DE-102024132901-A1 - Electrical energy storage device, electrical appliance system and method for manufacturing an electrical energy storage device

DE102024132901A1DE 102024132901 A1DE102024132901 A1DE 102024132901A1DE-102024132901-A1

Abstract

Inventors

Lukas Julian Demele
Mark Heilig
Philipp Eilmann
Timotheus Jahnke

Assignees

Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241111

Claims (20)

Electrical energy storage device (12), in particular in the form of a battery pack (26), comprising at least one electrical energy storage cell (32), in particular a plurality of electrical energy storage cells (32), in particular in the form of rechargeable battery cells (34), wherein the electrical energy storage device (12) comprises a housing (28) and wherein the at least one electrical energy storage cell (32) is received in a receiving space (30) defined by the housing (28), wherein the housing (28) comprises at least a first housing part (38) and at least a second housing part (40), wherein the electrical energy storage device (12) comprises a control and/or regulating device (44) for controlling and/or regulating the charging and/or discharging of the at least one electrical energy storage cell (32), wherein the control and/or regulating device (44) is received in the first housing part (38) and is at least partially, in particular completely, encased therein with a hardened potting material (50) forming a potting body (48). is, wherein a housing sealing element (52) is arranged or formed between the first housing part (38) and the second housing part (40) for sealing the receiving space (30), characterized in that the housing sealing element (52) is formed from the potting material (50).
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the potting body (48) and the housing sealing element (52) are monolithic.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sealing element receptacle (66) is formed between the first housing part (38) and the second housing part (40), that the first housing part (38) comprises a first sealing element contact surface (68), that the second housing part (40) comprises a second sealing element contact surface (70), and that the housing sealing element (52) is in contact with the first sealing element contact surface (68) and the second sealing element contact surface (70).
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 3 , characterized in that the housing (28) defines an inner housing surface (72) limiting the receiving space (30), that the inner housing surface (72) is partially enclosed by the first housing part (38) and partially by the second housing part (40), and that the inner housing surface (72) is interrupted all around by the sealing element receptacle (66).
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 3 or 4 , characterized in that the sealing element receptacle (66) a) is only open in the direction towards the receiving space (30) and/or b) defines a sealing element receptacle volume, that the housing sealing element (52) defines a housing sealing element volume and that the housing sealing element volume is smaller than the sealing element receptacle volume.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the Claims 3 until 5 , characterized in that the sealing element receptacle (66) is only partially filled with the housing sealing element (52) to form a sealing element receptacle cavity (76), wherein in particular a cavity volume of the sealing element receptacle cavity (76) is smaller than the housing sealing element volume, wherein further in particular a ratio between cavity volume and housing sealing element volume is in a range of about 1:20 to about 1:2, in particular in a range of about 1:15 to about 1:10.
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the sealing element receiving cavity (76) is limited by the housing sealing element (52), by the first housing part (38) and by the second housing part (40).
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the Claims 3 until 7 , characterized in that the sealing element receptacle (66) is designed in the form of a gap (78), wherein in particular the gap (78) comprises a first gap section (80) extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the inner surface (72) of the housing.
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the first gap section (80) defines a gap plane (86), that the potting body (48) defines a potting body surface (88) pointing towards the second housing part (40), and that the potting body surface (88) extends parallel or substantially parallel to the gap plane (86), wherein in particular an end surface (90) of the housing sealing element (52) limiting the sealing element receiving cavity (76) defines an end surface plane (92), and that the end surface plane (92) extends parallel or substantially parallel to the gap plane (86) and/or parallel or substantially parallel to the potting body surface (88), wherein in particular the potting body surface (88) extends between the gap plane (86) and the end surface plane (92).
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 8 or 9 characterized by the fact that the gap (78) comprises a second gap section (82) extending parallel or substantially parallel to the inner surface (72) of the housing, wherein in particular the second gap section (82) extends away from the potting body (48) in a direction.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the Claims 8 until 10 , characterized in that the gap (78) defines a gap width (84) and that the gap width (84) has a value in a range of about 0.2 mm to about 7 mm.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first housing part (38) comprises a first stop surface (54), that the second housing part (40) comprises a second stop surface (56) and that the first stop surface (54) directly abuts the second stop surface (56), wherein in particular the sealing element receptacle (66) is closed by the second stop surface (56).
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the potting material is a plastic or contains a plastic, wherein in particular the plastic is a flowable, fully curing plastic for processing, wherein in particular the plastic is or contains a resin, polyurethane, polyepoxide and/or silicone.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first housing part (38) and the second housing part (40) a) engage by force and/or form locking and/or b) are connected to each other without screws.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical energy storage device (12) has at least two connection contacts (96) and that the at least two connection contacts (96) are led out of the housing (28) in a sealed manner through at least one, in particular only one, connection contact opening (98), wherein in particular the at least one connection contact opening (98) is limited by a support element (46) of the control and/or regulating device (44) and that the at least one connection contact opening (98) is surrounded by a penetration sealing element (102) which abuts the first housing part (38) and the support element (46).
Electrical energy storage device according to Claim 15 , characterized in that the penetration sealing element (102) is formed from an elastic and/or flexible sealing element material, in particular an elastic polymer, further in particular from a natural or synthetic polymer, further in particular from rubber, polyvinyl acetate (PVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene-based (PTFA) or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or containing such.
Electrical energy storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one vent opening (104) is arranged or formed on the housing (28), in particular on the second housing part (40), and that the at least one vent opening (104) is closed fluid-tight with at least one closure element (110), wherein in particular the closure element (110) is a) designed in the form of a pressure relief valve and/or b) is connected to the housing (28) by force and/or form and/or material interlock.
Electrical appliance system (10) comprising at least one battery-operated electrical appliance (14), in particular in the form of a power tool, a household or garden appliance (24), and at least one electrical energy storage device (12) for supplying the at least one electrical appliance (14) with electrical energy, characterized in that the electrical energy storage device (12) is designed in the form of an electrical energy storage device (12) according to one of the preceding claims.
Electrical appliance system according to Claim 18 , characterized in that a) the battery-operated household or garden appliance (24) is designed in the form of a cleaning appliance, in particular in the form of a floor cleaning appliance, a vacuum cleaner, a high-pressure cleaner, a steam cleaner, a sweeper, a saw, a blower, a lawnmower or a hedge trimmer and/or b) the battery-operated electrical appliance (14) is designed to be operated with at least one, in particular with only one, with two, three, four or more electrical energy storage devices (12).
Electrical appliance system according to Claim 18 or 19 , characterized in that the at least one electrical energy storage device (12) can be optionally coupled with different battery-operated electrical devices (14).

