CN112584966A

CN112584966A - Assembly and battery housing with a plurality of assemblies

Info

Publication number: CN112584966A
Application number: CN201980053502.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A.冈瑟
Original assignee: Kirchhoff Automotive Deutschland GmbH
Current assignee: Kirchhoff Automotive Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 2018-08-21
Filing date: 2019-08-21
Publication date: 2021-03-30
Also published as: WO2020038980A1; DE102018120389A1

Abstract

The assembly 1.1 comprises at least two components 2, 3 welded to each other. Between the first and second components 2, 3 to be welded to one another, a weld pool carrier 6 is arranged which separates the two components 2, 3 from one another at least in the region of the joining location 4. The weld pool support 6 forms the bottom B of the recess 8 accommodating the weld seam produced during welding. The lateral boundaries of the recess 8 are provided by the partial faces of the faces 7a, 7b of the first and second members, respectively, which abut the weld pool support 6.

Description

Assembly and battery housing with a plurality of assemblies

The invention relates to an assembly comprising at least two components welded to each other. The invention also relates to a battery housing having a frame structure made up of a plurality of such components.

Assemblies having at least two metal components to be welded to each other are well known. A plurality or many of such components may form a product or a part of a product. The component can be, for example, a profile, a plate or another different free-form part. Such components often need to be connected to additional components in order to form an assembly. A possibility of constructing an assembly from a plurality of components is to connect these components to one another by welding. Such a component can be part of the structure of a battery housing of a motor vehicle, for example. In such a battery housing, the individual profiles are welded to one another to form a frame structure, in which a groove is provided, which is usually subdivided into individual cells. Such a groove is formed by a base plate, a circumferential side wall formed on the base plate, and an outwardly bent mounting flange formed on the free end of the side wall. The mounting flange is located on the upper side of the frame structure. The frame structure thus supports the groove of the battery half-shell thus designed.

In order to construct a frame structure of a battery housing for a vehicle, either the profiles adjoining one another are chamfered or the end face of one profile adjoins the side wall of the adjoining profile. The upper sides of the profiles adjoining one another should lie in a plane, so that the outwardly bent mounting flanges of the groove can be supported flat on the upper sides. The profiles which have to adjoin one another in order to produce the desired welded connection are welded as components by means of butt welds. Even if the desired connection strength can be achieved by such a weld seam, the produced component must be machined after the welding process in order to remove those portions of the weld seam which project beyond the surface of the adjacent profile, so that the outwardly bent mounting flange of the battery housing groove can be arranged flat or at least largely flat on the upper side of the frame structure.

Against the background of the prior art discussed, the object of the invention is to propose a welding assembly which is particularly suitable for making frame structures for battery housings of vehicles from which it is possible to manufacture, wherein the manufacturing process is simplified and in particular the required machining work is substantially not required.

The object is achieved according to the invention by an assembly in which a weld pool carrier is arranged between a first and a second component to be welded to each other, which weld pool carrier separates the two components at least in the region of the joining point, which weld pool carrier forms the base of a recess in the region of the joining point, which recess accommodates a weld seam produced during the welding process, the lateral boundaries of which recess are each provided by partial surfaces of the first and second components adjoining the weld pool carrier.

In this welding assembly, a weld pool carrier is arranged between two components to be welded, which are spaced apart by the weld pool carrier. The weld pool support forms the bottom of a recess bounded by the partial surfaces of the two members, respectively. The weld pool carrier is thus set back with its side forming the bottom of the recess relative to the surface of at least one of the two components. The lateral boundaries of the groove are provided by two members to be welded. Of course, the recess with the bottom provided by the weld pool support only needs to be configured at those locations where the two components to be welded are welded to each other. The groove can thus be continuous along the upper side to be welded or, in the case of spot welding, be formed by the weld pool carrier only in those sections where welding is to take place. The recess provided in this way between the partial surfaces of the two components to be connected to one another serves to accommodate the solder produced during the soldering process, which solder comprises molten material or, if soldering additives are to be used, molten additive. The projection of the weld seam above the surface of the at least one component is counteracted by this measure. The projection of the weld is adjusted within the tolerance range of the assembly or of the object placed or supported on the assembly, so that a smaller projection of the weld may be fully acceptable. The distance of the two components and thus the width of the groove is defined by a weld pool support arranged between the components. The same applies to the depth of the recess between the two components to be joined for accommodating the weld pool. Since the amount of weld pool generated during welding can be sufficiently defined when designing the assembly, the groove between the components can be dimensioned accordingly in terms of its cross section by designing the weld pool carrier.

