JP2013041774A - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery pack capable of electrically connecting a plurality of battery modules and stacking them, as well as suppressing or preventing the poor connection of the connected part.SOLUTION: A battery module is configured by a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other with lead terminals and being housed in a case. A battery pack is configured by stacking and electrically connecting a plurality of the battery modules. Each battery module stacked and adjacent to each other is provided with a connection part which has an aperture facing a surface where one of the adjacent battery modules opposes the other module stacked to the one module and which is conducted to the lead terminal. Each battery module also is provided with a connector 2 which is inserted into each connection part of the battery modules and conducts the one battery module to the other battery module, and is made to deform elastically according to the inner size of the connection part.

Description

  The present invention relates to an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells (cells) housed in a case are connected to each other and electrically connected to each other, and the battery modules are stacked. It is.

  Conventionally, cells of various shapes such as a flat plate type have been developed, and accordingly, a plurality of cells are handled as a unit without using the cells alone. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a battery in which a cell unit formed by laminating a plurality of flat or sheet-like cells is housed in a case and modularized. Patent Document 2 describes that an assembled battery is configured by stacking battery modules in a state where output terminals of the battery module configured as described in Patent Document 1 are exposed to the outside. Yes. That is, a plurality of output terminals are exposed on the side wall surface of the assembled battery formed by stacking the battery modules.

  In Patent Document 3, a plurality of output terminals exposed on the side surface of the assembled battery are connected to the side surface of the assembled battery stacked as described in Patent Document 2 by a bus bar to prevent a short circuit. Describes an assembled battery in which an insulating plate covering the bus bar is attached.

JP 2009-231267 A JP 2010-212165 A JP 2008-166008 A

  In the above-described conventional assembled battery, since the output terminals of the battery modules are exposed and stacked on the side wall surface, the output terminals of these battery modules are connected to each other by a bus bar. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the bus bar protrudes from the assembled battery, and the overall dimensions of the assembled battery including the bus bar increase. In addition, after stacking the battery modules, a bus bar, a cover that covers the bus bar, and the like are assembled, which may increase the work process.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above technical problem, and improves the workability of assembly by stacking and connecting a plurality of battery modules, and also suppresses or prevents poor connection at the connection portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembled battery that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 is to stack a plurality of battery modules configured by accommodating a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other by lead terminals inside a case and to electrically In the assembled battery configured to be connected to each other, each of the stacked battery modules adjacent to each other has a surface where one of the battery modules adjacent to each other and the other battery module stacked on the one battery module face each other. A connection portion that opens to the lead terminal and is electrically connected to the lead terminal, and is inserted into each connection portion in each of the battery modules to electrically connect the one battery module to the other battery module. And a connector configured to be elastically deformed according to the above.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the connector includes one end inserted into the connection portion in one battery module of the battery modules adjacent to each other, and the connection portion in the other battery module. Each of the battery pack and the other end inserted into the battery pack is configured to be elastically deformable.

  A third aspect of the invention is an assembled battery according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the connector includes a slit portion formed in an axial direction from an end portion of the connector.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the slit portion is a first slit formed from one end of the connector to between the one end and the other end of the connector. And a second slit portion that is formed from the other end portion to the other end portion and the one end portion and does not intersect the first slit portion. It is an assembled battery.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the connector has a larger outer diameter than an inner method of the connection portion and the connection portion is inserted into the connection portion. The battery pack further includes a locking portion that abuts the end of the portion.

  A sixth aspect of the invention is an assembled battery according to any one of the third to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the slit portion includes a slit portion formed in a spiral shape.

  The invention of claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connection portions are provided to be opened on both of the front and back sides of the battery module, one of the connection portions is an anode, and the other connection portion. Is a negative electrode, and the connection part which is an anode in one battery module which is stacked and adjacent to each other, and the connection part which is a negative electrode in the other battery module are configured to face each other. It is a battery.

