JP2010238653A - Rectangular sealed battery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rectangular sealed battery in which conductive connecting bodies are connected to each other without being attached by a sealing material, the presence of liquid junction caused by such a connection can be detected easily in a delivery inspection or the like after manufacturing. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of single cells each of which is composed of a positive electrode and a negative electrode are housed in a rectangular battery case together with an electrolytic solution, the single batteries are demarcated by barrier ribs 120, and current collecting plates installed on both faces of the barrier ribs 120 and respectively connected to the positive electrodes and negative electrodes of such single batteries are electrically connected to the conductive connecting bodies 180 and 190 via second through-holes 171 installed at the barrier ribs 120. When O-rings OR are interposed between the conductive connecting bodies 180 and the barrier ribs 120, the liquid junctions are prevented which are caused by contact of the electrolytic solution between mutually neighboring single batteries by the O-rings OR, while generation of the liquid junctions is promoted through communication grooves G when the conductive connecting bodies 180 and 190 are connected to each other without installing the O-rings OR at the barrier ribs 120. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rectangular sealed battery in which a plurality of single cells made of, for example, nickel metal hydride storage batteries are accommodated in a rectangular battery case and sealed, and in particular, to partition walls that divide the single cells in order to reduce the internal resistance thereof. The present invention relates to an improvement in a rectangular sealed battery including a conductive connection body for electrically connecting cells.

  For example, as seen in Patent Document 1, a rectangular sealed battery configured by electrically connecting a plurality of single cells in series to obtain a required power capacity is composed of a plurality of individual rectangular parallelepiped cells. The surface (long side surface) having the largest surface area of the rectangular battery case is vertically arranged, and the short side surfaces corresponding to the side surfaces are arranged so as to face each other. FIGS. 7 and 8 show a partially broken perspective structure and a partial cross-sectional structure, respectively, of a square sealed battery that has been conventionally used, including the square sealed battery described in Patent Document 1. FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, this rectangular sealed battery has a rectangular shape in which a plurality of the short side surfaces of the battery case 130 constituting the unit cell 110 made of, for example, a nickel metal hydride storage battery are connected via a partition wall 120. While being accommodated in the integrated battery case 100, the upper surface opening of each battery case 130 is integrally sealed by the lid 200. In each battery case 130, a power generation element including an electrode group 140 in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are stacked via a separator and current collector plates 150 and 160 bonded to both sides of the electrode plate group 140 is an electrolyte solution. Is housed together. In addition, although many unevenness | corrugations are formed in the surface of the said square integral battery case 100 in order to improve the heat dissipation at the time of battery use, in FIG. 7, the illustration is omitted for convenience.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate of the electrode plate group 140 are protruded to the opposite side portions to form lead portions 141 a and 141 b of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The current collector plates 150 and 160 are joined to the side edges of the lead portions 141a and 141b, respectively. Further, a through-hole 170 used for connecting each battery case 130 is formed in the upper part of the partition wall 120, and the connection protrusions 151 and 161 projecting from the upper parts of the current collector plates 150 and 160 are formed. By connecting through this through-hole 170 by spot welding, each adjacent battery case 130 is electrically connected in series. Of the through-holes 170, positive or negative connection terminals TM are attached to those located outside the battery cases 130 at both ends, that is, the through-holes 170 above the end side walls of the integrated battery case 100. Then, the connection terminals TM and the connection protrusions 151 or 161 of the current collector plates 150 or 160 are connected by spot welding, so that the total output of the battery cells 130 connected in series in this way, that is, the plurality of single cells 110, is increased. It is taken out from these connection terminals TM. In addition, in this rectangular sealed battery, the lid 200 has a safety valve 210 for releasing the pressure when the internal pressure of the integrated battery case 100 exceeds a certain value, and a temperature for detecting the internal temperature of the battery. A sensor mounting hole 220 for mounting the sensor is provided.

  According to such a configuration as a rectangular sealed battery, the current path from the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate to the respective lead portions 141a and 141b in the electrode plate group 140 is short, and the adjacent lead portions 141a and 141b are also adjacent. The current collector plates 150 and 160 are internally connected via the connection protrusions 151 and 161. For this reason, simplification of the connection structure is also promoted.

