Battery Module Vent And Handle Configuration System And Method

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a battery module having electrochemical cells, a housing having an open side configured to receive the electrochemical cells, a handle configured to enable lifting of the battery module, and a cover disposed over the open side of the housing. The cover includes a protruded portion defining a cavity under the cover, where the cavity is configured to receive gases vented from the electrochemical cells, where the cover comprises an indentation into the protruded portion of the cover toward the housing, and where the indentation is configured to define at least a portion of the cavity on a first side of the indentation and to receive the handle on a second side of the indentation opposite to the first side.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/100,001, filed Jan. 5, 2015, entitled "MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ASPECTS OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY MODULE WITH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CONFIGURATIONS," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of batteries and battery modules. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a vent and handle configuration of a battery module.

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004] A vehicle that uses one or more battery systems for providing all or a portion of the motive power for the vehicle can be referred to as an xEV, where the term "xEV" is defined herein to include all of the following vehicles, or any variations or combinations thereof, that use electric power for all or a portion of their vehicular motive force. For example, xEVs include electric vehicles (EVs) that utilize electric power for all motive force. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), also considered xEVs, combine an internal combustion engine propulsion system and a battery-powered electric propulsion system, such as 48 Volt (V) or 130V systems. The term HEV may include any variation of a hybrid electric vehicle. For example, full hybrid systems (FHEVs) may provide motive and other electrical power to the vehicle using one or more electric motors, using only an internal combustion engine, or using both. In contrast, mild hybrid systems (MHEVs) disable the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is idling and utilize a battery system to continue powering the air conditioning unit, radio, or other electronics, as well as to restart the engine when propulsion is desired. The mild hybrid system may also apply some level of power assist, during acceleration for example, to supplement the internal combustion engine. Mild hybrids are typically 96V to 130V and recover braking energy through a belt or crank integrated starter generator. Further, a micro-hybrid electric vehicle (mHEV) also uses a "Stop-Start" system similar to the mild hybrids, but the micro-hybrid systems of a mHEV may or may not supply power assist to the internal combustion engine and operates at a voltage below 60V. For the purposes of the present discussion, it should be noted that mHEVs typically do not technically use electric power provided directly to the crankshaft or transmission for any portion of the motive force of the vehicle, but an mHEV may still be considered as an xEV since it does use electric power to supplement a vehicle's power needs when the vehicle is idling with internal combustion engine disabled and recovers braking energy through an integrated starter generator. In addition, a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that can be charged from an external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the energy stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels. PEVs are a subcategory of EVs that include all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

[0005] xEVs as described above may provide a number of advantages as compared to more traditional gas-powered vehicles using only internal combustion engines and traditional electrical systems, which are typically 12V systems powered by a lead acid battery. For example, xEVs may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to traditional internal combustion vehicles and, in some cases, such xEVs may eliminate the use of gasoline entirely, as is the case of certain types of EVs or PEVs.

[0006] As technology continues to evolve, there is a need to provide improved power sources, particularly battery modules, for such vehicles. For example, in traditional configurations, battery modules may include components that enable venting, other components that enable sealing the battery module, and still other components that enable lifting of the battery module. Thus, traditional battery modules may include a large number of components, thereby increasing a material cost of the traditional battery module, in addition to complicating manufacturing of the traditional battery module.

SUMMARY

[0007] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a battery module having electrochemical cells, a housing having an open side configured to receive the electrochemical cells, a handle configured to enable lifting of the battery module, and a cover disposed over the open side of the housing. The cover includes a protruded portion defining a cavity under the cover, where the cavity is configured to receive gases vented from the electrochemical cells, where the cover comprises an indentation into the protruded portion of the cover toward the housing, and where the indentation is configured to define at least a portion of the cavity on a first side of the indentation and to receive the handle on a second side of the indentation opposite to the first side.

[0009] The present disclosure also relates a battery module having a housing with an open side, electrochemical cells received by the housing through the open side, a cover disposed over the open side of the housing to seal the open side, and a handle rotatably coupled to the cover. The cover includes a protruded portion that defines a vent path under the protruded portion and indentations configured to receive the handle. The battery module also includes a vent in fluid communication with the vent path.

