JP2015204280A - battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery module which can be made compact while insulating a restraining member and a terminal.SOLUTION: Terminals 15, 16 of a battery cell 14 are provided on the upper surface, and a restraining member 12 is provided on the outside of the sidewall 22 of a housing member 20. Consequently, the surface on which the terminals 15, 16 are provided is different from the surface on which the restraining member 12 is provided. A member and an interval for insulating the restraining member 12 and the terminals 15, 16 are thereby not required. Since the terminal does not interfere with the restraining member 12, a battery module 10 can be made compact without having to worry about the spacing of the terminal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery module in which flat batteries are stacked and restrained.

  In a conventional battery module, flat battery cells and spacers are alternately stacked to form a stacked body, and the stacked body is constrained by a restraining band (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-53019 A

  In the power storage module described in Patent Document 1, a restraining band is arranged on the upper surface where the terminals of each battery cell are provided. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the insulation distance between the restraining band and the terminal, and there is a problem that the overall size is increased.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can be reduced in size while insulating the restraining member and the terminal.

  The present invention employs the following technical means in order to achieve the aforementioned object.

  In the present invention, the laminated body (11) in which the flat battery cells (14) and the storage members (20) for housing the battery cells are alternately laminated, and both side portions in the laminating direction of the laminated body are pressed in the laminating direction. The storage member includes a side wall portion (22) that extends in the stacking direction from the edge of the main body portion (21) and faces the side surface of the battery cell. 12) is a battery module characterized in that it is a member extending in the stacking direction and provided outside the side wall (22).

  According to such this invention, the terminal of the battery cell is provided in the upper surface, and the restraining member is provided in the outer side of the side wall part. Therefore, the surface on which the terminal is provided is different from the surface on which the restraining member is provided. This eliminates the need for a member and an interval for insulating the restraining member and the terminal. Therefore, since the terminal and the restraining member do not interfere with each other, the battery module can be reduced in size without worrying about the distance between the terminals.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each above-mentioned means is an example which shows a corresponding relationship with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

It is a perspective view which shows the battery module 10 of 1st Embodiment. 1 is a side view showing a battery module 10. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a battery module 10. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the battery module 10. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a battery module 10. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the storage member 20 seeing from the front side. It is a perspective view which shows the storage member 20 seeing from a back side. 3 is an enlarged side view showing a part of the battery module 10. FIG. It is a front view showing battery module 10A. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of a restraining member 12. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the battery module 10B of 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which expands and shows a part of battery module 10B. It is a bottom view which expands and shows a part of battery module 10B of 3rd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In some embodiments, portions corresponding to the matters described in the preceding embodiments may be given the same reference numerals, or one letter may be added to the preceding reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted. In addition, when a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those of the embodiment described in advance. In addition to the combination of parts specifically described in each embodiment, the embodiments may be partially combined as long as the combination does not hinder the combination.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The battery module 10 includes a laminated body 11, a restraining member 12, and a fixing member 13. The battery module 10 is used in, for example, a hybrid vehicle that uses a traveling drive source by combining an internal combustion engine and a motor driven by electric power charged in the battery, and an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a travel drive source.

  The laminated body 11 is configured by alternately laminating flat battery cells 14 and storage members 20. The plurality of battery cells 14 are electrically connected in series. The battery cell 14 is, for example, a nickel hydrogen secondary battery, a lithium ion secondary battery, or an organic radical battery.

  Hereinafter, the direction in which the battery cells 14 are stacked is referred to as a stacking direction Y. A direction perpendicular to the stacking direction Y and along the long side of the rectangular battery cell 14 is referred to as a longitudinal direction X. A direction perpendicular to the stacking direction Y and along the short side of the rectangular battery cell 14 is referred to as a vertical direction Z.

  The battery cell 14 has a flat plate shape with a thin outer case. An electrode laminate, an electrolyte, a terminal connection part, a part of the positive terminal part 15, and a part of the negative terminal part 16 are built in the internal space of the outer case. Remaining portions of the positive electrode terminal portion 15 and the negative electrode terminal portion 16 protrude upward from the upper surface of the exterior case. Terminals 15 and 16 exposed from the outer case are connected to terminals 15 and 16 of different polarities in adjacent battery cells 14. Accordingly, the plurality of stacked battery cells 14 are connected in series. Of the terminals 15 and 16 connected in series, the terminals 15 and 16 at both ends, that is, the positive terminal and the negative terminal installed at both ends of the laminate 11 are supplied with electric power or discharged toward other electrical devices. Used to be.

