阅读说明：本技术 用于高压电池的电池模块以及用于组装这种电池模块的方法 (Battery module for a high-voltage battery and method for assembling such a battery module ) 是由 W·施米德尔 于 2020-10-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于高压电池(1)——特别是用于电运行的车辆的动力电池——的电池模块,该电池模块具有模块壳体(3),该模块壳体的侧壁(15)包围一定数量的电池单体(3),该模块壳体的壳体盖(19)遮盖电池单体(13)的顶侧。根据本发明,模块壳体盖(19)由柔性的膜材料块形成,该膜材料块具有较薄的材料厚度。膜材料块(19)与电池单体(13)的顶侧以及与模块壳体侧壁(15)无间隙、大面积地贴靠。(The invention relates to a battery module for a high-voltage battery (1), in particular for a power battery of an electrically operated vehicle, having a module housing (3), the side walls (15) of which enclose a number of battery cells (3), the housing cover (19) of which covers the top side of the battery cells (13). According to the invention, the module housing cover (19) is formed from a flexible piece of film material having a relatively thin material thickness. The membrane material block (19) is in large-area contact with the top side of the battery cells (13) and with the module housing side walls (15) without gaps.)

1. A battery module for a high-voltage battery (1), in particular a power battery for an electrically operated vehicle, has a module housing (3), the side walls (15) of which enclose a number of battery cells (13), the housing cover (19) of which covers the top side of the battery cells (13),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the module housing cover (19) is formed from a flexible film material block having a low material thickness, the film material block (19) abutting against the top side of the battery cells (13) and against the module housing side walls (15) without gaps and over a large surface area.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that the film material block (19) is bonded to the top side of the battery cells (13) and to the module housing side walls (15), in particular over a large area.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that the membrane material block (19) has a double-layer structure and has a membrane material layer (20) and an adhesive layer (25) for providing adhesion to the cell top side and to the module housing side walls (15).

4. The battery module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the membrane material block (19) is placed on the module top side in a contour-matched manner, so that the outer side of the membrane material block (19) reproduces the surface contour of the cell components, such as cell poles (2) and/or pole connections (23), arranged on the top side of the battery cells (13).

5. The battery module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application of the film material block (19) is carried out by means of a negative pressure method in which negative pressure (p) is used_U) The membrane material block (19) is pressed in a gapless, large-area manner against the top side of the module.

6. Method for assembling a battery module (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which method in particular a continuous web of film material is provided, which is cut into blocks of film-forming material (19) at a cutting station, and/or blocks of film material (19) are applied to the module top side at an assembly station (29).

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the piece of membrane material (19) is applied by means of an underpressure method, wherein the underpressure (p) is used_U) The membrane material block (19) is pressed into large-area abutment against the module top side without gaps.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that in the negative pressure method, air is drawn from the battery module (5) from the module top side through the free flow gap in the cell stack in the battery module (5) via the module underside and dirt inside the battery module (5) is sucked out by means of the air flow.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a battery module for a high-voltage battery according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for producing such a battery module according to claim 6.

Background

The power cell of an electrically operated vehicle may comprise a load-bearing cell housing in which a plurality of cell modules are arranged. Each of the battery modules may have a cell group formed of battery cells arranged in a module case.

In this type of battery module, the side walls of the module housing may enclose the cell stack. The module housing has a module housing cover that covers the top side of the battery cells. The module housing cover functions as an electric shock protection device in order to minimize the risk of high voltages for the operator when operating the battery module.

In the prior art, the module housing cover is provided as a separate component, which is complicated in terms of manufacturing technology. The module housing cover is spaced apart from the top side of the battery cells in the module height direction in the assembled state of the battery by a free assembly gap, wherein the cell connectors and further battery cell components are arranged in the assembly gap. This results in a relatively high component height of the battery module.

Document DE 3544003 a1 discloses a battery cover. Document WO 2013/097968 a1 discloses a battery module with a shrink tube. Document AT 511819 a4 discloses a battery. Document DE 102015224785 a1 discloses a single-body contact system and a method for producing a single-body module.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a battery module for a high-voltage battery and a method for producing such a battery module, which allow a reduction in the number of components and/or a reduction in the production costs compared to the prior art.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1 or 6. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

In contrast to the prior art, the module housing cover according to the invention no longer forms a dimensionally stable, rigid component. According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the module housing cover is formed by a flexible piece of film material, the piece/film cut-out having a relatively thin material thickness. The membrane material block is in large-area contact with the top side of the battery cell and with the module housing side wall without gaps. In particular, the membrane material block bears largely against the top side of the battery cell without gaps and against the module housing side walls.

By providing the membrane material block as a module housing cover, a cost-effective alternative is obtained compared to a material-intensive rigid plastic cover, wherein no additional component handling is required in logistics and manufacturing. The assembled battery module also achieves a significant reduction in weight and/or volume. In a preferred embodiment variant to be described below, the use of a film material block in a negative pressure method is realized, in which a negative pressure is applied to the battery module housing which is still open upwards. Whereby the membrane material block is sucked towards the top side of the module under the influence of the underpressure. As a result of the suction process, dirt particles possibly present in the battery module are additionally sucked away, as a result of which the battery safety of the battery module can be increased in a simple manner.

