Patent Description:
A casing of a battery module is one of core parts of the battery module. A space for accommodating a battery is formed inside the casing. A casing of a conventional battery module is formed by welding extruded aluminum end plates and sheet-metal aluminum side plates. Generally, a gap exists between an end plate and a side plate. During the welding, a laser beam passes through the gap between the end plate and the side plate and irradiates batteries inside the casing. After being irradiated by the laser, the batteries are prone to explode under a high temperature, and incur safety hazards. Among the prior art, <CIT> discloses a battery module and end plate thereof. Moreover, <CIT> and <CIT>, which are documents according to Article <NUM>(<NUM>) EPC, each disclose a composite end plate for a battery module.

This application provides a battery module comprising a side plate and an end plate which enhance structural reliability of the battery module.

A first aspect of this application provides a battery module as defined in claim <NUM>.

The body is fixedly connected to a side plate for the battery module through the connector;
The connector is provided with a light shielding part, and the light shielding part is located on a side that is of the connector and that faces the side plate, and located between the connector and the side plate.

The body is provided with a mounting slot, and the mounting slot is through along a height direction of the battery module.

The connector is plugged in the mounting slot.

The connector includes a plugging part and a connecting part. The plugging part extends along the height direction of the battery module and fits with the mounting slot snugly. The connecting part is fixedly connected to the side plate for the battery module. The light shielding part is located between the connecting part and the side plate,.

Exemplarily, the plugging part is a bar shape.

Exemplarily, projections of both the mounting slot and the plugging part in the height direction of the battery module are trapezoidal.

Exemplarily, the mounting slot opens narrower at a position near the side plate than at a position away from the side plate.

An outer contour of the plugging part is configured to match an inner contour of the mounting slot.

Exemplarily, projections of both the mounting slot and the plugging part in the height direction of the battery module are arc-shaped.

Exemplarily, a central angle of the mounting slot is greater than <NUM> degrees.

The technical solutions disclosed in this application achieve the following beneficial effects:
In the battery module according to this application, the end plate for a battery module includes the body and the connector, and weldability between the body and the side plate is improved by the connector. The connector includes a light shielding part. The light shielding part avoids the problem of battery explosion caused by a laser beam radiated to a battery inside the battery module, and improves safety performance of the battery.

Understandably, the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary without limiting this application.

The following explicitly and fully describes the technical solutions of this application with reference to accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are a part rather than all of the embodiments of this application.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery module according to a first embodiment of this application. As shown in <FIG>, an embodiment of this application provides a battery module, including a side plate <NUM> and an end plate <NUM> for a battery module. The end plate <NUM> for a battery module is fixedly connected to the side plate <NUM>. <FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of an end plate for a battery module according to the first embodiment of this application. As shown in <FIG>, the end plate <NUM> for a battery module includes a body <NUM> and a connector <NUM> connected to the body <NUM>. For a single end plate <NUM> for a battery module, the end plate <NUM> for a battery module needs to be connected to two side plates <NUM> disposed oppositely. Therefore, two connectors <NUM> may be disposed, and the two connectors <NUM> are connected to the body <NUM> at a position near the side plate <NUM>. In <FIG>, an example is described in which only one connector <NUM> is disposed.

The body <NUM> is mainly configured to withstand a swelling force of a battery, accommodate a mounting holes, and the like. Therefore, the material of the body <NUM> may be die-cast aluminum. The side plate <NUM> may be extruded aluminum. To ensure a high weldability of the body <NUM> of the end plate <NUM> for a battery module and the side plate <NUM>, a connector <NUM> is disposed according to an embodiment of this application. The connector <NUM> may adopt a sheet metal aluminum.

