Battery pack structure and vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicles, and provides a battery pack structure and a vehicle. The battery pack structure comprises a battery casing and a battery cell assembly arranged within the battery casing. The battery casing comprises an upper cover body, a lower cover body, a front side beam, a rear side beam, and two side beams. One of the side beam and the side edge of the upper cover body is provided with a first insertion portion, and the other is provided with a first insertion slot. The first insertion portion is inserted into the first insertion slot and is fixed. One of the front side beam and the rear side beam is provided with a second insertion portion, and the other is provided with a second insertion slot. One of two ends of the upper cover body is provided with a third insertion portion, and the other end is provided with a third insertion slot. The second insertion portion is inserted into the third insertion slot and is fixed, and the third insertion portion is inserted into the second insertion slot and is fixed. The battery pack structure of the present application improves the strength of the battery pack casing and reduces manufacturing costs.

Description

A battery pack structure and a vehicle

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024114549060, filed on October 17, 2024, entitled “A Battery Pack Structure and Vehicle”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to, but is not limited to, the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a battery pack structure and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of new energy vehicles, significant progress has been made in technological advancement and market penetration in recent years. Battery technology, as a core component of electric vehicles, is also undergoing continuous innovation and optimization.

[0004] Battery pack technology is evolving from cell-to-pack (CTP) to cell-to-body (CTB) integrated battery packs. In CTB, the vehicle floor is eliminated; the battery pack's top cover serves as both the floor and integrated seat crossbeams, simplifying the vehicle's structural components. The battery pack's side beams are welded to the top cover and then connected to the bottom cover to form the battery pack's housing.

[0005] However, in the aforementioned battery pack casing, the side beams of the battery pack are directly welded and fixed to the top cover plate of the battery pack. Weak points are prone to appear at the weld points, which can lead to damage to the battery pack. Summary of the Invention

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

[0007] This application provides a battery pack structure and vehicle to solve the problem that when the side beams of the battery pack are directly welded and fixed to the top cover plate of the battery pack, weak points are easily found at the welding points, which can lead to damage to the battery pack.

[0008] On the one hand, this application provides a battery pack structure, including a battery housing and a cell assembly disposed within the battery housing;

[0009] The battery casing includes an upper cover, a lower cover, a front beam, a rear beam, and two side beams;

[0010] One of the side beams and the side of the upper cover is provided with a first insertion part, and the other is provided with a first insertion groove. The first insertion part is inserted into the first insertion groove and fixed.

[0011] One of the front beam and the rear beam is provided with a second insertion part, and the other is provided with a second insertion groove. One end of the upper cover is provided with a third insertion part, and the other end is provided with a third insertion groove. The second insertion part is inserted into the third insertion groove and fixed. The third insertion part is inserted into the second insertion groove and fixed.

[0012] The front beam, the rear beam, and the two side beams are respectively connected to the lower cover and together with the upper cover, form a cavity for installing the battery cell assembly.

[0013] In some embodiments, the upper cover includes a plurality of upper cover plates, one side of which is provided with a third insertion part and the other side is provided with a third insertion groove. The third insertion part on the upper cover plate is inserted into the third insertion groove of the adjacent upper cover plate, so that the plurality of upper cover plates are sequentially spliced ​​to form the upper cover.

[0014] In some embodiments, a seat crossbeam is provided on the upper cover, and the seat crossbeam is integrally formed with the upper cover plate at the corresponding position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the lower cover body includes a plurality of lower cover plates, one side of which is provided with a third insertion part and the other side is provided with a third insertion groove. The third insertion part on the lower cover plate is inserted into the third insertion groove of the adjacent lower cover plate, and the plurality of lower cover plates are sequentially spliced ​​to form the lower cover body.

[0016] In some embodiments, the upper cover plate, the lower cover plate, the front beam, the rear beam, and the two side beams are all formed by extrusion of aluminum profiles.

[0017] In some embodiments, the side beam includes a first transverse portion, a first longitudinal portion, and a first connecting portion. The first longitudinal portion is disposed at the bottom of the first transverse portion and is connected to the upper cover. The first longitudinal portion is connected to the lower cover. The first connecting portion is disposed on the side of the first longitudinal portion away from the battery cell assembly for connection to the sill beam. The seat crossbeam extends onto the first transverse portion for proximity to the sill beam. Both the first longitudinal portion and the first connecting portion have multiple cavities, and the wall thickness of the first connecting portion and the first longitudinal portion increases toward the battery cell assembly.

[0018] In some embodiments, a diagonal brace is provided between the first longitudinal portion and the first transverse portion, and the wall thickness of the diagonal brace is greater than the wall thickness of the first longitudinal portion.

[0019] The diagonal bracing includes a first inclined side, a second inclined side, and a horizontal bracing rib. The first inclined side is disposed on the first transverse portion, and the second inclined side is disposed on the first longitudinal portion. The first inclined side and the second inclined side are connected, and the angle between the first inclined side and the first longitudinal portion is smaller than the angle between the second inclined side and the first longitudinal portion. The horizontal bracing rib is disposed on the first longitudinal portion and connected at the connection between the first inclined side and the second inclined side.

