Battery and vehicle

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a battery and a vehicle. The battery (1) comprises a battery frame (11), at least one battery cell (12), and a control device (13), wherein the battery frame (11) comprises a main body region (111) and an expansion region (112), the battery cell (12) being assembled in the main body region (111), and the control device (13) being assembled in the expansion region (112); and The expansion region (112) protrudes from one end of the main body region (111) in a direction of length of the battery frame (11), and the size of the expansion region (112) in a direction of width of the battery frame (11) is less than the size of the main body region (111) in the direction of width.

Description

Batteries and vehicles

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202310788190.7, filed on June 29, 2023, the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to batteries and vehicles. Background Art

[0004] Electric vehicles need to use batteries for power, and the battery energy storage directly affects the vehicle's endurance.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a battery and a vehicle.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery, comprising: a battery frame, comprising a main body area and an extension area; the extension area protrudes from one end of the main body area in the length direction of the battery frame, and the size of the extension area in the width direction of the battery frame is smaller than the size of the main body area in the width direction, and the width direction of the battery frame is perpendicular to the length direction of the battery frame; at least one battery cell, assembled in the main body area; and a control device, assembled in the extension area.

[0009] Optionally, the battery frame includes a first part that encloses the expansion area and a second part that encloses the main area; the first part includes an end frame parallel to the width direction and a pair of first frames inclined relative to the width direction; the end frame connects the pair of first frames.

[0010] Optionally, one end of the second portion includes a second frame having an opening, and the pair of first frames are respectively connected to two ends of the opening of the second frame.

[0011] Optionally, the end frame is provided with a second interface, and at least one of the second interfaces is conductively connected to the control device.

[0012] Optionally, the first part and / or the second part comprises a profile, and a buffer cavity is provided in the profile.

[0013] Optionally, the main body area is rectangular; and the extended area is trapezoidal.

[0014] Optionally, the main body area is provided with at least one spacer, which divides the main body area into multiple first assembly spaces, and each battery cell is assembled in one first assembly space; the main body area is provided with a second assembly space distributed along the length direction at a middle position; the multiple first assembly spaces are symmetrically arranged relative to the second assembly space.

[0015] Optionally, the battery frame includes a bottom plate and a reinforcing beam arranged on the bottom plate; the reinforcing beam extends along the length direction and includes a first section located in the extension area and a second section located in the main body area.

[0016] Optionally, the battery further includes a cooling plate; the cooling plate is arranged on the bottom plate and includes a first area located between the battery unit and the bottom plate and a second area located between the control device and the bottom plate.

[0017] Optionally, the battery also includes a cover; the cover is assembled to the battery frame and covers the main area and the extension area; the cover is provided with a groove extending along the length direction on the side facing away from the battery frame, and the cooling pipe and / or cable of the battery is accommodated in the groove.

[0018] Optionally, the battery frame includes a second portion enclosing the main body area; and the cover is fixedly connected to the top surface of the second portion of the battery frame.

[0019] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle, comprising any battery according to the first aspect.

[0020] Optionally, the battery is mounted on a frame of the vehicle.

[0021] Optionally, a lug is provided on an edge of the battery frame, and a plurality of frame connection holes are provided on the lug, and the battery frame is fixedly connected to the frame of the vehicle through the plurality of frame connection holes.

[0022] Optionally, the battery is located beneath a cab of the vehicle.

[0023] The battery frame disclosed herein comprises a main body region and an extension region, with battery cells assembled in the main body region and control devices assembled in the extension region. The extension region's width is smaller than that of the main body region, allowing the control devices located in the extension region to be installed in a smaller space on the vehicle, without occupying the mounting space for the battery cells in the main body region. This helps increase the assembly space for the battery cells, improves battery capacity, and thus enhances the vehicle's range.

[0024] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. Other aspects will become apparent upon reading and understanding the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery frame in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a battery in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an end frame in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth frame in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a battery perpendicular to its length direction in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a cooling plate in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a battery unit in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a cover in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG9 is a schematic top view of a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a partial side structure of a vehicle in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a partial top view of a vehicle in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure should have the ordinary meanings understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are simply used to distinguish different components. Similarly, terms such as "a" or "an" do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. If only "a" is referred to, this will be separately stated. "Multiple" or "several" means two or more. Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "front," "rear," "lower," and / or "upper," "top," and "bottom" are used for ease of description only and are not limited to a single position or spatial orientation. Terms such as "include" or "comprising" mean that the elements or objects listed before "include" or "comprising" include the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprising" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The words “connected” or “connected” and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0038] Electric vehicles rely on batteries for power, and the amount of energy they store directly impacts the vehicle's endurance. However, in related technologies, battery assembly space is limited. Batteries contain not only energy storage units but also control devices, cables, and other components. These components significantly occupy internal battery space during assembly, impacting the capacity of the energy storage units and making it difficult to improve the vehicle's endurance.

