JP2013229198A - Battery and battery system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery system which permits a plurality of batteries to be connected or removed easily and which, when a fault or degradation, etc. occurs, permits the batteries to be replaced easily.SOLUTION: A battery system of the present invention comprises: a cylindrical outer package; a battery body compose of an electrode body including a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte housed in the outer package and a current collector protruding from the electrode body in the axial direction of the outer package; a plurality of batteries, each including a plug having a box nut engaging with the current collector; a fitting portion which fits into a space which, when viewed from the axial direction, is formed between the outer package and the plug; and a connection member having a connection portion extending outwards from the fitting portion in the radial direction of the outer package.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery system for connecting a plurality of batteries.

  Conventionally, batteries are used in various products such as mobile PCs, personal digital assistants, and digital video cameras. This type of electronic device has advanced functionality and consumes a relatively large amount of power. For this reason, since batteries used in such electronic devices require a large electric capacity, a pack battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected is often used. The battery pack is packed with a heat-shrinkable tube, for example, by connecting terminals of a predetermined number of single cells with solder.

  In addition, for the purpose of reducing the resistance between the batteries without using another member such as solder, and connecting the batteries easily and firmly, the bottomed cylindrical battery case that also serves as one electrode terminal, and the other A connection structure between single cells in which a plurality of batteries having a sealing plate that closes an opening of a battery case that also serves as an electrode terminal is connected in series, and a first battery having a flange at the bottom of the battery case of one battery. A metal ring is joined in a conductive manner, and a second metal ring having a flange on the upper portion of the sealing plate of the other battery is joined in a conductive manner, and the first metal ring and the second metal ring are joined together. A technique of fitting is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in general, a battery may be defective or deteriorated due to use over time. The defect means that, for example, gas is generated inside the battery due to some cause, the battery internal pressure increases, and the electrolyte leaks. In addition, in the case of a storage battery, when the positive electrode and the negative electrode are repeatedly expanded / contracted during the charge / discharge process, and the positive electrode and the negative electrode are unable to obtain a sufficient charge capacity due to use over time, the battery life is reached. Furthermore, the state of charge (SOC) of a specific battery in the assembled battery may decrease. When a battery cannot exhibit sufficient performance due to such a problem, it is necessary to replace the battery.

  Therefore, for the purpose of facilitating connection and replacement of the battery, in the battery provided with the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal facing each other, the shape of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the battery can be fitted to each other, Further, when fitting the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the battery, not only the fitting from the thrust direction but also a shape that can be fitted from the sliding direction, and a technique for fitting both terminals with one touch is disclosed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

On the other hand, in recent years, batteries are also mounted on vehicles such as hybrid cars. Such a battery is required to have a larger electric capacity than that used in an electronic device. For example, some batteries mounted on hybrid vehicles require a voltage of 201.6 V. To obtain this voltage, for example, a battery module of 7.2 V in which six cells of 1.2 V are connected in series is replaced with 28 modules. It will be connected in series, and 168 unit cells will be connected in series. Batteries used in such electric vehicles are connected to each other by welding, and consideration is given to vibration and impact.
Moreover, in the ground storage facility, in order to secure a larger battery capacity, batteries connected in series are used in parallel connection, but a larger number of single cells are required.

  As a battery mounted on a vehicle, a prismatic battery having positive and negative electrode terminals, a battery block in which positive and negative electrode terminals are electrically connected in series, and a plurality of prismatic batteries are stacked, and ends disposed at both ends of the battery block A battery module comprising a plate and a connector that is connected to the pair of end plates and restrains a plurality of prismatic batteries, wherein a contact portion is provided on the positive and negative electrode terminals, and the connector is screwed with screws. A technique is disclosed in which electrode terminals are electrically connected by abutting abutting portions of adjacent rectangular batteries with a binding force that is fastened (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2007-179816 A JP 2000-123819 A JP 2011-23181 A

  However, in the case of a conventional battery pack, if any one unit cell is defective or deteriorated, it is necessary to remove the heat-shrinkable tube, remove the connection terminal, and replace the defective battery. And take time. In a battery module in which batteries are connected by welding, such as in an electric vehicle, it takes much time and effort to replace a unit cell in which a malfunction has occurred.

  In addition, any of the techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 or 2 has a limited battery connection direction, and is difficult to apply when the space for mounting the battery is limited. In particular, it is difficult to apply when connecting a very large number of batteries in a limited space such as a battery mounted on a vehicle. In addition, if any one of the batteries is defective, it is necessary to disconnect the two adjacent batteries in order to take out this, and workability is poor.

  Moreover, although the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a battery module (assembled battery) intended to be mounted on a vehicle, if there is a problem with any single cell, the battery module must be disassembled and then It is necessary to replace a certain battery and reassemble the battery module, and the battery replacement work takes time and effort.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a battery that can be easily replaced in order to recover the performance as a battery module (assembled battery) for a battery in which a defect or deterioration has occurred. Alternatively, it is possible to easily continue operation of a vehicle or the like in which a battery module is incorporated by easily removing a battery in which a defect or deterioration has occurred.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a battery according to the present invention includes a cylindrical exterior body, an electrode body including a positive electrode and a negative electrode housed in the exterior body, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. A battery having a current collector that is outward of the electrode body and protrudes in the axial direction of the exterior body, engages with both ends of the current collector, and holds the electrode body inside the exterior body. The plug and the outer package have extending portions extending in the axial direction at both ends thereof, and there is a gap between the plug and the extended portion, and the outer package is the positive electrode or the negative electrode The current collector is electrically connected to the other electrode, and the current collector is electrically connected to the other electrode. (CL1)

  Here, the cylindrical shape means, for example, a cylindrical shape or a rectangular tube shape. The current collector protrudes outward from both ends of the electrode body on the axis of the exterior body, and is electrically connected to either the positive electrode or the negative electrode. Plugs are attached to both ends of the current collector, and the electrode body is fixed and held inside the exterior body. On the other hand, both ends of the exterior body extend in the axial direction, and a gap is formed between the inside of the extended portion and the plug. The exterior body is electrically connected to the other electrode.