[0010] The present disclosure also relates to a battery module having a housing, prismatic lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells disposed on an inside of the housing, and a cover disposed over an opening of the housing to seal the housing. The cover includes at least two chambers in fluid communication with the inside of the housing and defined by corresponding protruded portions of the cover. The battery module also includes a handle rotatably coupled to the cover between a first and second chamber of the at least two chambers.

DRAWINGS

[0011] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a battery system configured in accordance with present embodiments to provide power for various components of the vehicle;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cutaway schematic view of an embodiment of the vehicle and the battery system of FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a battery module for use in the vehicle of FIG. 2, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a top view of an embodiment of the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 8 is a partially exploded bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module of FIG. 3, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a battery module for use in the vehicle of FIG. 2, in accordance with an aspect of the preset disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0022] The battery systems described herein may be used to provide power to various types of electric vehicles (xEVs) and other high voltage energy storage/expending applications (e.g., electrical grid power storage systems). Such battery systems may include one or more battery modules, each battery module having a number of battery cells (e.g., lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells) arranged and electrically interconnected to provide particular voltages and/or currents useful to power, for example, one or more components of an xEV. As another example, battery modules in accordance with present embodiments may be incorporated with or provide power to stationary power systems (e.g., non-automotive systems).

[0023] In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery module may include a housing configured to retain or house electrochemical cells. For example, the housing may include an opening or an open side that receives the electrochemical cells. One or more covers or lids may be disposed over the open side of the housing to seal the housing. The one or more covers may also include features (e.g., bus bars) configured to engage with the electrochemical cells. Further, an outermost cover of the one or more covers may be configured to seal the housing and define a vent path for receiving gases released by the electrochemical cells. Further, the outermost cover may include a vent fluidly coupled to the vent path to enable the gases to vent from the vent path (e.g., inside the housing) to an environment or feature (e.g., vent hose) outside of the housing (e.g., inside or outside of the vehicle). Along this vent path, cavities or chambers may be formed to receive an initial volume of vent gas to facilitate control of a venting process. These chambers or cavities may accumulate a volume of vent gas before the gas is actually vented (e.g., before a vent coupled to one of the chambers is opened due to pressure reaching a threshold). These cavities or vent chambers may be at least partially defined by the inner side of a protrusion (e.g., multiple protruding portions) from the cover or lid of housing of the battery module. Further still, a handle of the battery module may be coupled to the outermost cover and accessible from the environment outside of the housing. The handle may enable lifting and/or transportation of the battery module. In some embodiments, the handle may fit into an indentation into the outermost cover, or an indentation into a protruded portion of the outermost cover, where the indentation and/or the protruded portion of the cover define(s) at least a portion of the vent path. By combining the features of the vent path, the outermost cover, and the handle, the battery module is more robust and more efficiently manufactured.

[0024] To help illustrate, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle 10, which may utilize a regenerative braking system. Although the following discussion is presented in relation to vehicles with regenerative braking systems, the techniques described herein are adaptable to other vehicles that capture/store electrical energy with a battery, which may include electric-powered and gas-powered vehicles.

[0025] As discussed above, it would be desirable for a battery system 12 to be largely compatible with traditional vehicle designs. Accordingly, the battery system 12 may be placed in a location in the vehicle 10 that would have housed a traditional battery system. For example, as illustrated, the vehicle 10 may include the battery system 12 positioned similarly to a lead-acid battery of a typical combustion-engine vehicle (e.g., under the hood of the vehicle 10). Furthermore, as will be described in more detail below, the battery system 12 may be positioned to facilitate managing temperature of the battery system 12. For example, in some embodiments, positioning a battery system 12 under the hood of the vehicle 10 may enable an air duct to channel airflow over the battery system 12 and cool the battery system 12.

[0026] A more detailed view of the battery system 12 is described in FIG. 2. As depicted, the battery system 12 includes an energy storage component 13 coupled to an ignition system 14, an alternator 15, a vehicle console 16, and optionally to an electric motor 17. Generally, the energy storage component 13 may capture/store electrical energy generated in the vehicle 10 and output electrical energy to power electrical devices in the vehicle 10.

