Patent Description:
The key to sustainable development of automobile industry is the energy saving and emission reduction. Electric vehicles, thanks to their advantages of energy saving and environmental protection, have become important for the sustainable development of the automobile industry. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor in their development.

The battery will generate heat during use, which will increase the temperature of the battery. If the battery is at the temperature too high, the battery will be caused to spontaneously ignite or explode. Therefore, the battery needs to be dissipated. The inventor of the present application found in study that the heat dissipation effect of the existing heat dissipation solutions is poor, which will cause problems, such as, abnormal noise is produced during the heat dissipation process. Any of <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose different exhaust means.

In order to solve the problems of poor heat dissipation effect and abnormal noise during the heat dissipation process, etc., in the prior art, the embodiments of the present application propose a battery box, a battery and an electrical device.

On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application proposes a battery box, comprising: a box frame, a heat management component and an outer plate, wherein the heat management component is arranged on one side of the box frame and is configured to adjust temperature of a battery; and the outer plate is arranged adjacent to the heat management component and is configured to cover the heat management component on the box frame, and a balance valve is arranged on the outer plate, and the balance valve is configured to make a cavity between the outer plate and the heat management component communicated with outside air.

Through the above-mentioned embodiments proposed in the present application, the air inside the cavity can be communicated with the outside air. When the air pressure inside the cavity is relatively high, the air inside the cavity diffuses outward through the balance valve, reducing the pressure inside the cavity. The pressures inside and outside the cavity are balanced, thus avoiding the deformation of the outer plate due to the pressure inside the cavity, and also avoiding the looseness between the outer plate and the heat management component to produce abnormal noise.

In some embodiments, the balance valve is disposed both ends of the outer plate. That the balance valve is arranged at both ends of the outer plate can quickly balance the air pressures received at both ends of the outer plate, and reduce the influence which is caused to the outer plate by the air pressure difference between the two ends of the inside of the cavity.

In some embodiments, the balance valve is arranged at center of the outer plate. Taking into account the air pressure in each area in the cavity, the gas in each area can flow out quickly.

In some embodiments, the outer plate is provided with a fixing hole; and the balance valve comprises a balance valve body, and a fixing structure is arranged on the balance valve body, and the fixing structure cooperates with the fixing hole to fix the balance valve on one side of the outer plate. In this way, the installation and maintenance of the balance valve and the use are convenient.

In some embodiments, the balance valve body is provided with a ventilation hole, and the ventilation hole and the fixing hole form a ventilation channel. A ventilation channel is formed by the ventilation hole and the fixing hole, so that the air in the cavity is communicated with the outside, which is beneficial to the rapid balance of the air pressures inside and outside the cavity.

In some embodiments, the fixing structure is a snapping structure; and the snapping structure is arranged as extending along periphery of the ventilation hole toward the outer plate, and is snapped with the fixing hole on the outer plate.

By providing the fixing structure as a snapping structure, the balance valve can be easily snapped on the outer plate. When fixing, it is only necessary to press the balance valve, and the snapping structure passes through the fixing hole and is engaged with the fixing hole, which facilitates the installation of the balance valve. At the same time, through the snapping structure, it can also be easily disassembled, which is convenient for subsequent maintenance.

In some embodiments, the snapping structure has a strain value greater than <NUM>%. With this strain value, the snap-fit structure is less likely to be broken during subsequent use, which ensures the service life of the balance valve.

In some embodiments, width of the fixing hole is greater than width of the snapping structure. In this way, the fixing hole can be used to install the balance valve, and form, together with the ventilation hole, a ventilation channel. There is no need to provide additional ventilation holes on the outer plate, which simplifies the structure and can achieve good ventilation effect.

In some embodiments, the fixing structure is a threaded structure; and the threaded structure is arranged as extending along periphery of the ventilation hole toward the outer plate, an inner threaded structure is correspondingly provided on an inner wall of the fixing hole on the outer plate, and the threaded structure cooperates with the inner threaded structure and is screwed into the fixing hole.

In the above manner, when fixing the balance valve, it is only necessary to twist the balance valve and make it screwed into the fixing hole, to realize the installation and fixing of the balance valve.

In some embodiments, the battery box further comprises further comprising a sealing gasket, wherein the sealing gasket is arranged between the balance valve and the outer plate, and is configured for sealingly connecting the balance valve and the outer plate. When the balance valve body is connected to the outer plate, the sealing gasket is squeezed between the balance valve body and the outer plate, and the sealing gasket is elastically deformed, which squeezes the fixing structure, which can play a better sealing effect between the balance valve and the outer plate.

