DEGASSING UNIT ASSEMBLY, DEGASSING UNIT, AND BATTERY HOUSING

Abstract

A degassing unit assembly for closing a housing opening of a battery housing has degassing units arranged adjoining each other, each having a carrier body with a gas through-opening for discharging gases or pressure compensation. The gas through-opening extends continuously through the carrier body in axial direction. The carrier body has a rim surrounding the gas through-opening. The rim has at least one fastening dome and at least one contact region. At least two of the degassing units are end pieces. In a mounted state of the degassing units, the fastening dome of the carrier body of a first degassing unit forms, at least in sections, an overlap region in axial direction with the contact region of the carrier body of a second degassing unit adjoining the first degassing unit. A degassing unit for such an assembly and a battery housing comprising such an assembly are provided.

Claims

1. A degassing unit assembly for closing a housing opening of a battery housing, the degassing unit assembly comprising: degassing units arranged adjoining each other in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction corresponding to a surface normal of the degassing units, each of the degassing units comprising a carrier body comprising: a gas through-opening configured to discharge gases or to provide pressure compensation, the gas through-opening extending continuously through the carrier body in the axial direction; and a rim surrounding the gas through-opening, the rim comprising at least one fastening dome and at least one contact region formed in the rim, wherein at least two of the degassing units are end pieces, respectively, wherein, in a mounted state of the degassing units, the at least one fastening dome of the carrier body of a first one of the degassing units forms, at least in sections, an overlap region in the axial direction with the at least one contact region of the carrier body of a second one of the degassing units adjoining the first one of the degassing units, wherein the at least one fastening dome of the carrier body of the first one of the degassing units comprises a fastening flange projecting away from the rim, the fastening flange, in the mounted state, being arranged at least partially in overlap with the at least one contact region of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units, and wherein the fastening flange comprises an outwardly oriented collar overlapping at least partially the at least one contact region of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units.

2. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the degassing units, three or more of the degassing units are arranged adjoining each other, wherein the three or more degassing units comprise the end pieces, and wherein at least one of the three or more degassing units is a middle piece arranged between the end pieces.

3. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 2, wherein the middle piece comprises two of the fastening domes arranged diagonally opposite each other at the carrier body, and wherein each of the two fastening domes comprises a fastening flange.

4. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first one of the degassing units and the second one of the degassing units are connected with form fit in the overlap region, and wherein the fastening flange forms the overlap region with the at least one contact region of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units.

5. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 4, wherein the fastening flange engages across the at least one contact region of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units.

6. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 4, wherein the at least one fastening dome of the carrier body of the first one of the degassing units is embodied as a bulge of the rim of the carrier body of the first one of the degassing units, wherein the at least one contact region of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units is embodied as a recess of the rim of the carrier body of the second one of the degassing units, and wherein the bulge snugly engages the recess.

7. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the degassing units comprises a semipermeable gas-permeable membrane covering the gas through-opening.

8. The degassing unit assembly according to claim 7, wherein at least another one of the degassing units comprises a membrane covering the gas through-opening, the membrane being not gas-permeable.

9. A degassing unit for a degassing unit assembly for closing a housing opening of a battery housing, the degassing unit comprising: a carrier body comprising: a gas through-opening extending continuously through the carrier body in an axial direction, the gas through-opening being configured to discharge gases or to provide pressure compensation; and a rim surrounding the gas through-opening, the rim comprising one or more fastening domes and one or more contact regions, wherein each of the one or more fastening domes comprises a fastening flange comprising an outwardly curved collar and extending farther in the axial direction than the rim.

10. The degassing unit according to claim 9, wherein, in the axial direction, each of the one or more contact regions has an extension below an axial extension of the one or more fastening flanges, respectively.

11. The degassing unit according to claim 9, wherein the one or more fastening domes are embodied as a bulge of the rim of the carrier body, respectively.

12. The degassing unit according to claim 9, wherein the one more contact regions are embodied as a recess of the rim of the carrier body, respectively.

13. The degassing unit according to claim 9, wherein the one or more fastening domes are embodied as a bulge of the rim of the carrier body, respectively, and wherein the one or more contact regions are embodied as a recess of the rim of the carrier body, respectively.

14. The degassing unit according to claim 9, wherein the carrier body is a middle piece, wherein the one or more fastening domes comprise two fastening domes arranged diagonally opposite each other, and wherein the one or more contact regions comprise two contact regions arranged diagonally opposite each other.

15. The degassing unit according to claim 9, further comprising: a membrane comprising a membrane cover part, the gas through-opening being covered completely by the membrane cover part at a carrier body inner side of the carrier body, and the carrier body inner side facing a housing interior of the battery housing; and an outer membrane guard body arranged at a carrier body outer side of the carrier body and covering the gas through-opening, the carrier body outer side facing away from the housing interior of the battery housing.