However, in such a configuration, although the energization path from the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate to the current collector plates 150 and 160 via the lead portions 141a and 141b is shortened, the adjacent current collector plates 1
50 and 160 are merely connected to each other by connection protrusions 151 and 161 at one place on the upper end thereof. For this reason, an increase in internal resistance as a battery due to the bypass of the connection path, that is, the length of the energization path is unavoidable.

  Therefore, conventionally, in order to solve such problems, for example, as seen in Patent Document 2, for example, as shown in Patent Document 2, a conductive connection body that electrically connects current collector plates of the unit cells to partition walls that partition the unit cells. In addition, a square sealed battery has also been proposed in which the internal resistance is reduced by providing the above. FIG. 9 shows the structure of a square sealed battery that has been generally adopted as a battery of the same type, including the square sealed battery described in Patent Document 2. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the integrated battery case 100 when one of the partition walls 120 is viewed from the front, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 9A. FIG. 9C is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 9B. In FIG. 9, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description of these elements is omitted.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9B, the partition wall 120 that partitions each battery case 130 is formed with the through-hole 170 in the upper part thereof, and the intermediate part thereof, more precisely, the lower part than the intermediate part. A second through hole 171 is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C as well, a seal groove 121 that accommodates an O-ring OR as a seal material is formed around the second through-hole 171 on one surface of the partition wall 120. ing. That is, in this rectangular sealed battery, the current collecting plates 160 and 150 are welded to both sides of the portion where the second through hole 171 is formed with the O-ring OR attached to the seal groove 121 as shown in FIG. A pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 having a front structure as shown in FIG. The connection protrusions 181 and 191 projecting from the conductive connection bodies 180 and 190 are connected to each other through the second through-hole 171 (spot welding), whereby each battery case 130 is electrically connected. Connected in series. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, a pair of left and right openings provided on one side wall of the integrated battery case 100 so as to face the battery case 130 on both sides thereof corresponding to each position of the partition wall 120. 101 is formed, and after the assembly of the conductive connectors 180 and 190 and the injection of the electrolyte into each battery case 130, the opening 101 is sealed by the sealing plate 102.

  According to such a configuration as a rectangular sealed battery, the current path between the current collecting plates 160 and 150 that are internally connected adjacent to each other can be shortened by arranging the pair of conductive connecting members 180 and 190. Therefore, the connection resistance between the single cells, and thus the internal resistance of the entire battery can be greatly reduced. In addition, an O-ring OR serving as a sealing material is interposed between the periphery of the second through-hole 171 and the conductive connector 180, so that the liquid junction of the electrolyte between adjacent unit cells can be accurately detected. It can also be prevented. In the rectangular sealed battery described in Patent Document 2, such an intermediate connection structure through the partition walls 120 is provided at two locations on the upper and lower sides of each partition wall 120 with appropriate intervals.

JP 2001-93503 A JP 2003-282043 A

By the way, in the rectangular sealed battery having such a structure, when the conductive connecting members 180 and 190 are connected to each other by welding, an O-ring OR is securely attached to the seal groove 121 provided in the partition wall 120. It is necessary to accommodate. However, after the connection between the conductive connectors 180 and 190, the O-ring OR may be completely covered by the conductive connector 180, and it is confirmed whether or not the O-ring OR is definitely accommodated. It ’s difficult. That is, even when the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected in a state where the seal material is not attached, such as when a seal material such as an O-ring OR is dropped from the seal groove 121, the conductive connectors 180. In this case, it is difficult to detect a liquid junction of the electrolytic solution in a shipping inspection after manufacturing the battery. In such a case, there is a risk that the electrolyte solution gradually enters the liquid via the minute gap between the conductive connecting members 180 and 190 and the partition wall 120 after entering the market. If this occurs, a decrease in output as a battery is inevitable.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and even if the conductive connecting members are connected to each other without wearing the sealing material, the presence or absence of a liquid junction resulting from the manufacturing is manufactured. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rectangular sealed battery that can be easily detected in a subsequent shipping inspection or the like.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1, in which a plurality of unit cells made up of a positive electrode and a negative electrode together with an electrolytic solution are accommodated in a rectangular battery case, and the unit cells are partitioned by partition walls. Current collectors connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each unit cell are electrically connected by a conductive connector through a through hole provided in the same partition, and the conductive connector and In a rectangular sealed battery in which a sealing material is provided around the through hole in a mode of being interposed between the partition walls, the battery includes a liquid introduction mechanism that communicates the through hole and the inside of the battery case, and the liquid introduction mechanism. The gist is to seal with the sealing material.

