JP2006107808A - Connecting member for battery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connecting member capable of surely gaining improvement of welding strength and reduction of connection resistance when used as a connecting lead or a inter-battery connecting body, in spite of constituting it at low cost only by applying a simple change of shape. <P>SOLUTION: For the connecting member for a battery, of which welding parts 2, 3, 43, 44 at both ends are jointed by welding either between two constituent elements to be connected to each other of batteries B1, B2 or between the two batteries B1, B2. Linear projections for welding 7, 9, 38 to 41, 50, 53 having a linear shape or a curved shape in a plane view are provided at the both end parts of a plate shape in a length direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention mainly relates to a connection lead for electrically connecting a current collector and a sealing body joined to an upper end of a spiral electrode plate group in a cylindrical storage battery, or two cylindrical storage batteries juxtaposed in a radial direction. It is related with the connection member for batteries which can be used suitably as a connection body between batteries for mutually connecting.

  Cylindrical alkaline storage batteries represented by nickel-cadmium storage batteries and nickel-hydrogen storage batteries are highly reliable and easy to maintain, so they are widely used as power sources for portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers. ing. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for cylindrical alkaline storage batteries suitable for large current discharge as power sources for electric tools and electric vehicles.

  As an alkaline storage battery used for the above-described large current discharge, the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are wound so that the upper end portion or the lower end portion thereof protrudes from the upper and lower sides of the spiral electrode plate group, respectively, and protrudes from the upper and lower sides. A current collector 60 as shown in FIG. 10 is welded to the tip portions of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate at a plurality of locations, thereby improving the current collecting performance from the electrode plate group, and connecting the current collector 60 via the connection leads 61. A device electrically connected to the sealing body 62 is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the alkaline storage battery, each part of the burring protrusion 64 formed integrally by bending at right angles in the downward direction from both sides of the four notches 63 arranged in a cross shape on the current collector 60 is formed on the positive electrode plate ( (Not shown) in a state where welding is performed so as to cross the end portion, and the lower end portion of the connection lead 61 is positioned in a state where the arc-shaped notch 65 is aligned with the hole edge of the central through hole 66 of the current collector 60 Then, the lower end portion of the connection lead 61 and the current collector 60 are resistance-welded to each other via four spot-like welding projections 67 protruding from the connection lead 61. It is joined to. During this welding, the arcuate notch 65 functions to reduce the reactive current. Further, the upper end portion of the connection lead 61 and the sealing body 62 are four dot-like shapes protruding from the connection lead 61 in a state where the protruding portion 68 of the sealing body 62 is inserted into the fitting hole 69 of the connection lead 61. Are welded to each other through resistance welding.

  In addition, a drive power source for the electric tool or the electric vehicle includes a plurality of cylindrical storage batteries juxtaposed in the radial direction, and two adjacent storage batteries connected in series with each other to obtain a required output. A battery module configured to obtain a voltage is used. As an inter-battery connection body for electrically connecting the two adjacent cylindrical storage batteries to each other, one having a shape as shown in FIG. 11 is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  The inter-battery connection body 71 has both ends of a first welded portion 72 for connecting to the shape of the bottom of one storage battery B1 and a second welded portion 73 for connecting to the sealing body of the other storage battery B2. Are formed respectively. The first welded portion 72 is formed in a planar shape, and four slit holes 74 are formed in a cross-shaped arrangement along the circumferential direction corresponding to the circular shape of the bottom of the storage battery B1, and each slit hole Point-shaped welding projections 75 are formed on both sides of 74. Each slit hole 74 functions to reduce the reactive current when the first welded portion 72 and the bottom portion of the storage battery B1 are joined to each other by resistance welding via the respective projections 75 for welding.

