FR3106936A1 - BATTERY MODULE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery module in which the size increase is avoided in a direction where batteries and heat conduction parts are arranged in line. The battery module includes: a plurality of batteries arranged in line in a first direction; a heat conduction element comprising a plurality of heat conduction portions arranged in line in the first direction, each disposed between two of the plurality of batteries to transfer heat from the batteries; and a clamp member comprising wall portions provided at a first end side and the other end side of the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction portions in the first direction, the wall portions being provided along a direction intersecting the first direction, the wall portion at the first end side and the wall portion at the other end side pressing the plurality of batteries and the plurality of thermal conduction parts. Selected drawing: Figure 5

Description

BATTERY MODULE

Technical area.

The present invention relates to a battery module.

State of the art

In recent years, in a battery module, a heat conduction part and a battery are sometimes arranged in line in one direction.

By way of example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a battery module is constructed in a module housing provided with a path for a first fin element on a side surface or on a lower end surface of. this in a state where the battery cells are arranged to be laminated with the first fin element which is interposed.

List of citations

Patent literature documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese National Patent Application Publication 2016-511509.

In the event that a battery module is provided with a plurality of batteries and a plurality of heat conduction portions, the size of the battery module will likely need to be increased. Particularly, in the case where the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction parts are arranged in line in one direction, there is a risk of obtaining a large size battery module in the direction where the batteries and the batteries. heat conduction parts are arranged.

An object of the present invention is to prevent a battery module from being enlarged in a direction where batteries and heat conduction parts are arranged.

Solution of this problem

According to the present invention implemented to meet the above object, a battery module comprises: a plurality of batteries arranged in line in a first direction; a heat conduction element comprising a plurality of heat conduction portions arranged in line in the first direction, each disposed between two of the plurality of batteries to transfer heat from the batteries; and a clamp member comprising wall portions provided at a first end side and the other end side of the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction portions in the first direction, the wall portions being provided along a direction intersecting the first direction, the wall portion at the first end side and the wall portion at the other end side pressing the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction parts.

Here, the clamp member may further comprise a support portion provided from the wall portion at the first end side to the wall portion at the other end side in order to supporting the plurality of batteries.

Additionally, the battery module may further include a resilient member having resiliency and attached to a portion of the wall portion at the first end side, the portion facing the other end side.

The heat conduction element may further include: a rod-like element made in the shape of a hollow rod to form a refrigerant flow path; and a connecting part, to a first side of which the heat conduction parts are connected and to the other side of which the rod-like member is connected.

In addition, a portion of the connecting portion to be brought into contact with the rod-like member may be formed to follow an outer shape of the rod-like member.

Each of the heat conduction portions may include a curved portion which is curved, a first portion adjacent to the curved portion and provided on a first side of the curved portion, and a second portion adjacent to the curved portion and provided on one side of the portion. curved opposite to the first side, the connecting portion may include a concave portion which is recessed, and, in a state where the curved portion is inserted into the concave portion, portions of the first portion and the second portion entered into the inside the concave part can exert pressure in the concave part.

In addition, the bonding part and the plurality of heat conduction parts can be integrally formed.

Each of the plurality of heat conduction portions may be provided with the connecting portion.

Additionally, each of the plurality of heat conduction portions may be provided to allow refrigerant to flow therein and may include a receiving portion receiving the refrigerant and a discharge portion discharging the refrigerant and the discharge portion. discharge part of one of the heat conduction parts can be connected to the receiving part of another of the heat conduction parts.

Benefits of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a battery module from being enlarged in a direction where batteries and heat conduction parts are arranged.

Brief description of the figures

Figure1 shows an exemplary schematic configuration of a battery module according to a first exemplary embodiment, which is a perspective view of the battery module;

figure 2 shows the battery module in a state where battery cells and cooling means are contained in a container member;

figure 3A is a side view of a cover member as seen from the right side of the cover member in Figure 1, and Figure 3B is a front view of the cover member as seen from the front side of the cover member;

figure 4A is a front view of a fin as seen from the front side of the fin in Figure 1, which is also an enlarged view of the fin, and Figures 4B and 4C illustrate a method of inserting the fin into the cover member;

figure 5A represents a container element before containing the battery cells and fins, and figure 5B represents the container element that contains the battery cells and fins;

Figures 6A and 6B represent cooling elements;

figure7 shows a battery module according to a second exemplary embodiment, which is a perspective view of the battery module;

figure 8A is a perspective view of a first heat exchanger as seen from the right side of the first heat exchanger in Figure 7, Figure 8B is a perspective view of the first heat exchanger as seen from the left side of the first heat exchanger, and Figure 8C is a cross-sectional view VIII-VIII of Figure 8A;

figure 9A is a perspective view of a second heat exchanger as seen from the right side of the second heat exchanger in Figure 7, Figure 9B is a perspective view of the second heat exchanger as seen from the left side of the second heat exchanger, and Figures 9C and 9D illustrate a method of coupling the first heat exchangers and the second heat exchangers;

figure 10 shows the battery module in a state where battery cells and cooling means are contained in a container member; and

figure 11A shows a clamping device, and figure 11B represents a state where the clamping means clamps the battery cells and the cooling means.

<First example of realization>

In what follows, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 represents an exemplary schematic configuration of a battery module 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment, which is a perspective view of the battery module 1.

Fig. 2 shows the battery module 1 in a state where battery cells 10 and cooling means 20 are contained in a container element 30.

Note that in the following description, the upper side of the battery module 1 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the "upper side", the lower side thereof is referred to as the "lower side" and these directions are in the direction of the "upper side". some cases designated by the "vertical direction". In addition, in some cases the left side of the battery module 1 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the "left side", the right side of the battery module 1 in the page is referred to as the "right side" and these directions are referred to as the "left side". by the "horizontal direction." Further, in some cases the front side of the battery module 1 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the "front side", the rear side thereof is referred to as the "back side" and these directions are in some cases referred to as the "front-to-rear direction".

The battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment supplies electric power, by way of example, to an engine of a hybrid vehicle, of an electric vehicle and the like, or to electronic equipment such as a terminal device. The battery module 1 comprises the battery cells 10, the cooling medium 20 and the container element 30.

The battery cell 10, as an example of a battery, becomes charged upon receiving the supply of a current from a power supply (not shown) outside the battery module. 1. The battery cell 10 supplies electrical power by discharging itself. When the battery cell 10 is charged or discharged, the battery cell 10 generates heat.

The exemplary embodiment uses pocket-shaped battery cells 10. The battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with twelve battery cells 10. The twelve battery cells 10 are arranged in line in the horizontal direction. . Each battery cell 10 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. Battery cell 10 includes a positive electrode 11, a negative electrode 12, and a support member 13.

Note that a square shaped battery cell 10 can be used, which will be described below.

The positive electrode 11 is at a higher potential than the negative electrode 12. The positive electrode 11 is made in the form of a plate. The positive electrode 11 is provided such that a part thereof protrudes towards the front side from the support member 13. For the positive electrode 11, an exemplary material is used. metallic, such as aluminum or copper.

The negative electrode 12 is at a lower potential than the positive electrode 11. The negative electrode 12 is made in the form of a plate. The negative electrode 12 is provided such that a part thereof protrudes rearwardly from the support member 13. For the negative electrode 12, an exemplary material is used. metallic, such as aluminum or copper.

