CN113224442A

CN113224442A - Battery module

Info

Publication number: CN113224442A
Application number: CN202110111228.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 佐藤正广; 古川裕一; 菅原宪次
Original assignee: Showa Denko KK
Current assignee: Resonac Holdings Corp
Priority date: 2020-02-05
Filing date: 2021-01-27
Publication date: 2021-08-06
Also published as: JP2021125367A; DE102021101951A1; FR3106936A1

Abstract

The invention provides a battery module which can restrain the enlargement of the battery module in the direction of arranging batteries and a heat conduction part. The battery module is provided with: a plurality of batteries arranged in a direction; a heat conduction member having a plurality of heat conduction portions each arranged in a direction and disposed between the plurality of cells and conducting heat of the cells; and a pressing member having wall portions provided along an intersecting direction intersecting the one direction on one side and the other side of the one direction with respect to the plurality of cells and the plurality of heat conductive portions, the wall portion on the one side and the wall portion on the other side pressing the cells and the heat conductive portions.

Description

Battery module

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a battery module.

Background

In recent years, in a battery module, a heat conduction portion for conducting heat and a battery may be arranged in a row in one direction.

For example, patent document 1 describes: the battery module is built in a module case having a passage for the 1 st fin member on one side surface or the lower end surface thereof, in a state where battery cells (japanese battery cells 12475 ル) are stacked and arranged with the 1 st fin member interposed therebetween.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-511509

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

When the battery module is provided with a plurality of batteries and a plurality of heat conduction portions, the size of the battery module tends to increase. In particular, when the plurality of cells and the plurality of heat conduction portions are arranged in a row in one direction, the battery module may be increased in size in the row direction of the cells and the heat conduction portions.

The purpose of the present invention is to suppress the size increase of a battery module in the direction in which a battery and a heat conduction section are arranged.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention accomplished in view of the above object is a battery module including: a plurality of batteries arranged in a direction; a heat conduction member having a plurality of heat conduction portions each arranged in the direction and disposed between the plurality of cells and conducting heat of the cells; and a pressing member having a wall portion provided along a direction intersecting the one direction on one side and the other side of the one direction with respect to the plurality of cells and the plurality of heat conductive portions, the wall portion on the one side and the wall portion on the other side pressing the cells and the heat conductive portions.

Here, the pressing member may further include a support portion that is provided from the wall portion on the one side to the wall portion on the other side and supports the plurality of batteries.

Further, the elastic member may be attached to a portion of the one wall portion facing the other side and may have elasticity.

In addition, the heat conduction member may further include: a rod-shaped member formed in a hollow and rod-shaped manner and forming a flow path for the refrigerant; and a connected portion connected to the heat conductive portion on one side and connected to the rod-like member on the opposite side of the one side.

Further, a portion of the connected portion that contacts the rod-shaped member may be formed along an outer shape of the rod-shaped member.

The heat conductive portion may have a curved portion, a1 st portion adjacent to the curved portion and provided on one end side of the curved portion, and a2 nd portion adjacent to the curved portion and provided on an opposite side of the curved portion to the one end side, the connected portion may have a recessed portion, and a portion of the 1 st portion and the 2 nd portion that enters the recessed portion may press the recessed portion in a state where the curved portion is inserted into the recessed portion.

Further, the connected portion and the plurality of thermally conductive portions may be integrally formed.

Further, the connected portion may be provided in plural for each of the plural thermally conductive portions.

The plurality of heat conduction sections may be provided so that a refrigerant can flow therein, and may include a receiving section that receives the refrigerant and a discharge section that discharges the refrigerant, and the discharge section of one of the heat conduction sections may be connected to the receiving section of another one of the heat conduction sections.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the battery module in the direction in which the battery and the heat conduction portion are aligned.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a battery module according to the present embodiment, and is a perspective view of the battery module.

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the battery module in a state in which the battery cells and the cooling device are housed in the housing member.

Fig. 3 (a) is a front view of the cover member when the cover member is viewed from the right side of the cover member in fig. 1, and (b) is a front view of the cover member when the cover member is viewed from the front side of the cover member.

Fig. 4 (a) is a front view of the fin when the fin is viewed from the front side of the fin in fig. 1, and is an enlarged view of the fin, and (b) and (c) are views for explaining a method of inserting the fin into the cover member.

Fig. 5 (a) is a view showing the storage member before the battery cell and the fin are stored, and (b) is a view showing the storage member in which the battery cell and the fin are stored.

Fig. 6 (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the cooling member.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a battery module according to embodiment 2, and is a perspective view of the battery module.

Fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view of the 1 st heat exchanger in fig. 7 when the 1 st heat exchanger is viewed from the right side of the 1 st heat exchanger, (b) is a perspective view of the 1 st heat exchanger when the 1 st heat exchanger is viewed from the left side of the 1 st heat exchanger, and (c) is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of (a).

Fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view of the 2 nd heat exchanger in fig. 7 when the 2 nd heat exchanger is viewed from the right side of the 2 nd heat exchanger, (b) is a perspective view of the 2 nd heat exchanger in fig. 7 when the 2 nd heat exchanger is viewed from the left side of the 2 nd heat exchanger, and (c) and (d) are views for explaining a method of coupling the 1 st heat exchanger and the 2 nd heat exchanger.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the battery module in a state in which the battery cells and the cooling device are housed in the housing member.

Fig. 11 (a) is a diagram showing the pressing device, and (b) is a diagram showing a state in which the pressing device presses the battery unit and the cooling device.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … battery module, 10 … battery cell, 20 … cooling device, 21 … fin, 22 … cooling tube, 23 … cover member, 24 … cooling member, 30 … housing member, 34 … left telescopic member, 35 … right telescopic member, 40 … cooling device, 41 … 1 st heat exchanger, 42 … nd 2 nd heat exchanger, 50 … housing member, 60 … pressing device, 61 … pressing member, 100 … battery cell.

Detailed Description

< embodiment 1 >

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a battery module 1 according to the present embodiment, and is a perspective view of the battery module 1.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the battery module 1 in a state in which the battery cells 10 and the cooling device 20 are housed in the housing member 30.

In the following description, the upper side of the battery module 1 shown in fig. 1 on the paper surface is referred to as "upper side", the lower side of the paper surface is referred to as "lower side", and these directions are referred to as "vertical direction". The left side of the battery module 1 shown in fig. 1 may be referred to as the "left side", the right side may be referred to as the "right side", and these directions may be referred to as the "left-right directions". The front side of the battery module 1 shown in fig. 1 may be referred to as "front side", the rear side of the drawing may be referred to as "rear side", and these directions may be referred to as "front-rear direction".

The battery module 1 of the present embodiment is a device for supplying electric power to an electric motor of a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like, and an electronic device such as a terminal device, for example. The battery module 1 includes a battery cell 10, a cooling device 20, and a housing member 30.

The battery unit 10, which is an example of a battery, receives a current from a power supply (not shown) outside the battery module 1 and is charged. The battery unit 10 supplies electric power by discharging. Heat is generated from the battery cell 10 during charging and discharging of the battery cell 10.