[0020] In some embodiments, the front beam includes a cell expansion beam, a transfer beam, and a connecting beam; the cell expansion beam includes a second transverse portion and a second longitudinal portion, the second longitudinal portion being disposed at the bottom of the second transverse portion and connected to the upper cover, and the side of the second transverse portion away from the cell assembly being connected to the connecting beam; the transfer beam is disposed between the second longitudinal portion and the connecting beam, and is connected to both the second longitudinal portion and the connecting beam; the connecting beam is connected to the lower cover.

[0021] In some embodiments, a guide ramp is provided on the connecting beam. The guide ramp is located at the end of the connecting beam away from the battery cell assembly, and the end of the guide ramp near the battery cell assembly is inclined toward the ground. The guide ramp corresponds to the force transmission point of the vehicle's subframe.

[0022] In some embodiments, multiple transfer beams are provided, and through holes are provided in the transfer beams, with the through holes arranged along the length direction of the vehicle.

[0023] On the other hand, this application provides a vehicle including a vehicle body and a battery pack structure disposed on the vehicle body.

[0024] This application provides a battery pack structure and vehicle. The battery pack housing includes an upper cover, a lower cover, a front side beam, a rear side beam, and two side beams. A first insertion part is provided on one of the side beams and the upper cover, and a first insertion groove is provided on the other. The first insertion part is inserted into the first insertion groove. Then, the front side beam and the rear side beam are also connected to the upper cover by insertion before being fixed. This means that the front side beam, the rear side beam, and the two side beams of the battery pack housing are all connected to the upper cover by insertion before being fixed, which reduces the weak points that are easy to be generated when directly welding and fixing in the traditional way, improves the stability of the connection, and reduces the damage to the battery pack when it is subjected to impact. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0026] Figure 1 is an exploded structural diagram of the battery pack structure provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure of the side beams in Figure 1;

[0028] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure of the front beam in Figure 1;

[0029] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure of the rear beam in Figure 1;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structural connection structure of the upper cover in Figure 1;

[0031] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upper cover in Figure 1;

[0032] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the seat crossbeam in Figure 1;

[0033] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure of the upper cover plate in Figure 1;

[0034] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of the lower cover in Figure 1;

[0035] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the lower cover in Figure 1;

[0036] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the front beam and the vehicle in Figure 1;

[0037] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the front beam of the battery pack in Figure 1.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100, Battery casing; 110, Upper cover; 111, Upper cover plate; 112, Battery service port; 120, Lower cover; 121, Lower cover plate; 130, Front beam; 131, Cell expansion beam; 1311, Second transverse section; 1312, Second longitudinal section; 132, Transfer beam; 133, Connecting beam; 1331, Third transverse section; 1332, Third longitudinal section; 1333, Guide slope; 1334, Diagonal brace; 140, Rear beam; 150, Side beam; 151, First transverse section; 152, First longitudinal section; 153, First connecting section; 154, Diagonal brace; 1541, First inclined side; 1542, Second inclined side; 1543, Horizontal brace; 161. First plug-in part; 162. First plug-in slot; 163. Third plug-in part; 164. Third plug-in slot; 165. Second plug-in part; 166. Second plug-in slot; 170. Seat crossbeam; 200. Battery cell assembly.

[0039] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "fixation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0044] With the development of new energy vehicles, significant progress has been made in technological advancement and market penetration in recent years. Battery technology, as a core component of electric vehicles, is also undergoing continuous innovation and optimization.

[0045] Battery pack technology is evolving from cell-to-pack (CTP) to cell-to-body (CTB) integrated battery packs. In CTB, the vehicle floor is eliminated; the battery pack's top cover serves as both the floor and integrated seat crossbeams, simplifying the vehicle's structural components. The battery pack's side beams are welded to the top cover and then connected to the bottom cover to form the battery pack's housing.

[0046] However, in the aforementioned battery pack casing, the side beams of the battery pack are directly welded and fixed to the top cover plate of the battery pack. Weak points are prone to appear at the weld points, which can lead to damage to the battery pack.

[0047] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a battery pack structure and vehicle. The battery pack housing includes an upper cover, a lower cover, a front side beam, a rear side beam, and two side beams. A first insertion part is provided on one of the side beams and the upper cover, and a first insertion groove is provided on the other. The first insertion part is inserted into the first insertion groove. Then, the front side beam and the rear side beam are also first connected to the upper cover by insertion before being fixed. This ensures that the front side beam, rear side beam, and two side beams of the battery pack housing are first connected to the upper cover by insertion before being fixed, reducing the weak points that are easily generated in traditional direct welding, improving the stability of the connection, and reducing damage to the battery pack when subjected to impact.

[0048] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] On one hand, this application provides a battery pack structure. Referring to Figures 1 to 12, the battery pack structure includes a battery housing 100 and a cell assembly 200 disposed within the battery housing 100.

[0050] The battery casing 100 includes an upper cover 110, a lower cover 120, a front beam 130, a rear beam 140, and two side beams 150.