The support element 13 supports the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The support element 13 is provided with a separator (not shown) separating the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The separator is made in the form of a thin film and is disposed between the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The support member 13 is provided with a laminate material (not shown). The laminate material is made in the form of a thin film. The positive electrode 11, the negative electrode 12 and the separator are enveloped in the laminate material. For the laminate material, a metallic material, such as aluminum, is used as an example. Inside the laminate material, an electrolyte solution is included.

Note that each of the electrodes among the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 of each battery cell 10 is connected to a bus bar (not shown) through a plate member (not shown) forming a beam. with the positive electrode 11 or the negative electrode 12.

The cooling means 20, as an example of a heat conduction element, cools the battery cells 10. The cooling means 20 includes fins 21, a cooling pipe 22 and a cover element 23.

The fin 21, as an example of a thermal conduction part, dissipates heat from the battery cells 10. The battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with eleven fins 21. The eleven fins 21 are arranged in line in the horizontal direction. Further, in the exemplary embodiment, each of the fins 21 is intended to be inserted between two adjacent battery cells of the twelve battery cells 10 and, in this way, the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are arranged to be. arranged alternately in the horizontal direction. The fin 21 is made in the form of a plate. The fin 21 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction.

For fin 21, it is preferable to use a material having, by way of example, a thermal conductivity greater than or equal to 180 W / m K, a tensile strength greater than or equal to 120 MPa and a modulus de Young's 60 MPa. Examples of materials meeting these conditions include a metallic material, such as aluminum alloy and copper. For the aluminum alloy, it is preferable to use as an example an aluminum alloy according to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) A6063-T6 or an aluminum alloy according to JIS A1100-H18. Since the above-described aluminum alloy has a density of not more than one-third that of copper, the battery module 1 can be made with a lighter weight. Further, in the case where the above-described aluminum alloy is used for fin 21, the stiffness of the fin 21 becomes greater than the stiffness on the surface of the battery cell 10; therefore, the adhesion between fin 21 and battery cell 10 is increased. In this case, since the heat from the battery cell 10 is easily transferred to the fin 21, the performance of the cooling means 20 in cooling the battery cells 10 can be increased.

The thickness of the fin 21 is determined in accordance with the degree of necessity for dissipating heat from the battery cell 10. In the exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the fin 21 is preferably greater than 0.3 mm. and less than 3 mm. In the case where the thickness of the fin 21 is 0.3mm or less, the heat flux moving from the battery cell 10 to the fin 21 is small; therefore, there is a risk of insufficient cooling of the battery cell 10. Further, in the case where the thickness of the fin 21 is 3 mm or more, the heat flux moving from the battery cell 10 to fin 21 becomes excessively large; therefore, in some cases the battery cell 10 is overcooled. In this case, there is a risk of decrease in energy density of battery module 1.

In addition, to ensure the insulation properties between fin 21 and battery cell 10, a fin 21 covered with a resin film in the form of a thin film can be used. The thickness of the resin film can, for example, be set in the range greater than or equal to 10 µm and less than or equal to 50 µm. Alternatively, one can also use a fin 21 coated with a resin material.

The cooling pipe 22, as an example of a rod-shaped element, cools the battery cells 10 through the fins 21 and the cover member 23. For the cooling pipe 22, use is made of. for example a metallic material, such as aluminum. The cooling pipe 22 includes: a right side flow path forming part 221; a left side flow path forming part 222; and a connecting part 223. Each of the parts of the right side flow path forming part 221, the left side flow path forming part 222 and the connecting part 223 are made tubular in shape. inside which a refrigerant flows.

The right side flow path forming portion 221 forms a flow path for refrigerant flowing to the right side. The right side flow path forming part 221 is formed to extend in the horizontal direction. The right side flow path forming part 221 receives refrigerant from a supply unit (not shown) for supplying the refrigerant.

The left side flow path forming part 222 forms a flow path for refrigerant flowing to the left side. The left side flow path forming part 222 is formed to extend in the horizontal direction.

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

Refrigerant enters inside the right side flow path forming part 221 from the left side thereof, flows to the right side into the right side flow path forming part 221 and enters inside the connecting part 223. Then, the refrigerant flows from the front side to the rear side inside the connecting part 223 and enters inside the forming part. left side flow path 222. Then the refrigerant flows to the left side inside the left side flow path forming part 222 and is discharged from the left side flow path forming part. left side drain 222.

Note that the right side flow path forming part 221, the left side flow path forming part 222 and the connecting part 223 do not need to have cross sections with circular outer shapes: by way of example, their cross sections can be made in a polygonal shape, insofar as the parts are hollow. In other words, the right side flow path forming part 221, the left side flow path forming part 222 and the connecting part 223 can be made in hollow rod shapes.

The cover member 23, as an example of a connecting part, is a cover of the container member 30. The cover member 23 is made in the form of a plate. The cover member 23 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the horizontal direction, and its thickness direction is in the vertical direction. The cover member 23 is provided to cover from the left side of the left most battery cell 10 to the right side of the right most battery cell 10. Additionally, the cover member 23 is provided to cover from the front side of the battery cells 10 and fins 21 to the rear side thereof. For the cover element 23, a metallic material, such as aluminum, is used.

As described in detail below, the cooling pipe 22 and the fins 21 are fixed to the upper surface 23A and the lower surface 23B, respectively, of the cover member 23. In this case, the forming part. Right side flow path 221 and the left side flow path forming part 222 of the cooling pipe 22 are arranged to cross each battery cell 10 and each fin 21 in the horizontal direction.

The cover member 23 transfers heat from the battery cells 10 to the cooling pipe 22 through the fins 21. The heat transferred to the cooling pipe 22 is transferred to the refrigerant inside the cooling pipe 22. .

In the exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the cover element 23 is preferably greater than or equal to 5 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm. In the event that the thickness of the cover member 23 is less than 5 mm, there is a risk of insufficient strength or rigidity of the cover member 23 serving as a housing for the battery module 1. In the event that the thickness of the cover element 23 is more than 25 mm, there is a possibility of increasing the weight of the battery module 1.

The container element 30 contains the battery cells 10 and the cooling medium 20. The container element 30 is open on the front side and the back side. The container member 30 includes a left wall part 31, a right wall part 32 and a bottom wall part 33. For each of the parts of the left wall part 31, the right wall part 32 and the part of bottom wall 33, a metallic material, such as aluminum, is used.

The left wall part 31 is a side wall of the container member 30. The left wall part 31 is made in the form of a plate. The left wall part 31 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction.

The right wall part 32 is a side wall of the container member 30. The right wall part 32 is provided on the right side of the left wall part 31. The right wall part 32 is made in the form of a plate. . The straight wall part 32 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction.

The bottom wall part 33, as an example of a support part, is provided at the deepest part of the container member 30. The bottom wall part 33 is provided from the left wall part 31 to the right wall part 32. More specifically, the bottom wall part 33 is provided from a lower side end of the left wall part 31 to a lower side end of the straight wall part 32. The bottom wall part 33 is made in the form of a plate. The bottom wall part 33 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the horizontal direction, and its thickness direction is in the vertical direction. .