In the present embodiment, a pouch (english: pouch) type battery cell 10 is used. The battery module 1 of the present embodiment is provided with 12 battery cells 10. The 12 battery cells 10 are arranged in the left-right direction. Each battery cell 10 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the up-down direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction. The battery cell 10 includes a positive electrode 11, a negative electrode 12, and a support member 13.

As the battery cell 10, a rectangular battery cell described later may be used.

The positive electrode 11 is an electrode having a potential higher than that of the negative electrode 12. The positive electrode 11 is formed in a plate shape. The positive electrode 11 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes forward from the support member 13. As the positive electrode 11, for example, a metal material such as aluminum or copper is used.

The negative electrode 12 is an electrode having a potential lower than that of the positive electrode 11. The negative electrode 12 is formed in a plate shape. The negative electrode 12 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes rearward from the support member 13. As the negative electrode 12, for example, a metal material such as aluminum or copper is used.

The support member 13 supports the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The support member 13 is provided with a separator (not shown) for separating the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The separator is formed in a film shape and disposed between the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. Further, a laminate (not shown) is provided on the support member 13. The laminate is formed in a film shape. The positive electrode 11, the negative electrode 12, and the separator are encased by a laminate. As the laminate, for example, a metal material such as aluminum is used. Further, an electrolyte is sealed inside the laminate.

The positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 of each battery cell 10 are connected to a bus bar (not shown) via a plate member (not shown) that bundles the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12.

The cooling device 20, which is an example of a heat conductive member, cools the battery cell 10. The cooling device 20 includes fins 21, cooling tubes 22, and a cover member 23.

The fins 21, which are one example of the heat conductive portions, radiate heat of the battery cells 10. The battery module 1 of the present embodiment is provided with 11 fins 21. The 11 fins 21 are arranged in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the fins 21 are provided so as to be inserted between two adjacent battery cells 10 out of the 12 battery cells 10, respectively, so that the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. The fins 21 are formed in a plate shape. The fins 21 are arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the vertical direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the lateral direction.

The fin 21 is preferably made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 180W/m.K or more, a tensile strength of 120MPa or more, and a Young's modulus of 60MPa, for example. Examples of the material satisfying this condition include metal materials such as aluminum alloy and copper. As the aluminum alloy, for example, an aluminum alloy A6063-T6 or an aluminum alloy A1100-H18 is preferably used. Since the density of the aluminum alloy is 1/3 or less as compared with copper, the battery module 1 can be reduced in weight. In addition, when the above aluminum alloy is used as the fins 21, the fins 21 have higher rigidity than the surface of the battery cell 10, and the adhesion between the fins 21 and the battery cell 10 is improved. In this case, since the heat of the battery cell 10 is easily transmitted to the fins 21, the cooling performance of the cooling device 20 with respect to the battery cell 10 is improved.

The thickness of the fins 21 is determined according to the degree required for the dissipation of heat of the battery cell 10. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the fin 21 is preferably larger than 0.3mm and smaller than 3 mm. When the thickness of the fin 21 is 0.3mm or less, the heat flux of heat moving from the battery cell 10 to the fin 21 is small, and the cooling of the battery cell 10 may be insufficient. When the thickness of the fin 21 is 3mm or more, the heat flux of heat moving from the battery cell 10 to the fin 21 becomes excessively large, and the battery cell 10 may be excessively cooled. In this case, the energy density of the battery module 1 may be reduced.

In order to ensure insulation between the fin 21 and the battery cell 10, the fin 21 may be covered with a film-like resin film. The thickness of the resin film can be, for example, 10 μm or more and 50 μm or less. Further, the fin 21 whose surface is coated with a resin material may be used.

The cooling pipe 22, which is an example of a rod-shaped member, cools the battery cell 10 through the fins 21 and the cover member 23. As the cooling pipe 22, for example, a metal material such as aluminum is used. The cooling pipe 22 includes a right flow path forming portion 221, a left flow path forming portion 222, and a connecting portion 223. The right flow passage forming portion 221, the left flow passage forming portion 222, and the connecting portion 223 are all formed in a tubular shape, and a refrigerant flows therein.

The right flow channel forming portion 221 forms a flow channel for the refrigerant flowing to the right. The right channel forming section 221 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. The right flow channel forming portion 221 receives the refrigerant from a supply unit (not shown) that supplies the refrigerant.

The left flow path forming portion 222 forms a flow path for the refrigerant flowing to the left. The left flow path forming portion 222 is formed to extend in the left-right direction.

The connecting portion 223 connects the right flow path forming portion 221 and the left flow path forming portion 222. The connecting portion 223 is provided from the right-side distal end of the right-side flow path forming portion 221 to the right-side distal end of the left-side flow path forming portion 222.

The refrigerant enters from the left side of the right flow channel forming portion 221 into the right flow channel forming portion 221, flows to the right side in the right flow channel forming portion 221, and enters into the connecting portion 223. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows from the front side to the rear side in the connecting portion 223, and enters into the left flow path forming portion 222. Then, the air flows leftward inside the left flow path forming portion 222, and is discharged from the left flow path forming portion 222.

The right-side flow channel forming section 221, the left-side flow channel forming section 222, and the connecting section 223 may be hollow, and may have an outer shape other than a circle (for example, an outer shape formed in a polygonal shape). That is, the right-side flow channel forming section 221, the left-side flow channel forming section 222, and the connecting section 223 may be formed in a hollow rod shape.

The cover member 23 as an example of the connected portion is a cover of the housing member 30. The cover member 23 is formed in a plate shape. The cover member 23 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the left-right direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the up-down direction. The cover member 23 is provided from the left side of the battery cell 10 disposed on the leftmost side to the right side of the battery cell 10 disposed on the rightmost side. The cover member 23 is provided from the front side of the battery cell 10 and the fins 21 to the rear side of the battery cell 10 and the fins 21. As the cover member 23, for example, a metal material such as aluminum is used.

As will be described in detail later, the cooling pipe 22 is attached to the upper surface 23A of the cover member 23, and the fin 21 is attached to the lower surface 23B. In this case, the right flow channel forming portion 221 and the left flow channel forming portion 222 of the cooling tube 22 are disposed so as to cross the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 in the left-right direction.

The cover member 23 transfers heat of the battery cell 10 to the cooling pipe 22 via the fins 21. The heat transferred to the cooling pipe 22 is transferred to the refrigerant inside the cooling pipe 22.

In the present embodiment, the thickness of the cover member 23 is preferably 5mm or more and 25mm or less. When the thickness of the cover member 23 is less than 5mm, the strength and rigidity of the cover member 23, which is a case of the battery module 1, may be insufficient. In addition, in the case where the thickness of the cover member 23 is greater than 25mm, the weight of the battery module 1 may increase.

The storage member 30 stores the battery unit 10 and the cooling device 20. The front and rear sides of the receiving member 30 are open. The housing member 30 has a left wall 31, a right wall 32, and a bottom wall 33. The left wall 31, the right wall 32, and the bottom wall 33 are made of a metal material such as aluminum.

