TITLE OF INVENTION
ENCLOSURE FOR ENERGY STORAGE UNIT
APPLICANT
TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, an Indian company, having its address at
“Chaitanya”, No.12 Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600
006.
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner
in which it is to be performed.
2
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to an enclosure for an energy storage unit
for a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
5 [002] Generally, vehicles comprise an energy storage unit, for example, but
not limited to one or more batteries. Conventional vehicles with an internal
combustion engine use the energy storage unit to store fraction of the power
generated by the engine to supply to the spark plug for initiating the
combustion. Another important function of the energy storage unit remained
10 supplying power to one or more electrical components including a headlamp,
a horn, tail lamps and others. Moreover, with the introduction of electric
vehicles and hybrid vehicles, the energy storage unit is also being used for
powering the transmission of the vehicle. Further, the evolution has led to a
greater number of electrical components being powered by the energy storing
15 unit in modern day vehicles. This has led to an increase in load on the energy
storage units.
[003] Traditionally, owing to the higher power density, the energy storage unit
used by the vehicles for the aforesaid purposes remained Lead-Acid type
battery packs. Lead-Acid type battery packs are typically pouch cells which do
20 not need a cell holder or enclosure and may be easy to handle. The Lead-Acid
3
batteries were replaced by lithium-ion batteries to achieve higher power density
and longer life cycle. Along with this the heavier weight of Lead-Acid batteries
was another reason for the replacement. Energy storage unit such as lithiumion batteries exposed to shocks and vibrations can have alteration in electrical
5 performance as well as mechanical properties.
[004] Presently available enclosures for energy storage unit are focused on
merely accommodating the battery. The presently available enclosures are
neither configured to absorb vibrations nor do they have any secure holding
mechanism for the energy storage unit. Further, the enclosures for energy
10 storage units do not have adequate water and dust resistance which may lead
to catastrophic failure of the energy storage unit. Furthermore, the inclusion of
gaskets or rubber sealants increase the overall cost of the enclosures.
[005] In view of the above, there is a need for an enclosure for energy storage
unit which addresses one or more limitations stated above.
15
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[006] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to an enclosure for an
energy storage unit. The enclosure comprises a holder member. The holder
member comprises a base member and a plurality of walls. The plurality of
20 walls extends vertically from the base member. The holder member comprises
an opening which is formed at an edge portion of the plurality of walls. The
4
opening is configured to receive the energy storage unit and the base member
is configured to support the energy storage unit. The enclosure further
comprises a cover member. The cover member is disposed onto the opening
of the holder member. The cover member comprises an inner surface, an outer
5 surface opposite the inner surface, a first wall member extending vertically
downwards from an outer periphery of the outer surface, and a second wall
member extending vertically downwards from an inner periphery of the inner
surface of the cover member.
[007] In an embodiment, the second wall member is disposed at a predefined
10 distance from the first wall member forming a locking portion, such that the
locking portion is configured to receive the edge portion of the plurality of walls
of the holder member.
[008] In a further embodiment, the first wall member is shorter than the second
wall member such that the first wall member rests on the pre-defined abutment
15 on the outer side of the plurality of walls of the holder member. A part of the
second wall member rests on the a pre-defined abutment on the inner side of
the plurality of walls of the holder member and the remaining part of the second
wall member rests on the energy storing unit for arresting the respective
movements of the cover member and the energy storage unit along z-axis.
20 [009] In a further embodiment, the holder member comprises one or more
grooves at the edge portion of the holder member and the cover member
5
comprises one or more notches at the first wall member of the cover member
for snap fitting the cover member to the grooves of the holder member.
[010] In a further embodiment, the holder member comprises one or more
guiding rails on the inner surface of one or more walls of the plurality of walls
5 of the holder member. The one or more guiding rails are configured to engage
with a guiding rail of a holder of the energy storage unit.
[011] In a further embodiment, the holder member comprises one or more
locators on an interior surface of the base member. The one or more locators
are configured to engage with a protrusion on the energy storage unit.
