FORCE MEASUREMENT MODULE FOR CAPTURING A FORCE, AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A FORCE

Abstract

A force measurement module for determining of a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing includes a housing having a shape and external dimensions substantially of the battery module and at least one force sensor arranged in the housing. The at least one force sensor is configured to determine a force when installing the housing into the battery housing. Furthermore, a method for determining a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing is provided.

Claims

1. A force measurement module for determining of a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing, the force measurement module comprising: a housing having a shape and a plurality of external dimensions substantially of the battery module; and at least one force sensor arranged in the housing and configured to determine a force when installing the housing into the battery housing.

2. The force measurement module according to claim 1, wherein the shape and the external dimensions of the housing are adaptable to the shape and to the external dimensions of the battery module.

3. The force measurement module according to claim 1 wherein the at least one force sensor includes at least two force sensors arranged as being spatially distributed in the housing and each is configured to determine the force when installing the housing into the battery housing.

4. The force measurement module according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a device configured to screw the force measurement module to at least one of the battery housing or a cover, wherein the at least one force sensor is configured to determine the force on the force measurement module when screwing the force measurement module to the at least one of the battery housing or the cover.

5. The force measurement module according to claim 1, further comprising a data processing unit configured to determine and evaluate a force sensor signal from the at least one force sensor.

6. The force measurement module according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface comprising a WLAN-interface, wherein the WLAN-interface is configured to transmit data from the force measurement module to an additional data processing unit.

7. The force measurement module according to claim 1, further comprising a receptacle with a power supply configured to supply electrical energy to the force measurement module.

8. A method for determining a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing, the method comprising: provisioning of a force measurement module, wherein the force measurement module includes a housing having substantially same external dimensions of the battery module and at least one force sensor arranged in the housing and configured to determine a force; installing the force measurement module into the battery housing; and determining, via the force sensor, a first force when installing the force measurement module into the battery housing.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the force is determined when the force measurement module is being screwed into at least one of the battery housing or a cover.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: determining a shape and a plurality of external dimensions of the battery module; and adapting a shape and a plurality of external dimensions of the housing of the force measurement module to the shape and external dimensions of the battery module before installing of the force measurement module into the battery housing.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0032] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 is an exploded representation of a force measurement module, according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of a force measurement module of a first variation, according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective representation of a force measurement module with a battery compartment of the first variation, according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a base surface with a force sensor and a middle part during the press-down of the force measurement module, according to the teachings of the present disclosure; and

[0037] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a method for determining a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing, according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0038] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0040] FIG. 1 depicts a force measurement module according to a first variation of the present disclosure in an exploded representation.

[0041] The force measurement module 100 comprises a base surface 101. According to the first variation, the base surface is connected to a middle part 102 by means of three force sensors 104. The three force sensors 104 are arranged in a triangular shape on the base surface 101 and are attached to the middle part 102. Within the scope of an evaluation of the forces and force-changes measured by the force sensors 104, a spatial stress distribution can be calculated, based on an averaging of the particular forces and force-changes with respect to the surface in between and with respect to the positions of the force sensors 104. In an additional variation, more than three force sensors 104 are arranged on the base surface 101 in a different spatial distribution, wherein the most different spatial distributions are possible and enable corresponding methods of evaluation at the positions of the force sensors 104.

[0042] A replaceable storage battery 105 is arranged on the middle part 102 and supplies the force measurement module 100 with electric power. A warning display 112 which is likewise arranged on the middle part 102, indicates when the storage battery 105 needs to be replaced. Two ventilators as heat exchangers 106 are likewise arranged on and attached to the middle part 102. In an additional variation of the present disclosure, more than two ventilators 106 are attached to the middle part 102. The ventilators 106 shield the force measurement module 100 against overheating and dissipate the heat generated during operation, or keep the temperature of the force measurement module 100 to a predetermined temperature; in one form to the temperature of the associated battery module 113 (not illustrated in FIG. 1) during the pressing and screwing process.

[0043] In addition, an on/off flip switch 108 and a wireless interface 107 are arranged on the middle part 102. The on/off flip switch 108 is used to switch the force measurement module 100 on and off; one form within the scope of an automated installation of the force measurement module 100 into a battery housing. According to the first variation, the wireless interface 107 is a WLAN interface. The force measurement module can be connected to an external data processing unit over the wireless interface 107.

[0044] Furthermore, an additional data processing unit 111 is built into the middle part 102 and is connected to a measurement amplifier 110 over a data network. The data processing unit 111 records the measured values measured by the particular force sensors 104 in real time, analyzes them and calculates the resulting forces and/or force-changes. Based on the calculated forces and/or force-changes, information is derived about the quality and occurring internal stresses when pressing down and screwing on the force measurement module 100. The measurement amplifier 110 is likewise arranged on the middle part 102. The measurement accuracy of the force sensors 104 is increased by the measurement amplifier 110.

