JP2013122821A - Fixing structure of battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fix a battery module to a support member so as not to block the flow of a refrigerant in a refrigerant passage provided at the support member.SOLUTION: A battery module 16 is fixed to a support member 28 by fastening a first end plate 37 provided at the battery module 16 to a fixing member 44 provided at the support member 28 with bolts 47, and the battery module 16 is cooled by a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant passage 28a formed in the support member 28. At that time, since the fixing member 44 is fixed to a surface of the support member 28 by welding or bonding, providing the fixing member 44 prevents the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant passage 28a of the support member 28 from being affected, and cooling performance of the battery module 16 is ensured.

Description

  The present invention provides a first fixing member provided in the battery module and a second fixing provided in the support member in order to fix the battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked to the support member in which a refrigerant passage is formed. The present invention relates to a battery module fixing structure that fastens a member with a fastening member.

  The single battery cell group is supported on the upper surface of the heat sink covering the upper surface opening of the box-shaped partition wall, and the heated single battery cell group is cooled with the cooling air by flowing cooling air through the cooling passage inside the partition wall. This is known from the following patent document 1.

JP 2009-301877 A

  By the way, when cooling by supporting a battery module on the battery module support member in which the refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant flows is formed, it is necessary to fix the battery module to the battery module support member. At this time, if the fixing member for fixing the battery module is fixed to the battery module support member using a bolt or nut, the bolt or nut protrudes into the refrigerant passage to obstruct the flow of the refrigerant, and the cooling performance of the battery module May be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to fix a battery module to a support member so as not to hinder the flow of refrigerant in a refrigerant passage formed in the support member.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked is attached to the battery module so as to be fixed to a support member having a refrigerant passage formed therein. A battery module fixing structure in which a first fixing member provided and a second fixing member provided on the support member are fastened by a fastening member, wherein the second fixing member is fixed to the surface of the support member by welding or bonding. A structure for fixing a battery module is proposed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the first fixing member is sandwiched between the two battery modules so as to integrate the two battery modules. A battery module fixing structure characterized by being a member is proposed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the first fixing member is fastened to the plurality of second fixing members. A fixed structure is proposed.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the structure of any one of claims 1 to 3, the second fixing member is provided between the support member and the first fixing member. A structure for fixing the battery module is proposed.

  The cooling air passage 28a of the embodiment corresponds to the refrigerant passage of the present invention, the first end plate 37 of the embodiment corresponds to the first fixing member of the present invention, and the fixing member 44 of the embodiment corresponds to the main fixing member 44. Corresponding to the second fixing member of the invention, the second bolt 47 of the embodiment corresponds to the fastening member of the invention.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the battery module is fixed to the support member by fastening the first fixing member provided in the battery module and the second fixing member provided in the support member with the fastening member, and the inside of the support member. The battery module is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage formed in the. At this time, since the second fixing member is fixed to the surface of the support member by welding or adhesion, the provision of the second fixing member prevents the refrigerant flow in the refrigerant passage of the support member from being affected, and the battery module. The cooling performance is ensured.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the first fixing member is a member that is sandwiched between the two battery modules so as to integrate the two battery modules, it is necessary to provide a special first fixing member. In addition to reducing the number of parts, it is possible to fix two battery modules with a single first fixing member, thereby reducing the number of parts.

  According to the configuration of the third aspect, since the first fixing member is fastened to the plurality of second fixing members, the battery module can be firmly fixed in a stable posture.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the second fixing member is provided between the support member and the first fixing member, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the fixing portion of the battery module due to the provision of the second fixing member. it can.

The perspective view of a battery pack. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a four-direction arrow view of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a battery pack 11 of an electric vehicle includes a battery case 15 in which a synthetic resin battery cover 13 is coupled to an upper surface of a metal battery tray 12 and fastened with bolts 14. A plurality of battery modules 16 are mounted on the upper surface of the tray 12.

  The cooling device 17 provided at the rear portion of the battery pack 11 includes a suction duct 18 disposed at a central portion in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of left and right discharge ducts 19 and 19 disposed on both sides of the suction duct 18 in the vehicle width direction. Prepare. A cooling air suction port 18 a for sucking air outside the battery pack 11 as cooling air is opened forward in the upper front surface of the suction duct 18. In addition, electric cooling fans 20 and 20 are accommodated in the discharge ducts 19 and 19, respectively, and cooling air discharge ports 19a and 19a for discharging the cooling air after heat exchange are provided in the cooling fans 20 and 20, respectively. It is formed in a rearward direction so as to face the outer periphery.

