Battery system and housing method

Abstract

To provide a battery system and a storage method that facilitate work of attaching and detaching a battery pack to and from a storage case.SOLUTION: The storage case 20 includes a support column member side 21b, an entrance for the battery pack 10, and a pair of rail member side walls that support the wheels 13, the rail member side 23a includes an inclined portion side 23a that is inclined downward toward the back of the entrance, a stopper 24 that prevents movement of the wheel 13 is attached to the support column member side 32a, and a wheel holding portion 25 that holds the wheel 13 in a state where the wheel 13 and the rail member side 21b are separated from each other is provided between the inclined portion side 32a and the stopper 24. 23a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery system and a storage method, and more particularly to a battery system having a battery pack and a storage case in which the battery pack is stored. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery pack having a configuration that can prevent protrusions provided on the lower case and upper case from being pushed inward even in the event of a side collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-165717 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Battery packs are sometimes installed outdoors to be used as storage batteries in homes, businesses, etc. When installed outdoors, they are stored in a storage case to protect against external shocks, etc. In such cases, it becomes necessary to install a new battery pack in the storage case or remove an old battery pack from the storage case, but because battery packs are heavy, the installation and removal tasks are difficult. The present disclosure is intended to solve such problems, and provides a battery system and storage method that facilitates the attachment and detachment of a battery pack to and from a storage case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The battery system of the present disclosure includes a rectangular parallelepiped battery pack having wheels at both ends, and a storage case for storing the battery pack, the storage case having four support members extending vertically and disposed at the four outer corners of the battery pack in a top view, an entrance for the battery pack disposed between two of the support members on one side of the storage case, and a pair of rail members provided along the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack so as to connect the two support members, and supporting the wheels of the battery pack, the pair of rail members being disposed in a front The storage case has a sloped portion at the rear side of the entrance in the direction of insertion and removal of the battery pack, which slopes downward as it goes further back from the entrance, and on the opposing side opposite the one side of the storage case, a stopper is attached to the support member to prevent the wheels from moving at a position spaced apart from the rail members, and a wheel holding portion is provided between the sloped portion and the stopper in the direction of insertion and removal of the battery pack, which holds the wheels in a state where the wheels are spaced apart from the pair of rail members when the battery pack is stored in the storage case. This configuration makes it easy to attach and detach the battery pack to and from the storage case.

[0006] The storage case may have a pair of bracket members arranged along the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack so as to connect two support members, the pair of bracket members being attached to the lower ends of the support members and extending beyond the support members on one side in a predetermined direction, and the pair of rail members being arranged at a height such that the lower end of the battery pack does not interfere with the upper ends of the pair of bracket members when the battery pack is inserted or removed between the outside and the inside of the storage case. With this configuration, the battery pack can be attached to or removed from the storage case without interference between the battery pack and the bracket members.

[0007] The method for storing a battery pack in a storage case according to the present disclosure includes the steps of: placing wheels of the battery pack on the pair of rail members; moving the battery pack toward the back of the entrance in the insertion / removal direction while running the wheels on the pair of rail members; separating the wheels from the pair of rail members; colliding with the stopper; and holding the wheels in the wheel holder. This configuration facilitates the installation and removal of the battery pack from the storage case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present disclosure provides a battery system and storage method that facilitates the attachment and detachment of a battery pack to and from a storage case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 2 is a perspective view of the battery system of the first embodiment, showing the inside of a cover member. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery system shown in FIG. 1 taken along the XY plane. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the battery system shown in FIG. 1 taken along the YZ plane, showing the vicinity of a wheel holding portion. [Figure 4] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery system shown in FIG. 1, showing the lower case, wheel support portion, wheels, and rail members separated from each other. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and using Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery system according to embodiment 1, showing the inside of a cover member. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery system shown in Fig. 1, taken along the XY plane. Fig. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the battery system shown in Fig. 1, taken along the YZ plane, showing the vicinity of a wheel holding portion. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the battery system shown in Fig. 1, showing the lower case, wheel support portion, wheel, and rail member, each separated from each other.

[0011] Naturally, the right-handed XYZ Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figures 1 to 4 is for the sake of convenience in explaining the positional relationships of the components. In Figure 1 and other figures, for example, the positive direction of the Z axis is vertically upward, and the XY plane is the horizontal plane, which is common among the figures.

[0012] 1 and 2, the battery system 1 includes a battery pack 10 and a storage case 20 that stores the battery pack 10. The battery system 1 is installed outdoors, etc. The storage case 20 is a rectangular box that stores the battery pack 10 inside.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the battery pack 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with long and short sides in a top view, with the long sides extending in the X-axis direction. The battery pack 10 has an upper case 11 disposed relatively above and a lower case 12 disposed relatively below. The upper case 11 and the lower case 12 are made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron. A battery stack 15 is disposed between the upper case 11 and the lower case 12. The battery stack 15 is made of secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries, or capacitors.