  The assembled battery of the invention of claim 1 is configured by stacking and electrically connecting a plurality of battery modules configured by housing a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other by lead terminals inside the case. Has been. Therefore, the electric capacity of the assembled battery can be changed according to the number of battery modules to be connected. In addition, each battery module stacked and adjacent to each other has a connection portion that is electrically connected to a lead terminal that is open on a surface where one of the battery modules adjacent to each other and the other battery module stacked on the one battery module face each other. And having a connector inserted into the connecting portion to conduct one battery module and the other battery module, the battery modules stacked on each other can be electrically connected to each other by the connector. It is possible to suppress or prevent the outer shape of the assembled battery from increasing. Furthermore, since the connector is configured to be elastically deformed according to the inner method of the connection portion, the dimensional accuracy of the connection portion and the connector can be relaxed. When the connector is inserted into the connection portion, a force is applied to the connection portion so that the connector returns to its original shape, so that the connector is disconnected from the connection portion or poor contact between the connection portion and the connector. Can be suppressed or prevented.

  According to the invention of claim 2, in the connector, each of the one end inserted into the connecting portion in one battery module and the other end inserted into the connecting portion in the other battery module is elastically deformed. Since one end portion is elastically deformed, the outer dimension of the other end portion is reduced, and the fitting of the other end portion to the connecting portion into which the end portion is inserted is not possible. It can be suppressed or prevented from becoming sufficient, or the other end from coming off the connecting portion.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the connector includes the slit portion formed in the axial direction from the end portion of the connector, when receiving a force from the outer surface side of the connector, the connector narrows the slit portion. It can be elastically deformed. As a result, the same effect as that of claim 1 can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the slit portion includes a first slit portion formed from one end portion of the connector to a portion between the one end portion and the other end portion, and the other end portion to the other end. And the second slit portion that does not intersect the first slit portion, so that one end portion and the other end portion are independent of each other. And can be elastically deformed. That is, it is possible to suppress or prevent the other end portion from being affected by the elastic deformation of one of the end portions and deforming. Therefore, the same effect as that of claim 2 can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the connector further includes a locking portion that abuts the end of the connecting portion in a state where the outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the connecting portion and the connector is inserted into the connecting portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the connector from being excessively inserted into the connection portion.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the slit portion includes a spirally formed slit portion, and the entire circumferential surface of the outer surface of the connector and the inner surface of the connection portion are in contact with each other, so that the connector is disconnected from the connection portion. Or contact failure between the connecting portion and the connector can be suppressed or prevented.

  According to the invention of claim 7, the connection portions are provided to be opened on both the front and back sides of the battery module, one of the connection portions is an anode, and the other connection portion is a negative electrode. Since the connection part that is the anode in the battery module of FIG. 1 and the connection part that is the negative electrode of the other battery module are opposed to each other, the battery modules are stacked and electrically connected by the connector. Each battery module can be connected in series. Therefore, the electric capacity as an assembled battery can be changed by changing the number of battery modules to be stacked.

It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the connector which connects the battery modules in the assembled battery which concerns on this invention, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a side view. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the battery module which can be utilized for this invention was laminated | stacked. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an example of a structure of the battery module. It is a figure for demonstrating the other structure of the connector which connects the battery modules in the assembled battery which concerns on this invention, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a side view. It is a figure for demonstrating other structure of the connector which connects the battery modules in the assembled battery which concerns on this invention, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a side view. It is a figure for demonstrating other structure of the connector which connects the battery modules in the assembled battery which concerns on this invention, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a side view. It is a figure for demonstrating other structure of the connector which connects the battery modules in the assembled battery which concerns on this invention, Comprising: (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a side view.

  Next, the configuration of the assembled battery according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the assembled battery according to the present invention is configured such that a plurality of battery modules 1 are electrically connected in series by a connector 2 and the battery modules 1 and 1 are stacked. Here, an example of the configuration of the battery modules 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the configuration of the battery module 1. The battery module 1 shown in the figure can be electrically connected to each other by storing flat or flat (hereinafter simply referred to as flat plate) cells inside a container and stacking or arranging them with a connector 2 interposed therebetween. It is configured as follows. The example shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a battery module 1 configured by storing two cells 3A and 3B inside a case, and each cell 3A and 3B is formed in a rectangular or rectangular flat plate shape. On the side edge corresponding to the predetermined one side, positive lead terminals 4A and 4B and negative lead terminals 5A and 5B made of thin metal pieces such as aluminum and copper are provided in a protruding state. Note that each lead terminal 4A, 5A in the upper cell 3A in FIG. 3 is bent in a crank shape so that the tip part is somewhat on the lower side in FIG. 3, and the upper cell 3B in FIG. 4B and 5B are bent in a crank shape so that the tip part is somewhat on the upper side in FIG.

