Battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658360-B2
Application number	US-202016933795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 3, 2016
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A battery pack includes a housing and electrochemical cells disposed in the housing. The housing includes a container and a lid that closes an open end of the container. The container has a base, an outer wall the surrounds the base, and a first and a second inner wall disposed inside the outer wall. The first inner wall extends between, and is fixed to, a first portion and a third portion of the outer wall, and is spaced apart from a second portion and a fourth portion of the outer wall. The second inner wall extends between the first portion and the third portion, and is disposed between the first inner wall and the fourth portion. The second inner wall is movable relative to the outer wall such that spacing of the second inner wall from the first inner wall can be changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack housing configured to receive an array of electrochemical cells, the cells of the array disposed side-by-side along a stacking axis when received within the battery pack housing, the battery pack housing comprising a container that includes:
a base that includes an inner surface, an outer surface opposed to the inner surface, and a peripheral edge that joins the inner surface to the outer surface;
an outer wall that surrounds the peripheral edge and protrudes from the base in a direction that is normal to the inner surface of the base, the outer wall including a first portion, a second portion adjoining the first portion, a third portion adjoining the second portion and opposed to the first portion, and a fourth portion opposed to the second portion;
an inner wall that extends between the first portion and the third portion, and is disposed between the second portion and the fourth portion, the inner wall including an inner surface configured to contact an outermost portion of the array of electrochemical cells; and
a rigid spacer configured to abut the inner wall, the spacer being tapered along an axis that is perpendicular to the base in such a way that in response to a first force applied to the spacer along the axis that is perpendicular to the base, the spacer, the outer wall, and the inner wall cooperate to apply a compressive second force to the array of electrochemical cells in a direction parallel to the stacking axis when the array of electrochemical cells is received within the battery pack housing.

2. The battery pack housing of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is disposed between the inner wall and the fourth portion, and is configured to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the fourth portion.

3. The battery pack housing of claim 2 , wherein
the gap has a gap dimension that corresponds to a distance between the inner wall and the fourth portion,
the spacer includes a first surface that faces the inner wall with no intervening structures, and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, the second surface facing the fourth portion with no intervening structures, and
a distance between the first surface and the second surface corresponds to the gap dimension.

4. The battery pack housing of claim 2 , wherein the gap is shaped and dimensioned to receive a battery management device that is configured to monitor and control the electrochemical cells.

5. The battery pack housing of claim 1 , wherein
the spacer includes a first surface that faces the inner wall, and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, and
one of the first surface and the second surface is tapered along the axis that is perpendicular to the base.

6. The battery pack housing of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises a first spacer and a second spacer that is spaced apart from the first spacer, the first spacer and the second spacer each having a polygonal shape.

7. The battery pack housing of claim 6 , wherein
the first spacer is disposed along one side edge of the inner wall so as to be adjacent to the first portion,
the second spacer is disposed along a side edge of the inner wall that is opposed to the one side edge such that the second spacer is disposed adjacent to the third portion,
a gap is disposed between the first spacer and the second spacer, and
the gap is shaped and dimensioned to receive a battery management device therein.

8. The battery pack housing of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall is free-floating relative to the outer wall such that a spacing of the inner wall from the fourth portion can be changed.

9. The battery pack housing of claim 1 , wherein
the inner surface is parallel to and faces the second portion,
the inner wall has an outer surface that is opposed to the inner surface,
the outer surface faces the fourth portion, and
at least a portion of the outer surface is not parallel to the fourth portion when the array of electrochemical cells is received within the battery pack housing.

10. A battery pack comprising:
a battery pack housing; and
an array of electrochemical cells disposed in the battery pack housing, the cells of the array disposed side-by-side along a stacking axis,
the battery pack housing including a container, and a lid that closes an open end of the container, the container including:
a base that includes an inner surface, an outer surface opposed to the inner surface, and a peripheral edge that joins the inner surface to the outer surface;
an outer wall that surrounds the peripheral edge and protrudes from the base in a direction that is normal to the inner surface of the base, the outer wall including a first portion, a second portion adjoining the first portion, a third portion adjoining the second portion and opposed to the first portion, and a fourth portion opposed to the second portion;
an inner wall that extends between the first portion and the third portion, and is disposed between the second portion and the fourth portion, the inner wall including an inner surface contacting an outermost portion of the array of electrochemical cells; and
a rigid spacer that abuts the inner wall, the spacer being tapered along an axis that is perpendicular to the base in such a way that in response to a first force applied to the spacer along the axis that is perpendicular to the base, the spacer, outer wall, and inner wall cooperate to apply a compressive second force to the array of electrochemical cells in a direction parallel to the stacking axis.

11. The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein the spacer is disposed between the inner wall and the fourth portion, and is configured to maintain a gap between the inner wall and the fourth portion.

12. The battery pack of claim 11 , wherein
the gap has a gap dimension that corresponds to a distance between the inner wall and the fourth portion,
the spacer includes a first surface that faces the inner wall with no intervening structures, and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, the second surface facing the fourth portion with no intervening structures, and
a distance between the first surface and the second surface corresponds to the gap dimension.

13. The battery pack of claim 11 , wherein the gap is shaped and dimensioned to receive a battery management device that is configured to monitor and control the electrochemical cells.

14. The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein
the spacer includes a first surface that faces the inner wall, and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, and
one of the first surface and the second surface is tapered along the axis that is perpendicular to the base.

15. The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein the spacer comprises a first spacer and a second spacer that is spaced apart from the first spacer, the first spacer and the second spacer each having a polygonal shape.

16. The battery pack of claim 15 , wherein
the first spacer is disposed along one side edge of the inner wall so as to be adjacent to the first portion,
the second spacer is disposed along a side edge of the inner wall that is opposed to the one side edge such that the second spacer is disposed adjacent to the third portion,
a gap is disposed between the first spacer and the second spacer, and
the gap is shaped and dimensioned to receive a battery management device therein.

17. The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein the inner wall is free-floating relative to the outer wall such that a spacing of the inner wall from the fourth portion can be changed.

18. The battery pack of cl

Assignees

• Bosch Battery Systems GmbH
• Bosch Gmbh Robert
• Robert Bosch Battery Systems GmbH

Inventors

• Nietling David
• Schultz Kyle
• Naughton David
• Botadra Mehul
• Jung Ruben
• Jasch Walter
• Grun Stefan
• Lorenz Lisa

Classifications

• H01M10/6556

  Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) · CPC title

• H01M10/647 Primary

  Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M50/262

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M50/269

  Mechanical means for varying the arrangement of batteries or cells for different uses, e.g. for changing the number of batteries or for switching between series and parallel wiring (methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance H01M6/50, H01M10/42) · CPC title