SUBMARINE PROVIDED WITH ROWS OF POWER STORAGE MEANS

Abstract

Disclosed is a submarine provided with lithium-ion battery-based electricity storage, assuming the form of associated individual storage elements (2, 3, 4), each element (2, 3, 4) being provided with an electronic connecting and operation management card (5, 6, 7), in which: the associated individual storage elements (2, 3, 4) are arranged in a row; each electronic card (5, 6, 7) of an element of a row (1) is mechanically and electrically connected, at its ends (8, 9), to the electronic cards (5, 6, 7) of the row (1) that are its closest neighbors, to form a strip of cards (1a) for this row (1); this strip of cards (1a) can be manipulated by an operator from at least one of its ends and is able to slide relative to the storage elements (2, 3, 4) of the row (1).

Claims

1. A submarine provided with lithium-ion battery-based electricity storage means, assuming the form of associated individual storage elements (2, 3, 4), each element (2, 3, 4) being provided with an electronic connecting and operation management card (5, 6, 7), in which: the associated individual storage elements (2, 3, 4) are arranged in a row, each electronic card (5, 6, 7) of an element of a row (1) is mechanically and electrically connected, at its ends (8, 9), to the electronic cards (5, 6, 7) of the row (1) that are its closest neighbors, to form a strip of cards (1a) for this row (1), this strip of cards (1a) can be manipulated by an operator from at least one of its ends and is able to slide relative to the storage elements (2, 3, 4) of the row (1).

2. The submarine according to claim 1, wherein the electronic cards (5, 6, 7) and the storage elements (2, 3, 4) of a row (1) include complimentary electrical connecting means (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) offset from one another in the direction of the width of these electronic cards (5, 6, 7) and elements (2, 3, 4).

3. The submarine according to claim 2, wherein the position of the complementary connecting means (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) is configurable depending on the position of the element (2, 3, 4) in the row (1).

4. The submarine according to claim 1, wherein a strip of cards (1a) of a row is mounted to be movable by sliding in rails (10, 11) provided on each side of the storage elements (2, 3, 4).

5. The submarine according to claim 2, wherein a strip of cards (1a) of a row is mounted to be movable by sliding in rails (10, 11) provided on each side of the storage elements (2, 3, 4).

6. The submarine according to claim 3, wherein a strip of cards (1a) of a row is mounted to be movable by sliding in rails (10, 11) provided on each side of the storage elements (2, 3, 4).

Description

[0016] The invention will be better understood using the following description, provided solely as an example and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a row of lithium-ion batteries including storage elements and electronic cards according to the invention,

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the storage elements of FIG. 1, and

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the electronic cards of FIG. 1.

[0020] The figures, and in particular in FIGS. 1 and 2, show lithium-ion battery-based electricity storage means, able to be included in the composition of an underwater vehicle according to the invention.

[0021] This underwater vehicle is for example formed by a submarine strictly speaking.

[0022] These electricity storage means assume the form of individual storage elements each provided with an electronic connecting and operation management card.

[0023] Thus for example in these FIGS. 1 and 2, a row 1 of individual electricity storage elements 2, 3, 4 is illustrated, each respectively bearing an electronic connecting and operation management card 5, 6, 7.

[0024] These cards are for example positioned on the upper face of the storage elements 2, 3, 4.

[0025] Traditionally, these electronic cards 5, 6, 7 make it possible to connect storage elements 2, 3, 4 to the rest of the circuits of the underwater vehicle and to manage the operation of these storage elements 2, 3, 4.

[0026] These electronic cards 5, 6, 7 then include electronic connecting circuits, for example connecting studs intended to cooperate with complementary studs of the individual storage elements 2, 3, 4.

[0027] To resolve the various aforementioned problems, in order to stack the battery modules as much as possible, while allowing easy access to these modules in the corresponding cards, in the vehicle according to the invention, the individual storage elements 2, 3, 4 are arranged in a row.

[0028] Furthermore, each electronic card 5, 6, 7 of an element 2, 3, 4 of a row is mechanically and electrically connected to its neighbors to form, as illustrated in these FIGS. 1 and 2, a strip of cards for this row 1.

[0029] This strip of cards can then be manipulated by an operator from at least one of its ends by sliding relative to the storage elements 2, 3, 4 of the row.

[0030] Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the storage elements 2, 3, 4 are positioned on the row 1, the corresponding electronic cards 5, 6, 7 being connected to one another at their ends 8, 9, for example, so as to form a strip of cards 1a for this row 1.

[0031] This strip of cards 1a is then mounted sliding on the set of storage elements 2, 3, 4 of the row 1 for example owing to guide rails, for example the rails 10, 11 provided on each side of the storage elements 2, 3, 4.

[0032] Once these elements are aligned, the rails of these elements are then also aligned relative to one another, to receive the corresponding edges of the strip of cards 1a.

[0033] One can then see that when an operator wishes to access the electronic cards of a row, he needs only grasp one of the ends of the strip of cards 1a corresponding to the row and pull this strip of cards in order to free it from the associated storage elements of the row.

[0034] Advantageously, the storage elements and the associated electronic cards comprise complementary connecting means or members to exchange information.

[0035] These complementary members are for example connectors for the storage elements and connecting members for the electronic cards.

[0036] Thus, each storage element includes a connector able to recover and send information regarding the storage element with which it is associated, in particular information on the potential across the terminals of the storage element.

[0037] Three connectors 12, 13, 14 respectively corresponding to the storage elements 2, 3, 4 are for example illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0038] The card corresponding to a storage element then comprises a connecting member able to be connected to the connector of the associated storage element.

[0039] For example and as shown in FIG. 4, the electronic cards 5, 6, 7 associated with the storage elements 2, 3, 4 comprise electrical connecting members 15, 16, 17, these members 15, 16, 17 respectively being able to be connected to the connectors 12, 13, 14 of the storage elements 2, 3, 4 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0040] As illustrated in these FIGS. 3 and 4, the connectors 12, 13, 14 are offset relative to one another in the direction of the width of the storage elements 2, 3, 4.

[0041] The connecting members 15, 16, 17 are also offset relative to one another in the direction of the width of the cards, such that these members 15, 16, 17 are still respectively able to be connected to the connectors 12, 13, 14.

[0042] This configuration enables the electronic cards 5, 6, 7 to slide on the storage elements 2, 3, 4 without risking abutting on the connectors 12, 13, 14 when an operator slides the strip of cards 1a of the row 1, for example.

[0043] Of course, this arrangement of the complementary connecting means is adjustable and configurable depending on the position of the corresponding storage element in the row.

[0044] One can thus see that such a structure has a certain number of advantages, in particular in terms of the manipulation and upkeep of these batteries.