  The storage member 20 includes a main body portion 21, a side wall portion 22, a ceiling portion 23, and a bottom wall portion 24. The storage member 20 is made of, for example, resin, and each part is integrally molded. The storage member 20 also has a function of insulating adjacent battery cells 14.

  The main body 21 has a flat plate shape and faces the main surface of the battery cell 14. The main surface of the battery cell 14 is the surface having the largest area of the flat battery cell 14. Therefore, the main body 21 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the battery cells 14 adjacent in the stacking direction Y.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the side wall portion 22 extends in the stacking direction Y from the edge of the main body portion 21 and faces the side surface of the battery cell 14. In other words, the side wall portion 22 is provided so as to protrude from both end portions in the longitudinal direction X of the main body portion 21 to both sides in the stacking direction Y. Therefore, the storage member 20 has an I-shaped cross section when viewed in the vertical direction Z.

  The side wall 22 has a step in the longitudinal direction X on one side and the other side in the stacking direction Y. This is to allow overlap with the side wall portion 22 of the adjacent storage member 20. Therefore, the side wall portion 22 of the storage member 20 located on one side in the stacking direction Y and the side wall portion 22 of the storage member 20 positioned on the other side in the stacking direction are arranged on the side surface of the battery cell 14 in an overlapping manner. ing. As a result, the strength is improved, so that even if restrained by the restraining member 12, it can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, the side wall portion 22 is formed with two concave portions 25 with an interval in the vertical direction Z. The recess 25 is a portion in which the restraining member 12 is accommodated. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the recess 25 has an open end on the stacking direction Y side. Therefore, the restraining member 12 extending in the stacking direction Y can be stored. Further, the side wall portion 22 has three convex portions 26 for forming two concave portions 25 adjacent in the vertical direction Z. The three convex portions 26 have one side in the stacking direction Y larger than the other side in the stacking direction Y. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the small convex portion 26 is accommodated in the large convex portion 26 when overlapping with the adjacent side wall portion 22. Therefore, the side wall portion 22 regulates the displacement in the vertical direction Z. Further, the displacement in the stacking direction Y is also restricted by the step of the side wall portion 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the ceiling portion 23 extends in the stacking direction Y from the edge of the main body portion 21 and faces a part of the upper surface of the battery cell 14. In other words, the ceiling portion 23 is provided so as to protrude from the upper end portion of the main body portion 21 to both sides in the stacking direction Y. The ceiling part 23 faces each upper surface of the adjacent battery cell 14. Therefore, the ceiling part 23 regulates the upward displacement of the battery cell 14, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the bottom wall portion 24 extends from the edge of the main body portion 21 in the stacking direction Y and faces a part of the lower surface of the battery cell 14. In other words, the bottom wall portion 24 is provided so as to protrude from the lower end portion of the main body portion 21 to both sides in the stacking direction Y. The bottom wall portion 24 is provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction X of the lower end portion of the main body portion 21. The bottom wall portion 24 faces each lower surface of the adjacent battery cell 14. Therefore, the bottom wall portion 24 restricts the downward displacement of the battery cell 14 as shown in FIG.

  In this manner, the storage member 20 is stored so as to surround the side surface, the upper surface, and the lower surface of the adjacent battery cell 14. Therefore, the battery cell 14 is prevented from being displaced in the vertical direction Z and the longitudinal direction X from the storage member 20. Moreover, the battery cell 14 restrained by the lamination direction Y can be supported.

  The fixing member 13 is provided on both surface portions of the stacked body 11 in the stacking direction Y. The fixing member 13 is connected to an installation location where the stacked body 11 is installed, and both ends of the restraining member 12 are fixed. The fixing member 13 includes a first plate 13a and a second plate 13b. The first plate 13a and the second plate 13b are fixed in an overlapping state as shown in FIG. The first plate 13 a located inside is connected to the restraining member 12. The second plate 13b located outside is fixed to the installation location. In the present embodiment, the installation location is located below the battery module 10. Therefore, the lower part of the second plate 13b is bent outward and a through hole 13c is formed. It is fixed to the installation location by a bolt (not shown) inserted through the through hole 13c.

  The restraining member 12 restrains both side portions of the laminated body 11 in a state of pressing in the laminating direction Y. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the restraining member 12 is a member extending in the stacking direction Y, and includes a portion located outside the side wall portion 22. Therefore, a part of the restraining member 12 is provided outside the side wall part 22, and in this embodiment, a part of the restraining part 12 is accommodated in the recess 25 in a cross section orthogonal to the stacking direction Y. As shown in FIG. 5, in the cross section orthogonal to the stacking direction Y, the restraining member 12 is housed in the recess 25 in the entire portion located outside the side wall portion 22. In other words, the restraining member 12 is disposed closer to the battery cell 14 than the virtual straight line connecting the tips of the adjacent recesses 25.

