 17 to 19, the main body 11 includes a support member 11a located on the top of the housing 10, the support member 11a is used to define the accommodating cavity s, and the battery pack 100 is attached to the vehicle body 200 via the support member 11a.

[0208] Since the battery pack 100 is located at the bottom of the vehicle body 200 and the support member 11a is located at the top of the housing 10, the support member 11a of the battery pack 100 is closest to the vehicle body 200, and the battery pack 100 is attached to the vehicle body 200 via the support member 11a. Specifically, the support member 11a may be fixed to the vehicle body 200 by a method such as a fastener 13 (e.g., a screw, a bolt, a rivet, etc.), welding, etc.

[0209] When the battery cell 20 is installed on the support member 11a, the structure formed by the battery cell 20 and the support member 11a is connected to the vehicle body 200, which improves the top strength of the battery pack 100 and further improves the mounting strength of the battery pack 100.

[0210] In some embodiments, the support member 11 a is configured to form at least a portion of the chassis of the vehicle body 200 .

[0211] The chassis, as part of the vehicle body 200, is a combination of four parts: the transmission system, the running system, the steering system, and the brake system. It is used to support and mount the engine of the vehicle 1000 and its various components and assemblies, forms the overall structure of the vehicle 1000, receives the power of the engine, and ensures normal running.

[0212] The chassis is located at the bottom of the vehicle body 200, and the support member 11a is directly at least a part of the chassis. That is, the support member 11a is used to form at least a part of the chassis of the vehicle body 200. In this way, the support member 11a and the chassis of the vehicle body 200 are integrated into one body, and the space occupied by the gap between the conventional chassis and the battery pack 100 is divided into the battery pack 100, thereby improving the space of the battery pack 100, which contributes to improving the energy of the battery pack 100 and further improves the driving range of the vehicle 1000.

[0213] 17 to 19, according to some embodiments of the present application, a power consumption device includes a vehicle 1000, and a battery pack 100 is installed at the bottom of a body 200 of the vehicle 1000. The battery pack 100 includes a housing 10 and a battery cell 20, the housing 10 includes a support member 11a located at the top thereof, the battery cell 20 is located within the housing 10 and suspended from the support member 11a, and an electrode terminal 21a of the battery cell 20 is located on an outer surface of the battery cell 20 that is away from the support member 11a, and the support member 11a forms at least a part of a chassis of the vehicle 1000.

[0214] At this time, the battery cell 20 is suspended from the support member 11a, which improves the strength of the support member 11a and further improves the strength of the top of the battery cell 20, so that a certain force-bearing requirement can be met when the support member 11a is used as a chassis. At the same time, the electrode terminal 21a of the battery cell 20 is separated from the support member 11a, and the battery cell 20 can be directly attached to the support member 11a, which eliminates the gap between the battery cell 20 and the support member 11a, and the saved gap can be used to increase the installation space of the battery cell 20, thereby improving the energy of the battery pack 100 and further improving the driving capability of the vehicle 1000.

[0215] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined in any combination. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, any combination shall be considered within the scope of the present specification.

[0216] The above examples only show some embodiments of the present application, and the description is more specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as limiting the scope of the claims. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application, which all belong to the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application patent shall be subject to the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0217] 1000, vehicle, 100, battery pack, 200, vehicle body, 10, housing, 11, main body, 11a, support member, 11a1, support portion, 11a2, connection portion, 11b, frame, 12, bottom cover, 12a, cover portion, 12b, mounting portion, 12c, fixing hole, 13, fastener, s, accommodation cavity, q, cavity, f, support surface, f1, first support edge, f2, second support edge, f3, third support edge, f4, fourth support edge, d, characteristic surface, d1, first characteristic edge, d2, second characteristic edge, d3, third characteristic edge, d4, fourth characteristic edge, 20, battery cell, 21, end cover, 21a, electrode terminal, 22, case, 23, electrode assembly, m1, first outer surface, m2, second outer surface, m3, third outer surface.

Claims

1. A battery pack including a battery cell and a housing, The battery pack, wherein the housing includes a main body and a bottom cover removably connected to a bottom of the main body, the main body together with the bottom cover forming an accommodating cavity that encloses and accommodates the battery cells.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom cover is removably connected to the main body via a fastener.

3. 3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the bottom cover has a lid portion and an attachment portion, the attachment portion being circumferentially connected to an edge of the lid portion, the lid portion being used to define the accommodating cavity, and the attachment portion being removably connected to the main body.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the cover portion protrudes from the mounting portion in a direction away from the housing cavity.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum thickness h of the bottom cover satisfies 0.2 mm<h<20 mm.

6. 6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a weight m of the battery cells and a minimum thickness h of the bottom cover satisfy 0.03 mm / Kg≦h / m≦100 mm / Kg.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cells are disposed at intervals from the bottom cover.

8. 8. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the main body includes a support member located on a top of the housing, the support member being used to define a receiving cavity, and the battery cells are suspended from the support member.

9. 9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein an outer surface of the battery cell that faces the support member is a first outer surface, the battery cell includes an electrode terminal, and the electrode terminal is disposed on an outer surface of the battery cell other than the first outer surface.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the battery cell has a second outer surface placed back-to-back with the first outer surface, and the electrode terminal is disposed on the second outer surface.

11. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the battery cells are bonded to the support member.

12. 12. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes a support member and a frame, the frame surrounds and forms a cavity that is installed to penetrate both ends in a vertical direction, the bottom cover and the support member are respectively placed on opposite ends of the cavity in the vertical direction, and the bottom cover, the frame and the support member together surround and form the storage cavity.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the support member is fixedly connected to or integrally formed with the frame.

14. 14. A power consuming device comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 13, said battery pack being adapted to provide electrical energy to said power consuming device.

15. 15. The power consuming device of claim 14, wherein the power consuming device comprises a vehicle, and the battery pack is installed on an underbody of the vehicle.

16. The body includes a support member located on a top of the housing, the support member being used to define the receiving cavity; The power consuming device according to claim 15 , wherein the battery pack is attached to the vehicle body via the support member.

17. The power consuming device of claim 16 , wherein the support member is configured to form at least a portion of the vehicle chassis.

Images