[0051] One of the side beams 150 and the upper cover 110 is provided with a first insertion part 161, and the other is provided with a first insertion groove 162. The first insertion part 161 is inserted into the first insertion groove 162 and fixed.

[0052] One of the front beam 130 and the rear beam 140 is provided with a second insertion part 165, and the other is provided with a second insertion groove 166. One end of the upper cover 110 is provided with a third insertion part 163, and the other end is provided with a third insertion groove 164. The second insertion part 165 is inserted into the third insertion groove 164 and fixed, and the third insertion part 163 is inserted into the second insertion groove 166 and fixed.

[0053] The front beam 130, the rear beam 140 and the two side beams 150 are connected to the lower cover 120 respectively, and together with the upper cover 110, they form a cavity for installing the battery cell assembly 200.

[0054] For example, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the upper cover 110 has first insertion slots 162 on both sides, and the side beam 150 has first insertion portions 161 on its side. The first insertion portions 161 on the side beam 150 are inserted into the first insertion slots 162 of the upper cover 110, thereby achieving a preliminary connection between the upper cover 110 and the side beam 150. The upper cover 110 and the side beam 150 are then welded and fixed together. In other embodiments, the first insertion slots 162 can also be provided on the side beam 150, and the first insertion portions 161 can be provided on the upper cover 110; this will not be elaborated further here.

[0055] The first insertion part 161 is a protrusion structure, and the first insertion groove 162 is a recess adapted to the first insertion part 161. During welding, friction stir welding and CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) welding are used on both sides. At the welding point, the first insertion part 161 is inserted into the first insertion groove 162. Compared to direct welding between two planes, the insertion method has a positioning function, facilitating the installation between the side beam 150 and the upper cover 110; reducing deformation and stress concentration; and reducing chemical reactions during welding after insertion, thereby reducing the risk of corrosion and hot cracking. It also reduces potential defects during welding, such as undercut, weld beads, pits, incomplete welds, and burn-through. Furthermore, it is simpler than direct welding, improving welding efficiency.

[0056] For example, referring to Figures 1 and 3, the front beam 130 is provided with a second insertion part 165, the rear beam 140 is provided with a second insertion groove 166, and one end of the upper cover 110 is provided with a third insertion part 163 and the other end is provided with a third insertion groove 164. The second insertion part 165 is inserted into the third insertion groove 164 and then welded to fix it, so as to achieve the connection and fixation between the front beam 130 and the upper cover 110; the third insertion part 163 is inserted into the second insertion groove 166 and then welded to fix it, so as to achieve the connection and fixation between the rear beam 140 and the upper cover 110. In other embodiments, the second insertion part 165 can also be provided on the rear beam 140 and the second insertion groove 166 can be provided on the front beam 130, which will not be described in detail here.

[0057] The second insertion part 165 and the third insertion part 163 are both protrusions, the same as the first insertion part 161. The third insertion groove 164 and the second insertion groove 166 are both grooves, the same as the first insertion groove 162. This allows the front beam 130 and the rear beam 140 to have the advantage of being fixed by insertion before welding during the welding process with the upper cover 110, thereby reducing welding defects and the formation of weak points.

[0058] Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the rear beam 140 and the upper cover 110 are connected and fixed by the third insertion slot 164 and the second insertion part 165. The rear beam 140 and the lower cover 120 are fixed by bolts.

[0059] The battery cell assembly 200 includes a mica sheet, a battery cell, a water-cooling system, and a control system. In this application, the battery cell is arranged in an inverted manner. The mica sheet is mounted on the lower cover 120, the battery cell is inverted on the mica sheet, and the water-cooling system is mounted on the battery cell. The battery cell assembly 200 is installed in the cavity formed by the upper cover 110, the lower cover 120, the front beam 130, the rear beam 140, and the two side beams 150. The battery cell can be a prismatic cell or a cylindrical cell, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0060] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1, 5, 6 and 8, the upper cover 110 includes a plurality of upper cover plates 111. A third insertion portion 163 is provided on one side of the upper cover plate 111, and a third insertion groove 164 is provided on the other side. The third insertion portion 163 on the upper cover plate 111 is inserted into the third insertion groove 164 of the adjacent upper cover plate 111, so that the plurality of upper cover plates 111 are sequentially spliced ​​to form the upper cover 110.

[0061] The length of the upper cover plate 111 is arranged along the width of the vehicle. Multiple upper cover plates 111 are spliced ​​together to form an upper cover body 110, and are welded and fixed by friction stir welding and CMT welding.

[0062] The upper cover 110 is provided with a seat crossbeam 170, which is integrally formed with the upper cover plate 111 at the corresponding position.

[0063] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 9 and 10, the lower cover 120 includes a plurality of lower cover plates 121. A third insertion portion 163 is provided on one side of the lower cover plate 121, and a third insertion groove 164 is provided on the other side. The third insertion portion 163 on the lower cover plate 121 is inserted into the third insertion groove 164 of the adjacent lower cover plate 121. The plurality of lower cover plates 121 are sequentially spliced ​​to form the lower cover 120.

