JP7188284B2 - battery case - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to battery cases.

For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-19203 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”) discloses a battery pack tray that includes a tray body, a cross member, and an inner cloth. A battery module (a plurality of battery cells connected in series) is placed on the tray body. The cross member has a hat-shaped cross section in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Both ends of the cross member in the vehicle front-rear direction are joined to the inner surface of the tray body. The inner cloth has a hat-shaped cross section in the vehicle front-rear direction. Both ends of the inner cloth in the vehicle front-rear direction are joined to the upper surface of the cross member.

JP 2014-19203 A

As a reinforcing structure for a battery case that accommodates battery modules, in addition to the structure described in Patent Document 1, a structure in which reinforcing plates are joined to both the inner and outer surfaces of the bottom wall of the case is conceivable. For example, an inner reinforcing plate that is joined to a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall that overlaps the battery module in the vertical direction connects a pair of joints that are joined to the bottom wall at positions spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. and an upward convex portion having an upward convex shape. The outer reinforcing plate joined to the outer surface of the bottom wall connects a pair of joint portions joined to the bottom wall at a position vertically overlapping the pair of joint portions of the inner reinforcing plate, and connects each joint portion. and a downward convex portion having a convex shape.

In such a structure, when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate such as when the outer reinforcing plate comes into contact with the road surface, the impact is transmitted to the battery module via the inner reinforcing plate.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery case capable of reducing the load applied to the battery module.

A battery case according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a lower case that can accommodate a battery module and a reinforcing member that reinforces the lower case, and the lower case has a bottom disposed below the battery module. The reinforcing member is joined to the inner surface of a portion of the bottom wall that overlaps the battery module in the vertical direction, and includes an inner reinforcing plate having an upwardly convex shape; an outer reinforcing plate having a downwardly convex shape that is joined to the outer surface of a portion that overlaps the battery module in the vertical direction; and an inner first joint portion that is joined to the bottom wall, and an inner second joint portion that is provided at the other end in the orthogonal direction and is joined to the bottom wall and an upward convex portion connecting the inner first joint portion and the inner second joint portion and having an upwardly convex shape, and the outer reinforcing plate has one side in the orthogonal direction an outer first joint portion that is provided at an end portion on one side and is joined to the bottom wall; and an outer second joint portion that is provided at an end portion on the other side in the orthogonal direction and is joined to the bottom wall; and a downward convex portion connecting the outer first joint portion and the outer second joint portion and having a downwardly convex shape, wherein the inner first joint portion and the outer second joint portion are connected to each other. Either one of the first joint pair consisting of one joint and the second joint pair consisting of the inner second joint and the outer second joint overlaps each other in the vertical direction. and the other pair of joints are joined to the bottom wall spaced apart from each other in the orthogonal direction.

In this battery case, one of the first joint pair and the second joint pair is joined to the bottom wall while overlapping each other in the vertical direction, and the other joint pair is perpendicular to the bottom wall. Since they are joined to the bottom wall while being spaced apart from each other in the direction of absorb the load. Therefore, the load input to the battery module is reduced when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate.

Moreover, the length of the inner reinforcing plate in the orthogonal direction may be smaller than the length of the outer reinforcing plate in the orthogonal direction.

Specifically, the inner first joint portion and the outer first joint portion are joined to the bottom wall while overlapping each other in the vertical direction, and the inner second joint portion and the outer second joint portion are , are joined to the bottom wall while being separated from each other in the orthogonal direction.

The lower case further has a peripheral wall that rises from the edge of the bottom wall and has a shape that surrounds the battery module, and the inner reinforcing plate extends in a first direction orthogonal to both the orthogonal direction and the vertical direction. is preferably spaced apart from the peripheral wall.

In this aspect, the rigidity of the bottom wall when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate compared to the case where the rigidity of the portion of the bottom wall near the inner reinforcing plate is increased by joining the inner reinforcing plate to the peripheral wall. The amount of deformation increases. Therefore, when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate, the load input to the battery module can be reduced more reliably.

Further, a battery pack according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the battery case and the battery module housed in the battery case, and the battery module vertically overlaps the inner reinforcing plate. It includes a plurality of battery cells arranged so as to line up along the one direction.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a battery case capable of reducing the load applied to the battery module.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery case shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1;

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding members are given the same numbers.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This battery pack 1 is mounted, for example, in the lower portion of a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1 , the battery pack 1 of this embodiment includes a battery module 100 and a battery case 200 .