In the battery according to the present invention, a cap nut that does not communicate with each other in the axial direction of both ends of the plug is formed, and the cap nut engages with the current collector. (CL2)
According to this configuration, the plug forms a cap nut, and holds the electrode body by being screwed into the thread grooves formed on both ends of the current collector. The cap nuts are formed at both ends of the cylindrical plug shaft, and the cap nuts do not communicate with each other.

  In the battery according to the present invention, the side surface of the plug is covered with an insulating member. (CL3) According to this configuration, the side surface of the cylindrical plug is covered with the insulating member, and the plug and the exterior body are prevented from being short-circuited by the connection fitting described later.

Further, the battery system according to the present invention is configured such that one of the cap nuts engages with the current collector, and the other of the cap nuts engages with a current collector of an adjacent battery. (CL4)
According to this configuration, one cap nut is engaged with the current collector, and the other cap nut is engaged with a current collector of an adjacent battery, so that two batteries are connected in series. .

The battery system according to the present invention includes a first fitting portion that fits into the gap formed between the exterior body and the plug, and a radially outward direction of the exterior body from the first fitting portion. Adjacent batteries are connected by a first connection fitting having a connecting portion that extends and engages a plug of the adjacent battery. (CL5)
According to this configuration, the first fitting portion is fitted into a part of the gap formed between the exterior body and the plug. Specifically, the fitting portion is a metal plate curved outward in the radial direction of the exterior body. Since the exterior body is cylindrical and the plug is columnar, the gap generated between them is an annular shape in plan view. For this reason, as for the fitting part fitted to this clearance gap, planar view shape is circular arc shape. In addition, if the exterior body is a quadrangular prism and the planar view shape of the plug is rectangular, the planar view shape fits to one side of a rectangular frame-shaped gap generated between them in the planar view. It becomes a rectangular frame-shaped fitting part that fits into the joint part or all of the rectangular frame-shaped gap.

  In the battery system according to the present invention, one of the first connection fittings is attached to one end of the battery, and the other one of the first connection fittings is attached to the other end of the battery to connect adjacent batteries. Do it. (CL6) According to this configuration, the first connection fitting is attached to both ends of the upper and lower ends of the battery, and the battery is connected in series by the first connection fitting to constitute a battery system. (CL7)

The battery system according to the present invention includes a second fitting portion that fits into the gap formed between the exterior body and the plug, and a gap formed between the exterior body and the plug of the adjacent battery. One plug of an adjacent battery is connected by a second connection fitting having a third fitting portion to be fitted, and a connecting portion connected to the second fitting portion and the third fitting portion, and the plug And the other electrode of the adjacent battery is connected by a third connection fitting for connecting the plug of the adjacent battery. (CL8) And the battery system is comprised by the 2nd and 3rd connection metal fitting which concerns on this invention. (CL9)
According to this structure, a plurality of batteries can be connected by two differently shaped connection fittings.

In the battery system according to the present invention, a plurality of batteries are attached to a bracket, the batteries are connected by the connection fitting 1 or the connection fitting 2 and the connection fitting 3, and cooling air is supplied in a direction parallel to the bracket from the blower. I will send it. (CL10)
According to this configuration, when taking out electricity from the battery system, it is possible to take out electricity by connecting a wiring cable or the like to the through hole in addition to the exterior body and the plug that also serve as terminals.

  As described above, the battery system according to the present invention includes the connection member that connects the plurality of batteries, and the connection member can easily connect the plurality of batteries, and can easily replace the battery.

It is sectional drawing which shows the battery which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the battery main body of the battery of FIG. (B) is sectional drawing which shows the plug of the battery. (C) is a plan view showing the plug. (A) is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state which connected the battery main body by the plug of FIG. (B) is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the battery main body of an edge part. (A) is a perspective view which shows the connection member which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention, Comprising: A fitting part is one connection member. (B) is a connecting member having two fitting portions. (C) is a connection member without a fitting part. (D) is a modification of (c). (E) is a long plate-shaped connection member. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the battery by the connection member of Fig.4 (a). (A) is a partial enlarged view which shows the battery of the edge part in the connection state of the battery of FIG. (B) is a top view of (a). (C) is the top view which changed the connection direction of the battery. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the battery by the connection member of FIG.4 (b) (c) (d). (A) is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the battery of the one end part in the connection state of the battery of FIG. (B) is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the battery of the other end part. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the battery by the connection member of FIG.4 (b) (e). (A) is a side view which shows the assembled battery which connected the some battery. (B) is the αα line sectional view. (C) is a figure which shows the bracket holding a some battery. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the battery which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

<First embodiment>
The battery system according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a battery system in which a plurality of batteries are connected by a connecting member. Hereinafter, the structure of the battery and the connection member constituting the battery system of the present embodiment, and the connection of the battery by the connection member will be described.