16. The degassing unit according to claim 15, wherein the membrane is a semipermeable membrane.

17. The degassing unit according to claim 15, wherein the carrier body further comprises a spike carrier with a spike, the spike carrier being arranged between the membrane and the outer membrane guard body, and wherein the spike is oriented toward the membrane and being configured to puncture the membrane when the membrane is curved by an inner housing pressure of the battery housing in a direction toward the carrier body outer side.

18. The degassing unit according to claim 15, further comprising an inner membrane guard body arranged at the carrier body inner side of the carrier body and fixedly connected to the carrier body, the inner membrane guard body comprising a membrane support grid engaging across and, viewed in a direction toward the housing interior of the battery housing, engaging from behind the membrane cover part of the membrane on an inner membrane side, wherein the membrane support grid comprises a plurality of membrane support grid webs configured to support the membrane cover part of the membrane at the inner membrane side.

19. The degassing unit according to claim 15, wherein the outer membrane guard body comprises a plurality of gas passages, and wherein the gas passages, viewed laterally and in a circumferential direction, are arranged spaced apart from each other and are separated from each other by a plurality of approximately axially extending stays.

20. A battery housing comprising: a housing comprising a housing opening and enclosing a housing interior; and a degassing unit assembly according to claim 1, the degassing unit assembly being arranged at the housing to cover the housing opening, the degassing unit assembly being configured to discharge gases or to provide pressure compensation and to substantially water-tightly seal the housing interior against ingress of water, and the degassing unit assembly being substantially water-tightly connected to the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0066] Further advantages result from the following drawing description. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person of skill in the art will expediently consider the features also individually and combine them to expedient further combinations.

[0067] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a degassing unit embodied as an end piece according to an embodiment of the invention, viewed from a carrier body outer side.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the degassing unit according to FIG. 1, viewed from a carrier body inner side.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the degassing unit according to FIG. 1.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the degassing unit according to FIG. 1.

[0071] FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a degassing unit embodied as a middle piece according to a further embodiment of the invention, viewed from a carrier body outer side.

[0072] FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of the degassing unit according to FIG. 5 viewed from a carrier body inner side.

[0073] FIG. 7 shows a side view of the degassing unit according to FIG. 5.

[0074] FIG. 8 shows a plan view of three degassing units prior to assembly to a degassing unit assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0075] FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of a degassing unit assembly embodied of three degassing units according to an embodiment of the invention, viewed from a carrier body outer side.

[0076] FIG. 10 shows an isometric view of the degassing unit assembly according to FIG. 9 viewed from a carrier body inner side.

[0077] FIG. 11 shows a side view of the degassing unit assembly according to FIG. 9.

[0078] FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal section of the degassing unit assembly according to FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] In the Figures, same or same-type components are identified with same reference characters. The Figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0080] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a degassing unit 100 embodied as an end piece for a degassing unit assembly 500 (FIG. 4) for closing a housing opening 24 of a battery housing 20 (FIG. 4) according to an embodiment of the invention, viewed from a carrier body outer side 32. FIG. 2 shows the degassing unit 100 according to FIG. 1, viewed from a carrier body inner side 33, while in FIG. 3 a side view of the degassing unit 100 and in FIG. 4 a longitudinal section is illustrated.

[0081] The battery housing 20 is illustrated only schematically in FIG. 4 with a housing interior 23 as well as the housing opening 24.

[0082] The degassing unit 100 comprises a carrier body 31 which comprises a gas through-opening 36 extending continuously through the carrier body 31 in an axial direction L for discharging gases or for pressure compensation. The carrier body 31 comprises a rim 94 surrounding the gas through-opening 36 and comprising a fastening dome 110 and a contact region 114. The fastening dome 110 comprises a fastening flange 112 comprising an outwardly curved collar 132 and extending in axial direction L farther than the rim 94, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 3.

[0083] Fastening dome 110 and contact region 114 are arranged in corners of the carrier body 31. At the two other corners, further fastening domes 116 without fastening flange are arranged. The three fastening domes 110, 116 each have sleeve inserts 34, preferably of metal, for example, of brass, in order to fixedly screw the degassing unit 100 to a battery housing 20.

[0084] The degassing unit 100 forms an end piece of a degassing unit assembly 500 (FIG. 4). When the degassing unit 100 is joined with a further degassing unit 100, rotated by 180° about the axial direction, a degassing unit assembly 500 with two end pieces is formed thereby. One or a plurality of degassing units 200 (FIG. 5) embodied as middle pieces can be arranged between the two end pieces.

[0085] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the contact region 114, 214 comprises in axial direction L an extension which lies below the axial extension of the fastening flange 112, 212.

