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EP-4738531-A1 - BATTERY MODULE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING BATTERY MODULE

EP4738531A1EP 4738531 A1EP4738531 A1EP 4738531A1EP-4738531-A1

Abstract

A battery module (5) includes at least one battery cell (1), a heat exchange member (2) in which a flow path (24) through which a heat medium flows is formed, and a holding member (3) that holds a positional relationship between the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2), in which, 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) and a surface of the battery cell (1) facing the heat exchange member (2) side is a heat exchange member side facing surface (8c): the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); and the heat exchange member (2) has higher flexibility than the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c), and is pressed toward the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) side by the holding member (3) in a state of being deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c).

Inventors

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

Assignees

  • AISIN CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20250929

Claims (6)

  1. A battery module (5) comprising; at least one battery cell (1); a heat exchange member (2) in which a flow path (24) through which a heat medium flows is formed; and a holding member (3) that holds a positional relationship between the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2), wherein 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) and a surface of the battery cell (1) facing the heat exchange member (2) side is a heat exchange member side facing surface (8c): the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); and the heat exchange member (2) has higher flexibility than the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c), and is pressed toward the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) side by the holding member (3) in a state of being deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c).
  2. The battery module (5) according to Claim 1, wherein the heat exchange member (2) has an electrical insulating property.
  3. The battery module (5) according to Claim 1, wherein the heat exchange member (2) includes a pair of outer wall portions (20) disposed to face each other in the arrangement direction (X), and a partition wall portion (23) disposed in a region sandwiched between the pair of outer wall portions (20) and having higher hardness than the pair of outer wall portions (20), and the flow path (24) is formed in a space where the pair of outer wall portions (20) face each other in a state of being partitioned by the partition wall portion (23).
  4. The battery module (5) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, comprising at least two battery cell arrays (10) each including a plurality of the battery cells (1) disposed to be arranged side by side along a direction (Y) orthogonal to the arrangement direction (X), wherein: the heat exchange member (2) is disposed between a first battery cell array (11), which is one of the two battery cell arrays (10), and a second battery cell array (12), which is the other of the two battery cell arrays (10), in the arrangement direction (X); assuming that a set of the heat exchange member side facing surfaces (8c) of the plurality of the battery cells (1) constituting the first battery cell array (11) is a heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81), and a set of the heat exchange member side facing surfaces (8c) of the plurality of the battery cells (1) constituting the second battery cell array (12) is a heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82), the heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81) and the heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82) have shapes having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); assuming that one side in the arrangement direction is an arrangement direction first side (X1) and the other side is an arrangement direction second side (X2), the first battery cell array (11) is disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) with respect to the second battery cell array (12); the holding member (3) includes a first holding member (31) disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) with respect to the first battery cell array (11) and a second holding member (32) disposed on the arrangement direction second side (X2) with respect to the second battery cell array (12); a positional relationship between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) in the arrangement direction (X) is fixed; and the heat exchange member (2) is sandwiched between the heat exchange member side first facing surface group (81) and the heat exchange member side second facing surface group (82) in a state of being 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).
  5. The battery module (5) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one battery cell array (10) including a plurality of the battery cells (1) disposed to be arranged side by side along a direction (Y) orthogonal to the arrangement direction (X), wherein: assuming that one side in the arrangement direction (X) is an arrangement direction first side (X1) and the other side is an arrangement direction second side (X2), the holding member (3) includes a first holding member (31) disposed on the arrangement direction first side (X1) with respect to the battery cell array (10), and a second holding member (32) disposed on the arrangement direction second side (X2) with respect to the battery cell array (10); a positional relationship between the first holding member (31) and the second holding member (32) in the arrangement direction (X) is fixed; the heat exchange member (2) is disposed between the battery cell array (10) and the first holding member (31) in the arrangement direction (X); a support surface (3s), which is a surface of the first holding member (31) facing the heat exchange member (2) side, has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); assuming that a set of the heat exchange member side facing surfaces (8c) of the plurality of the battery cells (1) constituting the battery cell array (10) is a heat exchange member side facing surface group (80), the heat exchange member side facing surface group (80) has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); and the heat exchange member (2) is sandwiched between the heat exchange member side facing surface group (80) and the support surface (3s) in a state of being deformed following the shapes of the heat exchange member side facing surface group (80) and the support surface (3s).
  6. A method for manufacturing a battery module (5) including at least one battery cell (1), a heat exchange member (2) in which a flow path (24) through which a heat medium flows is formed, and a holding member (3) that holds a positional relationship between the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2), the 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) and a surface of the battery cell (1) facing the heat exchange member (2) side is a heat exchange member side facing surface (8c): a step of disposing side by side the battery cell (1) and the heat exchange member (2) having higher flexibility than the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) in an arrangement direction (X) in a state where the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction (X); and a step of pressing the heat exchange member (2) toward the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c) side by the holding member (3) such that the heat exchange member (2) is in a state of being deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface (8c).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a battery module and a method for manufacturing a battery module. 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. 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 battery module that is easily disassembled as needed, while a battery cell and a heat exchange component are properly positioned. SUMMARY In view of the above, a battery module includes at least one battery cell, a heat exchange member in which a flow path through which a heat medium flows is formed, and a holding member that holds a positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member, in which, assuming that a direction, in which the battery cell and the heat exchange member are arranged side by side, is an arrangement direction and a surface of the battery cell facing the heat exchange member side is a heat exchange member side facing surface: the heat exchange member side facing surface has a shape having unevenness in the arrangement direction; and the heat exchange member has higher flexibility than the heat exchange member side facing surface, and is pressed toward the heat exchange member side facing surface side by the holding member in a state of being deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface. According to this configuration, the heat exchange member has higher flexibility than the heat exchange member side facing surface of the battery cell, and is pressed toward the heat exchange member side facing surface side so as to be deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface. Therefore, even if there is an error in the position or shape of the battery cell, it is easy to increase the heat transfer efficiency between the battery cell and the heat exchange member, while the positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member is defined. In addition, a configuration is adopted in which the heat exchange member is pressed toward the heat exchange member side facing surface side by the holding member such that the heat exchange member is in a state of being deformed following the shape of the heat exchange member side facing surface, so that 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. Therefore, it is easy to disassemble the battery module. As described above, it is possible to provide a battery module that is easily disassembled as needed while a battery cell and a heat exchange component are properly positioned. The technical features of the battery module described above are also applicable to a method for manufacturing a battery module. Representative aspects thereof will be exemplified below. For example, the method for manufacturing a battery module can include various steps having the features of the battery module described above. Naturally, the method for manufacturing a battery module can also exhibit the functions and effects of the battery module described above. In addition, as preferred aspects of the battery module, various additional features exemplified in the following description of the embodiments can also be incorporated in the method for manufacturing a battery module, and the method for manufacturing a battery module can also exhibit functions and effects corresponding to each of the additional features. As one preferred aspect, the method for manufacturing a battery module is a method for manufacturing a battery module including at least one battery cell, a heat exchange member in which a flow path through which a heat medium flows is formed, and a holding member that holds a positional relationship between the battery cell and the heat exchange member, the method including, assuming that a