JP2010212155A - Terminal connecting member material and battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a terminal connecting member and a battery pack capable of suitably suppressing an increase in contact resistance by suppressing the temperature rise between electrode terminals during charging and discharging. <P>SOLUTION: The battery pack 1 includes a plurality of single batteries 3 each having a plurality of protruded electrode terminals 2, a battery housing container 6 in which these single batteries 3 are housed, and conductive bus bars (terminal connecting member) 7 by which electrode terminals 2 between the single batteries 3 are connected to each other. This bus bar 7 includes a pair of contact parts contacted with the electrode terminals 2 and a member body to connect between the pair of the contact parts. A heat dissipation part is arranged at least at a part of the member body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal connection member and an assembled battery.

  Electrode terminals such as a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal protrude from the lithium secondary battery. A battery pack including a plurality of each of the secondary batteries as a single battery is provided with a bus bar (terminal connection member) that connects electrode terminals arranged in the single battery (for example, Patent Document 1). reference.). Such a bus bar is formed in a cylindrical / cylindrical shape or a quadrangular prism / rectangular cylindrical shape.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-8605

  However, the conventional terminal connecting member generates relatively high heat during charging and discharging of the assembled battery, and the contact resistance with the electrode terminal also increases. Further, as the internal temperature of the battery rises, there is a possibility that the battery performance may be deteriorated or destroyed by shortening the life.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a terminal connection member and an assembled battery that can suppress an increase in contact resistance by suppressing a temperature rise between electrode terminals during charge and discharge. With the goal.

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The terminal connection member according to the present invention is a conductive terminal connection member that connects electrode terminals between a plurality of single cells, and a pair of contact portions that are in contact with the electrode terminals, and the pair of contact portions. And a member main body for connecting between them, and a heat radiating portion is arranged on at least a part of the member main body.

  In this invention, since the heat radiating portion is arranged on the member main body of the terminal connection member, the temperature of the member main body rises according to the magnitude of the contact resistance between the contact portion and the electrode terminal when energized. Moreover, the temperature rise of a contact part can be suppressed suitably by the thermal radiation from a thermal radiation part.

  Further, the terminal connection member according to the present invention is the terminal connection member, wherein the member main body is formed in a plate shape having a longitudinal direction, and the heat dissipation portion is formed by being bellows-folded with respect to the longitudinal direction. It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, the heat radiation area of the heat radiation portion can be secured without changing the overall length of the member main body. Furthermore, the heat radiating portion can be easily created by pressing or the like.

Further, the terminal connection member according to the present invention is the terminal connection member, wherein the heat radiating portion is arranged to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the member main body or to be recessed in the outer peripheral surface. .
According to the present invention, the surface area of the member main body can be increased by the heat radiating portion to ensure the heat radiating area.

The terminal connecting member according to the present invention is the terminal connecting member, wherein the member main body and the heat radiating portion are made of copper or a copper alloy, or aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
In the present invention, since the heat conductivity of the heat radiating portion is large, heat can be radiated in response to the temperature rise of the contact portion.

Further, the terminal connection member according to the present invention is the terminal connection member, and includes an electrical insulating layer disposed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the member main body or the heat dissipation portion. To do.
In the present invention, since the insulating layer is disposed on the outer peripheral surface that is most easily contacted by humans, safety can be improved and heat can be suitably radiated from other surfaces.

  The assembled battery according to the present invention relates to the present invention in which a plurality of unit cells having a plurality of protruding electrode terminals, a battery storage container in which these unit cells are stored, and the electrode terminals between the unit cells are connected to each other. And a terminal connection member.

  Since the present invention includes the terminal connecting member according to the present invention, even if the temperature of the member main body rises according to the magnitude of the contact resistance between the contact portion and the electrode terminal when energized, the heat dissipation The temperature rise of the contact portion can be suitably suppressed by heat radiation from the portion.

Further, the assembled battery according to the present invention is the assembled battery, wherein a vent hole is arranged at a position where the heat radiating portion is arranged in the battery storage container.
According to the present invention, heat can be exhausted more easily by suitably exchanging heat between the heat-radiating part whose temperature rises and the air passing through the ventilation hole.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the temperature rise between an electrode terminal and a terminal connection member can be suppressed at the time of charging / discharging, and the increase in contact resistance can be suppressed suitably.

It is a sectional side view which shows the assembled battery which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the assembled battery which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the assembled battery which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the battery storage container of the assembled battery which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the other form in the battery storage container of the assembled battery which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the bus bar which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is FF sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the modification of the bus bar which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the modification of the bus bar which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the modification of the bus bar which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the modification of the bus bar which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the assembled battery 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of unit cells 3 having a plurality of protruding electrode terminals 2, a control unit 5 that controls the unit cells 3, and a unit cell 3. And a battery storage container 6 in which the control unit 5 is stored, and a bus bar (terminal connection member) 7 for connecting the electrode terminals 2 between the single cells 3 to each other.