A further advantage is the improved tolerance compensation provided by the weld pool support. If the weld pool carrier is positioned centrally between two components, the clearance between the two components, which is caused by tolerances, is halved, so that two smaller clearances each exist between the weld pool carrier and the respectively adjacent component. Bridging of small gaps has proven to be advantageous in particular during welding of components.

In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, that is, the welded assembly has a flat surface in the plane of the weld within the permitted tolerances without reworking the welded joint, the two components are connected to one another in a material-fit manner by means of a solder material on their partial surfaces facing one another, that is to say, if the weld seam is to meet the desired strength requirements, care does not have to be taken during the welding process to continue the weld seam as is required in the prior art.

Before welding, the weld pool carrier is advantageously held on one of the two components to be welded. In this case, therefore, no additional holding device is required to hold the weld pool carrier in its defined position. Fixing the weld pool carrier to one of the two components to be welded also allows for precise orientation of the weld pool carrier with respect to the depth of the groove to be constructed. Holding the weld pool carrier on a component also enables a correct orientation with respect to the position of the component to be welded. Furthermore, the component can be easily handled together with the weld pool carrier, for example for positioning the weld pool carrier relative to a second component to be welded with the first component.

In an advantageous embodiment of the holding or fixing of the weld pool carrier on one of the two components, the weld pool carrier is held on one of the two components by a snap fit prior to welding. A simple assembly is achieved by this mechanical fastening of the weld pool carrier to the component. The weld pool carrier is held in the desired position by means of elements which effect a clamping. Of course, such clamps are designed so that the weld pool support does not move during the welding process or during positioning prior to welding. This can be achieved by the rigidity, material properties and/or geometry of the elements which realize the clip, such elements usually being designed as webs.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the weld pool carrier is held on one of the two components to be welded by a clamping device. The clamping device comprises at least two contact webs projecting from a planar extension of the weld pool carrier. If the component to be welded is a hollow profile, the clip device engages in the hollow profile in order to fix the weld pool carrier. The webs are usually supported on the mutually opposite chamber walls of the cavity profile.

In one embodiment of the clamping device, at least two clamping devices are provided for achieving a defined orientation of the weld pool carrier, which clamping devices are arranged at an angle, in particular at right angles, to one another. In this way, the welding pool carrier is secured to the component in both directions of its planar extension in a simple manner. If the clamping elements, which are involved in such clamping devices and are embodied, for example, as tabs, can be deformed plastically without a significant elastic component, a positionally correct arrangement of the weld pool carrier relative to the end face of the component can be achieved by providing the weld pool carrier relative to the face extension of the component. The clamping element is plastically deformable, so that the weld pool carrier can be adjusted individually in a simple manner without the weld pool carrier springing back into its original position due to a large elastic component. In an alternative embodiment, the clip tab is plastically deformable only to a small extent and has a large elastic component. Thus, a quick and simple assembly can be achieved with known tolerances to be compensated. In a further embodiment, it is provided that, during the mounting of the weld pool carrier on the component, the clamping webs of the clamping device are bent out of the plane of the weld pool carrier and individually rest against the respective chamber wall of the cavity profile. In this embodiment, plastic deformation is carried out even if the material has a slightly higher modulus of elasticity, so that the weld pool carrier is then held in place on a component of the assembly before welding.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the surfaces of the two components to be welded form a plane. The two components can be welded to one another in a joint manner, wherein the weld pool carrier is held in order to form a recess between the two components to be welded. In this way, for example, a frame structure of the battery housing can be formed, the surface of which, despite the presence of the welding points, is essentially planar.

