Search

EP-4738499-A1 - BATTERY MODULE MANUFACTURING METHOD

EP4738499A1EP 4738499 A1EP4738499 A1EP 4738499A1EP-4738499-A1

Abstract

A battery cell manufacturing method is a battery module manufacturing method for manufacturing a battery module (5) including at least one battery cell (1), and a heat exchange member (2) in which a flow path (24) through which a heat medium flows is formed. The method includes, assuming that a direction, in which the battery cell and the heat exchange member are arranged side by side, is an arrangement direction: a first step of disposing the heat exchange member adjacent to the battery cell along the arrangement direction; a second step of pressing the battery cell and the heat exchange member in the arrangement direction; and a third step of fixing a positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member.

Inventors

  • KATO, MITSUHIKO
  • UMEMURA, Eisuke
  • NINOMIYA, Suguru

Assignees

  • AISIN CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20250929

Claims (8)

  1. A battery module manufacturing method for manufacturing a battery module (5) including at least one battery cell (1), and a heat exchange member (2) in which a flow path (24) through which a heat medium flows is formed, the battery module manufacturing method comprising, assuming that a direction, in which the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2) are arranged side by side, is an arrangement direction (X): a first step (#1) of disposing the heat exchange member (2) adjacent to the battery cell (1) along the arrangement direction (X); a second step (#2) of pressing the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2) in the arrangement direction (X); and a third step (#3) of fixing a positional relationship between the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2).
  2. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 1, wherein, in the second step (#2), pressing is performed such that a thickness of the heat exchange member (2) in the arrangement direction (X) after completion of the second step (#2) is smaller than the thickness before start of the second step (#2).
  3. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 1, wherein: at least two battery cell arrays (10), each including a plurality of the tubular battery cells (1) disposed side by side along a direction (Y) orthogonal to the arrangement direction (X), are provided; assuming that one of the two battery cell arrays (10) is a first battery cell array (11) and the other is a second battery cell array (12), and a surface of the first battery cell array (11) facing the heat exchange member (2) side is a heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81) and a surface of the second battery cell array (12) facing the heat exchange member (2) side is a heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82), the heat exchange member (2) is disposed between the first battery cell array (11) and the second battery cell array (12) in the arrangement direction (X) and the heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81) and the heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82) each having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X) are disposed to sandwich the heat exchange member (2) in a state where concave portions and convex portions face each other in the arrangement direction (X), in the first step (#1); and in the second step (#2), pressing is performed such that the heat exchange member (2) is deformed following shapes of the heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81) and the heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82).
  4. The battery module manufacturing method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein: the battery module (5) further includes a holding member (3) that holds at least the battery cell (1); assuming that one side in the arrangement direction (X) is an arrangement direction first side (X1) and the other side in the arrangement direction (X) is an arrangement direction second side (X2), the holding members (3) are further disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) and the arrangement direction second side (X2) with respect to the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2), respectively, in the first step (#1); in the second step (#2), a first holding member (31), which is the holding member (3) disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1), is pressed toward the arrangement direction second side (X2) and a second holding member (32), which is the holding member (3) disposed on the arrangement direction second side (X2), is pressed toward the arrangement direction first side (X1); and in the third step (#3), a positional relationship between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) is fixed in a state where the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3) are pressed in the arrangement direction (X).
  5. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 4, wherein, in the second step (#2), the heat exchange member (2) is compressed and deformed in the arrangement direction (X) by performing pressing such that a distance between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) in the arrangement direction (X) is reduced.
  6. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 4, wherein: the battery module (5) includes a fixing member (6) that fixes a positional relationship among the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3); the fixing member (6) includes a first fixing member (61) disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) with respect to the first holding member (31), a second fixing member (62) disposed on the arrangement direction second side (X2) with respect to the second holding member (32), and a third fixing member (63) to which the first fixing member (61) and the second fixing member (62) are connected; in the second step (#2), the first fixing member (61) is pressed toward the arrangement direction second side (X2) and the second fixing member (62) is pressed toward the arrangement direction first side (X1); and in the third step (#3), the first fixing member (61) and the second fixing member (62) are fixed to the third fixing member (63) in a state where a positional relationship between the first fixing member (61) and the second fixing member (62) is maintained.
