JP2016207350A - Battery holder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery holder capable of suppressing leakage of coolant from a coolant passage, formed between the base and the battery cell, more reliably.SOLUTION: A cell holder 31 includes: a base 41 facing the principal surface 12A of a battery cell 11 when holding the battery cell, and forming a coolant path for distributing the coolant between the principal surface of the battery cell; a pair of side faces 37, 37 facing the side face 12B crossing the principal surface of the battery cell, when holding the battery cell, and arranged at the opposite ends of the base; openings 33 provided in the pair of side faces, respectively, and introducing the cooling air to a coolant path 50 or discharging the coolant therefrom; and a sealing part 61 arranged around the opening, and projecting from the side face 37 toward the side face of the battery cell. The sealing part comes into contact with the battery cell, in a deflected state, when holding the battery cell.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery holder that holds battery cells.

  A battery module in which a plurality of battery cells held in a battery holder are arranged is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a battery holder in which a rib for forming a refrigerant passage is provided in a base portion that faces a main surface of a battery cell when the battery cell is held. And in the battery holder of patent document 1, the sealing member is provided so that this refrigerant path may be pinched | interposed, and it suppresses that a refrigerant | coolant leaks from a refrigerant path.

JP 2009-277471 A

  However, although the conventional battery holder can suppress the leakage of the refrigerant from the vertical direction across the refrigerant passage, for example, the leakage from the gap formed between the side surface portion and the battery cell in the battery holder is suppressed. I can't. In order to suppress leakage of the refrigerant from the refrigerant passage, further improvement of the battery holder is required.

  Then, the objective of this invention is providing the battery holder which can suppress more reliably the leakage of the refrigerant | coolant from the refrigerant path formed between a base part and a battery cell.

  The battery holder of the present invention is a battery holder that holds a battery cell, and faces the main surface of the battery cell when the battery cell is held, and causes the refrigerant to flow between the main surface of the battery cell. When holding the battery cell, the base part that forms the passage, and the side surface that intersects the main surface of the battery cell, the pair of side surface parts that are disposed at both ends of the base part, and the pair of side surface parts, respectively An opening for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant passage or discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant passage; and a sealing portion disposed around the opening and projecting from at least one of the side portions toward the side surface of the battery cell. The sealing part comes into contact with the battery cell in a bent state when the battery cell is held.

  In the battery holder having this configuration, when the battery cell is held, the sealing portion comes into contact with the battery cell, so that the refrigerant is prevented from flowing from the refrigerant passage to the gap between the side surface portion and the battery cell. Moreover, since the sealing part is contacting the battery cell in the bent state, even if the battery cell is expanded, it is possible to follow. As a result, the leakage of the refrigerant from the refrigerant passage formed between the base portion and the battery cell can be more reliably suppressed.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the coolant passage is formed by the battery cell coming into contact with the unevenness formed on the surface of the base portion that faces the main surface of the battery cell, and the recess and the protrusion in the unevenness are a pair of side surfaces. The parts may extend in the opposite direction.

  In the battery holder having this configuration, a refrigerant passage extending from one side surface portion toward the other side surface portion can be easily formed.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing portion may be provided at the edge of the opening. In the battery holder having this configuration, the refrigerant flowing from the opening can be more directly guided to the refrigerant passage, so that the battery cell can be effectively cooled.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing portion may be provided on both side portions. In the battery holder having this configuration, since the refrigerant flows in and out of the opening effectively, the refrigerant flowability in the refrigerant passage is improved.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing portion may be integrally formed with the side surface portion. In the battery holder having this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced and the sealing portion can be formed more easily.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing portion may be a rubber member. In the battery holder having this configuration, the sealing portion can be bent when the battery cell is held.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing part may be formed of the same material as the side part. In the battery holder having this configuration, it becomes easy to form the sealing portion.

  In the battery holder of the present invention, the sealing portion may be formed so as to become narrower toward the tip when the side that contacts the battery cell is the tip. In the battery holder having this configuration, the sealing portion is more easily bent, and the adhesion to the battery cell can be improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the leakage of the refrigerant | coolant from the refrigerant path formed between a base part and a battery cell can be suppressed more reliably.