In some embodiments, the sealing gasket has a compression amount of <NUM>%-<NUM>%. The applicant has obtained through experiments that the optimal compression amount was <NUM>%-<NUM>%. If the compression amount is too large, it will lead to overpressure of the sealing gasket, which will affect the service life of the sealing gasket. If the compression amount is too small, it will lead to poor sealing.

In some embodiments, a ventilation groove is provided around the ventilation hole, on one side of the balance valve body away from the outer plate; and the ventilation groove, the ventilation hole and the fixing hole together form a ventilation channel.

By arranging the ventilation groove around the ventilation hole, the gas in the cavity is not directly communicated to the ventilation hole, and needs to enter the ventilation hole via the ventilation groove. Therefore, the ventilation channel is bent through the ventilation groove to avoid dust or debris from blocking the ventilation hole.

In some embodiments, positioning protrusions are provided at intervals around the ventilation hole, and ventilation grooves are formed between the positioning protrusions. Ventilation grooves are formed between the positioning protrusions, and the ventilation groove is communicated with the ventilation hole, so that the balance valve is of a more compact structure and a smaller volume.

In some embodiments, the battery box further comprises a balance film, wherein the balance film is arranged as covering the ventilation hole. By providing the balance film, the liquid outside the cavity can be prevented from entering the cavity through the fixing hole and the ventilation hole, and at the same time, the circulation of the gas inside the cavity and the outside gas is not affected, and the waterproof and air-ventilation effects are achieved.

In some embodiments, the balance film is of waterproof and air-ventilation composite material. By providing the balance film, the liquid outside the cavity can be prevented from entering the cavity through the fixing hole and the ventilation hole, and at the same time, the circulation of the gas inside the cavity and the external gas is not affected, and the waterproof and air-ventilation effects are achieved.

In some embodiments, the sealing gasket is in shape of a ring, wherein circumference of an inner ring of the ring is smaller than circumference of an outer ring of the balance film, and circumference of an outer ring of the ring is greater than circumference of an outer ring of the balance film, so that the sealing areas between the sealing gasket and the balance film overlap, so as to achieve a better sealing effect.

In some embodiments, the battery box further comprises a protective cover, wherein the protective cover is arranged as covering one end of the balance valve away from the outer plate.

By providing the protective cover, the balance film of the balance valve can be effectively prevented from being damaged during assembly, transportation and storage. At the same time, by providing the protective cover, the dust or debris in the cavity can also be prevented from falling directly above the ventilation hole to block the ventilation channel.

In some embodiments, the protective cover is arranged as covering the positioning protrusions. In this way, the protective cover can make all the balance film, the balance valve body and the sealing gasket cover the outer plate, and is of a compact structure and a small occupied volume.

On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application further proposes a battery, including a battery cell and the battery box proposed in the above embodiments, wherein the battery cell is disposed in the battery box.

On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application also provides an electrical device, which comprises the battery provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the battery is used to provide power.

The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding on the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present application are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:.

Reference Numbers:
battery cell <NUM>, vehicle <NUM>, battery <NUM>, controller <NUM>, motor <NUM>, battery box <NUM>, upper box <NUM>, lower box <NUM>, box frame <NUM>, heat management component <NUM>, outer plate <NUM>, fixing hole <NUM>, balance valve <NUM>, protective cover <NUM>, balance film <NUM>, balance valve body <NUM>, ventilation hole <NUM>, ventilation groove <NUM>, snapping structure <NUM>, threaded structure <NUM>, positioning protrusion <NUM>, sealing gasket <NUM>, first balance valve <NUM>, the second balance valve <NUM> and the third balance valve <NUM>.

Embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention more clearly, and therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field of the present application. The terms used in the present application in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, not limiting the present application. The terms "comprising" and "comprise" and any variations thereof in the description and claims of the present application and the above drawing description are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. The terms "first", "second" and the like in the description and claims of the present application or the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order or a primary and secondary relationship.

The "embodiment" mentioned in the present application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, which is described in connection with the embodiment, can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearances of the term in various places in the specification do not necessarily refer to a same embodiment, or a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in the present application may be combined with other embodiments.

In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless expressly specified and limited otherwise, the terms, "installed", "connected with", "connected to" and "attached" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, or a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be internally communicated between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

The term "and/or" in the present application is only an association relationship to describe associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and/or B, can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, which are three situations. In addition, the character "/" in the present application generally indicates that the related objects are an "or" relationship.

In the present application, "plural" refers to two or more (including two), and similarly, "plural groups" refers to two or more groups (including two groups), and "plural sheets" refers to two or more sheets (comprises two sheets).

At present, with the development of technology, the power battery is more and more extensively used. Power batteries are used not only in energy storage power systems, such as water, fire, wind and solar power plants, but also in electric vehicles, such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, as well as military equipment and aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of power batteries, the market demand is also constantly expanding.

