JP2013065419A - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery pack in which occurrence of problem is suppressed even if water enters the inside from a joint of a gasket.SOLUTION: In a tray 12 that makes up a battery pack being mounted in an electric vehicle, a water receiving part 24 that partitions a battery mounting part 22 from batteries is provided in contact with the sidewall 12b of the tray 12 by using ribs 21, 23, 25 formed on the bottom of the tray 12, and the joint J of a gasket 14 is located at a part of the groove in the sidewall 12b of the tray 12 in contact with the water receiving part 24.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery pack used for an electric vehicle.

  A battery pack for supplying electric power to a motor is mounted on an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle that uses a motor as a drive source, and is attached, for example, under the floor of the vehicle. The battery pack has a tray that accommodates a plurality of batteries (secondary batteries) and a cover that covers the top of the tray, and a gasket is provided between the tray and the cover for sealing between them. It is installed.

JP 2010-153128 A

  The battery pack described above has a circumference of several meters or more, and the gasket has a ring shape of the same size. The gasket having such a size is usually formed into a ring shape having the above-described size by forming a single linear product by extrusion molding and joining the end portions thereof. Since the gasket is produced in this way, the gasket always has a seam. For this reason, it is necessary to perform quality control so as not to cause gaps or burrs or the like in steps or grooves at the seam so that the sealing performance is not deteriorated by the seam. However, if there is a quality defect at the seam during mass production, water or the like may enter the battery pack from the seam, which may cause problems such as a short circuit of the battery. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that suppresses the occurrence of problems even when water enters from the seam of the gasket.

The battery pack according to the first invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is,
A tray to place the battery on the bottom,
A cover covering the top of the tray;
A battery pack mounted on an electric vehicle having a seal member that is disposed along the entire upper end of the side wall of the tray and is sandwiched between the tray and the cover and seals between the tray and the cover. In
A water receiving portion for partitioning from the portion on which the battery is placed is provided in contact with the side wall, and a seam of the seal member is disposed at the upper end portion of the side wall in contact with the water receiving portion.

A battery pack according to a second invention for solving the above problem is as follows.
In the battery pack according to the first invention,
The water receiving portion is characterized by being partitioned by a first rib that stands on the bottom of the tray and abuts against the side wall.

A battery pack according to a third invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is as follows.
In the battery pack according to the first or second invention,
The water receiving portion is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the electric vehicle.

A battery pack according to a fourth invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In the battery pack according to any one of the first to third inventions,
A water absorbing member such as a sponge is placed on the bottom of the water receiving portion.

A battery pack according to a fifth invention for solving the above-described problem is
In the battery pack according to any one of the first to fourth inventions,
A second rib having a height smaller than that of the first rib is formed in a lattice shape at the bottom of the water receiving portion.

A battery pack according to a sixth invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is as follows.
In the battery pack according to any one of the first to fifth inventions,
A one-way valve that allows only downward drainage is provided at the bottom of the water receiving portion.

  According to the present invention, the water receiving portion is provided on the tray of the battery pack, and the gasket seam is arranged at the upper end portion of the side wall in contact with the water receiving portion. However, by receiving the water that has entered from the seam at the water receiving portion, it is possible to suppress the influence on the electric parts such as the battery and prevent a major problem such as a short circuit from occurring.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance as an example (Example 1) of the embodiment of the battery pack which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the cover of the battery pack shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a water receiving part of the battery pack shown in FIG. 2. It is sectional drawing of the water receiving part of the battery pack shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows another example (Example 2) of the water receiving part of a battery pack. It is sectional drawing which shows another example (Example 3) of the water receiving part of a battery pack. It is sectional drawing which shows another example (Example 4) of the water receiving part of a battery pack.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the battery pack according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the battery pack of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1 with its cover removed. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the water receiving portion of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack shown in FIG. It is A line arrow sectional drawing. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, “Fr” indicates the front of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the battery pack 10 contains a plurality of batteries 11 and is mounted on an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

  The battery pack 10 includes a resin tray 12 and a resin cover 13, and a plurality of batteries 11 are placed on the bottom 12 a of the tray 12 and the upper side of the tray 12 is covered with the cover 13. A plurality of batteries 11 are housed inside. At the upper end of the side wall 12b of the tray 12, a flange 12c is formed along the entire circumference thereof, and a groove 12d is formed along the entire circumference of the flange 12c. And the gasket 14 (seal member) is arrange | positioned along the perimeter of this groove | channel 12d. The gasket 14 is sandwiched between the tray 12 and the cover 13 by fastening the cover 13 to the flange 12c of the tray 12 with a bolt, and seals between the tray 12 and the cover 13 for waterproofing and dustproofing ( Sealing).