  Therefore, when the cooling fans 20 and 20 are driven, the cooling air sucked from the cooling air suction port 18a of the suction duct 18 is supplied to the inside of the battery tray 12, and while flowing through the cooling passage inside the battery tray 12, the battery module. After the heat exchange with 16 ..., it passes through the cooling fans 20, 20 of the discharge ducts 19, 19, and is discharged from the cooling air discharge ports 19a, 19a.

  A main switch 21 storing a manual switch is provided at the front of the battery pack 11, and a junction board 22 storing a contactor and a fuse is provided at the rear of the battery pack 11. The high voltage cable 23 extending from the battery modules 16 is connected to a high voltage connector 24 provided at the left front portion of the battery pack 11 via the main switch 21 and the junction board 22. Further, a low voltage cable 26 for transmitting a control signal extends from a low voltage connector 25 provided at the right front portion of the battery pack 11, and this low voltage cable 26 is connected to the junction board 22, the thermistor of the battery modules 16. .

  Two battery modules 16 placed on the battery tray 12 are integrated in parallel to form a battery module unit 31. However, one battery module unit 31 placed on the upper surface of a plate-like support member 28 installed on the rear part of the battery tray 12 via a pair of left and right support legs 27 is provided with two battery modules 16. , 16 are integrated in series so that the end faces in the longitudinal direction face each other.

  A plurality of cooling air passages 28a (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 5) extending in parallel are formed in the support member 28 made of a drawing material, and the cooling air passages 28a. The cooling air passages 27a and 27a (see FIG. 2) formed in the interior of the battery tray 12 communicate with the cooling air passages formed in the battery tray 12.

  Next, the structure of the battery module unit 31 and its support structure will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The battery module unit 31 according to the present embodiment is placed on the upper surface of the support member 28, and is formed by integrating two battery modules 16 and 16 so that their longitudinal end faces face each other. is there. The battery module 16 is formed by stacking, for example, twelve battery cells 32. The eleven first holders 33 having an H-shaped horizontal cross section are sandwiched between the two battery cells 16. Two second holders 34, 34 having a U-shaped horizontal cross section are in contact with the outside of the battery cells 32, 32. A cover 35 covering the upper surfaces of the battery cells 32, the first holders 33, and the second holders 34, 34 is fixed to the two second holders 34, 34 with bolts 36, 36.

  The two battery modules 16 and 16 arranged so that the end faces in the longitudinal direction are opposed to each other are provided at the first end plate 37 sandwiched therebetween and at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the two battery modules 16 and 16. The battery is integrated by a pair of second end plates 38, 38 arranged and two connecting members 39, 39 having one end fixed to each second end plate 38 and extending toward the first end plate 37. The module unit 31 is configured. A total of four connecting members 39... Extending from the two second end plates 38, 38 toward the common first end plate 37 are connected to the first through a common tolerance absorbing means 41 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The end plate 37 is coupled.

  The first end plate 37 is made of an aluminum drawn material having a rectangular cross section having long sides 37a, 37a and short sides 37b, 37b, and two first boss portions 37c, 37c having a circular shape inside thereof, Two second boss portions 37d, 37d having a shape combining a triangle and a circle, and two ribs 37e, 37e extending from the boss portions 37c, 37c, 37d, 37d toward the long sides 37a, 37a, (See FIG. 6).

  Each second end plate 38 is a plate-like member, and a pair of mounting brackets 38a and 38a are provided at the lower end thereof, and two pressing projections 38b and 38b are provided at the upper end thereof. One second end plate 38 is fixed to a fixing portion 27b provided on the upper portion of one support leg 27 by two bolts 42, 42 penetrating the mounting brackets 38a, 38a. Similarly, the other second end plate 38 is fixed to a fixing portion 27b provided on the upper portion of the other supporting leg 27 by two bolts 42, 42 penetrating the mounting brackets 38a, 38a.