Advantageously, the components are welded to one another by a laser welding method with or without a filler rod or by an Al-MIG welding (aluminium-MIG welding) method. The use of the aforementioned weld pool carrier between two components to be welded to one another effectively prevents the solder produced from flowing away in an uncontrolled manner, which is advantageous in particular for profiles to be welded to one another, for example cavity profiles.

The two members may be arranged at an angle relative to each other. Therefore, a frame structure that is a part of a battery case for a vehicle may be constituted by a plurality of such components. In this case, each two adjacent profiles form a welded assembly.

Further advantageous embodiments result from the following description of the invention with reference to the figures with the aid of two exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of two joiningly welded components according to the prior art;

FIG. 2a shows the arrangement of the various components of an assembly comprising two members prior to welding;

FIG. 2b shows a welded assembly, wherein the various components shown in FIG. 2 are welded to one another;

FIG. 2c shows a schematic view of a further welded assembly according to the invention;

fig. 3a shows an assembly drawing of a frame structure of a battery housing with a plurality of components according to the invention;

fig. 3b shows a longitudinal beam of the frame structure according to fig. 3a, with a weld pool carrier mounted on the end side;

FIG. 3c shows an enlarged end side view of a stringer of the frame structure of FIG. 3a with weld pool supports shown in a front view;

FIG. 3d shows a perspective view of the weld pool support;

fig. 4 shows a frame structure according to an alternative embodiment.

The prior art is first briefly described below with reference to fig. 1. In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. Fig. 1 shows a welded assembly 1. The two

components

2, 3 to be welded to one another, which are designed as hollow-chamber profiles, are joined to one another at a joining point 4, i.e. their end faces abut one another. After the welding process with the welding additive, a welding bead 5 is produced which protrudes convexly from the upper surface O of the

component

2, 3 visible in fig. 1.

Fig. 2a shows a first embodiment of an arrangement for constructing a component 1.1 according to the invention, which is shown before welding. In this embodiment, the two

components

2, 3 are arranged with their

respective end sides

7a, 7b facing each other, but not touching each other. The end sides 7a, 7b of the two

components

2, 3 are separated by a weld pool carrier 6 embodied as a plate-shaped element, which weld pool carrier 6 is connected between the

end sides

7a, 7b of the two

components

2, 3 embodied as hollow-chamber profiles facing each other. The surface of the weld pool carrier 6 pointing in the direction of the upper side O of the two

components

2, 3 forms, as a result of the retraction relative to the upper side O of the

components

2, 3, a bottom surface B of a recess 8 formed by the weld pool carrier 6 between the two components. The side walls of the recess 8 are formed by partial surfaces of the

end sides

7a, 7b of the two

components

2, 3. The recess 8 is dimensioned such that a liquid weld seam produced during welding is accommodated in the recess without the weld seam projecting beyond the surface O of the

components

2, 3. The welding process provides, in terms of its welding additives, that the groove 8 is filled only to such an extent by melting the welding additives and by melting a portion of the material bounding the groove 8 that the weld seam 8.1 does not protrude from the groove 8.

Fig. 2b shows a view of the assembly 1 shown in fig. 2a with respect to the individual components after welding. The two welded

components

2, 3 are connected to each other at the end by a weld seam 5.1. The weld pool, in which the weld seam 5.1 is produced, is prevented from flowing away during welding by the weld pool carrier 6, since it is connected between the

end sides

7a, 7b and adjoins the latter. The weld bead 5.1 fills the groove 8 formed before welding.

Fig. 2c shows a further embodiment of a welded component 1.2 according to the invention. In this embodiment, the

components

2, 3 to be welded are arranged in further spatial positions relative to one another. The end face 7a of the component 2 adjoins the upper side O of the component 3. In this embodiment, the two

components

2, 3 are also spaced apart from one another by the weld pool carrier 6. The weld seam 5.1 is located in a recess formed by the

components

2, 3 to be welded and the bottom of the weld pool carrier 6, which recess is completely filled with the weld seam 5.1 as described in the embodiment of fig. 2 a.