[0027] In other words, the battery system 12 may supply power to components of the vehicle's electrical system, which may include radiator cooling fans, climate control systems, electric power steering systems, active suspension systems, auto park systems, electric oil pumps, electric super/turbochargers, electric water pumps, heated windscreen/defrosters, window lift motors, vanity lights, tire pressure monitoring systems, sunroof motor controls, power seats, alarm systems, infotainment systems, navigation features, lane departure warning systems, electric parking brakes, external lights, or any combination thereof Illustratively, in the depicted embodiment, the energy storage component 13 supplies power to the vehicle console 16 and the ignition system 14, which may be used to start (e.g., crank) the internal combustion engine 18.

[0028] Additionally, the energy storage component 13 may capture electrical energy generated by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17. In some embodiments, the alternator 15 may generate electrical energy while the internal combustion engine 18 is running More specifically, the alternator 15 may convert the mechanical energy produced by the rotation of the internal combustion engine 18 into electrical energy. Additionally or alternatively, when the vehicle 10 includes an electric motor 17, the electric motor 17 may generate electrical energy by converting mechanical energy produced by the movement of the vehicle 10 (e.g., rotation of the wheels) into electrical energy. Thus, in some embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may capture electrical energy generated by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17 during regenerative braking. As such, the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17 are generally referred to herein as a regenerative braking system.

[0029] To facilitate capturing and supplying electric energy, the energy storage component 13 may be electrically coupled to the vehicle's electric system via a bus 19. For example, the bus 19 may enable the energy storage component 13 to receive electrical energy generated by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17. Additionally, the bus 19 may enable the energy storage component 13 to output electrical energy to the ignition system 14 and/or the vehicle console 16. Accordingly, when a 12 volt battery system 12 is used, the bus 19 may carry electrical power typically between 8-18 volts.

[0030] Additionally, as depicted, the energy storage component 13 may include multiple battery modules. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the energy storage component 13 includes a lithium ion (e.g., a first) battery module 20 and a lead-acid (e.g., a second) battery module 22, which each includes one or more battery cells. In other embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may include any number of battery modules. Additionally, although the lithium ion battery module 20 and lead-acid battery module 22 are depicted adjacent to one another, they may be positioned in different areas around the vehicle. For example, the lead-acid battery module 22 may be positioned in or about the interior of the vehicle 10 while the lithium ion battery module 20 may be positioned under the hood of the vehicle 10.

[0031] In some embodiments, the energy storage component 13 may include multiple battery modules to utilize multiple different battery chemistries. For example, when the lithium ion battery module 20 is used, performance of the battery system 12 may be improved since the lithium ion battery chemistry generally has a higher coulombic efficiency and/or a higher power charge acceptance rate (e.g., higher maximum charge current or charge voltage) than the lead-acid battery chemistry. As such, the capture, storage, and/or distribution efficiency of the battery system 12 may be improved.

[0032] To facilitate controlling the capturing and storing of electrical energy, the battery system 12 may additionally include a control module 24. More specifically, the control module 24 may control operations of components in the battery system 12, such as relays (e.g., switches) within energy storage component 13, the alternator 15, and/or the electric motor 17. For example, the control module 24 may regulate amount of electrical energy captured/supplied by each battery module 20 or 22 (e.g., to de-rate and re-rate the battery system 12), perform load balancing between the battery modules 20 and 22, determine a state of charge of each battery module 20 or 22, determine temperature of each battery module 20 or 22, control voltage output by the alternator 15 and/or the electric motor 17, and the like.

[0033] Accordingly, the control unit 24 may include one or more processor 26 and one or more memory 28. More specifically, the one or more processor 26 may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the one or more memory 28 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical drives, hard disc drives, or solid-state drives. In some embodiments, the control unit 24 may include portions of a vehicle control unit (VCU) and/or a separate battery control module.

