Protective Unit for a Battery Module of a High-Voltage Battery, Battery Module, and High-Voltage Battery

Abstract

A protective unit is provided for a battery module of a high-voltage battery of a motor vehicle for electrically insulating cell housings of prismatic battery cells of the battery module, which battery cells are stacked to form a cell stack. A cell-contacting system of the battery module interconnects the battery cells by electrically connecting cell terminals of the battery cells. The protective unit includes a pre-formed intermediate layer made of an electrically insulating material, which intermediate layer can be applied to a side of the cell stack having the cell terminals and can be arranged between the side of the cell stack having the cell terminals and the cell-contacting system. The intermediate layer has a number of cut-outs which corresponds to the number of cells terminals. The cut-outs are provided for the feeding through of the cell terminals when the intermediate layer is applied to the cell stack.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A protective unit for a battery module of a high-voltage battery of a motor vehicle for electrically insulating cell housings of prismatic battery cells of the battery module, which are stacked to form a cell stack, and a cell-contacting system of the battery module that interconnects the battery cells by electrically connecting cell terminals of the battery cells, comprising: a preformed intermediate layer made from an electrically insulating material, which intermediate layer is placeable onto a side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals so as to be arranged between the side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals and the cell-contacting system, wherein the intermediate layer has a number of cutouts, corresponding to a number of cell terminals, through which the cell terminals are routed when the intermediate layer is placed onto the cell stack.

12. The protective unit according to claim 11, wherein external dimensions of the intermediate layer form a rectangle and correspond to external dimensions of a rectangular side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals, so that, in the state arranged on the side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals, the intermediate layer completely covers a region of the side that is formed by housing walls of the cell housings.

13. The protective unit according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from an electrically insulating plastic.

14. The protective unit according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate layer is an electrically insulating perforated plate or perforated film.

15. The protective unit according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate layer has a number of openings, corresponding to a number of degassing openings of the battery cells, that are able to be arranged flush with the degassing openings of the battery cells when the intermediate layer is arranged on the side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals.

16. The protective unit according to claim 11, further comprising: a heat-resistant protective mat secured to the intermediate layer and able to be arranged so as to pass over degassing openings of the battery cells when the intermediate layer is arranged on the side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals.

17. The protective unit according to claim 16, wherein the heat-resistant protective mat is in strip-shaped form and extends over a length of the intermediate layer.

18. The protective unit according to claim 17, wherein the heat-resistant protective mat is formed from a glass fiber material.

19. The protective unit according to claim 16, wherein the heat-resistant protective mat is formed from a glass fiber material.

20. A battery module for a high-voltage battery of a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one cell stack comprising prismatic battery cells; a cell-contacting system for making contact with cell terminals of the battery cells; and a protective unit according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate layer is arranged between the side of the cell stack that has the cell terminals and the cell-contacting system.

21. A high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle comprising at least one battery module according to claim 20.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a first embodiment of a battery module according to the invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a second embodiment of a battery module according to the invention.

[0022] In the figures, elements that are the same and that have the same function are provided with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show exploded views of a battery module 1 for a high-voltage battery, not shown here, of an electrically propelled motor vehicle. The battery module 1 here has two cell stacks 2 comprising prismatic battery cells 3 stacked against one another in a stack direction S. The cell stacks 2 here are arranged beside one another at right angles to the stack direction S. Each cell stack 2 here is surrounded by a cell module frame 4. The cell module frame 4 has two pressure plates 5, only one of which is shown here, which are arranged on two opposite sides of the cell stack 2 in the stack direction S. To clamp the battery cells 3 inside the cell stack 2, the pressure plates 5 are connected to one another by means of tie rods 6, which are arranged on side regions of the cell stack 2 that are opposite at right angles to the stack direction S.