[0014] 2 to 4, the battery pack 10 has wheels 13 at both ends in the X-axis direction. The wheels 13 are attached to the lower case 12 of the battery pack 10 via wheel support parts 14. The wheels 13 are attached to the wheel support parts 14 so as to be rotatable about the X-axis direction.

[0015] 1 and 2, the storage case 20 has four support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d. The support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d are arranged on the outer sides of the four corners of the battery pack 10 in a top view and extend vertically. The support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d are made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron.

[0016] Cover member 2 is attached to the top and side surfaces of support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d. The top surface of cover member 2 is a flat plate-like member supported by support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d. In addition, side plates along the XZ plane or the YZ plane are provided on the side surfaces of cover member 2 between support members 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the storage case 20 is provided with an entrance 22 for the battery pack 10. The entrance 22 is located on one side of the storage case 20, specifically, on the side on the negative side in the Y axis direction, between two support members 21a and 21c. The entrance 22 is provided on a side of the storage case 20 along the XZ plane. The battery pack 10 is inserted into and removed from the storage case 20 through this entrance 22.

[0018] 1 to 4, a pair of rail members 23a, 23b are provided in storage case 20 so as to extend along the insertion / removal direction (Y-axis direction) of battery pack 10. One rail member 23a is provided so as to connect two support members 21a, 21b, and the other rail member 23b is provided so as to connect two support members 21c, 21d. Rail members 23a and 23b are arranged at the same height.

[0019] Rail member 23a and rail member 23b have the same configuration. In Figures 3 and 4, only rail member 23a is shown, and illustration of rail member 23b is omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, explanation of rail member 23b will also be omitted as appropriate. As shown in Figure 4, the pair of rail members 23a, 23b are plate members bent into a crank shape and made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron. Rail members 23a, 23b have horizontal surfaces formed along the XY plane. The horizontal surfaces of rail members 23a, 23b serve as running surfaces 31 on which wheels 13 run and support wheels 13 of battery pack 10.

[0020] Rail member 23a has a horizontal portion 35, inclined portions 32a, 32b, end portions 37a, 37b, bottom portions 36a, and 36b. Similarly, rail member 23b has a horizontal portion 35, inclined portions 32a, 32b, end portions 37a, 37b, bottom portions 36a, and 36b. In the direction from the positive side in the Y-axis direction to the negative side in the Y-axis direction, end portions 37a, bottom 36a, inclined portion 32a, horizontal portion 35, inclined portion 32b, bottom 36b, and end portion 37b are arranged in this order. Specifically, inclined portion 32a is arranged on the positive side of horizontal portion 35 in the Y-axis direction, and inclined portion 32b is arranged on the negative side of horizontal portion 35 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, horizontal portion 35 is provided between inclined portions 32a and 32b. It is also possible to provide the horizontal portion 35 up to the end of the rail members 23a, 23b on the negative side in the Y-axis direction without providing the inclined portion 32b, the bottom portion 36b, and the end portion 37b.

[0021] The inclined portion 32a is inclined so that it is positioned more downward toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction. The inclined portion 32b is inclined so that it is positioned more downward toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the rail members 23a and 23b are formed so that both ends in the Y-axis direction are lowered. In this way, the pair of rail members 23a, 23b have an inclined portion 32a that is located on the rear side (positive side in the Y-axis direction) of the entrance 22 in the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack 10 and is inclined downward as it goes further into the entrance 22.

[0022] Bottom portion 36a is located on the positive side of inclined portion 32a in the Y-axis direction, and bottom portion 36b is located on the negative side of inclined portion 32b in the Y-axis direction. As shown in Fig. 3, bottom portion 36a is a horizontal portion and is located below horizontal portion 35.

[0023] End 37a is located on the positive side of bottom 36a in the Y-axis direction, and end 37b is located on the negative side of bottom 36b in the Y-axis direction. Ends 37a, 37b are provided at the ends of rail members 23a, 23b. As shown in FIG. 3, end 37a is inclined so that it is positioned higher toward the positive side of the Y-axis direction. The inclined portion 32a, bottom 36a, and end 37b form a recessed portion in rail member 23a, and this recessed portion becomes wheel retaining portion 25, which will be described later.