The battery module 1 is provided with an expandable element on the left 34 and an expandable element on the right 35. For the expandable element on the left 34 and the expandable element on the right 35, it is used as an example, a material exhibiting elasticity. Additionally, for the left expandable member 34 and the right expandable member 35, a material with insulating properties may be included. In the exemplary embodiment, the left expandable member 34 and the right expandable member 35 use a resin material.

The left expandable member 34, as an example of an elastic member, is attached to a right side surface 31A of the left wall portion 31. The left expandable member 34 is made in the form of a plate. The left expanding member 34 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. .

The right expanding member 35, as an example of the elastic member, is attached to a left side surface 32A of the right wall portion 32. The right expanding member 35 is made in the form of a plate. The right-expanding member 35 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the front-rear direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. .

Upon receiving a pressing force from one side in the horizontal direction, each of the left-expanding member 34 and the right-expanding member 35 contracts in the horizontal direction while transferring the force. pressure force which has been received from the first side to an opposite side. In this case, the pressing force to be transferred to the opposite side is decreased by the amount corresponding to the contraction. In other words, each of the left-expanding member 34 and right-expanding member 35 regulates the pressing force received while transferring the pressing force received from the first side into the other side. horizontal direction.

In the configuration where the battery cells 10 and cooling means 20 are contained in the container member 30, the leftmost battery cell 10 faces the left expandable member 34 and the leftmost battery cell. more right 10 faces the expandable member to the right 35. As described in detail below, in the exemplary embodiment the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are clamped by the container member 30 in the chamber. configuration where the battery cells 10 and the cooling means 20 are contained in the container element 30.

In the exemplary embodiment, in the configuration where the battery cells 10 and the cooling means 20 are contained in the container element 30, a space in the vertical direction is provided between the lower surface 23B of the container element. cover 23 and each battery cell 10. However, in the configuration where the battery cells 10 and the cooling means 20 are contained in the container member 30, a space may not be provided between the lower surface 23B of the. cover element 23 and each battery cell 10.

In the following, a configuration of the cover member 23 will be described.

Fig. 3A is a side view of the cover member 23 as seen from the right side of the cover member 23 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3B is a front view of the cover member 23 such as viewed from the front side of the cover member 23.

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

The front side support part 231 supports the cooling pipe 22 (see figure 1). The front side support part 231 is provided at the front side end portion of the cover member 23, protruding from the upper surface 23A of the cover member 23. The front side support part 231 has a recess at the bottom. The surface 231A of the recess in the front side support portion 231 is formed in a shape following the outer shape of the right side flow path forming portion 221 of the cooling pipe 22, namely a curved surface. The right side flow path forming part 221 is placed on the surface 231A of the recess; in this way, the cooling pipe 22 is supported by the front side support part 231.

The rear side support part 232 also supports the cooling pipe 22. The rear side support part 232 is provided at the rear side end portion of the cover member 23, protruding from the upper surface. 23A of the cover member 23. The rear side support portion 232 has a recess towards the bottom. The surface 232A of the recess in the rear side support portion 232 is formed in a shape following the outer shape of the left side flow path forming portion 222 of the cooling pipe 22, namely a curved surface. The left side flow path forming part 222 is placed on the surface 232A of the recess; in this way, the cooling pipe 22 is supported by the rear side support part 232.

Note that the radius of curvature of the surface 231A of the recess in the front side support portion 231 may be slightly smaller than the radius of curvature of the surface of the right side flow path forming portion 221. Then, in the configuration where the right side flow path forming part 221 is placed on the front side support part 231, the right side flow path forming part 221 is pushed into the recess in the support part front side 231 using a push-insert unit (not shown) for pushing an object. In this case, the right side flow path forming part 221 is deformed to decrease the radius of curvature of the surface thereof and is installed in the recess of the front side support part 231; in this way, the right side flow path forming part 221 is stamped on the front side support part 231. Likewise, the radius of curvature of the surface 232A of the recess in the side support part rear 232 may be slightly smaller than the radius of curvature of the surface of the left side flow path forming part 222, in order, in this way, to stamp the left side flow path forming part 222 on the left side flow path forming part. rear side support 232.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 3B, on the lower surface 23B of the cover member 23, a plurality of concave portions 233, concave upwards, are provided. In the exemplary embodiment, the concave portions 233 are provided at eleven locations of the cover member 23. That is, the concave portions 233 are provided in the same amount as the fins 21. As described in detail below, in the exemplary embodiment the fins 21 are inserted into the concave parts 233 and, in this way, the fins 21 are fixed to the cover element 23.

The concave portions 233 are provided at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction. The concave portions 233 are provided through the cover member 23 from its front end to its rear end. The concave part 233 includes an upper surface 233A provided at the deeper portion of the concave part 233, a left side surface 233B provided on the left side of the concave part 233 and a right side surface 233C provided on the right side of the concave part 233. The upper surface 233A of the concave part 233 is linear in the horizontal direction. The left side surface 233B and the right side surface 233C of the concave portion 233 are linear in the vertical direction. The length in the horizontal direction from the left side surface 233B to the right side surface 233C, namely the length of the top surface 233A in the horizontal direction, is W1.

Figure 4A is a front view of fin 21 as seen from the front side of fin 21 in Figure 1, which is also an enlarged view of fin 21. Figures 4B and 4C illustrate a method of inserting the fin 21 into the cover element 23.

As shown in Figure 4A, the fin 21 includes a linear portion 211, a curved portion 212, and an extended portion 213.

In the figure, the linear part 211, as an example of a first part, is formed to extend linearly in the vertical direction.

The curved portion 212, as an example of a curved portion, is curved in a V-shape. More specifically, the curved portion 212 is curved to point downward and to the left from the upper side end. of the linear part 211. The upper surface 212A of the curved part 212 is formed linearly in the horizontal direction. The length of the top surface 212A in the horizontal direction is W2. The length W2 is slightly shorter than the length W1 (see figure 3B).

The deployed portion 213, as an example of a second portion, is provided to extend linearly from the end of the curved portion 212, the end being on a side opposite to the side where the linear portion 211 is planned. The length in the horizontal direction, from the point where the left side surface 213A and the bottom surface 213B of the deployed part 213 intersect the right side surface 211A of the linear part 211, is W3. The length W3 is longer than the length W1.

In the following, the method of inserting the fins 21 into the concave portions 233 of the cover member 23 will be described.

As described above, the length W2 of the upper surface 212A in the curved portion 212 of the fin 21 is slightly shorter than the length W1 (see Fig. 3B) of the concave portion 233 in the horizontal direction in the element of. cover 23. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 4B, the upper surface 212A of the curved part 212 can be inserted into the concave part 233. On the other hand, the length W3, from the point where the left side surface 213A and the lower surface 213B of the deployed part 213 intersect the right side surface 211A of the linear part 211, is longer than the length W1 of the concave part 233; therefore, the deployed portion 213 cannot be fully inserted into the concave portion 233 and engages with the concave portion 233.

Then, the fin 21 is pushed into the concave portion 233 using the push-insert unit (not shown) for pushing an object. At this time, the deployed portion 213 of the fin 21 supplies the pressing force to the concave portion 233 and receives a reaction force F1 against the pressing force from the concave portion 233. When the deployed portion 213 receives the reaction force F1, the fin 21 is deformed. More specifically, the fin 21 is deformed to cause the linear part 211 and the deployed part 213 to approach each other in the horizontal direction. With the deformation, the length W3 is reduced.