The second welded portion 73 is formed with an annular recess 76 that contacts the sealing body of the storage battery B2, an opening 77 that is formed at the center of the annular recess 76 and through which the positive electrode terminal of the storage battery B2 is inserted, and an annular recess 76. Further, four holes 78 and spot-like welding projections 79 projecting from both sides of each hole 78 on the bottom surface of the annular recess 76 are provided. Each hole 78 functions to reduce reactive current when the second welded portion 73 and the sealing body of the storage battery B1 are joined to each other by resistance welding via the respective projections 79 for welding.
JP 2001-155712 A JP 2002-246003 A

  However, since the connection lead 61 is resistance-welded through the point-like projections 67 and 70 and joined to the current collector 60 and the sealing body 62, the following problems are caused by the small welding area. There is. That is, in the connection lead 61, sufficient welding strength cannot be ensured, so that the durability when vibration, impact, twist, etc. are applied is insufficient, and this causes variations in battery characteristics and welding failure. Since the connection resistance at each connection point between the connection lead 61 and the current collector 60 and the sealing body 62 increases, a voltage drop occurs at each connection point, and charging and discharging of a large current of the storage battery. The operating voltage decreases. Furthermore, when a large current is applied, the current concentrates on the portions of the projections 67 and 70 for welding having a small welding area, causing problems such as heat generation and an increase in electrical resistance. In addition, when resistance welding is performed via the welding projections 67 and 70, unless the welding projections 67 and 70 are melted and completely collapsed, the electrical resistance also increases.

  On the other hand, the inter-battery connection body 71 is also resistance welded via the spot-like welding projections 75 and 79 and joined to the storage batteries B1 and B2, so that sufficient welding strength is ensured in the same manner as the connection lead 61 described above. Insufficient durability when vibration, impact, twist, etc. are applied because it is not possible, so that welding is likely to occur and the connection resistance increases, so heat is generated when a large current is passed, and electrical resistance There is a problem that a problem such as an increase occurs.

  Therefore, conventionally, in order to solve the above-described problems, multi-point welding is performed by increasing the number of welding projections 67, 70, 75, and 79. However, in this case, not only the number of weldings is increased, but it is also very difficult to perform resistance welding at a plurality of points at the same time. Therefore, the welding state of each of the welding projections 67, 70, 75, 79 is likely to vary. , There is a possibility that a welding failure occurs at a place of poor welding. The connection lead 61 has a problem that the battery characteristics are extremely deteriorated when the welding is removed even at one of the plurality of points.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and has an inexpensive structure that can be simply changed in shape, but also improves welding strength when used as a connection lead or an inter-battery connection body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery connection member that can reliably reduce the connection resistance.

  In order to achieve the above object, the battery connection member of the invention according to claim 1 is formed by welding welded portions at both ends between two components to be connected to each other or between two batteries in the battery. A connecting member for a battery, wherein at least one of the longitudinal ends is provided with a linear welding projection having a linear shape or a curved shape in plan view, respectively. Yes.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery connecting member that uses the first aspect of the invention as a connection lead for electrically connecting the current collector and the sealing body of the battery, A first notch having a shape corresponding to the injection hole of the current collector is formed in the welded portion, and the second welded portion is connected to the second welded portion at the other end welded to the sealing body. A notch is formed, and a welding projection having a linear shape on both sides of each notch or a curved welding projection extending across both sides of the notch is provided.

  The battery connection member of the invention according to claim 3 is formed in a plate shape from pure nickel or iron nickel plating material in the invention of claim 2.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery connecting member that uses the invention of the first aspect as an inter-battery connecting body that electrically connects the terminals of two juxtaposed batteries. In the center of each part, an opening, a plurality of notches communicating with the opening and extending radially outward, and an arcuate curved line along the edge of the opening on both sides of each notch are formed. The battery connection member of the invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 4, wherein the opening at the center of the welded portion at one end of both ends is inserted through the positive electrode terminal, and the opening The peripheral edge of this is formed with a recess so that the projection for welding comes into contact with the lower surface of the sealing body and is welded.

  The battery connection member of the invention according to claim 6 is formed in a plate shape from pure nickel, iron nickel plating material, copper nickel plating material or nickel-copper-nickel cladding material in the invention of claim 4.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the welding area is increased by resistance welding through the linear welding projection, compared to the case of the conventional spot welding projection, the connection resistance can be reduced and large. Welding strength can be ensured.