1. Configuration of Battery (1) Structure of Battery Main Body FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a battery 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a battery main body 2 and a cross-sectional view showing a plug 11. FIG. The structure of the battery 1 which is 1st embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. 1 and FIG. In the present embodiment, the axial direction of the battery 1 will be described as the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a cylindrical battery, and includes a battery body 2 and a plug 11. The battery body 2 includes an exterior body 3 and electrodes as main components. The exterior body 3 has a cylindrical shape with an opening at the top and bottom, and has extending portions 3b that extend in the axial direction at both ends thereof. The electrode has a disc-like positive electrode 5 and a negative electrode 6 with a hole in the center, and is laminated in order via a disc-like separator 7 with a hole in the center to form an electrode body 4. It is stored inside the body 3.

  A disc-shaped cap 9 having a hole in the center is arranged so as to sandwich the electrode body 4 from above and below, and a disc-shaped insulation having a hole in the center so as to sandwich the electrode body 4 and the cap 9 from above and below. Packing 10 is arranged. The insulating packing 10 functions as a sealing material that prevents the exterior body 3 and the current collector 8 described later from being short-circuited via the plug 11 and prevents leakage of the electrolytic solution.

  A rod-shaped current collector 8 is disposed in the axial direction of the outer package 3 so as to pass through the positive electrode 5, the negative electrode 6, the separator 7, the cap 9, and the insulating packing 10 and partially protrude above and below the insulating packing 10. ing. The current collector 8 and the exterior body 3 have substantially the same length in the axial direction. A thread groove is formed on the surface of the portion of the current collector 8 that protrudes in the axial direction, and can be screwed into a nut portion 14 provided on the plug 11 described later.

  As an example, in the present embodiment, the shape of the current collector 8 is a rod shape, and the positive electrode 5, the negative electrode 6, the separator 7, and the like are disk-shaped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A plate shape may be used, and the positive electrode 5, the negative electrode 6, the separator 7, and the like may be square.

  Further, the outer diameter of the positive electrode 5 is smaller than the inner peripheral diameter of the outer package 3, the positive electrode 5 does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the outer package 3, and the diameter of the hole provided in the center of the positive electrode 5 is the current collector 8. Smaller than the diameter, the positive electrode 5 is in contact with the current collector 8. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the negative electrode 6 is larger than the inner peripheral diameter of the outer package 3, the negative electrode 6 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer package 3, and the diameter of the hole provided in the center of the negative electrode 6 is the current collector The negative electrode 6 is larger than the diameter of 8 and is not in contact with the current collector 8. The exterior body 3 and the current collector 8 are made of a conductive material. As an example, in this embodiment, the steel material is plated with nickel.

  Thus, since the positive electrode 5 is in contact with and electrically connected to the current collector 8 and the negative electrode 6 is in contact with and electrically connected to the exterior body 3, the current collector 8 functions as a positive electrode terminal. The exterior body 3 functions as a negative electrode terminal. On the contrary, if the positive electrode 5 and the outer package 3 are in contact with each other, and the negative electrode 6 and the current collector 8 are in contact with each other, the outer package 3 is a positive electrode terminal and the current collector 8 is a negative electrode terminal. The positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 are insulated from each other by a separator 7. In the present embodiment, the separator 7 has a disk shape having a diameter in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the exterior body 3, and the central hole is configured with a diameter in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the current collector 8. Thereby, the separator 7 reliably insulates the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6.

  For example, the positive electrode 5 is formed by applying a positive electrode active material mainly composed of nickel hydroxide and a mixture using a substrate made of porous foamed nickel or a nickel sintered body. Moreover, the negative electrode 6 is formed by applying a negative electrode active material mainly composed of a hydrogen storage alloy and a mixture using a substrate in which a large number of holes are formed in a nickel-plated steel sheet. For the separator 7, an insulating nonwoven fabric is used as an example. An alkaline aqueous solution is used as the electrolytic solution. That is, in the present embodiment, as an example, the battery 1 is a nickel metal hydride battery.

  Further, the upper and lower ends of the side wall of the exterior body 3 have corners on the inside thereof, and guide the attachment with the fitting portion 21 of the connecting member 20 described later.

(2) Structure of the plug As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plug 11 has a cylindrical shape, and is formed with a nut portion 14a on the upper side and a nut portion 14b on the lower side so that the current collector 8 is screwed together. It has become. The upper and lower nut portions 14a, 14b form a cap nut and do not communicate with each other. The electrolyte held inside the battery 1 tends to flow out of the battery body 2 through the current collector 8, but since the plug 11 has a cap nut shape, the electrolyte is a battery. This prevents leakage from the main body 2.

  The plug 11 includes a columnar conductive member 12 and a cylindrical insulating piece 13 disposed on the side surface of the conductive member 12 so as to cover the outer periphery. The nut portions 14a and 14b are threaded. Nut portions 14 a and 4 b are screwed into the current collector 8, and the electrode body 4 including the positive and negative electrodes 5 and 6 and the separator 7 is held inside the exterior body 3 by the plug 11. The conductive member 12 of the plug 11 is made of a steel material whose surface is nickel-plated and has conductivity. That is, by connecting the plug 11 and the current collector 8, the plug 11 functions as a positive electrode terminal via the current collector 8.