[0024] The length and inclination angle of inclined portion 32a are set so that wheels 13 run on the upper side thereof, and the lower surface of battery pack 10 abuts against floor plate 26 of storage case 20 on the lower side thereof, causing wheels 13 to rise above inclined portion 32a, bottom portion 36a, and end portion 37a of rail members 23a, 23b. In other words, as battery pack 10 is transported, wheels 13 separate from rail member 23a midway along inclined portion 32a in the Y-axis direction.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, storage case 20 is provided with two stoppers 24. One stopper 24 is attached to support member 21b, and the other stopper 24 is attached to support member 21d. Stopper 24 is provided on the opposite side of storage case 20 from one side, specifically, on the side on the positive side in the Y-axis direction. Stopper 24 defines the movement limit of wheel 13 on the positive side in the Y-axis direction. When battery pack 10 is stored in storage case 20, stopper 24 prevents movement of wheel 13 when wheel 13 lifts off inclined portion 32a, bottom portion 36a, and end portion 37a of rail member 23a, i.e., when wheel 13 is separated from rail members 23a and 23b. As shown in FIG. 3, stopper 24 is located directly above end portion 37a.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, storage case 20 is provided with two wheel holding portions 25 (only one on the rail member 23a side is shown). Wheel holding portion 25 is provided between inclined portion 32a and stopper 24 in the Y-axis direction. Wheel holding portion 25 is a space located above inclined portion 32a, bottom portion 36a, and end portion 37a of rail member 23a. When battery pack 10 is stored in storage case 20, wheel 13 is held by wheel holding portion 25, and wheel 13 is spaced apart from rail members 23a and 23b.

[0027] 1 and 2, a pair of bracket members 27a, 27b are provided in the storage case 20 along the insertion / removal direction (Y-axis direction) of the battery pack 10. One bracket member 27a is provided to connect the two support members 21a, 21b, and the other bracket member 27b is provided to connect the two support members 21c, 21d. One bracket member 27a is attached to the lower ends of the support members 21a and 21b, and the other bracket member 27b is attached to the lower ends of the support members 21c and 21d.

[0028] The end of bracket member 27a on the positive side in the Y axis direction is located directly below support member 21b. The end of bracket member 27a on the negative side in the Y axis direction is located on the more negative side in the Y axis direction than support member 21a. In other words, bracket member 27a protrudes from support member 21a on the negative side in the Y axis direction. The end of bracket member 27b on the positive side in the Y axis direction is located directly below support member 21d. The end of bracket member 27b on the negative side in the Y axis direction is located on the more negative side in the Y axis direction than support member 21c. In other words, bracket member 27b protrudes from support member 21c on the negative side in the Y axis direction. In this way, bracket member 27a protrudes from support member 21a to the negative Y-axis direction, and bracket member 27b protrudes from support member 21c to the negative Y-axis direction, thereby preventing battery system 1 from tipping over to the negative Y-axis direction. Note that the negative Y-axis direction here is an example of "one side in a predetermined direction" in the present disclosure.

[0029] Here, the pair of rail members 23a, 23b are provided at a height that prevents interference between the lower end of the battery pack 10 and the upper ends of the pair of bracket members 27a, 27b when the battery pack 10 is inserted or removed between the outside and inside of the storage case 20.

[0030] 1, a floor plate 26 is provided on the bottom surface of the storage case 20. The floor plate 26 is made of a flat plate member, and when the battery pack 10 is stored in the storage case 20, the battery pack 10 is placed on the floor plate 26.

[0031] 1, storage case 20 is provided with three first frame members 28a, 28b, and 28c arranged along the X-axis direction. First frame members 28a, 28b, and 28c are fixed to support member 21c and support member 21a. First frame members 28a, 28b, and 28c serve as beams to increase the strength of storage case 20.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage case 20 is provided with two second frame members 29a, 29b arranged along the X-axis direction, and two third frame members 30a, 30b arranged along the Y-axis direction. Third frame members 30a and 30b are attached onto second frame members 29a and 29b. Second frame member 29a is disposed across from support member 21a to support member 21c. Second frame member 29b is disposed across from support member 21b to support member 21d. The second frame members 29a, 29b and the third frame members 30a, 30b serve as beams for increasing the strength of the storage case 20.

[0033] Next, the procedure for attaching the battery pack 10 to the storage case 20, that is, the method for storing the battery pack 10 in the storage case 20, will be described.

[0034] First, remove the cover member 2, and then remove the first frame members 28a, 28b, 28c, the second frame members 29a, 29b, and the third frame members 30a, 30b from the storage case 20. Then, carry the battery pack 10 to the front side of the entrance 22 (the negative side in the Y-axis direction).

[0035] Next, the wheels 13 of the battery pack 10 are placed on the running surfaces 31 of the rail members 23a and 23b. Then, while the wheels 13 are running on the running surfaces 31, the battery pack 10 is moved toward the back side of the entrance 22 in the insertion / removal direction (positive side in the Y-axis direction).