In one solution, the piece of membrane material may form a particularly large-area bond with the top side of the module. Preferably, the membrane material block can be bonded to both the cell top side and the module housing side walls.

In semi-automatic or fully automatic cell manufacturing processes with large production volumes, it is very important in terms of manufacturing technology to simply apply the membrane material blocks on the top side of the module. In this context, the membrane material block may have a double-layer structure, i.e. a membrane material layer and an adhesive layer by means of which adhesion to the top side of the module may be provided.

In the assembled state of the battery module (that is to say when the film material block is applied), the film material block is placed contour-fittingly on the module top side, i.e. abuts the module top side without play and over a large area. In this way, the overall height of the battery module is reduced compared to the prior art. The surface contour of the battery cell components, such as cell poles (cell posts) and/or pole connections (post connections), which are arranged on the top side of the battery cell, is also shown on the outside of the film material block. The positioning of the cell components can therefore also be easily detected when using a film material block, whereby advantages can be achieved in the further assembly of the high-voltage battery.

In a preferred embodiment variant, the application of the film material block can be carried out by means of an underpressure method. In this vacuum method, the film material block can be sucked by vacuum application to lie against the module top side without gaps and over a large surface area. In connection with mass production it is preferred to provide a continuous web of film material, for example wound on a roll. The continuous web of film material may be unwound in a cutting station and cut into respective blocks of film material. The cut film material piece can be applied to the module top side in a process-technically subsequent assembly station by means of an underpressure method.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

Shown here are:

fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a high voltage battery;

fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a battery module mounted in a high voltage battery;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along section AA of FIG. 2;

fig. 4 to 6 each show a view of individual process steps for producing a battery module.

List of reference numerals:

1 high-voltage battery

3 Battery case

5 cuboid battery module

7 lower part of the shell

9 Battery cover

11 Battery module case

13 Battery monomer

15 side wall of battery module

19 Battery module cover

20 film Material layer

21 monomer pole

23-pole connecting piece

25 adhesive layer

27 negative pressure cavity

29 negative pressure tool

PU negative pressure

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a high-voltage battery 1, which can be installed in an electrically operated vehicle, for example, as a power battery. The high-voltage battery 1 has a load-bearing battery housing 3, in which a number of cuboid battery modules 5 are arranged. The housing 3 has a pot-shaped housing lower part 7 which is closed by a battery cover 9.

One of the battery modules 5 is shown separately in fig. 2. The battery module 5 has a battery module housing 11 in which a cell stack is arranged, which consists of prismatic battery cells 13 arranged in an array.

In fig. 2, the battery module housing 11 is formed by a circumferential housing side wall 15 which surrounds the cell stack. Furthermore, the module top side is covered by a module housing cover 19, which serves as an electric shock protection for the operator in order to avoid high voltage hazards, wherein the electronic components arranged on the battery cell top side, such as the cell poles 21 and/or the pole connections 23, are arranged to be electric shock-proof for the operator.

As shown in fig. 3, the module housing cover 19 is realized as a film material block having a relatively thin material thickness, which is exaggeratedly shown in the drawing. The film material block 19 is bonded to the top side of the module housing side wall 15 and to the top side of the battery cell 13 without gaps and over a large area. The bonding is provided in fig. 3 by means of a bonding layer 25, which is an integral part of the membrane material piece 19. The film material block is thus realized in two layers, namely by the outer film material layer 20 and the inner adhesive layer 25.

In fig. 3, the film material piece 19 is applied in a manner adapted to the contour of the module top side, so that the surface contour of the cell components 21, 23 located on the top side of the battery cells is reproduced in the course of the film material piece (i.e. on the outside of the film material piece).

The process steps for producing the battery module 5 shown in fig. 2 and 3 are described below with reference to fig. 4 to 6. Thus, in fig. 4, the battery module 5 with its top side still open is initially provided as a preassembled unit with the cell stack embedded therein. The application of the film material block 19 is effected by means of an underpressure method in which the preassembled unit is inserted into an underpressure chamber 27 of an underpressure tool 29, which is only indicated schematically.

Subsequently, according to fig. 5, the film material block 19 is arranged and glued on the edge side on the outer edge 30 above the module housing side wall 15. In a further process step, the underpressure chamber 27 and thus the module top side are subjected to an underpressure p_U(FIG. 6). In the negative pressure method, air is sucked out of the battery module via the module bottom side through the free flow gaps in the cell stack. The air flow path is indicated by dashed arrows in fig. 6. In this way, the piece of membrane material 19 is attracted to abut the top side of the cell and the top side of the side wall. In a dual action, dirt which could affect the operational safety of the battery module 5 is sucked out of the battery module by means of the air flow.