With the increasing use of power batteries, the safety issues of batteries are becoming more and more prominent. At present, the main problem of battery safety is that the temperature of the battery will be caused to rise during operation. If the temperature is not properly controlled, it will cause the battery to spontaneously ignite or even explode. Therefore, how to control the battery temperature and dissipate heat to the battery in time when the battery temperature rises becomes more and more important. At present, the heat dissipation schemes mainly adopted comprise air cooling, water cooling and heat dissipation by other means. Usually, the heat management components are arranged inside the battery box to dissipate heat from the battery as a part of the battery box. The heat management components comprise water cooling boards and heat dissipation sheets, etc..

In one design, heat management components are provided on a part of the battery, which is not the top, such as the bottom or sides. In addition, disposing the heat management components in these parts can avoid the high-voltage electrical cavity on the top of the battery, and prevent the pipeline of the heat management component from being damaged or prevent the liquid produced by condensation, from flowing into the high-voltage electrical cavity. And in order to ensure the sealing protection level requirements of the battery, a sealing will be provided between the heat management component and outer plate of the battery, located on the outside thereof.

However, in the process of use, due to the heat management components having the effect of expanding with heat and contracting with cold on the air, the internal air pressure will change greatly, resulting in the deformation of the sealed outer plate, which will cause abnormal noise during use, affecting experience of customers and also affecting the cooling effect.

In addition, the traditional balance valve is fixed on the sealed casing by screws, and it is often necessary to form a through hole on the installation casing for performing the bolt assembly. The bolt assembly has low installation efficiency and complicated post-processing procedures. On the other hand, traditional balance valve products are large in height, and further large in size, and it is difficult to install them in the confined space of heat management components and battery outer plate. If the balance valve is arranged outside the outer plate, the overall appearance consistency of the battery will be damaged, the volume of the battery will be increased, and the energy density of the battery will be reduced.

Based on the above considerations, in the embodiments of the present application, a balance valve is provided in the battery box, and the balance valve and the outer plate of the battery box are sealingly provided, so that the sealing performance of the battery box can be ensured. At the same time, the balance valve can make the heat dissipation space sealed in the battery box communicated with the external space, so that the internal hot air can be dissipated through the balance valve. On the one hand, it can take away the heat inside the battery box. On the other hand, it also realizes the balance of internal and external air pressures, which avoids the deformation of the outer plate caused by the difference between the internal and external pressures, and also avoids abnormal sound caused by the difference between the internal and external pressures during use of the battery.

The battery box and the battery disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used, but not limited to, in electrical devices, such as vehicles, ships, or aircraft. The battery box and the battery disclosed in the present application can be used to form a part of the power supply system of the electric device, which is beneficial to improve the heat dissipation performance of the battery box, thereby improving the safety of the electric device.

The embodiment of the present application provides an electrical device using a battery as a power source, and the electrical device can be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a notebook computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery car, an electric vehicle, a ship, a spacecraft, and the like. Here, the electric toys may comprise stationary or mobile electric toys, such as, game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, electric airplane toys, etc., and the spacecraft may comprise airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spaceships, etc..

For the convenience of description, the following embodiments are described by taking as an example in which an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present application is a vehicle <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, it is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle <NUM> may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, and the new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an extended-range vehicle, etc. The vehicle <NUM> is provided therein with a battery <NUM>, and the battery <NUM> may be provided at the bottom or the head or the rear of the vehicle <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be used to power the vehicle <NUM>, for example, the battery <NUM> may serve as an operating power source for the vehicle <NUM>. The vehicle <NUM> may also comprise a controller <NUM> and a motor <NUM>, with the controller <NUM> used for controlling the battery <NUM> to supply power to the motor <NUM>, e.g., for work power requirements when starting, navigating, and driving the vehicle <NUM>.

In some embodiments of the present application, the battery <NUM> can not only be used as the operating power source of the vehicle <NUM>, but also be used as the driving power source of the vehicle <NUM>, to provide the driving power for the vehicle <NUM>, replacing or partially replacing the fuel or natural gas.

Referring to <FIG>, it is an exploded view of a battery <NUM> provided by an embodiment of the present application. The battery <NUM> comprises a battery box <NUM> and a battery cell <NUM>, and the battery cell <NUM> is accommodated in the battery box <NUM>.