[0086] The fastening dome 110 with fastening flange 112 is formed as a bulge of the rim 94 of the carrier body 31 while the contact region 114 is embodied as a recess of the rim 94 of the carrier body 31.

[0087] As can be seen in the longitudinal section in FIG. 4, the gas through-opening 36 is covered completely at the carrier body inner side 33 by a membrane cover part 50 of a membrane 45, in particular a semipermeable membrane 45. On the carrier body outer side 32, the gas through-opening 36 comprises an outer membrane guard body 40.

[0088] The membrane 45 which is placed into the degassing unit 100 can be seen from the exterior by means of a visible tab 93.

[0089] Between the membrane 45 and the outer membrane guard body 40, the carrier body 31 comprises a spike carrier 91 with a spike 90 oriented toward the membrane 45 and provided for puncturing the membrane 45 curved by an inner housing pressure in the direction of the carrier body outer side 32 in case of an emergency degassing with greatly increasing excess pressure in the battery housing 20.

[0090] Instead of by means of the spike 90, an emergency degassing by rupture of the membrane 45 can be carried out alternatively, for example, by perforation of the membrane 45 prior to mounting in the degassing unit 100, 200, for example, by a laser but also by the attachment of the membrane 45 at the carrier body 31.

[0091] The carrier body 31 is fixedly connected to an inner membrane guard body 51 arranged at its carrier body inner side 33 and containing a membrane support grid 52 (see FIG. 2) which engages across and, viewed in direction toward the housing interior 23 of the battery housing 20, engages from behind the membrane cover part 50 of the membrane 45 at an inner membrane side 49 of the inner membrane surface 47 with a plurality of membrane support grid webs 53 provided for supporting the membrane cover part 50 of the membrane 45. The inner membrane guard body 51 is connected by an outwardly circumferentially extending frame 65 to the carrier body 31 and engages by means of the frame 65 a groove circumferentially extending in the carrier body 31 at the carrier body inner side 33.

[0092] The inner membrane guard body 51 can be embodied, for example, of metal. As an alternative, it can be manufactured of plastic material. For example, the use of polypropylene with a glass fiber contents of 30% (PPG 30) or polyamide is possible.

[0093] In the installed state, the membrane 45, at its membrane outer side 48, covers with the membrane cover part 50 the central through-opening 37 of the gas through-opening 36 of the carrier body 31. At the membrane outer side 48, it rests with its membrane outer surface 46 on the ring-shaped inner contact surface 42 of the carrier body 31. The membrane 45 covers the central through-opening 37 of the gas through-opening 36 completely and closes the latter substantially water-tightly, preferably also substantially air-tightly or even gas-tightly.

[0094] Grid openings 55 in the form of gas through-perforations 62 for degassing the housing interior 23 or for a pressure compensation are formed between the membrane support grid webs 53. The grid openings 55 are covered by the membrane cover part 50 of the membrane 45.

[0095] The grid openings 55 are advantageously sized standardized such that no foreign body which surpasses a predetermined size can damage the membrane 45.

[0096] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the carrier body 31 comprises at its inner side 33 which is facing the housing interior 23, at both sides of the central gas through-opening 37, a number of fixation knobs 85 which serve for at least temporary fixation and positioning of the inner membrane guard body 51 with the membrane 45, positioned between the latter and the carrier body 31, at the carrier body 31. The fixation knobs 85 can be embodied, for example, for hot stamp connections and/or for connections by ultrasonic welding.

[0097] The outer membrane guard body 40 comprises a plurality of gas passages 38 which, viewed laterally and in circumferential direction, are arranged spaced apart from each other and which are separated by a plurality of approximately axially extending stays 41.

[0098] The outer membrane guard body 40 is arranged in a carrier body flange 88 and is fixed in the carrier body 31 by locking with locking elements 92.

[0099] FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a degassing unit 200 embodied as a middle piece according to a further embodiment of the invention, viewed from carrier body outer side 32. FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of the degassing unit 200 according to FIG. 5, viewed from a carrier body inner side 33, while in FIG. 7 a side view of the degassing unit 200 is illustrated.

[0100] The fundamental configuration of the degassing unit 200 embodied as a middle piece coincides with the configuration of the degassing unit 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 and embodied as an end piece. For avoiding unnecessary repetitions, reference is being had to the description of FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0101] The significant differentiating features in relation to the degassing unit 100

[0102] lie in the arrangement of the fastening domes 210 and of the contact regions 214 in the degassing unit 200 embodied as a middle piece. In the degassing unit 200 embodied as a middle piece, two fastening domes 210 with fastening flanges 212 are arranged diagonally opposite each other and two contact regions 214 are also arranged diagonally opposite each other. Fastening domes 210 and contact regions 214 are thus positioned crosswise to each other.