[0034] An exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module 20 for use in the vehicle 10 of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery module 20 includes a housing 30 (e.g, plastic housing) and electrochemical cells 32 stored within the housing 30. For example, the illustrated battery module 20 is configured to house six electrochemical cells 32 in the housing 30, although any number (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more) of electrochemical cells 32 may be stored in the housing 30. Generally, the electrochemical cells 32 may be received through an open side 34 of the housing 30, where one or more covers are configured to be disposed over the open side 34. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a bus bar carrier 36 configured to retain bus bars 38 that engage terminals 40 of the electrochemical cells 32 is disposed over the open side 34 of the housing 30. Thus, terminal ends 41 of the electrochemical cells 32 are positioned proximate to the bus bar carrier 36 such that the bus bars 38 may engage the terminals 40 extending from the terminal ends 41. Further, a cover 42 is configured to be disposed over the open side 34 (and, in the illustrated embodiment, over the bus bar carrier 36 and the terminal ends 41 of the electrochemical cells 32) to seal the open side 34. The cover 42 may include snap-in features that engage the housing 30, and/or the cover 42 may be welded or otherwise coupled to the housing 30 to seal the open side 34.

[0035] The cover 42 may also be shaped or otherwise configured to define at least a portion of a vent path of the battery module 20. For example, the cover 42 may include a flat plate 44 (e.g., flat portion) that engages the housing 30, and a protruded portion 46 that extends upwardly or outwardly (e.g., in direction 48) from the flat plate 44, where the protruded portion 46 is substantially hollow to define a cavity of the vent path under the cover 42. Further, an indentation 50 into the cover 42 (e.g., into the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42 opposite to direction 48) may define at least a portion of the vent path by reducing a volume inside the housing 30 and/or underneath the cover 42. Thus, gases vented from the individual electrochemical cells 32 within the housing 30 rise upwardly in direction 48 into the cavity of the vent path defined by the protruded portion 46 and also defined by the indentation 50 into the protruded portion 46. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, individual vents 49 of the electrochemical cells 32 (e.g., disposed on the terminal ends 41 of the electrochemical cells 32) enable venting of gases from the electrochemical cells 32. The gases may be vented from inside the housing 30 to an environment 51 external to the housing 30 through a vent 52 that is coupled to, or integral with, the cover 42 (e.g., coupled to, or integral with, the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42). For example, the vent 52 may enable the gases to pass through the vent 52 if a pressure against the vent 52 exceeds a design threshold of the vent 52. These and other features of the vent path will be described in detail below with reference to later figures.

[0036] In addition to defining at least a portion of the vent path, the indentation 50 into the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42 may also be configured to receive a handle 54 of the battery module 20. In other words, the protruded portion 46 and indentation 50 define at least a portion of the vent path on a first inner side of the protruded portion 46 and indentation 50 (e.g., the side facing the electrochemical cells 32), and the indentation 50 also receives the handle 42 on a second outer side of the indentation 50, between features of the protruded portion 46. Indeed, by utilizing features of the cover 42 to receive the handle 54 and to define at least a portion of the vent path of the battery module 20 as described above, a material cost of the battery module 20 may be reduced and manufacturing of the battery module 20 may be simplified relative to other techniques that might be used.

[0037] The handle 52 may include a first arm 56, a second arm 58, and a gripping bar 60 extending between the first arm 56 and the second arm 58. Each of the first and second arms 56, 58 may include a corresponding engagement feature configured to couple with engagement features of the cover 42 to couple the handle 54 to the cover 42. For example, the first and second arms 56, 58 may include opposing openings 62 (e.g., opposing cylindrical openings) that face inwardly toward each other. The openings 62 may be configured to rotatably couple to knobs 64 (e.g., cylindrical knobs) that extend outwardly from a central protrusion 65 of the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42. Thus, the handle 54 may rotate about the knobs 64 (e.g., about axis 70) to enable positioning of the handle 54 in an open position. In the open position, the handle 54 may be gripped along the gripping bar 60 to lift the battery module 20. In a closed position, the handle 54 may be stowed within the indentations 50 into the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42. For example, perspective views of embodiments of the battery module 20 with the handle 54 in the closed position and in the open position are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively. As shown in the illustrated embodiments, the handle 54 may rotate about axis 70 between the closed position in FIG. 4 and the open position in FIG. 5. Further, it should be noted that, in the illustrated embodiment, the handle 54 is configured to rotate from the closed position toward the open position away from terminals 72 (e.g., major terminals) of the battery module 20 (e.g., toward surface 74 of the battery module 20). However, in other embodiments, the handle 54 may be oriented differently on the cover 42, and the handle 54 may rotate from the closed position to the open position toward the terminals 72 (e.g., major terminals) of the battery module 20 (e.g., away from the surface 74). Further still, it should be noted that, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, a top surface 77 of the handle 54 is substantially flush with a top surface 79 of the protruded portion 46 while the handle 54 is in the closed position

