Battery case

Abstract

To enhance strength of a battery case where a battery stack is stored.SOLUTION: A battery case comprises L-shaped plate materials 51a, 51b. The L-shaped plate material 51a is composed of a bottom surface part 511a and a wall surface part 512a. The bottom surface part 511a is located between base ends of support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, 41i and a bottom plate material 12 and is joined to the bottom plate material 12. The wall surface part 512a is stretched over outer side faces of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, 41i and is mechanically joined to these outer side faces. The L-shaped plate material 51b is composed of a bottom surface part 511b and a wall surface part 512b. The bottom surface part 511b is located between base ends of support members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, 41j and the bottom plate material 12 and is joined to the bottom plate material 12. The wall surface part 512b is stretched over outer side faces of the support members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, 41j and is mechanically joined to these outer side faces.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery case in which a battery stack is housed. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2020-87750 A discloses a battery case that houses a battery stack. This conventional battery case has a hexahedral shape and includes a frame that forms the skeleton of the hexahedron and six cover panels that cover six openings of the frame. The cover panels are attached to the outer surfaces of the frame to form the faces of the hexahedron.

[0003] Three vertically extending pillars are provided in front of the battery case and between the two pillars that make up the frame. A horizontally extending pillar is provided behind the battery case and between the two pillars that make up the frame. Another pillar is provided behind the battery case and between the two pillars that make up the frame and the horizontally extending pillar, which is provided in parallel with the horizontally extending pillar, and between the frame. These pillars function as reinforcements for the frame.

[0004] In addition to JP 2020-87750 A, JP 2018-120715 A can be cited as an example of a document showing the technical state of the technical field related to the present disclosure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-87750 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-120715 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] JP 2020-87750 A states that the battery case may be mounted on a vehicle or may be provided in a location other than the vehicle. Here, the location other than the vehicle may be outdoors. However, a battery case installed outdoors may be subject to violent vibrations during an earthquake and may also be subject to collisions with flying objects. Thus, since a battery case installed outdoors is required to have high strength against external forces, it can be said that there is room for improvement in conventional battery cases.

[0007] One object of the present disclosure is to increase the strength of a battery case in which a battery stack is housed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a battery case having the following features. The battery case contains a battery stack. The battery case includes at least four support members, a bottom plate, and an L-shaped plate. The at least four support members are arranged to correspond to at least four corners of the battery stack. Each of the at least four support members extends vertically. The bottom plate material is arranged on the base end side of the at least four support members. The bottom plate material supports the battery stack and the at least four support members. The L-shaped plate material is composed of a bottom surface portion and a wall surface portion. The bottom surface portion is located between the base ends of the at least four support members and the bottom plate material. The wall surface portion rises from the bottom surface portion and contacts at least four outer surfaces that each of the at least four support members has. The at least four exterior sides include at least two left exterior sides and at least two right exterior sides, the at least two left exterior sides being located to the left of the battery stack, and the at least two right exterior sides being located to the right of the battery stack. The L-shaped plates include a left L-shaped plate and a right L-shaped plate, the left L-shaped plate being located to the left of the battery stack, and the right L-shaped plate being located to the right of the battery stack. The left L-shaped board spans the at least two left outer sides, and the right L-shaped board spans the at least two right outer sides. The bottom plate member is joined to the bottom surfaces of the left and right L-shaped plate members. The wall portion of the left L-shaped plate member is joined to the at least two left outer side surfaces, and the wall portion of the right L-shaped plate member is joined to the at least two right outer side surfaces.

[0009] The second aspect of the present disclosure has the same features as the first aspect, as described below. The battery case further includes a pair of reinforcing members and an additional reinforcing member. The pair of reinforcing members are provided on a lower surface of the bottom plate member. The pair of reinforcing members extend in a longitudinal direction of the battery stack. The additional reinforcing member extends between the pair of reinforcing members in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The lower surface of the bottom plate material is joined to the pair of reinforcing members and the additional reinforcing member.