  According to such a configuration, the gap between the conductive connection body and the partition wall is sealed by the sealing material provided around the through hole in a mode of being interposed between the conductive connection body and the partition wall. While the contact (liquid junction) of the electrolyte solution between the adjacent unit cells is prevented, when the conductive connector is connected in a state where the sealing material is detached (dropped state), The liquid junction is promoted, and the reduction of the battery output is promoted to a level that can be detected at the time of shipping inspection after the battery is manufactured. As a result, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of the sealing material and the quality of the product (whether there is no seal defect) before the product is shipped to the market.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the rectangular sealed battery according to the first aspect, the conductive connection body is electrically connected to a current collector plate separately connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the unit cell. And a pair of conductive plate pieces connected to each other in a through hole provided in the partition wall, and at least one surface of the partition wall A seal groove in which the sealing material is accommodated is formed in a region covered by the conductive connection body around the through hole, and the liquid introduction mechanism is connected to the conductive connection body from the seal groove or the through hole. It consists of the communicating groove | channel formed in both surfaces of the said partition in the aspect which protrudes in the area | region covered by.

As described above, by adopting the communication groove formed on both surfaces of the partition wall so as to protrude from the seal groove or the through hole to the region covered with the conductive connection body as a liquid introduction mechanism, a pair of conductive Even if the connecting members are connected to each other, this communication groove is not formed in the surface contact between the partition wall and the conductive connecting member, and the communication channel of the communication groove is blocked only by the sealing material attached to the seal groove. It becomes a state. For this reason, in the state where the seal material is mounted in the seal groove, the contact of the electrolyte solution between the adjacent single cells, that is, the liquid junction is prevented in such a way that the sealing function by the seal material is utilized, and the adjacent single cells Each battery is completely isolated. On the other hand, in the state where the conductive connectors are connected to each other without the seal material being attached to the seal groove, the adjacent single cells are connected from one communication groove of the partition wall to the seal groove, the gap between the through holes, and the other. Thus, the connection of the electrolytic solution in the adjacent unit cells, that is, the liquid junction is promoted through the communication groove. As a result, in the case where the conductive connectors are connected without the sealing material being attached, the liquid junction can be surely promoted.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the rectangular sealed battery according to claim 2, wherein the communication groove is formed in a plurality of directions of the partition with the seal groove or the through hole as a starting point. And

  If the communication grooves as the liquid introduction mechanism are formed in a plurality of directions on both sides of the partition wall as in the above configuration, the number of paths through which the electrolyte can flow increases accordingly, and the conductive material is not attached to the sealing material. The promotion of the occurrence of a liquid junction in a state where the sexual connectors are connected to each other is promoted.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the rectangular sealed battery according to the third aspect, the communication groove is formed symmetrically in two directions, which are the longitudinal direction of the partition wall, at the center of the seal groove or the through hole. The gist of this is

  When the communication groove is provided in a plurality of directions of the partition wall, such an arrangement of the communication groove is the most realistic and practical structure in terms of its functional aspect and ease of manufacturing. That is, since the partition wall itself is normally formed in a narrow and long shape, the communication grooves in the two directions can be formed with a margin in the longitudinal direction, and a necessary and sufficient liquid can be formed through the communication grooves in the two directions. It becomes possible to promote the occurrence of tangling.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the rectangular sealed battery according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, the communication groove has the seal on at least one surface of the partition where the seal groove is formed. The gist is that it is formed as a groove shallower than the groove.

  In general, in a secondary battery such as a nickel metal hydride storage battery, an internal pressure may be generated by various gases generated during overcharging, and a partition wall that partitions each unit cell is required to have a strength that can withstand this internal pressure. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the communication groove formed in the partition wall is formed shallower than the seal groove formed in the partition wall, so that the strength of the partition wall against internal pressure is ensured and the communication groove formed in the partition wall is used. It becomes possible to achieve coexistence with the promotion of the liquid junction.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the rectangular sealed battery according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, the through hole and the seal groove are formed in a circular shape, and the sealing material is an O-ring. Is the gist.

  As described above, by adopting an O-ring that is frequently used as a sealing material as the sealing material, the versatility is enhanced and the manufacture of a nickel-metal hydride storage battery having the above structure is also easy.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the rectangular sealed battery according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the unit cell is electrically parallel to the conductive connection body at an upper portion of the partition wall. The gist is that a connecting means for electrically connecting the current collector plates respectively connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode is provided.