Since the length W3 becomes slightly less than the length W1 when the fin 21 is pushed by the push-insert unit, the deployed part 213 is inserted into the concave part 233 as shown in Fig. 4C. The upper surface 212A of the curved portion 212 reaches the upper surface 233A of the concave portion 233. Thus, the fin 21 is inserted into the concave portion 233. Further, when the fin 21 receives the reaction force F1 to be When deformed, the elastic force with the deformation acts on the fin 21. The elastic force pushes the extended part 213 and the linear part 211 apart in the horizontal direction. Due to the elastic force, the extended part 213 exerts pressure on the left side surface 233B of the concave part 233 and the linear part 211 exerts pressure on the right side surface 233C of the concave part 233. At this time , the right side surface 211A of the linear part 211 of the fin 21 is in contact with the right side surface 233C of the concave part 233, the upper surface 212A of the curved part 212 is in contact with the upper surface 233A of the concave portion 233 and the left side surface 213A of the extended portion 213 is in contact with the left side surface 233B of the concave portion 233.

Thus, in the exemplary embodiment, the fin 21 is forcibly inserted into each of the concave portions 233 at the eleven locations in the cover member 23.

Note that in the case where the fins 21 are force-inserted into the cover member 23, it is preferable to use the cover member 23 made of a material according to JIS A6063-T5 and the fins 21 made of material according to JIS A1100-H24. In this case, the contact areas between the cover member 23 and the fins 21 are increased and in this way the adhesion between the cover member 23 and the fins 21 is improved. This allows the heat to be easily transferred from the fins. fins 21 towards the cover element 23.

The method of bonding the fins 21 to the cover member 23 is not limited to the above.

As an example, the fins 21 can be connected to the cover member 23 by tightly inserting the fins 21 into the concave portions 233 of the cover member 23. The fins 21 can also be connected to the member. cover 23 by a contraction fit of the fins 21 in the concave portions 233 of the cover member 23.

In the following, a method of allowing the container member 30 to squeeze the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 will be described.

Figure 5A shows the container element 30 before containing the battery cells 10 and the fins 21. Figure 5B shows the container element 30 which contains the battery cells 10 and the fins 21.

As shown in Fig. 5A, the angle a1 formed by the left wall portion 31 and the bottom wall portion 33 of the container member 30 and the angle a2 formed by the right wall portion 32 and the portion of bottom wall 33 are obtuse angles. In this state, in the first place, the worker to carry out the assembly of the battery module 1 places the twelve battery cells 10 inside the container element 30 so that they are arranged in line in the direction horizontal. At this time, the battery cells 10 press against the left wall part 31 or the right wall part 32 of the container member 30 as they are placed on the bottom wall part. 33. Next, the worker inserts each of the eleven fins 21 attached to the cover member 23 between two adjacent battery cells 10 of the twelve battery cells 10. At this time, since the upper space S in the container member 30 is widened in the horizontal direction with respect to the lower space, even in the state where the twelve battery cells 10 are placed on the bottom wall part 33, it is easier for the The worker provides a space between the battery cells 10 in the space S. In this case, the work for inserting the fin 21 between the battery cells 10 by the worker is simplified.

Each of the fins 21 is inserted between two adjacent battery cells 10 among the twelve battery cells 10; therefore, the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction.

Then, as shown in Fig. 5B, the worker applies to the left wall part 31 of the container member 30 a right pressing force F2 and to the right wall part 32 a left pressing force F3. using a pressure unit (not shown) for squeezing an object. When the left wall portion 31 receives the pressing force F2, the container member 30 plastically deforms to decrease the angle a1 formed by the left wall portion 31 and the bottom wall portion 33. When the portion wall 32 receives the pressing force F3, the container member 30 deforms plastically to decrease the angle a2 formed by the right wall portion 32 and the bottom wall portion 33. Thus, with the portion of left wall 31 and the right wall part 32 approaching each other, the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are pressed by the left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 and brought into contact intimate with each other. The left wall portion 31 is brought into intimate contact with the leftmost battery cell 10 through the left expandable member 34. The right wall portion 32 is brought into intimate contact with the leftmost battery cell. more to the right 10 through the expandable element to the right 35.

The left expandable member 34 receives a reaction force from the battery cells 10 and the fins 21, the reaction force being against the pressing force acting on the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 by the wall portion. Left 31. At this time, the left expandable member 34 contracts upon receipt of the reaction force and provides the battery cells 10 and fins 21 with the elastic force generated by the contraction. The expandable member on the right 35 receives a reaction force from the battery cells 10 and the fins 21, the reaction force being against the pressing force acting on the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 by the wall portion. Right 32. At this time, the right expanding member 35 contracts upon receipt of the reaction force and provides the battery cells 10 and fins 21 with the elastic force generated by the contraction. In this case, the forces which the left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 receive from the battery cells 10 and fins 21 are decreased by the elastic forces provided on the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 by the left expandable member 34 and the right expandable member 35. For this reason, it is unlikely that the left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 open in the horizontal direction, even if they are. pressed by the battery cells 10 and the fins 21.

As described above, the battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment comprises the left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 provided on the left side and the right side, respectively, of the plurality of battery cells. 10 and the plurality of fins 21 in the horizontal direction. The left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 press the battery cells 10 and the fins 21. Therefore, the left wall part 31 and the right wall part 32 can be used as clamping members.

In this case, compared to a configuration in which the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are not pressed, the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are likely to be brought into intimate contact with each other in the horizontal direction. Thus, the area occupied by the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 in the horizontal direction is reduced; in this way, the increase in the size of the battery module 1 in the horizontal direction can be avoided.

Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the container member 30 includes the bottom wall portion 33 provided to extend from the left wall portion 31 to the right wall portion 32 to support the plurality. battery cells 10.

In this case, the worker is able to carry out the work of inserting the fin 21 between the battery cells 10 in the state where the battery cells 10 are placed on the bottom wall part 33 of the battery cell. containing 30. Therefore, the assembly work of the battery module 1 can be simplified.

In addition, the battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment comprises the left expandable member 34 attached to a portion of the left wall portion 31 facing the right wall portion 32 and provided with elasticity. The battery module 1 further includes the right expanding member 35 attached to a portion of the right wall portion 32 facing the left wall portion 31 and provided with elasticity.

In this case, the forces acting on the container member 30 from the battery cells 10 and the fins 21 are reduced.

In the exemplary embodiment, the fins 21 are connected to the cover member 23 on the lower side thereof and the cooling pipe 22 is connected to the cover member 23 on its upper side.

In this case, compared to a configuration in which an element for connecting the fins 21 and an element for connecting the cooling pipe 22 are provided separately, the heat from the fins 21 is easily transferred to the cooling pipe 22.

In addition, in the cover element 23 in the exemplary embodiment, portions to be brought into contact with the cooling pipe 22, that is to say the front side support part 231 and the side support part rear 232, are formed to follow the outer shape of the cooling pipe 22.

In this case, compared to the case where the surface 231A of the recess in the front side support part 231 and the surface 232A of the recess in the rear side support part 232 on the cover member 23 have different shapes. In the shape of the outer circumferential portion of the cooling pipe 22, the heat from the cover member 23 is easily transferred to the cooling pipe 22.