[0064] The lower cover plate 121 is positioned along the width of the vehicle. Multiple lower cover plates 121 are sequentially assembled to form a lower cover body 120, and then welded together using friction stir welding and CMT welding. The lower cover plate 121 and the upper cover plate 111 have the same width, allowing the upper cover plate 111 and the lower cover plate 121 to be interchangeable in areas where structures such as the seat crossbeam 170 are not located. This means that the same template is used for manufacturing, reducing the number of templates and lowering costs.

[0065] In some embodiments, the upper cover plate 111, the lower cover plate 121, the front beam 130, the rear beam 140, and the two side beams 150 are all formed by extrusion of aluminum profiles.

[0066] The upper cover plate 111 and lower cover plate 121 are formed by extruding aluminum profiles. Compared with stamped steel parts, aluminum profiles are lighter, which helps to reduce the weight of the battery pack and the vehicle. Furthermore, the extruded upper cover plate 111 and lower cover plate 121 have the same cross-section, and their lengths can be changed according to actual needs. Alternatively, the upper cover plate 111 and lower cover plate 121 can be manufactured to their maximum length, and then the excess parts can be cut off by machining. The machining process is also relatively simple.

[0067] The extrusion dies for the aluminum profiles of the upper cover plate 111 and the lower cover plate 121 are less expensive and have a shorter mold opening time compared to large stamping dies. Furthermore, the extrusion dies can be modified according to the needs of the battery pack, and different dies can be manufactured, which is far less expensive than the manufacturing cost of large stamping dies.

[0068] Both the upper cover plate 111 and the lower cover plate 121 have multiple cavities, which are evenly distributed in a single row.

[0069] The cavity design helps to reduce the weight of the upper cover 111 and lower cover 121 while maintaining strength. This reduces the weight of the battery pack and the vehicle. Furthermore, the cavities within the upper cover 111 and lower cover 121 can only be formed by extruding aluminum profiles; traditional sheet metal stamping of the battery pack casing cannot create cavities within the casing. It exhibits excellent performance in side pole impact tests, with minimal deformation while withstanding forces exceeding 900KN transmitted by a side pole impact, thus better protecting the internal structure of the battery pack.

[0070] The cavity is aligned with the length of the upper cover plate 111 and the lower cover plate 121, so that the length of the cavity inside the cover is perpendicular to the length of the vehicle. The two ends of the cavity are perpendicular to the direction of vehicle travel, thereby reducing the whistling effect generated inside the cavity during vehicle travel and reducing noise generation.

[0071] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the seat crossbeam 170 and the upper cover plate 111 are integrally extruded, resulting in a more stable connection between them. Compared to a welded structure, the integrally formed seat crossbeam 170 has higher strength. Furthermore, by using aluminum profile extrusion molding, the seat crossbeam 170 is lighter, reducing the vehicle's weight. Moreover, due to the characteristics of extrusion molding, both the seat crossbeam 170 and the cover plate can have corresponding cavity structures, further improving the strength of the seat crossbeam 170, thereby increasing the strength of the upper cover 110.

[0072] For example, the upper cover 110 includes six upper cover plates 111 sequentially spliced ​​together, wherein the seat crossbeam 170 is located on the second, third, and fifth upper cover plates 111 in the direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle. The three seat crossbeams 170 can all be set to the same seating height and shape, requiring only the design of two types of upper cover plate 111 molds: one with the seat crossbeam 170 and the other with only the upper cover plate 111.

[0073] The three seat crossbeams 170 can also be set to different sitting heights or shapes. Only four types of upper cover plate 111 molds need to be designed. Three of them have seat crossbeams 170 with different postures, and the last one only has an upper cover plate 111.

[0074] The 170mm side of the seat beam facing the front of the vehicle is a front sloping surface. The front sloping surface has a certain angle of inclination with the vertical direction. The front sloping surface is parallel to the central tunnel surface of the vehicle and retains a certain installation and buffer space. Its main function is to resist the collision force transmitted by the front collision of the whole vehicle. It first absorbs energy through the installation and buffer space, and then resists it after fitting together.

[0075] The seat crossbeam 170 has multiple cavities in its cross-section, providing high rigidity to resist the impact force transmitted through the central tunnel in a frontal collision. These cavities are arranged along the length of the seat crossbeam 170. In a side pole impact scenario, these cavities help resist and absorb the impact force transmitted from the side pole. The front sloping surface of the seat crossbeam 170 is designed to increase the contact area with the sill beam, preventing deformation of the seat crossbeam 170.

[0076] The seat crossbeam 170 has some cutouts, which are formed by cutting after the one-piece seat crossbeam 170 and the upper cover 111 are formed. This is mainly to provide more extended legroom for the front and rear passengers, thereby greatly improving the comfort of both front and rear passengers.