  The diameter of the plug 11 is smaller than the inner diameter of the exterior body 3, and an annular gap 15 is formed between the plug 11 and the exterior body 3. A connecting member, which will be described later, is attached to the gap 15 to connect the adjacent batteries 1 to each other (see FIG. 5).

  On the other hand, the plurality of batteries 1 can be connected using the plug 11. The connecting member connects the batteries 1 in the lateral direction, whereas the plug 11 connects the batteries 1 in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, connection of the battery 1 using the plug 11 will be described.

(3) Connection of Battery Using Plug FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion where two batteries 1 are connected using a plug 11. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the battery 1 is connected using the plug 11, the current collector 8 protruding below the upper battery 1 and the nut portion 14 a above the plug 11 are screwed together. The current collector 8 protruding above the lower battery 1 and the nut portion 14b below the plug 11 are screwed together and fastened. And the exterior body 3 of the upper and lower batteries 1 is connected by wiring not shown. Thereby, the two batteries 1 can be connected in parallel with the plug 11 via the wiring which is not illustrated.

  As another method of connecting two batteries 1, the upper battery 1 uses the outer package 3 as a negative electrode and the current collector 8 as a positive electrode, and the lower battery 1 uses the outer package 3 as a positive electrode and the current collector 8 as a negative electrode. You may comprise. If it does so, the connection by wiring can be abbreviate | omitted and the two batteries 1 can be connected in series.

  A terminal member 16 for taking out electricity is connected to the upper side of the upper battery 1 and the lower side of the lower battery 1 through a plug 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the terminal member 16 is sandwiched and connected to the nut portion 14 a above the plug 11 attached above the upper battery 1 with a bolt 17. Thereby, the collector 8 of the upper battery 1, the plug 11, and the terminal member 16 are electrically connected, and the upper terminal member 16 becomes a positive electrode terminal. A wiring cable (not shown) for taking out electricity is attached to the terminal member 16.

  Similarly, by connecting the terminal member 16 to the plug 11 attached below the lower battery 1, the current collector 8, the plug 11, and the terminal member 16 of the lower battery 1 are electrically connected, The lower terminal member 16 serves as a negative electrode terminal. Thereby, electricity can be taken out from the two batteries 1 through the wiring cable connected to the terminal member 16.

2. Configuration of connecting member (1) Connecting member 20
Next, a connection member used for connecting the battery 1 will be described. 4A to 4E are perspective views of the connecting members 20, 30, 40, 40 ′, and 50. FIG. The structure of these connecting members will be described in order. As shown in FIG. 4A, the connecting member 20 includes a fitting portion 21 that fits in a part of the gap 15 of the battery 1, a connecting portion 22 that connects to the plug 11 of the battery 1, and a fitting portion 21. And a connecting portion 23 that connects the connecting portion 22 and these are integrally formed. The fitting portion 21 is a curved metal plate and has a circular arc shape as seen in a plan view. The thickness of the fitting portion 21 is slightly larger than the width of the gap 15, and the fitting member 21 is fitted into the gap 15 with pressure. The height of the fitting portion 21 is substantially the same as that of the plug 11, and when the fitting portion 21 is attached to the gap 15, the heights of the upper surfaces of the plug 11 and the fitting portion 21 are aligned (FIG. 5).

  In addition, the connecting portion 23 extends outward in the radial direction of the battery 1 from above the fitting portion 21, and further extends outward in the radial direction from the connecting portion 23 to provide the connecting portion 22. Further, a through hole 24 larger than the diameter of the bolt 11 is formed in the connection portion 22, and the connection portion 22 can be fixed to the plug 11 using the bolt 17. Another through hole 25 is formed in the connecting portion 23, and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25 is threaded. Thereby, the terminal member 16 can be attached to the through-hole 25 using the volt | bolt 26 (refer FIG. 5).

(2) Connection member 30
As shown in FIG. 4B, the connection member 30 includes two fitting portions 31 and 32 and a connecting portion 33 that connects the fitting portions 31 and 32, and these are integrally formed. The fitting portions 31 and 32 are curved metal plates and have a circular arc shape in plan view. The thickness of the fitting portion 21 is slightly larger than the width of the gap 15, and the fitting member 21 is fitted into the gap 15 with pressure. When the height of the fitting portion 21 is substantially the same as that of the plug 11 and the fitting portions 31 and 32 are attached to the gap 15, the heights of the upper surfaces of the plug 11 and the fitting portions 31 and 32 are aligned. (See FIG. 7).

  Further, the connecting portion 33 extends from the upper side of the fitting portions 31 and 32 outward in the radial direction of the battery 1, and connects the fitting portions 31 and 32. A through hole 35 is formed in the connecting portion 33, and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 35 is threaded. Thereby, the terminal member 16 can be attached to the connection parts 31 and 32 using the volt | bolt 26 (refer FIG. 7).

(3) Connection member 40
As shown in FIG. 4C, the connecting member 40 does not have a fitting portion, and includes a plate-like member including two connecting portions 41 and 42 and a connecting portion 43 that connects these connecting portions 41 and 42. It is. The connecting portion 43 and one connecting portion 42 extend at the same height, and the other connecting portion 41 is configured to be lower than the connecting portion 42 and the connecting portion 43 by a plate thickness.