The battery module 100 has multiple battery cells 110 . A plurality of battery cells 110 are arranged so as to line up along one direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the one direction is set parallel to the vehicle width direction. The plurality of battery cells 110 are electrically connected in series by bus bars (not shown). Spacers (not shown) are arranged between the battery cells 110 adjacent to each other.

Battery case 200 accommodates battery module 100 . The battery case 200 has a lower case 210 , an upper case (not shown), and a reinforcing member 220 .

Lower case 210 accommodates the lower portion of battery module 100 . Lower case 210 has a bottom wall 212 and a peripheral wall 214 .

The bottom wall 212 is arranged below the battery module 100 .

Peripheral wall 214 has a shape that rises from the edge of bottom wall 212 and surrounds the lower portion of battery module 100 .

The upper case has a shape that accommodates the battery module 100 together with the lower case 210 .

The reinforcing member 220 is a member that reinforces the lower case 210 . A reinforcing member 220 is joined to the bottom wall 212 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the reinforcing member 220 has an inner reinforcing plate 222 and an outer reinforcing plate 224 . The inner reinforcing plate 222 and the outer reinforcing plate 224 are made of metal.

The inner reinforcing plate 222 is joined to the inner surface of a portion of the bottom wall 212 that vertically overlaps the battery module 100 . The inner reinforcing plate 222 may be joined to the bottom wall 212 by welding such as spot welding, or may be joined to the bottom wall 212 by fastening members such as bolts. The inner reinforcing plate 222 has a shape that protrudes upward and extends along the first direction. In this embodiment, the lower case 210 is attached to the vehicle so that the first direction is parallel to the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , both ends of the inner reinforcing plate 222 in the first direction are spaced apart from the peripheral wall 214 . The inner reinforcing plate 222 has an inner first joint portion 222a, an inner second joint portion 222b, and an upward convex portion 222c.

The inner first joint portion 222a is provided at one end of the inner reinforcing plate 222 in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The orthogonal direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction. Hereinafter, the orthogonal direction will be referred to as the second direction. That is, the inner first joint portion 222a is provided at one end (the front side in the present embodiment) of the inner reinforcing plate 222 in the second direction (the front-rear direction in the present embodiment). The inner first joint portion 222 a is formed in a plate shape extending along the first direction and is joined to the inner surface of the bottom wall 212 .

The inner second joint portion 222b is provided at the end of the inner reinforcing plate 222 on the other side in the second direction. The inner second joint portion 222b is formed in a plate shape extending along the first direction. The inner second joint portion 222b is joined to a portion of the bottom wall 212 spaced apart in the second direction (backward in this embodiment) from the joint portion between the bottom wall 212 and the inner first joint portion 222a.

The upward convex portion 222c connects the inner first joint portion 222a and the inner second joint portion 222b, and has an upward convex shape. A cross section of the upward convex portion 222c is formed in a hat shape.

Outer reinforcing plate 224 is joined to the outer surface of a portion of bottom wall 212 that vertically overlaps battery module 100 . The outer reinforcing plate 224 may be joined to the bottom wall 212 by welding such as spot welding, or may be joined to the bottom wall 212 by fastening members such as bolts. The outer reinforcing plate 224 has a shape that protrudes downward and extends along the first direction (the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the inner reinforcing plate 222). The outer reinforcing plate 224 has a first outer joint portion 224a, a second outer joint portion 224b, and a downward protrusion 224c.

The outer first joint portion 224a is provided at one end (the front side in the present embodiment) of the outer reinforcing plate 224 in the second direction. The outer first joint portion 224 a is formed in a plate shape extending along the first direction and is joined to the outer surface of the bottom wall 212 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer first joint portion 224a is joined to the outer surface of a portion of the bottom wall 212 that vertically overlaps the inner first joint portion 222a. That is, the first joint portion pair consisting of the inner first joint portion 222a and the outer first joint portion 224a is joined to the bottom wall 212 in a state of overlapping each other in the vertical direction.

The outer second joint portion 224b is provided at the end portion of the outer reinforcing plate 224 on the other side in the second direction. The outer second joint portion 224b is formed in a plate shape extending along the first direction. The outer second joint portion 224b is joined to a portion of the bottom wall 212 spaced apart in the second direction (backward in this embodiment) from the joint portion between the bottom wall 212 and the outer first joint portion 224a. More specifically, between the joint portion of the bottom wall 212 and the inner second joint portion 222b of the bottom wall 212 and the joint portion of the bottom wall 212 and the outer second joint portion 224b, an outer reinforcing plate A deformation portion 212a is formed that deforms when an upward load (the load indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3) is applied to 224 . That is, the second joint portion pair including the inner second joint portion 222b and the outer second joint portion 224b are joined to the bottom wall 212 while being separated from each other in the second direction.