  The gasket 14 has a hollow cylindrical portion and a protruding portion that protrudes radially outward from a part of the surface of the cylindrical portion. The projecting portion is disposed along the groove 12d, and the cylindrical portion is sandwiched between the tray 12 and the cover 13 to seal between the tray 12 and the cover 13. The gasket need not be limited to such a shape, and may be, for example, an O-ring.

  Further, in order to reinforce the tray 12 itself and hold the battery 11 to be accommodated, a plurality of ribs 21 are erected along the vehicle width direction on the bottom portion 12a inside the tray 12, A placement portion 22 on which the battery is placed is partitioned into a plurality of portions. A plurality of holder nuts 27 are provided on the rib 21 itself. The holder nut 27 is used to hold and fix the battery 11. Here, as an example, the rib 21 formed along the vehicle width direction is illustrated, but the rib 21 may be formed not only in the vehicle width direction but also in other directions, for example, in the vehicle front-rear direction. You may form along.

  Further, a metal frame 15 having a closed cross-sectional structure is disposed around the tray 12 for reinforcement. The metal mounting bracket 16 provided on the frame 15 is used to lower the vehicle floor ( For example, the battery pack 10 is attached from the vehicle lower side to the vehicle side member.

  As described above, the peripheral length of the battery pack 10 is long. Therefore, when the gasket 14 manufactured by extrusion molding is formed in a ring shape, a seam J is formed. If the quality of the joint J is poor, water may enter the battery pack 10 from the joint J.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, ribs 25 are erected on the bottom 12 a of the tray 12 in a direction (vehicle longitudinal direction) perpendicular to the ribs 21 formed in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a partition with the mounting portion 26 for mounting the electrical connection box 17 is provided. Similarly, a rib 23 is erected in a direction orthogonal to the rib 21, and a partition with the mounting portion 22 on which the battery 11 is mounted is provided. In this way, the water receiving portion 24 surrounded by the rib 21, the rib 23, the rib 25, and the side wall 12b of the tray 12 is provided. Here, the rib 21, the rib 23, and the rib 25 correspond to the first rib in the present invention. Here, the electric connection box 17 is for electrically connecting the battery 11 and the vehicle side (motor), and an electric auxiliary device such as a fuse is disposed inside the electric connection box 17 via the connection portion 18. And electrically connected to the vehicle side.

  As described above, the water receiving portion 24 includes the rib 21 standing on the bottom portion 12a, the rib 23 and rib 25 standing on the bottom portion 12a and abutting against the side wall 12b, and the side wall 12b, and is provided in contact with the side wall 12b. And a region partitioned from the placement unit 22 and the placement unit 26. For example, the water receiving portion 24 may be provided so as to divide this region by effectively using the space of the placing portion 26 on which the electrical junction box 17 is placed. In addition, no electrical components or the like are disposed in the water receiving portion 24.

  Corresponding to the water receiving portion 24 having such a configuration, the joint J of the gasket 14 is arranged in a portion of the groove 12d in a range in contact with the water receiving portion 24. Therefore, even if water enters from the joint J, the invaded water enters the water receiving portion 24, and the invading water stops at the bottom portion 24a, and the movement thereof is suppressed. As a result, water can be prevented from entering the electrical components inside the battery pack 10, particularly the battery 11, and problems such as short circuits can be suppressed.

In addition, it is desirable to arrange the water receiving portion 24 on the rear side of the vehicle. This is because the battery pack 10 is attached under the floor of the vehicle, and water travels from the road surface when traveling. By disposing the water receiving portion 24 on the rear side of the vehicle, the intrusion of water splashed from the road surface can be suppressed. Alternatively, a groove may be provided on the inner wall surface of the side wall 12b to serve as a mark for the arrangement position of the seam J, and water that has entered from the seam J may be guided to the water receiving portion 24 side by this groove.
In this embodiment, the groove is formed along the entire upper end of the side wall 12b of the tray 12. However, the present invention is also applied to a configuration in which the groove is not formed on the upper end of the side wall 12b of the tray 12. Is applicable. In this case, the gasket 14 is arranged along the entire upper end of the side wall 12 b of the tray 12, is sandwiched between the tray 12 and the cover 13, seals between the tray 12 and the cover 13, and is in contact with the water receiving portion 24. The joint J of the gasket 14 is disposed at the upper end portion of 12b.

  Next, Example 2 to Example 4, which are modifications of Example 1, will be described with reference to FIGS. 5-7, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure equivalent to Example 1, and it demonstrates on the assumption in the water receiving part 24 of Example 1 in the following Examples 2-4. I do.

(Example 2)
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the water receiving portion showing the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a water absorbing member 31 such as a sponge is placed on the bottom 24 a of the water receiving portion 24. Therefore, even if water enters from the joint J, the intruded water enters the water receiving portion 24, and further, the water that has entered the water receiving portion 24 is absorbed by the water absorbing member 31 placed on the bottom 24a. Therefore, the movement is suppressed. As a result, water can be prevented from entering the electrical components inside the battery pack 10, particularly the battery 11, and problems such as short circuits can be suppressed.