[0038] Turning now to FIG. 6, a top view of an embodiment of the battery module 20 of FIG. 3 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 54 includes the first arm 56, the second arm 58, and the gripping bar 60. The first arm 56 and the second arm 58 include thin portions 80 proximate to the gripping bar 60 and thick portions 82 proximate to the knobs 64, where the thin portions 80 extend from the thick portions 82 to the gripping bar 60. The thin portions 80 may reduce a material cost of the handle 54, and the thick portions 82 may increase a structural rigidity of the handle 54. For example, the thick portions 82 of the handle 54 may include the openings 62 configured to receive the knobs 64 extending from the central protrusion 65 of the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42 to rotatably couple the handle 54 to the cover 42. Thus, when the handle 54 is in the open position and lifted via the gripping bar 60, the knobs 64 within the openings 62 of the thick portions 82 may exert a force against the thick portions 82 of the handle 54. Because the thick portions 82 are wide (e.g., relative to the thin portions 80), the thick portions 82 may handle a larger load than if the thick portions 82 were not wide (e.g., relative to the thin portions 80). Accordingly, the thick portions 82 increase a structural rigidity of the handle 54.

[0039] It should also be noted that a shape or size of the central protrusion 65 may be defined at least in part by a width 84 (e.g., in direction 70) of aspects of the indentation 50. Further, the indentation 50 may include an increased width 84 proximate to the thick portions 82 of the handle 54 to receive the thick portions 82. In other words, the thick portions 82 of the handle 54 may cause increased width 84 of the indentation 50 or aspects of the indentation 50 in which the thick portions 82 are stowed, thereby reducing a volume of the central protrusion 65 of the cover 42 and, thus, the cavity defined by the central protrusion 65 inside the battery module 20. Volume of the central protrusion 65 and, thus, the cavity defined by the central protrusion 65, may be further reduced by including a central indentation 88 in the central protrusion 65. Reducing the volume of the central protrusion 65 (and, thus, the cavity defined by the central protrusion 65 inside the battery module 20) may reduce a volume of the vent path having the cavity, thereby encouraging venting through the vent 52 with a smaller total amount of gases vented from the electrochemical cells 32. Indeed, increasing or decreasing the volume of the cavities or chambers defined by the protrusion 46 will provide more or less volume for dampening the impact on a vent (e.g., rupture disk) from expansion of internal gases or certain amounts of gas release. This aspect of the battery module 20 can be tuned based on predicted usage. As a specific example, it may be desirable to include extra volume in the cavities to accommodate certain expansions of gas due to environmental battery conditions without causing a vent to be opened. In other words, the cavities defined by the protruded portion 46 of the battery module 20 may be sized to dampen a vent response to pressure excursions inside of the housing 30. The cavity (or cavities) and corresponding vent path will be described in detail below with reference to later figures. It should be noted that the protruded portion 46 and the indentation 50 may include multiple aspects or component protrusions and indentations.

[0040] To help illustrate the vent path and corresponding cavities, a perspective view of an embodiment of the battery module 20 of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 7 with a transparent cover 42. As shown, the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42 defines cavities 90 (e.g., chambers) underneath the cover 42 and in fluid communication with the inside of the housing 30. The cavities 90 may define at least a portion of the vent path configured to receive, for example, gases vented from the electrochemical cells 32 inside the housing 30. The cavities 90 may be configured to retain a certain amount of gases until a pressure inside the housing 30 (and, thus, inside the cavities 90) exceeds a pressure threshold of the vent 52. The vent 52 may then enable the gases to pass therethrough and into the environment 51.

