Energy storage device

Abstract

This suppresses the deterioration of the sealing performance between the device, including the connectors that connect to external devices, and the housing. [Solution] The energy storage device 10 includes an energy storage module 30, an upper cover 14 and a lower case 12, an enclosure 11 that houses the energy storage module 30, and a connector block 16 that penetrates the flat portion 21 above the upper cover 14. The connector block 16 is provided with a high-voltage connector 20 that can be connected to a high-voltage cable connected to a power exchange target outside the enclosure 11. The connector block 16 is fastened to an intermediate support member 22 made of metal that is fixed inside the enclosure 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a power storage device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-087913 (Patent Document 1), an end assembly including various connectors is attached to an opening provided on the front side of an upper cover of a battery pack, and the battery assembly in the battery pack and an external electrical device are configured to be connectable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a configuration, foreign matter intrusion into the battery pack is prevented between the upper cover and the end assembly by a sealing member or the like, but the sealing performance may decrease due to variations in the attachment position of the end assembly.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a power storage device that suppresses a decrease in the sealing performance between a device including a connector connected to an external device and a housing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An energy storage device according to a certain aspect of this disclosure comprises an energy storage module, a housing that includes an upper cover and a lower case and houses the energy storage module, and a connector block provided that penetrates the flat portion above the upper cover. The connector block is provided with a connector that can be connected to a cable connected to a power exchange target outside the housing. The connector block is fastened to a support member made of metal that is fixed inside the housing.

[0007] This allows the ground connection of the cable connected to the power exchange target to be established within the casing of the energy storage device. As a result, shielding performance, such as resistance to rust, can be improved.

[0008] In this embodiment, a sealing member is provided between the connector block and the flat portion of the upper cover.

[0009] In this way, a sealing member is provided between the connector block and the flat portion of the upper cover, which prevents dirt, foreign objects, etc. from entering from between the connector block and the flat portion of the upper cover.

[0010] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sealing surface on which the sealing member is provided in the flat portion is configured to be parallel to the sealing surface set between the upper cover and the lower case.

[0011] In this way, the tolerance (variation) in the height of the sealing surface in the flat section can be absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the sealing member, thereby suppressing a decrease in sealing performance.

[0012] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the energy storage device is configured to supply power to the drive unit mounted on the vehicle. The connector is provided on the connector block so as to be located above the upper end of the drive unit.

[0013] This method prevents the connectors and cables of the connector block from being interfered with by the drive unit even if the drive unit moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, such as in the event of a collision. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an energy storage device that suppresses a decrease in the sealing performance between the device, including a connector for connecting to an external device, and the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the vehicle configuration in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an external view showing an example of the configuration of the energy storage device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the internal configuration of the energy storage device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the front part of the energy storage device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the vehicle configuration in this embodiment. An example of the vehicle configuration in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0018] In this embodiment, Vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle that runs using an electric motor, such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, as its power source. As shown in Figure 1, Vehicle 1 comprises a front seat 2, a rear seat 3, a floor panel 4, a drive unit 5, front wheels 6, rear wheels 7, and a power storage device 10.

[0019] A floor panel 4 is provided at the bottom of the central passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. A front seat 2 and a rear seat 3 are provided above the floor panel 4. On the other hand, a power storage device 10 is provided below the floor panel 4.

[0020] The power storage device 10 supplies power to the drive device 5 or is charged by receiving regenerative power from the drive device 5. The power storage device 10 is disposed between a front wheel 6 and a rear wheel 7 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1.

[0021] The drive device 5 includes, for example, an electric motor or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the drive device 5 is mounted only on the front side of the vehicle 1, and a case where a driving force is applied to the axle of the front wheel 6 will be described as an example. However, the drive device 5 may be mounted only on the rear side of the vehicle 1, for example, so as to apply a driving force to the axle of the rear wheel 7, or the drive device 5 may be mounted on both the front side and the rear side of the vehicle 1, and a driving force may be applied to the axles of both the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7.

[0022] The power storage device 10 includes a plurality of power storage modules described later. The plurality of power storage modules are electrically connected in series, for example. Thereby, the power storage device 10 is configured to supply high-output power to the electric motor.

[0023] FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of the power storage device 10 according to the present embodiment. The configuration of the power storage device 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the power storage device 10 includes a lower case 12 and an upper cover 14. The upper cover 14 is attached to the lower case 12 to constitute a housing 11. A plurality of power storage modules are housed in the housing 11. The plurality of power storage modules are fixed to the lower case 12.

[0025] A horizontally flat portion (hereinafter referred to as the flat portion 21) is formed at the upper part of the front end of the upper cover 14 of the vehicle 1. The flat portion 21 is provided with an opening that opens in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. The opening is provided to be large enough to allow at least the connector block 16 to pass through. The connector block 16 is attached by passing through the opening in the flat portion 21.

[0026] The connector block 16 is provided with high-voltage connectors 20 that connect to multiple energy storage modules within the housing 11. The high-voltage connectors 20 are connected to a connector provided at one end of a high-voltage cable (not shown). The other end of the high-voltage cable is connected to an electrical device to which power is to be exchanged, such as a drive unit 5. The drive unit 5 and the energy storage device 10 are connected by the high-voltage cable, enabling the exchange of power between the energy storage device 10 and the drive unit 5.

