Method and production equipment for producing a battery and motor vehicle with a corresponding battery

Abstract

A method and production equipment for producing a battery and a motor vehicle with such a battery. In the method, at least one battery module is positioned and attached in a provided battery housing such that it covers at least one gap provided in a housing base of the battery housing. The housing base is then bent, outward along the gap, whereby a cavity is enlarged between the battery module and the housing base. A viscous heat-conductive filler is then supplied into the cavity through the gap. Subsequently, the bending of the housing base is reversed by pushing the housing base back in the direction of the battery module.

Claims

1. A production method for a battery with the following method steps: providing a battery housing with a housing base, which has at least one gap; positioning and attaching the at least one battery module in the battery housing such that the at least one battery module covers the respective gap; elastic bending of the housing base outward along the at least one gap in a direction facing away from the battery module, in order to enlarge a cavity between the battery module and the housing base; supplying a viscous heat-conductive filler into the cavity through the respective gap after the cavity is enlarged; and reversing the elastic bending by pushing the housing base back in the direction of the battery module once the viscous heat-conductive filler has been supplied into the cavity.

2. The production method according to claim 1, wherein a tractive force is exerted from outside of the battery housing onto parts of the housing base adjoining the respective gap on both sides in order to bend the housing base along the respective gap, wherein the tractive force is exerted by at least one actuator which mechanically grasps, as well as bends and pushes back, the housing base.

3. The production method according to claim 2, wherein during bending of the housing base, the housing base is moved no more than 3 mm away from the respective battery module, particularly at the parts of the housing base adjoining the respective gap.

4. The production method according to claim 1, wherein the filler is distributed over a surface of the battery module facing the housing base on the inside of the housing due to the pushing back of the housing base in the direction of the battery module.

5. The production method according to claim 1, wherein during the pushing back of the housing base in the direction of the battery module, base parts of the housing base adjoining the respective gap are elastically pushed in the direction of the battery module beyond the starting position they were in before being bent.

6. The production method according to claim 1, wherein: a size of the cavity, particularly a distance between the housing base and the battery module, is measured before and/or after the bending, before the supplying of the filler; and a quantity of the filler to be supplied is automatically adapted depending on the measured size in order to fill the cavity.

7. The production method according to claim 1, wherein the battery housing has several compartments, each having the gap, wherein the compartments are separated by partition walls, which extend at least substantially parallel to one another over the housing base, between which the respective gap extends, wherein a battery module is positioned in each of the compartments and a spreading of the filler in each compartment is limited by the respective partition walls.

8. A production equipment for producing a battery according to a production method according to claim 1, comprising: a traction and pressure device with at least one actuator for mechanically grasping as well as bending and pushing back of the housing base; and an injection device with at least one movable injection head for supplying the filler through the at least one gap.

9. The production equipment according to claim 8, wherein the production equipment has a measuring device, particularly optical, for measuring a size of the respective cavity between the housing base and the at least one battery module, particularly a corresponding distance.

10. A motor vehicle with a battery produced according to a method in accordance with claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the following. The following is shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic, sectional perspective view of a part of a vehicle battery having a battery housing, in which a battery module is arranged;

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic sectional side view of the battery from FIG. 1 and production equipment during a production step, in sections;

(4) FIG. 3 the side view from FIG. 2 during a subsequent production step;

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic view of a motor vehicle provided with a battery according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The exemplary embodiments explained in the following refer to preferred embodiments of the invention. With the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments represent individual features to be considered independently of one another, which also further embody the invention independently of one another. Thus, the disclosure should also comprise combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those shown.

(7) Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented through further described features of the invention.

(8) The same reference numerals refer to equivalent features and functions in the figures.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a schematic, sectional perspective view of a part of a vehicle battery 1 having a battery housing, which has a side wall 2 and a housing base 3. Several compartments 4, which are separated from one another by means of respective partition walls 5, are presently provided in the battery housing. The housing base 3 is designed with multiple parts in this case, wherein individual base parts 6 extend from the partition walls 5 beyond an overall lateral extension of the housing base 3 in the longitudinal direction of the battery 1, away from the respective partition walls 5. The base parts 6 in this case are separated from one another, at least in sections, by respective gaps 7.

(10) The individual base parts 6 may be completely independent of one another or, for example, connected to one another in an edge region, for example in the region of the side wall 2. The representation is not necessarily true to scale here, particularly for the gaps 7.

(11) The gaps 7 may extend partially or completely through the housing base 3 in the lateral direction of the battery and/or of the housing base 6. To illustrate this, a first gap 8 is shown here by example, which only partially extends through the housing base in the lateral direction. In contrast, the remaining gaps 7 in this case extend completely through the housing base 3 in the lateral direction, at least in an inner region of the battery housing. Differently than shown here, several, all, or none of the gaps 7 may be designed as the first gap 8 or as the remainder of the gaps 7.

(12) Furthermore, the vehicle battery 1 comprises several battery modules 9 here.