[0077] The upper cover 110 serves as the vehicle floor, sealing the passenger compartment with a sealing strip. The cavity structure of the upper cover 111 provides more effective heat and sound insulation. It also eliminates the gap between the battery pack cover and the vehicle floor in the traditional structure, allowing this space to be used to increase passenger compartment space or battery pack space, thereby improving passenger comfort or battery pack capacity.

[0078] Correspondingly, the lower cover 120 is also formed by splicing together six lower cover plates 121. The six lower cover plates 121 of the lower cover 120 are all made with the same mold as the upper cover plate 111 that does not have a seat crossbeam 170, and only the two ends need to be machined and cut into the corresponding shapes.

[0079] Furthermore, a battery maintenance port 112 is provided on the upper cover 111 located at the rear of the vehicle, and a maintenance plate is provided on the battery maintenance port 112. The maintenance plate is detachably connected to the battery maintenance port 112.

[0080] The battery service port 112 is formed by extruding the upper cover plate 111 and then machining it. Therefore, the setting of the battery service port 112 does not affect the extrusion molding of the upper cover plate 111. The battery service port 112 is located in the rear trunk of the vehicle, and the upper cover 110 of the battery pack serves as the floor of the vehicle body. Therefore, the battery service port 112 can be accessed simply by opening the vehicle trunk, facilitating the maintenance of the battery pack.

[0081] The battery service port 112 extends downwards to provide an installation space for housing the internal control components of the battery pack. These components include a main positive relay, a main negative relay, a pre-charge relay, a pre-charge fuse, a main fuse, an explosion switch, a fast-charge positive relay, a fast-charge negative relay, a current sensor, a battery voltage divider, connecting copper busbars, a low-voltage wiring harness, and a battery management system mainboard. The service plate is bolted to the battery service port 112 to seal it, and the upper surface of the service plate is flush with the upper surface of the upper cover 110.

[0082] The lower cover 120 is also provided with screw holes in its circumference. The front beam 130, side beam 150 and rear beam 140 are all fixed to the lower cover 120 by bolts. Sealing strips are provided between the lower cover 120 and the front beam 130, side beam 150 and rear beam 140.

[0083] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, the side beam 150 includes a first transverse portion 151, a first longitudinal portion 152, and a first connecting portion 153. The first longitudinal portion 152 is disposed at the bottom of the first transverse portion 151. The first transverse portion 151 is connected to the upper cover 110, and the first longitudinal portion 152 is connected to the lower cover 120. The first connecting portion 153 is disposed on the side of the first longitudinal portion 152 away from the cell assembly 200 for connection with the sill beam. The seat crossbeam 170 extends onto the first transverse portion 151 for proximity to the sill beam. Both the first longitudinal portion 152 and the first connecting portion 153 are provided with multiple cavities, and the wall thickness of the first connecting portion 153 and the first longitudinal portion 152 increases toward the side of the cell assembly 200.

[0084] The first transverse portion 151, the first longitudinal portion 152, and the first connecting portion 153 are integrally formed by aluminum-plastic extrusion. The first transverse portion 151 is vertically disposed on top of the first longitudinal portion 152, and the first transverse portion 151 and the first longitudinal portion 152 are arranged in an L-shape so that the side beam 150 extends into the upper cover 110 and connects with the upper cover 110. The first insertion portion 161 is disposed on the first transverse portion 151, and the first insertion portion 161 is integrally formed with the first transverse portion 151.

[0085] Multiple reinforcing ribs are provided within the first longitudinal section 152, and these ribs are evenly distributed within the first longitudinal section 152 to form multiple cavities. The reinforcing ribs improve the supporting strength of the first longitudinal section 152, and the cavities formed within the first longitudinal section 152 have an energy-absorbing function, so that the side beams 150 of the battery pack can absorb the impact to the greatest extent during the impact process, reducing damage to the internal structure of the battery pack casing.

[0086] The first connecting portion 153 is located on the side of the first longitudinal portion 152 away from the first transverse portion 151. The first connecting portion 153 is used to connect with the sill beam of the vehicle, and the first connecting portion 153 and the sill beam are fixedly connected by multiple bolts. The first connecting portion 153 is provided with ribs corresponding to the first longitudinal portion 152, so that the reinforcing ribs of the first longitudinal portion 152 and the ribs on the first connecting portion 153 are on the same straight line, so that the impact can be directly transmitted to the reinforcing ribs. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the cavity formed by the ribs of the first connecting portion 153 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cavity formed by the reinforcing ribs on the first longitudinal portion 152. This allows the first connecting portion 153 to deform during the impact process on the side beam 150, facilitating the absorption of the impact before transmitting it to the corresponding first longitudinal portion 152, thereby reducing the deformation of the first longitudinal portion 152.

[0087] Meanwhile, the wall thickness of the first connecting portion 153 and the first longitudinal portion 152 increases towards the side of the cell assembly 200. This makes the first connecting portion 153 easier to deform, reducing the vehicle's weight while absorbing energy in side collisions by deforming the first connecting portion 153, thereby reducing the impact force transmitted to the first longitudinal portion 152. Furthermore, the thickness of the first longitudinal portion 152 is greater closer to the cell assembly 200, making it less prone to deformation, thus protecting the side wall of the side beam 150 near the cell and improving the protection of the cell.

