Insulating member and battery module

Abstract

An insulating member and a battery module. The insulating member comprises an insulating plate (10), which comprises a body (11) and protruding portions (12), wherein the protruding portions (12) are provided at both ends of at least one side surface of the body (11), and a mounting portion (13) is formed at the side of the body (11) close to the protruding portions (12) and between the two protruding portions (12); and a heat insulation plate (20), which is disposed within the mounting portion (13), wherein the height of the side of the heat insulation plate (20) away from the body (11) is lower than the height of the side of the protruding portions (12) away from the body (11).

Description

Insulating components and battery modules

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202421385710.6, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on June 17, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to an insulating component and a battery module. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, battery modules typically include multiple battery cells, end plates, and insulating components. The multiple battery cells are arranged sequentially at intervals along one direction, and two end plates are located at opposite ends of the multiple battery cells in their arrangement direction. The insulating components are disposed between the battery cells and the end plates. Invention Overview

[0004] However, the existing insulation components are tightly bonded to the battery cells. During the battery cell cycle, the cells will expand. This means that the cells closer to the end plate only have expansion space on one side, while the cells closer to the middle have expansion space on both sides. This causes the cells closer to the end plate to degrade too quickly compared to the cells in the middle, resulting in a shortened cycle life of the module and battery pack.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design an insulating component and battery module to address potential technical risks.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an insulating member. The insulating member includes: an insulating plate, the insulating plate including a body and protrusions, the body having protrusions at both ends of at least one side, and the side of the body near the protrusions forming a mounting portion together with the two protrusions; and a heat insulation plate disposed within the mounting portion, the height of the side of the heat insulation plate away from the body being lower than the height of the side of the protrusions away from the body.

[0007] Secondly, this application also provides a battery module. The battery module includes: a cell assembly, comprising a plurality of cells arranged at intervals; two end plates, respectively disposed at both ends of the cell assembly; and the aforementioned insulating member, wherein an insulating member is disposed between the end plates and the cell assembly. Beneficial effects

[0008] The insulating component provided in this application has a heat insulation plate placed inside the mounting section, and the height of the side of the heat insulation plate away from the main body is lower than the height of the side of the protrusion away from the main body. With this arrangement, when the side of the protrusion away from the main body is connected to the cell by the fixing member, there is a gap between the heat insulation plate and the cell. When the cell near the end plate expands, the side of the cell near the end plate can have expansion space, thereby ensuring that there is expansion space on both sides of the cell near the end plate. This makes the attenuation of the cell near the end plate tend to be the same as that of the cell in the middle position, thereby ensuring the consistency of cell attenuation and helping to extend the cycle life of the module and battery pack.

[0009] The battery module provided in this application can ensure the stability of the battery cell assembly during operation by setting an insulating component between the end plate and the battery cell assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the insulating component provided in the embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 is a side view of the insulating component provided in the embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the battery module provided in the embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 3;

[0014] Figure 5 is a side view of the heat insulation component provided in the embodiment;

[0015] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0016] 10. Insulating board; 11. Body; 12. Protrusion; 13. Mounting part;

[0017] 20. Heat insulation board;

[0018] 30. Fasteners;

[0019] 40. Battery cells;

[0020] 50. End plate;

[0021] 60. Thermal insulation component; 61. Thermal insulation sheet; 62. Insulating sheet; 63. Connector; X, width direction. Embodiments of the present invention

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an insulating component, which includes: an insulating plate 10, the insulating plate 10 including a body 11 and protrusions 12, both ends of the body 11 are provided with protrusions 12, and the side of the body 11 near the protrusions 12 and the two protrusions 12 together form a mounting portion 13; and a heat insulation plate 20 disposed in the mounting portion 13, the height of the side of the heat insulation plate 20 away from the body 11 being lower than the height of the side of the protrusions 12 away from the body 11.