The left wall portion 31 is a side wall of the housing member 30. The left wall portion 31 is formed in a plate shape. The left wall portion 31 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the vertical direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

The right wall portion 32 is a side wall of the housing member 30. The right wall portion 32 is provided on the right side of the left wall portion 31. The right wall portion 32 is formed in a plate shape. The right wall portion 32 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the vertical direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

A bottom wall portion 33 as an example of the support portion is provided at the deepest portion of the housing member 30. The bottom wall portion 33 is provided from the left wall portion 31 to the right wall portion 32. More specifically, the bottom wall portion 33 is provided from the lower top end of the left wall portion 31 to the lower top end of the right wall portion 32. The bottom wall 33 is formed in a plate shape. The bottom wall portion 33 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the left-right direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the up-down direction.

In addition, the battery module 1 is provided with a left extensible member 34 and a right extensible member 35. As the left and right

extensible members

34 and 35, for example, a material having elasticity is used. The left and right

extendable members

34, 35 may be made of an insulating material. In the present embodiment, a resin material is used for the left and right

extensible members

34 and 35.

A left extensible member 34 as an example of an elastic member is attached to the right side surface 31A of the left wall portion 31. The left telescopic member 34 is formed in a plate shape. The left extensible member 34 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the up-down direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

A right extensible member 35 as an example of an elastic member is attached to the left side surface 32A of the right wall portion 32. The right telescopic member 35 is formed in a plate shape. The right extensible member 35 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the up-down direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

When receiving a pressing force from one side in the left-right direction, the left and right

extensible members

34, 35 transmit the pressing force received from one side to the opposite side, and contract in the left-right direction. In this case, the pressing force transmitted to the opposite side becomes smaller in accordance with the occurrence of the contraction. That is, the left and right

extensible members

34 and 35 transmit the pressing force received from one side in the left-right direction to the opposite side, and absorb the received pressing force.

In a state where battery cells 10 and cooling device 20 are housed in housing member 30, battery cell 10 disposed on the leftmost side faces left extensible member 34, and battery cell 10 disposed on the rightmost side faces right extensible member 35. As will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, the battery cell 10 and the fins 21 are pressed by the storage member 30 in a state where the storage member 30 stores the battery cell 10 and the cooling device 20.

In the present embodiment, in a state where the battery cells 10 and the cooling device 20 are accommodated in the accommodating member 30, a gap in the vertical direction is provided between the lower surface 23B of the lid member 23 and each battery cell 10. However, in a state where the battery cells 10 and the cooling device 20 are housed in the housing member 30, no gap may be provided between the lower surface 23B of the lid member 23 and each battery cell 10.

Next, the structure of the cover member 23 will be described.

Fig. 3 (a) is a front view of the cover member 23 when the cover member 23 is viewed from the right side of the cover member 23 in fig. 1, and fig. 3 (b) is a front view of the cover member 23 when the cover member 23 is viewed from the front side of the cover member 23.

As shown in fig. 3 (a), a front support 231 and a rear support 232 are provided on the upper surface 23A of the cover member 23. The front support 231 and the rear support 232 are provided from the right end to the left end of the cover member 23.

The front support 231 supports the cooling pipe 22 (see fig. 1). The front support 231 is provided at the front end of the cover member 23 and protrudes from the upper surface 23A of the cover member 23. In addition, the front side support 231 has a recess toward the lower side. The recessed surface 231A of front support 231 is formed in a curved surface shape that follows the outer shape of right flow channel forming portion 221 of cooling pipe 22. By placing right flow channel forming portion 221 on recessed surface 231A, cooling pipe 22 is supported by front side support portion 231.

The rear support portion 232 supports the cooling pipe 22. The rear support portion 232 is provided at the rear end of the cover member 23 and protrudes from the upper surface 23A of the cover member 23. The rear support portion 232 has a recess facing downward. The recessed surface 232A of the rear support portion 232 is formed in a curved surface shape that follows the outer shape of the left flow passage forming portion 222 of the cooling pipe 22. By placing the left flow path forming portion 222 on the recessed surface 232A, the cooling pipe 22 is supported by the rear support portion 232.

The radius of curvature of the surface 231A of the recess in the front side support 231 may be slightly smaller than the radius of curvature of the surface of the right side flow channel forming portion 221. Then, in a state where right flow path forming portion 221 is placed on front support portion 231, right flow path forming portion 221 is pushed into the recess in front support portion 231 using a pushing unit (not shown) for pushing an object. In this case, the right channel forming portion 221 is caulked to the front support portion 231 by the right channel forming portion 221 being deformed to reduce the radius of curvature of the surface of the right channel forming portion 221 and the right channel forming portion 221 being fitted into the recess of the front support portion 231. Similarly, the left flow passage forming portion 222 may be caulked to the rear support portion 232 by slightly reducing the radius of curvature of the surface 232A of the recess in the rear support portion 232 to be smaller than the radius of curvature of the surface of the left flow passage forming portion 222.

As shown in fig. 3 (B), a plurality of concave portions 233 that are recessed upward are provided on the lower surface 23B of the cover member 23. In the present embodiment, the cover member 23 is provided with the concave portions 233 at 11 locations. That is, the same number of recesses 233 as the number of fins 21 are provided. As will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, the fins 21 are attached to the cover member 23 by inserting the fins 21 into the recesses 233.

The concave portions 233 are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The concave portion 233 is provided from the front-side tip to the rear-side tip of the cover member 23. The recess 233 has an upper surface 233A provided in the deepest part of the recess 233, a left side surface 233B provided on the left side of the recess 233, and a right side surface 233C provided on the right side of the recess 233. The upper surface 233A of the concave portion 233 is formed linearly in the left-right direction. The left side surface 233B and the right side surface 233C of the concave portion 233 are formed linearly in the vertical direction. The length in the left-right direction from the left side surface 233B to the right side surface 233C, that is, the length in the left-right direction of the upper surface 233A is a length W1.

Fig. 4 (a) is a front view of the fin 21 when the fin 21 is viewed from the front side of the fin 21 in fig. 1, and is an enlarged view of the fin 21. Fig. 4 (b) and 4 (c) are views for explaining a method of inserting the fins 21 into the cover member 23.

As shown in fig. 4 (a), the fin 21 is provided with a linear portion 211, a bent portion 212, and an extension portion 213.

The straight portion 211, which is an example of the 1 st portion, is formed to linearly extend in the vertical direction.

The bent portion 212, which is an example of a bent portion, is bent in a V shape. More specifically, the bent portion 212 is bent from the upper end of the linear portion 211 toward the lower side and toward the left side. An upper surface 212A of the bent portion 212 is formed linearly in the left-right direction. The length of the upper surface 212A in the left-right direction is a length W2. The length W2 is slightly smaller than the length W1 (see fig. 3 (b)).