  A support plate 6 is provided between the cells 3A and 3B. The support plate 6 is disposed between the cells 3A and 3B. The support plate 6 has a flat plate-like portion 6A having an area substantially equal to or larger than one surface of the cells 3A and 3B, and a plurality of plate plates provided on two opposite sides of the flat plate-like portion 6A. Pedestal portions 6B, 6C, 6D are provided. In the following description, these pedestal portions 6B, 6C, and 6D are sequentially referred to as a first pedestal portion 6B, a second pedestal portion 6C, and a third pedestal portion 6D. Among these pedestal portions 6B, 6C, 6D, the first pedestal portion 6B close to the side edge opposite to the side edge where the lead terminals 4A, 5A, 4B, 5B are formed in the cells 3A, 3B, Formed over the entire length of one side edge of the flat plate-like portion 6A, the first pedestal portion 6B is offset to one surface side (the lower surface side in FIG. 3) of the flat plate-like portion 6A. Yes. That is, it is bent in a crank shape with respect to the flat portion 6A. A relatively large-diameter fixing hole 7 is formed at both longitudinal ends of the first pedestal portion 6B, and a small-diameter pin hole 8 is formed in the vicinity thereof.

  A second pedestal portion 6C having a small width (or length) is formed at each end portion on the side edge opposite to the first pedestal portion 6B of the flat plate-like portion 6A. A fixed hole 7 and a pin hole 8 similar to the above-described fixed hole 7 and pin hole 8 are formed in the portion 6C. Moreover, these 2nd base parts 6C are offset to the one surface side (lower surface side of FIG. 3) with respect to the flat part 6A similarly to said long 1st base part 6B. That is, it is bent in a crank shape with respect to the flat portion 6A.

  Furthermore, a pair of side edge parts in which the first and second pedestal parts 6B and 6C of the above-described long and short (large and small) are not formed in the peripheral part of the flat plate-like part are on one surface side (the lower side in FIG. 3). ). The bending width (depth) is equal to or less than the thickness of the cells 3A and 3B and is such that the side surfaces of the cells 3A and 3B are caught. Accordingly, the support plate 6 has the above-mentioned pedestal portions 6B and 6C bent in a crank shape with respect to the flat plate-like portion 6A, and the other side edge portions are bent as described above. It has a shallow box shape. The depth is about the thickness of one cell 3B, and the cell 3B can be fitted into the box-shaped portion so as not to move relatively back and forth and from side to side. Further, by forming a box shape, a so-called wall portion perpendicular to the flat plate-like portion 6A is formed, so that the rigidity of the support plate 6 as a whole is increased and deformation such as bending is less likely to occur. . In addition, in order to improve such rigidity, a bead or a rib may be formed at any location of the flat plate-like portion 6A in addition to the box shape as described above.

  A third pedestal portion 6D having a width (or length) smaller than the interval between the positive and negative lead terminals 4A, 5A (or 4B, 5B) is formed between the pair of so-called small second pedestal portions 6C. . The third pedestal portion 6D is a plate-like portion obtained by extending the flat plate-like portion 6A without being bent with respect to the flat plate-like portion 6A, and is a portion for fixing bus bars 9A and 9B described later. Therefore, a plurality of attachment holes for attaching the bus bars 9A and 9B are formed in the third pedestal portion 6D.

  The battery module according to the present invention shown in FIG. 3 includes a substrate 10 made of a microcomputer, a sensor, an FPC (flexible printed circuit), an FFC (flexible flat cable), or the like connecting them. The substrate 10 is an elongated member having a width approximately equal to the width of the first pedestal portion 6B described above, and a port portion 10A for transmitting and receiving signals is provided at the center thereof. Further, a substrate holder 11 for attaching the substrate 10 to the support plate 6 is provided. The substrate holder 11 is an elongate member having the same width as the first pedestal portion 6B so as to be placed and fixed on the first pedestal portion 6B described above, and hollow cylindrical portions 11A are respectively formed at both ends thereof. It is integrally formed. The interval between the cylindrical portions 11A is the same as the interval between the two fixing holes 7 formed in the first pedestal portion 6B described above. It has an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter and protrudes to a height (length) substantially equal to the thickness of the metal plate forming the first pedestal 6B and a case described later. By fitting the protruding portion 11B into the fixing hole 7, the substrate holder 11 and the first pedestal portion 6B or the case are connected, and the interval between the members fitted to the upper and lower protruding portions 11B is maintained. It is like that. In addition, a pin hole 11C having a position and a diameter that coincides with the pin hole 8 described above is formed in the vicinity of each cylindrical portion 11A. Furthermore, a pin 11D for attaching the substrate 10 is provided at an appropriate position of the substrate holder 11, and a sandwiching portion 11E made up of a pair of plate pieces for sandwiching the substrate 10 is provided at the center in the longitudinal direction. .