[0088] In some embodiments, referring to FIG2, a diagonal bracing portion 154 is provided between the first longitudinal portion 152 and the first transverse portion 151, and the wall thickness of the diagonal bracing portion 154 is greater than the wall thickness of the first longitudinal portion 152.

[0089] The diagonal bracing 154 includes a first inclined side 1541, a second inclined side 1542, and a horizontal bracing rib 1543. The first inclined side 1541 is disposed on the first transverse portion 151, and the second inclined side 1542 is disposed on the first longitudinal portion 152. The first inclined side 1541 and the second inclined side 1542 are connected, and the included angle between the first inclined side 1541 and the first longitudinal portion 152 is smaller than the included angle between the second inclined side 1542 and the first longitudinal portion 152. The horizontal bracing rib 1543 is disposed on the first longitudinal portion 152 and is connected at the connection between the first inclined side 1541 and the second inclined side 1542.

[0090] The wall thickness of the diagonal brace 154 is greater than that of the first longitudinal portion 152, following the characteristic of gradually increasing wall thickness on the side closer to the battery cell. This makes the diagonal brace 154 less prone to bending or breakage in the event of a side impact, further improving the protection of the battery's internal structure.

[0091] The first inclined side 1541 and the second inclined side 1542 have different inclination angles, so as to improve the strength between the first longitudinal part 152 and the first transverse part 151 while avoiding the water pipe structure of the water cooling system inside the battery, so that there is a certain distance between the inclined support part 154 and the water cooling system, so that even if the inclined support part 154 deforms to a certain extent, it will not directly touch the water cooling system, and also facilitates the installation of the water cooling system.

[0092] The horizontal bracing 1543 is horizontally connected to a reinforcing rib on the first longitudinal section 152 to form a direct force transmission path. Furthermore, the ribs of the first connecting section 153 and the ribs of the sill beam are located on the same horizontal plane, so that during a side collision, the impact force on the sill beam is directly transmitted to the ribs of the first connecting section 153.

[0093] By adopting the above technical solution, the side beam 150 has three force transmission paths: 1. When the middle part of the sill beam contacts the battery pack side beam 150, the force is transmitted to the upper cover 110 through the first transverse part 151, the first longitudinal part 152, and the diagonal brace part 154, where the battery pack upper cover 110 offsets the impact force. This is one of the main transmission paths. 2. When the upper part of the sill beam contacts the seat crossbeam 170, the seat crossbeam 170 resists the impact force transmitted by the sill beam. This is also one of the main transmission paths. 3. The impact force from the sill beam is transmitted to the lower cover 120 through the first longitudinal part 152 of the battery pack and then through the connecting bolts. The aluminum profile lower cover 120 resists the impact force. This is an auxiliary transmission path.

[0094] Furthermore, the first hypotenuse 1541 and the second hypotenuse 1542 both have rounded corners at their intersections to avoid stress concentration when the side column hits the force transmission point, which could tear the tip and disrupt the force transmission path.

[0095] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3, 11, and 12, the front beam 130 includes a cell expansion beam 131, a transfer beam 132, and a connecting beam 133; the cell expansion beam 131 includes a second transverse portion 1311 and a second longitudinal portion 1312, the second longitudinal portion 1312 being disposed at the bottom of the second transverse portion 1311, the second transverse portion 1311 being connected to the upper cover 110, and the side of the second transverse portion 1311 away from the cell assembly 200 being connected to the connecting beam 133; the transfer beam 132 being disposed between the second longitudinal portion 1312 and the connecting beam 133, and being connected to both the second longitudinal portion 1312 and the connecting beam 133 respectively; the connecting beam 133 being connected to the lower cover 120.

[0096] The second transverse portion 1311 is vertically disposed on top of the second longitudinal portion 1312, so that the second transverse portion 1311 and the second longitudinal portion form an L-shape. The cell expansion beam 131 is made of aluminum profile extrusion molding. The second insertion portion 165 is disposed on the side of the second transverse portion 1311 near the upper cover 110. This is to avoid welding points on the edge and to avoid the influence of welding defects on strength.

[0097] Furthermore, the top of the second longitudinal portion 1312 has a protrusion on the side near the connecting beam 133. The protrusion is connected to the connecting beam 133 and provides an installation position for the transfer beam 132, which is located between the first longitudinal portion 152 and the connecting beam 133.

[0098] Both the connecting beam 133 and the battery cell expansion beam 131 have internal cavities, which are arranged along the width direction of the vehicle. Multiple transfer beams 132 are provided, each with through holes arranged along the length direction of the vehicle. When using the transfer beams 132 to transfer forces along the length of the vehicle body, the through holes of the transfer beams 132 are oriented in the same direction as the force. Compared to the lateral arrangement of the connecting beams 133 and the battery cell expansion beams 131, this provides stronger resistance to forces along the length direction, thus improving support strength. The connecting beams 133 are connected to the lower cover 120 by multiple bolts. The connecting beams 133 are also connected to the vehicle frame by bolts.