[0024] By applying the technical solution of this application, the heat insulation plate 20 is disposed in the mounting part 13, and the height of the side of the heat insulation plate 20 away from the body 11 is lower than the height of the side of the protrusion 12 away from the body 11. With this arrangement, when the side of the protrusion 12 away from the body 11 is connected to the cell 40 through the fastener 30, there is a gap between the heat insulation plate 20 and the cell 40. When the cell 40 near the end plate 50 expands, the side of the cell 40 near the end plate 50 can have expansion space, thereby ensuring that there is expansion space on both sides of the cell 40 near the end plate 50. This makes the attenuation of the cell 40 near the end plate 50 similar to that of the cell 40 in the middle position, thereby ensuring the consistency of the attenuation of the cell 40 and helping to extend the cycle life of the module and battery pack.

[0025] In this application, the fastener 30 is specifically double-sided adhesive, because double-sided adhesive has:

[0026] 1. Strong adhesion: The double-sided tape has excellent adhesion, thus ensuring the connection strength between the insulating parts and the battery cell 40 and the end plate 50.

[0027] 2. Easy to operate: In this application, only one side of the double-sided adhesive needs to be attached to the insulating board 10, and the other side only needs to be attached to the battery cell 40 or the end plate 50 during installation.

[0028] 3. High aesthetic appeal: The adhesive surface of double-sided tape is usually quite smooth, keeping the bonded materials neat and attractive. Furthermore, double-sided tape offers a variety of colors and thicknesses to choose from, allowing for customization to meet specific needs and enhance the overall appearance.

[0029] 4. Lower cost: Compared to other adhesives, double-sided tape is generally more affordable, making it cost-effective. Furthermore, double-sided tape has a longer lifespan, which reduces material storage and production costs.

[0030] 5. Good environmental performance: With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, more and more double-sided tape products are being made with environmentally friendly materials, reducing pollution to the environment.

[0031] In other embodiments of this application, the fastener 30 may also be configured as liquid adhesive or hot melt adhesive.

[0032] Specifically, a protrusion 12 is provided on one side of the insulating member between the end plate 50 and the cell 40. The insulating member also includes a fixing member 30. The fixing member 30 is provided on the side of the body 11 away from the protrusion 12, and the fixing member 30 is provided on the side of the protrusion 12 away from the body 11. The side of the body 11 away from the protrusion 12 is fixedly connected to the battery end plate 50 by the fixing member 30.

[0033] The side of the protrusion 12 furthest from the body 11 is connected to the battery cell 40 via a fastener 30. The height difference between the side of the heat insulation plate 20 furthest from the body 11 and the side of the fastener 30 on the protrusion 12 furthest from the body 11 is H1, where 0mm < H1 ≤ 3mm. When H1 > 3mm, the height difference between the side of the heat insulation plate 20 furthest from the body 11 and the side of the fastener 30 on the protrusion 12 furthest from the body 11 is too large, resulting in an excessively large gap between the heat insulation plate 20 and the battery cell 40. This is detrimental to the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation plate 20 on the battery cell 40, reducing the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation plate 20. Therefore, setting 0mm < H1 ≤ 3mm ensures the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation plate 20 and also ensures that the battery cell 40 near the end plate 50 has a certain expansion space. Optionally, H1 can be set to 1mm, 2mm, or 3mm, etc. The specific setting should be selected according to the usage environment of the device, thus improving the applicability of the device.

[0034] Furthermore, the thickness of the heat insulation board 20 is H2, where 0mm < H2 ≤ 2mm. When H2 > 2mm, the thickness of the heat insulation board 20 is too thick, which would increase the material required for production, thereby increasing the production cost of the structure and making it inconvenient for mass production of the device. Therefore, setting 0mm < H2 ≤ 2mm not only ensures the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation board 20, but also reduces the production cost of the component.

[0035] Specifically, the fixing member 30 on the side of the body 11 away from the protrusion 12 covers the body 11. This arrangement increases the contact area between the insulating member and the end plate 50, thereby improving the connection strength between the insulating member and the end plate 50 and helping to ensure the stability of the device during operation.

[0036] Furthermore, the body 11 and the protrusion 12 are separate structures. In this application, the body 11 is a PC sheet, and the protrusion 12 is a PC strip. PC stands for polycarbonate, which is a thermoplastic engineering plastic with high mechanical, optical, electrical, and thermal properties. Its molecular chain contains carbonate groups, and according to the different ester groups in the molecular structure, it can be divided into aliphatic, alicyclic, and aliphatic-aromatic types, among which aromatic polycarbonate has practical value, and bisphenol A type polycarbonate is the most important.

