BATTERY HOUSING FOR TRACTION BATTERY HAVING IMPROVED MAINTENANCE POSSIBILITY AND TRACTION BATTERY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A battery housing for a traction battery. The battery housing includes a first housing shell, and a second housing shell which can be connected to the first housing shell, for bounding an interior formed to receive at least one battery module. The first housing shell has a first collar which runs at least partially around the first housing shell. The second housing shell has a second collar which runs at least partially around the second housing shell. The battery housing has at least one connection element having two pressure limbs. The at least one connection element engages around the first collar and the second collar and to clamp by the two pressure limbs of the connection element exerting a normal force on the first collar and on the second collar. The first collar and/or the second collar has at least one first latching means. The connection element has at least one second latching means. The connection element can be latched to the first collar and/or the second collar by means of the first latching means and the second latching means.

Claims

1. A battery housing for a traction battery, the battery housing comprising: a first housing shell, and a second housing shell configured to connect to the first housing shell, for bounding an interior designed to receive at least one battery module, wherein the first housing shell has a first collar which extends at least partially around the first housing shell; wherein the second housing shell has a second collar which extends at least partially around the second housing shell; wherein the battery housing has further comprises at least one connection element having two pressure limbs the at least one connection element being configured to enclose the first collar and the second collar and to clamp the first collar to the second collar via the two pressure limbs of the connection element exerting a normal force on the first collar and on the second collar, wherein the first collar and/or the second collar has at least one first latching means; wherein the connection element has at least one second latching means; and wherein the connection element can be latched to the first collar and/or the second collar by means of the first latching means and the second latching means.

2. The battery housing according to claim 1, wherein the connection element is designed to engage behind the first collar and/or the second collar.

3. The battery housing according to claim 2, wherein: the first latching means is designed as at least one of a latching depression or a latching edge; the second latching means is designed as a latching projection; and the latching projection is configured to engage behind the at least one of the latching depression or the latching edge.

4. The battery housing according to claim 3, wherein the latching projection is formed on at least one of the pressure limbs of the connection element.

5. The battery housing according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the pressure limbs has at least one material recess in which the latching projection is arranged.

6. The battery housing according to claim 4, wherein at least one disassembly opening is formed on one of the pressure limbs.

7. The battery housing according claim 3, wherein the latching projection is plastically or elastically deformable, by means of crimping, into a latching position in which the latching projection engages behind the at least one of the latching depression or the latching edge.

8. The battery housing according to claim 1, wherein: the first pressure limb and the second pressure limb are connected to one another by means of a rear wall; the first latching means is designed as a latching hook; the second latching means is designed as a latching opening in the rear wall; and the latching hook can be guided through the latching opening under elastic deformation of the latching hook by pushing the connection element onto the first and second collars, such that the latching hook engages behind the latching opening.

9. The battery housing according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sealing element which is arranged between the first collar and the second collar.

10. The battery housing according to claim 9, wherein the first collar and/or the second collar has a receiving groove in which the at least one sealing element is arranged.

11. The battery housing according to claim 1, wherein that the first collar and/or the second collar has at least two projections between which the connection element can be positioned, such that a translational displacement of the connection element with respect to the housing shells is prevented.

12. The battery housing according to claim 1, further comprising: a traction battery for a motor vehicle accommodated in the interior of the battery housing.

Description

[0050] Further advantages, details and features of the invention can be found below in the described embodiments. In the drawings, in detail:

[0051] FIG. 1A: is a perspective view of a battery housing according to the invention in the contact region of a first housing shell with a second housing shell;

[0052] FIG. 1B: is a cross section of the cutout shown in FIG. 1A;

[0053] FIG. 2: is a perspective view of a battery housing according to a further embodiment of the present invention, in the contact region of a first housing shell with a second housing shell;

[0054] FIG. 3: is a perspective view of a corner region of a battery housing;

[0055] FIG. 4A: is a perspective view of a corner region of a battery housing according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] FIG. 4B: is a perspective plan view of a region of the battery housing shown in FIG. 4A; and

[0057] FIG. 4C is a cross section of the cutout shown in FIG. 4B.

[0058] In the following description, the same reference signs denote the same components or features, such that a description of a component with reference to a drawing also applies to the other drawings. This avoids repeating the description. Furthermore, individual features that have been described in connection with one embodiment can also be used separately in other embodiments.

[0059] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a battery housing 1 according to the invention in a contact region of a first housing shell 10 with a second housing shell 20. FIG. 1B is a cross section of the portion of the battery housing 1 shown in FIG. 1A.