The battery <NUM> mentioned in the embodiments of the present application refers to a single physical module including one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery <NUM> mentioned in the present application may comprise a battery module or a battery pack or the like. There may be a plurality of battery cells <NUM>, and the plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be connected in series or in parallel or in a mixed connection. The mixed connection means that plural battery cells <NUM> are connected in series and in parallel. A plurality of battery cells <NUM> can be directly connected together in series or in parallel or in the mixed connection, and then the whole composed of the plurality of battery cells <NUM> can be accommodated in the battery box <NUM>. Of course, a plurality of battery cells <NUM> can also be connected in series or in parallel or in mixed connection, to form a battery <NUM> in the form of a battery module, and then a plurality of battery modules can be connected in series or in parallel or in mixed connection to form a whole which is housed in the battery box <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may further include other structures, for example, the battery <NUM> may further include a bus component for realizing the electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The battery box <NUM> is used to provide accommodation space for the battery cells <NUM>, and the battery box <NUM> may be of various structures. In some embodiments, the battery box <NUM> may comprise an upper box <NUM> and a lower box <NUM>, wherein the upper box <NUM> and the lower box <NUM> are covered with each other, and the upper box <NUM> and the lower box <NUM> together define a space for the accommodating space for accommodating the battery cell <NUM>. The lower box body <NUM> may be a hollow structure with one end open, the upper box body <NUM> may be a plate-like structure, and the upper box body <NUM> covers the open side of the lower box body <NUM>, so that the upper box body <NUM> and the lower box body <NUM> together define an accommodating space. It is also possible that each of the upper box body <NUM> and the lower box body <NUM> is the hollow structure with one side open, and the open side of the upper box body <NUM> covers the open side of the lower box body <NUM>. Of course, the battery box <NUM> formed by the upper box body <NUM> and the lower box body <NUM> may be in various shapes, such as a cylinder, a cuboid, and the like.

<FIG> is a structural diagram of a battery box <NUM> provided by an embodiment of the present application, including a box frame <NUM>, a heat management component <NUM> and an outer plate <NUM>. The heat management component <NUM> is disposed on one side of the box frame <NUM> to adjust the temperature of the battery. The outer plate <NUM> is disposed adjacent to the heat management component <NUM>, for making the heat management component <NUM> cover the box frame <NUM>. The outer plate <NUM> is provided with a balance valve <NUM>. The balance valve <NUM> is used to make the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> communicated with external air.

As shown in <FIG>, the box frame <NUM> is used to carry the battery cell, and is usually made of stainless steel or other hard materials. After the battery cell is fixedly provided on the box frame <NUM>, the battery is provided on the vehicle body through the box frame <NUM>, to provide power to the vehicle.

A heat management component <NUM> is provided on one side of the box frame <NUM> for dissipating heat to the battery cell arranged in the box frame <NUM>. The heat management component <NUM> is usually disposed below the box frame <NUM> and is attached to the box frame <NUM>, so as to have a better heat dissipation effect. The heat management component <NUM> comprises a water cooling plate, a heat dissipation plate or other heat dissipation components. The water cooling plate dissipates heat through liquid water. The water-cooling plate comprises an inlet and an outlet of liquid water, and a water-passing pipe is arranged on the water-cooling plate. By inputting cold water into the water-passing pipe, the heat is taken away by utilizing the heat-absorbing properties of liquid water, in the process of water transmission. Of course, other liquid substances can also be used to replace the water for heat dissipation. The heat dissipation plate is generally made of materials that are easy to absorb heat. By contacting the heat source, the heat is quickly removed. In the embodiments of the present application, the specific heat management method is not limited, and the technical solution proposed in the present application can be applied to various heat management solutions.

The outer plate <NUM> is disposed on the other side of the heat management component <NUM>. It is first sealingly fixed with the heat management component <NUM>, and then they, as a whole, are sealingly fixed with the box frame <NUM>. In order to ensure the sealing protection level of the battery and meet its requirements for waterproof performance, the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, as well as the outer plate <NUM> and the box frame <NUM> need to be provided to be together in a sealing manner. The outer plate <NUM>, the heat management component <NUM> and the box frame <NUM> may be sealingly fixed by screws, or may be provided to be together, directly by welding.

