JP2012256466A - Battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve versatility by fixing a battery module to a fixed member at a different posture.SOLUTION: Fixing parts provided on outer peripheries of a pair of square end plates 13 sandwiching plural square battery cells 11 laminated on each other from both sides in a lamination direction comprise: first fixing parts 13f; and second fixing parts 13g directed to a direction crossing a direction, to which the first fixing parts 13f are directed. Therefore, a fixing form for fixing the first fixing parts 13f to a fixed member with bolts 29, or a fixing form for fixing the second fixing parts 13g to the fixed member with bolts 31 is selected according to a shape of a space of a vehicle body, so that a battery module M can be fixed to the fixed member at two different postures. Thereby, a space can be effectively utilized, so as to improve versatility of the battery module M and contribute to reduction of costs.

Description

  According to the present invention, a pair of rectangular end plates sandwiching a plurality of rectangular battery cells arranged in a stacked state from both sides in the stacking direction are provided on an inner wall surface contacting the battery cell and on an outer periphery of the inner wall surface. The present invention relates to a battery module including an outer peripheral surface that continuously faces the fixed member, and a fixing portion that fixes the end plate to the fixed member is provided on the outer peripheral surface.

  In a stacked battery (battery module) by stacking a plurality of single cells (battery cells) and fixing a pair of end plates arranged on both sides in the stacking direction to both ends of a pair of rail members with bolts Patent Document 1 below discloses that a laminated battery is mounted on a vehicle body by fixing a pair of rail members with bolts to a lower case fixed to the vehicle body of an automobile.

JP 2002-141036 A

  By the way, the shape of the battery cell viewed in the stacking direction is not necessarily a square, but is often a rectangle. Therefore, when the battery module is mounted on the vehicle body, the battery module is mounted in a vertical position (the terminal of the battery cell protrudes upward). (Position) or horizontal position (position in which the terminal of the battery cell protrudes in the horizontal direction) can be arbitrarily selected, the versatility of the battery module can be enhanced by effectively utilizing the limited space of the vehicle body. .

  However, in the above conventional one, since the battery module can be fixed to the vehicle body only in one predetermined posture, when the battery module cannot be mounted in a limited space of the vehicle body, a battery module having a different shape is used. A new design is required, and there is a problem that costs increase due to lack of versatility.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve versatility by allowing a battery module to be fixed to a fixed member in different postures.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a pair of rectangular end plates that sandwich a plurality of rectangular battery cells arranged in a stacked state from both sides in the stacking direction, An inner wall surface that contacts the battery cell, and an outer peripheral surface that is continuous with the outer periphery of the inner wall surface and faces the fixed member, and a fixing portion that fixes the end plate to the fixed member is provided on the outer peripheral surface. In the battery module, the battery module is characterized in that the fixing part includes a first fixing part and a second fixing part facing in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first fixing part faces. .

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the end plate includes an outer wall surface located on the side opposite to the inner wall surface, and the first and second fixing portions are A battery module is proposed that extends in a rod shape along the outer wall surface.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect, the first and second fixing portions have a through hole and are formed hollow, and the first fixing portion or A battery module is proposed in which the end plate is fixed to the fixed member by a fastening member that penetrates the through hole in a state where the tip of the second fixing portion is in contact with the fixed member. Is done.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the configuration of any one of claims 1 to 3, the first fixing portion is a direction in which the terminal of the battery cell protrudes from the outer peripheral surface. A battery module is proposed in which the protruding height of the tip of the first fixing portion is higher than the protruding height of the tip of the terminal.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the battery module is characterized in that the first fixing portion is located outside the terminal in the width direction of the battery cell. Proposed.

