Battery pack and method of assembling the battery pack
First Claim
1. A battery pack, comprising:
- a battery pack housing having a base portion and an upper cover;
the base portion and the upper cover defining an interior region when the upper cover is coupled to the base portion, the base portion having a bottom wall and first and second side walls coupled to the bottom wall, the first side wall having an inlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region, the second side wall having an outlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region;
a battery module being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing proximate to the inlet aperture, the battery module having a first battery cell, a first frame member, and first and second end plates;
the first frame member having a first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and a first aluminum heat exchanger, the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame being coupled around an outer peripheral region of first and second thermally conductive plates of the first aluminum heat exchanger, the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame having first, second, third, and fourth walls;
the first and second walls extending parallel to one another;
the third and fourth walls extending parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first and second walls;
the first wall having first, second, and third apertures extending therethrough with the second aperture thereof being disposed between the first and third apertures thereof;
the second wall having first, second, and third apertures extending therethrough with the second aperture thereof being disposed between the first and third apertures thereof;
the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates being coupled together and directly contacting one another such that the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates define a first flow path portion therebetween, the first flow path portion fluidly communicating with the first, second, and third apertures of the first wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and with the first, second, and third apertures of the second wall of the rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame;
the first battery cell and the first aluminum heat exchanger being disposed against one another, and being further disposed between the first and second end plates;
the first battery cell having a first end and a second end;
the first end plate extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the battery module, the first end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell toward the inlet aperture, the first end portion of the first end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion above the inlet aperture and a first distance below a top end of the first side wall;
the second end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell;
the second end plate extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the battery module, the second end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell toward the inlet aperture;
the second end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell, the first end portion of the second end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion below the inlet aperture and a second distance above a bottom end of the first side wall;
the second end plate being disposed away from the first end plate, and the first end portion of the first end plate and the first end portion of the second end plate forming a channel for routing air from the inlet aperture into the first, second, and third apertures in the first wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame, and into the first flow path portion of the first aluminum heat exchanger;
a thermally conductive housing being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing between the battery module and the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing;
the thermally conductive housing defining a second flow path portion between the thermally conductive housing and the battery pack housing, the second flow path portion communicating with the first flow path portion; and
an electric fan disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing;
the electric fan adapted to urge the air to flow through the inlet aperture of the battery pack housing and through the first and second flow path portions and further through a portion of the electric fan and through the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A battery pack having a battery pack housing defining an interior region is provided. The housing further includes an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture communicating with the interior region. The battery pack further includes a battery module that is disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing proximate to the inlet aperture. The battery module has a first battery cell, a heat exchanger, and first and second end plates. The first battery cell and the heat exchanger are disposed against one another, and are further disposed between the first and second end plates. The heat exchanger defines a first flow path portion therethrough. The first end plate has a first end portion that extends longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell, and a second end portion that extends longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A battery pack, comprising:
-
a battery pack housing having a base portion and an upper cover;
the base portion and the upper cover defining an interior region when the upper cover is coupled to the base portion, the base portion having a bottom wall and first and second side walls coupled to the bottom wall, the first side wall having an inlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region, the second side wall having an outlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region;a battery module being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing proximate to the inlet aperture, the battery module having a first battery cell, a first frame member, and first and second end plates; the first frame member having a first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and a first aluminum heat exchanger, the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame being coupled around an outer peripheral region of first and second thermally conductive plates of the first aluminum heat exchanger, the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame having first, second, third, and fourth walls;
the first and second walls extending parallel to one another;
the third and fourth walls extending parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first and second walls;
the first wall having first, second, and third apertures extending therethrough with the second aperture thereof being disposed between the first and third apertures thereof;
the second wall having first, second, and third apertures extending therethrough with the second aperture thereof being disposed between the first and third apertures thereof;
the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates being coupled together and directly contacting one another such that the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates define a first flow path portion therebetween, the first flow path portion fluidly communicating with the first, second, and third apertures of the first wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and with the first, second, and third apertures of the second wall of the rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame;