A balance valve <NUM> is provided on the outer plate <NUM>, and the balance valve <NUM> is used to make the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> communicated with external air. Due to the sealing arrangement of the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, during the heat dissipation process of the heat management component <NUM>, the gas in the sealed cavity formed by the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> may be caused to expand with heat and contract with cold, causing the outer plate to be deformed. At the same time, due to the influence of the gas pressure, loosening or abnormal noise occurs between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>. The balance valve <NUM> is disposed on the outer plate <NUM>. On the one hand, it can isolate external water from entering the cavity formed by the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, and on the other hand, it can make the air inside the cavity and the outside air communicated with each other. When the air pressure inside the cavity is relatively high, the air inside the cavity diffuses outward through the balance valve <NUM>, which reduces the pressure inside the cavity and realizes the balance of the pressures inside and outside the cavity, thereby preventing the outer plate <NUM> from being deformed by the internal pressure of the cavity, and also avoids the occurrence of looseness between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> which causes abnormal noise.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, in order that the balance valve <NUM> better balances the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> and the external air pressure, a plurality of balance valves <NUM> are arranged on the outer plate <NUM>, and the balance valves <NUM> are respectively arranged at both ends of the outer plate <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the first balance valve <NUM> and the third balance valve <NUM> are located at two ends of the outer plate <NUM> respectively, and the arrangement of the balance valve <NUM> at both ends of the outer plate <NUM> is beneficial to balance the gas pressures received at both ends of the outer plate <NUM>, especially when the area of the battery box is relatively large. Due to the different heating conditions of different battery cells, it will cause a relatively large difference in local heating of the battery box, resulting in that the internal gas pressure is unbalanced and the air pressure in the cavity between the heat management component <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM> is unbalanced. The balance valves <NUM> are arranged at both ends of the outer plate <NUM>, which can quickly balance the air pressures received at both ends of the outer plate <NUM> and reduce the impact on the outer plate <NUM>, which is caused by the air pressure difference between the two ends of the cavity.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the balance valve <NUM> may also be disposed at the center of the outer plate <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the second balance valve <NUM> is arranged at the center of the outer plate <NUM>. The center position of the outer plate <NUM> refers to the non-edge positions of the outer plate <NUM>. In order to facilitate the air circulation in the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, the balance valve <NUM> is arranged at the center of the outer plate <NUM>, wherein with taking into account the air pressures in individual areas of the cavity, the gas in each area can flow out quickly. At the same time, the balance valves <NUM> can also be arranged at both ends and the center position of the outer plate <NUM>, which can realize the rapid circulation of the gas in the cavity and realize the rapid balance of the internal and external gas pressures.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the outer plate <NUM> is provided with a fixing hole <NUM>; the balance valve <NUM> comprises a balance valve body <NUM>, a fixing structure is provided on the balance valve body <NUM>, and the fixing structure cooperates with the fixing hole <NUM>, to make the balance valve <NUM> fixed on one side of the outer plate <NUM>.

The balance valve <NUM> can be arranged on the outer plate <NUM> in various ways. For example, the balance valve <NUM> can be directly welded on the outer plate <NUM> by means of welding. However, in the case that the balance valve <NUM> is fixed on the outer plate <NUM> by welding, when the balance valve <NUM> malfunctions, there is a problem of inconvenient maintenance. The embodiment of the present application proposes an arranging method. As shown in <FIG>, in the embodiment of the present application, a fixing hole <NUM> is arranged on the outer plate <NUM>, and a fixing structure is arranged on the balance valve body <NUM>. The balance valve <NUM> is fixed on one side of the outer plate <NUM> through the cooperation of the fixing structure with the fixing hole <NUM>. The fixing hole <NUM> can be in various shapes, for example, it can be directly a through hole, or it can be through holes with plural special shapes, as long as it can be adapted to the fixing structure, and the balance valve body <NUM> can be fixed. In this way, the installation and maintenance of the balance valve <NUM> are facilitated, and the use is convenient.

In some embodiments, the balance valve body <NUM> is provided with a ventilation hole <NUM>, and the ventilation hole <NUM> and the fixing hole <NUM> together form a ventilation channel. In order to enhance the ventilation performance of the balance valve <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, a ventilation hole <NUM> is provided on the balance valve body <NUM>. The ventilation hole <NUM> and the fixing hole <NUM> form a ventilation channel, so that the air in the cavity communicates with the outside, which is conducive to the rapid balance of air pressures inside and outside the cavity. The ventilation hole <NUM> on the balance valve body <NUM> is arranged at the center of the balance valve body <NUM>, which may be the same as the axis of the fixing hole <NUM> on the outer plate <NUM> or staggered. When the ventilation hole <NUM> and the fixing hole <NUM> are arranged as staggered, the ventilation channel can be bent to a certain extent in the balance valve body <NUM> to prevent the gas in the cavity from directly impacting and damaging the balance valve <NUM>, which can improve the service life of the balance valve <NUM>.

In some embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, the fixing structure is a snapping structure <NUM>. The snapping structure <NUM> is arranged as extending along the periphery of the ventilation hole <NUM> toward the outer plate <NUM>, and is connected to the outer plate <NUM>. The fixing holes <NUM> are snapped together.