  As in the above configuration, it is more practically desirable to provide a connecting means for electrically connecting each unit cell from above in an electrically parallel manner to the conductive connection body. Thus, by increasing the number of connection points between the individual cells, the internal resistance of the rectangular sealed battery having the liquid introduction mechanism is further reduced, and the mechanical strength is enhanced.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the rectangular sealed battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the unit cell are each laminated in a plurality of layers via a separator. A current collector plate made of a group and connected to each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is connected to each positive electrode plate and each negative electrode plate through a lead portion extending in a reverse direction from each positive electrode plate and each negative electrode plate. The gist is that they are connected separately.

  In this rectangular sealed battery, as in the invention according to claim 8, the positive electrode and the negative electrode are formed by an electrode plate group in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are laminated in a plurality of layers via a separator, It is particularly effective when applied to a rectangular sealed battery in which a current collector plate is formed that is connected to each positive electrode plate and each negative electrode plate through lead portions extending in the opposite direction from the negative electrode plate. is there. In general, the rectangular sealed battery configured as described above has a high output voltage of each unit cell, so that the liquid junction between the unit cells is serious. By adopting, the yield of products shipped to the market as non-defective products will be greatly improved.

  According to the rectangular sealed battery according to the present invention, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of the sealing material and the quality of the product (whether there is no seal defect) before the product is shipped to the market. become.

About one embodiment of the rectangular sealed battery according to the present invention, a part of the integrated battery case is broken mainly around one of the partition walls, and mainly the partition wall, a pair of conductive connectors, and an O-ring The disassembled perspective view which showed the relationship. The fragmentary sectional view which shows the cross-section of the partition along the AA line of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the communication groove | channel by the square sealed battery of the same embodiment, Comprising: A pair of electroconductive connection body respond | corresponds normally via an O-ring corresponding to the cross-sectional structure of the partition shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state connected. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the communicating groove | channel by the square sealed battery of the embodiment, Comprising: A pair of electroconductive connection body is in the state where the O-ring fell off corresponding to the cross-sectional structure of the partition shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state connected. The exploded perspective view which shows the modification of the said embodiment as a figure corresponding to FIG. The exploded perspective view which shows the modification of the said embodiment as a figure corresponding to FIG. The perspective view which shows the partially fractured perspective structure about an example of the conventional square sealed battery. Sectional drawing which shows the partial cross-section which looked at the example of the conventional square sealed battery from the side. Regarding another example of a conventional square sealed battery, (a) is a cross-sectional view of an integrated battery case in which one of partition walls is viewed from the front, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (a). (C) is a partial expanded sectional view along CC line of (b).

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a square sealed battery according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, FIG. 1 shows a rectangular sealed battery according to the present embodiment, in which a part of the integrated battery case 100 is broken around one of the partition walls 120, and the partition wall 120 and the conductive connector 180 are mainly used. And 190 and an exploded perspective view showing the relationship with the O-ring OR. The basic configuration of the rectangular sealed battery of the present embodiment is the same as that of the rectangular sealed battery illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9, and FIG. Elements substantially the same as those shown in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the rectangular sealed battery of the present embodiment is similar to the rectangular sealed battery illustrated in FIG. 9, for example. By providing the conductive connection members 180 and 190 that are electrically connected together, the internal resistance is reduced. When the conductive connectors 180 and 190 are attached to the partition wall 120, the conductive connectors 180 and 190 protrude from the conductive connectors 180 and 190 in a state where the O-ring OR is accommodated in the seal groove 121 provided on one side of the partition wall 120. The connection protrusions 181 and 191 are connected to each other via the second through-hole 171 (spot welding), as in the rectangular sealed battery illustrated in FIG.

  However, in the rectangular sealed battery according to the present embodiment, the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected in a state where the O-ring OR is not attached, such as the O-ring OR is dropped from the seal groove 121. In such a case, in view of the above-described problem that it is difficult to detect a liquid junction of the electrolyte in a shipping inspection after manufacturing the battery, the partition wall 120 has the following structure.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 1, in the rectangular sealed battery of the present embodiment, in one aspect of the partition wall 120, the region covered with the conductive connector 180 protrudes from the seal groove 121. In addition, a communication groove G for promoting the liquid junction is provided on the back surface of the second through hole 171 so as to protrude the region covered with the conductive connector 190.