  Here, the bus bars 9A and 9B will be described. The lead bars 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B of the cells 3A and 3B are electrically connected to the outside, and are rod-shaped members having a rectangular cross section. Conductive terminals 12A and 12B made of aluminum, copper or the like are provided at one end so as to protrude in the longitudinal direction. In addition, connector holes 13A and 13B are provided in the central portions of the bus bars 9A and 9B. The connector holes 13A and 13B are provided so that connector receiving portions (not shown) connected to the terminals 12A and 12B are exposed inside. One bus bar 9A is a positive electrode and the other bus bar 9B is a negative electrode. Therefore, the terminal 12A in one bus bar 9A is sandwiched between the positive lead terminals 4A and 4B in the cells 3A and 3B, and the other bus bar A terminal 12B in 9B is configured to be sandwiched between negative lead terminals 5A and 5B in the cells 3A and 3B.

  A lead holder 14 for fixing the support plate 6 to the case is provided on the side where the bus bars 9A and 9B are provided. The lead holder 14 is an elongated member in which a hollow cylindrical portion 14A is integrated at both ends, and the cylindrical portion 14A is configured in the same shape as the cylindrical portion 11A in the substrate holder 11 described above. That is, the interval between the cylindrical portions 14A is the same as the interval between the two fixing holes 7 formed in the second pedestal portion 6C described above, and the upper and lower ends of each cylindrical portion 14A It has an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter and protrudes to a height (length) substantially equal to the thickness of the metal plate forming the second pedestal portion 6C and a case described later. By fitting the protruding portion 14B into the fixing hole 7, the lead holder 14 and the second pedestal portion 6C or the case are connected, and the interval between the members fitted to the upper and lower protruding portions 14B is maintained. It is like that. A pin hole 14C having the same position and diameter as the above-described pin hole 8 is formed in the vicinity of each cylindrical portion 14A.

  The case that accommodates the cells 3A, 3B, the support plate 6 and the like includes a so-called main body portion 15A having a thin (shallow) concave cross-sectional shape and a lid body 15B that is attached to the opening end and closed. The main body portion 15A and the lid body 15B are formed in a rectangular or rectangular shape having an inner method that is approximately the contour of the support plate 6 or somewhat larger than that, and four corners in the main body portion 15A and the lid body 15B. Fixing holes 16 similar to the respective fixing holes 7 are formed at positions corresponding to the respective fixing holes 7 in the first and second pedestal portions 6B and 6C of the support plate 6. Further, at positions corresponding to the pin holes 8 in the first and second pedestal portions 6B and 6C of the support plate 6 at positions adjacent to the fixing holes 16 in the main body portion 15A, the same as the pin holes 8 A pin hole 17 is formed. Further, a connector window hole 18A having a diameter larger than that of the connector hole 13B is formed in the main body portion 15A so as to correspond to the connector hole 13B in the one bus bar 9B described above. Similarly, the lid 15B has a connector window hole 18B having a diameter larger than that of the connector hole 13A corresponding to the connector hole 13A of the other bus bar 9A described above. Furthermore, port holes 19A and 19B that open the above-described port portion 10A to the outside are formed in portions corresponding to the port portion 10A in each of the main body portion 15A and the lid body 15B.

  The battery module is configured by accommodating the cells 3A, 3B, the support plate 6 and the like in the main body 15A in the order shown in FIG. 3, and closing the main body 15A with the lid 15B. The order of the assembly is arbitrary. For example, other members may be attached to the support plate 6 and the unitized parts may be put into the main body 15A and closed by the lid 15B. First, the upper and lower bus bars 9A, 9B are attached to the third pedestal portion 6D of the support plate 6. In that case, the terminals 12A and 12B are attached with their orientations so as to extend to the corresponding lead terminals 4A, 5A, 4B and 5B on the pole side. The mounting may be performed by fitting the pins formed on the upper and lower bus bars 9A, 9B to each other through the through hole in the third pedestal portion 6D, or adopting a method such as screwing or bonding. Also good.