  Further, the through holes 44 are formed in the connection portions 41 and 42, and the through hole 44 is larger than the hole of the nut portion 14 of the plug 11, and the connection portions 41 and 42 are fixed to the plug 11 using the bolts 17. it can. Moreover, the through-hole 45 is formed in the connection part 43, and the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 45 is threaded. Thereby, the terminal member 16 can be attached to the through-hole 45 using the bolt 26. In addition, the terminal member 16 can be attached between the nut portion 14 of the plug 11 and the bolt 17 to take out electricity (see FIG. 7).

  A connection member 40 ′ shown in FIG. 4D is a modification of the connection member 40. The connecting portion 40 ′ is a plate-like member that includes two connecting portions 41 and a connecting portion 43 that connects these connecting portions 41. Further, the two connecting portions 41 are configured to be lower than the connecting portion 43 by a plate thickness. The connecting member 40 ′ is used to connect the battery 1 at the end when the connecting member 40 is used to connect a plurality of batteries 1.

(4) Connection member 50
As shown in FIG. 4E, the connection member 50 is a long plate-like member having a plurality of through holes 53. Moreover, the through-hole 53 is larger than the hole of the nut part 14 of the plug 11, and it can fix to the some plug 11 using the volt | bolt 17, respectively, and can connect the some battery 1 (refer FIG. 9). ). When many batteries 1 are connected, a large number of connection members 40 are required, but only one connection member 50 is required.
These connecting members 20, 30, 40, 40 ', and 50 were obtained by nickel-plating steel materials.

3. Battery connection using connection member (1) Connection of battery 1 using connection member 20 Next, battery 1 using connection members 20 to 50 based on FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. The connections will be described in order. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a plurality of batteries 1 are connected using the connecting member 20. As shown in FIG. 5, adjacent batteries 1 are sequentially connected by a connecting member 20. The plurality of batteries 1 used for this connection have a configuration in which the outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode current collector and the current collector 8 serves as a positive electrode current collector, and the outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode terminal. The plug 11 serves as a positive electrode terminal.

  The battery 1A on the right side in FIG. 5 is connected to the adjacent battery 1B by two connection members 20A and 20B attached to the top and bottom of the battery 1A. In the connecting member 20A, a fitting portion 21 of a curved metal plate (in the shape of a circular arc in a plan view) is fitted into a part of a circular gap 15 in a plan view between the battery body 2 and the plug 11 of the battery 1A. Attached. At this time, the outer surface 21a of the fitting part 21 and the inner peripheral surface 3a of the exterior body 3 come into contact with each other and are electrically connected. The fitting portion 21 and the conductive member 12 of the plug are insulated by the insulating piece 13, and the fitting portion 21 and the electrode body 4 are insulated by the insulating packing 10, so that the battery 1 is electrically There is no short circuit.

  On the other hand, the connection part 22 located on the opposite side of the fitting part 21 is connected and fixed to the nut part 14a of the plug 11 of the battery 1B by the bolt 17. Thereby, the connection part 22 and the electrically-conductive member 12 of the plug 11 contact and are electrically connected. At this time, the bolt 17 passes through the through hole 24 and is screwed and fixed to the nut portion 14a. However, since the hole diameter of the through hole 24 is larger than the diameter of the bolt 17, the bolt 17 is slightly loosened and the connecting member is 20 can be rotated in the circumferential direction. Thereby, since the connection direction of the battery 1 can be changed, arrangement | positioning of the some battery 1 can be adjusted.

  As described above, the plug 11 that is the positive terminal of the battery 1A and the exterior body 3 that is the negative terminal of the battery 1B are electrically and mechanically connected by the connecting member 20A, and the battery 1A and the battery 1B are connected in series. Will be connected. The battery 1A and the battery 1B are also connected by a connecting member 20B attached below the battery 1A. Connection of the connection member 20B is the same as that of the connection member 20A. Thus, in this embodiment, since the battery 1A and the battery 1B are connected by the upper and lower connecting members 20A and 20B, the electricity from the battery 1 is divided into two in the vertical direction and taken out. . Compared with the case where electricity is taken out by one connecting member, the currents flowing through the outer package 3 and the current collector 8 are each ½, and the Joule loss is greatly reduced.

  In addition to the connection between the battery 1A and the battery 1B, the other batteries 1 are connected in the same procedure. Thus, by connecting a plurality of batteries 1 in series, a larger voltage can be obtained than when one battery 1 is used. In addition, in order to take out electricity from the some battery 1 connected in series, the terminal member 16 is attached to a positive / negative terminal. Specifically, the terminal member 16 is fixed to the upper and lower plugs 11 of the battery 1A with bolts 17, and wiring cables (not shown) attached to the terminal member 16 are connected to take out the electricity on the plus side. And the terminal member 16 is attached to the connection part 23 of the connection member 20D attached to the upper and lower sides of the battery 1D, respectively, and the wiring cable (not shown) attached to these terminal members 16 is connected to take out the electricity on the negative side.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the terminal member 16 and the connecting portion 23 are connected by passing a bolt 26 through the through hole of the terminal member 16 and screwing the bolt 26 into the through hole 25 of the connecting portion 23. It is also possible to carry out by fixing. The terminal member 16 can also be connected to the conductive member 12 (for example, FIG. 7). The terminal member 16 and the conductive member 12 are connected by passing a bolt 17 through the through hole of the terminal member 16 and connecting the bolt 17 to the conductive member. This is performed by screwing and fastening to the 12 nut portions 14.

