Abstract
A housing, in particular a battery housing, includes a wall, wherein the wall is formed, at least is some areas, from a multi-layered material. The wall encompasses an arrangement area which is formed by bending the material.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A battery housing, comprising: a wall, wherein the wall is formed at least in certain regions from a multi-layered material, and wherein the wall encloses an arrangement space, which arrangement space is formed by bending the multi-layered material.
17. The housing according to claim 16, wherein the multi-layered material is in a form of a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped starting material.
18. The housing according to claim 16, wherein the multi-layered material is a laminate, comprising at least two plies, a first ply is based on a metallic material, and a second ply is based on a plastics material.
19. The housing according to claim 18, wherein the metallic material is aluminum.
20. The housing according to claim 18, wherein the wall is configured such that an inner ply adjoining the arrangement space is the first ply, and an outwardly directed outer ply is the second ply.
21. The housing according to claim 16, wherein the material is a composite aluminum plate.
22. The housing according to claim 18, wherein the wall has at least one joint, and one or more plies of the material are connected/joined in a materially bonded manner at the at least one joint.
23. The housing according to claim 18, wherein the plies in the wall are configured so as to be closed in a continuous/encircling manner.
24. The housing according to claim 22, wherein the material is joined in a mitered manner at the at least one joint.
25. The housing according to claim 16, further comprising: a cover which is configured to close an opening of the housing, wherein the cover is formed from the multi-layered material.
26. The housing according to claim 25, wherein the cover bears against the opening in a form-fitting manner such that the plies of the material are closed in a continuous/encircling manner.
27. A battery cell comprising a housing according to claim 16.
28. The battery cell according to claim 27, wherein plies of the wall are connected to different potentials of the battery cell.
29. A method for producing a housing of a battery cell, the method comprising the steps of: providing a multi-layered material; and forming an arrangement space by bending the multi-layered material.
30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of: introducing fold lines and/or slits into the multi-layered material prior to forming a wall of the housing by bending the multi-layered material to form the arrangement space.
31. The method according to claim 28, the method uses a composite aluminum plate as the multi-layered material.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 shows three embodiments of materials, bent to form housings;
[0035] FIG. 2 shows a schematic depiction of one embodiment of a housing;
[0036] FIG. 3 shows a further schematic depiction of one embodiment of a housing;
[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of one embodiment of a starting material prior to the bending to form a housing, and also corresponding detail views;
[0038] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a starting material; and
[0039] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a starting material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0040] FIG. 1 shows, in the left-hand image half, three different embodiments of materials 10 or starting materials. The materials 10 are each of multi-layered form. A first ply 11 is formed for example from aluminum or an aluminum alloy. A second ply 12 is formed for example from a plastics material, such as PP or PE. The materials 10 or the starting materials are bent to form housings, as are depicted in the right-hand image half. Reference designation 20 in this case denotes the wall of the respective housing. Arrangement spaces A are provided for the arrangement of the electrical components of the battery cell, such as the electrodes, etc. The uppermost variant on the right shows one embodiment in which the wall 20 has an aluminum ply on its inner side and an insulation ply on the outer side. This configuration is optimal particularly for lithium-ion cells. Alternatively, it is also possible to realize an embodiment as illustrated in the middle on the right. Further alternatively, particular preference is given to a three-layered or multi-layered starting material, such as for example a composite aluminum plate, see the embodiment at the bottom or at the bottom right. For example, the metallic plies are preferably set to different potentials of the battery cell.
[0041] FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of a housing, comprising a wall 20 composed of a multi-layered material, in particular composed of a three-layered material, wherein the wall 20 encloses an arrangement space A. The wall 20 also forms an opening 24, wherein said opening is closed or can be closed by means of a cover element 26. The right-hand image half shows a closed illustration. FIG. 2 shows in particular that the cover element 26 is advantageously formed from the same starting material or from the same material as the wall 20 of the housing itself. In this case, the opening 24 and the cover element 26 are formed congruently with respect to one another such that the plies are configured so as to be closed in an encircling manner in the closed state of the housing, see the right-hand image half.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a housing, wherein the essential features are known from FIG. 2. Here, it is merely a contact point between an opening 24 of the wall 20 and the cover element 26 that is configured differently. Here, the individual plies bear against one another in abutting fashion and not in a mitered manner or at a 45° angle as in FIG. 2. However, the advantageous, encircling ply structure can also be realized in this way.
[0043] FIG. 4 shows, in its left-hand image half, one embodiment 10 of an, in particular plate-like, material 10. Here, a starting material has already been cut to size such that all the parts of the subsequent housing can be seen. These are, in particular, a base 28 and corresponding side walls 30 of the subsequent housing. Reference designation 14 denotes bend or fold lines along which the material 10 is folded in a subsequent method step. A cover element 26 has already been cut out, too. If the material 10 or the starting material is then bent via the fold lines 14, that is to say in particular the side walls 30 are bent upward, in particular “folded” in the embodiment illustrated here, through 90° out of the plane of the drawing, a housing as illustrated at the top in the right-hand image half is advantageously produced. Here, a plan view of the housing is illustrated. The cover element 26 has not yet been arranged, with the result that an arrangement space A is visible. In the present case, the starting material has been formed to form a prismatic housing, which has four vertically extending edges. In the present case, the material 10 is connected/joined at the edges. The circle focuses on one of the edges of the housing: what is illustrated is that an edge may have a plurality of joints 22, to which the various plies of the material 10 are connected, in particular joined. In particular, the individual plies of the material 10 may be joined to one another. Preference is given for example to joining methods which produce a material bond, for example welding or adhesive bonding, depending on the material. The left-hand example shows that the material bears against the edge in a mitered manner, while said material is joined in abutting fashion in the right-hand image half. In both cases, however, the plies of the material are maintained in a continuous or encircling form, such that for example an insulating effect optimally remains unchanged. The starting material may be formed such that the base 28 comprises only one ply, in particular for example a metallic ply. The housing consequently has a metal base.
[0044] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a material 10 or a starting material, wherein, here, a folding arrangement is constructed differently to in FIG. 4. In particular, in this embodiment, the material 10 or the starting material also comprises a cover element 26, which is virtually not in the form of a separate part.
[0045] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a material 10 or a starting material and shows a further bending or folding arrangement. Reference designation 28 denotes a base, which is connected via a fold line to a side wall 30. Arranged on this side wall 30 are the further side walls 30 which, after a corresponding bending or folding process, are then each connected to the base 28. Here, the great flexibility of the manufacturing method becomes apparent.
LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS
[0046] 10 Material [0047] 11 First ply [0048] 12 Second ply [0049] 13 Third ply [0050] 14 Fold line [0051] 20 Wall [0052] 22 Joint [0053] 24 Opening [0054] 26 Cover element [0055] 28 Base [0056] 30 Side wall [0057] 60 Arrangement space