[0041] To further illustrate the cavities 90, an exploded, bottom perspective view of the battery module 20 of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 42 includes cavities 90 disposed under the cover 42 and at least partially defined by the protruded portion 46 of the cover 42 extending from the flat plate 44 (e.g., in direction 48) of the cover 42 and by the indentation 50 into (e.g., opposite direction 48) the protruded portion 46. The two outer components of the protruded portion 46 are generally L-shaped to accommodate the terminals and facilitate connection thereto and the central aspect of the protrusion 46 is spatulate to accommodate the handle around its perimeter.

[0042] As previously described, increasing structural rigidity of the cover 42 and/or of the handle 54 may be beneficial, particularly when the battery module 20 is lifted by the handle 54, thereby causing a weight of the battery module 20 to be applied to the cover 42 and/or to the handle 54. Thus, the cover 42 may include features configured to increase a structural rigidity of the cover 42 and/or components coupled to the cover 42 (e.g., the handle 54). For example, reinforcing extensions 100 or bars may be disposed in one or more of the cavities 90 to provide structural rigidity to the cover 42. In the illustrated embodiment, reinforcing extensions 100 are disposed in the cavity 90 defined by the central protrusion 65 (shown in FIGS. 3-7) of the cover 42. However, it should be noted that, in other embodiments, reinforcing extensions 100 may be in any or all of the cavities 90. Further, while the illustrated reinforcing extensions 100 extend generally in direction 102, the reinforcing extensions 100 may extend in direction 70, in direction 48, or in any other direction within one or more cavity 90 of the cover 42.

[0043] Also shown in the illustrated embodiment are snap-in features 104 on the cover 42 of the battery module 20. The snap-in features 104 of the cover 42 may be disposed on a bottom surface 106 of the flat plate 44 (e.g., flat portion) of the cover 42. The snap-in features 104 may be configured to engage with the housing 30 of the battery module 20 to couple the cover 42 to the housing 30. However, in another embodiment, the cover 42 may be coupled to the housing 30 in some other manner, for example, via welding, adhesive, fasteners, or some other coupling mechanism. Further, in some embodiments, the snap-in features 104 may be configured to temporarily couple the cover 42 to the housing 30 before sealing or coupling the cover 42 to the housing 30 via some other coupling mechanism or technique, such as a weld.

[0044] It should be noted, as previously described, that the cover 42, the handle 54, or both, may be otherwise oriented to enable lifting of the battery module 20. For example, an embodiment of the battery module 20 for use in the vehicle 10 of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 9. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 54 rotates from the closed position to the open position about axis 70 and toward the terminals 72, instead of away from the terminals 72 and toward the surface 74 (e.g., back surface) of the housing 30. The cover 42 and corresponding handle 54 may be oriented in any direction to enable lifting of the battery module 20.

[0045] One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or in combination, may provide one or more technical effects useful in the manufacture of battery modules, and portions of battery modules. In general, embodiments of the present disclosure include a battery module having a cover disposed over an open side of a housing of the battery module, where the cover includes a protruded portion that protrudes away from the open side of the housing and indentations that are indented into the protruded portion. The protruded portion and the indentations are configured to define at least a portion of cavity or vent path of the battery module, where the cavity or vent path is configured to receive gases released by electrochemical cells in the housing. The indentations are also configured to receive a handle that is rotatably coupled to the cover. By incorporating the vent path and handle features of the battery module with a single component (e.g., the cover) or a small group of components, a material cost of the battery module is reduced and manufacturing of the battery module is simplified. The technical effects and technical problems in the specification are exemplary and are not limiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems.

[0046] While only certain features and embodiments have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the disclosed subject matter. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a plurality of electrochemical cells; a housing having an open side configured to receive the plurality of electrochemical cells; a handle configured to enable lifting of the battery module; and a cover disposed over the open side of the housing, wherein the cover comprises a protruded portion defining a cavity under the cover, wherein the cavity is configured to receive gases vented from the plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the cover comprises an indentation into the protruded portion of the cover toward the housing, and wherein the indentation is configured to define at least a portion of the cavity on a first side of the indentation and to receive the handle on a second side of the indentation opposite to the first side.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the handle is rotatably coupled to the cover such that the handle is rotatable between a closed position within the indentation and an open position substantially outside of the indentation.