The downward convex portion 224c connects the first outer joint portion 224a and the second outer joint portion 224b, and has a downward convex shape. A cross section of the downward protrusion 224c is formed in a hat shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of the downward protrusion 224c in the second direction is greater than the length of the upward protrusion 222c in the second direction.

As described above, in the battery case 200 of the present embodiment, the first joint portion pair consisting of the inner first joint portion 222a and the outer first joint portion 224a is attached to the bottom wall 212 while overlapping each other in the vertical direction. The second joint portion pair consisting of the inner second joint portion 222b and the outer second joint portion 224b is joined to the bottom wall 212 while being separated from each other in the second direction. When an upward load is applied to the bottom wall 212, the deformation portion 212a positioned between the inner second joint portion 222b and the outer second joint portion 224b of the bottom wall 212 deforms to absorb the load. Therefore, the load input to battery module 100 when an upward load is applied to outer reinforcing plate 224 is reduced.

In addition, since both ends of the inner reinforcing plate 222 in the first direction are separated from the peripheral wall 214 , the inner reinforcing plate 222 is joined to the peripheral wall 214 , so that the portion of the bottom wall 212 near the inner reinforcing plate 222 is The amount of deformation of the deformation portion 212a when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate 224 is greater than when the rigidity is increased. Therefore, the load applied to battery module 100 when an upward load is applied to outer reinforcing plate 224 is more reliably reduced.

It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the description of the above-described embodiments, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

For example, a second joint portion pair consisting of an inner second joint portion 222b and an outer second joint portion 224b is joined to the bottom wall 212 in a state in which they overlap each other in the vertical direction. A first pair of joints comprising the joints 224a may be joined to the bottom wall 212 while being spaced apart from each other in the second direction.

Also, the length of the upward protrusion 222c in the second direction may be longer than the length of the downward protrusion 224c in the second direction. However, by setting the length of the downward protrusion 224c in the second direction to be longer than the length of the upward protrusion 222c in the same direction as in the above embodiment, a large area for receiving the load is ensured. , the load input to the battery module 100 is more reliably reduced.

Also, the inner reinforcing plate 222 and the outer reinforcing plate 224 may have a shape extending in a direction intersecting the direction in which the battery cells 110 are arranged.

1 Battery pack 100 Battery module 110 Battery cell 200 Battery case 210 Lower case 212 Bottom wall 212a Deformed portion 214 Peripheral wall 220 Reinforcement member 222 Inner reinforcing plate 222a Inner first joint 222b Inner second 2 joints, 222c upward projection, 224 outer reinforcing plate, 224a outer first joint, 224b outer second joint, 224c downward projection.

Claims (1)

a lower case capable of accommodating a battery module;
a reinforcing member that reinforces the lower case,
The lower case has a bottom wall arranged below the battery module,
The reinforcing member is
an inner reinforcing plate that is joined to the inner surface of a portion of the bottom wall that overlaps the battery module in the vertical direction and has a shape that protrudes upward;
an outer reinforcing plate that is joined to the outer surface of a portion of the bottom wall that overlaps the battery module in the vertical direction and has a shape that protrudes downward;
The inner reinforcing plate is
an inner first joint portion provided at one end portion in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and joined to the bottom wall;
an inner second joint portion provided at the other end portion in the orthogonal direction and joined to the bottom wall;
an upward convex portion connecting the inner first joint portion and the inner second joint portion and having an upward convex shape;
The outer reinforcing plate is
an outer first joint portion provided at the one-side end portion in the orthogonal direction and joined to the bottom wall;
an outer second joint portion provided at the other end portion in the orthogonal direction and joined to the bottom wall;
a downward convex portion connecting the outer first joint portion and the outer second joint portion and having a downward convex shape;
the length of the downward protrusion in the orthogonal direction is longer than the length of the upward protrusion in the orthogonal direction;
The upward protrusion vertically overlaps the downward protrusion,
Either one of a first joint pair consisting of the inner first joint and the outer first joint and a second joint pair consisting of the inner second joint and the outer second joint The pairs are joined to the bottom wall while overlapping each other in the vertical direction, and the other pair of joining portions are joined to the bottom wall while being spaced apart from each other in the orthogonal direction ,
The battery case of the battery case , wherein a deformation portion that deforms when an upward load is applied to the outer reinforcing plate is formed between a pair of joint portions of the bottom wall that constitute the other pair of joint portions .

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