Module for the manufacture of battery packs of cylindrical cells without welding

Abstract

The invention in question, within the field of battery pack manufacturing, is a housing module for four cylindrical cells also equipped with grooves for the insertion of strips of conductive material in order to create the desired series / parallel connections between the cells. The battery pack, consisting of two opposing modules between which the cells are housed, is then completed by inserting screws that compress the strips on each base of the cells to ensure electrical continuity and a containment bar with locking functions. The use of the module, also replicated in the two planar directions to obtain any size of the battery, allows for particularly simple and solderless manufacturing, the simple use of multiple overlapping strips and, in the event of dismantling the pack, the recovery of the still useful cells without any sign of soldering.

Description

[0001] Module for the manufacture of battery packs of cylindrical cells without welding DESCRIPTION

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention refers to the field of components useful for the manufacture of batteries of cylindrical cells.

[0004] BACKGROUND ART

[0005] To the best of the inventor's knowledge, the manufacture of batteries for general purposes starting from cylindrical cells can also occur by arranging a certain number of cells side by side along the cylindrical wall according to a grid, generally triangular or square, to obtain the desired geometries and performances. Maintaining the cells in the correct position, when not done with appropriate housings, is ensured by packaging the cells with heat-shrinkable sheaths or even by perforated grids, composable with interlocking pieces, which thanks to containment supports block the cells in their position. The electrical connections, if not made with shaped metal bars, are created by welding nickel strips (or other conductive material) to the poles of the cells for the specific series / parallel connections.

[0006] DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0007] Technical problem

[0008] In the case of using nickel strips, particularly appreciated for its construction simplicity, these must be welded on both bases of the cylindrical cell which will therefore always bear the mark. Furthermore, welding must be carried out with the utmost care and the connections with the battery management system or “BMS” must be welded with the same care in each section connected in series. It should also be noted that the cell pack held together with the interlocking grids is not stable since there is no locking element. Therefore, once formed, the pack must be moved with automatic equipment or with the use of bindings to keep it compact.

[0009] All this leads to critical issues in the manufacture of the battery and further difficulties in the case of using multiple overlapping nickel strips to increase the section of the conductor with the passage of high currents.

[0010] Finally, it is difficult to recover the still usable cells without damage in the case of dismantling the pack due to an overall loss of performance beyond the acceptable measure.

[0011] Proposed solution

[0012] The device that is intended to be patented, identifiable as a "Module for the manufacture of battery packs of cylindrical cells without welding", is made up of two overlapping square plates, one of which, the “scheme plate”, is appropriately configured with contour supports to rigidly contain four cylindrical cells in circular seats and the other, the “containment plate”, is appropriately configured with a spacer support. The two plates of the module are also equipped with five holes, four of which threaded at the center of the circular seats and one at the center point of the square plates, intersection of the two diagonals.

[0013] Between each pair of circular seats housing the cells in the “scheme plate”, a groove is made for the insertion of the nickel strips to be electrically connected to the bases of the cells, according to the desired series / parallel configuration.

[0014] ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0015] The adoption of the module described here allows obtaining several advantages:

[0016] 1) it is possible to insert multiple nickel strips, to obtain the desired conductor section, without carrying out any welding;

[0017] 2) the connections with the battery management system can be made without welding;

[0018] 3) the module can be replicated in the two planar directions until the desired series / parallel geometry is obtained and manufactured as a single solid plate for the safe containment of the cylindrical cells in order to create a battery pack that can be handled safely;

[0019] 4) in the event of a negative test of the battery pack, the two modules that form it can be dismantled, recovering all the cells that are still suitable, which will be completely intact and usable as new, subject to further quality controls;

[0020] 5) the manufacture of the battery is simplified.