[0027] In the energy storage device 10 having the above configuration, for example, the upper cover 14 and the connector block 16 are sealed by a sealing member or the like to prevent foreign matter from entering the energy storage device 10. However, the sealing performance may be reduced if the mounting position of the connector block 16 varies.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, the connector block 16 is fastened to an intermediate support member made of metal that is fixed inside the housing 11. Furthermore, a sealing member is provided between the connector block 16 and the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14. Moreover, the sealing surface on the flat portion 21 where the sealing member is provided is configured to be parallel to the sealing surface set between the upper cover 14 and the lower case 12.

[0029] In this way, the tolerance (variation) in the height of the sealing surface in the flat portion 21 can be absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the sealing member, thereby suppressing a decrease in sealing performance.

[0030] Figure 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of the energy storage device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the energy storage device 10 includes a plurality of energy storage modules 30, 40, 50 and an electronic device 34.

[0031] Each of the multiple energy storage modules 30, 40, and 50 is composed, for example, of multiple battery cells arranged in a predetermined direction. Each of the energy storage modules 30, 40, and 50 is composed, for example, of a different number of battery cells.

[0032] The battery cell is, for example, a secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery. The battery cell may have a liquid electrolyte or a solid electrolyte. In this embodiment, the battery cell is described as having a rectangular shape, for example, but it may also have a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the energy storage device 10 may be configured using one or more rechargeable capacitors instead of a battery cell.

[0033] The energy storage module 30 is positioned in front of the vehicle 1, ahead of the electronic equipment 34 and the energy storage modules 40 and 50. The energy storage module 30 is composed of two battery cell groups, each consisting of multiple battery cells arranged in the width direction of the vehicle 1, stacked on top of each other in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1.

[0034] The electronic equipment 34 is located behind the energy storage module 30 of the vehicle 1. The electronic equipment 34 includes, for example, control devices such as a junction box, a battery ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and a BMS (Battery Management System). In this embodiment, the case in which the electronic equipment 34 is provided in one location within the energy storage device 10 has been described as an example, but the electronic equipment 34 may be provided in multiple locations within the energy storage device 10 with its functions divided. Furthermore, the location where the electronic equipment 34 is provided is not limited to the front of the vehicle 1, but may also be provided near the center or rear of the vehicle 1.

[0035] The energy storage module 40 is positioned near the center of the vehicle 1, behind the electronic equipment 34. The energy storage module 40 is composed of two battery cell groups, each consisting of multiple battery cells arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 1, which are positioned adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 1, with two similar battery cell groups stacked on top of each other.

[0036] The energy storage module 50 is positioned further rearward than the energy storage module 40 of the vehicle 1. The energy storage module 50 is composed of three battery cell groups, each consisting of multiple battery cells arranged in the width direction of the vehicle 1, arranged in a row in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 1, with three more similar battery cell groups stacked on top of them. Furthermore, the energy storage module 50 is composed of two battery cell groups positioned adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 1, stacked in three layers on top of the aforementioned six battery cell groups.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the vehicle front side portion of the energy storage device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, a high-voltage connector 20 is provided on the upper front side of the connector block 16. The position of the high-voltage connector 20 is set to be above the upper end of the drive unit 5. An opening is formed above the connector block 16, and a connector block cover 18 is provided at the upper end of the connector block 16 to close the opening.

[0038] The lower case 12 is used to fix the energy storage module 30 and the electronic equipment 34, and the intermediate support member 22 is fixed to it either via other support members (not shown) or directly. The intermediate support member 22 has, for example, a horizontal planar portion. This planar portion is formed, for example, parallel to the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14. Multiple fastening points with the connector block 16 are formed on the planar portion of the intermediate support member 22. The planar portion of the intermediate support member 22 is set within the housing 11 below the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14. The intermediate support member 22 is made of, for example, metal (aluminum, etc.). The connector block 16 is fastened to the intermediate support member 22 using fastening members 24, for example, bolts. When the connector block 16 is fixed to the intermediate support member 22, the connector block 16 is provided passing through the opening of the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14. A sealing surface 27 is formed around the opening in the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14, and a sealing member 26 is provided along the sealing surface 27. The sealing member 26 prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering between the upper cover 14 and the connector block 16. A power storage module 30 is positioned below the intermediate support member 22.

[0039] The lower case 12 is made of a plate-shaped member. A sealing surface 13 is formed on the mating surface with the upper cover 14 at the outer edge of the plate-shaped member. At this time, the sealing surface 13 of the lower case 12 and the sealing surface 27 of the upper cover 14 are set to be in a parallel positional relationship. The lower case 12 and the upper cover 14 are fixed together using fastening members 17 such as bolts, with a sealing member 15 provided along the sealing surface 13 in between.