An extension portion 213, which is an example of the 2 nd portion, is provided to linearly extend from the tip of the bent portion 212 on the side opposite to the side where the linear portion 211 is provided. Here, the length in the left-right direction from the portion where the left side surface 213A and the lower surface 213B of the extension portion 213 intersect to the right side surface 211A of the linear portion 211 is a length W3. The length W3 is greater than the length W1.

Next, a method of inserting the fin 21 into the recess 233 of the cover member 23 will be described.

As described above, the length W2 of the upper surface 212A of the bent portion 212 of the fin 21 is slightly smaller than the length W1 (see fig. 3 (b)) of the recess 233 in the cover member 23 in the left-right direction. Therefore, as shown in fig. 4 (b), the upper surface 212A of the bent portion 212 enters the inside of the concave portion 233. On the other hand, since the length W3 from the intersection of the left side surface 213A and the lower surface 213B of the extension portion 213 to the right side surface 211A of the linear portion 211 is greater than the length W1 of the recess 233, the extension portion 213 is not caught by the recess 233 but does not enter the recess 233.

Next, the fin 21 is pressed into the inside of the concave 233 by using a pressing means (not shown) for pressing the object. At this time, the extension portion 213 of the fin 21 applies a pressing force to the concave portion 233, and receives a reaction force F1 against the pressing force from the concave portion 233. When the extension portion 213 receives the reaction force F1, the fin 21 is deformed. More specifically, the fin 21 is deformed so that the linear portion 211 and the extension portion 213 approach each other in the left-right direction. Further, the length W3 becomes smaller with the deformation.

When the fin 21 is pressed in by the press-fitting means, the length W3 becomes slightly smaller than the length W1, and the extension 213 enters the inside of the recess 233 as shown in fig. 4 (c). Further, upper surface 212A of bent portion 212 reaches upper surface 233A of recess 233. Thus, the fin 21 is inserted into the recess 233. When the fins 21 are deformed by receiving the reaction force F1, an elastic force is applied to the fins 21 in accordance with the deformation. The elastic force is a force in a direction in which the extended portion 213 is separated from the linear portion 211 in the left-right direction. By this elastic force, the extending portion 213 presses the left side surface 233B of the concave portion 233, and the linear portion 211 presses the right side surface 233C of the concave portion 233. At this time, the right side surface 211A of the linear portion 211 of the fin 21 faces the right side surface 233C of the recess 233, the upper surface 212A of the bent portion 212 faces the upper surface 233A of the recess 233, and the left side surface 213A of the extension 213 faces the left side surface 233B of the recess 233.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the fins 21 are press-fitted into the recesses 233 at the 11 positions of the cover member 23.

When the fins 21 are pressed into the cover member 23, it is preferable to use the cover member 23 made of a6063-T5 and the fins 21 made of a 1100-H24. In this case, the contact area between the cover member 23 and the fins 21 is increased, and the adhesion between the cover member 23 and the fins 21 is improved. Therefore, the heat of the fins 21 is easily transmitted to the cover member 23.

The method of connecting the fins 21 to the cover member 23 is not limited to the above-described method.

For example, the fins 21 may be connected to the cover member 23 by fitting the fins 21 into the recesses 233 of the cover member 23. The fins 21 may be connected to the cover member 23 by shrink-fitting the fins 21 to the concave 233 of the cover member 23 (japanese: sintered き -insert め).

Next, a method of pressing the housing member 30 against the battery cell 10 and the fins 21 will be described.

Fig. 5 (a) is a view showing the storage member 30 before the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 are stored. Fig. 5 (b) is a view showing the storage member 30 in which the battery cell 10 and the fins 21 are stored.

As shown in fig. 5 (a), the angle a1 formed by the left wall 31 and the bottom wall 33 and the angle a2 formed by the right wall 32 and the bottom wall 33 of the storage member 30 are all obtuse angles. In this state, the worker who performs the assembly operation of the battery module 1 first places 12 battery cells 10 in the interior of the housing member 30 such that the battery cells 10 are aligned in the left-right direction. At this time, the battery unit 10 is placed on the bottom wall 33 of the housing member 30 and is raised by the left wall 31 and the right wall 32. Next, the operator inserts the 11 fins 21 attached to the cover member 23 between two adjacent battery cells 10 out of the 12 battery cells 10. At this time, since the upper space S of the housing member 30 is expanded in the left-right direction as compared with the lower space, even in a state where 12 battery cells 10 are placed on the bottom wall portion 33, the operator can easily provide a gap between the battery cells 10 and the battery cells 10 in the space S. In this case, the work of inserting the fins 21 between the

battery cells

10 and 10 by the operator is simplified.

The battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are alternately arranged in the left-right direction by inserting the fins 21 between two adjacent battery cells 10 among the 12 battery cells 10, respectively.

Next, the operator applies a pressing force F2 to the right side to the left wall portion 31 of the housing member 30 and applies a pressing force F3 to the left side to the right wall portion 32, as shown in fig. 5 (b), using a pressing means (not shown) for pressing the object. When the left wall portion 31 receives the pressing force F2, the accommodating member 30 is plastically deformed so that the angle a1 formed by the left wall portion 31 and the bottom wall portion 33 becomes smaller. When the right wall portion 32 receives the pressing force F3, the accommodating member 30 is plastically deformed so that the angle a2 formed by the right wall portion 32 and the bottom wall portion 33 is reduced. As the left wall 31 and the right wall 32 approach each other, the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 are pressed by the left wall 31 and the right wall 32 and are in close contact with each other. The left wall portion 31 is in close contact with the leftmost battery cell 10 via the left extensible member 34. The right wall 32 is in close contact with the rightmost battery cell 10 via the right telescopic member 35.

The left extensible member 34 receives a reaction force from the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 against the pressing force applied from the left wall portion 31 to the battery cell 10 and the fin 21. At this time, the left extensible member 34 receives the reaction force and contracts, and applies the elastic force generated by the contraction to the battery cell 10 and the fin 21. Further, the right extensible member 35 receives a reaction force against the pressing force acting from the right wall portion 32 to the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 from the battery cell 10 and the fin 21. At this time, the right extensible member 35 receives the reaction force and contracts, and applies the elastic force generated by the contraction to the battery cell 10 and the fin 21. In this case, the force received by the left wall portion 31 and the right wall portion 32 from the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 is reduced in accordance with the elastic force applied to the battery cell 10 and the fin 21 by the left and right

extensible members

34 and 35. Therefore, the left wall portion 31 and the right wall portion 32 are not easily opened in the left-right direction even if pressed by the battery cells 10 and the fins 21.

As described above, the battery module 1 of the present embodiment includes the left wall portion 31 and the right wall portion 32 provided on the left and right sides of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the plurality of fins 21 in the left-right direction. The left wall 31 and the right wall 32 press the battery cell 10 and the fin 21. Therefore, the left wall portion 31 and the right wall portion 32 are understood as the pressing members.

In this case, the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are more easily attached to each other in the left-right direction than in a structure in which the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are not pressed. Therefore, the area occupied by the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 in the left-right direction is reduced, and the increase in size of the battery module 1 in the left-right direction is suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the housing member 30 has a bottom wall 33 that is provided from the left wall 31 to the right wall 32 and supports the plurality of battery cells 10.