Further, in the exemplary embodiment, in the state where the curved portion 212 of the fin 21 is inserted into the concave portion 233 of the cover member 23, a portion of the linear portion 211 and the extended portion 213 inserted into the concave part 233 exert pressure in the concave part 233.

In this case, compared to a configuration in which the fin 21 does not exert pressure on the concave portion 233 of the cover member 23, it is unlikely that the fin 21 will come loose from the concave portion 233.

(Modified example of the cooling medium)

In the following, a modified example of the cooling means will be described. The cooling means according to the exemplary embodiment is not limited to the cooling means 20 shown in Figures 1 to 5.

Figures 6A and 6B show cooling elements 24.

The cooling element 24 is provided with a fin 241 and a cover portion 242.

The fin 241 shown in Figure 6A corresponds to the fin 21 (see Figure 1). The fin 241 is designed to extend linearly and is made in the form of a plate. The fin 241 is provided with a front side opening portion 2411 and a rear side opening portion 2412.

The front side opening portion 2411 is provided on an upper side end portion and a forward side end portion in the fin 241. In the front side opening portion 2411, an opening is formed. The opening is formed from a right side surface 241A to a left side surface 241B of the fin 241. On the inner circumferential surface of the front side opening portion 2411, a female thread (not shown) is formed.

The rear side opening portion 2412 is provided on an upper side end portion and a rear side end portion in the fin 241. In the rear side opening portion 2412, an opening is formed. The opening is formed from the right side surface 241A to the left side surface 241B of the fin 241. On the inner circumferential surface of the rear side opening portion 2412, a female thread (not shown) is. form.

The cover part 242, as an example of a connecting part, functions as a part of a cover of the container member 30. The cover part 242 is made in the form of a bar extending in the forward direction. - rear and also in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The cover portion 242 is provided with a front side concave portion 2421 and a rear side concave portion 2422 on a right side surface 242A thereof.

The front side concave portion 2421 is provided on a front side end portion in the right side surface 242A of the cover portion 242. The front side concave portion 2421 is concave to the left from the right side surface 242A of the cover. cover portion 242. On the inner circumferential surface of the front side concave portion 2421, a female thread (not shown) is formed.

The rear side concave portion 2422 is provided on a rear side end portion in the right side surface 242A of the cover portion 242. The rear side concave portion 2422 is concave to the left from the right side surface 242A of the cover. cover portion 242. On the inner circumferential surface of the rear side concave portion 2422, a female thread (not shown) is formed.

The cooling element 24 is provided with a first screw S1 and a second screw S2. The first screw S1 is inserted in the front side opening part 2411 in the fin 241 and the front side concave part 2421 in the cover part 242. The second screw S2 is inserted in the rear side opening part 2412 in the fin 241 and the rear side concave part 2422 in the cover part 242. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6B, the cover part 242 and the fin 241 are tightly fixed by the first screw S1 and the second one. screw S2 and in this way the fin 241 is fixed to the cover part 242.

In the modified example, the battery module 1 is provided with eleven pairs of cooling elements 24. Each of the fins 241 in the eleven pairs of cooling elements 24 is inserted between two adjacent battery cells 10 of twelve cells of. battery and is contained in the container member 30. In the configuration where each fin 241 is contained in the container member 30, the cover portions 242 are arranged in line in the horizontal direction above the cell member. containing 30 and battery cells 10. This allows the cover portions 242 in the eleven pairs of cooling elements 24 to function as a cover of the battery module 1.

Although not illustrated, it will be appreciated that the cooling pipe 22 is connected to the upper surface of the cooling elements 24. In the cooling elements 24, in a manner identical to the cover element 23 (see FIG. 3A), the portions to which the cooling pipe 22 is connected can be formed to follow the outer shape of the cooling pipe 22.

As described above in the modified example, the connecting portion, an example of which is the cover portion 242, is provided on each of the plurality of heat conduction portions, an example of which is fin 241.

In this case, a worker performs the work of inserting each of the plurality of heat conduction parts between the two battery cells 10, and therefore, each heat conduction part can be inserted between the adjacent battery cells 10 among the plurality of. battery cells 10. Therefore, the need to simultaneously insert the plurality of heat conduction portions between the plurality of battery cells 10 is eliminated.

Note that the exemplary embodiment describes that the connecting part and the thermal conduction part were configured separately; but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

For example, the connecting part and the heat conduction part can be formed integrally. In this case by way of example, it may be possible to provide a member in which the connecting part and the heat conduction part are integrally configured by extrusion molding.

Alternatively, the connecting part and the heat conduction part can be connected by welding. Examples of welding processes include ultrasonic welding, vibratory friction welding, resistance welding, impulse welding, MIG (inert gas for metals) welding and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding. In the case where the bonding part and the heat conduction part are joined by welding, the increase in thermal resistance at the junction between the bonding part and the heat conduction part can be suppressed and the resistance of the heat conduction part. liaison is ensured. In particular, in the case where the connecting part and the heat conduction part are connected by ultrasonic welding, by vibratory friction welding, or by pulse welding, the vicinity of the welding part is prevented from being at high temperatures; therefore, any degradation of the strength of the vicinity of the welding part due to the high temperatures therein can be suppressed.

Further, by way of example, the connecting part and the heat conduction part can be connected by friction friction welding with pressure or by friction stir welding. Further, by way of example, the heat conduction part can be adhered to the bonding part using an adhesive agent.

In the exemplary embodiment, the cooling pipe 22 is provided along the direction where the battery cells 10 are arranged in line; but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

By way of example, the cooling pipe 22 can be provided on the battery cells 10 along the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 10. Additionally, the cooling pipe 22 can be provided, by way of example, in. a wavy shape, not in the linear shape. There may be any quantity of cooling pipes 22 to be provided on the battery cells 10.

<Second example of realization>

In what follows, a second exemplary embodiment will be described.

The second exemplary embodiment shares the common point that the heat conduction parts which conduct heat from the batteries are provided between the plurality of batteries according to the first exemplary embodiment. But the second exemplary embodiment is different from the first exemplary embodiment in that the refrigerant flows through the plurality of batteries, while the first exemplary embodiment has a configuration in which the refrigerant does not flow through. the plurality of batteries.

FIG. 7 represents the battery module 1 according to the second exemplary embodiment, which is a perspective view of the battery module 1. It will be noted that, in the second exemplary embodiment, the description of the configurations identical to those of the first exemplary embodiment will not be repeated.

As shown in Figure 7, the battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment comprises battery cells 100, a cooling means 40 and a container element 50.

The exemplary embodiment uses rectangular battery cells 100. The battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with eleven battery cells 100. The battery cells 100, by way of example of a battery, are provided. arranged in line in the horizontal direction. Each battery cell 100 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. The battery cell 100 includes a positive electrode 101, a negative electrode 102, and a support member 103.

It will be noted that, for the battery cell 100, the pocket-shaped battery cell described above can be used.

The positive electrode 101 is at a higher potential than the negative electrode 102. The positive electrode 101 is provided above the negative electrode 102. The positive electrode 101 is made in the form of a plate. The positive electrode 101 is provided such that a part thereof protrudes towards the front side from the support member 103. For the positive electrode 101, a material is used as an example. metallic, such as aluminum or copper.