[0010] A third aspect of the present disclosure has the following further features in addition to the first or second aspect. The battery case further includes an upper plate and at least two upper support members. The upper plate is disposed above the bottom plate. The upper plate supports electronic components that control charging and discharging by the battery stack. The at least two upper support members extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery stack to support the upper plate. The at least four support members include at least two pairs of support members that are paired in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The at least two pairs of support members are respectively connected via the at least two upper supports.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure has the following further features in addition to the third aspect. The battery case further includes a middle plate and at least two middle support members. The middle plate is disposed between the bottom plate and the top plate. The middle plate supports an additional battery stack. The at least two middle support members extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to support the middle plate. The at least two pairs of support members are respectively connected via the at least two middle supports.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising the following features. The bottom plate material and the bottom surfaces of the left and right L-shaped plate materials are welded to each other. The wall portion of the left L-shaped plate member and the at least two left outer side surfaces are mechanically joined together. The wall portion of the right L-shaped plate member and the at least two right outer side surfaces are mechanically joined together. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to a first aspect, a battery case including a left L-shaped plate and a right L-shaped plate is provided. The left L-shaped plate is bridged over at least two left outer surfaces located on the left side of the battery stack, and the right L-shaped plate is bridged over at least two right outer surfaces located on the right side of the battery stack. Each of the left and right L-shaped plates is composed of a bottom surface portion and a wall surface portion, and these bottom surfaces are respectively joined to a bottom plate material supporting the battery stack and at least four support members. Furthermore, the wall surface portion of the left L-shaped plate is joined to the at least two left outer surfaces, and the wall surface portion of the right L-shaped plate is joined to the at least two right outer surfaces. In this way, the left L-shaped plate material and the right L-shaped plate material are firmly joined to the bottom plate material and at least four support members, thereby increasing the rigidity of these battery case members. Therefore, it is possible to increase the strength of the battery case.

[0014] According to a second aspect, there is provided a battery case further comprising a pair of reinforcing members and an additional reinforcing member. The pair of reinforcing members are provided on the lower surface of a bottom plate material and extend in the longitudinal direction of the battery stack. The additional reinforcing member extends between the pair of reinforcing members in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the lower surface of the bottom plate material is joined to the pair of reinforcing members and the additional reinforcing member. In this way, the pair of reinforcing members and the additional reinforcing member are firmly joined to the bottom plate material, thereby increasing the rigidity of the bottom plate material. This makes it possible to further increase the strength of the battery case.

[0015] According to a third aspect, there is provided a battery case further comprising an upper plate member and at least two upper support members. The upper plate member is provided above the bottom plate member. The at least two upper support members extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery stack to support the upper plate member. Furthermore, at least two pairs of support members that form a pair in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are respectively connected via at least two upper support members. In this way, the at least two pairs of support members are connected by at least two upper support members, thereby increasing the rigidity of the at least two pairs of support members. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the strength of the battery case.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a battery case further comprising a middle plate material and at least two middle support members. The middle plate material is provided between a bottom plate material and an upper plate material. The at least two middle support members extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to support the middle plate material. Furthermore, at least two pairs of support members that form a pair in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are respectively connected via at least two middle support members. In this way, the at least two pairs of support members are connected by at least two middle support members, thereby increasing the rigidity of the at least two pairs of support members. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the strength of the battery case.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect, the bottom plate is welded to the bottom surfaces of the left and right L-shaped plates. Also, the wall surface of the left L-shaped plate is mechanically joined to at least two left outer side surfaces, and the wall surface of the right L-shaped plate is mechanically joined to at least two right outer side surfaces. Therefore, it is possible to firmly join the left L-shaped plate and the right L-shaped plate to the bottom plate and at least four support members. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a battery case according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the battery case shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the bottom plate side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the battery case shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the battery case shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, a battery case according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0020] 1. Example of overall battery case configuration The battery case according to the embodiment is applied to a storage battery system in a small facility such as a general home or a food and beverage store. The battery case according to the embodiment is installed adjacent to the facility and supplies power to various electrical appliances or receives power from an external power source. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a battery case according to the embodiment. Note that the positive direction of the x-axis shown in FIG. 1 indicates, for example, the front of the battery case, the positive direction of the y-axis indicates, for example, the left of the battery case, and the positive direction of the z-axis indicates, for example, the upper side of the battery case. The example of the positional relationship between the positive directions of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis and the battery case is the same in other figures.