  In FIG. 2, the formation aspect of these communicating grooves G is shown as sectional drawing. FIG. 2 shows a partial cross-sectional structure along the AA line of FIG. 1 for the partition wall 120 having such a structure.

The partition wall 120 is usually made of a resin material having excellent chemical resistance such as an electrolytic solution. However, particularly in such a rectangular sealed battery, for example, an increase in internal pressure due to generation of various gases during overcharge, for example. The strength that can be withstood is also required. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to secure the strength as the partition wall 120 that can withstand such an increase in internal pressure and thus the thickness when forming the communication groove G in the partition wall 120, The communication groove G is formed shallower than the depth of the seal groove 121. Specifically, when the depth of the seal groove 121 is D1, and the depth of the communication groove G is D2,
D1> D2
Therefore, the depths of the seal groove 121 and the communication groove G are set. Since the portion of the partition wall 120 where the seal groove 121 is formed is also a portion that is originally covered with the conductive connectors 180 and 190, the seal groove 121 and the communication groove are formed. By setting the depth of G, a decrease in strength due to the formation of the communication groove G as the partition wall 120 can be minimized.

  Next, with reference to FIG.3 and FIG.4, the effect | action of the said communication groove | channel G by the square sealed battery of this Embodiment is demonstrated. Here, FIG. 3 shows a case where the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are normally connected via the O-ring OR corresponding to the sectional structure of the partition wall 120 shown in FIG. 4 shows a case where the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected in a state where the O-ring OR is dropped, corresponding to the cross-sectional structure of the partition wall 120 shown in FIG. 3 and 4, reference symbol WS indicates a connection portion between the connection protrusions 181 and 191 in the conductive connection bodies 180 and 190, that is, a spot weld portion.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are O-ring O-rings.
When normally connected via R, even if the communication groove G is formed in the partition wall 120, the sealing function is utilized by the pressing of the O-ring OR by the conductive connector 180. The gap between the seal groove 121 and the partition wall 120 and the communication groove G are sealed. As a result, the contact of the electrolyte solution between the adjacent unit cells, that is, the liquid junction is prevented, and the adjacent unit cells are each physically separated as one battery. In addition, the current collector plates (not shown) connected to the conductive connectors 180 and 190 are electrically connected to each other by the connection of the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190, and adjacent to each other. The matching single cells are electrically connected in series.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected without the O-ring OR being attached, such as when the O-ring OR is dropped from the seal groove 121, Although the electrical series connection between the adjacent unit cells is realized, the liquid junction due to the presence of the communication groove G is promoted. That is, as shown as a liquid junction path SR in FIG. 4, even if the pair of conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected, the seal groove 121 has no O-ring OR. → Seal groove 121 → Liquid junction is promoted through a path such as a gap between each connection protrusion 181 and 191 and the second through hole 171 → a communication groove G on the back surface of the partition wall 120. Then, the liquid junction is promoted in this way, so that a decrease in the battery output is promoted to a level that can be detected at the time of shipping inspection after the battery is manufactured.

  As the pair of conductive connecting members 180 and 190, that is, the pair of conductive plate pieces that can be attached to the partition wall 120, for example, a nickel-plated steel plate or the like can be used. The protrusions 181 and 191 are usually smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of the second through-hole 171 in consideration of convenience during assembly.

As described above, according to the rectangular sealed battery according to the present embodiment, the effects listed below can be obtained.
(1) A mode in which a region covered with the conductive connector 180 protrudes from the seal groove 121 on one surface of the partition wall 120 partitioning the plurality of single cells, and the second through-hole 171 is formed on the back surface thereof. The communication grooves G are provided so as to promote the liquid junction in a manner that protrudes from the region covered with the conductive connection body 190 from the outside. Thereby, when the conductive connecting members 180 and 190 are connected, if the O-ring OR is normally interposed between the conductive connecting member 180 and the partition wall 120, even if the communication groove G is provided, By sealing the gap between the conductive connector 180 and the partition wall 120 by the O-ring OR, the contact (liquid junction) of the electrolyte solution between adjacent unit cells is prevented. On the other hand, when the conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected in a state in which the O-ring OR is dropped, the liquid junction is promoted by the communication groove G and is detected at the time of shipping inspection after the battery is manufactured. The battery output will be reduced to a possible level. As a result, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of the sealing material and the quality of the product (whether there is no seal defect) before the product is shipped to the market.