  As described above, by using the connection member 20 of the present embodiment, a plurality of batteries 1 can be easily connected and the batteries 1 can be easily removed. Thereby, the battery 1 in which a malfunction or deterioration has occurred can be replaced with a simple operation. Further, by using the connection member 20, the battery 1 can be connected in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the axis of the battery). Further, the through hole 24 of the connecting portion 22 is larger than the diameter of the bolt 17, and the fitting portion 21 has a circular arc shape in plan view that fits into a part of the annular gap 15 in plan view of the battery 1. Therefore, the connection member 20 can be rotated in the circumferential direction, and the arrangement of the batteries 1 can be easily changed (see FIGS. 6B and 6C). In addition, since the connection member 20 can be rotated in the circumferential direction and the fitting portion 21 fits in the gap 15 of the battery 1 and is well attached, the battery 1 can be efficiently arranged. The degree of freedom increases.

(2) Connection of Battery 1 Using Connection Member 30 and Connection Member 40 FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a plurality of batteries 1 are connected using the connection member 30 and the connection member 40. As shown in FIG. 7, adjacent batteries 1 are connected in order by a connection member 30 and a connection member 40. The plurality of batteries 1 are configured such that the outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode current collector and the current collector 8 serves as a positive electrode current collector, the outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode terminal, and the plug 11 is interposed via the current collector 8. It becomes the positive terminal.

  The battery 1E on the right side in FIG. 7 is connected to the adjacent battery 1F by a connecting member 30A attached above and a connecting member 40A attached below. The connecting member 30A is attached by fitting a fitting portion 31 having a circular arc shape (curved metal plate) in plan view into a part of the annular gap 15 in plan view between the battery body 2 and the upper plug 11 of the battery 1E. It has been. At this time, the outer surface 31a of the fitting part 31 and the inner peripheral surface 3a of the exterior body 3 are in contact and electrically connected. The fitting portion 31 and the conductive member 12 of the plug are insulated by the insulating piece 13, and the fitting portion 31 and the electrode body 4 are insulated by the insulating packing 10, so that the battery 1 is electrically There is no short circuit.

  Similarly to the fitting portion 31, the fitting portion 32 is fitted and attached to a part of the annular gap 15 between the battery main body 2 and the plug 11 of the battery 1 </ b> F in a plan view. At this time, the outer side surface 32a of the fitting part 32 and the inner peripheral surface 3a of the exterior body 3 are in contact and electrically connected. Note that the fitting part 31 and the fitting part 32 have a circular arc shape in plan view that fits into a part of the annular gap 15 in plan view of the battery 1, so that each gap 15 is rotated in the circumferential direction. Can do.

  In FIG. 7, the connecting member 40 </ b> A has the connecting portion 42 sandwiched between the nut portion 14 b of the conductive member 12 below the battery 1 </ b> E and the bolt 17, and the connecting portion 41 of the connecting member 40 </ b> Z is also connected by the bolt 17. It is sandwiched and connected and fixed to the conductive member 12. Thereby, the upper surface of the connection part 42 of the connection member 40A is in contact with the lower surface of the connection part 41 of the connection member 40Z, and the upper surface of the connection part 41 of the connection member 40Z is in contact with the lower surface of the conductive member 12 of the plug 11, Is conducted. At this time, the bolt 17 passes through the through hole 44 of the connection member 40A and is screwed and fixed to the nut portion 14b. However, since the through hole 44 is larger than the diameter of the bolt 17, the bolt 17 is slightly loosened to loosen the connection member 40A. Can be rotated in the circumferential direction.

  On the other hand, the connecting portion 41 is sandwiched between the nut portion 14b of the conductive member 12 below the battery 1F and the bolt 17, and the connecting portion 42 of the connecting member 40B is also sandwiched by the bolt 17, and the conductive member 12 is connected. Fixed to the connection. Thereby, the upper surface of the connection part 41 of the connection member 40A comes into contact with the lower surface of the conductive member 12, and the lower surface of the connection part 41 of the connection member 40A comes into contact with the upper surface of the connection part 42 of the connection member 40B. To do. In addition, since the connection part 41 of 40 A of connection members is plate-thickly lower than the connection part 42 of the connection member 40B, and the communication part 43, when connecting and connecting the connection part 41 and the connection part 42, it is a battery. The mounting height of 1E and 1F is aligned. The bolt 17 passes through the through hole 44 of the connecting member 40A and is screwed and fixed to the nut portion 14b of the conductive member 12. However, since the through hole 44 is larger than the diameter of the bolt 17, the bolt 17 is slightly loosened. The connecting member 40A can be rotated in the circumferential direction.

  In this connection, the conductive member 12 with the insulating piece 13 removed from the plug 11 is attached below the battery 1, but the insulating piece 13 may be attached to the conductive member 12 for use. Further, since both the connecting member 30A and the connecting member 40A can be rotated in the circumferential direction, the arrangement of the battery 1 can be easily adjusted.

  As described above, the outer package 3 which is the negative electrode terminal of the battery 1E and the battery 1F is electrically and mechanically connected by the connecting member 30A, and is the positive electrode terminal of the battery 1F and the plug 11 which is the positive electrode terminal of the battery 1E. The conductive member 12 is electrically and mechanically connected by the connecting member 40A, and the battery 1E and the battery 1F are connected in parallel.