[0060] The battery housing 1 is designed to receive a traction battery for an electrically drivable motor vehicle. The electrically drivable motor vehicle can be, for example, a purely electrically drivable motor vehicle or a hybrid motor vehicle, in which an internal combustion engine takes over the drive of the motor vehicle, together and/or alternately with an electric motor.

[0061] In a connected state of the first housing shell 10 with the second housing shell 20, the battery housing 1, thus formed, bounds an interior 2 which is designed to receive at least one battery module and preferably to receive a plurality of battery modules.

[0062] As can be seen from FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first housing shell 10 has a first collar 11 which extends at least partially around the first housing shell 10. It can be seen from the figures that the first collar 11 is L-shaped and extends away from the first housing shell 10 to the outside of the battery housing 1. The second housing shell 20 has a second collar 21 which extends at least partially around the second housing shell 20. The second collar 21 also extends away from the second housing shells 20, from the interior 2. In the embodiment shown, the second collar 21 is also L-shaped, with one of the limbs of the second collar 21 together with the housing wall of the second housing shell 20 forming a receiving groove 33 in which, in the embodiment shown, a sealing element 60 is arranged, the sealing element 60 having an X-shaped cross section. In this case, the sealing element 60 is arranged between the first collar 11 and the second collar 21 and is accommodated in the receiving groove 33, such that a defined compression of the sealing element 60 is achieved by bringing together or pushing together the first housing shell 10 and the second housing shell 20.

[0063] The battery housing 1 according to the invention has at least one connection element 40 that has two pressure limbs. In this case, a first pressure limb 41 is connected to a second pressure limb 42 via a common rear wall 43. The connection element 40 consequently has a U-shaped cross section. The connection element 40 can also be referred to as a connecting rail 40 or as a connecting flange 40.

[0064] As can be seen from the figures, the connection element 40 is designed to enclose the first collar 11 and the second collar 21 and to clamp these to one another by the two pressure limbs 41, 42 of the connection element 40 exerting a normal force on the first collar 11 and on the second collar 21. Consequently, the sealing element 60 is compressed by pushing the connection element 40 onto the combined collars 11, 21.

[0065] It can be seen from the figures that a first latching means 30, 31 in the form of a depression 31 is formed on an outer surface of the first collar 11, the depression 31 having a latching edge 31. The second collar 21 also has a first latching means 30, 31 which, in the embodiment shown, is also designed as a latching depression 31 having a latching edge 31.

[0066] In the embodiment shown, the connection element 40 in turn has second latching means 50, 51, the second latching means 51 being designed in the form of latching projections 51. The respective latching projections are formed on the pressure limbs 41, 42 of the connection element 40. More precisely, the first pressure limb 41 has at least one latching projection 51 and the second pressure limb 42 of the connection element 40 also has at least one latching projection 51. It can be seen that, in the assembled state of the battery housing 1 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the connection element 40 can be latched to the first collar 11 and the second collar 21 by means of the latching depressions 31 and by means of the latching projections 51, such that the connection element 40 cannot be pulled off the two collars 11, 21. Consequently, the connection element 40 can be latched to the first collar 11 and to the second collar 21.

[0067] It is further apparent from the figures that both the first pressure limb 41 and the second pressure limb 42 have a plurality of material recesses and 53, in each of which a latching projection 51 is arranged. As a result of the corresponding design, deformation of the latching projection 51 is possible in a simplified manner.

[0068] The latching projections 51 are either preformed in such a way that they are in the latching positions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, or the latching projections 51 are deformed, by a plastic deformation or by crimping, into the position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, after the connection element 40 has been pushed onto the first collar 11 and second collar 22.

[0069] The connection element 40 is consequently designed to engage behind the first collar 11 and the second collar 21. However, it is also possible that the connection element 40 only engages behind the first collar 11 or the second collar 21.

[0070] It can be seen that the connection element 40 and the first collar 11 are spaced apart from one another such that water which has penetrated into an intermediate space between the connection element 40 and the first collar 11 can flow off through gaps, shown in the figures, on the bottom of the connection element 40, and can emerge from the connection element 40 again, out of the recesses 53.

