JP5481970B2 - Battery module and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery module and a manufacturing method thereof.

A battery module is known in which a plurality of flat batteries in which a power generation element is sealed with a laminate sheet are stacked, and the power generation element is fixed by sandwiching a sealing fixing portion of the battery between a pair of frames. (Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-122927 A

  However, in the above prior art, it is necessary to connect a pair of electrode tabs derived from the sealing and fixing portion of the laminate sheet separately using a bus bar or the like, and a step of sandwiching the sealing and fixing portion of the battery by the frame, Two processes, such as an electrode tab connecting process using a bus bar, are required.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery module capable of simultaneously fixing a battery and connecting an electrode tab and a method for manufacturing the same.

In the present invention, a frame having a plate-like conductive spacer at one end and a plate-like insulating spacer at the other end is disposed between adjacent batteries, and the entire width direction of the electrode tab is defined as a conductive spacer. The above-described problems are solved by fixing these frames while being sandwiched by insulating spacers.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of batteries are electrically connected by alternately sandwiching electrode tabs of the stacked batteries with conductive spacers and insulating spacers, and at the same time, by fixing these frames, the batteries Since this is fixed, a separate connection step using a bus bar or the like is not necessary.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the battery module to which one embodiment of this invention is applied. It is the top view (upper and lower both ends are sectional views) seen from the direction of arrow IIA in the state where the battery module of FIG. 1 is assembled. FIG. 2B is an equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 2A. It is the front view which looked at the battery module of Drawing 1 from the direction of arrow III. It is a perspective view which shows the spacer of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the frame of the battery module to which other embodiment of this invention is applied. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state before clamping an electrode tab with the spacer shown in FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which clamped the electrode tab with the spacer shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<< First Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is a battery module to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The battery module 1 is configured by connecting three unit cells 2A, 2B, and 2C (hereinafter also simply referred to as batteries) in series. An example will be described. However, this invention is not limited to what is illustrated below, It can apply by changing suitably the quantity and connection circuit structure of a battery to be connected.

  The battery module 1 of this example includes three batteries 2A, 2B, 2C, four frames 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, two end plates 4A, 4B, a case 5, and four pairs of through bolts 6a. And a nut 6b.

  Hereinafter, the batteries 2A to 2C, the frames 3A to 3D, and the end plates 4A to 4B are collectively referred to as the battery 2, the frame 3, and the end plate 4, respectively. Similarly, when referring to the positive electrode tabs 21A to 21C, the negative electrode tabs 22A to 22C, the conductive spacer portions 31A to 31D, and the insulating spacer portions 32A to 32D, respectively, the positive electrode tab 21, the negative electrode tab 22, and the conductive spacer portion 31. The insulating spacer portion 32 is collectively referred to, and the positive electrode tab 21 and the negative electrode tab 22 are collectively referred to as electrode tabs 22 and 23.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the battery 2 </ b> A is a thin battery in which the outer peripheral portion of the exterior member 21 </ b> A is sealed and the power generation element 24 </ b> A and the electrolyte are accommodated therein. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the power generation element 24A is formed by laminating a current collector with a positive electrode formed on both sides and a current collector with a negative electrode formed on both sides with a separator interposed between the current collector of the positive electrode. The connected positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 23A connected to the negative electrode current collector are respectively led out from the outer peripheral portion of the facing short piece side of the exterior member 21A as shown in the figure.

  The other two batteries 2B and 2C are configured in the same manner, but the batteries 2A and 2C are arranged in the same direction in order to connect the three batteries 2A, 2B and 2C in series as shown in FIG. On the other hand, in the battery 2B, the directions of the positive electrode tab 22B and the negative electrode tab 23B are reversed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 3 </ b> B is formed in an L shape, and is formed of an insulating spacer portion 32 </ b> B made of an electrically insulating material such as plastics and an I shape, and is made of a conductive material such as copper. And a conductive spacer portion 31B. The conductive spacer portion 31B and the insulating spacer portion 32B are joined at the lower left portion shown in FIG. 4, and the entire frame 3B is formed in a U-shape. Then, both end portions of the frame body 3 are in contact with the electrode tabs 22 and 23 of the battery 2, and the electrode tabs 22 and 23 are sandwiched between the two adjacent frame bodies 3.

  As will be described later, since the conductive spacer portion 31B is for electrically connecting the electrode tabs 22 and 23 of the adjacent batteries 2, at least a portion in contact with the electrode tabs 22 and 23 is made of a conductive material. It is sufficient if it is configured. Therefore, the whole frame 3B may be made of an insulating material such as plastics, and a conductive material may be embedded in one portion in contact with the electrode tabs 22 and 23.