  Similar to the connection between the battery 1E and the battery 1F, other batteries 1 are also connected. In addition, as shown to Fig.8 (a), about the battery 1 of the left side edge part, the connection member 40 of an edge part is not attached. Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the battery 1 at the right end is connected by connecting a connecting member 40 ′ instead of the connecting member 40. The reason why the connecting member 40 ′ is used for the battery 1 at the right end is to match the height of the battery 1 at the right end with the adjacent battery 1. Conversely, if the connecting member 40 is used as it is for the battery 1 at the right end, the height of the battery 1 at the right end will be slightly higher than the height of the other batteries 1.

  With such a configuration, by connecting a plurality of batteries 1 in parallel, a larger amount of electricity can be obtained than when one battery 1 is used. In order to take out electricity from the plurality of batteries 1 connected in parallel, for example, in the battery 1G, the terminal member 16 on the negative electrode side is attached to the connecting portion 33 of the connection member 30B, and the positive electrode side is connected to the conductive member 12 of the battery 1G. These terminal members 16 are attached, and a wiring cable is connected to these terminal members 16 so that electricity can be taken out of the battery (see FIG. 7). Instead of attaching the terminal member 16 to the conductive member 12, the terminal member 16 may be connected to the connecting portion 43 of the connecting member 40B.

  In the connection of FIG. 7, all of the plurality of batteries 1 are configured with the outer package 3 as a negative electrode current collector and the current collector 8 as a positive electrode current collector. If the battery 1 having the current collector 8 as the positive electrode current collector and the battery 1 having the outer package 3 as the positive electrode current collector and the current collector 8 as the negative electrode current collector are alternately connected, a plurality of the batteries 1 are used. The batteries 1 can also be connected in series.

(3) Connection of Battery 1 Using Connection Member 30 and Connection Member 50 FIG. 9 shows a configuration diagram of a battery system in which a plurality of batteries 1 are connected by the connection member 30 and the connection member 50. The plurality of batteries 1 have a configuration in which the outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode current collector and the current collector 8 serves as a positive electrode current collector. The outer package 3 serves as a negative electrode terminal, and the plug 11 is interposed via the current collector 8. It becomes the positive terminal.

  The plurality of batteries 1 in FIG. 9 are connected to each other by a plurality of connection members 30A attached to the upper side and one connection member 50 attached to the lower side. In addition, since the connection of the battery 1 by the connection member 30A is the same as that of said (2), description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The connection member 50 is a long plate-like member having a plurality of through holes 53. Further, the battery 1 and the connection member 50 are connected by passing bolts 17 through the respective through holes 53 and screwing the bolts 17 to the nut portions 14b of the plugs 11 below the respective batteries 1 to be fastened and fixed. Thereby, the upper surface of the connection member 50 contacts with the lower surface of each plug 11, and is electrically connected. Thereby, the positive electrode sides of the plurality of batteries 1 can be connected by one connection member 50.

  In addition, instead of the long plate shape of the connection member 50 according to the present embodiment, the connection member 50 may be changed to, for example, a substantially square shape, a substantially triangular shape, a circular shape, or the like as appropriate, depending on the space where the plurality of batteries 1 are placed. It may be changed.

  As described above, the plurality of batteries 1 are connected in parallel. As in the case of the above (2), a plurality of batteries 1, a battery 1 using the outer package 3 as the negative electrode and the current collector 8 as a positive electrode, and a battery using the outer package 3 as the positive electrode and the current collector 8 as a negative electrode. If it is set as the structure which connects 1 alternately, the some battery 1 can also be connected in series.

4). Next, an assembled battery 60 in which a plurality of batteries 1 are connected will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, in the assembled battery 60, a plurality of batteries 1 are accommodated in a substantially L-shaped casing 61 in a side view, and an air cooling fan 62 is disposed on the upper portion of the casing 61. The plurality of batteries 1 are held by three brackets 63 in which a plurality of through holes 64 are arranged in a staggered manner. The hole diameter of the through hole 64 is the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer package 3 of the battery 1, and is arranged so that the battery 1 is fitted into the through hole 64. In addition, the vinyl chloride board which has insulation is used for the bracket 63 of this embodiment.

  Then, the plurality of batteries 1 held by the bracket 63 are housed in the casing 61. In addition, a ventilation plate 67 having a plurality of ventilation holes 66 is disposed along with the filter 65 on the front surface of the casing 61, and the air cooling fan 62 is operated to circulate external air into the casing 61. The plurality of batteries 1 are cooled by this air. At this time, since the plurality of batteries 1 are arranged in a staggered manner with gaps therebetween, the air cools the plurality of batteries 1 when air flows through the gaps. Since the plurality of batteries 1 are held by the three plate-like brackets 63, the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 3 is largely exposed, the surface area in contact with air is large, and the battery 1 can be cooled efficiently. Further, the ventilation plate 67 is configured such that air flows from below through the ventilation hole 66, and the filter 67 is provided, so that dust or the like is less likely to enter the casing 61. In addition, the some battery 1 is electrically connected using the connection members 20-50 mentioned above suitably.