[0036] When the wheels 13 come into contact with the inclined portions 32a of the rail members 23a and 23b, the battery pack 10 also moves downward. Then, when the underside of the battery pack 10 comes into contact with the floor plate 26 of the storage case 20, the wheels 13 move away from the inclined portions 32a of the rail members 23a and 23b, and the battery pack 10 moves with the wheels 13 lifted off the inclined portions 32a, bottom portions 36a, and end portions 37a of the rail members 23a and 23b. When the wheels 13 collide with the stoppers 24 and the movement of the wheels 13 is prevented, the wheels 13 are held by the wheel holding portions 25.

[0037] Then, the removed first frame members 28a, 28b, 28c, second frame members 29a, 29b, and third frame members 30a, 30b are attached to the storage case 20, and the storage case 20 is covered with the cover member 2, thereby completing the installation work.

[0038] The operation of removing the battery pack 10 from the storage case 20 can basically be carried out by following the above-described installation procedure in reverse.

[0039] The battery system of the present disclosure has a pair of rail members 23a, 23b that are provided along the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack 10 so as to connect the two support members and that support the wheels 13 of the battery pack 10, so that the wheels 13 can run on the rail members 23a, 23b, facilitating the installation and removal of the battery pack 10 relative to the storage case 20. In addition, the pair of rail members 23a, 23b can protect the battery pack 10 from impact in the X-axis direction.

[0040] Furthermore, the pair of rail members 23a, 23b has inclined portions 32a that are inclined downward toward the back of the entrance, so that the impact applied to battery pack 10 when battery pack 10 is stored can be alleviated.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing stoppers 24 that prevent wheels 13 from moving and wheel holders 25 on which wheels 13 are placed while spaced apart from rail members 23a and 23b, battery pack 10 can be easily placed in a predetermined location in storage case 20. Furthermore, wheels 13 do not contact rail members 23a and 23b when battery pack 10 is stored in storage case 20. Therefore, even if shaking occurs, battery pack 10 can be prevented from moving. When removing battery pack 10 from storage case 20, battery pack 10 is lifted so that wheels 13 rest on inclined portions 32a. Then, battery pack 10 is pulled out so that wheels 13 roll on inclined portions 32a and running surface 31.

[0042] Furthermore, the rail members 23a, 23b are provided at a height that prevents interference between the lower end of the battery pack 10 and the upper ends of the bracket members 27a, 27b when the battery pack 10 is inserted into or removed from the storage case 20, so that the battery pack 10 can be attached to or detached from the storage case 20 without interference between the battery pack 10 and the bracket members 27a, 27b.

[0043] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Battery System 10. Battery pack 13...wheel 20 Storage case 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d... Support members 22...Entrance / exit 23a, 23b Rail members 24 Stopper 25...Wheel holding part 27a, 27b: Bracket members 32a, 32b...Slope part

Claims

1. a rectangular parallelepiped battery pack having wheels on both ends; a storage case for storing the battery pack; The storage case is four support members disposed at four outer corners of the battery pack in a top view and extending in a vertical direction; an entrance / exit for the battery pack disposed between the two support members on one side of the storage case; a pair of rail members that are provided along the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack so as to connect the two support members and that support the wheels of the battery pack; the pair of rail members have an inclined portion that is located on the rear side of the entrance in a direction in which the battery pack is inserted and removed, and that is inclined so as to be positioned downward as it goes toward the rear of the entrance, a stopper for preventing movement of the wheels at a position spaced apart from the rail member, the stopper being attached to the support member on an opposite side surface of the storage case opposite to the one side surface; a wheel holding portion that holds the wheels in a state in which the wheels are spaced apart from the pair of rail members when the battery pack is stored in the storage case, the wheel holding portion being provided between the inclined portion and the stopper in the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack; Battery system.

2. the storage case has a pair of bracket members provided along the insertion / removal direction of the battery pack so as to connect the two support members; the pair of bracket members are attached to the lower ends of the support members and protrude from the support members to one side in a predetermined direction, The pair of rail members are the battery pack is provided at a height such that a lower end of the battery pack and upper ends of the pair of bracket members do not interfere with each other when the battery pack is inserted or removed between the outside and the inside of the storage case; The battery system according to claim 1 .

3. A method for storing a battery pack in a storage case in the battery system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: placing wheels of the battery pack on the pair of rail members; moving the battery pack toward the back of the entrance in an insertion / removal direction while causing the wheels to travel on the pair of rail members; the wheels moving away from the pair of rail members; the wheel striking the stopper; a step of holding the wheel in the wheel holder; A method for storing a battery pack in a storage case, including:

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