  The unit cell 3 is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery formed in a substantially cubic shape. The electrode terminal 2 is arranged so as to protrude from the end face of the unit cell 3 in a cylindrical shape. A substantially annular crimp terminal 8 electrically connected to the control unit 5 is attached to an end surface of the electrode terminal 2 by a fixing member 10 such as a screw. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, only one crimp terminal 8 is shown for ease of explanation, and the remaining crimp terminals are not shown.

  Four unit cells 3 are arranged in the assembled battery 1, and these unit cells 3 are connected in series by a bus bar 7. Note that the number of the single cells 3 may be less than 4 or more than 4. Moreover, the unit cells 3 may be connected in parallel.

  The control unit 5 is a control circuit formed on a substrate (not shown), and monitors the voltage and temperature of each unit cell 3 when the assembled battery 1 is charged and discharged, and controls the voltage and the like. In the battery storage container 6, the unit cell 3 is stored inside, and forms the outer shape of the assembled battery 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the battery housing 6 is provided with an opening 11 through which the electrode terminal 2 is exposed, and a ventilation hole 12 that allows the control unit 5 to communicate with the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bus bar 7 includes a pair of contact portions 13A and 13B that are in contact with the electrode terminal 2 and a member main body 15 that connects the pair of contact portions 13A and 13B. The pair of contact portions 13A and 13B is formed in a flat plate shape, and a through hole 13a through which the electrode terminal 2 passes is provided. The bus bar 7 is made of copper or a copper alloy. Note that aluminum or an aluminum alloy may be used.

  The member main body 15 has a longitudinal direction and is formed in a flat plate shape having a rectangular cross section. According to the distance between the electrode terminals 2 of the adjacent unit cells 3 when the unit cells 3 are arranged in the battery storage container 6. It has a predetermined length. A heat radiating portion 16 is disposed in the center of the member main body 15. As shown in FIG. 6, the heat radiating portion 16 is formed by folding the member body 15 a plurality of times in the longitudinal direction. Each fold portion is formed with an end face 16 a substantially parallel to the member main body 15. Moreover, it does not limit to having an end surface.

Next, the effect | action of the assembled battery 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
When the assembled battery 1 is charged and discharged, each bus bar 7 is energized. At this time, the contact resistance between the bus bar 7 and the electrode terminal 2 is larger than other electrical resistances, so that the heat generated in this portion is transmitted to the member body 15 by heat conduction. At this time, heat exchange is performed between the air in the battery storage container 6 and the surface of the heat radiating unit 16, and heat is radiated from the heat radiating unit 16. The radiated heat is exhausted to the outside of the container through the ventilation holes 12 and the like. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the battery storage container 6 by which the ventilation hole 17 was distribute | arranged to the position where the thermal radiation part 16 of each bus bar 7 is arrange | positioned may be sufficient. In this case, the high temperature air in the vicinity of the heat radiating portion 16 can be more suitably discharged out of the container.

  According to the assembled battery 1 and the bus bar 7, since the heat radiating portion 16 is disposed on the member main body 15, even when the temperature of the member main body 15 rises during energization, The temperature rise of the parts 13A and 13B can be suppressed. Therefore, an increase in contact resistance between the electrode terminal 2 and the bus bar 7 can be suitably suppressed even during charging and discharging, and stable power supply can be performed while maintaining battery performance.

  In particular, the member main body 15 of the bus bar 7 is formed in a plate shape having a longitudinal direction, and the heat radiating portion 16 is formed by being accordion folded with respect to the longitudinal direction. Can be secured. Moreover, the heat radiating part 16 can be easily created by press working or the like. Moreover, since the bus bar 7 is made of copper or a copper alloy having a high thermal conductivity, heat can be radiated in response to the temperature rise of the pair of contact portions 13A and 13B.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the bus bar 20 according to this embodiment has a member body 21 in the shape of a bar having a rectangular cross section, and the heat radiating portion 22 has a groove shape on the outer peripheral surface of the member body 21. It is a point that is arranged in. A plurality of the heat radiating portions 22 are arranged in the circumferential direction at the center of the member main body 21 along the central axis C of the member main body 21. Both the groove width and the groove depth of the heat radiation part 22 are substantially constant. Such a bus bar 20 can be formed by, for example, machining a groove portion constituting the heat radiating portion 22 on a plate member constituting the member main body 21, or an extrusion process when the material is aluminum or the like. Can also be manufactured.

  According to the bus bar 20, as in the first embodiment, even when the temperature of the member main body 21 rises, the temperature of the pair of contact portions 13 </ b> A and 13 </ b> B is suppressed by the heat radiation from the heat radiation portion 22 when energized. be able to. At this time, the heat radiation area can be secured by the amount of the surface of the heat radiation portion 22. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the member main body 21 can be ensured larger than in the first embodiment, and a large current can flow.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component similar to other embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that the heat dissipating part 31 of the bus bar 30 according to this embodiment protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the member main body 32 and is erected. The heat dissipating part 31 is formed in a substantially constant width and height as fins having a substantially rectangular cross section. A plurality of members are arranged in the circumferential direction at the center of the member body 32 along the central axis C of the member body 32. Further, the bus bar 30 can be manufactured by joining the fin material constituting the heat radiating portion 31 by welding or the like, or can be manufactured by extrusion when the material is aluminum or the like. it can.