  The invention of claim 2 is the one in which the invention of claim 1 is applied to the connection lead, and by setting the length of the linear welding projection longer, the number of points of the conventional spot welding projection is increased. In addition, the connection resistance can be reduced, and there is an advantage that even if there is some variation in the applied pressure during welding, the weldability is not greatly affected. Accordingly, as the connection resistance between the current collector and the sealing body is reduced, the internal resistance when functioning as a battery can be reduced.

  Moreover, since the welding area of the linear welding projection is larger than that of the conventional spot welding projection, it is possible to obtain a joined state having a high peel strength as the welding area increases. In addition, it is difficult to form many conventional spot welding projections within a limited area, but linear welding projections can be easily formed by drawing using a required mold. Compared to a conventional welding lead with many point-like welding projections, it is easier to manage the mold and ensure a longer life of the mold. There is an advantage that it can be joined to the body and the sealing body.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the connection lead using such a metal material is not corroded by the electrolytic solution.

  The invention of claim 4 is the one in which the invention of claim 1 is applied to an inter-battery connection body and is joined via a linear welding projection, so that it is compared with a conventional spot welding projection. Since the welding area is increased, the connection resistance can be considerably reduced. Moreover, in the linear welding projection, even if there is some variation in the applied pressure, the weldability is not greatly affected. Therefore, the battery module configured using this inter-battery connection body has high connection strength as the welding area increases as compared to the conventional spot-like welding projection, while the connection resistance is reduced. Therefore, the battery module configured using this inter-battery connection body can sufficiently ensure the durability when a large vibration, impact or twist is applied, and there is a possibility that problems such as detachment of welding may occur. Absent.

  In the invention of claim 5, since the opening is provided in the welded portion at one end and the positive electrode terminal is inserted, and the recess is formed so that the peripheral edge of the opening is in contact with the sealing body, the safety valve body accommodated in the positive electrode terminal No heat damage during welding.

  In the invention of claim 6, since the inter-battery connection body is not affected by the corrosion due to the electrolytic solution unlike the connection lead, the copper-nickel plating and the nickel-copper-nickel cladding material among the above materials are used. If used, it will be inexpensive.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view showing a battery connection member according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a current collector and a sealing body in a cylindrical storage battery are shown. Are used as connection leads 1A for electrical connection.

  The connection lead 1A is made of pure nickel or iron-nickel plated sheet metal having a thickness of 0.60 mm, and the overall shape in a plan view is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The 1st welding part 2 and the 2nd welding part 3 are each provided. The first weld 2 at one end (the left end in the figure) is formed with a substantially semicircular first cutout 4 at the center of the end corresponding to a circular through hole of the upper current collector described later. On both sides of the notch 4, a pair of linear first welding projections 7 extending in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction are provided so as to project toward the lower surface. On the other hand, in the second welded portion 3 at the other end (right end in the figure), an arc-shaped second notch 8 corresponding to a protruding portion of the sealing body, which will be described later, is formed at the center of the end. A pair of second welding projections 9 having a curved shape corresponding to the edge portion of the notch 8 are projected toward the lower surface in an arrangement along the edge portions on both sides of the second notch 8.

  FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan view and a front view showing a connection lead 1B which is a battery connection member of a modification according to the embodiment, in which the same or equivalent to FIG. Are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The connection lead 1B is different from that shown in FIG. 1 in that the second welded portion 3 is replaced by the edge of the second notch 8 instead of the pair of curved second projections 9 shown in FIG. A single second welding projection 10 having a long curved shape corresponding to the entire portion is configured to protrude toward the lower surface in an arrangement along the entire edge of the second notch 8.