[0040] The operation of the energy storage device 10 having the above configuration will now be explained. The connector block 16 is fastened to the intermediate support member 22 using the fastening member 24. Therefore, when the high-voltage cable is connected to the high-voltage connector 20, it is possible to set the ground of the high-voltage cable within the energy storage device 10. This improves the shielding performance, such as resistance to rust, of the components related to the ground. Furthermore, since the connector block 16 is fastened to the intermediate support member 22 rather than the upper cover 14, it is not necessary to ensure the rigidity of the upper cover 14 assuming that the connector block 16 will be fixed to the upper cover 14, thus making it possible to lighten the upper cover.

[0041] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the fastening of the connector block 16 to the intermediate support member 22 is in the same direction as the fastening of the upper cover 14 to the lower case 12 (i.e., the fastening surfaces of the two are parallel). In addition, the sealing surface 27 of the sealing member 26 between the connector block 16 and the upper cover 14 is configured to be parallel to the sealing surface 13 between the lower case 12 and the upper cover 14. As a result, the height tolerance of the sealing surface 27 of the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14 is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the sealing members 15 and 26. Consequently, even if the position of the sealing surface 27 of the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14 varies in the height direction, the sealing state between the connector block 16 and the upper cover 14 is maintained.

[0042] Since the high-voltage connector 20 provided on the connector block 16 is positioned above the upper end of the drive unit 5, contact with the high-voltage connector 20 and high-voltage cable is avoided even if the drive unit 5 moves backward during a collision of the vehicle 1.

[0043] As described above, with the energy storage device 10 according to this embodiment, the ground of the cable connected to the power exchange target can be set within the housing 11 of the energy storage device 10. Therefore, shielding performance such as resistance to rust can be improved. Furthermore, since the connector block 16 is fastened to the intermediate support member 22 instead of the upper cover 14, it is not necessary to ensure the rigidity of the upper cover 14 assuming that the connector block 16 will be fixed to the upper cover 14, thus making the upper cover 14 lighter. Furthermore, by providing a sealing member 26 between the connector block 16 and the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of dust, foreign matter, etc. from between the connector block 16 and the flat portion 21 of the upper cover 14. Furthermore, since tolerances (variations) in the height of the sealing surface 27 on the flat portion 21 can be absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the sealing member 15 and the sealing member 26, a decrease in sealing performance can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to provide an energy storage device that suppresses a decrease in sealing performance between the device, including the connector that connects to external equipment, and the housing.

[0044] Furthermore, the connector block 16 that secures the high-voltage connector 20 is fastened using the intermediate support member 22 and the fastening member 24 at fastening points inside the outer shape of the connector block 16, thereby suppressing the expansion of the space required for mounting the energy storage device 10. As a result, the number of battery cells that can be mounted at the mounting positions of the energy storage device 10 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 can be increased, and a high-energy-density energy storage device 10 can be realized.

[0045] The following describes variations. In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the energy storage device 10 with the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 as its longitudinal direction was explained as an example, but the shape of the energy storage device 10 is not limited to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The housing 11 of the energy storage device 10 may, for example, have a rectangular shape with the width direction of the vehicle 1 as its longitudinal direction.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the high-voltage connector 20 was explained as being located on the front side of the connector block 16 relative to the vehicle 1, but it is not particularly limited to this position. For example, at least one high-voltage connector 20 may be set at any of the front, rear, left, or right positions of the connector block 16. For example, two connectors can be set on the connector block 16, with some of the multiple energy storage modules in the housing 11 connected to one connector and the remaining energy storage modules connected to the other connector. This allows the high-voltage branching function to be consolidated within the energy storage device 10.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, one example was explained in which the fastening surfaces of the lower case 12 and the upper cover 14, the fastening surface of the connector block 16 and the intermediate support member 22, and the sealing surfaces 13 and 27 are all configured to be parallel to the horizontal plane. However, each fastening surface and each sealing surface only needs to be in a parallel positional relationship, and for example, they may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and parallel to the plane.

[0048] Furthermore, the above-mentioned modifications may be implemented by combining all or part of them as appropriate. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 Vehicle, 2 Front seat, 3 Rear seat, 4 Floor panel, 5 Drive unit, 6 Front wheel, 7 Rear wheel, 10 Energy storage device, 11 Housing, 12 Lower case, 13, 27 Sealing surface, 14 Upper cover, 15, 26 Sealing member, 16 Connector block, 17, 24 Fastening member, 18 Connector block cover, 20 High-voltage connector, 21 Flat section, 22 Intermediate support member, 30, 40, 50 Energy storage module, 34 Electronic equipment.

Claims

1. Energy storage module and The housing includes an upper cover and a lower case, and houses the energy storage module. The upper cover includes a connector block that penetrates the flat portion above the upper cover, The connector block is provided with a connector that can be connected to a cable connected to a power exchange target outside the housing. The connector block is fastened to a support member made of metal which is fixed inside the housing, and is a power storage device.

2. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein a sealing member is provided between the connector block and the flat portion of the upper cover.

3. The energy storage device according to claim 2, wherein the sealing surface on which the sealing member is provided in the flat portion is configured to be parallel to the sealing surface set between the upper cover and the lower case.

4. The aforementioned energy storage device is configured to supply power to a drive unit mounted on the vehicle. The energy storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connector is provided on the connector block so as to be located above the upper end of the drive device.

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