  In addition to forming the frame 3B in the above-described U-shape, the frame 3B is formed in a square shape, that is, a frame shape, and one of a pair of opposing sides is a conductive spacer portion 31B, and the other is insulative. It can also be set as the spacer part 32B, and such a frame 3B is also included in the frame according to the present invention.

  The other frames 3A, 3C, and 3D are configured in the same manner, but the four frames 3A to 3D include the positive electrode tabs 22 of the batteries 2A to 2C having three conductive spacer portions 31 and three insulating spacer portions 32, respectively. And the direction is alternately changed according to the arrangement of the negative electrode tabs 23. This will be described later.

  The end plates 4A and 4B are made of an electrically insulating material such as plastics, and are provided at both ends of three batteries 2A to 2C and four frames 3A to 3D alternately stacked with these batteries 2, respectively. By clamping in the stacking direction, the battery 2 is fixed and the electrode tabs 22 and 23 are securely connected.

  FIG. 2A is a plan view seen from the direction of arrow IIA in the assembled state of battery module 1 of FIG. 1, and upper and lower ends are shown as cross-sectional views.

  Holes are formed in the four corners of the end plates 4A and 4B, respectively, and holes are similarly formed in the corresponding positions of the four frame bodies 3A to 3D. Through holes 6a are inserted into these holes and nuts 6b are inserted. The end plates 4 </ b> A and 4 </ b> B are fixed in a state where the battery 2 and the frame body 3 are sandwiched by tightening at.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, the negative electrode tab 23A of the battery 2A and the positive electrode tab 22B of the battery 2B are electrically connected by the conductive spacer portion 31B of the frame 3B. Similarly, the negative electrode tab 23B of the battery 2B and the battery The 2C positive electrode tab 22C is electrically connected by the conductive spacer portion 31C of the frame 3C.

  On the other hand, the positive electrode tab 22A of the battery 2A and the negative electrode tab 23B of the battery 2B are electrically insulated by the insulating spacer portion 32B of the frame 3B. Similarly, the positive electrode tab 22B of the battery 2B and the negative electrode tab 23C of the battery 2C are framed. It is electrically insulated by the 3C insulating spacer 32C.

  As a result, as shown in the equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 2B, the three batteries 2A to 2C are connected in series, one positive terminal being the conductive spacer 31A of the frame 3A and the other negative terminal being the frame 3D. The battery module 1 is formed as the conductive spacer portion 31D.

  Note that the frames 3A and 3D arranged at both ends of the three batteries 2A to 2C do not need a function of electrically connecting the electrode tabs 22 and 23 of the battery 2 as the other frames 3B and 3C. Therefore, the frame bodies 3A and 3D may be omitted, and the end plates 4A and 4B may be provided with a spacer function, and the end plates 4A and 4B may be substituted.

  Although only the lower case 5a is shown in FIG. 1 and shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2A, the battery 2 and the frame 3 held by the end plates 4A and 4B may be stored in the lower case 5a and the upper case 5b. . In this case, the end plates 4A and 4B and the lower case 5a or the upper case 5b are fixed using bolts or the like different from the through bolts 6a and the nuts 6b.

  Next, a manufacturing method will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the three batteries 2A to 2C and the four frame bodies 3A to 3D are alternately arranged, and the arrangement of the positive electrode tab 22 and the negative electrode tab 23 of the battery 2, the conductive spacer 31 of the frame body 3, and the insulating property. As shown in the drawing, the spacers 32 are sequentially stacked to form a stacked body.

  In the stacking process of the battery 2 and the frame 3, the battery 2 may be stacked so that the main surface of the battery 2 stands in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. You may laminate | stack up and down.

  In this stacking step, the stack positions of the frames 3A to 3D can be located with reference to the holes of the frame 3. The positioning of the battery 2 can be based on the outer peripheral edge of the exterior member 21, particularly the outer peripheral edge on the long side where the electrode tabs 22 and 23 are not led out.

  Next, the two end plates 4A and 4B are arranged at both ends of the laminated body, the four through bolts 6a are passed through the holes of the end plates 4A and 4B and the holes of the frames 3A to 3D, and the nut 6b is screwed into each. And tighten.

  The three battery 2A to 2C are fixed and the battery module 1 is assembled at the same time by the process of forming the laminated body and the tightening process of the through bolt 6a and the nut 6b, and at the same time, the conductive spacer portions 31A to 31A of the frames 3A to 3D. The positive electrode tabs 22A to 22C and the negative electrode tabs 23A to 23C of the batteries 2A to 2C are electrically connected or insulated by 31D and the insulating spacer portions 32A to 32D, and are connected in series as shown in FIG. 2B.