In this case, the operator can insert the fins 21 between the plurality of battery cells 10 while placing the battery cells 10 on the bottom wall portion 33 of the housing member 30. Therefore, the assembly work of the battery module 1 becomes simple.

The battery module 1 of the present embodiment further includes a left extensible member 34 having elasticity and attached to a portion of the left wall portion 31 facing the right wall portion 32. The battery module 1 further includes a right extensible member 35 having elasticity and attached to a portion of the right wall portion 32 facing the left wall portion 31.

In this case, the force acting from the battery cell 10 and the fins 21 on the housing member 30 is reduced.

The cover member 23 of the present embodiment is connected to the fins 21 on the lower side and connected to the cooling tubes 22 on the upper side.

In this case, the heat of the fins 21 is more easily transmitted to the cooling tubes 22 than in a structure in which a member connected to the fins 21 and a member connected to the cooling tubes 22 are separately provided.

The concave portion 233, which is a portion of the cover member 23 of the present embodiment that contacts the cooling pipe 22, is formed along the outer shape of the cooling pipe 22.

In this case, the heat of the cover member 23 is more easily transmitted to the cooling pipe 22 than in the case where the upper surface 233A of the recess 233 in the cover member 23 is in a shape different from the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the cooling pipe 22.

In the present embodiment, in a state where the bent portions 212 of the fins 21 are inserted into the recesses 233 of the cover member 23, the portions of the linear portions 211 and the extended portions 213 that enter the recesses 233 press the recesses 233.

In this case, the fins 21 are less likely to fall off the recessed portions 233 as compared with a configuration in which the fins 21 do not press the recessed portions 233 of the cover member 23.

(modification of Cooling apparatus)

Next, a modified example of the cooling device will be described. The cooling device of the present embodiment is not limited to the cooling device 20 shown in fig. 1 to 5.

Fig. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are views showing the cooling member 24.

The cooling member 24 is provided with fins 241 and a lid 242.

The fin 241 shown in fig. 6 (a) corresponds to the fin 21 (see fig. 1). The fins 241 extend linearly and are formed in a plate shape. The fin 241 is provided with a front-side opening 2411 and a rear-side opening 2412.

The front-side opening 2411 is provided at the upper end and the front end of the fin 241. An opening is formed in the front opening 2411. The opening is formed from the right side surface 241A to the left side surface 241B of the fin 241. Further, female screws (not shown) are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the front side opening 2411.

The rear-side opening 2412 is provided at the upper end and the rear end of the fin 241. An opening is formed in the rear opening 2412. The opening is formed from the right side surface 241A to the left side surface 241B of the fin 241. Further, female screws (not shown) are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the rear opening 2412.

The lid 242, which is an example of the connected portion, functions as a part of the lid of the housing member 30. The lid 242 is formed in a rod-like and rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the front-rear direction. A front recess 2421 and a rear recess 2422 are provided on the right side surface 242A of the cover part 242.

The front recess 2421 is provided at the front end portion in the right side face 242A of the lid section 242. The front recess 2421 is recessed leftward from the right side surface 242A of the cover 242. Further, female screws (not shown) are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the front recess 2421.

The rear recess 2422 is provided at the rear end in the right side surface 242A of the lid section 242. The rear recess 2422 is recessed leftward from the right side surface 242A of the cover 242. Further, female screws (not shown) are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the rear recess 2422.

Further, the cooling member 24 is provided with the 1 st screw S1 and the 2 nd screw S2. The 1 st screw S1 is inserted into the inside of the front-side opening 2411 of the fin 241 and the inside of the front-side recess 2421 of the cover 242. The 2 nd screw S2 is inserted into the inside of the rear opening 2412 of the fin 241 and the inside of the rear recess 2422 of the cover 242. As a result, as shown in fig. 6 (b), the lid 242 and the fins 241 are fastened by the 1 st screws S1 and the 2 nd screws S2, and the fins 241 are attached to the lid 242.

In addition, in this modification, 11 sets of cooling members 24 are provided in the battery module 1. The fins 241 of the 11 groups of cooling members 24 are inserted into the receiving member 30 in a state of being inserted between two adjacent battery cells 10 out of the 12 battery cells 10. In a state where the fins 241 are fitted into the receiving member 30, the lid portions 242 are arranged in the left-right direction on the receiving member 30 and the upper side of the battery cell 10. Thus, the lid portion 242 of the 11-group cooling member 24 functions as a lid of the battery module 1.

Although not shown, the cooling pipe 22 is connected to the upper surface of the cooling member 24. Here, in the cooling member 24, similarly to the cover member 23 (see fig. 3 a), a portion connected to the cooling pipe 22 may be formed along the outer shape of the cooling pipe 22.

As described above, in the modified example, the connected portion exemplified by the cover 242 is provided in plural numbers for each of the heat conductive portions exemplified by the fins 241.

In this case, the operator can insert the heat conduction portion between the adjacent battery cells 10 among the plurality of battery cells 10 by performing the operation of inserting the heat conduction portion between the two battery cells 10 for each heat conduction portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to simultaneously insert the plurality of heat conduction portions between the plurality of battery cells 10.

In the present embodiment, the case where the connection target portion and the heat conduction portion are separately formed is described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, the connected portion and the thermally conductive portion may be formed integrally. In this case, for example, a member in which the connection portion and the heat conduction portion are integrally formed may be provided by extrusion molding.

The connection target portion and the thermally conductive portion may be connected by welding. Examples of the welding technique include ultrasonic welding, vibration welding, resistance welding, pulse welding, MIG (Metal inert gas) welding, TIG (Tungsten inert gas) welding, and the like. When the connected portion and the heat conductive portion are connected by welding, the strength of the connection portion can be ensured while suppressing an increase in thermal resistance of the connection portion between the connected portion and the heat conductive portion. In particular, when the to-be-connected portion and the thermally conductive portion are connected by ultrasonic welding, vibration welding, or pulse welding, the vicinity of the welded portion can be suppressed from becoming high temperature, and thus, the strength in the vicinity of the welded portion can be suppressed from being reduced due to the vicinity of the welded portion becoming high temperature.

Further, for example, the connection target portion and the thermally conductive portion may be connected by friction pressure welding or friction stir welding. Further, the thermally conductive portion may be bonded to the connected portion using an adhesive, for example.

In the present embodiment, the cooling pipe 22 is provided along the direction in which the battery cells 10 are arranged, but is not limited thereto.

The cooling pipe 22 may be provided in the battery cell 10 along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 10, for example. The cooling pipe 22 may be formed not in a straight line shape but in a wave shape, for example. In addition, the number of cooling pipes 22 provided in battery unit 10 may be any number.

< embodiment 2 >

Next, embodiment 2 will be explained.

Embodiment 2 is common to embodiment 1 in that a heat conduction portion for conducting heat of the battery is provided between the plurality of batteries. On the other hand, embodiment 1 is a configuration in which the refrigerant does not flow between the plurality of batteries, whereas embodiment 2 is different from embodiment 1 in that the refrigerant flows between the plurality of batteries.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the battery module 1 according to embodiment 2, and is a perspective view of the battery module 1. In embodiment 2, the same configuration as that of embodiment 1 will not be described.