[0099] The height of the second longitudinal section 1312 is the same as the height of the battery cell, so as to fully resist the impact force generated by the large surface of the battery cell during charging and discharging. The battery cell collision beam adopts an L-shaped design. The battery cell expansion beam 131 not only realizes the function of suppressing the battery cell collision, but also connects to the upper cover 110, making the battery cell collision beam and the upper cover 110 into an integral design, so as to prevent the battery cell collision beam and the upper cover from separating during the battery cell collision force and head-on collision, thus weakening the resistance. The second longitudinal section 1312 and the lower cover 120 have a certain gap.

[0100] The wall thickness of the connecting beam 133 and the cell expansion beam 131 decreases sequentially towards the direction away from the cell. Furthermore, the length of the ribs forming the cavities of the connecting beam 133 and the cell expansion beam 131 increases in the direction away from the cell. This ensures that the ribs with thicker walls are longer. By adopting the above technical solution, the wall thickness of the cell expansion beam 131 is reduced to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the cell during charging and discharging. The thicker ribs on the connecting beam 133 withstand the impact generated by the front of the vehicle.

[0101] The connecting beam 133 includes a third longitudinal portion 1332 and a plurality of third transverse portions 1331. The third transverse portions 1331 are located in the middle of the third longitudinal portion 1332 away from the battery cell. The third longitudinal portion 1332 is connected to the second longitudinal portion 1312. The transfer beam 132 is located between the third longitudinal portion 1332 and the second longitudinal portion 1312. The third transverse portions 1331 are used for bolt connection to the vehicle. The third transverse portions 1331 are evenly distributed on the third longitudinal portion 1332. The structure of the third transverse portions 1331 is the same as that of the mounting lugs, and they are bolted to the vehicle.

[0102] In some embodiments, a guide ramp 1333 is provided on the connecting beam 133. The guide ramp 1333 is located at the end of the connecting beam 133 away from the battery cell assembly 200. The end of the guide ramp 1333 near the battery cell assembly 200 is inclined toward the ground. The guide ramp 1333 corresponds to the force transmission point of the vehicle's subframe.

[0103] The guide ramp 1333 is located at the end of the third transverse portion 1331 away from the third longitudinal portion 1332 and is inclined towards the ground. A diagonal brace 1334 is also provided on the connecting beam 133. The diagonal brace 1334 is located between the third transverse portion 1331 and the third longitudinal portion 1332, and is located at the bottom of the third transverse portion 1331. This is to improve the connection strength between the third transverse portion 1331 and the third longitudinal portion 1332.

[0104] When a severe front-end collision occurs, causing the front motor to move rearward, the guide ramp 1333 of the connecting beam 133 at the front of the battery pack guides the front motor downwards, transmitting only the horizontal component of the force from the front motor. This further reduces the impact of the front-end collision force on the battery cells. The remaining collision force is then offset by the connecting beam 133, the transmission beam 132, and the cell expansion beam 131, ensuring that the cell expansion beam 131 remains undeformed and thus improving the safety of the battery cells. When no collision occurs, the cell expansion beam 131, the transmission beam 132, and the connecting beam 133 continuously suppress the expansion force generated by the charging and discharging of the battery cells, ensuring the cycle life of the battery cells. The transmission path is reversed compared to when a collision occurs.

[0105] For example, four transfer beams 132 are provided, and the hollow ends of the transfer beams 132 are sealed with connecting beams 133 and cell expansion beams 131. Dividing the transfer beams 132 into four smaller beams ensures weight reduction while also evenly transmitting impact and expansion forces. The hollow ends of the transfer beams 132 are sealed with connecting beams 133 and cell expansion beams 131 to ensure that holes do not appear inside the battery pack, preventing bolts or nuts from falling out and entering the holes during assembly and maintenance, making removal difficult or impossible.

[0106] On the other hand, this application provides a vehicle, including a vehicle body and a battery pack structure disposed on the vehicle body.

[0107] The battery pack structure in this embodiment is the same as the battery pack structure provided in any of the above embodiments, and can bring the same or similar technical effects. It will not be described in detail here, but can be referred to the description of the above embodiments.

[0108] The vehicle provided in this application has a first insertion part 161 provided on one of the side beams 150 and the upper cover 110, and a first insertion groove 162 provided on the other. The first insertion part 161 is inserted into the first insertion groove 162. Then, the front beam 130 and the rear beam 140 are also connected to the upper cover 110 by insertion before being fixed. This allows the front beam 130, the rear beam 140 and the two side beams 150 of the battery pack housing to be connected to the upper cover 110 by insertion before being fixed. This reduces the weak points that are easy to be generated when fixing by direct welding in the traditional way, improves the stability of the connection, and reduces the damage to the battery pack when it is subjected to impact.