  The side surface 13c, the top surface 13d and the bottom surface 13e of the embodiment correspond to the outer peripheral surface of the present invention, and the first and second fixing portions 13f and 13g of the embodiment correspond to the fixing portion of the present invention. The bolts 15 and 17 of the form correspond to the fastening member of the present invention, and the support plate 28 of the embodiment corresponds to the fixed member of the present invention.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, the fixing portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pair of rectangular end plates that sandwich the plurality of rectangular battery cells arranged in the stacked state from both sides in the stacking direction is the first. Since the fixing portion and the second fixing portion that faces in the direction intersecting the direction in which the first fixing portion faces are included, a fixing mode in which the first fixing portion is fixed to the fixed member according to the shape of the space of the vehicle body or By selecting a fixing mode in which the second fixing portion is fixed to the fixed member, the battery module can be fixed to the fixed member in two different postures. As a result, space can be used effectively, and the versatility of the battery module can be improved, thereby contributing to cost reduction.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the end plate includes the outer wall surface located on the side opposite to the inner wall surface, and the first and second fixing portions extend in a rod shape along the outer wall surface. Since the portion functions as a reinforcing rib, the rigidity of the end plate can be increased, and the battery cell can be firmly held on the inner wall surface of the end plate and the swelling of the battery cell can be prevented.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the first and second fixing portions have a through hole and are formed hollow, and the tip of the first fixing portion or the second fixing portion is brought into contact with the fixed member. In this state, the end plate is fixed to the fixed member by the fastening member that penetrates the through hole, so that the battery module can be firmly fixed to the fixed member by the fastening member, and the fixing portion of the end plate can be fixed by the fastening member. It can be reinforced to further increase rigidity.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first fixed portion of the end plate protrudes from the outer peripheral surface in the direction in which the terminal of the battery cell protrudes, and the protruding height of the tip of the first fixed portion is the protrusion of the tip of the terminal. Since the height is higher than the height, it is possible to reliably prevent the terminals of the battery cells from coming into contact with other members and being damaged when the battery module is tilted down.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the first fixing portion of the end plate is located outside the battery cell terminal in the width direction of the battery cell, the projecting amount of the first fixing portion is suppressed to be small and the battery module is large. It is possible to more reliably prevent the battery cell terminals from coming into contact with other members and damaging the battery module when the battery module is tilted.

The exploded perspective view of a battery module. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part 2 of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a four-direction arrow view of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. The perspective view of an end plate. FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. The perspective view of a thermistor. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9; Action explanatory drawing corresponding to FIG.

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

  As shown in FIG. 1, the battery module M for hybrid vehicles includes a plurality of battery cells 11 made of, for example, lithium ion batteries. The rectangular parallelepiped battery cell 11 includes a pair of horizontally long rectangular main cooling surfaces 11a, 11a, a pair of side cooling surfaces 11b, 11b sandwiched between the pair of main cooling surfaces 11a, 11a, and a pair of main cooling surfaces 11a, A top surface 11c and a bottom surface 11d sandwiched between 11a are provided, and a pair of terminals 11e and 11e are projected from the top surface 11c. The plurality of battery cells 11 are stacked in such a state that holders 12 of the same shape made of synthetic resin are sandwiched between the main cooling surfaces 11a.

  In the present specification, the direction in which the plurality of battery cells 11 are stacked is defined as the stacking direction, the long side direction of the rectangular main cooling surface 11a of the battery cell 11 is defined as the width direction, and the short side The direction is defined as the height direction (vertical direction).

  Among the plurality of alternately stacked battery cells 11 and the plurality of holders 12, a pair of end plates 13 and 13 are stacked on the outer side of the pair of holders 12 and 12 positioned at both ends in the stacking direction. The end plates 13 and 13 are fastened with bolts 15 to both ends of a pair of ladder frames 14 and 14 disposed in the stacking direction along the side surfaces 11b and 11b of the battery cells 11. Thereby, the battery cells 11..., The holders 12... And the end plates 13 and 13 are tightly bound so as to maintain the stacked state. A sensor unit 16 that detects the voltage of the battery cell 11 is fixed to the outside of one end plate 13 with bolts 17 and 17.

  Next, the structure of the holder 12 will be described based on FIGS. 2, 3, 9 and 10.

  All the holders 12 are interchangeable members having the same shape, and include a main body portion 12a along the main cooling surface 11a of the adjacent battery cell 11. The main body portion 12a is bent into a corrugated plate with a plurality of broken lines extending in the width direction, and a plurality of cooling air passages 18 through which cooling air flows between the main cooling surface 11a of the battery cells 11 (FIG. 7 and FIG. 7). (See FIG. 9).

  A pair of first engaging portions 12b, 12b that are formed in an L-shaped cross section and engage with corner portions between the pair of side surfaces 11b, 11b and the top surface 11c of the battery cell 11 are formed on the upper portion of the main body portion 12a. A plate-like second engaging portion 12c that protrudes to one side in the stacking direction and can be engaged with the central portion in the width direction of the top surface 11c of the battery cell 11 is provided. A plate-like third engagement portion 12d that protrudes to one side in the stacking direction and can be engaged with the height direction central portion of one side surface 11b of the battery cell 11 is provided on one side portion of the main body portion 12a. Two openings 12e and 12e are formed in the third engagement portion 12d so as not to block the cooling air passages 18.