  Next, the cells 3A and 3B are assembled to the upper and lower portions of the support plate 6, respectively. In that case, since the support plate 6 is configured in a shallow box shape as described above, the lower cell 3B in FIG. 3 is fitted therein. The cell 3B may be attached to the lower surface of the support plate 6 via an adhesive material such as a double-sided tape. Moreover, although the upper cell 3A in FIG. 3 is mounted on the upper surface of the support plate 6, in that case, it may be attached to the upper surface in FIG. 3 of the support plate 6 through an adhesive material. By arranging the cells 3A, 3B on the upper and lower surfaces of the support plate 6, the positive lead terminals 4A, 4B sandwich the terminal 12A of the positive bus bar 9A and are electrically connected, and the negative lead terminals 5A, 5B 5B sandwiches the terminal 12B of the bus bar 9B on the negative electrode side and conducts electrically. In addition, in order to ensure electrical conduction, you may solder.

  When the support plate 6 in which the cells 3A, 3B and the bus bars 9A, 9B are assembled as described above is fitted into the main body portion 15A constituting the case, the first pedestal portion 6B and the second pedestal portion 6C are fitted. The fixed holes 7 respectively formed coincide with the fixed holes 16 formed in the main body portion 15A, and the pin holes 8 coincide with the pin holes 17 formed in the main body portion 15A. When the substrate holder 11 is placed on the first pedestal portion 6B in this state, the protruding portions 11B of the columnar portions 11A formed at both ends thereof are fixed holes 7 of the support plate 6, or in addition to this, the main body portion 15A. These are fixed to the fixing holes 16 to be connected.

  Similarly, when the lead holder 14 is placed on the second pedestal portion 6C, the projecting portions 14B of the columnar portions 14A formed at both ends thereof are the fixing holes 7 of the support plate 6, or in addition to the main body portion. They are connected to the fixed holes 16 of 15A. Then, when the fixing pin 20 is inserted into the pin hole 17 from the bottom surface side in FIG. 3 of the main body portion 15A, the tip portion reaches the pin holes 11C and 14C in the holders 11 and 14, so As a result, the support plate 6 is fixed to the main body 15 </ b> A via the holders 11 and 14. When the substrate 10 is placed on the substrate holder 11 thus fixed, the substrate 10 is engaged with the pins 11D and the holding portions 11E of the substrate holder 11, and the substrate 10 is held by the substrate holder 11. In addition, the connector hole 13B in the lower bus bar 9B in FIG. 3 opens to the outside through the connector window hole 18A formed in the main body portion 15A. Similarly, the port portion 10A in the substrate 10 opens to the outside through a port hole 19A formed in the main body portion 15A.

  When the lid 15B is placed on the opening end of the main body 15A with the cells 3A, 3B, the support plate 6 and the like placed in the main body 15A as described above and the orientation with respect to the main body 15A being adjusted, The body 15B fits into the opening end of the main body 15A, and the protrusions 11B and 14B in the above-described columnar portions 11A and 14A are fitted into the fixing holes 16 formed in the lid 15B, and both are connected. . Further, the connector hole 13A in the upper bus bar 9A in FIG. 3 opens to the outside through the connector window hole 18B formed in the lid body 15B, and similarly, the port portion 10A in the substrate 10 is formed in the lid body 15B. It opens to the outside through the port hole 19B.

  By configuring the battery module 1 as described above, the connector holes 13A and 13B are opened from the main body 15A and the lid body 15B, so that the connector 2 made of a conductive material such as a copper alloy By fitting the battery modules 1 in the connector holes 13A and 13B and stacking the battery modules 1 as shown in FIG. 2, an assembled battery having an electric capacity corresponding to the number of the stacked battery modules 1 can be formed. That is, a large-capacity battery can be configured by connecting and stacking many battery modules 1 and 1 in series.