  The connection leads 1A and 1B of the above-described embodiment are drawn in FIG. 1 (a) or FIG. 2 (a) after drawing the plate material having the predetermined thickness to form the respective projections 7, 9, and 10 for welding. It is manufactured through a process of punching into a planar shape as shown, and can be easily manufactured. Moreover, although the thickness of the connection leads 1A and 1B is set to 0.60 mm in the above embodiment, it is preferable to set the thickness within the range of 0.20 to 0.80 mm. It is preferable to set the projection height of the projections 7, 9, and 10 to 0.25 to 0.50 mm.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state in which the positive electrode current collector 11 and the sealing body 12 are electrically connected via the connection lead 1A of FIG. The electrode plate group 13 to which the positive electrode current collector 11 is joined has a known configuration in which a belt-like positive electrode plate 14 and a negative electrode plate 17 are wound in a spiral shape with a separator 18 interposed therebetween. Is. The positive electrode current collector 11 is made of a substantially rectangular conductive plate material that fits within the cross-sectional shape of the electrode plate group 13, and has a circular liquid injection hole 19 corresponding to the central gap of the electrode plate group 13. And four notched openings 20 extending from the four corners of the rectangle to the vicinity of the center, and burring protrusions bent downward from the openings 20. The piece 21 is integrally formed. The positive electrode current collector 11 is bonded to the positive electrode plate 14 by resistance welding with a total of eight burring protrusions 21 intersecting the end portions of the positive electrode plate 14 and part of the burring protrusion pieces 21 being cut into the end portions. Has been.

  The connection lead 1A is joined to the positive electrode current collector 11 in the following procedure. That is, the first welded portion 2 is arranged at the substantially central portion of the upper surface of the positive electrode current collector 11 in an arrangement in which the first notch 4 of the connection lead 1A is aligned with the hole edge of the liquid injection hole 19 of the positive electrode current collector 11. A pair of first welding-use electrodes is formed by applying resistance welding while pressing a pair of welding electrodes against two locations sandwiching the first notch 4 of the first welding portion 2. The projection 7 is melted and the first weld 2 is joined to the positive electrode current collector 11.

  When performing the resistance welding, the reactive current flowing on the surface of the first welded portion 2 between the pair of welding electrodes is reduced by the first notch 4, and the linear pair of first projection 7 for welding and the positive electrode The welding current flowing through the contact portion with the current collector 11 increases, and the first welding projection 7 is reliably melted. However, since the pair of first projections 7 for welding is linear, the electrical resistance at the welded portion is increased even if it is not completely melted, unlike the conventional pointed connection lead. And a sufficient bonding state can be obtained.

  The connection lead 1A in which the first welded portion 2 is joined to the positive electrode current collector 11 in this way is bent at a right angle along the broken line shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, and rises as shown in FIG. State. In addition, after joining the connection lead 1 </ b> A in advance to the positive electrode current collector 11, assembly may be performed by a procedure of joining the positive electrode current collector 11 to the electrode plate group 13.

  Next, the sealing body 12 is joined to the 2nd welding part 3 made into the standing state in the connection lead 1A. That is, the second notch 8 of the connection lead 1A is arranged along the peripheral end of the protrusion 22 on the lower surface of the sealing body 12 so that the second welded portion 3 is superimposed on the lower surface of the sealing body 12, and a pair of A state in which the welding electrode is brought into contact with the upper surface of the sealing body 12 and the second welding portion 3 of the connecting lead 1A and pressed to sandwich the second welding portion 3 and the sealing body 12 between the pair of welding electrodes. Resistance welding. As a result, the pair of second projections 9 for welding are melted, and the second welded portion 3 is joined to the sealing body 12.

  In addition, when the positive electrode current collector 11 and the sealing body 12 are electrically connected to each other using the connection lead 1B of FIG. 2, the same procedure as described for the connection lead 1A is performed. In addition, the connection leads 1A and 1B of the above-described embodiment are respectively provided with the first welding projection 7 and the second welding on both the first welded portion 2 and the second welded portion 3 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The projection 9 or 10 is provided as an example, but the one end can be formed in a shape in which the positive electrode current collector is integrally formed, or in a configuration in which a separate positive electrode current collector is integrated in advance. It is sufficient to provide the second welding projection 3 with the second welding projection 9 or 10.

