Battery pack

Abstract

To provide uniform cooling for multiple battery modules. [Solution] The battery pack 1 comprises two battery modules 10 spaced apart in the left-right direction, each having a battery cell 12 and a cooling member 14 having a flow path inside to cool the battery cell 12; a supply pipe 20 provided between the two battery modules 10 along the front-rear direction through which the supplied refrigerant flows; two first branch pipes 30L and 30R branching off from the supply pipe 20 along the left-right direction to allow the refrigerant to flow into the flow paths of the cooling members 14 of the two battery modules 10; a discharge pipe 40 provided between the two battery modules 10 along the front-rear direction through which the discharged refrigerant flows; and two second branch pipes 50L and 50R branching off from the discharge pipe 40 along the left-right direction to discharge the refrigerant from the flow paths of the cooling members 14 of the two battery modules 10. The supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40 are arranged vertically.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack having a plurality of battery modules.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1 below, a refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant discharge pipe are provided horizontally in parallel between battery modules provided on the left and right. Further, a branch path for connecting the refrigerant jacket of each battery module to the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant discharge pipe is provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the refrigerant supply pipe and the refrigerant discharge pipe are arranged side by side horizontally, the lengths of the branch paths to the refrigerant supply pipe and the left and right battery modules are different. In this case, the flow of the refrigerant to the cooling jackets of the left and right battery modules is not uniform, so the left and right battery modules cannot be cooled uniformly.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to uniformly cool a plurality of battery modules.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, a battery pack is provided comprising: two battery modules spaced apart in a first direction, each having a battery cell and a cooling member having a flow path inside for cooling the battery cell; a supply pipe provided between the two battery modules along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, through which a refrigerant is supplied to the flow path of the cooling member; two first branch pipes branching off from the supply pipe along the first direction, allowing the refrigerant to flow into the flow path of the cooling member of the two battery modules; a discharge pipe provided between the two battery modules along the second direction, through which the discharged refrigerant is carried; and two second branch pipes branching off from the discharge pipe along the first direction, through which the refrigerant is discharged from the flow path of the cooling member of the two battery modules, wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are aligned in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0007] Furthermore, the supply pipe and the discharge pipe may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the third direction. Furthermore, the supply pipe and the discharge pipe may be located at the same position in the first direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the lengths of each of the two first branch pipes may be the same, and the lengths of each of the two second branch pipes may also be the same.

[0009] Furthermore, the supply pipe may be located below the third direction, which is vertical, and the discharge pipe may be located above the third direction.

[0010] Furthermore, the system may also include a support member that supports the supply pipe and the discharge pipe so that they are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and are positioned at the same location in the first direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the support member may have a C-shaped first clip portion that grips the outer circumference of the supply pipe and a C-shaped second clip portion that grips the outer circumference of the discharge pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, a first rib may be provided on the outer circumference of the supply pipe at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction, and a second rib may be provided on the outer circumference of the discharge pipe at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction, with the first rib located at the tip opening of the first clip portion and the second rib located at the tip opening of the second clip portion.

[0013] Furthermore, the support member may be provided along the third direction which is vertical, the second clip portion may be located at the upper end of the support member, and the support member may further include a main body portion on which the first clip portion and the second clip portion are provided, and a reinforcing portion that extends from the main body portion above the second clip portion and is connected to the second clip portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the effect of uniformly cooling multiple battery modules is achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the planar configuration of a battery pack 1 according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a view from the direction of arrow AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a first support member 62 that supports the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20 and the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the first support member 62. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the second support member 72. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing a modified version of the first support member 82. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] <Configuration of Battery Pack> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a planar configuration of a battery pack 1 according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, the case and the lid of the battery pack 1 are omitted.

[0017] The battery pack 1 is mounted on a vehicle. For example, the battery pack 1 is mounted on a vehicle having a ladder frame structure. Specifically, the battery pack 1 is attached between a pair of side frames.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the battery pack 1 includes a battery module 10L, a battery module 10R, a supply pipe 20, a first branch pipe 30L, a first branch pipe 30R, a discharge pipe 40, a second branch pipe 50L, a second branch pipe 50R, and a support member 60.