Fig. 3a shows a frame structure 9 of a battery housing for a motor-driven vehicle, which frame structure is formed by the assembly according to the invention. The frame structure 9 is formed by two assemblies 1.3 according to the invention. Each assembly 1.3 comprises a longitudinal beam 10 and a transverse beam 11. The longitudinal and transverse beams are beveled on the end sides, wherein between the end sides facing each other a weld pool carrier 6.1 is connected, the circumferential narrow side of which, which forms the bottom B of the recess, is set back relative to the outer upper side of the

beams

10, 11. The

beams

10, 11 are welded to each other circumferentially in the manner and type described above. Two such assemblies 1.3 are welded to each other in the same manner and with their two likewise chamfered faces facing each other on their end sides in order to form a frame structure 9. The cell volume enclosed by the frame structure 9 is divided by the transverse struts 12 into individual cell module receptacles 13. In the exemplary embodiment shown, two battery modules 14 are to be mounted or mounted in each battery module receptacle 13. The transverse struts 12 are connected with their end sides to the inner sides of the longitudinal struts 10. The upper side O and the lower side U of the frame structure 9 can thus be used without any further work being required for the welding to be carried out, in order to be able to fasten the top or bottom cover for the battery case to the respective mounting flange in a snug manner, optionally with the interposition of a sealing device, on the upper or lower side.

Fig. 3b shows the rear beam 10 from fig. 3a, which has a weld pool carrier 6.1 connected to its two end sides. These are held in place on the beam 10 by a snap fit so that the beam 10 with its two weld pool brackets 6.1 can be operated together until the beam 10 is welded with two adjacent beams 11.

The beam 10 is a hollow-chamber profile (the same applies to the beam 11), the chamber of which can be seen in the enlarged view of the left-hand end-side end of the beam 10 with the weld pool support 6.1 in fig. 3 c. The end sides of the wall sections of the dividing beam 10 are shown in the figure by dashed lines and are indicated by

reference numerals

15a, 15 b. In this enlarged view, it can be clearly seen that the circumferential narrow side 16 of the weld pool support 6.1 is set back from the respectively adjacent outer surface of the beam 10. The amount of retraction constitutes the depth of the circumferential groove for receiving the weld pool.

In order to hold or fix the weld pool carrier 6.1 on the beam 10, the weld pool carrier has two clamping devices, each of which is formed by two clamping

webs

17a, 17b, 18a, 18b bent out of the plane of the plate-shaped weld pool carrier 6.1. These

clip tabs

17a, 17b, 18a, 18b hold the weld pool carrier 6.1 in a predetermined position relative to the end face of the beam 10, in that they are each supported on one of the two

inner walls

15a or 15 b. The two

clip webs

17a, 17b or 18a, 18b of the respective clip device are spaced apart from one another, so that each clip device has a longitudinal extent. The longitudinal extent of the clip means formed by the

clip connecting plates

17a, 17b extends in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal extent of the clip means formed by the

clip connecting plates

18a, 18b extends in the horizontal direction. The

clip contact plates

17a, 17b are clipped by the vertically extending wall portion 15a, and the

clip contact plates

18a, 18b of the other clip device are clipped with the horizontally extending wall portion 15 b. In order to achieve a clip fit, for each clip device, one web is supported on one side of a

wall portion

15a or 15b, while the other web of the respective clip device is supported on the opposite side of the wall portion. Before the welding bath carrier 6.1 is mounted on the end face of the beam 10, the clamping

tabs

17a, 17b, 18a, 18b are moved outward, wherein the vertical distance of the sides of the

clamping tabs

17a, 17b or 18a, 18b facing each other before mounting on the beam 10 is smaller than the material thickness of the wall thickness to be enclosed by the clamping

tabs

17a, 17b or 18a, 18 b. During the assembly process, the

clip webs

17a, 17b, 18a, 18b are then displaced within the elastic range, as a result of which a holding force is generated, by means of which the weld pool carrier 6.1 is held on the beam 10.

Fig. 3d shows a perspective view of the weld pool carrier 6.1 from the rear, which is not visible in fig. 3c, i.e. without the connecting beam 10 in this view. The clamping

webs

17a, 17b, 18a, 18b of the two clamping devices are clearly visible, which are moved out of the plane of the weld pool carrier 6.1.