Description

The invention relates to an electrical energy storage device, in particular in the form of a battery pack, comprising at least one electrical energy storage cell, in particular a plurality of electrical energy storage cells, in particular in the form of rechargeable battery cells, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises a housing and wherein the at least one electrical energy storage cell is received in a receiving space defined by the housing, wherein the housing comprises at least a first housing part and at least a second housing part, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises a control and/or regulating device for controlling and/or regulating the charging and/or discharging of the at least one electrical energy storage cell, wherein the control and/or regulating device is received in the first housing part and is at least partially, in particular completely, encased therein with a cured potting material forming a potting body, wherein a housing sealing element is arranged or formed between the first housing part and the second housing part for sealing the receiving space. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electrical appliance system comprising at least one battery-operated electrical appliance, in particular in the form of a power tool, a household or garden appliance, and at least one electrical energy storage device for supplying the at least one electrical appliance with electrical energy. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrical energy storage device, in particular in the form of a battery pack, which comprises at least one electrical energy storage cell, in particular a plurality of electrical energy storage cells, in particular in the form of rechargeable battery cells, wherein the electrical energy storage device comprises a housing, in which the method of inserting the at least one electrical energy storage cell into a receiving space defined by the housing, wherein at least one first housing part and at least one second housing part are provided for forming the housing, a control and/or regulating device for controlling and/or regulating the charging and/or discharging of the at least one electrical energy storage cell is inserted into the first housing part and is at least partially, in particular completely, encased therein with a potting material forming a potting body, wherein a housing sealing element is arranged or formed between the first housing part and the second housing part for sealing the receiving space. Electrical energy storage devices for use in conjunction with battery-powered electrical appliances are known in a variety of forms. Examples are found particularly in the EP 2 224 513 B1 This publication also describes how to encapsulate a control and/or regulating device of the electrical energy storage device with a potting material which hardens after potting and thus forms a potting body protecting the control and/or regulating device. To protect the electrical energy storage device and, in particular, the components thereof contained in the housing from environmental influences, the housing is preferably sealed. It is an object of the present invention to improve an electrical energy storage device, an electrical appliance system and a method of the type described above in such a way that sealing of the housing can be achieved in a simple manner. This problem is solved according to the invention in an electrical energy storage device of the type described above by forming the housing sealing element from the potting material. The proposed embodiment according to the invention makes it possible, in particular, to form not only the potting compound but also the housing sealing element in a single step. It is then no longer necessary, after potting the control and/or regulating device, to first place a sealing element, for example, on an edge of the first housing part before connecting the first housing part to the second housing part, especially by bringing the second housing part into contact with the sealing element and the first housing part. With the proposed embodiment, the housing of the electrical energy storage device can be designed to be non-openable, particularly as intended. Any separation of the two housing parts not intended by the design would irreversibly destroy the housing, and in particular the housing sealing element. Preferably, the potting compound and the housing sealing element are monolithic. Such a design can particularly increase the stability of the electrical energy storage device. Furthermore, it is particularly possible, for example, to fill the potting material into the first housing part in such a way that the potting material, while still fluid, flows into the area between the first housing part and the the second housing part can flow and thus form a complete seal of the housing between the two housing parts, especially after the potting material has fully hardened. Acc