[0019] The battery module 10L is located on the left side of the supply pipe 20, and the battery module 10R is located on the right side of the supply pipe 20. Therefore, the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R are two battery modules spaced apart in the left-right direction (the first direction).

[0020] Here, three battery modules 10L are provided and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction (the second direction) perpendicular to the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 1. Three battery modules 10R are also provided and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The configurations of the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R are the same. Hereinafter, the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R are collectively referred to as the battery module 10.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the battery module 10 includes battery cells 12 and a cooling member 14. Two battery cells 12 are provided, one above the other. The cooling member 14 is sandwiched between the two battery cells 12 and is a cooling plate that cools the two battery cells 12. The cooling member 14 has a flow path through which a refrigerant flows. The cooling member 14 also has an inlet 14a through which the refrigerant flows into the flow path and an outlet 14b through which the refrigerant flows out of the flow path.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10L protrudes forward in the front-rear direction, while the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10 protrudes backward in the front-rear direction.

[0024] The supply pipe 20 is a pipeline through which refrigerant is supplied to the cooling element 14 of the battery module 10. The supply pipe 20 is provided along the front-to-back direction between the two battery modules 10. Here, the supply pipe 20 is formed by connecting the tubes 42 that make up the pipeline with a connecting member 24 (see Figure 3) in between. Refrigerant is supplied to and flows into the supply pipe 20 by a pump or the like (not shown).

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the supply pipe 20 is located in the center between the battery modules 10L and 10R in the left-right direction. The supply pipe 20 is also provided in a straight line parallel to the front-back direction. In other words, the supply pipe 20 is provided parallel to the direction in which the multiple battery modules 10L (battery modules R) are arranged. The supply pipe 20 is located below the discharge pipe 40 in the up-down (vertical) direction. Note that when the battery pack 1 is viewed from above, the supply pipe 20 is located at the same position as the discharge pipe 40, so the supply pipe 20 is not shown in Figure 1.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the first branch pipe 30L is a conduit that branches off from the supply pipe 20 toward the battery module 10L. The first branch pipe 30L directs the refrigerant diverted from the supply pipe 20 into the flow path of the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10L. There are three first branch pipes 30L, and each of the first branch pipes 30L directs the refrigerant into the corresponding cooling member 14 of the battery module 10L. The three first branch pipes 30L branch off from the supply pipe 20 (specifically, the circumferential surface of the connecting member 24) along the left-right direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the first branch pipe 30R is a conduit that branches off from the supply pipe 20 toward the battery module 10R. The first branch pipe 30R directs the refrigerant diverted from the supply pipe 20 into the flow path of the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10R. There are three first branch pipes 30R, and each of the first branch pipes 30R directs the refrigerant into the corresponding cooling member 14 of the battery module 10R. The three first branch pipes 30R branch off from the supply pipe 20 (specifically, the circumferential surface of the connecting member 24) along the left-right direction.

[0028] As mentioned above, since the supply pipe 20 is located in the center between the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R in the left-right direction, the length of the first branch pipe 30L is the same as the length of the first branch pipe 30R. As a result, the flow of refrigerant from the first branch pipe 30L to the battery module 10L and the flow of refrigerant from the second branch pipe 50R to the battery module 10R are equal, so that the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R can be cooled evenly. As a result, the cooling of the six battery modules 10 in the battery pack 1 is equal, so the performance degradation of the battery pack 1 caused by a decrease in the cooling performance of some of the battery modules 10 can be suppressed.