  The water absorbing member 31 is not limited to a sponge or the like, but may be other materials. For example, it may be paper, cloth, non-woven fabric, or a polymer absorbent used for diapers or the like.

(Example 3)
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the water receiving portion showing the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, a plurality of ribs 41 (second ribs) smaller in height than the ribs 21, the ribs 23, and the ribs 25 are provided in a lattice shape on the bottom 24 a of the water receiver 24. The water receiver 24 is partitioned into a smaller area (small area). Therefore, even if there is water intrusion from the joint J, the intruded water enters the water receiving portion 24, and further, the water that has entered the water receiving portion 24 enters a small area partitioned by the rib 41 of the bottom portion 24a. It stops and the movement is suppressed. As a result, water can be prevented from entering the electrical components inside the battery pack 10, particularly the battery 11, and problems such as short circuits can be suppressed.

  The small areas partitioned in a lattice shape by the plurality of ribs 41 are partitioned into a quadrangle or a rhombus when viewed from above, but may be partitioned into a polygon such as a triangle, a pentagon, or a hexagon.

  Further, this embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment. For example, the water absorbing member 31 such as a sponge may be placed on the bottom of each small region partitioned by the ribs 41.

Example 4
Fig.7 (a) is sectional drawing of the water receiving part which shows a present Example. As shown in FIG. 7A, in this embodiment, a one-way valve 51 that allows only downward drainage is provided on the bottom 24 a of the water receiving portion 24. The one-way valve 51 covers at least one (two in FIG. 7 (a)) drain holes 51a provided in the bottom 24a and covers the drain holes 51a from below, and its outer edge portion faces the bottom 24a. The contact plate 51b has an arc cross section made of resin and is in close contact, and a fixed shaft 51c that fixes the contact plate 51b to the bottom 24a side.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the one-way valve 51 normally has an outer edge portion of the contact plate 51b in close contact with the bottom 24a side so as to close the drain hole 51a, so that water or the like enters from the outside. Is preventing.

  On the other hand, if water enters from the joint J, the invading water enters the water receiving portion 24 and accumulates in the water receiving portion 24. Then, when the water in the water receiving portion 24 reaches a certain amount, the resin contact plate 51b is elastically deformed by the weight of the accumulated water, as shown in FIG. A gap is formed between the vehicle and the 24 side, and water accumulated from the gap is drained downward in the vehicle. As a result, water can be prevented from entering the electrical components inside the battery pack 10, particularly the battery 11, and problems such as short circuits can be suppressed.

  In addition, you may combine a present Example with the said Example 2, 3. For example, except for the periphery of the one-way valve 51, a water absorbing member 31 such as a sponge may be placed on the bottom 24a. In addition, the one-way valve 51 is provided in one of the small areas partitioned by the rib 41, the small communication holes are provided in the rib 41, the small areas communicate with each other, and during drainage, through these communication holes, The water may be drained from the one-way valve 51. Furthermore, a water absorbing member 31 such as a sponge is placed on the bottom of each of the small areas partitioned by the ribs 41, and a small communication hole is provided in the rib 41 so that the small areas communicate with each other. You may make it drain from the one-way valve | bulb 51 through a communicating hole.

  The battery pack according to the present invention is suitable for electric vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Battery pack 11 Battery 12 Tray 13 Cover 14 Gasket 21, 23, 25 Rib (1st rib)
22, 26 Placement part 24 Water receiving part 31 Water absorbing member 41 Rib (second rib)
51 One-way valve J Seam

Claims (6)

A tray to place the battery on the bottom,
A cover covering the top of the tray;
A battery pack mounted on an electric vehicle having a seal member that is disposed along the entire upper end of the side wall of the tray and is sandwiched between the tray and the cover and seals between the tray and the cover. In
A battery pack characterized in that a water receiving portion for partitioning from a portion on which the battery is placed is provided in contact with the side wall, and a seam of the sealing member is disposed at the upper end portion of the side wall in contact with the water receiving portion. . The battery pack according to claim 1,
The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the water receiving portion is erected on a bottom portion of the tray and partitioned by a first rib abutting on the side wall. The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2,
The battery pack, wherein the water receiving portion is disposed on a vehicle rear side of the electric vehicle. In the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A battery pack, wherein a water absorbing member is placed on the bottom of the water receiving portion. In the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A battery pack, wherein a second rib having a height smaller than that of the first rib is formed in a lattice shape at the bottom of the water receiving portion. In the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A battery pack, wherein a one-way valve that allows only downward drainage is provided at the bottom of the water receiving portion.

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