As shown in fig. 7, the battery module 1 of the present embodiment includes a battery cell 100, a cooling device 40, and a housing member 50.

In the present embodiment, a square battery cell 100 is used. The battery module 1 of the present embodiment is provided with 11 battery cells 100. The battery cells 100, which are an example of a battery, are arranged in the left-right direction. Each battery cell 100 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the vertical direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction. The battery cell 100 includes a positive electrode 101, a negative electrode 102, and a support member 103.

As the battery cell 100, the pouch-type battery cell described above may be used.

The positive electrode 101 is an electrode having a potential higher than that of the negative electrode 102. The positive electrode 101 is provided above the negative electrode 102. The positive electrode 101 is formed in a plate shape. The positive electrode 101 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes forward from the support member 103. As the positive electrode 101, for example, a metal material such as aluminum or copper is used.

The negative electrode 102 is an electrode having a potential lower than that of the positive electrode 101. The negative electrode 102 is formed in a plate shape. The negative electrode 102 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes forward from the support member 103. As the negative electrode 102, for example, a metal material such as aluminum or copper is used.

The support member 103 supports the positive electrode 101 and the negative electrode 102. The support member 103 is provided with a separator (not shown) for separating the positive electrode 101 and the negative electrode 102. The separator is formed in a film shape and disposed between the positive electrode 101 and the negative electrode 102. Further, a square tubular member (not shown) is provided on the support member 103. The square tubular member is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and a tubular shape. A part of the positive electrode 101, a part of the negative electrode 102, and the separator are enclosed by a rectangular tube member.

In order to improve the adhesion between the battery cell 100 and the cooling device 40, a support member 103 whose surface is covered with liquid silicon (Si), a film-like heat conductive member, or the like may be used.

The cooling device 40, which is an example of a heat conductive member, cools the battery cell 100. The cooling device 40 has a1 st heat exchanger 41 and a2 nd heat exchanger 42. The 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 radiate heat of the battery unit 100. Both the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are laminated on their surfaces. As the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42, for example, a material having durability against internal pressure and external force or a material having improved adhesion to the battery cell 100 is preferably used.

In the battery module 1 of the present embodiment, 5

heat exchangers

1 and 2 are provided, respectively. These 1

st heat exchanger

41 and 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are arranged so as to be alternately arranged in the left-right direction. As will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 can be coupled.

The structure of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 will be described in detail later.

The housing member 50, which is an example of a pressing member, houses the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40. The front and rear sides of the housing member 50 are open. The housing member 50 has a left wall 51, a right wall 52, and a bottom wall 53. The left wall 51, the right wall 52, and the bottom wall 53 are made of a metal material such as aluminum.

The left wall 51 is a side wall of the housing member 50. The left wall 51 is formed in a plate shape. The left wall 51 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is oriented in the vertical direction, the short-side direction thereof is oriented in the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof is oriented in the left-right direction. The left wall 51 is provided with a front opening 511 and a rear opening 512. The front opening 511 and the rear opening 512 are arranged at an upper end of the left wall 51 at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The rear opening 512 is provided on the rear side of the front opening 511. The front opening 511 and the rear opening 512 are each provided with an opening formed from the right side surface 51A to the left side surface 51B of the left wall 51.

The right wall portion 52 is a side wall of the housing member 50. The right wall portion 52 is provided on the right side of the left wall portion 51. The right wall portion 52 is formed in a plate shape. The right wall portion 52 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the vertical direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction. Further, the right wall portion 52 is provided with a front opening 521 and a rear opening 522. The front opening 521 and the rear opening 522 are arranged at an upper end of the right wall 52 at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The rear opening 522 is provided on the rear side of the front opening 521. The front opening 521 and the rear opening 522 are each provided with an opening formed from the right side surface 52A to the left side surface 52B of the right wall 52.

The bottom wall portion 53 is provided in the deepest portion of the housing member 50. The bottom wall portion 53 is provided from the lower top end of the left wall portion 51 to the lower top end of the right wall portion 52. The bottom wall portion 53 is formed in a plate shape. The bottom wall portion 53 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the left-right direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the vertical direction.

In addition, the housing member 50 is provided with a left telescopic member 54 and a right telescopic member 55. As the left and right

extensible members

54 and 55, for example, the same material as the left and right

extensible members

34 and 35 shown in fig. 1 is used.

The left telescopic member 54 is attached to the right side surface 51A of the left wall portion 51. The left telescopic member 54 is formed in a plate shape. The left extensible member 54 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the vertical direction, the short direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

Right telescoping member 55 is attached to left side surface 52B of right wall portion 52. The right telescopic member 55 is formed in a plate shape. The right extensible member 55 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the vertical direction, the short direction thereof faces the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the left-right direction.

Fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 when the 1 st heat exchanger 41 is viewed from the right side of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 in fig. 7, and fig. 8 (b) is a perspective view of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 when the 1 st heat exchanger 41 is viewed from the left side of the 1 st heat exchanger 41. Fig. 8 (c) is a sectional view from VIII to VIII in fig. 8 (a).

The 1 st heat exchanger 41, which is an example of the heat conduction unit, is provided with a supply and reception unit 411 and a heat exchange unit 412.

The supply/reception unit 411 supplies and receives the refrigerant. The supply receiving portion 411 is provided to extend in the front-rear direction, and is formed in a hollow shape. An opening 4111 and a protrusion 4112 are provided on the right side surface 411A of the supply receiver 411. Further, a cylindrical portion 4113 and a concave portion 4114 are provided on the left side surface 411B of the supply receiving portion 411.

The opening portion 4111 and the protrusion portion 4112 are provided with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. Further, the cylindrical portion 4113 and the concave portion 4114 are provided with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.

An opening 4111 as an example of the receiving portion is provided on the front side of the projection 4112. An opening 4111 is formed. The opening is connected to a hollow portion in the supply receptacle 411.

The protrusion 4112 protrudes from the right side surface 411A of the supply receiver 411. The protrusion 4112 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

A cylindrical portion 4113 as an example of the discharge portion is provided on the rear side of the concave portion 4114. The cylindrical portion 4113 protrudes from the left side surface 411B of the supply receiving portion 411, and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The inside of the tube portion 4113 is connected to a hollow portion in the supply receiving portion 411.

The concave portion 4114 is recessed from the left side surface 411B of the supply receiving portion 411. The recess of the recess 4114 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

The heat exchanging portion 412 is formed in a plate shape. The heat exchange portion 412 is opened inside, and the heat exchange portion 412 is provided so that the refrigerant can flow through the opened portion. An open portion in the interior of the heat exchanging portion 412 is connected to a hollow portion of the supply receiving portion 411. The heat exchange portion 412 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is oriented in the vertical direction, the short-side direction thereof is oriented in the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction thereof is oriented in the left-right direction.