the first battery cell and the first aluminum heat exchanger being disposed against one another, and being further disposed between the first and second end plates;
the first battery cell having a first end and a second end;the first end plate extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the battery module, the first end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell toward the inlet aperture, the first end portion of the first end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion above the inlet aperture and a first distance below a top end of the first side wall;
the second end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell;the second end plate extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the battery module, the second end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell toward the inlet aperture;
the second end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell, the first end portion of the second end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion below the inlet aperture and a second distance above a bottom end of the first side wall;
the second end plate being disposed away from the first end plate, and the first end portion of the first end plate and the first end portion of the second end plate forming a channel for routing air from the inlet aperture into the first, second, and third apertures in the first wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame, and into the first flow path portion of the first aluminum heat exchanger;a thermally conductive housing being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing between the battery module and the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing;
the thermally conductive housing defining a second flow path portion between the thermally conductive housing and the battery pack housing, the second flow path portion communicating with the first flow path portion; andan electric fan disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing;
the electric fan adapted to urge the air to flow through the inlet aperture of the battery pack housing and through the first and second flow path portions and further through a portion of the electric fan and through the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19)
-
-
14. A battery pack, comprising:
-
a battery pack housing having a base portion and an upper cover;
the base portion and the upper cover defining an interior region when the upper cover is coupled to the base portion, the base portion having a bottom wall and first and second side walls coupled to the bottom wall, the first side wall having an inlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region, the second side wall having an outlet aperture extending therethrough that communicates with the interior region;a battery module being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing proximate to the inlet aperture, the battery module having a first battery cell, a second battery cell, first and second frame members, and first and second end plates; the first frame member having a first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and a first aluminum heat exchanger, the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame being coupled around an outer peripheral region of first and second thermally conductive plates of the first aluminum heat exchanger;
the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame having first, second, and third apertures extending through a first wall thereof with the second aperture being disposed between the first and third apertures;
the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame having fourth, fifth, and sixth apertures extending through a second wall thereof with the fifth aperture being disposed between the fourth and sixth apertures;
the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates being coupled together and directly contacting one another such that the first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates define a first flow path portion therebetween;the second frame member having a second rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and a second aluminum heat exchanger, the second aluminum heat exchanger having first and second thermally conductive aluminum plates coupled together that define a second flow path portion therebetween;
the first battery cell and the first aluminum heat exchanger being disposed against one another, and being further disposed between the first and second end plates;
the first battery cell having a first end and a second end;
the second battery cell being disposed against and between the second aluminum heat exchanger and the first battery cell;
the second battery cell and a second aluminum heat exchanger being further disposed between the first and second end plates;
the second battery cell having a first end and a second end;the first end plate extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the battery module, the first end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past both the first end of the first battery cell and the first end of the second battery cell toward the inlet aperture, the first end portion of the first end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion above the inlet aperture and a first distance below a top end of the first side wall;
the second end portion of the first end plate extending longitudinally past both the second end of the first battery cell and the second end of the second battery cell;the second end plate extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the battery module, the second end plate having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the first end of the first battery cell and the first end of the second battery cell toward the inlet aperture;
the second end portion of the second end plate extending longitudinally past the second end of the first battery cell and the second end of the second battery cell, the first end portion of the second end plate contacting the first side wall of the base portion below the inlet aperture and a second distance above a bottom end of the first side wall;
the second end plate being disposed away from the first end plate, and the first end portion of the first end plate and the first end portion of the second end plate forming a channel for routing the air from the inlet aperture into the first, second, and third apertures of the first wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped outer plastic frame and into the first flow path portion of the first aluminum heat exchanger, and routing the air from the inlet aperture into the second flow path portion of the second aluminum heat exchanger;a thermally conductive housing being disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing between the battery module and the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing;
the thermally conductive housing having a bottom wall and a plurality of cooling fins extending outwardly from the bottom wall and spaced apart from one another such that a third flow path portion is at least partially defined between the plurality of cooling fins, the third flow path portion communicating with the first and second flow path portions; andan electric fan disposed in the interior region of the battery pack housing;
the electric fan adapted to urge the air to flow through the inlet aperture of the battery pack housing and through the first, second, and third flow path portions and further through a portion of the electric fan and through the outlet aperture of the battery pack housing. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 18, 20)
-
Specification