In order to realize the quick installation of the balance valve <NUM>, the fixing structure on the balance valve body <NUM> is provided as a snapping structure <NUM>, and the snapping structure <NUM> is shown in <FIG>. The snapping structure <NUM> is arranged as extending along the periphery of the ventilation hole <NUM> toward the outer plate <NUM>. One end of the snapping structure <NUM> is provided with a protrusion outward, and the protrusion is used to cooperate with the fixing hole <NUM> to be snapped in the fixing hole <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, which is a schematic diagram of the snapping structure <NUM>, the snapping structure <NUM> is a cantilever beam snapping arm structure. The snapping structure <NUM> may comprise a plurality of cantilever beam snapping arm structures. The plurality of cantilever beam snapping arm structures are arranged as dispersed. The length L of the snapping arm of the snapping structure <NUM> is greater than or equal to the thickness of the outer plate <NUM>, H is the thickness of the snapping arm, the deformation amount Y is the height of the protrusion, wherein the setting of the deformation amount Y is related to the strength of the snapping of the balance valve <NUM>. In the embodiment of the present application, the value of the deformation amount Y is determined according to the formula: Y = <NUM>ξL<NUM> / H. When selecting the material used for the snapping structure <NUM>, firstly the deformation amount of the snapping structure <NUM> is determined according to experience, to obtain the theoretical strain value through calculation, and then select a material that meets this requirement, according to the theoretical strain value.

By providing the fixing structure as the snapping structure <NUM>, the balance valve <NUM> can be easily snapped on the outer plate <NUM>. When fixing, it is only necessary to press the balance valve <NUM>, and the snapping structure <NUM> passes through the fixing hole <NUM> to be engaged with the fixing hole <NUM>, which facilitates the installation of the balance valve <NUM>. At the same time, through the snapping structure <NUM>, the disassembling can also be easily achieved, which facilitates the subsequent maintenance.

In some embodiments, the strain value of the snapping structure <NUM> is greater than <NUM>%. In the embodiment of the present application, the applicant obtained through experiments that determining the strain value of the snapping structure <NUM> to be greater than <NUM>% can achieve a better fixing effect. With this strain value, the snapping structure <NUM> is not easy to be broken during subsequent use, which ensures the service life of the balance valve <NUM>, and the snapping structure <NUM> can be made of materials such as PCABS alloy, PPE, PP, or PA, etc..

In some embodiments, the width of the fixing hole <NUM> is greater than the width of the snapping structure <NUM>. In order to facilitate the gas circulation in the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> and simplify the structure of the balance valve <NUM>, the width of the fixing hole <NUM> is set to be larger than the snapping structure <NUM> in this embodiment of the present application, so that after the balance valve <NUM> is snapped into the fixing hole <NUM> through the snapping structure <NUM>, there is still a remaining space in the fixing hole <NUM> for gas to pass through. In this way, the fixing hole <NUM> can not only be used to install the balance valve <NUM>, but also form, together with the ventilation hole <NUM>, a ventilation channel. There is no need to provide additional ventilation hole <NUM> on the outer plate <NUM>, which simplifies the structure and can achieve a good ventilation effect.

In some embodiments, the fixing structure is provided as a threaded structure <NUM>, and the threaded structure <NUM> is arranged as extending along the periphery of the ventilation hole <NUM> toward the outer plate <NUM>. The inner wall of the fixing hole <NUM> on the outer plate <NUM> is correspondingly provided with an internal threaded structure <NUM>. The threaded structure <NUM> cooperates with the internal threaded structure <NUM> to be screwed into the fixing hole <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the balance valve <NUM> is provided with a threaded structure <NUM>, which is similar to the snapping structure <NUM> and is arranged as extending along the periphery of the ventilation hole <NUM> toward the outer plate <NUM>. External thread is provided on the outer wall of the extending structure. Corresponding to the external thread, an internal threaded structure <NUM> is provided on the inner wall of the fixing hole <NUM>. The threaded structures <NUM> cooperate with each other to screw the balance valve <NUM> into the fixing hole <NUM>. Similar to the snapping structure, the threaded structure <NUM> fixes the balance valve <NUM> by means of screwing. When fixing the balance valve <NUM>, it is only necessary to twist the balance valve <NUM> and screw the balance valve <NUM> into the fixing hole <NUM>, so that the balance valve <NUM> can be installed and fixed. Similarly, in order that the ventilation channel still remains in the fixing hole <NUM> after the balancing valve <NUM> is installed, the fixing hole <NUM> is provided to have a hollow structure inside, and the hollow structure communicates with the ventilation hole <NUM> on the balance valve body <NUM> to form a ventilation channel.

In some embodiments, the battery box further comprises a sealing gasket <NUM> disposed between the balance valve <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>, for making the balance valve <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM> sealingly connected.

Continuing to refer to <FIG>, it can be seen from <FIG> that a sealing gasket <NUM> is arranged between the balance valve body <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>. The sealing gasket <NUM> is of an annular structure and is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixing structure. When the balance valve body <NUM> is connected with the outer plate <NUM>, the sealing gasket <NUM> is squeezed between the balance valve body <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>. The sealing gasket <NUM> is elastically deformed to squeeze the fixing structure, so as to achieve a better sealing effect between the balance valve <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>.