[0024] The battery cells 3 have cell housings 7 made from an electrically conductive material, for example aluminum, and cell terminals 8, 9, which are arranged on a housing wall of the cell housing 7, here on a housing cover 10. The housing covers 10 and the cell terminals 8, 9 of a cell stack 2 here form a cell terminal side 11 of the cell stack 2. The cell terminals 8 may be positive poles of the battery cells 3 and the cell terminals 9 may be negative poles of the battery cells 3, for example. The cell terminals 8, 9 here extend in the stack direction S in two rows running parallel to one another. To interconnect the battery cells 3 in accordance with a predetermined configuration, the cell terminals 8, 9 of the battery cells 3 are electrically connected to one another by means of a cell-contacting system 12. Here, three adjoining battery cells 3 of a cell stack 2 are each connected in parallel and the parallel connections are connected in series. To this end, the cell-contacting system 12 has an electrically insulating support in the form of a frame 13, which holds electrically conductive cell connectors 14. When the frame 13 is arranged on the cell terminal side 11 of the cell stack 2, the cell connectors 14 are placed on the cell terminals 8, 9 such that the predetermined configuration is obtained.

[0025] In the event of an accident involving the motor vehicle, the battery module 1 may now be deformed. The deformation can result in the cell-contacting system 12 moving or being deformed relative to the cell terminal side 11 and therefore in the cell connectors 14 no longer being arranged on the cell terminals 8, 9. In order to prevent the cell connectors 14 from touching the electrically conductive housing covers 10, the battery module 1 has a protective unit 15. The protective unit 15 has a preformed intermediate layer 16 or insulating mat made from an electrically insulating material. The intermediate layer 16 can be a plastic film or plastic plate, for example. The intermediate layer 16 has cutouts 17 that correspond to the cell terminals 8, 9. When the intermediate layer 16 is put onto the cell terminal side 11 of the cell stack 2, the cell terminals 8, 9 are routed through the cutouts 17 and the intermediate layer 16 is arranged on the electrically conductive housing covers 10 of the battery cells 3. After the intermediate layer 16 has been arranged on the cell terminal side 11 of the cell stack 2, the cell-contacting system 12 can be put onto the intermediate layer 16. If the cell-contacting system 12 now moves relative to the cell terminal side 11, the cell connectors 14 touch only the electrically insulating intermediate layer 16. An unwanted electrical connection to the electrically conductive cell housings 7 of the battery cells 3 is prevented.

[0026] In the embodiment of the battery module 1 shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate layer 16 additionally has openings 18 that correspond to degassing openings 19 of the battery cells 3. Through the degassing openings 19, hot gas can escape from the cell housing 7 in the event of an emergency degassing of the battery cells 3. In the fault-free state of the battery cells 3, the degassing opening 19 is covered by a bursting membrane that seals the cell housing 7 in gas-tight fashion. In the event of damage, the bursting membrane tears on account of the internal pressure rising in the cell housing 7 and clears the degassing opening 19. In the state in which the intermediate layer 16 is arranged on the cell terminal side 11, the openings 18 are arranged flush with the degassing openings 19. The hot gas can therefore escape via the degassing openings 19 of the cell housings 7, the openings 18 in the intermediate layer 16 and holes 20 in the frame 13 of the cell-contacting system 12 into a receiving space of a battery housing in which the battery module 1 is arranged.

[0027] In the embodiment of the battery module 1 shown in FIG. 2, the protective unit 15 has a heat-resistant protective mat 21, which is in strip-shaped form here. The protective mat 21 here is integrated in the intermediate layer 16 and arranged between the two rows with the cutouts 19. The protective mat 21 covers the openings 18 and is therefore placed in the region of the degassing openings 19. The protective mat 21 is formed from a glass fiber composite material, for example. The protective mat 21 protects current-carrying components of the high-voltage battery from the hot gas and additionally prevents fire and flames from leaving the battery housing.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0028] 1 battery module [0029] 2 cell stack [0030] 3 battery cell [0031] 4 cell module frame [0032] 5 pressure plate [0033] 6 tie rod [0034] 7 cell housing [0035] 8 cell terminal [0036] 9 cell terminal [0037] 10 housing cover [0038] 11 cell terminal side [0039] 12 cell-contacting system [0040] 13 frame [0041] 14 cell connector [0042] 15 protective unit [0043] 16 intermediate layer [0044] 17 cutouts [0045] 18 openings [0046] 19 degassing openings [0047] 20 holes [0048] 21 protective mat [0049] S stack direction.