Fig. 4 shows a detail of an alternative embodiment of the frame structure 9.1 of the battery housing. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of the frame structure 9 described above only in the arrangement of the ends of the longitudinal beams 10.1 and the transverse beams 11.1 relative to one another. In this exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal beams 10.1 connect the side walls of the transverse beam 11.11 with straight and therefore non-chamfered end faces. Between the end faces of the longitudinal beams 10.1 and the respective outer sides of the transverse beams 11, weld pool carriers 6.1 are connected, as explained above with regard to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig. 3a to 3 d.

The invention has been described with reference to the examples. Further embodiments for carrying out the teaching according to the invention can be derived by the person skilled in the art without departing from the effective scope of protection of the claims, without having to be specifically described within the scope of the embodiments.

List of reference numerals

1. 1.1, 1.2 Components

2 structural member

3 component

5. 5.1 weld bump

6. 6.1 weld pool support

7a, 7b end sides

8 grooves

9. 9.1 frame construction

10. 10.1 longitudinal beam

11. 11.1 Cross Member

12 transverse stay bar

13 Battery module housing part

14 cell module

15a, 15b wall part

16 narrow side

17a, 17b card fishplate bar

18a, 18b card clip plate

B bottom

Upper side of O

Lower side of U

Claims

1. An assembly comprising at least two components (2, 3) welded to one another, characterized in that a weld pool carrier (6, 6.1) is arranged between the first and second components (2, 3) to be welded to one another, which weld pool carrier separates the two components (2, 3, 10, 10.1, 11, 11.1) at least in the region of the joining point (4), the weld pool carrier (6, 6.1) forming, in the region of the joining point (4), the bottom (B) of a recess (8) accommodating a weld seam produced during the welding process, the lateral boundaries of the recess being provided by the partial faces of the faces (7a, 7B) of the first and second components (2, 3, 10, 10.1, 11, 11.1) adjoining the weld pool carrier (6, 6.1), respectively.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the weld pool carrier (6, 6.1) is fixed to at least one of the two components (10, 10.1) to be welded before welding.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the weld pool carrier (6) is held on one of the two members (10, 10.1) by a snap fit prior to welding.

4. Assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the weld pool carrier (6.1) has at least one clip device with at least two clip webs (17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) spaced apart from one another, which protrude from the surface forming the planar extension of the weld pool carrier (6.1), and at least one of the two components (10, 10.1) is a cavity profile to which the weld pool carrier (6.1) is fixed before welding in that the clip webs (17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) of the weld pool carrier (6.1) are supported on the wall sections (15a, 15b) of the chambers.

5. Assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the weld pool carrier (6) has two clip means, wherein the two clip means are arranged at an angle, in particular at right angles, to one another with respect to a longitudinal extension defined by the arrangement of their clip webs (17a, 17b, 18a, 18 b).

6. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one of the two components (2, 10, 10.1) faces the other component (3, 11) by means of an end face (7a, 7 b).

7. Assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the two components (2, 3; 10, 11; 10.1, 11.1) are each directed by an end face (7a, 7b) towards an end face (7b, 7a) of the other component (3, 2; 11, 10; 11.1, 10.1) and in that the two components (2, 3; 10, 11; 10.1, 11.1) are welded to one another at their junction formed by the end faces (7a, 7 b).

8. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the members (2, 3; 10, 11; 10.1, 11.1) are welded to each other by a laser welding method or an Al-MIG welding method.

9. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the assembly (1, 1.1) is part of a structure (9, 9.1) of a battery housing constituting a frame, and the frame structure (9, 9.1) is constituted by a plurality of assemblies (1, 1.1).

10. A battery housing for a motor-driven vehicle, having a frame structure (9, 9.1) consisting of a plurality of assemblies according to claim 9, and a groove having a floor, a circumferential side wall formed on the floor, and an outwardly bent mounting flange formed at least in sections on the side wall, which mounting flange is arranged on the upper side of the frame structure.

11. A battery housing for a motor-driven vehicle, having a frame structure (9, 9.1) consisting of a plurality of assemblies (1, 1.1) according to claim 9, wherein transverse struts (12) are provided in the frame structure (9, 9.1) for dividing the enclosed volume into a plurality of battery module receptacles (13).