  7. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 4, wherein: the battery module (5) includes a fixing member (6) that fixes a positional relationship among the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3); using an assembly jig (9) including a first abutting portion (91) that abuts against the first holding member (31) from the arrangement direction first side (X1) and a second abutting portion (92) that abuts against the second holding member (32) from the arrangement direction second side (X2), the first holding member (31) is pressed toward the arrangement direction second side (X2) by the first abutting portion (91) and the second holding member (32) is pressed toward the arrangement direction first side (X1) by the second abutting portion (92), in the second step (#2); and in the third step (#3), a positional relationship between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) is fixed by the fixing member (6) in a state where the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3) are pressed in the arrangement direction (X).
  8. The battery module manufacturing method according to Claim 7, wherein: the fixing member (6) includes a first fixing portion (6a) disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) with respect to the first holding member (31), a second fixing portion (6b) disposed on the arrangement direction second side (X2) with respect to the second holding member (32), and a connecting portion (6c) that connects the first fixing portion (6a) and the second fixing portion (6b) along the arrangement direction (X); a housing portion (6e) is formed in a space surrounded by the first fixing portion (6a), the second fixing portion (6b), and the connecting portion (6c); and in the third step (#3), the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3) are housed in the housing portion (6e) along the first fixing portion (6a) and the second fixing portion (6b) and a positional relationship between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) is fixed by the first fixing portion (6a) and the second fixing portion (6b), in a state where the battery cell (1), the heat exchange member (2), and the holding member (3) are pressed in the arrangement direction (X) by the assembly jig (9).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a battery module manufacturing method. BACKGROUND DISCUSSION JP 2022-506553 T discloses a battery module (21) including a battery cell (30), a heat exchange member (50/230) that exchanges heat with the battery cell (30), and a potting material (231) that fixes a positional relationship between the battery cell (30) and the heat exchange member (50) (reference numerals in parentheses in the background art are those of the referenced document). The potting material (231) functions as an adhesive for fixing the battery cell (30) and the heat exchange member (50/230) in close contact with each other. The battery module (21) is formed through: a step of disposing a plurality of the battery cells (30) at predetermined positions; a step of disposing a flexible heat exchange member (50/230) between the plurality of the battery cells (30); a step of causing a fluid to flow in the heat exchange member (50/230) to expand the heat exchange member (50/230) and bring the heat exchange member (50/230) into contact with the plurality of the battery cells (30); and a step of fixing a positional relationship between the plurality of the battery cells (30) and the heat exchange member (50/230) in at least a partial region by the potting material (231) in a state where the heat exchange member (50/230) is expanded. In the battery module described above, when the battery cells and the heat exchange member are disposed, the battery cells and the heat exchange member are not in contact with each other, but are brought into contact with each other by expanding the heat exchange member with the fluid. If the fluid is not partially spread due to twisting of the heat exchange member or the like, contact may be insufficient. It has also been proposed to use a guide member to prevent this; however, this may increase the number of steps in manufacturing and lead to higher manufacturing costs. After the battery module is manufactured, the fluid is discharged from the heat exchange member, and even if the positional relationship is fixed in at least a partial region by the potting material, the contact state between the battery cell and the heat exchange member may not be maintained properly. In recent years, improvement in environmental friendliness is also required in the battery module as described above in order to reduce the environmental load. For example, when a battery module is disposed of, it is preferable that each of the members constituting the battery module be separable. In addition, in a case where a battery module has a plurality of battery cells, it is preferable that partial replacement of the battery cells be possible. When the members constituting a battery module are adhered to each other as described above, disassembly of the battery module is not easy, and separation at the time of disposal and maintenance, such as replacement of battery cells, are also not easy. A need thus exists for a method for manufacturing a battery module that can be easily disassembled as needed while a battery cell and a heat exchange component are properly positioned. SUMMARY In view of the above, the method for manufacturing a battery cell is a method for manufacturing a battery module including at least one battery cell and a heat exchange member in which a flow path through which a heat medium flows is formed. The method includes, assuming that a direction, in which the battery cell and the heat exchange member are arranged side by side, is an arrangement direction: a first step of disposing the heat exchange member adjacent to the battery cell along the arrangement direction; a second step of pressing the battery cell and the heat exchange member in the arrangement direction; and a third step of fixing a positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member. According to this manufacturing method, the positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member can be fixed while the battery cell and the heat exchange member are kept pressed in the arrangement direction, so that the battery module can be manufactured by properly positioning the battery cell and the heat exchange member without using an adhesive, a filler, or the like. In addition, it is possible to reduce the need to interpose an adhesive, a filler, or the like between the battery cell and the heat exchange member, whereby the battery module can also be disassembled easily. According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to manufacture a battery module that can be easily disassembled as needed while a battery cell and a heat exchange component are properly positioned, as described above. Further features and advantages of the battery module manufacturing method will become apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional features and ch