The sealing gasket <NUM> is made of elastic material, which can ensure that the sealing level between the balance valve body <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM> reaches the IPX8 level. In order to achieve a better sealing effect, before the connection, glue can be applied first between the sealing gasket <NUM> and the balance valve body <NUM> and between the sealing gasket <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>, so that it can achieve a better sealing effect.

In some embodiments, the sealing gasket <NUM> has a compression amount of <NUM>%-<NUM>%. In order to ensure the sealing effect of the sealing gasket <NUM>, the compression amount of the sealing gasket <NUM> needs to be limited in a certain range after the fixing structure and the outer plate <NUM> are mounted together. Too little or too much compression amount is not conducive to the sealing. In the embodiment of the present application, the applicant has obtained through experiments that the optimal compression amount is <NUM>%-<NUM>%. If the compression amount is too large, the sealing gasket <NUM> will be caused to be over-pressed, which will affect the service life of the sealing gasket <NUM>. If the compression amount is too small, it will cause occurrence of poor sealing.

In some embodiments, on the side of the balance valve body <NUM> away from the outer plate <NUM>, a ventilation groove <NUM> is provided around the ventilation hole <NUM>. The ventilation groove <NUM>, the ventilation hole <NUM> and the fixing holes <NUM> together form a ventilation channel.

In the cavity formed by the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, foreign matters, such as dust or debris, may sometimes be generated. In order to prevent dust or debris inside the cavity from blocking the ventilation channel, in the embodiment of the present application, ventilation grooves <NUM> are provided around the ventilation hole <NUM>. The ventilation groove <NUM> communicates with the ventilation hole <NUM> and the fixing hole <NUM> to form together a ventilation channel. Since the ventilation grooves <NUM> are arranged around the ventilation holes <NUM>, the gas in the cavity is not directly communicated with the ventilation holes <NUM>, but needs to pass through the ventilation groove <NUM> to enter the ventilation hole <NUM>, so the ventilation channel is bent through the ventilation groove <NUM> to prevent dust or debris from blocking the ventilation hole <NUM>.

In some embodiments, positioning protrusions <NUM> are provided at intervals around the ventilation hole <NUM>, and ventilation grooves <NUM> are formed between the positioning protrusions <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in order to provide the ventilation grooves <NUM>, positioning protrusions <NUM> are arranged at intervals around the ventilation hole <NUM>. The ventilation grooves <NUM> are formed between the positioning protrusions <NUM> by arranging the positioning protrusions <NUM> at intervals. The ventilation groove <NUM> communicates with the ventilation hole <NUM>, so that the balance valve <NUM> is of a more compact structure and a smaller volume.

In some embodiments, it further comprises a balance film <NUM>, and the balance film <NUM> covers the ventilation holes <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the balance film <NUM> has waterproof and air-ventilation function, and is usually made of e-PTFE film material. The waterproof level reaches the IPX8 standard level. The balance film <NUM> is attached above the ventilation holes <NUM> on the balance valve body <NUM> by thermo-compression welding, so as to cover the ventilation holes <NUM>. By providing the balance film <NUM>, the liquid outside the cavity can be prevented from entering the cavity through the fixing holes <NUM> and the ventilation holes <NUM>, and at the same time, the circulation of the air inside the cavity and the outside air is not affected, and the waterproof and ventilation effects are achieved. The balance film <NUM> is disposed above the ventilation holes <NUM> to isolate the ventilation holes <NUM> from the ventilation grooves <NUM>. On the one hand, the air in the cavity flows out, by passing through the ventilation holes <NUM>, through the ventilation grooves <NUM>, and on the other hand, the liquid entering the fixing holes <NUM> and the ventilation holes <NUM> is prevented from entering the cavity through the balance film <NUM>, which has a good waterproof and ventilation effects.

In some embodiments, the balance film <NUM> is made of a waterproof and air-ventilation composite material. The balance film <NUM> has the waterproof and ventilation function, and is usually made of e-PTFE film material, and the waterproof level reaches the IPX8 standard level. The balance film <NUM> is attached above the ventilation holes <NUM> on the balance valve body <NUM> by thermo-compression welding, so as to cover the ventilation holes <NUM>. By providing the balance film <NUM>, the liquid outside the cavity can be prevented from entering the cavity through the fixing hole <NUM> and the ventilation hole <NUM>, and at the same time, the circulation of the gas inside the cavity and the external gas is not affected, and the waterproof and ventilation effects are achieved.