[0021] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the battery case is equipped with a battery cover 11. The battery cover 11 is formed in a box shape. The bottom portion of the battery cover 11 is open, and the outer edge of this bottom portion protrudes around the battery cover 11 like a canopy. This outer edge is mechanically joined (bolted) to a bottom plate material 12. The bottom plate material 12 is made of, for example, a general-purpose flat bar (flat steel). The bottom portion of the battery cover 11 is sealed by this bottom plate material 12.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, the internal configuration of the battery case is drawn in a state where the battery cover 11 is seen through. The inside of the battery case is configured with three stages, the first stage (lower stage) and the second stage (middle stage) are separated by a plate material 21, and the second stage (middle stage) and the third stage (upper stage) are separated by a plate material 31. The plates 21 and 31 are configured, for example, from general-purpose flat bars. The second stage accommodates a battery stack FC in which multiple cells are stacked. The plate material 31 corresponds to the "upper stage plate material" in this disclosure, and the plate material 21 corresponds to the "middle stage plate material" in this disclosure. The battery stack FC corresponds to the "additional battery stack" in this disclosure.

[0023] A battery stack having the same configuration as battery stack FC is also housed in the first tier. The battery stack housed in the first tier corresponds to the "battery stack" in this disclosure. However, this battery stack is hidden behind the back surface of L-shaped plate material 51a shown in FIG. 1. Electronic components (not shown) for controlling charging and discharging by these battery stacks are housed in the third tier.

[0024] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the battery case has a plurality of support members 41 (support members 41a to 41j). These support members 41 are provided around the battery stack FC, and each support member 41 extends in the z-axis direction (i.e., vertical direction). Each support member 41 is made of, for example, a general-purpose aluminum extrusion material. Each tip of the support member 41 faces the inner side surface of the battery cover 11. Meanwhile, each base end of the support member 41 faces the upper surface of the bottom plate material 12. The support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i are lined up on the left side of the battery stack FC. Meanwhile, the support members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, and 41j are lined up on the right side of the battery stack FC.

[0025] The support members 41a and 41b form a pair on the left and right sides of the battery stack FC. Similarly, the support members 41c and 41d form a pair, the support members 41e and 41f form a pair, the support members 41g and 41h form a pair, and the support members 41i and 41j form a pair. The total number of support members 41 is not limited to the number (10) shown in FIG. 1. The total number of support members 41 can be changed as desired, as long as it includes at least the support members 41 (i.e., the support members 41a, 41b, 41i, and 41j) corresponding to the four corners of the battery stack FC. Although it depends on the size of the battery stack FC, the greater the total number of support members 41, the greater the strength of the battery case.

[0026] 2.Details of the battery case Fig. 2 is a view of the battery case shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the bottom plate material 12 side. As shown in Fig. 2, reinforcing members 13a and 13b are provided on the lower surface (rear surface) of the bottom plate material 12. The reinforcing members 13a and 13b extend in the x-axis direction (i.e., the front-rear direction of the battery case or the longitudinal direction of the battery stack FC). The reinforcing members 13a and 13b are made of, for example, general-purpose square steel pipes, and are joined (joined by spot welding, arc welding, laser welding, or the like) to the lower surface of the bottom plate material 12. This increases the rigidity of the bottom plate material 12 in the x-axis direction (i.e., the front-rear direction of the battery case or the longitudinal direction of the battery stack FC).

[0027] The joint surface of the reinforcing member 13a faces the base ends of the pillar members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i. On the other hand, the joint surface of the reinforcing member 13b faces the base ends of the pillar members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, and 41j. The reinforcing members 13a and 13b form a pair and are mechanically joined (bolted) to a base (not shown) of the facility.