[0039] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a battery. Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery frame in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the solid double-headed arrows can represent the length direction of the battery, and the dotted double-headed arrows can represent the width direction of the battery. The battery 1 includes a battery frame 11, at least one battery cell 12, and a control device 13. The battery frame 11 includes a main body area 111 and an extension area 112. The extension area 112 protrudes from one end of the main body area 111 in the length direction of the battery frame 11, and the size of the extension area 112 in the width direction of the battery frame 11 is smaller than the size of the main body area 111 in the width direction. The width direction of the battery frame 11 is perpendicular to the length direction of the battery frame 11. The battery cell 12 is assembled in the main body area 111, and the control device 13 is assembled in the extension area 112.

[0040] The battery frame 11 includes a main body region 111 and an extension region 112. The battery cells 12 are assembled in the main body region 111, and the control device 13 is assembled in the extension region 112. The width of the extension region 112 is smaller than that of the main body region 111. This allows the control device 13 located in the extension region 112 to be installed in a smaller space on the vehicle 2 (see Figures 10 and 11), without occupying the installation space of the battery cells 12 located in the main body region 111. This helps to increase the assembly space of the battery cells 12, improve the capacity of the battery 1, and thus improve the endurance of the vehicle 2.

[0041] In some embodiments, the battery frame 11 may include a first portion 113 that encloses the expansion region 112 and a second portion 114 that encloses the main body region 111. The first portion 113 includes an end frame 1132 parallel to the width direction and a pair of first frames 1131 arranged obliquely relative to the width direction, with the end frame 1132 connecting the pair of first frames 1131. By reducing the overall width of the first portion 113 through the first frames 1131 arranged obliquely relative to the width direction, the width of the expansion region 112 at any position in the longitudinal direction is made smaller than the width of the main body region 111.

[0042] The second portion 114 includes a second frame 1141, a pair of third frames 1142 respectively connected to the second frame 1141, and a fourth frame 1143 opposite to the second frame 1141. In the above embodiment, one end of the second portion 114 includes a second frame 1141 with an opening, and a pair of first frames 1131 are respectively connected to the two ends of the opening of the second frame 1141. The second frame 1141 is provided with an opening so that after the first frame 1131 and the two ends of the opening of the second frame 1141 are connected, the main area 111 and the expansion area 112 are connected, so as to facilitate the connection between the control device 13 and the battery unit 12. The opening can be located in the middle of the second frame 1141, and the width of the expansion area 112 can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the opening so that the expansion area 112 can be accommodated in the installation space of the vehicle 2 at one end of the main area 111. The above-mentioned second frame 1141 can be located at the front end of the main body area 111. The front end can refer to the end close to the front of the vehicle when the battery 1 is assembled in the vehicle 2. An installation space that can accommodate the expansion area 112 is formed at the front end of the main body area 111 of the vehicle 2 where the battery 1 is installed. The expansion area 112 is assembled in the above-mentioned installation space without interfering with the structure and function of the vehicle 2.

[0043] In addition, as shown in FIG3 , a second interface 117 may be provided on the end frame 1132 of the first portion 113 . At least one of the second interfaces 117 is electrically connected to the control device 13 , so that the control board or electrical equipment of the vehicle 2 can control the control device 13 and transmit electrical energy by plugging into the second interface 117 . For example, the second interface 117 may include at least one of a low voltage (LV) charging port 1173 , a high and low voltage charging system assembly (ODP, short for OBC (On-Board Charger) + DCDC (DC / DC Converter) + PDU (Power Distribution Unit)) port 1174 , and a high voltage (HV) fast charging port 1175 . Alternatively, the second interface 117 may also include a coolant inlet 1172 and a coolant outlet 1171 . The present disclosure does not limit the type of the second interface 117 . In other embodiments, the second interface 117 may also be provided on the first frame 1131 .

[0044] In the above embodiment, the first part 113 and / or the second part 114 includes a section material, and a buffer cavity is provided in the section material. When the battery 1 collides, the section material and its buffer cavity can quickly absorb energy to protect the battery 1. The first part 113 and / or the second part 114 may include at least two sections, and the adjacent sections are welded and fixed. For example, the pair of first frames 1131 and the end frame 1132 of the first part 113 each include a section material, and the three sections are fixed by welding to form a complete first part 113. For another example, the second frame 1141, the pair of third frames 1142 and the fourth frame 1143 of the second part 114 each include at least one section material, and the two adjacent sections can be fixed by welding to form the second part 114 as a whole. The above-mentioned section material may be an aluminum section material, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0045] As shown in FIG4 , the fourth frame 1143 is provided with an explosion-proof valve 119 and a first interface 118 . The first interface 118 may be a rear high-voltage charging port to enable high-voltage charging at the rear end of the battery 1 .

