Air Displacer, Traction Battery, Production Method and Motor Vehicle

Abstract

An air displacer for a traction battery of a motor vehicle is configured such that, in the installed state in a battery housing of the traction battery, it at least partially fills a free volume in the battery housing and thereby at least partially displaces air in the battery housing in the event of heat generation inside the housing. The air displacer includes a vacuum bag; a foam that can be expanded using air, which is arranged in the vacuum bag; and a manually opening air inlet point. The air displacer can be transferred from an initial state in which the vacuum bag is evacuated in the closed state of the air inlet point and the foam in the vacuum bag is compressed, into an end state provided for the installed state in which air flows through the vacuum bag by manually opening the air inlet point and the foam is thereby expanded.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. An air displacer for a traction battery of a motor vehicle, the air displacer comprising: a vacuum bag, a foam, which is expandable by air and is arranged in the vacuum bag, and a manually openable air inlet point, by way of which the vacuum bag is at least partially evacuatable and is floodable with air, wherein the air displacer is transferrable from an initial state in which the vacuum bag is evacuated in a closed state of the air inlet point and the foam located in the vacuum bag is compressed, into an end state which is intended for the installed state and in which the vacuum bag is flooded with air by manual opening of the air inlet point and as a result the foam is expanded, wherein the air displacer is configured such that, in an installed state in a battery housing of the traction battery, the air displacer is intended to at least partially fill a free volume in the battery housing and thereby at least partially displace air in the battery housing in an event of heat generation inside the battery housing.

11. The air displacer according to claim 10, wherein: the vacuum bag is formed from a plastic sheet.

12. The air displacer according to claim 10, wherein: the vacuum bag is formed from a heat-resistant material to prevent air from being released from the vacuum bag in a case of heat generation.

13. The air displacer according to claim 10, wherein: the foam is formed as at least partially skinned to prevent air from escaping in an expanded state of the foam.

14. The air displacer according to claim 10, wherein: the air inlet point is formed as a manually activatable valve.

15. The air displacer according to claim 14, wherein: the valve has a valve body and a valve seat arranged on the vacuum bag, and the valve body and the valve seat are connected by way of a bayonet closure.

16. A traction battery for a motor vehicle, the traction battery comprising: a battery housing, multiple components which are arranged in the battery housing, and at least one air displacer according to claim 10, wherein the air displacer is arranged in a free volume, not required by the components, in the battery housing and is thereby in the end state.

17. A method for producing the traction battery according to claim 16, the method comprising: providing the air displacer in the initial state, arranging the components in the battery housing, introducing the air displacer into the battery housing, before or after introducing the air displacer, manually opening the air inlet point to provide the final state of the air displacer by flooding the vacuum bag with air to expand the foam, wherein the air displacer in the end state and in the installed state at least partially fills the free volume in the battery housing.

18. A motor vehicle composing the traction battery according to claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a traction battery of a motor vehicle.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of an air displacer for the traction battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the figures, elements that are the same or functionally the same are provided with the same designations.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a traction battery 1 for an electrically drivable motor vehicle. The traction battery 1 has a battery housing 2, in which multiple components 3, for example battery modules, are arranged. In order to fill a free volume 4, which is defined by free spaces between the components 3 and between the components 3 and the battery housing 2, and thereby be able to displace air located in the volume 4, the traction battery 1 has an air displacer 5, which is also shown in FIG. 2. The air displacer 5 has a vacuum bag 6 and a foam 7, which is arranged in the vacuum bag 6. In FIG. 2, the air displacer 5 is shown in an end state, in which an interior space of the vacuum bag 6 is filled with air and as a result the foam is expanded. The air displacer 5 may also be in an initial state, in which the interior space of the vacuum bag 6 is at least partially evacuated and the foam 7 is thereby compressed. Since the air displacer 5 has a smaller packing size in the initial state than in the end state, it can be stored and transported in a particularly space-saving manner.

[0024] The air displacer 5 assumes the end state in the installed state in the battery housing 4. In the end state or inflated state, the air displacer 5 may have any desired geometry, in order to be able to fill the free volume 4 in the battery housing 2 as completely as possible. In order to be able to transfer the air displacer 5 from the initial state into the end state, the vacuum bag 6 has an air inlet point 8, by way of which the interior space of the vacuum bag 6 can be flooded with air. The air inlet point 8 is designed in such a way that it can be opened manually, for example by an assembly operative. For example, the air inlet point 8 may be opened by deliberately destroying a region of the vacuum bag 6. As an alternative to this, the air inlet point 8 is formed as a valve 9, which can be manually opened. For example, the valve 9 may have a bayonet closure. By way of the manually opened valve 9, air can flow into the vacuum bag 6, and so the air displacer 5 can inflate. The air displacer 5 is in particular designed such that in the inflated state no air or only little air can leave the interior space of the vacuum bag 6, in order not to supply oxygen to a fire developing in the battery housing 2. For this purpose, the vacuum bag 6, the valve 9 and the foam 7 are in particular formed from fire-resistant materials.