[0037] PC material possesses excellent heat resistance and a high heat distortion temperature, allowing it to withstand high-temperature environments. While the maximum withstand temperature may vary depending on the specific data, it can generally reach 140°C or even 160°C. This ensures the stability of the device during operation.

[0038] Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the body 11 and the protrusion 12 can also be configured as an integrally molded structure, as long as it meets the usage requirements of the device. Meanwhile, the material of the body 11 and the protrusion 12 can also be PP. PP material, i.e., polypropylene, is a high-performance thermoplastic synthetic resin, a colorless, semi-transparent, lightweight, general-purpose thermoplastic plastic. It has the following significant characteristics:

[0039] 1. Lightweight: PP material has a low density, so it is lightweight, which makes it advantageous in applications that require lightweight materials.

[0040] 2. Heat resistance: PP material has good heat resistance and can withstand high temperatures without easily melting or deforming, which allows it to maintain stable performance in high-temperature environments.

[0041] 3. Corrosion resistance: PP material has good corrosion resistance to many chemicals and solvents, so it can maintain stable performance in a variety of harsh environments.

[0042] 4. Electrical properties: PP material has excellent electrical insulation properties and is suitable for applications in the electrical and electronic fields.

[0043] In addition, PP material has high mechanical strength and good wear resistance, thus meeting the requirements of the equipment.

[0044] Specifically, the insulation panel 20 includes foam or aerogel. The foam can be made of materials such as silicone foam, MPP foam, or XPP foam. Silicone foam is a foam-like organic silicone material formed by the foaming of polysiloxane, possessing excellent properties such as high flame retardancy, aging resistance, super waterproofing, super dustproofing, lightweight, insulation, and resistance to high and low temperatures. Its service life is 3-5 times that of traditional foam materials, and it is also significantly superior to traditional foam materials in terms of comfort, foam density, and environmental friendliness. Silicone foam is widely used in sealing lithium battery boxes and damping the bottom of new energy vehicles, as well as in damping materials for liquid cooling systems in new energy vehicles, supporting and damping high-speed rail suspended floors, lightweight sealing materials for aerospace, and sealing instruments such as 5G signal towers. Furthermore, in the construction field, silicone foam is widely used due to its excellent sound insulation, shock resistance, and waterproofing properties.

[0045] MPP foam, or polypropylene microporous foam material, has a pore size of less than 100 micrometers, or even more strictly defined as a pore size of less than 10 micrometers, and a pore density greater than 10 to the power of 9 pores per cubic centimeter. Due to its lightweight, heat insulation, sound absorption, shock absorption, corrosion resistance, and low thermal conductivity, MPP foam is widely used in various industrial products, consumer goods, and building materials.

[0046] Aerogel is a novel nanoscale porous solid material in which the combined volume of all its pores accounts for the vast majority of its total volume, sometimes exceeding 99%. This material possesses unique microstructural characteristics such as high specific surface area, high porosity, nanoscale pores, and low density. Furthermore, it exhibits chemical stability, low thermal conductivity, high temperature resistance, high elasticity, strong adsorption, good waterproofing, a wide operating temperature range, and a long lifespan.

[0047] There are various methods for preparing aerogels, including the sol-gel method, supercritical drying, gel casting, vacuum impregnation, and vapor deposition. Among these, the sol-gel method is one of the most commonly used. Supercritical drying can effectively prevent the shrinkage and pore collapse of the sol-gel, resulting in highly porous aerogels.

[0048] Aerogels have a wide range of applications. In environmental remediation, they can be used for oil-water separation, water treatment, and air purification, such as treating industrial wastewater and purifying indoor air of harmful substances. In sound insulation, due to their porous structure and low density, aerogels can be used to manufacture sound insulation panels and sound processing equipment. Furthermore, aerogels can be combined with other materials to create lightweight composite materials for use in the automotive and aerospace industries to reduce material weight. In the protection of electronic devices, aerogels can be used to reduce the effects of temperature changes and vibrations on electronic components. In the biomedical field, aerogels can be applied to drug delivery, tissue engineering, and artificial organs.