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a cylindrical storage battery configured using a configuration in which the electrode plate group 13 and the sealing body 12 are electrically connected by the connection lead 1A of FIG. The electrode plate group 13 is configured such that the end portion 14a of the positive electrode plate 14 (FIG. 3) protrudes above the electrode plate group 13 and the end portion 17a of the negative electrode plate 17 (FIG. 3) protrudes downward. This electrode plate group 13 has a metal battery case 23 with an elastic conductor 24 made of a foam metal ring interposed in a state where a negative electrode current collector 27 is previously joined to an end portion 17a of the negative electrode plate 17. Inserted inside. The negative electrode plate 17 has a negative electrode current collector 27 a bulging downward from the center of the negative electrode current collector 27 and joined to the bottom surface of the battery case 23 by resistance welding. The case 23 is electrically connected. The electrode plate group 13 is pressed through an insulating support member 30 by an annular fixing portion 29 bulged inward by an annular groove portion 28 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the battery case 23, and is fixed in the battery case 23. .

  The sealing body 12 includes a filter portion 31 having a valve port 32 for discharging gas generated inside the battery provided in the protruding portion 22 and a cap-shaped positive electrode fixed in a state of being superimposed on the filter portion 31. It comprises a terminal 33 and a rubber safety valve body 34 that is sandwiched and fixed between the filter portion 31 and the cap-like positive electrode terminal 33 to close the valve port 32. The sealing body 12 is connected to the connection lead after the electrode plate group 13 accommodated in the battery case 23 is fixed via the insulating pressing member 30 by the annular support portion 29 that bulges inward due to the formation of the annular groove portion 28. 1A is bent and inserted into the battery case 23 as a relative position parallel to the upper end opening of the battery case 23, and the peripheral edge of the filter part 31 is placed on the annular support part 29 via the insulating gasket 37. Locked. After that, the battery case 23 is closed in a sealed state by compressing the insulating gasket 37 by crimping the peripheral edge of the upper end opening inward.

  FIG. 5 shows the length of the projections 7 and 9 for welding of the cylindrical storage battery configured using the connection lead 1A and the connection resistance between the positive electrode current collector 11 and the connection lead 1A or between the sealing body 12 and the connection lead. It is a characteristic view which shows the relationship. This characteristic diagram is a result of actual measurement using a connection lead made of pure nickel into a shape having a width of 15 mm and a thickness of 0.60 mm.

  Since the connection lead 1A is joined via the linear or curved welding projections 7 and 9, the welding area is larger than that of the conventional spot welding projection, so the connection resistance is considerably reduced. can do. When the lengths of the linear welding projections 7 and 9 are increased, the connection resistance is reduced as compared with increasing the number of spot welding projections. In addition, when resistance welding is performed through a relatively large number of point-like welding projections, resistance welding cannot be performed stably unless pressure is uniformly applied to all welding projections, whereas linear welding is not possible. The welding projections 7 and 9 have an advantage that even if there is some variation in the applied pressure, the weldability is not greatly affected.

  Therefore, in the cylindrical storage battery configured using the connection lead 1A, as each connection resistance between the positive electrode current collector 11 and the connection lead 1A and between the sealing body 12 and the connection lead decreases, The internal resistance when functioning as a battery can be reduced, and in addition, since the junction area is large, even when a large current flows, the current does not concentrate at the junction, and the voltage drop at the junction is slight. Therefore, the operating voltage as a storage battery can be kept high even during a large current discharge.

  In addition, since the connection lead 1A is welded via the linear welding projections 7 and 9, the welding area becomes larger than that of the spot welding projection, and accordingly, the welding area increases. High weld strength can be obtained.

  Therefore, the cylindrical storage battery configured using the connection lead 1A ensures sufficient welding strength at the joints between the positive electrode current collector 11 and the connection lead 1A and between the connection lead 1A and the sealing body 12. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the durability when a large vibration, impact or twist is applied, and there is no possibility of occurrence of problems such as variations in battery characteristics or disconnection of the battery. Further, the connection lead 1A is formed from a pure nickel or iron nickel plating material in an alkaline storage battery, and is not corroded by the electrolytic solution.

  In addition, it is difficult to form many conventional spot welding projections within a limited area. However, in the connection lead 1A, since the welding projections 7 and 9 are linear, this linear shape is used. The welding projections 7 and 9 can be easily formed by drawing using a required mold, and compared with a conventional welding lead provided with a number of point-like welding projections. There are advantages that management becomes easy and the life of the mold can be secured for a long time. Further, the connection lead 1A has an advantage that it can be joined to the positive electrode current collector 11 and the sealing body 12 with a small number of weldings.