In laser welding between the connector <NUM> and the side plate <NUM>, a laser beam may be emitted into the end plate <NUM> for a battery module from a connection gap between the connector and the side plate. The battery in the battery module is prone to explosion under a high temperature after being irradiated by the laser beam. Therefore, the connector <NUM> is provided with a light shielding part <NUM>. <FIG> is a top view of an end plate for a battery module according to a first embodiment of this application. As shown in <FIG>, the light shielding part <NUM> is located on a side of the connector <NUM> toward the side plate <NUM>, and located between the connector <NUM> and the side plate <NUM>. The light shielding part <NUM> avoids battery safety problems caused by radiation of the laser beam to the battery.

<FIG> is a top view of a body in an end plate for a battery module according to a first embodiment of this application. Referring to <FIG>, the body <NUM> is provided with a mounting slot <NUM>. The mounting slot <NUM> is through along a height direction (a Z direction in <FIG>) of the battery module. The connector <NUM> is plugged in the mounting slot <NUM>. In this way, the body <NUM> is disposed independently of the connector <NUM>, both being able to be assembled together after being processed separately. This structure makes the processing thereof more flexible, and improves strength of connection between the body and the connector more effectively.

<FIG> is a top view of a connector in an end plate for a battery module according to this application. Exemplarily, the connector <NUM> includes a plugging part <NUM> and a connecting part <NUM>. The plugging part <NUM> extends along the height direction (the Z direction in <FIG>) of the battery module and fits with the mounting slot <NUM> snugly. The connecting part <NUM> is fixedly connected to the side plate <NUM> for the battery module. The light shielding part <NUM> is located between the connecting part <NUM> and the side plate <NUM>.

The body <NUM> may be provided with only one mounting slot <NUM>. The connector <NUM> includes a plugging part <NUM>, and the strength of the snug fit of the plugging part <NUM> with the mounting slot <NUM> is sufficient. Exemplarily, the plugging part is bar shape. If the plugging part is a sheet-like or plate-like structure for fitting with the mounting slot <NUM>, the plugging strength is insufficient, and generally two or more mounting slots <NUM> are needed to ensure reliable connection. Therefore, the end plate <NUM> for a battery module provided in this embodiment of this application ensures reliability of the connection between the body <NUM> and the connector <NUM> by virtue of the bar-shaped plugging part <NUM> located on the connector <NUM>. The connector <NUM> further includes a connecting part <NUM>. The connecting part <NUM> implements a fixed connection between the body <NUM> and the side plate <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in an exemplary implementation, projections of both the mounting slot <NUM> and the plugging part <NUM> in the height direction of the battery module are trapezoidal. Such a structure is suitable to a circumstance in which it is not convenient to open the mounting slot <NUM> at an edge position of the body <NUM>. The mounting slot <NUM> may be opened on a first side face <NUM> of the body <NUM>. The specific position of the mounting slot <NUM> on the first side face <NUM> is not limited. The mounting slot may be located in the middle of the first side face <NUM>, or close to the edge of the first side face <NUM>, or at a position that is appropriately adjusted according to the size of the side plate <NUM>.

Exemplarily, the mounting slot <NUM> opens narrower at a position near the side plate <NUM> than at a position away from the side plate <NUM>. An outer contour of the plugging part <NUM> is configured to match an inner contour of the mounting slot <NUM>. Such a structure with a narrow opening and a wide inner cavity prevents the plugging part <NUM> from falling out of the mounting slot <NUM> and improves reliability of the connection between the connector <NUM> and the body <NUM>.

<FIG> is a top view of an end plate for a battery module according to a second embodiment of this application; <FIG> is a top view of a body in an end plate for a battery module according to the second embodiment of this application; and <FIG> is a top view of a connector in an end plate for a battery module according to the second embodiment of this application. As shown in <FIG>, in an implementation, projections of both the mounting slot <NUM> and the plugging part <NUM> in the height direction of the battery module may be arc-shaped.

Exemplarily, a central angle of the mounting slot <NUM> is greater than <NUM> degrees, and the outer contour of the plugging part <NUM> is configured to match the inner contour of the mounting slot <NUM>. Such a structure with a narrow opening and a wide inner cavity prevents the plugging part <NUM> from falling out of the mounting slot <NUM> and improves reliability of the connection between the connector <NUM> and the body <NUM>.