  A pair of plate-like fourth engaging portions 12f and 12f that protrude to both sides in the stacking direction and engage with the lower ends of the pair of side surfaces 11b and 11b of the battery cell 11 and the other in the stacking direction A pair of plate-like upper load transmitting portions 12g, 12g that protrude to the side and abut against both ends in the width direction of the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11, and project on one side in the stacking direction on the lower surfaces of the upper load transmitting portions 12g, 12g A pair of overlapping plate-like lower load transmission portions 12h, 12h and a pair of thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i projecting downward from a position sandwiched between the pair of plate-like upper load transmission portions 12g, 12g to one side in the stacking direction. And are provided.

  A pair of groove-shaped dew condensation water retaining recesses 12j, 12j extending in the width direction at the lower end of the main body portion 12a and continuing to the upper part of the pair of plate-like lower load transmitting portions 12h, 12h (FIGS. 2 and 7) Reference) is formed. Of the pair of fourth engaging portions 12f, 12f, the fourth engaging portion 12f on the downstream side of the cooling air flowing through the cooling air passage 18 passes through the fourth engaging portion 12f and communicates with one of the condensed water retaining recesses 12j. A condensed water discharge hole 12k (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 7) is formed.

  As best shown in FIG. 10, the pair of thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i includes a pair of thermistor insertion portions a, a connected to the lower edge of the main body portion 12a, and a thermistor 22 (described later from the thermistor insertion portions a, a). 8) and a pair of thermistor locking portions b, b connected to the back side in the insertion direction, and cover portions c, c protruding from the thermistor locking portions b, b so as to cover the lower surface thereof. The width between the pair of thermistor locking portions b and b is wider than the width W1 between the pair of openings a and a. At the lower end of the holder 12, two movement restricting portions 12m and 12m (see FIGS. 2, 3, 9 and 10) are provided in a projecting direction opposite to the direction in which the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i protrude.

  Two adjacent holders 12, 12 are connected to each other by first engaging portions 12b, 12b, fourth engaging portions 12f, 12f, upper load transmitting portions 12g, 12g and a lower load transmitting portion 12h extending from the main body portion 12a. , 12h are meshed with each other so that they are coupled in a fixed positional relationship. At this time, the lower surfaces of the lower load transmission portions 12h, 12h of one holder 12 overlap the lower surfaces of the upper load transmission portions 12g, 12g of the other holder 12, and a labyrinth 33 (see FIG. 7) is formed between the two. Is done. The main body 12a of the holder 12 contacts the main cooling surface 11a of the battery cell 11, and the first engagement portions 12b and 12b, the second engagement portion 12c, the third engagement portion 12d, and the fourth engagement of the holder 12 are provided. The battery cells 11 are held in a stable posture inside the holder 12 by the portions 12f, 12f and the upper load transmitting portions 12g, 12g coming into contact with the side surfaces 11b, 11b, the top surface 11c, and the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11. .

  Next, the structure of the end plates 13 and 13 will be described based on FIG. 1, FIG. 5, and FIG. Since the pair of end plates 13 and 13 have a substantially mirror-like shape, the structure of one end plate 13 will be described as a representative example.

  The end plate 13 includes an inner wall surface 13a that abuts on the main body 12a of the holder 12 located at the end in the stacking direction, and an outer wall surface 13b opposite to the inner wall surface 13a. The inner wall surface 13a and the outer wall surface 13b A pair of side surfaces 13c, 13c, a top surface 13d, and a bottom surface 13e are formed therebetween.

  The outer wall surface 13b of the end plate 13 is integrally formed with two parallel hollow rod-shaped first fixing portions 13f and 13f protruding in the vertical direction beyond the top surface 13d and the bottom surface 13e. One hollow rod-like second fixing portion 13g protruding in the width direction beyond the side surfaces 13c, 13c is integrally formed. The through holes 13h and 13h pass through the insides of the first fixing parts 13f and 13f, and the through holes 13i pass through the inside of the second fixing part 13g. The first and second fixing portions 13f, 13f, and 13g bulge out from the outer wall surface 13b so that the first and second fixing portions 13f, 13f, and 13g function as reinforcing ribs that increase the rigidity of the end plate 13. To do.