The thickness of the heat exchange portion 412 is preferably 0.5mm to 4 mm. When the thickness of the heat exchange portion 412 is less than 0.5mm, the flow path of the refrigerant inside the heat exchange portion 412 becomes narrow, and therefore the pressure loss when the refrigerant flows inside the heat exchange portion 412 becomes large, and the cooling performance of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 is degraded. When the thickness of the heat exchanger 412 is larger than 4mm, the amount of the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 412 increases, and therefore the heat flux of heat moving from the battery cell 100 to the heat exchanger 412 becomes excessively large, and the battery cell 100 may be excessively cooled. In this case, the energy density of the battery module 1 may be reduced. In addition, the weight of the battery module 1 may increase in accordance with an increase in the amount of the refrigerant contained in the heat exchange portion 412.

The heat exchanger 412 is provided with a housing 4121 and a flow path forming portion 4122.

The flow path forming portion 4122 is provided inside the housing 4121, and forms a flow path for the refrigerant. As shown in fig. 8 (c), seven flow path forming portions 4122 are provided in the heat exchanger 412. The flow path forming portion 4122 extends in the vertical direction. The seven flow path forming portions 4122 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.

The supply receiver 411 receives a refrigerant from a supply unit (not shown) that supplies the refrigerant through an opening 4111. The refrigerant received by the supply receiver 411 enters the heat exchanger 412 from inside the supply receiver 411, and flows between the housing 4121 and the flow path forming portion 4122 and between the adjacent flow path forming portions 4122. When the refrigerant accumulates in the 1 st heat exchanger 41, a part of the accumulated refrigerant passes through the tube portion 4113 and is discharged from the 1 st heat exchanger 41.

Fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 when the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 is viewed from the right side of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 in fig. 7, and fig. 9 (b) is a perspective view of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 when the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 is viewed from the left side of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. Fig. 9 (c) and 9 (d) are diagrams for explaining a method of connecting the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42.

The 2 nd heat exchanger 42, which is an example of the heat conduction unit, is provided with a supply receiving unit 421 and a heat exchange unit 422.

The supply receiver 421 supplies and receives the refrigerant. The supply receiving portion 421 is provided to extend in the front-rear direction, and is formed in a hollow shape. An opening 4211 and a projection 4212 are provided on a right side surface 421A of the supply receiver 421. Further, a cylinder 4213 and a concave portion 4214 are provided on the left side surface 421B of the supply receiver 421.

The opening 4211 and the boss 4212 are provided with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The tube portion 4213 and the recessed portion 4214 are provided at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.

An opening 4211 as an example of the receiving portion is provided on the rear side of the projection 4212. An opening is formed in the opening portion 4211. The opening is connected to the hollow portion of the supply receiver 421.

Boss 4212 protrudes from right side surface 421A of supply receiver 421. The boss 4212 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

A cylinder 4213 as an example of the supply portion is provided on the front side of the concave portion 4214. The cylinder 4213 is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes from the left side 421B of the supply receiver 421. The cylinder 4213 is connected to a hollow portion of the supply receiver 421.

The concave portion 4214 is recessed from the left side surface 421B of the supply receiver 421. The depression of the concave portion 4214 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

The heat exchanging portion 422, which is an example of the heat conducting portion, has an opening therein, and the opened portion is connected to the hollow portion of the supply receiving portion 421. The heat exchange portion 422 has the same structure as the heat exchange portion 412 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41. That is, the heat exchange unit 422 is provided with a housing 4221 and a flow passage forming unit 4222, the housing 4221 has the same configuration as the housing 4121 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41, and the flow passage forming unit 4222 has the same configuration as the flow passage forming unit 4122 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41.

Next, a method of connecting the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 will be described. In fig. 9 (c) and 9 (d), the 1 st heat exchanger 41 disposed on the rightmost side is referred to as the right 1 st heat exchanger 41, and the 1 st heat exchanger 41 disposed on the leftmost side is referred to as the left 1 st heat exchanger 41.

An operator who performs the work of connecting the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 first inserts the tube portion 4113 in the supply receiver 411 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the right side into the opening 4211 in the supply receiver 421 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. At this time, the worker fits the convex portion 4212 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 into the concave portion 4114 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the right side.

Further, the operator inserts the tube 4213 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 into the opening 4111 in the supply receiver 411 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the left side. At this time, the worker fits the convex portion 4112 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the left side into the concave portion 4214 of the 2 nd heat exchanger.

As a result, as shown in fig. 9 (d), the right 1 st heat exchanger 41, the 2 nd heat exchanger 42, and the left 1 st heat exchanger 41 are coupled. At this time, the left side surface 411B of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the right side faces the right side surface 421A of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. Further, the left side surface 421B of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 faces the right side surface 411A of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the left side.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are alternately arranged in the left-right direction.

When the refrigerant accumulates in the right 1 st heat exchanger 41, the refrigerant is supplied from the tube portion 4113 of the right 1 st heat exchanger 41 through the opening 4211 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 into the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. When the refrigerant accumulates in the interior of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42, the refrigerant is supplied from the tube portion 4213 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 to the interior of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the left side through the opening portion 4111 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 on the left side. In this way, the refrigerant flows through the inside of each of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 connected to each other.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the battery module 1 in a state in which the battery cells 100 and the cooling device 40 are housed in the housing member 50.

In the present embodiment, the battery cells 100 and the heat exchange portions 412 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the heat exchange portions 422 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are alternately arranged in the left-right direction. The supply/reception unit 411 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the supply/reception unit 421 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are located above the battery unit 100. Further, the front opening 521 of the right wall 52 of the housing member 50 is positioned on the right side of the supply/reception portion 411 of the rightmost 1 st heat exchanger 41. The front opening 511 of the left wall 51 of the housing member 50 is located on the left side of the tube 4213 of the leftmost heat exchanger 2 42.

In the present embodiment, one end of the supply member Su formed in a tubular shape and supplying the refrigerant is connected to the opening 4111 of the rightmost 1 st heat exchanger through the inside of the front side opening 521 in the right wall portion 52 (see fig. 8 (a)). The refrigerant flowing through the inside of the supply member Su passes through the opening 4111 of the rightmost 1 st heat exchanger 41 and is supplied to the inside of the rightmost 1 st heat exchanger 41. When the supply of the refrigerant continues, the refrigerant flows to the left side through the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 connected to each other.

In the present embodiment, one end of the discharge member Di, which is formed in a tubular shape and discharges the refrigerant, is connected to the tube portion 4213 of the leftmost 2 nd heat exchanger 42 through the inside of the front-side opening portion 511 of the left wall portion 51. Then, the refrigerant flows from the tube 4213 of the leftmost 2 nd heat exchanger 42 to the discharge member Di, and the refrigerant is discharged from the battery module 1.