  (2) The communication groove G is formed symmetrically in two directions that are the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 120 with the seal groove 121 or the second through hole 171 as the center. As a result, the communication groove G can be formed with a margin with respect to the long partition 120, and a necessary and sufficient flow path for the electrolyte can be secured through the communication grooves G in the two directions. become. That is, it becomes possible to promote generation of necessary and sufficient liquid junction.

(3) The depth (D2) of the communication groove G formed in the partition wall 120 is formed as a groove shallower than the depth (D1) of the seal groove 121 formed in the partition wall 120. As a result, a decrease in strength due to the formation of the communication groove G as the partition wall 120 can be minimized. The portion of the partition wall 120 where the seal groove 121 is formed is also a portion that is originally covered with the conductive connectors 180 and 190, and it is considered that there is little decrease in strength in this portion.

  (4) As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 9, the upper part of the partition wall 120 is also connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the unit cell in parallel with the conductive connectors 180 and 190. The connecting means for electrically connecting the electric plates to each other through the through-hole 170, that is, the prismatic sealed battery provided with the connecting protrusions 151 and 161 is used. As a result, the internal resistance of the rectangular sealed battery can be further reduced, and the mechanical strength can be enhanced.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be implemented with the following forms.
In the above embodiment, a communication mechanism formed on the partition wall 120 that promotes the occurrence of the liquid junction when the conductive connectors 180 and 190 are connected in a state where the O-ring OR is dropped or the like is formed. Although it is composed of the groove G, it may be provided on the conductive connector side as illustrated in FIG. 5 as a diagram corresponding to FIG. That is, in the rectangular sealed battery shown in FIG. 5, the partition 120 itself has no communication groove G, for example, the one illustrated in FIG. 9 is used, but the conductive connection body is connected across the partition 120 and the O-ring OR. As 180a and 190a, those in which communication grooves 182 and 192 as shown in FIG. Both of the communication grooves 182 and 192 are grooves that are formed in a shape that protrudes from the surface opposite to the connection protrusions 181 and 191 and forms a gap with the partition wall 120. Therefore, when these conductive grooves 182 and 192 are connected to the conductive connectors 180a and 190a in a state where the O-ring OR is removed, the liquid junction path SR is formed in a manner similar to that of FIG. As a result, the liquid junction is promoted. In this case, since the partition 120 without the communication groove G can be used, the strength does not decrease.

  Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 6 as a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1, the partition wall 120 is provided with through holes 122 in the seal grooves 121, and these through holes are formed as the conductive connectors 180b and 190b. You may make it use what provided the through-holes 183 and 193 in the position corresponding to the arrangement | positioning position of 122, respectively. Here, it is assumed that the through hole 122 is formed with an inner diameter to the extent that the O-ring OR is mounted in the seal groove 121 and closed in a pressed state. Even with such a structure as the liquid introduction mechanism, when the conductive connectors 180b and 190b are connected in a state where the O-ring OR has fallen off, the liquid is obtained by the through holes 183 → the through holes 122 → the through holes 193. An entanglement path is formed, and the liquid junction is promoted according to the above examples. In the rectangular sealed battery illustrated in FIG. 6, instead of the through holes 183 and 193 formed in the conductive connectors 180b and 190b, notches or the like reaching the positions of the through holes 183 and 193 are provided. You may make it provide in the same electroconductive connection body 180b and 190b.

  In addition, in order to further enhance the function as the liquid introduction mechanism, a combination of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and the modification illustrated in FIG. 5 or the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. A combination with the modified example illustrated in FIG. 5 and a combination of the modified example illustrated in FIG. 5 with the modified example illustrated in FIG. 6 are also arbitrary. Of course, it is also possible to have a structure in which all of these illustrated embodiments and modifications are combined.

In each of the modified examples including the above embodiment, the liquid introduction mechanism is formed symmetrically in the two directions that are the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 120 with the seal groove 121 or the second through hole 171 as the center. However, the number and arrangement direction of the liquid introduction mechanisms are arbitrary. In addition, for example, such a liquid introduction mechanism may be provided in any one of the two directions, or in other directions or in three or more directions including the two directions. Also in the above combination, the number and arrangement directions of the liquid introduction mechanisms may be different. Basically, as the number of liquid introduction mechanisms increases, the function of promoting the liquid junction is promoted.

