FIELD

The invention relates to a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system according to the preambles of the independent claims.

BACKGROUND

A battery device is known from EP 1 864 351 B1, which is provided with a battery module comprising multiple secondary cells. The battery module in turn is provided with a positive pole and a negative pole. Said battery module is provided with a plurality of secondary cells, in particular lithium-iron cells, which are connected in series electrically. To facilitate the electrical connection of the battery module to other elements of the battery device, the battery module is provided with the electrically conductive elements of positive pole and negative pole.

An electrical cabinet is known from DE 201 22 043 U1 for the configuration of an uninterruptable power supply. The electrical cabinet comprises a plurality of receptacles, each of which is provided with at least one connector attachment, and which are designed to house a power module or a battery column.

Moreover, DE 20 2012 104 578 U1 discloses a modular battery framework for holding multiple batteries. The individual batteries may be wired from the front of the battery framework. This facilitates the interconnection of the batteries.

SUMMARY

It is the object of the present invention to provide a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system, providing a particularly safe manner for handling a battery module.

Said object is met, according to the invention, by a battery device, a battery system as well as a method for assembling a battery system.

To enable a particularly safe handling of a battery module by means of a battery device of the kind described at the outset provision is made, according to the invention, that the battery module is retained in an insulating housing with a contact element, which is connected to the positive and negative pole and through which the positive and negative pole may be connected to an electronics unit of a battery system. In other words, the battery module is at least essentially fully enclosed by the insulating housing. The contact element of the insulating housing is connected to the positive and negative pole of the battery module. Thus, through a connection with the electronics unit of the battery system via the contact element a connection of the positive and negative pole of the battery module to the electronics unit can be established. Advantageously, the battery module may be connected via the contact element to the electronics unit in a particularly simple manner since the positive and negative poles may be connected jointly and at the same time via the contact element to the electronics unit. Moreover, the battery module, which is retained in the insulating housing, can be handled particularly safely since the insulating housing acts as contact protection of the battery module for a user. The danger to the user of experiencing an electric shock is thus particularly low.

In this respect it has proven to be advantageous if the housing is comprised of an acid-proof material. The battery module is in particular at least essentially fully enclosed by the acid-proof material of the housing. In the instance of acid leakage from a battery module, the acid escaped from the battery module can be retained by the housing. Risk of injury to the user due to the escaped acid can be kept particularly low since said acid is caught in the housing. Since the housing material is acid-proof, the acid may advantageously be retained in the housing for a long period so that the user is protected for a long time from the acid.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the battery module retained in the housing is a traction battery or a starter battery for a motor vehicle. This has the advantage that the traction battery or the starter battery for the motor vehicle can be handled particularly safely and particularly simply due to the insulating housing.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provision is made that the contact element comprises a contactor. Said contactor is an electrically or pneumatically operable switch that can be moved between two switch positions. By means of the contactor it can be ensured that electric power is only made available outside the housing from the contact element when a connection with the electronics unit of the battery system is established. This, advantageously, makes it possible to prevent electric power from being transferred from the battery module to the user, should said user come in contact with the contact element.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a battery system with a framework that has a number of receptacles, each of which is able to retain a battery module. Moreover, the battery system comprises an electronics unit, which is disposed on said framework, and by means of which the respective battery modules may be interconnected and controlled. Furthermore, the battery system is provided with a contact device by means of which the respective battery module may be connected to the electronics unit. To facilitate a particularly safe handling of the battery system, a battery device as described in connection with the battery device according to the invention, is disposed in at least one of the receptacles. Through this the contact element of the battery module may be brought into contact with the contact device, and the positive and negative poles may be connected via the contact element and the contact device to the electronics unit. In particular, each of the battery modules retained in the receptacles of the framework, is the battery device according to the invention. This results in the advantage that the respective battery modules, due to their arrangement inside the insulating housing, can be handled in a particularly safe manner and thus can be arranged particularly safely in the framework to create the battery system. To facilitate a particularly simple interconnection of the respective battery modules, they are able to make contact via the respective contact elements of the housings of the contact device of the framework that retain the battery modules, wherein said contact device is in turn connected to the electronics unit. Through that the respective positive and negative poles of the battery modules may be connected with the electronics unit so that the battery modules can be interconnected and controlled.

In this respect it has proven to be advantageous if the contact element and/or the contact device comprises a contactor. If the contact element comprises said contactor, the transfer of electrical energy from the respective battery module to the user may essentially be prevented so that the user is not exposed to any health hazards. If the contact element comprises said contactor, electrical energy is advantageously only transmitted from the electronics unit if the contact device is in contact with the contact element. A transfer of electrical energy from the electronics unit via the contact device to the user, for example, may at least essentially be prevented through the arrangement of the contactor on the contact device even when contact is made between the user and the contact device. This provides a particularly high level of safety to the user when handling the battery system.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention provision is made that the battery system is designed as a stationary storage battery for the purpose of balancing out load spikes in a power grid. For example, a stationary storage battery may be used to balance out the energy requirement of a production plant, wherein the production plant is at times supplied with energy from the storage battery and at other times with energy from the power grid. Alternatively, or in addition, the storage battery may be used to take up energy when there is excess power available in the grid, and to release energy back to the grid in the instance of a power shortage, that is, to feed back into the grid. This may, for example, provide financial advantages in that the balancing out of load spikes in the power grid is reimbursed by an electricity supplier, or energy costs are reduced through balancing out the energy requirement of the production plant.

A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for assembling a battery system in which a battery module, comprised of multiple secondary cells, is provided with a positive and a negative pole and is disposed in a receptacle of a framework. In this instance the positive and negative poles make contact with a contact device of the receptacle, which connects the positive and negative poles to an electronics unit. The electronics unit is then used to control and interconnect the battery module with at least one further battery module. To facilitate a particularly safe handling of the battery module or the battery system respectively, the battery module is placed inside an insulating housing with a contact element prior to its arrangement in the receptacle. The contact element is connected to the positive and negative poles and connects the positive and negative poles via the contact device with the electronics unit. In other words, the battery module is first disposed in the insulating housing and the positive and negative poles of the battery module are connected to the contact element of the housing. The battery module disposed inside the housing is then placed into the receptacle of the framework and the contact element is connected to the contact device. This connects the positive and negative poles via the contact device to the electronics unit. The electronics unit then controls and interconnects the battery module with at least one further battery module, which is disposed in an insulating housing and is arranged in a further receptacle of the framework. By placing the battery module inside the insulating housing it can be handled in a particularly safe and simple manner by a user.

Included in the invention are also advantages and further developments of the method according to the invention which exhibit characteristics that have already been described in connection with the advantages and further developments of the battery device according to the invention as well as the battery system according to the invention. Thus, the respective advantages and further developments of the method according to the invention are not described here again.