[0071] It can also be seen from FIG. 1A that the connection element 40 has disassembly openings 54 at least on the first pressure limb 41. Corresponding disassembly openings 54 can also be formed on the second pressure limb 42. The respective material recesses 53 are each surrounded by two disassembly openings 54, such that the material recess 53 is arranged between two disassembly openings 54. The disassembly openings 54 are used to disassemble the battery housing 1. For this purpose, a suitable tool or a plurality of suitable tools (for example one or more screwdrivers) is inserted into the disassembly opening 54 or into a plurality of disassembly openings 54 and the connection element 40 is thus displaced relative to the first collar 11 and the second collar 21, such that the latching projection 51 emerges from the latching depression 31, such that the connection element 40 can subsequently be pulled off the first collar 11 and the second collar 21.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery housing 1 according to a further embodiment of the present invention, in the connection region between the first housing shells 10 and the second housing shells 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, too, the first pressure limb 41 is connected to the second pressure limb 42 by means of a rear wall 43, such that the connection element 40 shown in FIG. 2 also has a U-shaped cross section. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first latching means 30 is formed as a latching hook 32, and the second latching means 50, 52 is formed as a latching opening 52 in the rear wall 43 of the connection element 40. The latching hook 32 or the latching hooks 32 can be guided through the respective latching openings 52 under elastic deformation of the respective latching hooks 32 by pushing the connection element 40 onto the first and second collars 11, 21, such that the respective latching hooks 32 engage behind the respective latching openings 52.

[0073] By pressing down the respective latching hooks 32, the latching hooks 32 can be transferred into disengagement with the latching opening 52, such that the connection element 40 can subsequently be pulled off the first collar 11 and the second collar 21.

[0074] The remaining structure of the battery housing 1 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the structure of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, such that reference is made to the description of FIGS. 1A and 1B with regard to the description of the battery housing 1 shown in FIG. 2. The battery housing 1 shown in FIG. 2, however, has no disassembly openings 54.

[0075] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of a further embodiment of a battery housing 1. Here, only a corner region of the battery housing 1 is shown. It can be seen that the first collar 11 has two projections 34. A connection element 40 is located on each of these projections 34, such that the connection elements 40 cannot be displaced in translation with respect to the first collar 11. Preferably, the respective connection elements 40 are arranged between two projections 34, such that a displacement of the connection elements 40 in both directions along the longitudinal extension of the respective first collars 11 is prevented.

[0076] It can also be seen from FIG. 3 that the first housing shells 10 have a plurality of spacers 70 on which the respective connection elements 40 rest. This ensures a defined position of the respective connection elements relative 40 to the first collar 11 and thus also to the second collar 21. Furthermore, the spacers 70 are used as force introduction points for pushing together the first housing shell 10 and the second housing shell 20 when the battery housing is assembled.

[0077] The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be combined with the embodiment that is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

[0078] FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show a battery housing 1 according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C is based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, such that reference is made to the above description with regard to the common features.

[0079] The battery housing 1 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C differs from the battery housing 1 shown in FIG. 3 in that the battery housing 1 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C has retaining clamps 80 by means of which a removal of the connection element 40 or the connection elements 40 from the first collar 11 and/or the second collar 21 is prevented. For this purpose, the retaining clamps 80, which are U-shaped in cross section, each have a latching device 81 on their free limbs. In the embodiment shown, the latching devices 80 are designed as latching strips 81, the present invention not being limited to a corresponding design of the latching devices 81.

[0080] The retaining clamps 80 each enclose a connection element 40, in each case a retaining strip 81 of the retaining clamp 80 engaging in a fastening groove 12 of the first collar 11, and a further retaining strip 81 of the retaining clamp 80 engaging in a fastening groove 22 of the second collar 21, such that the retaining clamp 80 cannot be pulled off the first collar 11 and the second collar 21 as long as the retaining strips 81 engage in the fastening grooves 12, 22.

[0081] It can be seen in particular from FIG. 4B that the fastening grooves 12, 22 are each formed between two spacers 70 on respective outer sides of the first collar 11 and of the second collar 21. Thus, the latching strips 81 are also arranged between two spacers 70 in each case, as a result of which a displacement of the retaining clamps 80 in both directions along the longitudinal extension of the respective first collars 11 and second collars 21 is prevented.

[0082] The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Furthermore, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0083] 1 Battery housing [0084] 2 Interior (of the battery housing) [0085] 10 First housing shell [0086] 11 First collar [0087] 12 Fastening groove (in the first collar) [0088] 20 Second housing shell [0089] 21 Second collar [0090] 22 Fastening groove (in the second collar) [0091] 30 First latching means (of the first or second collar) [0092] 31 Latching depression/latching edge (of the first or second collar) [0093] 32 Latching hook (of the first or second collar) [0094] 33 Receiving groove [0095] 34 Projection [0096] 40 Connection element [0097] 41 First limb/pressure limb (of the connection element) [0098] 42 Second limb/pressure limb (of the connection element) [0099] 43 Rear wall (of the connection element) [0100] 50 Second latching means (of the connection element) [0101] 51 Latching projection (of the connection element) [0102] 52 Latching opening (of the connection element) [0103] 53 Material recess [0104] 54 Disassembly opening [0105] 60 Sealing element [0106] 70 Spacer [0107] 80 Retaining clamp [0108] 81 Latching device/latching strip/latching arm (of the retaining clamp)