Vehicle body member having charging and discharging function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11456506-B2
Application number	US-202017014091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle body member includes a first cell unit including a first negative electrode part and a first positive electrode part, a second cell unit including a second negative electrode part and a second positive electrode part, a reinforcing insulating layer interposed between a first surface of the first cell unit and a second surface of the second cell unit, a first positive electrode current collector connected to the first positive electrode part, a second positive electrode current collector connected to the second positive electrode part and connected in parallel to the first positive electrode current collector, a first negative electrode current collector connected to the first negative electrode part, and a second negative electrode current collector connected to the second negative electrode part and connected in parallel to the first negative electrode current collector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body member having a charging and discharging function, the vehicle body member comprising:
a first cell unit comprised of a first negative electrode part and a first positive electrode part disposed in contact with a first surface of the first negative electrode part, the first negative electrode part including carbon fiber and the first positive electrode part including a first positive electrode active material and a first solid electrolyte, wherein at least one first via hole passes through the first negative electrode part and the first positive electrode part;
a second cell unit comprised of a second negative electrode part and a second positive electrode part disposed in contact with a first surface of the second negative electrode part, the second negative electrode part including carbon fiber and the second positive electrode part including a second positive electrode active material and a second solid electrolyte, wherein at least one second via hole passes through the second negative electrode part and the second positive electrode part;
a reinforcing insulating layer formed in a honeycomb structure and having opposite surfaces, each of the opposite surfaces provided with at least one insertion protrusion inserted into each of the first via hole and the second via hole respectively, the reinforcing insulating layer interposed between a first surface of the first cell unit and a second surface of the second cell unit to electrically insulate the first and second cell units from each other;
a first positive electrode current collector connected to the first positive electrode part of the first cell unit;
a second positive electrode current collector connected to the second positive electrode part of the second cell unit and connected in parallel to the first positive electrode current collector;
a first negative electrode current collector connected to the first negative electrode part of the first cell unit; and
a second negative electrode current collector connected to the second negative electrode part of the second cell unit and connected in parallel to the first negative electrode current collector.

2. The vehicle body member of claim 1 , wherein:
the first negative electrode current collector is stacked on a second surface of the first cell unit;
the second negative electrode current collector is stacked on a first surface of the second cell unit; and
a skin layer made of a composite material is stacked on each of a second surface of the first negative electrode current collector and a first surface of the second negative electrode current collector.

3. The vehicle body member of claim 2 , wherein the skin layer comprises a glass fiber-reinforced sheet.

4. The vehicle body member of claim 2 , wherein the skin layer and the insertion protrusion of the reinforcing insulating layer are directly adhered to each other.

5. The vehicle body member of claim 4 , further comprising:
an adhesion region where the skin layer and the insertion protrusion of the reinforcing insulating layer are directly adhered to each other; and
an overlap region around the adhesion region, wherein the first cell unit, the second cell unit, the first negative electrode current collector, and the second negative electrode current collector are deformed to be compressed by compression molding in the overlap region.

6. The vehicle body member of claim 5 , wherein:
the reinforcing insulating layer comprises a plastic polymer; and
in the adhesion region, the skin layer and the reinforcing insulating layer are adhered to each other by an adhesive.

7. The vehicle body member of claim 5 , wherein:
the reinforcing insulating layer comprises a plastic polymer; and
a resin forming the skin layer and a resin forming the reinforcing insulating layer are fused and adhered to each other in the adhesion region.

8. The vehicle body member of claim 1 , wherein each of the first negative electrode part and the second negative electrode part is formed by stacking a plurality of reinforcing fiber sheets in which carbon fibers are provided in different arrangement directions.

9. The vehicle body member of claim 1 , wherein:
the first positive electrode part comprises a first positive electrode layer disposed opposite to the first surface of the first negative electrode part and in which the first positive electrode active material is distributed, and a first solid electrolyte layer made of the first solid electrolyte and disposed between the first negative electrode part and the first positive electrode layer so as to be in contact with each of the first negative electrode part and the first positive electrode layer;
the second positive electrode part comprises a second positive electrode layer disposed opposite to the second surface of the second negative electrode part and in which the second positive electrode active material is distributed, and a second solid electrolyte layer made of the second solid electrolyte and disposed between the second negative electrode part and the second positive electrode layer so as to be in contact with each of the second negative electrode part and the second positive electrode layer; and
the first positive electrode layer and the second positive electrode layer are electrically insulated from each other by the reinforcing insulating layer.

10. The vehicle body member of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle body member comprises a plurality of roof members;
first positive electrode current collectors and second positive electrode current collectors constituting respective roof members are connected to each other in parallel;
first negative electrode current collectors and second negative electrode current collectors constituting the respective roof members are connected to each other in parallel; and
the first positive electrode current collectors, the second positive electrode current collectors, the first negative electrode current collectors, and the second negative electrode current collectors are connected selectively to an alternator or an electronic device of a vehicle by a switch.

11. The vehicle body member of claim 10 , wherein:
while the first positive electrode current collectors, the second positive electrode current collectors, the first negative electrode current collectors, and the second negative electrode current collectors are electrically connected to the alternator of the vehicle, charging is to be made through the plurality of roof members; and
while the first positive electrode current collectors, the second positive electrode current collectors, the first negative electrode current collectors, and the second negative electrode current collectors are connected to the electronic device of the vehicle, power generated by discharging through the plurality of roof members is to be supplied to the electronic device of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle body member of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of roof members is configured such that at least one of the roof members forms a roof panel of the vehicle, and at least a remaining one of the roof members forms a roof rail of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body; and
an electric device within the vehicle body;
wherein the vehicle body includes a vehicle roof member electrically connected to the electric device, the vehicle roof member comprising:
a first cell unit comprised of a first negative electrode part and a first positive electrode part disposed in contact with a first surface of the first negative electrode part, the first negative electrode part including carbon fiber and the first positive electrode part including

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Song Won Ki
• Oh Hee Dae
• Kim Min Soo

Classifications

• H01M50/122

  Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials · CPC title

• H01M4/72

  Grids · CPC title

• H01M4/663

  containing carbon or carbonaceous materials as conductive part, e.g. graphite, carbon fibres · CPC title

• H01M50/102

  characterised by their shape or physical structure · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title