5. Effects when using the battery system of the present embodiment As described above, according to the battery system of the present embodiment, a plurality of batteries 1 can be easily connected by attaching the connecting members 20 to 50, Further, the battery 1 can be easily taken out by removing the connecting member. Thereby, when one of the batteries 1 has a defect, the defective battery can be removed and replaced with a simple operation. Moreover, the some battery 1 can be connected to the up-down direction with the plug 11, and the some battery 1 can also be connected to a horizontal direction or the front-back direction with the connection members 20-50. That is, a plurality of batteries 1 can be freely arranged.

<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, although the battery system which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention is demonstrated, the battery system of 2nd embodiment changes the structure of the battery 1, and mainly changes the electrode body 4. FIG. In addition, about the same member as 1st embodiment, the same code | symbol is used and description is abbreviate | omitted about the same structure.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the battery 101 includes an electrode body 104 including a sheet-like positive electrode 105, a sheet-like negative electrode 106, and a sheet-like separator 107, and the electrode body 104 is housed in the exterior body 3 together with the electrolytic solution. Yes. The positive electrode 105 and the negative electrode 106 are wound in a spiral shape around the current collector 8 while being shifted in the vertical direction via the separator 107. Further, a conductive current collector plate 108 is disposed below the electrode body 104 and a conductive current collector plate 110 is disposed above the electrode body 104.

  The current collector plate 108 has a disc shape with a through hole 109 provided in the center. The current collector plate 109 has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the exterior body 3, and the diameter of the through hole 109 is substantially equal to the diameter of the current collector 8. Constructed to the same dimensions. That is, the current collector plate 108 is in contact with the current collector 8 and is not in contact with the exterior body 3. In addition, the lower surface of the positive electrode 105 and the upper surface of the current collector plate 108 are in contact with each other with the current collector plate 108 disposed below the electrode body 104. As a result, the positive electrode 105 and the current collector plate 108 are electrically connected, and the current collector 8 becomes a positive electrode current collector through the current collector plate 108.

  The current collector plate 110 has a disc shape with a through hole 111 provided in the center. The current collector plate 110 has a diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the exterior body 3, and the diameter of the through hole 111 is the diameter of the current collector 8. It is configured larger than. That is, the current collector plate 110 is in contact with the exterior body 3 and is not in contact with the current collector 8. Further, the upper surface of the negative electrode 106 and the lower surface of the current collector plate 110 are in contact with each other with the current collector plate 110 disposed above the electrode body 104. Thereby, the negative electrode 106 and the current collector plate 110 are electrically connected, and the outer package 3 becomes the negative electrode current collector through the current collector plate 110.

  In addition, about the other structure of the battery 101, since it is the structure similar to the battery 1 of 1st embodiment, the some battery 101 can be connected by the connection members 20-50, and the battery system of 1st embodiment. The same effect can be obtained.

<Other embodiments>
As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, but various additions, modifications, or deletions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the structure of the electrode body of the battery is not limited to the stacked type or the wound type, and may have other structures.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery 2 Battery main body 3 Exterior body 4 Electrode body 5 Positive electrode 6 Negative electrode 7 Separator 8 Current collector 9 Cap 10 Insulation packing 11 Plug 12 Conductive member 13 Insulation piece 14 Nut part 15 Gap 16 Terminal member 17 Bolt 20 Connection member 21 Fitting Part 22 Connection part 23 Connection part 24 Through-hole 26 Bolt 30, 40, 50 Connection member 60 Battery assembly 61 Casing 62 Cooling fan 63 Bracket 65 Ventilation plate 67 Filter

Claims (10)

An electrode body including a cylindrical exterior body, a positive electrode and a negative electrode housed in the exterior body, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an axis of the exterior body outside the electrode body In a battery having a current collector protruding in the direction,
A plug that engages both ends of the current collector and holds the electrode body inside the exterior body;
The exterior body has an extending portion extending in the axial direction at both ends thereof, and has a gap between the plug and the extending portion,
A battery in which the outer package is electrically connected to one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and the current collector is electrically connected to the other electrode.   The battery according to claim 1, wherein a cap nut that does not communicate with each other in the axial direction of both ends of the plug is formed, and the cap nut engages with the current collector.   The battery according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the plug is covered with an insulating member.   3. The battery system according to claim 2, wherein one of the cap nuts is engaged with the current collector, and the other of the cap nuts is engaged with a current collector of an adjacent battery.   A first fitting part that fits into the gap formed between the outer package and the plug, and an adjacent battery that extends from the first fitting part outward in the radial direction of the outer package. A battery system in which adjacent batteries are connected by a first connection fitting having a connecting portion that engages with a plug.   6. One of the first connection fittings is attached to one end of the battery, and the other one of the first connection fittings is attached to the other end of the battery to connect adjacent batteries. Battery system.   The 1st connection metal fitting which comprises the battery system of Claim 5.   A second fitting part that fits into the gap formed between the outer package and the plug; and a third fitting part that fits into a gap formed between the outer package of the adjacent battery and the plug; The second connecting fitting having the second fitting portion and the connecting portion connecting to the third fitting portion connects one pole of the adjacent battery and connects the plug of the adjacent battery to the plug. A battery system in which the other electrode of the adjacent battery is connected by a third connection fitting.   The 2nd connection metal fitting and the 3rd connection metal fitting which constitute the battery system according to claim 8. A plurality of batteries according to claim 1 are attached to a bracket, the batteries are connected by the connection fitting 1 or the connection fitting 2 and the connection fitting 3, and cooling air is sent in a direction parallel to the bracket from a blower. Battery system.

Images