  As a result, the battery 2 can be fixed and the electrode tabs 22 and 23 can be connected simultaneously without using an electrical connection member such as a bus bar.

<< Second Embodiment >>
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a frame 3E of a battery module 1 to which another embodiment of the present invention is applied. Like the first embodiment described above, FIG. 5 is formed in an L shape and is made of plastics or the like. It has an insulating spacer portion 32E made of an electrically insulating material and a conductive spacer portion 31E formed in an I-shape and made of a conductive material such as copper.

  And the battery module 1 of this example using this frame 3E replaces frame 3A-3D in the battery module 1 of FIG. 1 with the frame 3E shown in FIG. That is, the frame 3E shown in FIG. 5 is arranged in this direction instead of the frames 3B and 3D shown in FIG. 1, and the frame 3E shown in FIG. 5 is used instead of the frames 3A and 3C shown in FIG. The conductive spacer portion 31E and the insulating spacer portion 32E are arranged so that the positions thereof are opposite to each other.

  In the frame 3E of this example, protrusions 33E having relatively sharp tips are formed on both surfaces of the insulating spacer 32E in contact with the electrode tabs 22 and 23, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the electrode tab 22D of the battery 2 is sandwiched between the insulating spacer portion 32E having the protrusion 33E and the conductive spacer portion 31F of the adjacent frame 3F, as shown in FIG. The tab 22D and the conductive spacer portion 31F are deformed by the wedge effect of the projection 33E, and as a result, the contact between the conductive spacer portion 31F and the electrode tab 22D is more reliably performed.

  Incidentally, the positive electrode tab 22 and the negative electrode tab 23 correspond to the electrode tab according to the present invention, the conductive spacer portion 31 of the frame body 3 corresponds to the conductive spacer according to the present invention, and the insulating property of the frame body 3. The spacer 32 corresponds to the insulating spacer according to the present invention, the through bolt 6a and the nut 6b correspond to the fixing member according to the present invention, and the protrusion 33E corresponds to the uneven contact surface according to the present invention. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Battery module 2A, 2B, 2C ... Battery 21A, 21B, 21C ... Exterior member 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D ... Positive electrode tab 23A, 23B, 23C ... Negative electrode tab 24A ... Power generation element 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D ... Frame Body 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, 31E, 31F ... Conductive spacer 32a, 32B, 32C, 32D, 32E ... Insulating spacer 33E ... Projection 4A, 4B ... End plate 5a ... Lower case 5b ... Upper case 6a ... Through bolt 6b ... nut

Claims (6)

In the battery module formed by laminating a plurality of batteries in which the outer peripheral portion of the exterior member is sealed to house the power generation element and the pair of electrode tabs are derived from the outer peripheral portion,
It has one of a plate-like conductive spacer or a plate-like insulating spacer disposed between the adjacent batteries and in contact with the entire width direction of one of the electrode tabs at one end, and the electrode at the other end. a plurality of frame member having the other of the conductive spacer or said insulating spacer contacts the other the entire region in the width direction of the tab,
A battery module comprising: a fixing member that fixes the frame. The battery module according to claim 1,
The battery module in which the contact surface with the said electrode tab of the said conductive spacer and the said insulating spacer is formed in uneven | corrugated shape. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2,
The battery is laminated so that the positive electrode tab of one adjacent battery and the negative electrode tab of the other battery overlap,
The frame body is a battery module that is laminated so that the conductive spacer of one adjacent frame body and the insulating spacer of the other frame body overlap. In the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A battery module comprising an end plate disposed at both ends of the plurality of stacked batteries and sandwiching the plurality of frames by the fixing member. A power generation element is sealed inside the exterior member, a pair of electrode tabs are led out from the outer periphery of the exterior member, a plate-like conductive spacer at one end, and a plate-like insulation at the other end A battery in which a frame having a conductive spacer is sequentially stacked so that the conductive spacer and the insulating spacer are in contact with each other in the width direction of the electrode tab , and the frame is disposed between adjacent batteries. Forming a laminate;
And a step of tightening and fixing a plurality of frames of the battery stack in the stacking direction. In the manufacturing method of the battery module according to claim 5,
Further comprising the step of disposing end plates on both ends of the battery stack,
A method for manufacturing a battery module, wherein a plurality of frames of the battery stack and the end plate are fastened and fixed in a stacking direction.

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