[0029] The discharge pipe 40 is a conduit through which the refrigerant discharged from the cooling element 14 of the battery module 10 flows. Like the supply pipe 20, the discharge pipe 40 is provided along the front-rear direction between the two battery modules 10. As shown in Figure 1, the discharge pipe 40 is formed by connecting connecting members 44 between the tubes 42 that make up the conduit. The refrigerant discharged from the discharge pipe 40 is sent to the vehicle's radiator, for example, by a pump, and cooled. The refrigerant cooled in the radiator is sent to the supply pipe 20 and reused to cool the battery module 10.

[0030] The discharge pipe 40 is located in the center between battery module 10L and battery module 10R in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 2, the discharge pipe 40 is provided alongside the supply pipe 20 in the vertical direction (third direction) which is perpendicular to the left-right and front-back directions. Specifically, the discharge pipe 40 is spaced a predetermined distance from the supply pipe 20 in the vertical direction. Here, the discharge pipe 40 is located above the supply pipe 20 in the vertical direction.

[0031] The discharge pipe 40 is installed in a straight line parallel to the front-to-back direction (the direction in which the battery modules 10L and 10R are aligned), and is located in the same position as the supply pipe 20 in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, the supply pipe 20 is located directly below the discharge pipe 40.

[0032] The second branch pipe 50L is a conduit that branches off from the discharge pipe 40 towards the battery module 10L. The second branch pipe 50L discharges refrigerant from the flow path of the cooling element 14 of the battery module 10L to the discharge pipe 40. The number of second branch pipes 50L corresponds to the number of battery modules 10L, and specifically there are three second branch pipes 50L. Each of the second branch pipes 50 allows the refrigerant discharged from the flow path of the cooling element 14 of the corresponding battery module 10L to flow into the discharge pipe 40. The three second branch pipes 50L branch off from the discharge pipe 40 (specifically, the circumferential surface of the connecting member 44) along the left-right direction. The second branch pipes 50L are located directly above the first branch pipe 30L in the vertical direction.

[0033] The second branch pipe 50R is a conduit that branches off from the discharge pipe 40 toward the battery module 10R. The second branch pipe 50R discharges refrigerant from the flow path of the cooling element 14 of the battery module 10R to the discharge pipe 40. The number of second branch pipes 50R corresponds to the number of battery modules 10R; specifically, there are three second branch pipes 50R, and each of the second branch pipes 50 allows refrigerant discharged from the flow path of the cooling element 14 of the corresponding battery module 10R to flow into the discharge pipe 40. The three second branch pipes 50R branch off from the discharge pipe 40 (specifically, the circumferential surface of the connecting member 44) along the left-right direction. The second branch pipes 50R are located directly above the first branch pipe 30R in the vertical direction.

[0034] As mentioned above, since the discharge pipe 40 is located in the center between the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R in the left-right direction, the length of the second branch pipe 50L is the same as the length of the second branch pipe 50R. As a result, the flow of refrigerant discharged from the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10L to the second branch pipe 50L and the flow of refrigerant discharged from the cooling member 14 of the battery module 10R to the second branch pipe 50R are equal, so that the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R can be cooled evenly.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the support member 60 is provided along the vertical direction and supports the supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40. The support member 60 supports the branching portion of the supply pipe 20 to the first branch pipe 30L and the first branch pipe 30R. The support member 60 also supports the branching portion of the discharge pipe 40 to the second branch pipe 50L and the second branch pipe 50R. Specifically, the support member 60 supports the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20 and the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40.

[0036] Four support members 60 are provided here, and the four support members 60 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction as shown in Figure 1. The four support members 60 support the supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40 so that they are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction and are positioned at the same location in the left-right direction. Specifically, the four support members 60 support the supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40 so that the supply pipe 20 is located directly below the discharge pipe 40 in the vertical direction. The support member 60 supports the supply pipe 20 below the discharge pipe 40 in the vertical direction, making it easier for air remaining in the first branch pipes 30L and 30R, the cooling member 14, and the second branch pipes 50L and 50R to be discharged by the flow of the refrigerant. This increases the cooling efficiency of the refrigerant.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the four support members 60 consist of two first support members 62 and two second support members 72. The first support members 62 are located in the center in the front-rear direction, while the second support members 72 are located at the front and rear ends in the front-rear direction.