  The heights of the tips of the first fixing portions 13f and 13f protruding from the top surfaces of the two end plates 13 are set higher than the heights of the pair of terminals 11e and 11e protruding from the top surface 11c of the battery cell 11. (See FIG. 5). Further, the positions in the width direction of the two first fixing portions 13f and 13f protruding from the top surface of the end plate 13 are positioned on the outer side in the width direction than the pair of terminals 11e and 11e protruding from the top surface 11c of the battery cell 11. (See FIG. 4 and FIG. 5).

  The pair of side surfaces 13c and 13c of the end plate 13 are respectively formed with two bolt holes 13j and 13j into which the two bolts 15 and 15 for fastening the end of the ladder frame 14 are screwed. Two bolt holes 13k, 13k into which two bolts 17, 17 for fastening the sensor unit 16 are screwed are formed on the outer wall surface 13b of the end plate 13. The bolt holes 13k, 13k are not provided in the end plate 13 on the side where the sensor unit 16 is not fastened.

  As apparent from FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the ladder frame 14 is formed by pressing a metal plate, and the cooling air passage 18 formed by the main body 12a of each holder 12 (FIG. 7). And a plurality of slits 14b extending in the vertical direction are formed in the main body portion 14a in order to supply and discharge the cooling air. An upper flange 14c and a lower flange 14d, which are bent inward in the width direction, are formed on the upper edge and the lower edge of the ladder frame 14, and a plate spring 20 having a U-shaped cross section is formed on the upper surface of the lower flange 14d. It is provided corresponding to each battery cell 11. An annular sealing member 21 is provided on the inner wall surface of the main body 14a to seal the space between the side surfaces 11b of the battery cells 11.

  Therefore, in a state where the pair of ladder frames 14 and 14 are fastened to the pair of end plates 13 and 13, the first engaging portions 12 b and 12 b of the holder 12 are connected to the lower surfaces of the upper flanges 14 c and 14 c of the ladder frames 14 and 14 and the main body. The fourth engaging portions 12f and 12f of the holder 12 are in contact with the lower inner surfaces of the main body portions 14a and 14a of the ladder frames 14 and 14 and the lower flanges 14d and 14d of the holder 12 are in contact with the upper inner surfaces of the portions 14a and 14a. The plate springs 20, 20 provided on the upper surface of the holder 12 abut against the lower surface of the lower load transmitting portions 12 h, 12 h of the holder 12 and bias upward, so that each holder 12. Supported in a stable state.

  Next, the mounting structure of the thermistor 22 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The thermistor 22 is mounted on the thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i of the holder 12 and detects the temperature of the battery cell 11. At least one thermistor 22 is provided for a plurality of battery cells 11 constituting the battery module M. Is provided (see FIG. 4).

  The thermistor 22 has a pair of U-shaped cross sections that press the sensor portion 23 against the bottom surface 11 d of the battery cell 11, a sensor portion 23 that contacts the bottom surface 11 d of the battery cell 11, a connector portion 25 that connects the sensor portion 23 to the harness 24. And a sensor case 27 made of a synthetic resin that supports the sensor portion 23, the connector portion 25, and the pair of sensor pressure springs 26, 26. The sensor case 27 includes a pair of elastic claws 27a and 27a that can be opened and closed by its own elasticity, and a width W2 between the pair of elastic claws 27a and 27a in a free state is a pair of openings of the thermistor holding portion 12i of the holder 12. The width W1 between the parts a and a is in a relationship of W2> W1 (see FIG. 10). The distance D between the thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i of the two adjacent holders 12, 12 is set to be larger than the length L in the insertion direction of the thermistor 22 (see FIG. 9). A harness 24 extending from the thermistor 22 is connected to the sensor unit 16, and the sensor unit 16 detects the temperature of the battery cell 11 from the output of the thermistor 22.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

  When the moisture in the air condenses on the surface of the battery cells 11, the condensed water flows down by gravity and wets the leaf springs 20 welded to the lower flange 14 d of the ladder frame 14. As a result, a plurality of battery cells 11. There is a possibility of short-circuiting via the leaf springs 20 and the ladder frame 14. When adjacent leaf springs 20 are short-circuited by condensed water, the plurality of battery cells 11 may be short-circuited only through the leaf springs 20 without passing through the ladder frame 14. In order to prevent this short circuit, the short circuit path between the lower part of the battery cell 11 and the leaf spring 20 is blocked, that is, no dew condensation water is continuously interposed between the lower part of the battery cell 11 and the leaf spring 20. It is necessary to do so.