  In the characteristic diagram of FIG. 6, the relationship between the plate thickness of the cylindrical storage battery configured using the connection lead 1A and the connection resistance between the positive electrode current collector 11 and the connection lead 1A or between the sealing body 12 and the connection lead is shown. FIG. For comparison, the same figure shows the relationship between the connection lead thickness and the connection resistance of a connection lead provided with a conventional spot welding projection, and the dotted characteristic curve is a dot welding projection. When two points are provided, a one-dot chain line is a case where one point-like welding projection is provided.

  As is apparent from FIG. 6, in the case of the connection lead 1A, the connection resistance is greatly reduced when the plate thickness is the same as compared with the conventional connection lead provided with one welding projection. be able to. Even when the connection lead 1B of FIG. 2 is used, the same effects as described above of the connection lead 1A can be obtained.

  7A to 7D are plan views showing connection leads 1C to 1F according to other embodiments of the present invention, in which the same or substantially the same as FIG. 1 or FIG. Equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. In the connection lead 1C of (a), a pair of linear first welding projections 7 similar to those of the embodiment are formed in the first welding portion 2 in the same arrangement, and the second lead A second welding projection 38 having the same shape as that of the first welded portion 2 is formed on the welded portion 3 so as to be parallel to the first welding projection 7.

  The connection lead 1D of (b) has a pair of linear first projections 39 for welding formed in the first welded portion 2 in an arrangement along the longitudinal direction of the rectangle, and the second welded portion. 3, a second welding projection 40 having the same shape as that of the first welding portion 2 is formed so as to face the same direction as the first welding projection 39.

  In the connection lead 1E of (c), a pair of linear first projections 39 for welding, which are the same as those in (a), are formed on the first welding portion 2 in the same arrangement, and the second welding is performed. In the portion 3, a second welding projection 41 having the same shape as the first welding portion 2 is formed in an arrangement parallel to the first welding projection 39.

  In the connection lead 1F of (d), two pairs of the same linear first projections 39 for welding as in (b) are formed in the first welding portion 2 in the same arrangement, and the second welding is performed. In the part 3, two pairs of second welding projections 40 having the same shape as the first welding part 2 are formed in the same arrangement as the first welding projection 39.

  The peel strength of each of the connection leads 1A to 1F according to the embodiment of the present invention is markedly stronger than 600N while the conventional connection lead is 200 to 300N. Comparing the connection resistances of the connection leads 1C to 1F, the connection lead 1C and the connection lead 1E are substantially the same, and the first and second linear welding projections 7, 38, 39, and 41 are connected to the connection lead 1D. Since the opposite of is close, it becomes low. The connection lead 1F in (d) is composed of two pairs of linear welding projections 39, 40, so that the current collection efficiency is improved and the connection resistance is most excellent, but the projections 39, 40 are closely packed in a narrow region. Since it forms, processing becomes difficult.

  FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a battery connection member according to an embodiment when the present invention is applied to the inter-battery connection body 42A, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. . The inter-battery connection body 42A is a sheet metal having a thickness of 0.40 mm made of pure nickel, iron-nickel plating material, copper-nickel plating material, or nickel-copper-nickel cladding material, in plan view. The overall shape as viewed is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with both ends having semicircles corresponding to the outer shapes of the storage batteries B1 and B2, and the first welded portion 43 and the second welded portion are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangle. A welding portion 44 is provided. Although the case where the thickness is set to 0.40 mm in the embodiment is exemplified, it is preferable to set the thickness within a range of 0.30 to 0.60 mm.

  An annular recess 47 is formed in the first welded portion 43 at one end (left end in the figure) to contact the filter portion 31 (FIG. 4) in the sealing body 12 of one storage battery B1. A circular opening 48 through which the cap-like positive terminal 33 (FIG. 4) in the sealing body 12 of the storage battery B1 is inserted is formed at the center of the annular recess 47. Further, the annular recess 47 is formed with four slit-shaped notches 49 that communicate with the opening 48 from four hole edges at equal intervals of 90 ° in the opening 48 and extend radially outward. A curved first welding projection 50 having an arc shape along the opening 48 is provided at a location between each of the notches 49 so as to project toward the lower surface. On the other hand, an opening 51, four notches 52, and a second welding projection 53 having the same shape as the first weld 43 are formed in the second weld 44 at the other end (right end in the figure). Has been.