3. The battery module of claim 2, wherein the cover comprises one or more knobs extending within the indentation and from the protruded portion of the cover, and the handle is rotatably coupled to the one or more knobs.

4. The battery module of claim 3, wherein the handle comprises one or more openings configured to engage the one or more knobs to rotatably couple the handle to the cover.

5. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells are disposed in the housing such that a plurality of cell vents of the plurality of electrochemical cells is positioned proximate to the cover.

6. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells comprises a plurality of terminal ends having a plurality of terminals, and the plurality of terminal ends comprise the plurality of cell vents.

7. The battery module of claim 1, comprising a vent fluidly coupled to the vent path and configured to enable venting of gases inside the housing of the battery module to an environment external to the housing.

8. The battery module of claim 7, wherein the vent is coupled to the cover or integral with the cover at the protruded portion.

9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the protruded portion comprises a central protrusion that protrudes between a first arm and a second arm of the handle.

10. The battery module of claim 9, wherein the central protrusion comprises knobs configured to engage the handle to rotatably couple the handle to the cover.

11. The battery module of claim 10, wherein the first arm comprises a first thick portion coupled to one of the knobs and a first thin portion extending from the first thick portion, and the second arm comprises a second thick portion coupled to one of the knobs and a second thin portion extending from the second thick portion, and the handle comprises a gripping bar extending between the first and second thin portions of the first and second arms, respectively.

12. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises extensions configured to engage openings or extensions of the housing to couple the cover to the housing.

13. The battery module of claim 12, comprising laser welds coupling the extensions of the cover with the openings or extensions of the housing.

14. The battery module of claim 1, comprising major terminals disposed in or on the housing and in electrical communication with the plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the protruded portion of the cover comprises L-shaped portions that form a border around each of the major terminals.

15. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises reinforcing extensions extending within the cavity.

16. A battery module, comprising: a housing having an open side; a plurality of electrochemical cells received by the housing through the open side; a cover disposed over the open side of the housing to seal the open side; a handle rotatably coupled to the cover, wherein the cover comprises a protruded portion that defines a vent path under the protruded portion and an indentation configured to receive the handle; and a vent in fluid communication with the vent path.

17. The battery module of claim 16, wherein the indentation includes aspects that are disposed in the protruded portion.

18. The battery module of claim 16, wherein the vent is coupled to, or integral with, the cover.

19. The battery module of claim 16, wherein the cover comprises reinforcing extensions extending within the vent path under the protruded portion of the cover.

20. The battery module of claim 16, comprising major terminals, wherein the handle is configured to rotate away from the major terminals from a closed position within the indentation to an open position substantially outside of the indentation.

21. The battery module of claim 16, wherein the cover comprises cylindrical knobs extending from the protruded portion and within the indentation, and the handle is coupled to the cylindrical knobs.

22. A battery module, comprising: a housing; a plurality of prismatic lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrochemical cells disposed on an inside of the housing; a cover disposed over an opening of the housing to seal the housing, wherein the cover comprises at least two chambers in fluid communication with the inside of the housing and defined by corresponding protruded portions of the cover; and a handle rotatably coupled to the cover between a first and second chamber of the at least two chambers.

23. The battery module of claim 22, wherein the plurality of prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cells comprises a plurality of corresponding cell vents, and the plurality of prismatic Li-ion electrochemical cells are oriented in the inside of the housing such that the plurality of corresponding cell vents are positioned proximate to the cover.

24. The battery module of claim 22, comprising a vent disposed on one of the corresponding protruded portions of the cover and in fluid communication with the at least two chambers of the cover.

25. The battery module of claim 22, wherein the at least two chambers comprise a third chamber and the third chamber is disposed between a first arm and a second arm of the handle.

26. The battery module of claim 22, wherein the at least two chambers are sized to dampen a vent response to pressure excursions on the inside of the housing.