  According to the present embodiment, a long labyrinth 33 (between the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11 and the leaf spring 20 is formed on the contact surfaces of the upper load transmitting portion 12g and the lower load transmitting portion 12h. 7)), the electrical continuity between the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11 and the leaf spring 20 is interrupted only by the condensation water being interrupted at any one of the entire length of the labyrinth 33, and the battery cell 11 ... Short-circuit between each other is reliably prevented. Moreover, since at least two labyrinths 33 and 33 are interposed between the two battery cells 11 and 11, almost no situation occurs in which the two battery cells 11 and 11 are short-circuited through the two labyrinths 33 and 33. It is thought not to.

  On the other hand, assuming that the holder 12 does not include the upper load transmission portion 12g and the lower load transmission portion 12h, but is merely abutted in the stacking direction, the condensed water only enters the abutting portion. There is a possibility that the bottom surface 11d of the cell 11 and the leaf spring 20 become conductive, and a short circuit may occur between the battery cells 11.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the dew condensation water retaining recesses 12j and 12j (see FIG. 7) are formed in the portion where the main body 12a of the holder 12 is connected to the upper load transmission portions 12g and 12g. By temporarily holding the condensed water in the holding recesses 12j and 12j and preventing the inflow into the labyrinth 33, the occurrence of a short circuit can be prevented more reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling air flowing along one ladder frame 14 to cool the battery module M flows from the slits 14b of the ladder frame 14 into the cooling air passage 18 of the holder 12 and passes there. After the heat exchange with the main cooling surfaces 11a of the battery cells 11 during the flow, the heat passes through the slits 14b of the other ladder frame 14 and is discharged. Condensed water accumulated in the condensed water retaining recesses 12j located downstream of the cooling air passages 18 is blocked by the fourth engaging portions 12f, and is difficult to be discharged, but on the downstream side of the cooling air passages 18 ... By forming the condensed water discharge holes 12k (see FIGS. 5 and 7) in the fourth engaging portions 12f that are positioned, it is possible to promote the discharge of the condensed water from the condensed water holding recesses 12j.

  The condensed water accumulated in the condensed water retaining recesses 12j located on the upstream side of the cooling air passage 18 is pushed by the cooling air and discharged to the central portion in the width direction on the lower surface of the holder 12. Therefore, there is a possibility that the leaf springs 20 of the one ladder frame 14 and the leaf springs 20 of the other ladder frame 14 are electrically connected and a short circuit occurs between the battery cells 11. However, according to the present embodiment, the thermistor holding portions 12i... Protrude downward in the center of the lower surface of the holders 12... So that the condensed water is blocked by the thermistor holding portions 12i. By preventing the leaf springs 20 from conducting to each other, a short circuit between the battery cells 11 can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the battery module M is mounted on the vehicle body by fixing the pair of end plates 13 and 13 to the upper surface of the support plate 28 fixed to the vehicle body. The normal mounting posture of the battery module M is a posture in which the top surfaces 11 c of the battery cells 11... Face upward and the bottom surface 11 d faces the support plate 28. In this case, two bolts 29 and 29 penetrating from the top to the bottom of the two first fixing portions 13f and 113f of each end plate 13 are screwed into weld nuts 30 and 30 welded to the lower surface of the support plate 28. Then, the battery module M is fixed to the support plate 28 by fastening. Since the above-mentioned fixing work only needs to be inserted and rotated with a total of four bolts 29..., The workability is very good.

  When the battery module M is fixed to the support plate 28 in the posture shown in FIG. 5, the condensed water is discharged from the condensed water discharge holes 12k of the fourth engaging portions 12f located downstream of the cooling air passages 18. In order to promote, the left fourth engagement portions 12f ... in which the dew condensation water discharge holes 12k ... are formed are made lower than the right fourth engagement portions 12f ... in which the dew condensation water discharge holes 12k ... are not formed. It is desirable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the length of the left first fixing portion 13f protruding downward from the lower surface of the end plate 13 in FIG. 5 and the right first fixing portion 13f from the lower surface of the end plate 13 to the lower side in FIG. It is shorter than the protruding length. Accordingly, the pair of end plates 13 and 13 fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 28 disposed horizontally is inclined leftward by an angle θ to promote the discharge of the condensed water from the condensed water discharge holes 12k. Can do.