[0049] Therefore, the heat insulation plate 20 is made of the above-mentioned materials, which can not only meet the heat insulation function of the cell 40, reduce the heat transfer from the cell 40 to the end plate 50, and improve the temperature difference between the cell 40 on the end plate 50 side and the cell 40 in the middle of the module, but also reduce the production cost of the module.

[0050] Specifically, the extension length of the protrusion 12 along the width direction of the body 11 is less than or equal to the width of the body 11. This arrangement not only enables the protrusion 12 to meet the requirements of the insulating component, but also reduces the material required for the production of the protrusion 12 to a certain extent, thereby reducing the production cost of the component and facilitating the mass production of the component.

[0051] Furthermore, the protrusions 12 may have a multi-segment structure and be spaced apart along the width direction of the body 11, or the protrusions 12 may be a one-piece molded structure. This configuration allows the structure of the protrusions 12 to be set according to different environments for the insulating component, thereby improving the applicability and scope of application of the insulating component.

[0052] Specifically, protrusions 12 are provided on both sides of the insulating member between two adjacent battery cells 40. The insulating member also includes a fixing member 30, which is provided on the side of the protrusion 12 away from the main body 11. By setting the above structure, when the battery cell 40 expands, the insulating member can provide expansion space for the battery cell 40 in time, thereby absorbing part of the expansion force of the battery cell 40, reducing the probability of structural damage to the insulating member, and thus extending the service life of the insulating member.

[0053] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a battery module, the battery module including: a cell 40 assembly including a plurality of cells 40 arranged at intervals; two end plates 50 respectively disposed at both ends of the cell 40 assembly; and the aforementioned insulating member, wherein an insulating member is disposed between the end plates 50 and the cell 40 assembly.

[0054] Furthermore, the battery module also includes a heat insulation component 60, which is provided between the end plate 50 and the battery cell 40 and / or between two adjacent battery cells 40. This arrangement can ensure the heat insulation effect of the battery cell 40, thereby helping to maintain the stability of the device during operation.

[0055] Specifically, the heat insulation component 60 includes: a heat insulation sheet 61; an insulating sheet 62, wherein the heat insulation sheet 61 is provided on both sides of the corresponding battery cell 40, and the insulating sheet 62 is located at both ends of each side of the heat insulation sheet 61, and a connector 63 is provided on the side of the insulating sheet 62 away from the heat insulation sheet 61; wherein the heat insulation component 60 is connected to two adjacent battery cells 40 through the connector 63.

[0056] In one embodiment, the sum of the heights of the insulating sheet 62 and the connector 63 on the same side is H3, where 0 mm < H3 ≤ 3 mm, and the height of the heat insulation sheet 61 is H4, where 1 mm ≤ H4 ≤ 4 mm. In this application, H1 equals H3. This arrangement ensures that the expansion space on both sides of the cell 40 near the end plate 50 is the same as that on both sides of the cell 40 located in the middle position, which is beneficial for extending the cycle life of the device.

[0057] Furthermore, the heat insulation component 60 disposed between the end plate 50 and the battery cell 40 includes: a heat insulation sheet 61; and an insulating sheet 62. The heat insulation sheet 61 has insulating sheets 62 disposed at both ends corresponding to one end of the battery cell 40. Connectors 63 are disposed on both the side of the insulating sheet 62 away from the heat insulation sheet 61 and the side of the heat insulation sheet 61 near the end plate 50. This arrangement not only ensures the stability of the connection between the heat insulation component 60 and the end plate 50, but also provides expansion space for the battery cell 40, thereby absorbing some of the expansion force of the battery cell 40, reducing the probability of structural damage to the heat insulation component 60, and thus extending the service life of the heat insulation component 60.

[0058] In this application, in order to ensure that the expansion space of all cells 40 in the battery module at the end of the life is consistent, it is necessary to ensure that the thickness of the heat insulation plate 20 of the insulation sheet 62 at the end of the life is H3 * the compression rate of the heat insulation plate 20 Y% = half the thickness of the heat insulation component 60 H4 / 2 * the compression rate of the heat insulation sheet 61 X.