[0028] A plurality of reinforcing members 14 (reinforcing members 14a to 14c) are provided between the reinforcing members 13a and 13b. These reinforcing members 14 are provided in a direction (i.e., y-axis direction) perpendicular to the direction in which the reinforcing members 13a and 13b extend (i.e., x-axis direction). These reinforcing members 14 are made of, for example, general-purpose square steel pipes, and are joined (joined by arc welding or the like) to the lower surface of the bottom plate material 12. This increases the rigidity of the bottom plate material 12 in the y-axis direction (i.e., the left-right direction of the battery case). These reinforcing members 14 form a "lattice structure" with the reinforcing members 13a and 13b. The formation of the lattice structure also increases the rigidity of the bottom plate material 12 in the y-axis direction (i.e., the left-right direction of the battery case).

[0029] The reinforcing members 14a to 14c correspond to "additional reinforcing members" in the present disclosure. The total number of reinforcing members 14 is not limited to the number (three) shown in FIG. 2. That is, the total number of reinforcing members 14 may be one, two, or four or more. Although it depends on the size of the battery stack FC, the greater the total number of reinforcing members 14, the greater the strength of the battery case.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the battery case shown in Fig. 1 taken along line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery case shown in Fig. 3 taken from the direction of arrow IV. For ease of explanation, the first and second battery stacks are omitted in Figs. 3 and 4. Also, the upper portion of the second stack is omitted in Fig. 4.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, 3 or 4, the plate material 21 is supported by the supports (middle-stage supports) 22a to 22e. As shown in FIG. 4, the support 22b is mechanically joined (joined using a bolt BL or a rivet RV) to the support member 41c via the L-shaped bracket 23c, and is also mechanically joined to the support member 41d via the L-shaped bracket 23d. The L-shaped brackets 23c and 23d are general-purpose metal fittings. As with the support 22b, the support members 22a, 22c to 22e are each joined to a total of four pairs of support members 41 via a total of eight L-shaped brackets (such as the L-shaped bracket 23a). This increases the rigidity of the support members 22a to 22e in the y-axis direction of the support member 41 (i.e., the left-right direction of the battery case).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, 3 or 4, the plate material 31 is supported by the supports (upper supports) 32a to 32d. The support structure of the plate material 31 is basically the same as that of the plate material 21, and this can be understood from FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the support material 32b is mechanically joined to the support member 41c via an L-shaped bracket 33c, and at the same time, is mechanically joined to the support member 41d via an L-shaped bracket (not shown). The L-shaped bracket 33c is the same metal fitting as the L-shaped brackets 23c and 23d. Like the support material 32b, the support materials 32a, 32c and 32d are each joined to a total of three pairs of support members 41 via a total of six L-shaped brackets (L-shaped brackets 33a, 33g, 33i, etc.). This increases the rigidity of the support materials 32a to 32d in the y-axis direction of the support member 41.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 1, 3 or 4, the L-shaped plate material 51a is located inside the battery cover 11. The L-shaped plate material 51a is located to the left of the battery stack housed in the first stage, and corresponds to the "left L-shaped plate material" in this disclosure. The L-shaped plate material 51a is made of, for example, a general-purpose L-shaped steel material. The L-shaped plate material 51a is made of a bottom surface portion 511a and a wall surface portion 512a.

[0034] The bottom surface portion 511a is located between the base ends of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i and the bottom plate material 12. The bottom surface portion 511a is joined to the bottom plate material 12 (joined by arc welding or the like), but is not joined to the base ends of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i. This is because the materials of the bottom surface portion 511a and the bottom plate material 12 are similar, while the materials of the bottom surface portion 511a and the support members 41a, etc. are different. By joining the bottom surface portion 511a to the bottom plate material 12, the rigidity of the bottom plate material 12 and the L-shaped plate material 51a in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions is increased.

[0035] The wall surface portion 512a rises from the bottom surface portion 511a and extends in the z-axis direction (i.e., vertical direction). The wall surface portion 512a also spans the outer surfaces of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i. The outer surfaces of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i correspond to the "left outer surface" in this disclosure. The wall surface portion 512a and the outer surfaces of the support members 41a, etc. are mechanically joined (joined using rivets RV). This increases the rigidity of the support members 41a, 41c, 41e, 41g, and 41i in the x-axis and y-axis directions.