  The pair of end plates 13 and 13 are fixed in parallel to the support plate 28, and the support plate 28 is arranged so that the left side fourth engagement portion 12f... In which the condensed water discharge holes 12k. Even if it is fixed to the vehicle body in an inclined state with respect to the horizontal plane, the same effect can be achieved.

  When the space on the vehicle body side is limited and the battery module M cannot be mounted in the above-described normal posture, the battery module M can be mounted in a posture that is laid down by 90 °. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the battery module M is placed on the support plate 28 so that one side surface 11b of the battery cells 11 faces downward, and the second fixing portion 13g of each end plate 13 is placed from above. The battery module M is fixed to the support plate 28 by screwing and fastening the bolt 31 penetrating downward to a weld nut 32 welded to the lower surface of the support plate 28. Also in this case, since it is only necessary to insert and rotate the two bolts 31 and 31 in total from the top to the bottom, the workability is very good.

  When the battery module M is mounted in a 90 ° -side-down posture, one side surface 11b of the battery cells 11 is directed downward, but in this case, the leaf spring 20 is of the side wall 11b. Since there is a sufficient gap between the side surface 11b... And the ladder frame 14 positioned below the side surface 11b.

  Since the pipe-shaped first fixing portions 13f and 13f and the second fixing portion 13g are formed along the outer wall surface 13b of the end plate 13, the rigidity is enhanced by functioning as reinforcing ribs. The battery cell 11 tends to be deformed so as to swell by a chemical reaction performed therein, but by sandwiching both ends of the stacked battery cells 11 with a pair of rigid end plates 13, 13, the battery cell 11 11 can be reliably prevented from being deformed. Moreover, since the bolts 15, 15 or 17 pass through the through holes 13h, 13h of the first fixing portions 13f, 13f or the through holes 13i of the second fixing portion 13g, the end plates 13, The rigidity of 13 can be further increased.

  The battery module M before being fixed to the support plate 28 is placed on the floor surface with the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11 facing down, but if the battery module M falls down for some reason, the terminal 11e of the battery cell 11 ... May touch the floor and damage it. However, according to the present embodiment, the two first fixing portions 13f and 13f of the end plate 13 protrude upward beyond the tips of the pair of terminals 11e and 11e of the battery cell 11, and the two first fixing portions 13f and 13f. Since the fixing portions 13f and 13f are located on the outer side in the width direction than the pair of terminals 11e and 11e of the battery cell 11 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), even if the battery module M falls down, the first fixing portions 13f and 13f The contact of the terminals 11e and 11e with the floor surface is avoided by the contact of 13f with the floor surface first, and damage to the terminals 11e and 11e is effectively prevented. The terminals 11e and 11e can be protected by the first fixing portions 13f and 13f not only when the battery module M falls down but also when foreign matter falls from above the battery module M.

  A plurality of battery cells 11 and a plurality of holders 12 are alternately stacked, and a pair of end plates 13 and 13 sandwiching both ends in the stacking direction are connected by a pair of ladder frames 14 and 14 to assemble a battery module M. After that, the thermistor 22 is attached to the thermistor holding portions 12 i and 12 i of at least one holder 12.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the width W1 between the pair of openings a, a of the thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i of the holder 12 and the width W2 between the pair of elastic claws 27a, 27a in the free state are W2 Since there is a relationship of> W1, as shown in FIG. 9, when the thermistor 22 is inserted in the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i of the predetermined holder 12 from the bottom surface 11d side of the battery cell 11. 27a, 27a abuts on the thermistor insertion part a, a and elastically deforms so as to approach each other, but after passing through the thermistor insertion part a, a, it expands into a free state by its own elasticity, and the thermistor locking part By engaging b and b, the thermistor 22 is held by the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i so as not to drop off.

  At this time, since the distance D between the thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i of the two adjacent holders 12, 12 is larger than the length L in the insertion direction of the thermistor 22, the thermistor 22 is mounted after the battery module M is assembled. (See FIG. 9). Moreover, the thermistor 22 can be fixed to the thermistor holding portions 12i, 12i of the holders 12 simply by moving the thermistor 22 along the bottom surface 11d of the predetermined battery cell 11, so that it is assembled as compared with the case where fixing means such as bolts are used. Improves.