  According to the bus bar 30, the heat radiation area corresponding to the surface area of the heat radiation part 31 can be secured, and the same operations and effects as those of the second embodiment can be achieved. Moreover, it can manufacture more easily than the bus bar 20 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment by the part which made the shape which protruded the thermal radiation part 31 simply.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component similar to other embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The difference between the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment is that the member main body 41 of the bus bar 40 according to this embodiment has a substantially circular cross section.

Similarly to the second embodiment, a plurality of the heat radiating portions 42 are arranged in a groove shape in the circumferential direction at the center of the member main body 41 along the central axis C of the member main body 41.
In such a bus bar 40, the member main body 41 and the heat radiating portion 42 can be configured by forming a groove by machining a cylindrical member.
And according to this bus bar 40, there can exist an effect | action and effect similar to 2nd Embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component similar to other embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The difference between the fifth embodiment and the fourth embodiment is that the heat dissipating part 51 of the bus bar 50 according to this embodiment protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the member main body 52 and is erected.

  Similarly to the third embodiment, the heat dissipating part 51 is formed as a fin having a substantially rectangular cross section. According to the bus bar 50, the same operations and effects as those of the third embodiment can be achieved.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component similar to other embodiment mentioned above, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The difference between the sixth embodiment and the fifth embodiment is that the member main body 61 of the bus bar 60 according to the present embodiment is formed hollow, and the heat radiating portion 62 has a substantially constant thickness on the outer peripheral surface of the member main body 61. It is a point that it is arranged in a bowl shape with a height and a protruding height.

A plurality of the heat radiating portions 62 are arranged with a substantially constant interval in the direction of the central axis C at the center of the member main body 61. The pair of contact portions 13A and 13B is formed by squashing both ends of a hollow member body 61 into a flat plate shape.
According to the bus bar 60, since the member main body 61 is hollow, the bus bar weight can be reduced as compared with the other embodiments. In the present embodiment, the member main body 61 may be provided with a through hole that communicates the outside and the internal space. By doing in this way, air can be distribute | circulated between the internal space of the member main body 61, and the exterior, and cooling can be promoted.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, a bus bar 71 including an electrical insulating layer 70 may be used. The heat radiating portion 72 of the bus bar 71 is formed by folding the member main body 73 in a bellows as in the first embodiment.

  In this case, since the insulating layer 70 is disposed on the end face of the heat radiating part 72 that is most easily contacted by humans, safety can be improved without electric shock even if contact is made. Moreover, since there is no insulating layer 70 on the surface of the heat radiation part 72 other than the end surface, heat can be suitably radiated from these surfaces. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, similarly to the sixth embodiment, the member main body 78 is provided with a bowl-shaped heat radiating portion 75, and the tip surface of the heat radiating portion 75 and the side surface in the vicinity thereof are insulated. It may be a bus bar 77 in which the layer 76 is arranged. The same effect can be obtained by applying an insulating layer to other embodiments.

  Moreover, the thing with the uneven | corrugated pattern further arranged on the surface of the thermal radiation part may be sufficient. Thereby, the heat radiation area of the heat radiation portion can be further increased. Furthermore, the direction of the heat radiating portion is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and may be a direction along the air flow. Moreover, you may make it generate a turbulent flow actively around a thermal radiation part.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 assembled battery 2 electrode terminal 3 unit cell 6 battery storage container 7, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 71, 77 bus bar (terminal connection member)
13A, 13B, 63A, 63B Contact portion 15, 21, 32, 41, 52, 61, 73, 78 Member body 16, 22, 31, 42, 51, 62, 72, 75 Heat radiating portion 17 Ventilation holes 70, 76 Insulation layer

Claims (7)

A conductive terminal connecting member for connecting electrode terminals between a plurality of single cells,
A pair of contact portions in contact with each of the electrode terminals;
A member body for connecting the pair of contact portions;
With
A terminal connecting member, wherein a heat radiating portion is disposed on at least a part of the member main body.   2. The terminal connection member according to claim 1, wherein the member main body is formed in a plate shape having a longitudinal direction, and the heat radiating portion is formed by being bellow-folded with respect to the longitudinal direction.   2. The terminal connection member according to claim 1, wherein the heat radiating portion is arranged to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the member main body or to be recessed in the outer peripheral surface.   4. The terminal connecting member according to claim 1, wherein the member main body and the heat radiating portion are made of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.   5. The terminal connection member according to claim 2, further comprising an electrically insulating layer disposed on at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the member main body or the heat radiation portion. A plurality of single cells having a plurality of protruding electrode terminals;
A battery storage container in which these single cells are stored;
The terminal connection member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electrode terminals between the single cells are connected to each other.
An assembled battery comprising:   The assembled battery according to claim 6, wherein ventilation holes are arranged at positions where the heat radiating portions are arranged in the battery storage container.

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