Battery system including exterior case fixed to vehicle via external fixing brackets and vehicle equipped with battery system
The vehicle battery system includes a plurality of battery blocks including a plurality of battery cells and an exterior case that stores the plurality of battery blocks. The exterior case includes a tubular case in which the upper case is fixed to lower case, a pair of end face plates fixed to both ends of the tubular case to close the openings at both ends, and partition walls fixed to the middle portion of the tubular case. Lower case, the upper case, end face plates, and partition walls are made of pressed metal plates, lower case has a groove shape having side walls coupled to both sides of bottom plate, having coupling ribs coupled to an upper end edge of side walls, and having a same shape in a cross section at each portion separated in a longitudinal direction, the plurality of battery blocks are disposed in the longitudinal direction in an orientation extending in the longitudinal direction of the tubular case, and fixed to the exterior case, and the exterior case is further fixed to the vehicle via external fixing brackets.
1. A vehicle battery system comprising:
a plurality of battery blocks each including one or more battery cells; and
an exterior case that stores the plurality of battery blocks,
wherein
the exterior case includes:
a tubular case including an upper case and a lower case which are fixed to each other to have a tubular shape,
a pair of end face plates that are fixed to both ends of the tubular case to close openings at the both ends of the tubular case, and
one or more partition walls that are fixed to a middle portion of the tubular case,
wherein
the lower case, the upper case, the end face plates, and the partition walls each include a pressed metal plate,
the lower case comprises:
a bottom plate,
a pair of side walls coupled to both sides of the bottom plate, and
coupling ribs coupled to respective upper end edges of the side walls,
wherein the bottom plate, the pair of side walls, and the coupling ribs together form a groove shape extending in a longitudinal direction of the tubular case,
each of the pair of end face plates is provided separately from the lower case, and comprises:
an end face wall,
a bottom welded piece on a lower edge of the end face wall, the bottom welded piece disposed in surface contact with, and welded onto, an inner surface of the bottom plate of the lower case facing an interior of the groove shape, and
a pair of side welded pieces at both side edges of the end face wall, each of the pair of side welded pieces disposed in surface contact with, and welded onto, an inner surface of a corresponding one of the pair of side walls of the lower case facing the interior of the groove shape,
the plurality of battery blocks are disposed in an orientation extending in the longitudinal direction of the tubular case, and fixed to the exterior case, and
the exterior case is further fixed to a vehicle,
wherein each of the pair of end face plates includes multiple metal plates together forming a multi-layered structure, and
each of the multiple metal plates is provided separately from the lower case, and comprises the end face wall, the bottom welded piece, and the pair of side welded pieces,
the multiple metal plates together forming the multi-layered structure include an outer metal plate positioned outside and an inner metal plate positioned inside,
upper ends of the outer metal plate and the inner metal plate are coupled by a welded structure, and
each of the outer metal plate and the inner metal plate is provided separately from the lower case, and comprises the end face wall, the bottom welded piece, and the pair of side welded pieces.
2. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the lower case and the end face plates are metal plates having different thicknesses.
3. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the lower case and the partition walls are metal plates having different thicknesses.
4. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the upper case is a flat metal plate or the upper case is a groove-shaped metal plate shallower than the lower case.
5. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the end face plates includes a gap between the multiple metal plates together forming the multi-layered structure.
6. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein
the inner metal plate has an upper edge rib extending along an upper edge thereof, the upper edge rib being made by bending,
the upper edge rib comprises a horizontal rib and a sub-welded piece coupled in a right angle to together form an L-shape,
the horizontal rib has one side edge coupled to the upper edge of the inner metal plate at a right angle, and another side edges coupled to the sub-welded piece, and
the sub-welded piece is welded to an inner surface of the outer metal plate.
7. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board connected to the battery blocks, wherein
the partition walls are disposed and fixed in two rows in a middle of the tubular case, and provides a board space between the two rows of the partition walls, and
the circuit board is disposed in the board space.
8. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , wherein
the partition walls each have a groove shape made by coupling upper edges of two vertical walls with a horizontal plate, and
the partition walls each has welded pieces on a lower edge and both side edges,
the welded pieces on the lower edge are welded to the bottom plate of the lower case, and the welded pieces on the both side edges are welded to the side walls of the lower case.
9. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
external fixing brackets connected to the exterior case to fix the exterior case to the vehicle,
wherein a plurality of the external fixing brackets are fixed to both sides of the lower case.
10. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
external fixing brackets connected to the exterior case to fix the exterior case to the vehicle,
wherein the lower case and the external fixing brackets are metal plates having different thicknesses.
11. The vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
external fixing brackets connected to the exterior case to fix the exterior case to the vehicle,
wherein
the lower case has fitting portions for specifying fixing positions of the external fixing brackets by a fitting structure, and
the fitting portions are provided at a plurality of positions apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side walls of the lower case.
12. A vehicle mounting the vehicle battery system according to claim 1 , the vehicle comprising:
the vehicle battery system;
a driving motor powered by the vehicle battery system;
a vehicle body mounting the vehicle battery system and the driving motor; and
wheels that are driven by the driving motor to drive the vehicle body, wherein the vehicle battery system is fixed to the vehicle.
13. The vehicle mounting the vehicle battery system according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle battery system is fixed to a chassis of the vehicle.
14. The vehicle mounting the vehicle battery system according to claim 13 , wherein
the chassis of the vehicle has protrusions protruding from an upper surface and extending in parallel with each other, and
the vehicle battery system further comprises:
external fixing brackets connected to the exterior case to fix the exterior case to the vehicle, and
the vehicle battery system is provided between adjacent protrusions among the protrusions to fix the exterior case to the protrusions via the external fixing brackets.
15. The vehicle mounting the vehicle battery system according to claim 14 , wherein the vehicle battery system is fixed to the chassis via the plurality of the external fixing brackets.