  As the forming material, since the two storage batteries B1 and B2 are connected outside of each other, they are not affected by the corrosion by the electrolytic solution as in the case of the connection leads 1A to 1F. Nickel plating and nickel-copper-nickel clad materials can be used, and if these are used, the connection resistance is low and the cost is low. Further, the inter-battery connection body 42A is manufactured through a process of punching after forming the recess 47 and the welding projections 50 and 53 by drawing using a mold.

  The inter-battery connection body 42A is used for connecting two cylindrical storage batteries B1 and B2 juxtaposed in the radial direction in series. That is, the first welded portion 43 of the inter-battery connection body 42A has a cap-shaped positive electrode of the sealing body 12 in the storage battery B in the opening 48 with the insulating ring 54 attached to the peripheral portion on the positive electrode side of one storage battery B. The terminal 33 is inserted, the bottom surface of the annular recess 47 is brought into contact with the filter portion 31 of the sealing body 12, and the two first welds are used while being pressed toward the storage battery B <b> 1 through the insulating ring 54. By performing resistance welding in which a welding current flows between the projections 50, the melted first welding projection 50 is welded to the filter portion 31, and the first welding portion 43 is joined to the sealing body 12.

  On the other hand, the second welding portion 44 is welded between each of the two second welding projections 53 while being pressed toward the storage battery B2 while being in contact with the outer surface of the bottom of the battery case of the other storage battery B2. As a result of resistance welding, a second weld projection 53 melted is welded to the outer surface of the bottom of the battery case, and the second weld 44 is joined to the bottom of the battery case.

  When resistance welding of the first and second welds 43 and 44 is performed, the reactive current flowing on the surface of the first weld 43 or the second weld 44 between the pair of weld electrodes by the notches 49 and 52. And the welding current flowing in the contact portion between each of the two curved first welding projections 50 and the filter portion 31 or the contact portion between the second welding projection 53 and the bottom portion of the battery case is increased. The first or second welding projections 50 and 53 are reliably melted. At this time, since the first and second welding projections 50 and 53 are curved, unlike the conventional connection leads, the first and second projections 50 and 53 do not completely melt, A sufficient bonding state can be obtained without increasing the electrical resistance.

  In the inter-battery connection body 42A, substantially the same effect as described in the connection leads 1A to 1F can be obtained. In other words, the inter-battery connection body 42A is joined via the curved welding projections 50 and 53, so that the welding area is larger than that of the conventional spot welding projections, so that the connection resistance is considerably increased. Can be reduced. In addition, when resistance welding is performed through a relatively large number of spot-like welding projections, resistance welding cannot be performed stably unless pressure is applied uniformly to all the welding projections, whereas curved welding In the welding projections 50 and 53, there is an advantage that even if there is some variation in the applied pressure, the weldability is not greatly affected. Therefore, the battery module configured by using the inter-battery connection body 42A is reduced in connection resistance and has excellent large current input / output characteristics since the current does not concentrate at the junction even when a large current flows.

  In addition, the inter-battery connection body 42A can obtain a high welding strength as the welding area increases as compared with the spot-like welding projection. Therefore, the battery module configured by using the inter-battery connection body 42A can sufficiently ensure the durability when a large vibration, impact, twist or the like is applied, and there is no possibility of causing a problem such as detachment. . Furthermore, in the case of the inter-battery connection body 42A, the plate thickness is the same as that of the inter-battery connection body in which the conventional spot-like welding projections are provided at eight points on the first and second welded portions, respectively. In this case, the connection resistance can be reduced by about 10%. Thereby, 42 A of said connection bodies between batteries can set board thickness thinner than the conventional connection body between batteries, when obtaining required connection resistance.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a battery connection member according to another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the inter-battery connection body 42B. In FIG. 9, the same or substantially the same as FIG. 8 is the same. The duplicated explanation is omitted. In the inter-battery connection body 42, the four first cutouts 49 and 52 in the first and second welded portions 43 and 44 are approximately 45 with respect to the arrangement position of the inter-battery connection body 42A in FIG. Curved first and second welding projections that are formed at equal intervals of 90 ° at positions shifted by 0 ° and that have arc shapes at positions between two adjacent notches 49 and 52. 50 and 53 protrude toward the lower surface. The inter-battery connection body 42B has a lower connection resistance because the distance between the linear projections 50 and 53 is closer than that of the inter-battery connection body 42A.