The negative electrode 102 is at a lower potential than the positive electrode 101. The negative electrode 102 is made in the form of a plate. The negative electrode 102 is provided such that a part thereof protrudes towards the front side from the support member 103. For the negative electrode 102, a material is used as an example. metallic, such as aluminum or copper.

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) separating the positive electrode 101 and the negative electrode 102. The separator is made in the form of a thin film and is disposed between the positive electrode 101 and the negative electrode 102. The support member 103 is provided with a square tube member (not shown). The square tube element is made in the shape of a cylindrical rectangular parallelepiped. A part of the positive electrode 101, a part of the negative electrode 102, and the separator are wrapped in the square tube member.

In order to increase the adhesion between the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40, it is possible to use a support element 103 coated with silicon (Si) in the liquid state or covered with a heat conduction element in the form of a liquid. of thin film.

The cooling means 40, as an example of the heat conduction element, cools the battery cells 100. The cooling means 40 comprises a first heat exchanger 41 and a second heat exchanger 42. The first heat exchanger heat 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 dissipate heat from the battery cells 100. The surface of each of the exchangers among the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 is laminated. For the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42, it is preferable to use, by way of example, a material having resistance against internal pressure or external forces, or a material increasing the adhesion with battery cells 100.

The battery module 1 according to the exemplary embodiment is provided with five first heat exchangers 41 and five second heat exchangers 42. These first heat exchangers 41 and second heat exchangers 42 are arranged to be arranged alternately in line in horizontal direction. As described in detail below in the exemplary embodiment, the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 can be coupled.

The configurations of the first heat exchanger 41 and of the second heat exchanger 42 will be described in detail below.

The container element 50, as an example of the clamp element, contains the battery cells 100 and the cooling medium 40. The container element 50 is open at the front side and the rear side. The container member 50 includes a left wall part 51, a right wall part 52 and a bottom wall part 53. For each of the parts of the left wall part 51, the right wall part 52 and the part of bottom wall 53, a metallic material, such as aluminum, is used.

The left wall part 51 is a side wall of the container member 50. The left wall part 51 is made in the form of a plate. The left wall part 51 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. The left wall part 51 is provided with a front side opening part 511 and a rear side opening part 512. The front side opening part 511 and the rear side opening part 512 are provided on an upper side end portion in the left wall portion 51 to be arranged in line in the front-rear direction with a predetermined interval. The rear side opening portion 512 is provided on the rear side of the front side opening portion 511. Each of the front side opening portion 511 and the rear side opening portion 512 is provided with a opening formed from the right side surface 51A to the left side surface 51B of the left wall portion 51.

The right wall part 52 is a side wall of the container member 50. The right wall part 52 is provided on the right side of the left wall part 51. The right wall part 52 is made in the form of a plate. . The straight wall part 52 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. The right wall portion 52 is provided with a front side opening portion 521 and a rear side opening portion 522. The front side opening portion 521 and the rear side opening portion 522 are provided on. an upper side end portion in the right wall portion 52 to be arranged in line in the front-rear direction with a predetermined interval. The rear side opening portion 522 is provided on the rear side of the front side opening portion 521. Each of the front side opening portion 521 and the rear side opening portion 522 is provided with a opening formed from the right side surface 52A to the left side surface 52B of the right wall portion 52.

The bottom wall part 53 is provided at the deepest part of the container member 50. The bottom wall part 53 is provided from a lower side end of the left wall part 51 up to. 'at a lower side end of the straight wall part 52. The bottom wall part 53 is made in the form of a plate. The bottom wall portion 53 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the horizontal direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the vertical direction. .

The container element 50 is provided with a left-expandable element 54 and a right-expandable element 55. For the left-expandable element 54 and the right-expandable element 55, it is used as an example the same material as left expandable member 34 and right expandable member 35 shown in Figure 1.

The left expandable member 54 is attached to a right side surface 51A of the left wall portion 51. The left expandable member 54 is made in the form of a plate. The left-expanding member 54 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. .

The right expandable member 55 is attached to a left side surface 52B of the right wall portion 52. The right expandable member 55 is made in the form of a plate. The right-expanding member 55 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction. .

Figure 8A is a perspective view of the first heat exchanger 41 as seen from the right side of the first heat exchanger 41 in Figure 7, and Figure 8B is a perspective view of the first heat exchanger 41 as viewed from on the left side of the first heat exchanger 41. Fig. 8C is a cross-sectional view VIII-VIII of Fig. 8A.

The first heat exchanger 41, as an example of the heat conduction part, is provided with a feed / receive part 411 and a heat exchange part 412.

The feeding / receiving part 411 feeds and receives the refrigerant. The feeding / receiving part 411 is intended to extend in the front-rear direction and is made in a hollow shape. The feeding / receiving part 411 is provided with an opening part 4111 and a convex part 4112 on a right side surface 411A thereof. The feeding / receiving part 411 is also provided with a tube part 4113 and a concave part 4114 on a left side surface 411B thereof.

The opening portion 4111 and the convex portion 4112 are spaced a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction. The tube portion 4113 and the concave portion 4114 are spaced a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction.

The opening part 4111, as an example of a receiving part, is provided forwardly with respect to the convex part 4112. In the opening part 4111, an opening is formed. The opening leads to a hollow portion in the feed / receive section 411.

The convex part 4112 protrudes from the right side surface 411A of the feeding / receiving part 411. The convex part 4112 is made columnar.

The tube portion 4113, as an example of a discharge portion, is provided rearwardly with respect to the concave portion 4114. The tube portion 4113 is provided to protrude from the left side surface 411B of the feeding / receiving part 411 and is made of tubular shape. The interior of the tube portion 4113 leads to a hollow portion in the feed / receive portion 411.

The concave part 4114 is intended to be recessed from the left side surface 411B of the feeding / receiving part 411. The recess in the concave part 4114 is made columnar.

The heat exchange part 412 is made in the form of a plate. The heat exchange portion 412 has openings therein and refrigerant can flow through opening portions. The opening portions inside the heat exchanging part 412 lead to a hollow portion in the feeding / receiving part 411. The heat exchanging part 412 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the vertical direction, its short direction is in the front-to-back direction, and its thickness direction is in the horizontal direction.

The thickness of the heat exchange portion 412 is preferably greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 4 mm. In the case where the thickness of the heat exchanging part 412 is less than 0.5mm, the refrigerant flow path inside the heat exchanging part 412 becomes narrower; therefore, the pressure loss when the refrigerant flows inside the heat exchange part 412 is increased and the cooling performance of the first heat exchanger 41 deteriorates. In addition, in the case where the thickness of the heat exchanging part 412 is more than 4 mm, the amount of refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanging part 412 is increased; therefore, the heat flow moving from the battery cells 100 to the heat exchanging part 412 becomes excessively large and the battery cells 100 are in some cases overcooled. In this case, there is a risk of decrease in energy density of battery module 1. Additionally, there is a risk of increasing the weight of battery module 1 by increasing the amount of refrigerant included in it. the heat exchange part 412.

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

The flow path forming portions 4122 are provided within the housing 4121 to form a flow path for the refrigerant. As shown in Fig. 8C, the heat exchange portion 412 is provided with seven flow path forming portions 4122. The flow path forming portions 4122 are provided to extend in the vertical direction. The seven flow path forming parts 4122 are arranged in line at predetermined intervals in the horizontal direction.