10 [012] In a further embodiment, the inner surface of plurality of walls comprises
one or more ribs and the holder member comprises an inclined orientation.
[013] In a further embodiment, the enclosure comprises a recess in the cover
member for accommodating one or more components including the electronic
board, wires, fusing elements, BMS of the energy storage unit. The wires
15 extending from the electronic board are prevented from excessive bending
stress and secured connected using screws.
[014] In a further embodiment, the locking portion is filled with an adhesive or
sealant, the adhesive/ sealant is provided in a horizontal direction and stops at
an abutting surface between the cover member and the holder member.
20 [015] In a further embodiment, the cover member comprises a first connecting
part for connecting a conductive element with wires extending from the
6
electronic board and a second connecting part for connecting a conductive
element with wires extending external to the one or more energy storage units.

WE CLAIM:
1. An enclosure (100) for an energy storage unit, the enclosure (100)
comprising:
a holder member (104) comprising a base member (106) and a plurality
5 of walls (108), the plurality of walls (108) extending vertically from the base
member (106), and an opening being formed at an edge portion (118) of
the plurality of walls (108), the opening being configured to receive the
energy storage unit and the base member (106) being configured to
support the energy storage unit,
10 a cover member (110) being disposed onto the opening of the holder
member (104), the cover member (110) comprising:
an inner surface (110A),
an outer surface (110B) opposite the inner surface (110A),
a first wall member (112) extending vertically downwards from an
15 outer periphery of the outer surface (110B),
a second wall member (114) extending vertically downwards
from an inner periphery of the inner surface (110A) of the cover member
(110).
20 2. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second wall
member being disposed at a predefined distance from the first wall
25
member (112) forming a locking portion (116), such that the locking
portion (116) being configured to receive the edge portion (118) of the
plurality of walls (108) of the holder member (104).
5 3. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wall member
(112) being shorter than the second wall member (114) such that the
first wall member (112) rests on the pre-defined abutment on the outer
side of the plurality of walls (108) of the holder member (104), a part of
the second wall member (114) rests on the a pre-defined abutment on
10 the inner side of the plurality of walls (108) of the holder member (104)
and the remaining part of the second wall member (114) rests on the
energy storing unit for arresting the respective movements of the cover
member (110) and the energy storage unit along the z-axis.
15 4. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder member
(104) comprises one or more grooves (120) at the edge portion (118) of
the holder member (104) and the cover member (110) comprises one or
more notches (122) at the first wall member (112) of the cover member
(110) for snap fitting the cover member (110) to the grooves (120) of the
20 holder member (104).
26
5. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder member
(104) comprises one or more guiding rails (124) on the inner surface of
one or more walls of the plurality of walls (108) of the holder member
(104), the one or more guiding rails (124) being configured to engage
5 with a guiding rail (102B) of a cell holder (102A) of the energy storage
unit.
6. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder member
(104) comprises one or more locators (126) on an interior surface (106A)
10 of the base member (106), the one or more locators (126) being
configured to engage with a protrusion on the energy storage unit.
7. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surface of
plurality of walls (108) comprises one or more ribs (128) and the holder
15 member (104) comprises an inclined orientation.
8. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a recess (132) in
the cover member (110) for accommodating one or more components
including the electronic board, wires, fusing elements, BMS of the
20 energy storage unit (134), wherein wires extending from the electronic
27
board (134) are prevented from excessive bending stress and secured
connected using screws.
5 9. The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking portion
(116) being filled with an adhesive or sealant, the adhesive/ sealant is
provided in a horizontal direction and stops at an abutting surface
between the cover member (110) and the holder member (104).
10 10.The enclosure (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover member
(110) comprises a first connecting part (110C) for connecting a
conductive element with wires extending from the electronic board (134)
and a second connecting part (110D) for connecting a conductive
element with wires extending external to the one or more energy storage
15 units.