[0046] It should be noted that the main body area 111 may be rectangular, and the extended area 112 may be trapezoidal. The above-mentioned rectangle may be a regular rectangle, or an irregular rectangle containing curved or bent edges. Similarly, the trapezoid may be a regular trapezoid, or an irregular trapezoid containing curved or bent edges. Among them, the rectangular main body area 111 can adapt to the rectangular space under the seat of the vehicle 2, effectively utilizing the battery installation space of the vehicle 2, and the trapezoidal extended area 112 can also maximize the use of the vehicle installation space at the front end of the main body area 111, which is convenient for arranging the control device 13. The above-mentioned control device 13 may include a control and disconnection device for the battery 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0047] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the main body area 111 is provided with at least one spacer 115, which divides the main body area 111 into a plurality of first assembly spaces 1111, and each battery cell 12 is assembled in a first assembly space 1111. The assembly of each battery cell 12 in a first assembly space 1111 can facilitate the disassembly, assembly, and maintenance of a single battery cell 12, improve the efficiency of disassembly, assembly, and maintenance of the battery 1, and avoid heat accumulation caused by the assembly of multiple battery cells 12 in the same assembly space. The above-mentioned battery cells 12 can be fixed to the main body area 111 by fasteners (for example, screws) and hot melt adhesive to improve the assembly sealing and stability of the battery cells 12.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the main body region 111 is provided with a second assembly space 1112 distributed along its length in the middle, and the first assembly space 1111 is symmetrically arranged relative to the second assembly space 1112. The cables and cooling pipes of the battery 1, etc., can be placed in the second assembly space 1112. Placing the cables and / or cooling pipes of the battery 1 between the symmetrically arranged first assembly spaces 1111 facilitates heat dissipation and conductive connections for each battery cell 12.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the battery frame 11 may include a base plate 14 and a reinforcement beam 18 disposed on the base plate 14. The reinforcement beam 18 extends along the length and includes a first section 181 located in the expansion area 112 and a second section 182 located in the main body area 111. The reinforcement beam 18 extending along the length can improve the structural strength of the base plate 14. The first section 181 improves the structural strength of the expansion area 112, and the second section 182 improves the structural strength of the main body area 111.

[0050] The reinforcement beam 18 may include a profile with a buffer cavity, which not only enhances the structural strength of the base plate 14 and battery 1 but also provides anti-collision protection for the battery 1. The profile may be aluminum, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The reinforcement beam 18 can divide the battery 1 into two symmetrical parts, ensuring that the reinforcement beam 18 provides uniform reinforcement on both sides of the battery 1.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the battery 1 may further include a cooling plate 15. The cooling plate 15 is disposed on the base plate 14 and includes a first region 151 located between the battery cells 12 and the base plate 14 and a second region 152 located between the control device 13 and the base plate 14. The cavity within the cooling plate 15 is connected to a cooling pipe. The first region 151 of the cooling plate 15 can dissipate heat and cool the battery cells 12, while the second region 152 of the cooling plate 15 can dissipate heat and cool the control device 13.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , a mica board 121 is provided on the top surface of the battery cell 12. The mica board 121 can provide insulation and high-temperature resistance. A thermal insulation member 122 is provided on the mica board 121. The thermal insulation member 122 can isolate the external heat relative to the battery cell 12. The thermal insulation member 122 can be a plurality of foam strips provided on the mica board 121. A temperature detection terminal 123 is provided on the outside of the battery cell 12 and is conductively connected to the control device 13. The temperature of the battery cell 12 can be monitored through the temperature detection terminal 123 to avoid safety hazards caused by high temperature of the battery cell 12.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5, 8, and 9, the battery 1 further includes a cover 16, which is assembled to the battery frame 11 and covers the main area 111 and the extended area 112. The cover 16 is provided with a groove 161 extending in the length direction on the side facing away from the battery frame 11, and the cooling pipes and / or cables of the battery 1 are accommodated in the groove 161. Providing the groove 161 on the side of the cover 16 of the battery 1 facing away from the battery frame 11 can be used to accommodate the cables and cooling pipes of the battery 1, so that the top of the battery 1 is flat, thereby obtaining a larger flat area inside the vehicle 2. The flat area inside the vehicle 2 can be used to move seats to adjust the riding space, passengers walking inside the vehicle 2, etc.