The feed / receive part 411 receives the refrigerant from the feed unit (not shown) for supplying the refrigerant through the opening part 4111. The refrigerant received by the feed / part. receiving 411 enters inside the heat exchanging part 412 from inside the supply / receiving part 411 to flow between the housing 4121 and the flow path forming part 4122, or between adjacent flow path forming portions 4122. When refrigerant is stored inside the first heat exchanger 41, a portion of the stored refrigerant discharges from the first heat exchanger 41 through of tube part 4113.

Figure 9A is a perspective view of the second heat exchanger 42 as seen from the right side of the second heat exchanger 42 in Figure 7, and Figure 9B is a perspective view of the second heat exchanger 42 as viewed from on the left side of the second heat exchanger 42. Figures 9C and 9D illustrate a method of coupling the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42.

The second heat exchanger 42, as an example of the heat conduction part, is provided with a feed / receive part 421 and a heat exchange part 422.

The feed / receive part 421 feeds and receives the refrigerant. The feeding / receiving part 421 is intended to extend in the front-rear direction and is made in a hollow shape. The feed / receive portion 421 is provided with an opening portion 4211 and a convex portion 4212 on a right side surface 421A thereof. The feed / receive portion 421 is also provided with a tube portion 4213 and a concave portion 4214 on a left side surface 421B thereof.

The opening portion 4211 and the convex portion 4212 are spaced apart a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction. The tube portion 4213 and the concave portion 4214 are spaced apart a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction.

The opening portion 4211, as an example of a receiving portion, is provided on the rear side of the convex portion 4212. In the opening portion 4211, an opening is formed. The opening leads to a hollow portion of the feed / receive portion 421.

The convex portion 4212 protrudes from the right side surface 421A of the feed / receive portion 421. The convex portion 4212 is made columnar.

The tube portion 4213, as an example of a feed portion, is provided on the front side of the concave portion 4214. The tube portion 4213 is provided to protrude from the left side surface 421B of the feed / receive part 421 and is made of tubular shape. The interior of the tube portion 4213 leads to a hollow portion in the feed / receive portion 421.

The concave portion 4214 is intended to be recessed from the left side surface 421B of the feed / receive portion 421. The recess in the concave portion 4214 is made columnar.

The heat exchanging portion 422, as an example of the heat conduction portion, has openings therein and the opening portions lead to a hollow portion of the supply / feed portion. receiving 421. The heat exchanging part 422 has the same configuration as the heat exchanging part 412 of the first heat exchanger 41. In other words, the heat exchanging part 422 is provided with a housing 4221 and flow path forming parts 4222. Housing 4221 has the same configuration as housing 4121 of the first heat exchanger 41 and flow path forming parts 4222 have the same configuration as the housing parts. formation of flow path 4122 of the first heat exchanger 41.

In the following, the method of coupling the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 will be described. In Figures 9C and 9D, the first right-most heat exchanger 41 is designated a first right-side heat exchanger 41 and the first left-most heat exchanger 41 is designated a first left-side heat exchanger 41.

The worker who does the work to couple the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42, to begin with, inserts the tube part 4113 into the supply / receive part 411 of the first right side heat exchanger 41 up to the opening portion 4211 in the supply / receiving portion 421 of the second heat exchanger 42. At this time, the worker installs the convex portion 4212 of the second heat exchanger 42 in the concave portion 4114 of the second heat exchanger. first heat exchanger right side 41.

Further, the worker inserts the tube portion 4213 of the second heat exchanger 42 into the opening portion 4111 in the supply / receive portion 411 of the left side first heat exchanger 41. At this time, the The worker installs the convex part 4112 of the first left side heat exchanger 41 in the concave part 4214 of the second heat exchanger 42.

Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9D, the first right side heat exchanger 41, the second heat exchanger 42 and the first left side heat exchanger 41 are coupled. At this time, the left side surface 411B of the first right side heat exchanger 41 faces the right side surface 421A of the second heat exchanger 42. The left side surface 421B of the second heat exchanger 42 faces the surface. right side 411A of the first heat exchanger left side 41.

Thus, in the exemplary embodiment, the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 are arranged to be arranged alternately in line in the horizontal direction.

When the refrigerant is stored inside the first right side heat exchanger 41, the refrigerant is supplied to the inside of the second heat exchanger 42 from the tube portion 4113 of the first right side heat exchanger 41 through the opening portion 4211 of the second heat exchanger 42. Further, when the refrigerant is stored inside the second heat exchanger 42, the refrigerant is supplied to the inside of the first left side heat exchanger 41 from from the tube part 4213 of the second heat exchanger 42 through the opening part 4111 of the first left side heat exchanger 41. In this way, the refrigerant flows into each of the exchangers among the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 which have been mated.

Figure 10 shows the battery module 1 in a configuration where the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40 are contained in the container element 50.

In the exemplary embodiment, the battery cells 100, the heat exchanging parts 412 of the first heat exchangers 41 and the heat exchanging parts 422 of the second heat exchangers 42 are arranged to be arranged alternately. in line in the horizontal direction. The feed / receive parts 411 of the first heat exchangers 41 and the feed / receive parts 421 of the first heat exchangers 42 are positioned above the battery cells 100. On the right side of the feed part / receiving 411 in the rightmost first heat exchanger 41, the front side opening portion 521 is positioned in the right wall portion 52 of the container member 50. On the left side of the tube portion 4213 in the second leftmost heat exchanger 42, the front side opening portion 511 is positioned in the left wall portion 51 of the container member 50.

In the exemplary embodiment, one end of a supply element Su made of tubular shape and supplying the refrigerant passes through the interior of the front side opening part 521 in the right wall part 52 to be connected. to the opening portion 4111 (see Fig. 8A) of the rightmost first heat exchanger 41. The refrigerant flowing through the feed element Su is supplied to the interior of the first outermost heat exchanger. right 41 through the opening portion 4111 of the rightmost first heat exchanger 41. When the refrigerant is continued to be supplied, the refrigerant flows to the left through the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 which have been coupled.

In the exemplary embodiment, one end of a discharge element Di made of tubular shape and discharging refrigerant passes through the interior of the front side opening portion 511 in the left wall portion 51 to be connected to. the tube portion 4213 of the second leftmost heat exchanger 42. Then refrigerant flows from the tube portion 4213 of the second leftmost heat exchanger 42 to the discharge element Di; in this way, the refrigerant is discharged from the battery module 1.

In the exemplary embodiment, similarly to the first exemplary embodiment, the container element 50 can be opened in the horizontal direction before the container element 50 contains the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40. Once the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40 are contained in the container member 50, the container member 50 can be plastically deformed such that the left wall portion 51 and the right wall portion 52 approach each other to thereby bring the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40 into intimate contact and to bring the container member 50 and the battery cells 100 into intimate contact.

As described above, the exemplary embodiment comprises the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 provided to allow the refrigerant to flow therein, the receiving part receiving the refrigerant. and the discharge part discharging the refrigerant. Examples of the receiving part include the opening part 4111 of the first heat exchanger 41 and the opening part 4211 of the second heat exchanger 42. Examples of the discharge part include the tube part 4113 of the first exchanger. 41 and the tube portion 4213 of the second heat exchanger 42. The tube portion 4113 of the first heat exchanger 41 is connected to the opening portion 4211 of the second heat exchanger 42.