  Further, due to the dimensional error of the connector 2 and each connector hole 13A, 13B, the outer diameter of the connector 2 becomes larger than the inner diameter of each connector hole 13A, 13B, and the connector 2 is fitted into each connector hole 13A, 13B. If the outer diameter of the connector 2 is relatively smaller than the inner diameter of the connector holes 13A and 13B, the connector 2 is not completely fitted, and the connector 2 is subjected to impact or vibration from the outside. There is a possibility that the holes 13A and 13B come off or the connection is incomplete. Therefore, the connector 2 for connecting each battery module in the assembled battery according to the present invention is configured to be elastically deformed and the outer diameter is contracted.

  The configuration of the connector 2 will be specifically described. 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the connector 2. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the connector 2, and FIG. 1B is a side view. A connector 2 shown in the figure is a hollow cylindrical member, and a locking portion having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of each of the connector holes 13A and 13B at the central portion of the connector 2 in the axial direction. 2a is formed. The latching portion 2a has a constant gap between the battery modules 1 and 1 when the battery modules 1 are stacked, or the connector 2 is inserted into one connector hole 13A (13B). This is to prevent the amount of fitting with the other connector hole 13B (13A) from being reduced and incomplete connection, and the length of the locking portion 2a in the axial direction is the stacking of the battery modules 1. The battery modules 1 and 1 are set according to the gaps between them.

  In addition, on both sides of the locking portion 2a, insertion portions 2b and 2c are formed which are configured to be inserted into the connector holes 13A and 13B and to be in conduction with the connector receiving portion. Accordingly, the outer diameters of the insertion portions 2b and 2c are formed to be the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameters of the connector holes 13A and 13B.

  A slit 21 is formed along the axial direction of the connector 2. In the example shown in the figure, a slit 21 having a predetermined width is formed along the central axis of the connector 2 over the entire length of the connector 2. Therefore, the connector 2 can be elastically deformed in a direction in which the width of the slit 2 is narrowed by receiving a load from the radial direction. Therefore, when the inner diameters of the connector holes 13A and 13B are small, the insertion portion of the connector 2 can be inserted into the connector holes 13A and 13B while pressing so as to narrow the slit 21. Further, when the insertion portions 2b and 2c of the connector 2 are inserted into the connector holes 13A and 13B, a force is applied to the inner wall surfaces of the connector holes 13A and 13B so that the connector 2 has the original outer diameter. 2 is difficult to be removed from the connector holes 13A and 13B.

  Further, since the inner diameters of the connector holes 13A and 13B are not necessarily formed to be the same, when the slit 21 is formed as described above, the connector holes 13A (13B) on the side having a relatively smaller inner diameter are formed. The connector 2 is elastically deformed, and the connector hole 13B (13A) on the side having a relatively large inner diameter and the connector 2 may be insufficiently fitted. Therefore, it can suppress that the other insertion part 2c (2b) is elastically deformed by being influenced by the elastic deformation of one insertion part 2b (2c) of the connector 2, that is, the insertion part 2b on both sides. , 2c, another example of the connector 2 that can be elastically deformed independently will be described. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining another configuration of the connector 2. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the connector 2, and FIG. 4B is a side view. In the connector 2 shown in FIG. 4, slits 22a and 23a are formed along the axial direction from the end surfaces of the insertion portions 2b and 2c on both sides of the locking portion 2a, respectively, and these slits 22a and 23a are formed in the locking portion 2a. Has been divided into two. Further, slits 22b and 23b having a predetermined length in the circumferential direction are formed from the ends of the slits 22a and 23a on the side of the locking portion 2a.

  By configuring the connector 2 in this way, even if one insertion portion 2b (2c) is elastically deformed according to the inner diameter of the connector hole 13A (13B), the other insertion portion 2c (2b) Since the elastic deformation can be performed independently of the insertion portion 2b (2c), the respective insertion portions 2b and 2c can be elastically deformed according to the inner diameters of the connector holes 13A and 13B to be fitted. That is, it can suppress that the other insertion part 2c (2b) is elastically deformed by being influenced by the elastic deformation of one insertion part 2b (2c). Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the connector 2 from being disconnected or the connector 2 and the connector receiving portion from being poorly connected. In addition, the slits 22b and 23b formed in the circumferential direction are preferably formed so that the upper side and the lower side in FIG. This is because, for example, when replacing the battery module 1, the connector 2 is removed from the connector hole 13 </ b> A (13 </ b> B) while rotating the one battery module 1 fitted to the connector 2. Suppressing or preventing the insertion portion 2c (2b) on the fitting side from interfering with or catching on the inner wall surface of the connector hole 13B (13A) to increase the width of the slit 23a (22a). Because.