[0036] The L-shaped plate 51b is disposed opposite the L-shaped plate 51a. The L-shaped plate 51b is located to the right of the battery stack housed in the first stage, and corresponds to the "right L-shaped plate" in this disclosure. The configuration of the L-shaped plate 51b is basically the same as that of the L-shaped plate 51a. That is, the L-shaped plate 51b is made of a general-purpose L-shaped steel material, and is made up of a bottom surface portion 511b and a wall surface portion 512b.

[0037] The bottom surface portion 511b is located between the base ends of the pillar members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, and 41j and the bottom plate material 12, and is joined to the bottom plate material 12. The wall surface portion 512b spans the outer surfaces of the pillar members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, and 41j, and is mechanically joined to the outer surfaces of the pillar members 41b, etc. The outer surfaces of the pillar members 41b, 41d, 41f, 41h, and 41j correspond to the "right outer surface" in this disclosure.

[0038] 3.Effects According to the battery case of the embodiment described above, the rigidity of the components constituting the interior of the battery case is increased by joining or combining these components together. Therefore, a battery case with high strength is provided. Therefore, even if the battery case is placed outdoors, it is possible to adequately protect the battery stack and electronic components against external forces. Furthermore, according to the battery case of the embodiment, general-purpose materials are used for many of the components constituting the interior of the battery case, so that the cost of the battery case can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 11 Battery cover 12 Bottom plate material 13a, 13b, 14a-14c Reinforcement 21, 31 Plate material 22a~22d, 32a~32d Support material 23a, 23c, 23d, 33a, 33g, 33i L-bracket 41a~41j Support members 51a, 51b L-shaped plate material 511a, 511b bottom part 512a, 512b wall section BL Bolt FC battery stack RV Rivet

Claims

1. A battery case in which a battery stack is housed, At least four support members arranged corresponding to at least four corners of the battery stack and extending vertically; a bottom plate material disposed on a base end side of the at least four support members and supporting the battery stack and the at least four support members; An L-shaped plate material including a bottom surface portion located between the base ends of the at least four support members and the bottom plate material, and a wall surface portion rising from the bottom surface portion and contacting at least four outer surfaces of each of the at least four support members; Equipped with The at least four outer surfaces include at least two left outer surfaces located to the left of the battery stack and at least two right outer surfaces located to the right of the battery stack; the L-shaped plate material includes a left L-shaped plate material located to the left of the battery stack and a right L-shaped plate material located to the right of the battery stack, The left L-shaped plate spans the at least two left outer sides, and the right L-shaped plate spans the at least two right outer sides; The bottom plate material is joined to the bottom surfaces of the left and right L-shaped plate materials, The wall surface of the left L-shaped plate member is joined to the at least two left outer side surfaces, and the wall surface of the right L-shaped plate member is joined to the at least two right outer side surfaces. A battery case characterized by:

2. a pair of reinforcing members provided on a lower surface of the bottom plate material and extending in a longitudinal direction of the battery stack; an additional reinforcing member extending between the pair of reinforcing members in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; Further comprising: The lower surface of the bottom plate material is joined to the pair of reinforcing members and the additional reinforcing member.

2. The battery case according to claim 1 .

3. an upper plate member provided above the bottom plate member and supporting electronic components for controlling charging and discharging of the battery stack; at least two upper support members extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the battery stack and supporting the upper plate member; Further comprising: The at least four support members include at least two pairs of support members that are paired in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, The at least two pairs of support members are connected to each other via the at least two upper support members.

3. The battery case according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a middle plate member provided between the bottom plate member and the upper plate member and supporting an additional battery stack; At least two middle stage supports extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and supporting the middle stage plate material; Further comprising: The at least two pairs of support members are connected to each other via the at least two middle support members.

4. The battery case according to claim 3.

5. The bottom plate material is welded to the bottom surfaces of the left and right L-shaped plate materials, The wall surface portion of the left L-shaped plate material and the at least two left outer side surfaces are mechanically joined together, The wall surface portion of the right L-shaped plate material and the at least two right outer side surfaces are mechanically joined together. The battery case according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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