  Long holes 39a and 39a are respectively formed at the other ends of the two strip-shaped connecting members 39 and 39 each having one end fixed to one second end plate 38, and penetrate the long holes 39a and 39a. The two first bolts 43A and 43A are screwed into the two second boss portions 37d and 37d of the first end plate 37, respectively. Similarly, long holes 39a and 39a are formed at the other ends of the two strip-shaped connecting members 39 and 39, one end of which is fixed to the other second end plate 38, respectively. The two first bolts 43B and 43B penetrating through the two are screwed into the two second boss portions 37d and 37d of the first end plate 37, respectively. The height of the two connecting members 39, 39 extending from one second end plate 38 and the height of the two connecting members 39, 39 extending from the other second end plate 38 do not interfere with each other. So different.

  A total of four long holes 39a... And a total of four first bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B constitute the tolerance absorbing means 41.

  Two block-shaped fixing members 44 are fixed to the upper surface of the support member 28 by welding. In the state where the first end plate 37 is overlaid on the upper surfaces of the fixing members 44, 44 and the holding member 45 is overlaid on the upper surface of the first end plate 37, two bolts 46, 46 penetrating the holding member 45 are provided. Two second bolts that are screwed into the two first boss portions 37c, 37c of the first end plate 37 and pass through the holding member 45 and the two second boss portions 37d, 37d of the first end plate 37. 47 and 47 are screwed into the two fixing members 44 and 44, respectively.

The holding member 45 includes four pressing protrusions 45a that are in contact with the upper surface of one battery module 16, and four pressing protrusions 45a that are in contact with the upper surface of the other battery module 16. Next, the configuration described above is provided. The operation of the embodiment of the present invention provided will be described.

  Two battery modules 16, 16 are arranged in series so that one end face in the longitudinal direction opposes with the first end plate 37 interposed therebetween, and the other end face in the longitudinal direction of the two battery modules 16, 16. When the second end plates 38 and 38 are brought into contact with each other, the two connecting members 39 and 39 having one ends fixed to the second end plates 38 extend along the longitudinal side surfaces of the battery module 16 and 1 The position of the end plate 37 is reached.

  From this state, the two first bolts 43A, 43A penetrating the long holes 39a, 39a of the two connecting members 39, 39 of one battery module 16 are connected to the two second boss portions 37d of the first end plate 37. , 37d, and two first bolts 43B, 43B penetrating through the long holes 39a, 39a of the two connecting members 39, 39 of the other battery module 16, respectively. The second boss portions 37d and 37d are respectively screwed. At this time, since the two connecting members 39, 39 of the battery modules 16, 16 are different in height, they are prevented from interfering on the first end plate 37.

  The lengths of the battery modules 16 and 16 have slight variations due to the accumulated thickness tolerances of the twelve battery cells 32. However, the lengths of the battery modules 16 and 16 that pass through the long holes 39 a of the connecting members 39. When the 1 bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B are screwed into the second boss portions 37d, 37d of the first end plate 37, the positions of the long holes 39a with respect to the first bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B are adjusted. By doing so, the variation in the length can be absorbed.

  In the battery module unit 31 in which the two battery modules 16 and 16 are integrated with the first end plate 37 interposed therebetween in this way, the first end plate 37 is made of a thick drawing material and absorbs tolerance. The rigidity of the battery cells 32 is increased by the mechanism 41 without being loosened.

  Subsequently, the two bolts 46, 46 penetrating the holding member 45 are screwed into the two first boss portions 37 c, 37 c of the first end plate 37, and the holding member 45 and the first end plate 37 2 By fastening the two second bolts 47, 47 penetrating the second boss portions 37d, 37d to the two fixing members 44, 44 welded to the upper surface of the support member 28, the first end plate 37 is fixed. It is fixed to the support member 28. At this time, the eight pressing protrusions 45a of the holding member 45 are engaged with the upper surfaces of the pair of battery modules 16 and 16 respectively, so that the battery modules 16 and 16 are firmly fixed to the upper surface of the support member 28. Is done.

  Further, when the two bolts 42, 42 penetrating the two mounting brackets 38 a, 38 a provided on the second end plate 38 of each battery module 16 are fastened to the fixing portion 27 b of the support leg 27 of the support member 28, The two pressing projections 38b, 38b of the two end plate 38 and the two pressing projections 39b, 39b of the connecting members 39, 39 push down the upper surface of the battery module 16, so that the battery module 16 further extends to the support member 28. It is firmly fixed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the battery module unit 31 is configured by integrating the two battery modules 16 and 16, the two battery modules 16 and 16 can be handled as a unit. It becomes easier to handle.

