Battery having a plurality of battery cells

• US 9,425,445 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kreutzer, Christoph, Vassen, Heinz-Willi, Schwarzbauer, Robert, Fees, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano, Milton I
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZENG, LINGWEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/980,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 429149-160
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/248 Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery (10) having a plurality of battery cells (12) which form a cell stack (14) which stands on a bottom plate (18) of the battery (10). At least one wedge (20, 22) is provided to brace the battery cells (12) against one another. The at least one wedge (20, 22) and the cell stack (14) are secured in their position relative to the bottom plate (18) by at least one bracket (24) which is mounted to the bottom plate (18). Manufacturing tolerances of the battery cells (12) can be compensated by the at least one wedge (20, 22), and the bracket (24) secures both the wedge (20, 22) and the cell stack (14).

Claims

1. A battery formed as an energy store, said battery comprising:

a bottom plate;

a plurality of battery cells arranged to form a cell stack which rests on the bottom plate, said battery cells being configured in the shape of a flat block having narrow bottom sides which stand on the bottom plate;

two side plates located at two opposite lateral sides of the cell stack and having two first surfaces facing toward the cell stack and also having two second surfaces facing away from the cell stack and provided with two longitudinal vertical grooves with a wedge shape;

two wedges separate from the sides plates and located in the longitudinal vertical grooves of the side plates and also having a wedge shape such that the wedge shape of each of the grooves of the side plates and the wedge shape of each of the wedges complement each other, the two wedges being elongated in a vertical direction and bracing the battery cells of the cell stack against each other such that a force acts on contacting sides of the battery cells to hold the cell stack together;

wherein said wedges are pushable downwards in the longitudinal vertical grooves of the side plates so as to adjust the force of bracing the battery cells against each other, and

at least one bracket mounted on the bottom plate and securing the two wedges and the cell stack in their position in relation to the bottom plate, said at least one bracket having a U-shaped configuration with two vertical legs and spanning the cell stack,

wherein the two wedges are located between the side plates at the opposite vertical sides of the cell stack and the vertical legs of the at least one bracket and

wherein the two wedges are located inside the longitudinal vertical grooves of the sides plates and are guided in the longitudinal vertical grooves of the side plates and also embrace the vertical legs of the at least one bracket from outside and are guided on the vertical legs of the at least one bracket.

2. The battery of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a screw nut or screw for securing the at least one bracket upon the bottom plate.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket is formed from a spring steel.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket is configured to elastically compensate a force of 1 kN to 5 kN acting thereupon, or to resist without destruction a force which acts thereon and is a multiple of an elastically compensatable force.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket is configured to resist without destruction a force which acts thereon and is 10 times to 15 times of an elastically compensatable force.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein each of the wedges embraces one of the vertical legs of the at least one bracket.

7. The battery of claim 1, wherein the wedges have inclined wedge surfaces extending downwards.

8. The battery of claim 1, further comprising hollow shafts inserted into openings of the bottom plate and laterally abutting against the side plates, the vertical legs of the bracket being received in the hollow shafts.

9. The battery of claim 1, wherein the bracket has a portion connecting the legs with each other and extending through a recess in a head portion of the cell stack.