[0045] The force measurement module 100 further comprises a cover 103 which shields the force measurement module 100 against damage and contamination.

[0046] FIG. 2 depicts the force measurement module 100 in a perspective representation according to the first variation.

[0047] The base surface 101, the middle part 102 and the cover 103 of the force measurement module 100 are secured by means of screws. The housing of the force measurement module 100 corresponds to the shape and external dimensions of the battery module 113 to be installed.

[0048] FIG. 3 depicts the force measurement module 100 with a battery compartment 114 according to the first variation in a perspective illustration.

[0049] The base surface 101 of the force measurement module 100 is mounted in a floating manner in the battery compartment 114, since a gap filler 115 is applied in the battery compartment 114 before pressing in the force measurement module 100. In one variation, the gap filler 115 is applied in a strip shape onto the base of the battery compartment 114. The battery compartment 114 comprises a plurality of screw-down lashings 116. The force measurement module 100 is screwed onto the battery housing with the aid of the screw-down lashings. Thus the force measurement module 100 can be installed each individually into an associated battery compartment 114, so that immediately thereafter the associated battery module 113 is pressed into and screwed into the force measurement module 100 under consideration of the measured forces and force-changes. This procedure provides that the interior stresses inside the associated battery module 113 of the particular battery compartment 114 are reduced. Alternatively the present disclosure provides that in a first step, all battery compartments 114 of the battery housing are each populated with force measurement modules 100 and screwed down and then the force measurement modules 100 are again removed individually from the battery compartments 114 and replaced by associated battery modules 113, wherein the particular battery module 113 is pressed down and screwed down based on the measured forces and/or force-changes of the force measurement module 100 allocated to the particular battery compartment 114. The advantage of this procedure is that the interior stresses inside the entire battery housing are reduced, and not only relative to a particular battery compartment 114.

[0050] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional representation of the base surface with the force sensor 104 and the middle part 102 according to a second variation during the pressing of the force measurement module 100.

[0051] The force sensor 104 is attached with screws 118 to the middle part 102. According to the second variation, the base surface 101 comprises a cover 119. In addition, the force sensor 104 is secured with shoulder screws 117 to the base surface 101. Only the tip of the screw neck of the shoulder screw 117 has threading. The remaining portion of the screw neck features a smooth surface, so that the shoulder screw 117 can be moved linearly in a screw hole. The base surface 101 is attached to the middle part 102 only by means of the shoulder screws 117 and the force sensor 104. When pressing down the force measurement module 100, the shoulder screw 117 is pressed into the screw hole. Likewise in FIG. 4 the flow of force 120 during the pressing of the force measurement module 100 is illustrated in the form of lines. The forces are transferred via the screws 118 and the force sensor 104.

[0052] FIG. 5 provides a schematic illustration of a method for determining a force when installing a battery module into a battery housing.

[0053] In a first step (S1) the force measurement module 100 is made ready with the housing. The force measurement module 100 has the shape and external dimensions of the battery module 113 or is adapted to the shape and external dimensions of the particular battery module to be installed.

[0054] In a second step (S2) a gap filler 115 is applied to the base surface of the battery compartment 114.

[0055] In a third step (S3) the force measurement module 100 is installed into the battery compartment 114 of the battery housing. The force measurement module 100 is installed into the battery compartment 114 by using a tool grasper.

[0056] In a fourth step (S4) the forces and/or the force-changes upon installing the force measurement module 100 into the battery compartment 114 are determined by the force sensors 104. The force measurement module 100 experiences a compression force when installed into the battery compartment 114. According to this variation, three force sensors 104 are arranged on the base surface 101 of the force measurement module 100. The individual forces and/or force-changes of the particular force sensors 104 are measured. The data processing unit 111 records the measured value in real time and calculates the resulting force when pressing the force measurement module 100 into the battery compartment 114.

[0057] In a fifth step (S5) the forces occurring when screwing on the force measurement module 100 to the battery housing and at one cover of the battery housing are determined by the force sensors 104. In an additional variation the forces are determined when screwing the force measurement module 100 to the battery housing or to one cover of the battery housing.

[0058] In a sixth step (S6) the force measurement module 100 is removed from the battery compartment 114 using a tool grasper and then the battery module 113 is installed into the battery housing. The values previously measured by the force sensors 104 of the force measurement module 100 are taken into account when installing the battery module.

[0059] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0060] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0061] The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to execute one or more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into the computer programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0062] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.