  The restraining member 12 is formed in a U-shaped cross section when viewed in the vertical direction Z. The end of the restraining member 12 in the stacking direction Y is bent inward. This end is fixed to the fixing member 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a through hole is formed in the first plate 13 a, and a through hole is also formed in the bent portion of the restraining member 12. A bolt 12a is provided through the through hole, and the restraining member 12 and the first plate 13a are connected. Further, the laminated body 11 is pressed in the laminating direction Y by tightening the bolts 12a. In the present embodiment, four restraining members 12 are provided according to the four concave portions 25.

  As described above, in the battery module 10 of the present embodiment, the terminals 15 and 16 of the battery cell 14 are provided on the upper surface, and the restraining member 12 is provided outside the side wall portion 22 of the storage member 20. Therefore, the surface on which the terminals 15 and 16 are provided is different from the surface on which the restraining member 12 is provided. This eliminates the need for a member and an interval for insulating the restraining member 12 and the terminals 15 and 16 from each other. Therefore, since the terminals 15 and 16 and the restraining member 12 do not interfere with each other, the battery module 10 can be downsized without worrying about the distance between the terminals 15 and 16.

  In other words, the restraining member 12 is disposed not on the top surface having the terminals 15 and 16 but on the side surface where the battery cell 14 is covered with the storage member 20. Therefore, when the laminate 11 is viewed from the side, the battery cell 14 is covered by the side wall portion 22 of the adjacent storage member 20, and the restraining member 12 is disposed on the side of the laminate 11. This eliminates the need for a member for insulating the restraining member 12 or a distance, and enables reduction in size and cost.

  In the present embodiment, the side wall portion 22 has a concave portion 25 that is concave on the inside, and the restraining member 12 is accommodated in the concave portion 25. By providing the recess 25, the strength of the side wall 22 can be improved. As a result, deformation of the laminate 11 can be suppressed by the recess 25 and the restraining member 12 instead of a separate member for fixing, so that downsizing and cost reduction are possible.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the restraining member 12 is entirely accommodated in the recess 25 when viewed in the stacking direction Y. Thereby, even if the restraining member 12 is provided, the deformation of the laminate 11 can be suppressed without affecting the product size.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it is provided with the fixing member 13 which is provided in the both ends of the lamination direction Y of the laminated body 11, is connected with the installation location in which the laminated body 11 is installed, and the both ends of the restraint member 12 are fixed. By the fixing member 13, the restraining member 12 and the installation location can be connected. In addition, since the fixing member 13 is also provided on a surface different from the upper surface of the battery cell 14, it is not necessary to take a member or a distance for insulating the fixing member 13, and the size and cost can be reduced.

  Further, the restraining member 12 is arranged so that the cross section is rectangular when viewed in the stacking direction Y, and the long side thereof is along the vertical direction Z. As a result, the structure is strong against displacement in the vertical direction Z, so that a structure strong against vibration can be obtained.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The present embodiment is characterized in that a protrusion 40 for positioning the restraining member 12 is provided on the fixing member 13.

  The fixing member 13 is provided with a protrusion 40 that contacts the restraining member 12 and positions the restraining member 12 with respect to the fixing member 13. In the present embodiment, the four protrusions 40 protrude from the fixing member 13. The tip 40 of the protrusion 40 has an enlarged diameter, and the cross section is T-shaped as shown in FIG. The tip of the restraining member 12 is housed between the tip 41 and the root. In the state shown in FIG. 10, the restraining member 12 is fixed by the bolt 12a.

  Thereby, the restraint member 12 can be positioned by the protrusion 40. Further, the vibration of the restraining member 12 can be suppressed and the restraining member 12 can be prevented from rotating during an impact. Thereby, the deformation suppressing function of the laminate 11 can be improved.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the recessed part 25 is not provided in the side wall part 22 of the accommodating member 20, but it is flat form. Even if it is such flat plate shape, the effect by arrange | positioning the restraining member 12 in the outer side of the side wall part 22 can be show | played.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 13. The present embodiment is characterized in that a refrigerant passage 50 is provided between the battery cell 14 and the storage member 20.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a gap is provided in a part between the battery cell 14 and the storage member 20 adjacent to the battery cell 14. In the present embodiment, the housing member 20 is provided with a plurality of grooves extending in the vertical direction Z as gaps, and in this embodiment, four grooves are provided. This groove serves as a refrigerant passage 50 through which the refrigerant passes in the vertical direction Z. The refrigerant is air in the present embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the air flows in the vertical direction Z, and the battery cell 14 can be cooled.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a connecting member 60 that connects a pair of restraining members 12 facing in the longitudinal direction X is provided on the lower surface of the battery module 10 </ b> B. A plurality of connecting members 60 are provided extending in the longitudinal direction X and spaced in the stacking direction Y. As shown in FIG. 11, the connecting member 60 is bent in the vertical direction Z at both ends in the longitudinal direction X. Then, the bent portion is fixed to the restraining member 12 located inside by a bolt 60a or the like.