[0054] The cover 16 can be fixedly connected to the top surface of the second portion 114 of the battery frame 11. For example, a connection hole (e.g., a threaded hole) can be provided on the top surface of the second portion 114, and the cover 16 and the second portion 114 can be fixedly connected by fasteners (e.g., screws) passing through the connection hole. The connection holes can be arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the second portion 114 to improve the connection reliability between the cover 16 and the battery frame 11.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5 , the outer surface of the cover 16 facing away from the battery frame 11 may be further provided with a heat-insulating foam 17 to isolate the external heat of the battery 1 and prevent the external heat from affecting the temperature of the battery 1 .

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, a lug 116 is provided on the edge of the battery frame 11, and a plurality of frame connection holes are provided on the lug 116. The battery frame 11 can be fixedly connected to the frame 22 (see Figure 11) by passing fasteners such as screws through the frame connection holes on the lug 116 on the edge of the battery frame 11. The above-mentioned connection method is convenient for disassembly and assembly, and can achieve rapid disassembly and assembly of the entire battery 1. The above-mentioned battery frame 11 can be fixedly connected to the frame 22 through the frame connection holes, and the battery 1 can be replaced by disassembling and assembling fasteners such as screws. The assembly method of the above-mentioned battery 1 is convenient for disassembly and assembly for shared vehicles, which helps to improve the convenience of repairing and replacing the batteries of shared vehicles.

[0057] The present disclosure further provides a vehicle 2 , which includes the battery 1 .

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the above-mentioned battery 1 can be installed on the frame 22 of the vehicle 2 and located below the cab 21 of the vehicle 2, so that the main area 111 of the battery 1 can obtain a larger installation space and the extended area 112 can obtain an adaptive installation space, which helps to improve the energy storage capacity of the battery 1 and the endurance of the vehicle 2.

[0059] The battery frame 11 includes a main body region 111 and an expansion region 112. The battery cells 12 are assembled in the main body region 111, and the control device 13 is assembled in the expansion region 112. The width of the expansion region 112 is smaller than that of the main body region 111, allowing the expansion region 112 to be installed in a smaller space on the vehicle 2 without occupying the installation space of the main body region 111. This helps to increase the assembly space of the battery cells 12, improve the capacity of the battery 1, and thus enhance the endurance of the vehicle 2.

[0060] It should be noted that the vehicle 2 including the battery 1 may be a shared car, a private car, a truck, a bus, etc., and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0061] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery comprising: A battery frame, including a main area and an expansion area; The extension area protrudes from one end of the main area in the length direction of the battery frame, and the size of the extension area in the width direction of the battery frame is smaller than the size of the main area in the width direction, and the width direction of the battery frame is perpendicular to the length direction of the battery frame; at least one battery unit assembled in the main body area; as well as A control device is assembled in the expansion area.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein The battery frame includes a first portion enclosing the extension area and a second portion enclosing the main body area; The first part includes an end frame parallel to the width direction and a pair of first frames inclined relative to the width direction; The end frame connects the pair of first frames.

3. The battery according to claim 2, wherein One end of the second part includes a second frame with an opening, and the pair of first frames are respectively connected to two ends of the opening of the second frame.

4. The battery according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The end frame is provided with second interfaces, and at least one of the second interfaces is conductively connected to the control device.

5. The battery according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein The first part and / or the second part comprises a profile, and a buffer cavity is arranged in the profile.

6. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The main body area is rectangular; the extended area is trapezoidal.

7. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The main body region is provided with at least one spacer, the spacer divides the main body region into a plurality of first assembly spaces, and each of the battery cells is assembled in one of the first assembly spaces; The main body area is provided with a second assembly space distributed along the length direction at a middle position; the plurality of first assembly spaces are symmetrically arranged relative to the second assembly space.

8. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The battery frame includes a bottom plate and a reinforcing beam arranged on the bottom plate; The reinforcing beam extends along the length direction and includes a first section located in the expansion area and a second section located in the main body area.

9. The battery according to claim 8, further comprising a cooling plate; The cooling plate is disposed on the bottom plate and includes a first area between the battery cell and the bottom plate. and a second region between the control device and the base plate.

10. The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a cover; The cover is assembled on the battery frame and covers the main area and the expansion area; A groove extending along the length direction is provided on a side of the cover body facing away from the battery frame, and a cooling pipe and / or a cable of the battery is accommodated in the groove.

11. The battery according to claim 10, wherein The battery frame includes a second part surrounding the main body area; the cover body is fixedly connected to the top surface of the second part of the battery frame.

12. A vehicle comprising the battery according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The battery is mounted on a frame of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: The edge of the battery frame is provided with a lug, The lug is provided with a plurality of frame connection holes, The battery frame is fixedly connected to the frame of the vehicle through the plurality of frame connection holes.

15. A vehicle according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The battery is located beneath a cab of the vehicle.

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