(13) For the sake of clarity, only one battery module 9 is shown here and only some of the compartments 4, the partition walls 5, the base parts 6, and the gaps 7.

(14) The battery module 9 here is arranged in one of the compartments 4 intended for this. The remaining compartments 4, shown without equipment here, are provided for accommodating further corresponding battery modules 9.

(15) FIGS. 2 and 3 each show, in sections, a schematic side sectional view of the battery 1 from FIG. 1 as well as production equipment 10 provided for producing the battery 1 during different process or production steps. It is provided that initially the battery modules 9 are arranged in the battery housing, particularly that is in the compartments 4, and attached, for example bolted to the battery housing. In doing so, initially a distance, i.e. a cavity 11, remains free between the battery modules 9 and the housing base 3. The distance between the battery modules 9 and the housing base 3 may be, for example, at least 0.5 mm depending on the specification or requirement.

(16) In order to enable effective heat dissipation of the battery modules 9 via the housing base and a cooling device optionally extending thereunder, the cavity 11 is intended to be filled with a filler 12, which is a viscous thermally conductive paste in this case.

(17) It may be problematic in this case that the intended size of the distance between the battery modules 9 and the housing base 3 according to the specification is not maintained due to inaccuracies or production tolerances. Likewise, when the filler 12 is injected or pressed through the respective gap 7, a maximum permissible pressure may be exceeded in the region of the cavity 11, particularly on a bottom side of the respective battery module 9. Furthermore, due to the viscosity of the filler 12 and the relatively low height of the cavity 11, i.e. due to the relatively small distance between the battery modules 9 and the housing base 3, it may be problematic to ensure that the filler 12 actually completely fills the cavity 11. For example, a minimum degree of wetting of the bottom side of the battery modules 9 facing the housing base 3 on the inside of the housing, for example at least 95%, may be required according to specification in order to achieve the required thermal properties of the battery 1 and a more secure operation.

(18) In order to meet these demands, a multi-stage process is provided here. To this end, the production equipment 10 has a traction and pressure device. It comprises in this case pistons 13, purely as example, which can be moved by means of the respective actuators 14. The pistons 13 in this case have a contacting device or gripping device at each of their ends facing away from the production equipment 10 to produce a mechanical contact with the housing base 3 and/or with one of the base parts 6. Once this mechanical contact is established, the pistons 13 are retracted in the direction of the production equipment 10 and thereby a tractive force is exerted onto the base parts 6, whereby the housing base 3 and/or the respective gap is bent between the two base parts 6. This movement is indicated here by a corresponding arrow. Thus, the distance is thereby enlarged between the battery module 9 and the housing base 3 and thus a size of the cavity 11 is enlarged. This state is shown in FIG. 2. The housing base 3 in this case is deformed elastically. Due to the small scope of movement of, for example, 1 mm to 3 mm provided here, it is possible to produce the housing base, for example from plastic or a metal material, such as aluminum.

(19) The production equipment 10 further has an injection device with an injection head 15. The injection head 15 is placed on or in the gap 7.

(20) As an alternative to the design shown here, the injection device or the injection head 15 may also establish the mechanical contact with the housing base 3 and then be pulled back in the direction of the production equipment 10, which is likewise indicated by a corresponding arrow in this case, in order to bend the housing base 3 and/or the respective gap 7.

(21) The size of the cavity 11 may be recorded by a corresponding measuring device before and/or after the bending of the housing base 3 and/or the gap 7. This measuring device may preferably be integrated into the injection head 15. According to the recorded size or a corresponding calculated volume of the cavity 11, a quantity of filler 12 provided or to be supplied for the respective cavity 11 is then automatically adapted or set.

(22) After the described enlargement of the cavity 11 due to the traction on the outer side of the housing base 3, the set quantity of filler 12 is supplied, for example injected, into the expanded or enlarged cavity 11 by the injection head 15 under relatively low pressure.

(23) Subsequently, the housing base 3 is pushed back in the direction of the battery module 9 by means of the traction and pressure device and/or the injection head 15. This state is shown in FIG. 3. The base parts 6 can be pushed back through correspondingly opposite movement of the pistons 13 and/or of the injection head 15. In any case, the injection head 15 may be correspondingly adapted such that it remains in or on the gap 7 and thereby seals it off during the pushing back. Due to the pushing back of the housing base 3 and/or the base parts 6, the filler 12 is distributed in the cavity 11.

(24) Subsequently, the mechanical connection is disrupted between the pistons 13 and/or the injection head 15 and the base parts 6, and the pistons 13 as well as the injection head 15 are again retracted, i.e. moved away from the base parts 6. Because the bending and the pushing back, i.e. a corresponding movement of the housing base 3, takes place in its elastic region, the size of the cavity 11 intended according to the specification is finally achieved.

(25) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a motor vehicle 16 with the battery 1 produced according to the described method.

(26) As a whole, the described examples show how a need-based cavity adaptation can be implemented during production of the battery 1 in order to enable the most secure, careful, and reliable filling possible of the cavity 11 with the filler 12.