  The slits 22a, 22b, 23a, and 23b of the connector 2 shown in FIG. 4 may be spiral slits 24a and 24b as shown in FIG. That is, a spiral slit 24a is formed from the end of one insertion portion 2b to the locking portion 2a, and a spiral slit 24b is formed from the end of the other insertion portion 2c to the locking portion 2a. You may comprise. The spiral slits 24a and 24b are preferably formed in the same rotational direction for the same reason as the slits 22b and 23b formed in the circumferential direction. By thus forming the slit in a spiral shape, the outer peripheral surfaces of the insertion portions 2b and 2c and the inner peripheral surfaces of the connector holes 13A and 13B can be in contact with each other over the entire surface in the circumferential direction.

  Furthermore, the connector 2 for connecting the battery modules 1 and 1 in the assembled battery according to the present invention may be formed with a plurality of slits as shown in FIGS. Further, as shown in the figure, the connector 2 may be formed in a columnar shape. 6 and 7 has slits 25 formed every 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the connector 2, and the connector 2 shown in FIG. 6 has slits formed in one insertion portion 2b. 25 and the slit 26 formed in the other insertion portion 2c are formed so as to be shifted by 45 degrees. In addition, the slits 25 and 26 are formed up to a part of the locking portion 2a. This is because the reaction force when the connector 2 is elastically deformed is set to a predetermined reaction force. That is, it is for setting the force to be fitted.

  The connector 2 configured as described above is fitted into the connector holes 13A and 13B of the battery modules 1 and 1 to be stacked, bolts and shafts are inserted into the fixing holes 16, and the lowest battery module 1 and By sandwiching the uppermost battery module 1, an assembled battery having an electric capacity corresponding to the number of the stacked battery modules 1 can be configured.

  Note that the assembled battery according to the present invention is not limited to the battery module configured as described above. In short, the battery pack is formed on the opposing surface of each battery module in which connector holes that are electrically connected to the terminals of the cell are stacked. What is necessary is just to provide the connector which can be elastically deformed inserted in a hole. Further, the connector is not limited to a cylindrical or columnar shape, and may have a rectangular cross section, for example. Further, the end face of the connector or the end face of the connector hole may be chamfered to facilitate insertion of the connector into the connector hole.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Battery module, 2 ... Connector, 2a ... Locking part, 2b, 2c ... Insertion part, 3A, 3B ... Cell, 4A, 4B ... Positive electrode lead terminal, 5A, 5B ... Negative electrode lead terminal, 13A, 13B ... Connector hole, 21, 22a, 23a, 25, 26 ... slit (axial direction), 22b, 23b ... slit (circumferential direction), 24a, 24b ... spiral slit.

Claims (7)

In an assembled battery configured by stacking and electrically connecting a plurality of battery modules configured such that a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other by lead terminals are housed inside the case,
Each of the battery modules stacked and adjacent to each other has a connection portion that opens in a surface where one of the battery modules adjacent to each other and the other battery module stacked on the one battery module face each other and is electrically connected to the lead terminal. With
A connector configured to be inserted into each connection portion in each battery module, to electrically connect the one battery module to the other battery module, and to be elastically deformed according to an inner method of the connection portion; A battery pack characterized by having   The connector is configured such that one end inserted into the connecting portion in the one battery module and the other end inserted into the connecting portion in the other battery module are elastically deformable. The assembled battery according to claim 1, wherein:   The assembled battery according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a slit portion formed in an axial direction from an end portion of the connector.   The slit portion includes a first slit portion formed between one end portion of the connector and the one end portion and the other end portion of the connector, and the other end portion to the other end portion. 4. The assembled battery according to claim 3, further comprising: a second slit portion that is formed between the first slit portion and the one end portion and does not intersect the first slit portion.   The connector is further provided with a locking portion that has an outer diameter larger than an inner method of the connection portion and abuts an end portion of the connection portion in a state where the connector is inserted into the connection portion. The assembled battery according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The assembled battery according to claim 2, wherein the slit portion includes a slit portion formed in a spiral shape.   The connection portions are provided to be opened on both the front and back sides of the battery module, one of the connection portions is an anode, and the other connection portion is a negative electrode. The assembled battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connecting portion and the connecting portion which is a negative electrode in the other battery module are configured to face each other.

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