In the present embodiment, as in embodiment 1, the housing member 50 may be opened in the left-right direction before the housing member 50 houses the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40. After the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40 are housed in the housing member 50, the housing member 50 may be plastically deformed so that the left wall portion 51 and the right wall portion 52 are brought into close proximity to each other, the battery unit 100 may be brought into close contact with the cooling device 40, and the housing member 50 may be brought into close contact with the battery unit 100.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are provided so that the refrigerant can flow therein, and include a receiving portion that receives the refrigerant and a discharge portion that discharges the refrigerant. Here, examples of the receiving portion include an opening portion 4111 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and an opening portion 4211 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. Examples of the discharge portion include a tube portion 4113 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and a tube portion 4213 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. The tube portion 4113 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 is connected to the opening portion 4211 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42.

In this case, it is not necessary to provide a structure for connecting the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 and a structure for supplying the refrigerant in the 1 st heat exchanger 41 to the 2 nd heat exchanger 42.

(modification of pressing Member)

In the above example, the case where the battery cell and the cooling device are pressed by the housing member is described. Here, the pressing member that presses the battery cell and the cooling device is not limited to the housing member.

Fig. 11 (a) is a diagram showing the pressing device 60. Fig. 11 (b) is a diagram showing a state in which the pressing device 60 presses the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40.

As shown in fig. 11 (b), a battery module 1 as a modification is provided with a pressing device 60. The pressing device 60 presses the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40.

The pressing device 60 is provided with two pressing members 61. The two pressing members 61 are arranged so as to face in the front-rear direction. The pressing member 61 is provided with a plate-like portion 62 and a rod-like portion 63.

The plate-shaped portion 62 is formed in a plate shape. The plate-like portion 62 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the left-right direction, the short-side direction thereof faces the up-down direction, and the thickness direction thereof faces the front-rear direction. In addition, the plate portion 62 is provided with four openings 621. Two of the four opening portions 621 are provided at an upper end portion of the plate-shaped portion 62 with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. Further, the other two of the four opening portions 621 are provided at the lower end portion of the plate-like portion 62 with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. An opening is formed in each opening 621 from the front surface 62A to the rear surface 62B of the plate portion 62.

The rod-shaped portion 63 is connected to the right-side distal end of the plate-shaped portion 62. The rod-like portion 63 extends in the vertical direction and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The thickness of the rod-shaped portion 63 in the front-rear direction is larger than the thickness of the plate-shaped portion 62. The rod 63 is provided with two openings 631. The two openings 631 are provided at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction of the rod 63. Openings are formed in the openings 631 from the front surface 63A to the rear surface 63B of the rod 63.

In addition, the pressing device 60 is provided with four pins P and eight nuts N. Male screws (not shown) are formed at the tips of both end portions of the four pins P.

In the modification, the battery unit 100 and the 1 st and 2

nd heat exchangers

41 and 42 are arranged in the front-rear direction. The battery unit 100, the 1 st heat exchanger 41, and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 are disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is oriented in the left-right direction, the short-side direction thereof is oriented in the up-down direction, and the thickness direction thereof is oriented in the front-rear direction.

The two pressing members 61 are disposed so as to sandwich the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40. More specifically, the plate-shaped portions 62 of the two pressing members 61 are arranged so as to sandwich the battery unit 100, the heat exchange portion 412 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41, and the heat exchange portion 422 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42. The rod-like portions 63 of the two pressing members 61 are disposed so as to sandwich the supply receiving portion 411 of the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the supply receiving portion 421 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42.

Then, with the two pressing members 61 sandwiching the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40, the pins P are inserted into the four openings 621 provided in the plate-shaped portions 62, respectively, and both ends of each pin P are fastened by the nuts N. In this case, the battery unit 100 and the cooling device 40 are pressed by the two pressing members 61. Thereby, battery cell 100 is in close contact with cooling device 40, and pressing device 60 is in close contact with battery cell 100.

One end of a supply member (not shown) formed in a tubular shape and supplying the refrigerant is connected to the opening 4111 in the first heat exchanger 41 on the foremost side through the opening 631 provided in the rod-shaped portion 63 of the pressing member 61 on the front side (see fig. 8 (a)). The refrigerant flowing through the inside of the supply member passes through the opening 4111 of the front-most first heat exchanger 41 and is supplied to the inside of the front-most first heat exchanger 41. When the supply of the refrigerant continues, the refrigerant flows to the rear side through the 1 st heat exchanger 41 and the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 connected to each other.

One end of a discharge member (not shown) formed in a tubular shape and discharging the refrigerant is connected to the tube portion 4213 of the 2 nd heat exchanger 42 on the rearmost side through an opening portion 631 provided in the rod-shaped portion 63 of the pressing member 61 on the rear side (see fig. 9 b). Then, the refrigerant flows from the tube 4213 of the leftmost 2 nd heat exchanger 42 to the discharge member, and the refrigerant is discharged from the battery module 1.

In this way, the battery module 1 in which the battery cells 100 and the cooling device 40 are sandwiched by the pressing devices 60 may be used. Even in this case, it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the battery module 1 in the direction in which the battery cells 100 and the 1 st and 2

nd heat exchangers

41, 42 are aligned.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. As is apparent from the description of the claims, the technology of the above-described embodiment to which various modifications and improvements are applied is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery module is characterized by comprising:

a plurality of batteries arranged in a direction;

a heat conduction member having a plurality of heat conduction portions each arranged in the direction and disposed between the plurality of cells and conducting heat of the cells; and

and a pressing member having a wall portion provided along a direction intersecting the one direction on one side and the other side of the one direction with respect to the plurality of cells and the plurality of heat conductive portions, the wall portion on the one side and the wall portion on the other side pressing the cells and the heat conductive portions.

2. The battery module according to claim 1,

the pressing member further has a support portion that is provided from the wall portion on the one side to the wall portion on the other side and supports the plurality of batteries.

3. The battery module according to claim 1,

the elastic member is attached to a portion of the wall portion on the one side facing the other side and has elasticity.

4. The battery module according to claim 1,

the heat conductive member further has:

a rod-shaped member formed in a hollow and rod-shaped manner and forming a flow path for the refrigerant; and

and a connected portion connected to the heat conductive portion on one side and connected to the rod-like member on the opposite side of the one side.

5. The battery module according to claim 4,

the portion of the connected portion that contacts the rod-shaped member is formed along the outer shape of the rod-shaped member.

6. The battery module according to claim 4,

the heat conductive portion has a curved portion, a1 st portion adjacent to the curved portion and disposed on one end side of the curved portion, and a2 nd portion adjacent to the curved portion and disposed on an opposite side of the curved portion to the one end side,

the connected portion has a recessed portion that is recessed,

in a state where the curved portion is inserted into the recess, the portion of the 1 st portion and the 2 nd portion that enters the recess presses the recess.

7. The battery module according to claim 4,

the connected portion and the plurality of heat conductive portions are integrally formed.

8. The battery module according to claim 4,

the connected portion is provided in plural for each of the plurality of heat conductive portions.

9. The battery module according to claim 1,

a plurality of the heat conduction sections are provided so that a refrigerant can flow therein, and each of the heat conduction sections has a receiving section for receiving the refrigerant and a discharge section for discharging the refrigerant,

the discharge portion of one of the heat conduction portions is connected to the receiving portion of the other one of the heat conduction portions.