Battery pack including cell restraint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11837692-B2
Application number	US-201716643557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A battery pack ( 1 ) includes a housing ( 2 ) and an array of electrochemical cells ( 80 ) disposed in the housing ( 2 ). The housing ( 2 ) includes a container ( 3 ) and a lid ( 30 ) that closes an open end of the container ( 3 ). The container ( 3 ) has a base ( 4 ), a sidewall ( 8 ) that surrounds the base ( 4 ), and a spring plate ( 110 ) disposed inside the sidewall ( 8 ) between the cells ( 80 ) and the sidewall ( 8 ). The spring plate ( 110 ) is free standing within the container ( 3 ) and applies a spring force to the cell array that restrains the cells ( 80 ) along an axis normal to the surface of the spring plates ( 110 ). The lid ( 30 ) includes inwardly-protruding pins ( 50, 60 ) that further restrain the cells ( 80 ) within the housing ( 2 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spring plate configured to be assembled with an array of cells within a battery pack housing, the spring plate comprising
a first surface that is configured to face an outermost cell of the array of cells,
an opposed second surface that is configured to face an inner surface of the battery pack housing, and
a peripheral edge that joins the first surface to the second surface, the peripheral edge including a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, the first, second, third and fourth edges each corresponding to a unique side of the spring plate, the second edge being parallel to, and spaced apart from, the first edge, and the third edge being parallel to, and spaced apart from, the fourth edge,

wherein
a distance between the first edge and the second edge corresponds to height dimension of the spring plate,
a distance between the third edge and the fourth edge corresponds to a width dimension of the spring plate,
the width dimension of the spring plate is equal to or greater than the height dimension of the spring plate,
the first surface is bent in a first direction about a first bend line that is perpendicular to the first edge,
the first surface is bent in a second direction about a second bend line, the second bend line being perpendicular to the first edge and spaced apart from the first bend line, the second direction being opposed to the first direction,
the first surface is bent in the second direction about a third bend line, the third bend line being perpendicular to the first edge and spaced apart from the first and second bend lines,
the first surface is bent in the first direction about a fourth bend line, the fourth bend line being perpendicular to the first edge and spaced apart from the first, second and third bend lines,
a first peripheral region extends between the third edge and the first bend line,
a first transition region extends between the first bend line and the second bend line,
a central region extends between the second bend line and the third bend line,
a second transition region extends between the third bend line and the fourth bend line,
a second peripheral region extends between the fourth bend line and the fourth edge,
the first peripheral region is coplanar with the second peripheral region,
the central region is parallel to the first peripheral region and offset relative to the first peripheral region,
a width of the first peripheral region is at least three times a width of the first transition region,
a width of the second peripheral region is at least three times a width of the second transition region, and
a width of the central region is at least three times the width of the first peripheral region and at least three times the width of the second peripheral region.

2. The spring plate of claim 1 , wherein
the first surface is bent in a third direction about a fifth bend line that is parallel to the first edge,
the first surface is bent in a fourth direction about a sixth bend line, the sixth bend line being parallel to the first edge and spaced apart from the fifth bend line, the fourth direction being opposed to the third direction,
the first surface is bent in the fourth direction about a seventh bend line, the seventh bend line being parallel to the first edge and spaced apart from the fifth and sixth bend lines,
the first surface is bent in the third direction about an eighth bend line, the eighth bend line being parallel to the first edge and spaced apart from the fifth, sixth and seventh bend lines,
a third peripheral region extends between the first edge and the fifth bend line,
a third transition region extends between the fifth bend line and the sixth bend line,
the central region extends between the sixth bend line and the seventh bend line,
a fourth transition region extends between the seventh bend line and the eighth bend line,
a fourth peripheral region extends between the eighth bend line and the second edge,
the third peripheral region is coplanar with the fourth peripheral region,
the central region is parallel to the third peripheral region and offset relative to the third peripheral region, and
the third transition region forms a first acute angle relative to the central region, and
the fourth transition region forms a second acute angle relative to the central region.

3. The spring plate of claim 2 , wherein the first transition region forms a third acute angle relative to the central region, and the second transition region forms a fourth acute angle relative to the central region.

4. The spring plate of claim 1 , comprising
a surface protrusion that is disposed in the central region and protrudes from the second surface, and
a surface recess formed in the first surface at a location corresponding to the location of the surface protrusion, the surface recess having a shape corresponding to the shape of the surface protrusion.

5. The spring plate of claim 4 , wherein the surface protrusion is elongated in a direction parallel to the first edge.

6. The spring plate of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the spring plate is uniform, where the thickness corresponds to the distance between the first surface and the second surface.

7. The spring plate of claim 1 , wherein the spring plate is configured to apply a spring force to the array.

8. The spring plate of claim 1 , wherein a first gusset extends between the first peripheral region and the first transition region, and a second gusset extends between the second transition region and the second peripheral region.

9. The spring plate of claim 1 , comprising a first edge protrusion and a second edge protrusion, wherein the first edge protrusion and the second edge protrusion each protrude from the same one of one of the first, second, third and fourth edges, and are spaced apart along the same one of the first, second, third and fourth edges, and
wherein
an edge that is opposed to the same one of one of the first, second, third and fourth edges is free of protrusions.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert
• Robert Bosch Battery Systems GmbH

Inventors

• Xu Kecheng
• Foitzik Alexander
• Nietling David
• Behm Henrik Wolfgang
• Spieske Klaus
• Schultz Kyle
• Botadra Mehul
• Menig Rainer
• Kohler Robert
• Jung Ruben
• Temiz Sinasi
• Jasch Walter
• Kassner Martin

Classifications

• H01M10/0481 Primary

  Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/242

  adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling · CPC title

• H01M50/264

  for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames · CPC title

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title