The present case can eliminate the need to separately provide a configuration for connecting the first heat exchanger 41 and the second heat exchanger 42 and a configuration for supplying the refrigerant inside the first heat exchanger 41 to the second exchanger. heat 42.

(Modified example of the clamping element)

In the example described above, it was described that the battery cells and the cooling medium were squeezed by means of the container element. The clamping element for pressing the battery cells or the cooling medium is not limited to the container element.

Figure 11A shows a clamping means 60. Figure 11B shows a configuration in which the clamp means 60 presses the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the battery module 1 serving as a modified example is provided with the clamping means 60. The clamping means 60 presses the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40.

The clamping means 60 is provided with two clamping elements 61. The two clamping elements 61 are arranged to face each other in the front-rear direction. The clamping member 61 is provided with a plate-shaped part 62 and a bar-shaped part 63.

The plate-shaped portion 62 is made in the form of a plate. The plate-shaped part 62 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the horizontal direction, its short direction is in the vertical direction, and its thickness direction is in the front-to-back direction. . The plate-shaped portion 62 is provided with four opening portions 621. Two of the four opening portions 621 are provided on the upper side end portion of the plate-shaped portion 62 with a predetermined gap in the direction. horizontal. The other two of the four opening portions 621 are provided on the lower side end portion of the plate-shaped portion 62 with a predetermined gap in the horizontal direction. In each opening portion 621, an opening is formed from the front surface 62A to the rear surface 62B of the plate-shaped portion 62.

The bar-shaped part 63 is connected to the right side end of the plate-shaped part 62. The bar-shaped part 63 is intended to extend in the vertical direction and is made in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The bar-shaped part 63 is thicker than the plate-shaped part 62 in the front-rear direction. The bar-shaped portion 63 is provided with two opening portions 631. The two opening portions 631 are spaced a predetermined interval in the vertical direction of the bar-shaped portion 63. In each opening portion 631, an opening is formed from the front surface 63A to the rear surface 63B of the bar-shaped portion 63.

The clamping means 60 is provided with four P pins and eight N nuts. In each of the four P pins, male threads (not shown) are formed at the ends of the two end portions.

In the modified examples, the battery cells 100, the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 are arranged to be arranged alternately in line in the front-to-rear direction. The battery cells 100, the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 are arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the horizontal direction, their short direction is in the vertical direction, and their length is in the vertical direction. thickness direction is in the front-to-back direction.

The two clamping members 61 are arranged to sandwich the battery cells 100 and the cooling medium 40. More specifically, the plate-shaped portions 62 of the two clamping members 61 are arranged to sandwich the battery cells. 100, the heat exchanging parts 412 of the first heat exchangers 41 and the heat exchanging parts 422 of the second heat exchangers 42. The bar-shaped parts 63 of the two clamping members 61 are arranged to engage. sandwich the feed / receive parts 411 of the first heat exchangers 41 and the feed / receive parts 421 of the second heat exchangers 42.

In the state where the two clamps 61 sandwich the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40, the pins P are inserted into the four opening parts 621 provided in each plate-shaped part 62 and the pins. two end portions of each pin P are tightly fixed with the nuts N. In this case, the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40 are pressed by the two clamping elements 61. Therefore, the battery cells battery 100 and cooling means 40 are brought into intimate contact, and clamping means 60 and battery cells 100 are brought into intimate contact.

One end of a supply element (not shown) made of tubular shape and supplying the refrigerant is connected to the opening part 4111 (see figure 8A) of the foremost first heat exchanger 41 through the part opening 631 provided on the bar-shaped portion 63 of the front side clamping member 61. The refrigerant flowing inside the supply member is supplied to the interior of the first heat exchanger foremost 41 through the opening portion 4111 of the foremost first heat exchanger 41. When the supply of refrigerant is continued, the refrigerant will flow rearwardly through the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 which have been mated.

One end of a discharge member (not shown) made of tubular shape and discharging refrigerant is connected to the tube portion 4213 (see Fig. 9B) of the second rearmost heat exchanger 42 through the rearmost heat exchanger portion 42. opening 631 provided on the bar-shaped portion 63 of the rear side clamp 61. Then refrigerant flows from the tube portion 4213 of the second leftmost heat exchanger 42 to the discharge element; in this way, the refrigerant is discharged from the battery module 1.

Thus, the battery module 1 can be used in which the battery cells 100 and the cooling means 40 are sandwiched by the clamping means 60. Even in this case, it is possible to avoid increasing the size. of the battery module 1 in the direction where the first heat exchangers 41 and the second heat exchangers 42 are arranged in line.

Exemplary embodiments according to the present invention have hitherto been described, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the exemplary embodiments described above. It will become clear on reading the claims which follow that various modifications and improvements made to the embodiments described above are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Battery module

10 Battery cell

20 Cooling medium

21 Fin

22 Cooling pipe

23 Cover element

24 Cooling element

30 Container element

34 Expandable element on the left

35 Right expanding element

40 Cooling medium

41 First heat exchanger

42 Second heat exchanger

50 Container element

60 Tightening means

61 Clamping element

100 Battery cell

Claims (9)

Battery module including:
a plurality of batteries arranged in line in a first direction;
a heat conduction element comprising a plurality of heat conduction portions arranged in line in the first direction, each of which is disposed between two of the plurality of batteries to transfer heat from the batteries; and
a clamp member comprising wall portions provided at a first end side and the other end side of the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction portions in the first direction, the portions wall being provided along a direction intersecting the first direction, the wall portion at the first end side and the wall portion at the other end side pressing the plurality of batteries and the plurality of heat conduction parts. A battery module according to claim 1, wherein the clamp member further comprises a support portion provided from the wall portion at the first end side to the wall portion at the other. end side to support the plurality of batteries. A battery module according to claim 1, further comprising:
a resilient member having resiliency and attached to a portion of the wall portion at the first end side, the portion facing the other end side. A battery module according to claim 1, wherein
the thermal conduction element further comprises:
a rod-like member formed in the form of a hollow rod to form a refrigerant flow path; and
a connecting part, to a first side of which the heat conduction parts are connected and to the other side of which the rod-like member is connected. A battery module according to claim 4, wherein a portion of the link portion to be contacted with the rod-like element is formed to follow an outer shape of the rod-like element. A battery module according to claim 4, wherein
each of the heat conduction parts includes a curved part which is curved, a first part adjacent to the curved part and provided on a first side of the curved part and a second part adjacent to the curved part and provided on one side of the curved part opposite to the first side,
the connecting part comprises a concave part which is hollowed out, and,
in a state where the curved part is inserted into the concave part, portions of the first part and the second part entered inside the concave part exert pressure in the concave part. A battery module according to claim 4, wherein the connecting portion and the plurality of heat conduction portions are integrally formed. A battery module according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of heat conduction portions is provided with the link portion. A battery module according to claim 1, wherein
each of the plurality of heat conduction parts is provided to allow refrigerant to flow therein and includes a receiving part receiving the refrigerant and a discharging part discharging the refrigerant and
the discharge part of one of the heat conduction parts is connected to the receiving part of another of the heat conduction parts.