  And since one end side of a pair of sensor pressurization springs 26 and 26 provided in sensor case 27 contacts cover parts c and c of the thermistor holding parts 12i and 12i, the other end side of sensor pressurization springs 26 and 26 is a sensor by the reaction force. By pushing up the case 27 and pressing the sensor unit 23 against the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11, the sensor unit 23 can be brought into close contact with the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11 to enable reliable temperature detection. At the same time, the tip ends of the sensor pressure springs 26 and 26 are in contact with the movement restricting portions 12m and 12m of the adjacent holder 12, whereby the moving end in the insertion direction of the thermistor 22 is restricted, and the elastic claws 27a and 27a are related to the thermistor. The thermistor 22 is reliably positioned in combination with the engagement of the stop portions b, b and the restriction of the moving end in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. Further, dimensional errors generated in the elastic claws 27a and 27a and the thermistor locking portions b and b can be absorbed by the sensor pressure springs 26 and 26 being bent in the insertion direction of the thermistor 22.

  According to the present embodiment, the thermistor 22 is fixed to the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i provided at the lower part of the holder 12 so as to be in contact with the bottom surface 11d of the battery cell 11, so that one side surface 11b side of the battery cell 11 is provided. The cooling air flowing in from the first side and flowing along the pair of main cooling surfaces 11 a and 11 a and then flowing out from the other side surface 11 b is less likely to interfere with the thermistor holding portions 12 i and 12 i below the holder 12. Thus, even if the plurality of holders 12 have the same shape, cooling is performed by the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i of the holder 12 to which the thermistor 22 is attached and the thermistor holding portions 12i and 12i of the holder 12 that is not attached. It is possible to prevent the amount of wind leakage from being different, to equalize the cooling state of each battery cell 11.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment, the number of the first fixing portions 13f and 13f is two and the number of the second fixing portions 13g is one. However, the number is not limited to the embodiment.

  In the embodiment, the first fixing portion 13f, 13f or the second fixing portion 13g is fixed by bolts 15, 15, 17, but it may be fixed by other means such as a clamp.

11 Battery cell 11e Terminal 13 End plate 13a Inner wall surface 13b Outer wall surface 13c Side surface (outer peripheral surface)
13d Top surface (outer peripheral surface)
13e Bottom (outer peripheral surface)
13f 1st fixed part (fixed part)
13g Second fixing part (fixing part)
13h Through hole 13i Through hole 15 Bolt (fastening member)
17 Bolt (fastening member)
28 Support plate (fixed member)

Claims (5)

A pair of rectangular end plates (13) that sandwich a plurality of rectangular battery cells (11) arranged in a stacked state from both sides in the stacking direction, an inner wall surface (13a) that contacts the battery cells (11). And an outer peripheral surface (13c, 13d, 13e) that continues to the outer periphery of the inner wall surface (13a) and faces the fixed member (28), and the end plate (13) is attached to the fixed member (28). In the battery module in which the fixing portion (13f, 13g) to be fixed is provided on the outer peripheral surface (13c, 13d, 13e),
The fixing part (13f, 13g) includes a first fixing part (13f) and a second fixing part (13g) facing in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the first fixing part (13f) faces. A battery module.   The end plate (13) includes an outer wall surface (13b) positioned opposite to the inner wall surface (13a), and the first and second fixing portions (13f, 13g) extend along the outer wall surface (13b). The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module extends in a rod shape.   The first and second fixing portions (13f, 13g) have through-holes (13h, 13i) and are formed in a hollow shape. The first fixing portion (13f) or the second fixing portion (13g) The end plate (13) is fixed to the fixed member (28) by the fastening members (15, 17) penetrating the through holes (13h, 13i) in a state where the tip is in contact with the fixed member (28). The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the battery module is fixed to the battery module.   The first fixing portion (13f) protrudes from the outer peripheral surface (13c, 13d, 13e) in a direction in which the terminal (11e) of the battery cell (11) protrudes, and the tip of the first fixing portion (13f) The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a protruding height of the terminal is higher than a protruding height of a tip of the terminal (11e).   The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the first fixing portion (13f) is located on the outer side in the width direction of the battery cell (11) than the terminal (11e).

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