[0109] Other embodiments of this application will readily conceive of by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of this application. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed in this application. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0110] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack structure, characterized by, It includes a battery housing (100) and a cell assembly (200) disposed within the battery housing (100); The battery housing (100) includes an upper cover (110), a lower cover (120), a front beam (130), a rear beam (140), and two side beams (150); One of the side beams (150) and the upper cover (110) is provided with a first insertion part (161), and the other is provided with a first insertion groove (162). The first insertion part (161) is inserted into the first insertion groove (162) and fixed. One of the front beam (130) and the rear beam (140) is provided with a second insertion part (165), and the other is provided with a second insertion groove (166). One end of the upper cover (110) is provided with a third insertion part (163), and the other end is provided with a third insertion groove (164). The second insertion part (165) is inserted into the third insertion groove (164) and fixed. The third insertion part (163) is inserted into the second insertion groove (166) and fixed. The front beam (130), the rear beam (140), and the two side beams (150) are connected to the lower cover (120) respectively, and together with the upper cover (110) form a cavity for installing the battery cell assembly (200).

2. The battery pack structure of claim 1, wherein, The upper cover (110) includes multiple upper cover plates (111). A third insertion part (163) is provided on one side of the upper cover plate (111), and a third insertion groove (164) is provided on the other side. The third insertion part (163) on the upper cover plate (111) is inserted into the third insertion groove (164) of the adjacent upper cover plate (111), so that the multiple upper cover plates (111) are sequentially spliced ​​to form the upper cover (110).

3. The battery pack structure of claim 2, wherein, The upper cover (110) is provided with a seat crossbeam (170), which is integrally formed with the upper cover plate (111) at the corresponding position.

4. The battery pack structure of claim 2, wherein, The lower cover (120) includes multiple lower cover plates (121). A third insertion part (163) is provided on one side of the lower cover plate (121), and a third insertion groove (164) is provided on the other side. The third insertion part (163) on the lower cover plate (121) is inserted into the third insertion groove (164) of the adjacent lower cover plate (121). Multiple lower cover plates (121) are sequentially spliced ​​to form the lower cover (120).

5. The battery pack structure of claim 4, wherein, The upper cover plate (111), the lower cover plate (121), the front beam (130), the rear beam (140), and the two side beams (150) are all formed by extrusion of aluminum profiles.

6. The battery pack structure of claim 3, wherein, The side beam (150) includes a first transverse portion (151), a first longitudinal portion (152), and a first connecting portion (153). The first longitudinal portion (152) is disposed at the bottom of the first transverse portion (151). The first transverse portion (151) is connected to the upper cover (110). The first longitudinal portion (152) is connected to the lower cover (120). The first connecting portion (153) is disposed on the side of the first longitudinal portion (152) away from the battery cell assembly (200) for connection with the sill beam. The seat crossbeam (170) extends onto the first transverse portion (151) for proximity to the sill beam. Both the first longitudinal portion (152) and the first connecting portion (153) have multiple cavities, and the wall thickness of the first connecting portion (153) and the first longitudinal portion (152) increases toward the side of the battery cell assembly (200).

7. The battery pack structure of claim 6, wherein, A diagonal brace (154) is provided between the first longitudinal portion (152) and the first transverse portion (151), and the wall thickness of the diagonal brace (154) is greater than the wall thickness of the first longitudinal portion (152). The diagonal bracing (154) includes a first inclined side (1541), a second inclined side (1542), and a horizontal bracing rib (1543). The first inclined side (1541) is disposed on the first transverse portion (151), and the second inclined side (1542) is disposed on the first longitudinal portion (152). The first inclined side (1541) and the second inclined side (1542) are connected. The angle between the first inclined side (1541) and the first longitudinal portion (152) is smaller than the angle between the second inclined side (1542) and the first longitudinal portion. The horizontal bracing rib (1543) is disposed on the first longitudinal portion (152) and connected at the connection between the first inclined side (1541) and the second inclined side (1542).

8. The battery pack structure of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The front beam (130) includes a cell expansion beam (131), a transfer beam (132), and a connecting beam (133); the cell expansion beam (131) includes a second transverse portion (1311) and a second longitudinal portion (1312), the second longitudinal portion (1312) is disposed at the bottom of the second transverse portion (1311), the second transverse portion (1311) is connected to the upper cover (110), and the side of the second transverse portion (1311) away from the cell assembly (200) is connected to the connecting beam (133); the transfer beam (132) is disposed between the second longitudinal portion (1312) and the connecting beam (133), and is connected to the second longitudinal portion (1312) and the connecting beam (133) respectively; the connecting beam (133) is connected to the lower cover (120).

9. The battery pack structure of claim 8, wherein, A guide ramp (1331) is provided on the connecting beam (133). The guide ramp (1331) is located at the end of the connecting beam (133) away from the battery cell assembly (200). The end of the guide ramp (1331) near the battery cell assembly (200) is inclined towards the ground. The guide ramp (1331) corresponds to the force transmission point of the vehicle's subframe.

10. The battery pack structure of claim 8, wherein, Multiple transfer beams (132) are provided, and through holes are provided in the transfer beams (132) along the length direction of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle characterized by comprising: It includes a vehicle body and a battery pack structure as described in any one of claims 1-10 disposed on the vehicle body.

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