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The three attached drawings show different views of the device. In particular:

[0023] Fig. 1 : view of the raised side (LR1) of the “scheme plate” (P1) with indication of the contour supports (SC), the circular seats (Cl) and the section line (AA) shown in Fig. 3;

[0024] Fig. 2: view of the smooth side (LL1) of the “scheme plate” (P1);

[0025] Fig. 3: section view (AA) of the “scheme plate” (P1) with indication of the contour supports (SC);

[0026] Fig. 4: view of the raised side (LR2) of the “containment plate” (P2) with indication of the spacer support (SD) and the section line (BB) shown in Fig. 6;

[0027] Fig. 5: view of the smooth side (LL2) of the “containment plate” (P2);

[0028] Fig. 6: sectional view (BB) of the “containment plate” (P2) with indication of the spacer support (SD);

[0029] Fig. 7: side view of the battery pack with indication of the section (CC) of the “scheme plate” (P1 ), the section (DD) of the “containment plate” (P2), the conductive screws (VC) and the nickel strips (ST);

[0030] Fig. 8: side view of the battery pack with indication of the containment bar (BC), with the insertion direction, the fixing nuts (DF), the section (EE) of the “scheme plate” (P1), the section (FF) of the “containment plate” (P2), the nickel strips (ST) and the cavity (IN);

[0031] Fig. 9: view (as Fig. 1) of a plate formed by a set of nine “scheme plates” (P1) for a battery pack of 36 cells.

[0032] BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0033] The invention is translated into reality by manufacturing the two plates constituting the module and using them for the construction of batteries of cylindrical cells that can be made with the following steps:

[0034] 1) insertion of the nickel strips (ST) in the grooves obtained between the contour supports (SC) that enclose the circular seats (Cl) of the “scheme plate” (P1) of each module;

[0035] 2) insertion of the cells between the two opposing “scheme plates” (P1) of each of the two modules;

[0036] 3) application of the two “containment plates” (P2) to the free side of each “scheme plate” (P1);

[0037] 4) insertion of the containment bar (BC) in the central hole of the four plates of the two modules and fixing it with two nuts (DF) at its ends;

[0038] 5) insertion of conductive screws (VC), even of normal carbon steel, in each of the eight threaded holes, four for each module, at the center of the circular seats (Cl) to compress the nickel strips (ST) on the base of the cells until the electrical connection is created;

[0039] 6) insertion of the electrical conductors of the battery management module into the gap (IN) existing between the two plates of each module and their connection, with an appropriate joint, to the conductive screws (VC).

[0040] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0041] As is already obvious from the description and the nature of the invention, with the module described here a battery pack of cylindrical cells of any size is created simply and without welding using simple conductive strips without any invasive action on the cells.

Claims

CLAIMS (9)1. Module for cylindrical cell battery packs consisting of:• a square plate here called “scheme plate” (P1), drilled at the intersection of the diagonals, smooth on one side (LL1) and on the other side (LR1) equipped with contour supports (SC) forming four circular seats (Cl) connected in the same plane through grooves in the contour supports (SC), having each circular seat (Cl) a threaded through hole in the center• a square plate here called “containment plate” (P2) with a perimeter equal to that of the “scheme plate” (P1), drilled at the intersection of the diagonals and in correspondence with the center of each of the four circular seats (Cl) of the “scheme plate” (P1), smooth on one side (LL2) and on the other side (LR2) equipped with a spacer support (SD) at the intersection of the diagonals, with a through hole in the center, coupled with the side (LR2) equipped with the spacer support (SD) adhering to the smooth side (LL1) of the “scheme plate” (P1)2. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the contour supports (SC) of the “scheme plate” (P1) have a height between 0.3 and 3 centimeters3. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the circular seats (Cl) have a diameter between 1 and 4 centimeters4. Module according to claim 1. characterized in that the grooves between the contour supports (SC) have a width between 0.1 and 1.5 centimeters5. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the threaded through holes of the “scheme plate” (P1) in correspondence with the center of each of the four circular seats (Cl) have a diameter between 0.2 and 0.8 centimeters6. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the spacer support (SD) of the “containment plate” (P2) has a height between 0.3 and 1.5 centimeters7. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the through holes of the “containment plate” (P2) in correspondence with the center of each of the four circular seats (Cl) of the ’’scheme plate” (P1) have a diameter between 0.3 and 1.5 centimeters8. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the hole at the intersection of the diagonals of the “containment plate” (P2) has a diameter between 0.2 and 1.5 centimeters9. Module according to claim 1. characterized by the fact that the distance between the centers of adjacent circular seats (Cl) included in modules placed side by side up to 50 times in the two planar directions is equal to the distance between the centers of the circular seats (Cl) of the single module.

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