  In addition, since the first end plates 37 of the two battery modules 16 and 16 are formed of a common member, the rigidity of the battery module unit 31 can be increased to improve the vibration resistance, and the two second end plates can be increased. The other end of the connecting member 39... Having one end fixed to 38, 38 is connected to the first end plate 37 via the tolerance absorbing means 41, so that each battery module 16 is accumulated by the accumulation of the thickness tolerance of the battery cells 32. , 16 can be absorbed by changing the positions of the two second end plates 38, 38 even if a difference occurs in the length in the stacking direction.

  Further, since the tolerance absorbing means 41 is disposed between the two battery modules 16, 16, the tolerance absorbing means 41 is prevented from projecting at both ends of the battery module unit 31, thereby reducing the size of the battery module unit 31. be able to.

  Further, the tolerance absorbing means 41 passes through the long holes 39a formed at the other end of the connecting member 39 fixed at one end to the second end plates 38, 38 and the first end plate 37 through the long holes 39a. Since the first bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B are screwed to the first bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B, the thickness of the battery cell 32 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the long holes 39a. Not only can the accumulated tolerance be absorbed, but also the bolt and its seating surface can be made smaller than when the two connecting members 39, 39 are fastened to the first end plate 37 with a common bolt. it can.

  The second bolts 43A, 43A, 43B, 43B for fixing the connecting members 39, and the holding member 45 are fastened to the common second bosses 37d, 37d provided on the first end plate 37 made of the drawn material. Since the bolts 47 and 47 are screwed together, it is possible to reduce the weight by minimizing the number of boss portions of the first end plate 37.

  Further, since cooling air passages 28a through which cooling air flows are formed inside the support member 28, the second bolts 47, 47 for fixing the holding member 45 and the first end plate 37 are directly screwed to the support member 28. In this case, the second bolts 47 and 47 may protrude into the cooling air passages 28a to obstruct the flow of the cooling air. However, according to the present embodiment, the fixing members 44 and 44 welded to the support member 28, Since the second bolts 47 and 47 are screwed to 44, the cooling air can be smoothly distributed and the cooling effect of the battery modules 16 and 16 can be secured.

  Further, since the battery module unit 31 is fixed to the support member 28 by using the first end plate 37 which is a member for integrally connecting the pair of battery modules 16, 16, the battery module unit 31 is fixed to the support member 28. This eliminates the need for a special member to reduce the number of parts, and also allows the two first battery modules 16 and 16 to be fixed by one first end plate 37, thereby reducing the number of parts. Further reduction can be achieved.

  Further, since the first end plate 37 is fastened to the two fixing members 44, 44, the battery module 16, 16 can be held in a stable posture by firmly fixing the first end plate 37 to the support member 28. . Moreover, since the fixing members 44 and 44 are disposed between the support member 28 and the first fixing member 37, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the fixing portion of the battery modules 16 and 16 due to the provision of the fixing members 44 and 44. .

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, instead of fixing the fixing member 44 to the support member 28 by welding, the fixing member 44 may be fixed by adhesion.

  In the embodiment, the support member 28 and the first end plate 37 are made of a drawing material, but they may be made of an extrusion material.

  The refrigerant of the present invention is not limited to cooling air, and may be water or the like.

  Further, the number of battery cells 32... Constituting one battery module 16 is not limited to twelve.

16 Battery module 28 Support member 28a Cooling air passage (refrigerant passage)
32 battery cell 37 first end plate (first fixing member)
44 fixing member (second fixing member)
47 Second bolt (fastening member)

Claims (4)

A first fixing provided in the battery module (16) to fix the battery module (16) in which a plurality of battery cells (32) are stacked to a support member (28) having a refrigerant passage (28a) formed therein. A battery module fixing structure in which a member (37) and a second fixing member (44) provided on the support member (28) are fastened by a fastening member (47),
The battery module fixing structure, wherein the second fixing member (44) is fixed to the surface of the support member (28) by welding or bonding.   The said 1st fixing member (37) is a member clamped between these two battery modules (16) so that two said battery modules (16) may be integrated, The claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The structure for fixing the described battery module.   The battery module fixing structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first fixing member (37) is fastened to the plurality of second fixing members (44).   The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second fixing member (44) is provided between the support member (28) and the first fixing member (37). Module fixing structure.

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