  The connecting member 60 is arranged at a position avoiding the refrigerant passage 50 when viewed in the vertical direction Z. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the cooling performance from being lowered by providing the connecting member 60. Further, by providing the connecting member 60, the deformation suppressing function of the stacked body 11 can be improved.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the refrigerant passage 50 for cooling the battery cell 14 is provided between the main surface of the battery cell 14 and the storage member 20. The refrigerant passage 50 extends in the up-down direction Z, and inflow / outflow ports are provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the stacked body 11, respectively. As a result, the refrigerant inlet / outlet can be provided without being affected by the restraining member 12 and the storage member 20, and the cooling performance of the battery cell 14 can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The structure of the said embodiment is an illustration to the last, Comprising: The scope of the present invention is not limited to the range of these description. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.

  In the first embodiment described above, the plurality of battery cells 14 are arranged such that the side surfaces are stacked on each other and arranged in a row, but the arrangement is not limited to this. The arrangement of the battery cells 14 may be a plurality of rows.

  In the first embodiment described above, the battery module 10B is mounted on the vehicle, but is not limited to the vehicle, and may be mounted on other moving means such as an aircraft and a ship. Moreover, you may mount in another apparatus instead of a moving means.

  In the first embodiment described above, four restraint members 12 are used. However, the number of restraint members 12 is not limited to four, and the restraint members 12 may be provided at least outside the pair of side wall portions 22.

  In the first embodiment described above, the fixing members 13 are provided at both ends in the stacking direction Y. However, the fixing members 13 are not limited to both ends, and the fixing members 13 may be provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction X. For example, the fixing members 13 may be provided at the four corners when viewed in the vertical direction Z.

  In the above-described fourth embodiment, all the connecting members 60 are disposed at positions avoiding the refrigerant passage 50, but are not limited to all the connecting members 60. For example, it suffices if half or more of the connecting members 60 are disposed at positions that are avoided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Battery module 11 ... Laminated body 12 ... Restraining member 13 ... Fixing member 13a ... 1st plate 13b ... 2nd plate 14 ... Battery cell 15 ... Positive electrode terminal part (terminal)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Negative electrode terminal part (terminal) 20 ... Storage member 21 ... Main-body part 22 ... Side wall part 23 ... Ceiling part 24 ... Bottom wall part 25 ... Concave part 26 ... Convex part 40 ... Protrusion 41 ... Tip part 50 ... Refrigerant passage 60 ... Connection Element

Claims (7)

A laminate (11) in which flat battery cells (14) and storage members (20) for storing the battery cells are alternately stacked;
A restraining member (12) for restraining both side portions in the laminating direction of the laminated body in a state of being pressed in the laminating direction,
The battery cell has terminals (15, 16) provided on the upper surface,
The storage member is
A main body (21) facing the main surface of the battery cell;
A side wall (22) extending from the edge of the main body in the stacking direction and facing the side of the battery cell,
The said restraining member is a member extended in the said lamination direction, Comprising: The battery module characterized by providing the part located in the outer side of the said side wall part. The side wall has a recess (25) that is recessed inside,
2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a portion of the restraining member located outside the side wall portion is accommodated in the recess in a cross section orthogonal to the stacking direction.   It further includes a fixing member (13) that is provided at both ends of the stack in the stacking direction, is connected to an installation location where the stack is installed, and is fixed to both ends of the restraining member. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2.   3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the constraining member is housed in the recess in the entire portion located outside the side wall portion in a cross section perpendicular to the stacking direction.   The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the fixing member is provided with a protrusion (40) that contacts the restraining member and positions the restraining member with respect to the fixing member. A portion between the battery cell and the storage member adjacent to the battery cell has a gap,
The said gap extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and perpendicular to the upper surface of the battery cell, and forms a refrigerant passage (50) through which a refrigerant passes in the vertical direction. The battery module as described in any one of 1-5. The lower surface of the battery cell is provided with a connecting member (60) for connecting a pair of opposing restraining members,
The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the connecting member is disposed at a position avoiding the refrigerant passage when viewed in the vertical direction.

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