  In the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, each of the above modifications refers to a rectangular sealed battery in which a seal groove 121 is provided only on one surface side of the partition wall 120 and one O-ring OR is provided as a seal material. . Not limited to this, when the size of the battery or the thickness of the partition wall 120 is sufficient, seal grooves are formed on both surfaces of the partition wall, and O-rings are mounted on both surfaces of the partition wall with respect to the seal grooves. The present invention is also applicable to a battery in which a plurality of seal grooves are formed in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall, such as the battery described in Patent Document 2, and an O-ring is attached to each of the seal grooves. Are equally applicable. The sealing material is not limited to the O-ring, and may be any liquid guiding mechanism that can close and seal the liquid junction path with the connection between the pair of conductive connectors.

  In addition, in the meaning of an applicable rectangular sealed battery, current collector plates connected separately to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the unit cell are provided above the partition wall 120 like the battery illustrated in FIG. The present invention can also be applied to a battery that does not have a connecting means that is electrically connected via a battery. That is, a battery that electrically and mechanically connects the single cells only with the conductive connectors 180 and 190 may be used. Furthermore, the structure as a unit cell is not limited to that illustrated in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, and any structure may be used as long as the positive electrode and the negative electrode are accommodated in a rectangular battery case together with the electrolytic solution. The unit cells are partitioned by partition walls, and current collector plates provided along the both sides of the partition walls and connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the unit cells are provided with through holes provided in the partition walls. As long as it is electrically connected by the conductive connection body.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Integrated battery case, 110 ... Single cell, 120 ... Bulkhead, 121 ... Seal groove, 122 ... Through-hole, 130 ... Battery case, 140 ... Electrode plate group, 141a, 141b ... Lead part, 150, 160 ... Current collector plate , 151, 161 ... connection protrusion, 170 ... through hole, 171 ... second through hole, 180, 180a, 180b, 190, 190a, 190b ... conductive connector, 181, 191 ... connection protrusion, 182, 192 ... Communication groove, 183, 193 ... through hole, G ... communication groove, OR ... O-ring, SR ... liquid junction path.

Claims (8)

A plurality of cells made up of a positive electrode and a negative electrode together with an electrolytic solution are accommodated in a rectangular battery case, and the single cells are partitioned by partition walls, which are provided on both sides of the partition wall and connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the single cells, respectively. The current collector plates are electrically connected to each other by a conductive connecting member through a through hole provided in the same partition wall, and around the through hole in a mode of being interposed between the conductive connecting member and the partition wall. In a square sealed battery with a sealing material,
A square sealed battery comprising: a liquid introduction mechanism that communicates the through hole and the inside of the battery case; and the liquid introduction mechanism is sealed by the sealing material. The conductive connection body is electrically connected to a current collector plate connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the unit cell, respectively, and ends of protrusions protruding in the center are provided on the partition wall. The sealing material is housed in a region covered by the conductive connection body around the through hole on at least one surface of the partition wall. The liquid introduction mechanism is composed of communication grooves formed on both surfaces of the partition wall in a manner that protrudes from the seal groove or the through hole to a region covered with the conductive connector. The square sealed battery according to claim 1. The square sealed battery according to claim 2, wherein the communication groove is formed in a plurality of directions of the partition wall with the seal groove or the through hole as a base point. The rectangular sealed battery according to claim 3, wherein the communication groove is formed symmetrically in two directions, which are the longitudinal direction of the partition wall, at the center of the seal groove or the through hole. The rectangular sealed battery according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the communication groove is formed as a groove shallower than the seal groove on at least one surface of the partition wall where the seal groove is formed. The square sealed battery according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the through hole and the sealing groove are formed in a circular shape, and the sealing material is an O-ring. The upper part of the partition wall is provided with a connecting means for electrically connecting current collector plates respectively connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the unit cell in parallel with the conductive connection body. Item 7. The square sealed battery according to any one of items 1 to 6. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of the unit cell are each composed of an electrode plate group laminated in a plurality of layers via separators, and current collector plates connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode are respectively connected to the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, respectively. The square sealed battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is collectively connected to each other through a lead portion extending in a reverse direction.

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