  Since the battery connection member according to the present invention is welded and joined via a linear welding projection, it is possible to reduce the connection resistance and ensure high welding strength. The battery internal resistance can be reduced, and a storage battery with high vibration resistance and impact resistance can be obtained. On the other hand, by applying to a connection body between batteries, the connection resistance can be reduced and a battery module with high connection strength can be obtained. Obtainable.

(A), (b) is the top view and front view which show the connection member for batteries which concerns on one Embodiment at the time of applying this invention to a connection lead. (A), (b) is the top view and front view which show the connection member for batteries of the modification which concerns on embodiment same as the above. The perspective view of the state which electrically connected the electrical power collector and the sealing body with the connection lead of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cylindrical storage battery comprised using the connection member for batteries same as the above. The characteristic view which shows the relationship between the length of the projection for welding, and connection resistance when it joins using the connection member for batteries same as the above. The characteristic view which shows the relationship between plate | board thickness when it connects using the battery connection member same as the above, and connection resistance. (A)-(d) is a top view which shows the connection member for batteries which concerns on embodiment from which all apply when this invention is applied to a connection lead. (A) is a top view which shows the connection member for batteries which concerns on one Embodiment at the time of applying this invention to the connection body between batteries, (b) is the BB sectional drawing of (a). The perspective view which shows the connection member for batteries which concerns on other embodiment at the time of applying this invention to the connection body between batteries. The exploded perspective view which shows the relative positional relationship when the electrical power collector in a conventional connection lead and a sealing body are electrically connected. (A) is a top view which shows the conventional connection body between batteries, (b) is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the AA line of (a).

Explanation of symbols

1A to 1F Connection lead (Battery connection member)
2 First weld
3 Second weld
4 Notch 7, 9, 10 Projection for welding
8 Notch
11 Current collector
12 Sealing body
19 Injection hole
33 Positive terminal 38-41 Projection for welding 42A, 42B Connection between batteries (battery connection member)
43 First weld
44 Second weld
48 Opening 49,52 Notch 50,53 Welding projection

Claims (6)

A battery connection member in which welds at both ends are joined by welding between two components to be connected to each other in a battery, or between two batteries,
A battery connection member, wherein at least one of the two end portions in the longitudinal direction is provided with a linear welding projection having a linear shape or a curved shape in plan view. It is used as a connection lead for electrically connecting a current collector and a sealing body of a battery,
A first notch having a shape corresponding to the liquid injection hole of the current collector is formed in the first welded portion at one end, and the second weld is formed at the other end to be welded to the sealing body. A second notch is formed in the portion, and a welding projection having a linear shape on both sides of each notch or a curved welding projection extending across both sides of the notch is provided. Item 6. A battery connection member according to Item 1.   The battery connection member according to claim 2, wherein the battery connection member is formed in a plate shape from a pure nickel or iron nickel plating material. It is used as an inter-battery connection that electrically connects the terminals of two juxtaposed batteries,
In the center of the welded portion at both ends, an opening, a plurality of notches communicating with the opening and extending radially outward, and an arcuate curve along the edge of the opening on both sides of each notch The battery connection member according to claim 1, further comprising a welding projection formed in a shape.   The opening at the center of the welded portion at one end of both ends is inserted through the positive electrode terminal, and the periphery of the opening is formed with a recess so that the projection for welding contacts the lower surface of the sealing body and is welded. Battery connection member.   The battery connection member according to claim 4, wherein the battery connection member is formed into a plate shape by pure nickel, iron-nickel plating material, copper-nickel plating material, or nickel-copper-nickel cladding material.

Images