Battery housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424770-B2
Application number	US-201715679000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A battery housing having a battery chamber sealed to prevent the penetration of moisture and which accommodates at least one battery module, and a pressure equalization device to compensate for pressure fluctuations between the battery chamber and its outside environment. The pressure equalization device comprises a pressure equalization chamber fluidly connected to the battery chamber and a separating member arranged therein. The separating member is sealed off from the inner wall of the pressure equalization chamber, wherein the fluid connection with the battery chamber opens in a first chamber region of the pressure equalization chamber which is separated by the separating member from a second chamber region. The separating member permits a volume change in one of the chamber regions given a corresponding volume change in the other chamber region. The second chamber region is in fluid communication with the outside of the battery chamber via a venting path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery housing comprising:
a battery chamber sealed to prevent the penetration of moisture from an outside environment and which accommodates at least one battery module;
a pressure equalization device to compensate for pressure fluctuations between the battery chamber and the outside environment, the pressure equalization device comprising a pressure equalization chamber;
the pressure equalization chamber having a first chamber region and a second chamber region, wherein the first chamber region has a fluid connection to the battery chamber, and the second chamber region is in fluid communication with the outside environment via a first venting path; and
a separating member arranged between the first chamber region and the second chamber region, the separating member fluidly sealed with respect to an inner wall of the pressure equalization chamber;
wherein the separating member permits a volume change in one of the first or second chamber regions given a corresponding volume change in the other chamber region.

2. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the pressure equalization device further comprises a pressure relief valve or a vent opening to relieve an overpressure in the first chamber region which cannot be sufficiently compensated by the mobility of the separating member in the pressure equalization chamber.

3. The battery housing of claim 2 , wherein the separating member is a piston configured to move inside the pressure equalization chamber.

4. The battery housing of claim 3 , wherein the piston opens the vent opening.

5. The battery housing of claim 4 , wherein the end of the piston facing the second chamber region is supported on a compression spring, the compression spring tensioned by the piston when the piston is in an end position within the pressure equalization chamber collapsing the second chamber region, and wherein a second venting path between the first chamber region and the outside environment of the battery housing is open in said end position of the piston.

6. The battery housing of claim 3 , wherein the pressure relief valve is formed on the piston and places the first chamber region in fluid communication with the second chamber region when the valve opening pressure of the pressure relief valve is exceeded in the first chamber region.

7. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the pressure equalization device further comprises a vacuum valve to relieve a vacuum in the first chamber region which cannot be sufficiently compensated by the mobility of the separating member in the pressure equalization chamber.

8. The battery housing of claim 7 , wherein the separating member is a piston configured to move inside the pressure equalization chamber.

9. The battery housing of claim 8 , wherein the piston opens the vacuum valve.

10. The battery housing of claim 9 , wherein the vacuum valve is formed on the end wall of the pressure equalization chamber which bounds the first chamber region and faces the separating member, the vacuum valve comprising a valve tappet which passes through said end wall, the valve tappet having a sealing head configured to lay against the outside of said end wall when the vacuum valve is closed, the vacuum valve also comprising a closing spring which holds the vacuum valve in its closed position and provides a restoring force against which the vacuum valve can be opened, wherein the valve tappet projects into the first chamber region to such an extent that the vacuum valve is opened by the piston when there is a vacuum in the first chamber region.

11. The battery housing of claim 8 , wherein the vacuum valve is formed on the piston and places the first chamber region in fluid communication with the second chamber region when the valve opening pressure of the vacuum valve is exceeded in the second chamber region.

12. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the pressure equalization device further comprises a pressure relief valve and a vacuum valve, the pressure relief valve configured to relieve an overpressure in the first chamber region which cannot be sufficiently compensated by the mobility of the separating member in the pressure equalization chamber, the vacuum valve configured to relieve a vacuum in the first chamber region which cannot be sufficiently compensated by the mobility of the separating member in the pressure equalization chamber.

13. The battery housing of claim 12 , wherein the separating member is a piston configured to move inside the pressure equalization chamber.

14. The battery housing of claim 13 , wherein the pressure relief valve and the vacuum valve are both formed on the piston, wherein the pressure relief valve places the first chamber region in fluid communication with the second chamber region when the valve opening pressure of the pressure relief valve is exceeded in the first chamber region, and wherein the vacuum valve places the first chamber region in fluid communication with the second chamber region when the valve opening pressure of the vacuum valve is exceeded in the second chamber region.

15. The battery housing of claim 14 , wherein the pressure relief valve and the vacuum valve are arranged in a common piston opening.

16. The battery housing of claim 15 , wherein the pressure relief valve and the vacuum valve form a two-way valve.

17. The battery housing of claim 1 , further comprising a frame component having a hollow chamber profile, wherein the pressure equalization chamber is formed by the hollow chamber profile.

18. The battery housing of claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of frame components having hollow chamber profiles which form a plurality of pressure equalization chambers.

19. The battery housing of claim 1 , wherein the battery housing is arranged in a vehicle driven by an electric motor, and contains battery modules which are necessary for the operation of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Kirchhoff Automotive D Gmbh

Inventors

• Günther Alexander

Classifications

• H01M50/24 Primary

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title

• H01M2200/20

  Pressure-sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M2/1088

  Electricity · mapped topic