In some embodiments, the sealing gasket <NUM> is in the shape of a ring. The circumference of the inner ring of the ring is smaller than the circumference of the outer ring of the balance film <NUM>, and the circumference of the outer ring of the ring is larger than the circumference of the outer ring of the balance film <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the sealing gasket <NUM> mainly plays the role of sealing between the balance valve body <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>, and the balance film <NUM> mainly plays the role of sealing the ventilation hole <NUM>. In order to achieve a better sealing effect, in this embodiment of the present application, the circumference of the inner ring of the sealing gasket <NUM> is set to be smaller than the circumference of the outer ring of the balance film <NUM>, and the circumference of the outer ring of the ring is set to be larger than the circumference of the outer ring of the balancing film <NUM>, such that the sealing areas between the sealing gasket <NUM> and the balance film <NUM> overlap, so as to achieve a better sealing effect.

In some embodiments, the battery box further comprises a protective cover <NUM>, and the protective cover <NUM> covers an end of the balance valve <NUM> away from the outer plate <NUM>. In order to prevent the balance film <NUM> of the balance valve <NUM> from being damaged during assembly, transportation and storage, in this embodiment of the present application, a protective cover <NUM> is provided on the end of the balance valve <NUM> away from the outer plate <NUM> to protect the balance film <NUM>. At the same time, by providing the protective cover <NUM>, the dust or debris in the cavity can also be prevented from falling directly above the ventilation hole <NUM> and blocking the ventilation channel.

In some embodiments, the protective cover <NUM> covers the positioning protrusions <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, in order to make the structure of the balance valve <NUM> more compact, the protection cover <NUM> is placed to cover the positioning protrusion <NUM>. In this way, the protective cover <NUM> can cover all the balance film <NUM>, the balance valve body <NUM> and the sealing gasket <NUM> on the outer plate <NUM>, which is of a compact structure and a small occupied volume. At the same time, by making the protective cover <NUM> cover the positioning protrusions <NUM>, the protective cover <NUM> and the ventilation groove <NUM> together form a ventilation channel, which can also prevent the dust or debris in the cavity from directly falling above the ventilation hole <NUM> and blocking the ventilation channel.

<FIG> shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled balance valve <NUM> in the embodiment of the present application. The outer plate <NUM> is provided thereon with a fixing hole <NUM>, and a sealing gasket <NUM> is arranged between the balance valve <NUM> and the outer plate <NUM>. The fixing structure is arranged in the fixing hole <NUM>, and a balance film <NUM> and a protective cover <NUM> are arranged to cover the ventilation hole <NUM>. The balance film <NUM> separates the ventilation hole <NUM> from the external liquid to achieve waterproofing and air-ventilation effect. <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a ventilation channel, wherein the fixing hole <NUM> is in communication with the ventilation hole <NUM>, a ventilation groove <NUM> is formed between the cover plate and the positioning protrusion <NUM>, and the ventilation groove <NUM>, the ventilation hole <NUM>, and the fixing hole <NUM> form together a ventilation channel, so as to realize the circulation of the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> with the external air. The balance valve <NUM> is fixed on the outer plate <NUM>, forming a compact structure, which is flat and occupies a small space, and therefore it can be well arranged in the narrow space between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM>, achieving a good waterproof and air-ventilation performance. It can well balance the pressures of the gas in the cavity and the external gas, preventing the deformation of the outer plate <NUM> and the generation of abnormal noise.

According to some embodiments of the present application, a battery is also provided, and the battery comprises any one of the battery boxes mentioned in the above embodiments. The battery box comprises a box frame <NUM>, a heat management component <NUM> and an outer plate <NUM>, wherein the heat management component <NUM> is disposed on one side of the box frame <NUM> and is used to adjust the temperature of the battery; the outer plate <NUM> is arranged adjacent to the heat management component <NUM> for covering the heat management component <NUM> on the box frame <NUM>, and a balance valve <NUM> is arranged on the outer plate <NUM>, and the balance valve <NUM> is used for making the cavity between the outer plate <NUM> and the heat management component <NUM> communicated with the outside air. The structure of the battery box proposed in the embodiments of the present application not only improves the heat dissipation performance of the battery box, but also reduces the possibility of deformation of the battery box during use, reduces abnormal noise, and improves the use experience.

Claim 1:
A battery box, characterized by comprising: a box frame, a heat management component and an outer plate, wherein
the heat management component is arranged on one side of the box frame, and is configured to adjust temperature of a battery; and
the outer plate is arranged adjacent to the heat management component and is configured to cover the heat management component on the box frame, and a balance valve is arranged on the outer plate, and the balance valve is configured to make a cavity between the outer plate and the heat management component communicated with outside air, wherein the outer plate is provided with a fixing hole; and
the balance valve comprises a balance valve body, and a fixing structure is arranged on the balance valve body, and the fixing structure cooperates with the fixing hole to fix the balance valve on one side of the outer plate.