[0038] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a first support member 62 that supports the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20 and the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40. Figure 4 is a front view of the first support member 62. The first support member 62 has a base portion 63, a main body portion 64, a first clip portion 65, a second clip portion 66, and a reinforcing portion 67.

[0039] The base portion 63 is a plate portion that serves as the base for the first support member 62. The base portion 63 is fixed to the case of the battery pack 1. The main body portion 64 is the skeletal part of the first support member 62. The main body portion 64 extends upward from the base portion 63. Ribs are formed on the main body portion 64 along the vertical direction. The first clip portion 65 and the second clip portion 66 are provided on the main body portion 64.

[0040] The first clip portion 65 grips the outer circumference of the supply pipe 20. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the first clip portion 65 grips the outer circumference of the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20. The first clip portion 65 is C-shaped. This makes it easier to insert the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20 into the first clip portion 65 when manufacturing the battery pack 1. The first clip portion 65 is located below the center of the main body portion 64 in the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, a first rib 26 is provided on the outer circumference of the supply pipe 20 (specifically, the connecting member 24) at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction. The first rib 26 is located at the tip opening of the first clip portion 65 when the first clip portion 65 is gripping the outer circumference of the connecting member 24. The first rib 26 has the function of preventing the supply pipe 20 from rotating because if an operator tries to rotate the supply pipe 20 by mistake, the first rib 26 will come into contact with the tip of the first clip portion 65. In addition, by using the first rib 26 as a guide to insert the connecting member 24 of the supply pipe 20 into the first clip portion 65, the operator can prevent incorrect assembly.

[0042] The second clip portion 66 grips the outer circumference of the discharge pipe 40. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the second clip portion 66 grips the outer circumference of the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40. The second clip portion 66 is C-shaped. This makes it easier to insert the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40 into the second clip portion 66 when manufacturing the battery pack 1. The second clip portion 66 is located above the center of the main body portion 64 in the vertical direction. Here, the second clip portion 66 is located at the upper end of the main body portion 64.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, a second rib 46 is provided on the outer circumference of the discharge pipe 40 (specifically, the connecting member 44) at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction. The second rib 46 is located at the tip opening of the second clip portion 66 when the second clip portion 66 is gripping the outer circumference of the connecting member 44. The second rib 46 has the function of preventing the discharge pipe 40 from rotating because if an operator tries to rotate the discharge pipe 40 by mistake, the second rib 46 will come into contact with the tip of the second clip portion 66. In addition, by using the second rib 46 as a guide to insert the connecting member 44 of the discharge pipe 40 into the second clip portion 66, the operator can prevent incorrect assembly.

[0044] The reinforcing portion 67 is connected to the second clip portion 66 and has the function of reinforcing the gripping force of the C-shaped second clip portion 66. The reinforcing portion 67 extends from the main body portion 64 to above the second clip portion 66. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the reinforcing portion 67 is provided to connect to the side opposite the tip of the second clip portion 66. As a result, the rigidity of the second clip portion 66 located at the upper end of the main body portion 64 is increased, so that the second clip portion 66 can properly grip the discharge pipe 40.

[0045] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the second support member 72. The second support member 72 has a base portion 73, a main body portion 64, a first clip portion 65, a second clip portion 66, and a reinforcing portion 67. The configuration of the main body portion 64, first clip portion 65, second clip portion 66, and reinforcing portion 67 of the second support member 72 is the same as the configuration of the main body portion 64, first clip portion 65, second clip portion 66, and reinforcing portion 67 of the first support member 62, so a detailed explanation is omitted. On the other hand, because the second support member 72 is located at both ends in the front-rear direction, the length of the base portion 73 of the second support member 72 is shorter than the length of the base portion 63 of the first support member 62. This makes it possible to install the second support member 72 in a limited space.