When the mounting slot <NUM> is opened on the first side face <NUM> of the body <NUM>, the connecting part <NUM> may be configured as a plate-like structure, and the connecting part <NUM> of the plate-like structure snugly fits, and is fixedly welded to, the side plate <NUM>. Due to existence of the connecting part <NUM> of the plate-like structure and difficulty to ensure accurate flatness, a laser beam may be radiated into the end plate <NUM> for a battery module from a junction between the connecting part and the side plate after the connecting part <NUM> is welded to the side plate <NUM>. The battery in the battery module is prone to explosion under a high temperature after being irradiated by the laser beam. Therefore, the connecting part <NUM> includes a first sheet <NUM> and a second sheet <NUM>. A terraced part <NUM> exists between the first sheet <NUM> and the second sheet <NUM>. The light shielding part <NUM> includes the terraced part <NUM>. After the connecting part <NUM> snugly fits and is welded to the side plate <NUM>, the terraced part <NUM> serves a function of blocking light, thereby avoiding battery safety problems caused by the radiation of the laser beam to the battery.

The terraced part <NUM> is implemented by a thickness difference between the first sheet <NUM> and the second sheet <NUM>, or the terraced part <NUM> is implemented by staggering the first sheet <NUM> and the second sheet <NUM> that are of the same thickness.

<FIG> is a top view of an end plate for a battery module according to this application; <FIG> is a top view of a connector in an end plate for a battery module according to the third embodiment of this application; and <FIG> is a schematic diagram of connection between an end plate for a battery module and a side plate according to the third embodiment of this application. On the basis of the foregoing embodiment, the light shielding part <NUM> further includes an elastomer <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the elastomer <NUM> is supported between the connecting part <NUM> and the side plate <NUM>, and may be integrated with the connecting part <NUM>. After the side plate <NUM> is fixedly welded to the connector <NUM>, if a laser beam passes through a welding point A, the laser beam will be blocked by the elastomer <NUM>, thereby avoiding battery safety problems caused by the radiation of the laser beam to the battery.

Claim 1:
A battery module, comprising a side plate (<NUM>) and an end plate (<NUM>), said end plate (<NUM>) comprising a body (<NUM>) and a connector (<NUM>) connected to the body (<NUM>), wherein
the body is fixedly connected to the side plate (<NUM>) for the battery module through the connector (<NUM>);
the connector (<NUM>) is provided with a light shielding part (<NUM>), and the light shielding part (<NUM>) is located on a side that is of the connector (<NUM>) and that faces the side plate (<NUM>), and located between the connector (<NUM>) and the side plate (<NUM>), the body is provided with a mounting slot (<NUM>), and the mounting slot (<NUM>) is through along a height direction of the battery module;
the connector (<NUM>) is plugged in the mounting slot (<NUM>), the connector (<NUM>) comprises a plugging part (<NUM>) and a connecting part (<NUM>); the plugging part (<NUM>) extends along the height direction of the battery module and fits with the mounting slot (<NUM>) snugly; the connecting part (<NUM>) is fixedly connected to the side plate (<NUM>) for the battery module; and the light shielding part (<NUM>) is located between the connecting part (<NUM>) and the side plate (<NUM>),
the connecting part (<NUM>) comprises a first sheet (<NUM>) and a second sheet (<NUM>), and the light shielding part (<NUM>) comprises a terraced part (<NUM>) located between the first sheet (<NUM>) and the second sheet (<NUM>), and
the light shielding part (<NUM>) further comprises an elastomer (<NUM>), and the elastomer (<NUM>) is elastically supported between the connecting part (<NUM>) and the side plate (<NUM>),
the side plate (<NUM>) is fixedly welded to the connector (<NUM>), and wherein
the terraced part (<NUM>) is implemented by a thickness difference between the first sheet (<NUM>) and the second sheet (<NUM>), or the terraced part (<NUM>) is implemented by staggering the first sheet (<NUM>) and the second sheet (<NUM>) that are of the same thickness.