[0059] By applying the technical solution of this application, the heat insulation plate 20 is disposed in the mounting part 13, and the height of the side of the heat insulation plate 20 away from the body 11 is lower than the height of the side of the protrusion 12 away from the body 11. With this arrangement, when the side of the protrusion 12 away from the body 11 is connected to the cell 40 through the fastener 30, there is a gap between the heat insulation plate 20 and the cell 40. When the cell 40 near the end plate 50 expands, the side of the cell 40 near the end plate 50 can have expansion space, thereby ensuring that there is expansion space on both sides of the cell 40 near the end plate 50. This makes the attenuation of the cell 40 near the end plate 50 similar to that of the cell 40 in the middle position, thereby ensuring the consistency of the attenuation of the cell 40 and helping to extend the cycle life of the module and battery pack.

[0060] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0061] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0062] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0063] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0064] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An insulating element, said insulating element comprising: An insulating board, the insulating board including a body and protrusions, the body having protrusions at both ends of at least one side, and the side of the body near the protrusions forming a mounting portion together with the two protrusions; A heat insulation plate is disposed within the mounting portion, wherein the height of the side of the heat insulation plate away from the body is lower than the height of the side of the protrusion away from the body.

2. The insulating element according to claim 1, wherein, The protrusion is provided on one side of the insulating member disposed between the end plate and the battery cell. The insulating member also includes a fixing member. The fixing member is provided on the side of the body away from the protrusion, and the fixing member is provided on the side of the protrusion away from the body.

3. The insulating element according to claim 2, wherein, The height difference between the side of the heat insulation plate away from the main body and the side of the fastener located on the protrusion away from the main body is H1, and the thickness of the heat insulation plate is H2, 0mm < H1 ≤ 3mm and / or 0mm < H2 ≤ 2mm.

4. The insulating element according to claim 2, wherein, A fastener on the side of the body away from the protrusion covers the body.

5. The insulating element according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The main body and the protrusion are either separate structures or integrally formed structures.

6. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The insulation panel includes foam or aerogel.

7. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The extension length of the protrusion along the width direction of the body is less than or equal to the width of the body.

8. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The protrusion may have a multi-segment structure and be spaced apart along the width direction of the body, or the protrusion may be an integrally formed structure.

9. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The insulating member disposed between two adjacent battery cells has protrusions on both sides. The insulating member also includes a fixing member, which is disposed on the side of the protrusion away from the main body.

10. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The fastener includes double-sided adhesive.

11. The insulating element according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The main body is a PC board, and the protrusion is a PC strip.

12. A battery module, wherein, The battery module includes: A battery cell assembly, comprising multiple battery cells arranged at intervals; Two end plates are respectively disposed at both ends of the battery cell assembly; The insulating member as described in any one of claims 1-11, wherein the insulating member is disposed between the end plate and the cell assembly.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein, The battery module also includes a heat insulation component, which is provided between the end plate and the battery cell and / or between two adjacent battery cells.

14. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein, The heat insulation element disposed between two adjacent battery cells includes: Heat insulation sheet; An insulating sheet is provided on both sides of the heat insulation sheet corresponding to the battery cell, and the insulating sheet is located at both ends of each side of the heat insulation sheet. A connector is provided on the side of the insulating sheet away from the heat insulation sheet. The heat insulation component is connected to two adjacent battery cells via the connector.

15. The battery module according to claim 14, wherein, The sum of the heights of the insulating sheet and the connector on the same side is H3, where 0mm < H3 ≤ 3mm, and the height of the heat insulation sheet is H4, where 1mm ≤ H4 ≤ 4mm.

16. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein the heat insulation member disposed between the end plate and the cell comprises: Heat insulation sheet; An insulating sheet is provided on both ends of the heat insulation sheet corresponding to one side of the battery cell. Connectors are provided on both the side of the insulating sheet away from the heat insulation sheet and the side of the heat insulation sheet close to the end plate.

17. The battery module according to claim 15, wherein, H1=H3.

Images