[0103] In FIG. 8, a plan view of three degassing units 100, 200 prior to the assembly to a degassing unit assembly 500 according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Two of the degassing units 100 are embodied as end pieces wherein the two degassing units 100 in this context are mounted rotated by 180° relative to each other while the third degassing unit 200 is embodied as a middle piece which is arranged between the two degassing units 100 embodied as end pieces. In this context, the three degassing units 100, 200 are pushed together in a linear movement, indicated by the two arrows, so that the respective fastening domes 110, 210 with their fastening flanges 112, 212 and the corresponding contact regions 114, 214 immediately adjoin each other and can be mounted with form fit in this way.

[0104] In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, degassing units 100, 200 can also be joined not in a linear arrangement but as two-dimensional areally expanding arrangement and thus cover a larger housing opening 24.

[0105] FIG. 9 shows in this respect an isometric view of a degassing unit assembly 500 formed of the three degassing units 100, 200 according to an embodiment of the invention, viewed from a carrier body outer side 32. FIG. 10 shows an isometric view of the degassing unit assembly 500 according to FIG. 9, viewed from a carrier body inner side 33, while in FIG. 11 a side view of the degassing unit assembly 500 according to FIG. 9 and in FIG. 12 a longitudinal section of the degassing unit assembly according to FIG. 9 is illustrated.

[0106] The degassing unit assembly 500 for closing a housing opening 24 of a battery housing 20 comprises three degassing units 100, 200 which are arranged adjoining each other in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction L corresponding to a surface normal of the degassing units 100, 200. Two of the degassing units 100 are embodied as end pieces and one of the degassing units 200 as a middle piece which is positioned between the two end pieces.

[0107] The degassing units 100, 200 respectively comprise a carrier body 31 which comprises a gas through-opening 36 extending continuously through the carrier body 31 in axial direction L for discharging gases or for pressure compensation.

[0108] The carrier body 31 respectively comprises at least one rim 94 surrounding the gas through-opening 36 and comprising at least one fastening dome 110, 210 and at least one contact region 114, 214 formed in the rim 94. In the mounted state, the at least one fastening dome 110, 210 of a degassing unit 100, 200 forms, at least in sections, an overlap region 130, 230 in axial direction L with the corresponding at least one contact region 114, 214 of the adjoining degassing unit 100, 200.

[0109] The fastening dome 110, 210 comprises a fastening flange 112, 212 projecting away from the rim 94 which, in the mounted state, is arranged at least partially in overlap with the corresponding contact region 114, 214 of the adjoining degassing unit 100, 200. In particular, the fastening flange 112, 212 covers with an outwardly oriented collar 132, 232 the contact region 114, 214 at least partially. In the adjoined state of the degassing units 100, 200, the contact region 114, 214 is therefore not visible from the carrier body outer side 32.

[0110] In the degassing unit 200 embodied as a middle piece, two fastening domes 210 with fastening flanges 212 are arranged diagonally opposite each other at the carrier body 31.

[0111] The degassing units 100, 200 adjoining each other are connected with form fit in the overlap region 130, 230, wherein the fastening flange 112, 212 of a fastening dome 110, 210 of a degassing unit 100, 200 forms the overlap region 130, 230 with the corresponding contact region 114, 214 of the adjoining degassing unit 100, 200. In particular, the fastening flange 112, 212 engages across the contact region 114, 214, and the fastening dome 110, 210, embodied as a bulge of the rim 94 of the carrier body 31, of one degassing unit 100, 200 snugly engages the contact region 114, 214, embodied as a recess of the rim 94, of the adjoining other degassing unit 100, 200.

[0112] At least one of the degassing units 100, 200 comprises a semipermeable membrane 45 for covering the gas through-opening 36. Advantageously, as a semipermeable membrane 45, a membrane, for example, of extruded PTFE, can be used which is air-permeable, but acts to block water and in this way ensures the pressure compensation for normal pressure fluctuations due to temperature changes, weather changes or different altitudes in mobile use.

[0113] The other degassing units 100, 200 can comprise as a membrane 45 a non-porous membrane 45 which seal-tightly closes the gas through-opening 36 and, in an emergency degassing situation upon strong pressure increase in the battery housing 20, ruptures due to a spike 90 or an intrinsically arranged rated break point of the membrane 45. In this way, advantageously a functional separation of the degassing units 100, 200 can be realized which can contribute to cost savings for the manufacturing costs of the degassing units 100, 200.

[0114] The battery housing 20 which is only schematically indicated in FIG. 11 by connection locations at the ends of the degassing unit assembly 500 comprises a housing 21 comprising the housing opening 24 and enclosing the housing interior 23. The housing opening 24 is covered by the degassing unit assembly 500 which is provided for degassing or for pressure compensation and for substantially water-tight sealing of the housing interior 23 against ingress of water and which is substantially water-tightly connected to the housing 21.