[0046] In the above description, the first support member 62 and the second support member 72 are assumed to have a reinforcing portion 67, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the first support member 62 and the second support member 72 may not have a reinforcing portion 67. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified first support member 82. The modified first support member 82 does not have a reinforcing portion 67. On the other hand, the configuration of the modified first support member 82 other than the reinforcing portion 67 is the same as the configuration of the first support member 62 described above.

[0047] <Effects of this embodiment> The battery pack 1 of the above-described embodiment has a supply pipe 20 and a discharge pipe 40 provided along the front-to-back direction between battery modules 10L and 10R, which are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-to-right direction. The cooling member 14 of battery module 10L is connected to the first branch pipe 30L of the supply pipe 20 and the second branch pipe 50L of the discharge pipe 40, and the cooling member 14 of battery module 10R is connected to the first branch pipe 30R of the supply pipe 20 and the second branch pipe 50R of the discharge pipe 40. The supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40 are arranged in the vertical direction. In the above configuration, the supply pipe 20 and the discharge pipe 40 are located in the center between the battery module 10L and the battery module 10R. As a result, the flow of refrigerant from the supply pipe 20 to the battery module 10L via the first branch pipe 30L tends to be the same as the flow of refrigerant from the first branch pipe 30R to the battery module 10R. Similarly, the flow of refrigerant from the battery module 10L to the discharge pipe 40 via the second branch pipe 50L tends to be equal to the flow of refrigerant from the battery module 10R to the discharge pipe 40 via the second branch pipe 50R. As a result, the cooling of the battery module 10L and the battery module 10 by the refrigerant become equal.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 Battery Pack 10 Battery Modules 12 battery cells 14 Cooling components 20 Supply pipe 26. First Rib 30L, 30R First branch pipe 40 Discharge pipe 46. ​​Second Rib 50L, 50R Second branch pipe 60 Support member 64 Main body 65 First clip section 66. Second clip section 67 Reinforcement section

Claims

1. Two battery modules, each having a battery cell and a cooling member having a flow path inside for cooling the battery cell, and spaced apart in a first direction, A supply pipe is provided between the two battery modules along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, through which the refrigerant supplied to the flow path of the cooling member flows, Two first branch pipes branch off from the supply pipe along the first direction and allow the refrigerant to flow into the flow path of the cooling member of the two battery modules, A discharge pipe is provided between the two battery modules along the second direction, through which the refrigerant to be discharged flows, Two second branch pipes branch off from the discharge pipe along the first direction, and the refrigerant is discharged from the flow path of the cooling member of the two battery modules, Equipped with, The supply pipe and the discharge pipe are aligned in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. Battery pack.

2. The supply pipe and the discharge pipe are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the third direction. The battery pack according to claim 1.

3. The supply pipe and the discharge pipe are located at the same position in the first direction. The battery pack according to claim 1.

4. The lengths of each of the two first branch pipes are the same. The lengths of each of the two second branch pipes are the same. The battery pack according to claim 1.

5. The supply pipe is located below in the third direction, which is vertical. The discharge pipe is located above in the third direction. The battery pack according to claim 1.

6. The system further includes a support member that supports the supply pipe and the discharge pipe so that they are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and are positioned at the same location in the first direction. The battery pack according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned support member is A C-shaped first clip portion that grips the outer circumference of the supply pipe, It has a C-shaped second clip portion that grips the outer circumference of the discharge pipe, The battery pack according to claim 6.

8. The outer circumference of the supply pipe is provided with first ribs at predetermined positions along the circumferential direction. A second rib is provided on the outer circumference of the discharge pipe at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction. The first rib is located at the tip opening of the first clip portion, The second rib is located at the tip opening of the second clip portion. The battery pack according to claim 7.

9. The support member is provided along the third direction, which is the vertical direction. The second clip portion is located at the upper end of the support member, The aforementioned support member is The main body portion on which the first clip portion and the second clip portion are provided, The present invention further comprises a reinforcing portion that extends from the main body portion to a position above the second clip portion and is connected to the second clip portion, The battery pack according to claim 7.

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