It is a perspective view showing the whole battery module composition provided with the battery holder concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the battery cell was hold | maintained at the battery holder of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the battery holder of FIG. It is the side view which looked at the battery holder of FIG. 1 from the side. It is the rear view which looked at the battery holder of FIG. 3 from the back surface. It is the perspective view which expanded and showed the opening part and sealing part in the battery holder of FIG. It is the figure which showed how to attach the battery cell to a battery holder, and sectional drawing in the VII-VII line in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a battery module 10 including a cell holder (battery holder) 31 (see FIG. 3) according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings do not necessarily match those described. In the description, terms indicating directions such as “up” and “down” are convenient terms based on the state shown in the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality (seven in this example) of battery modules 10 are arranged in a state where battery cells 11 are held by a cell holder 31 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the battery cell 11 is a battery in which an electrode assembly (not shown) is accommodated in a rectangular box-shaped case 12. For example, a non-aqueous electrolyte 2 such as a lithium ion secondary battery is used. Next battery. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the array body 15 is configured by arranging the battery cells 11 held by the cell holder 31 in one direction (X-axis direction). The configuration of the cell holder 31 will be described in detail later.

  In addition to the array body 15, the battery module 10 includes an elastic member (not shown), a restraining portion 16, and a plurality of bus bars 14. The elastic member is formed in a flat plate shape by rubber, for example, and is arranged on one side in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the array bodies 15.

  The restraining part 16 presses and restrains the battery cell 11 and the elastic member in the arrangement direction. The restraining portion 16 includes a pair of end plates 17, 17, bolts 18, and nuts 19. The pair of end plates 17 and 17 are made of a material having high rigidity such as iron. The pair of end plates 17 and 17 are fixed by a plurality of bolts 18 extending in the arrangement direction. Each bolt 18 is sequentially inserted into one end plate 17, each cell holder 31, and the other end plate 17, and is fastened by a nut 19 on the other end plate 17 side. By this fastening, a binding force is applied to the array body 15.

  The bus bar 14 is a rectangular plate-like member formed of a metal such as copper, for example. The bus bar 14 electrically connects the electrode terminals 13 of adjacent battery cells 11. More specifically, each battery cell 11 has a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal as electrode terminals 13, and the plurality of battery cells 11 are arranged so that electrode terminals 13 having different polarities are adjacent to each other. The bus bar 14 electrically connects the plurality of battery cells 11 in series by connecting these adjacent electrode terminals 13 to each other.

  Next, the configuration of the cell holder 31 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 2, when the cell holder 31 holds the battery cell 11, the thickness direction of the battery cell 11 (direction perpendicular to the main surface 12 </ b> A), the width direction of the battery cell 11 (the electrode terminals 13, 13). The arrangement direction), the height direction orthogonal to the thickness direction and the width direction of the battery cell 11 will be described as “X-axis direction”, “Y-axis direction”, and “Z-axis direction”, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cell holder 31 includes a rectangular flat plate-like lower surface portion 35, a pair of side surface portions 37, a base portion 41, a terminal accommodating portion 43, and a column member 47.

  The lower surface part 35 is a plate-like member extending in the Y-axis direction. The lower surface portion 35 covers the bottom surface 12 </ b> C of the battery cell 11 when holding the battery cell 11. Leg portions 35 </ b> A and 35 </ b> A are provided at lower portions of both end portions of the lower surface portion 35. The leg portion 35A is provided with an insertion hole 35B penetrating along the X-axis direction. The above-described bolt 18 is inserted into the insertion hole 35B.

  The side surface portion 37 is a plate-like member extending in the Z-axis direction. The pair of side surface portions 37 and 37 are disposed at both ends of the lower surface portion 35 in the Y-axis direction. A pair of side surface parts 37 and 37 are arrange | positioned so that it may mutually oppose. The base portion 41 is a plate-like member provided so as to connect the pair of side surface portions 37 and 37 with the thickness direction directed in the X-axis direction.

  The terminal accommodating portion 43 is provided at both ends of the upper end of the base portion 41 in the Y-axis direction. The terminal accommodating portions 43 and 43 are provided so as to be connected to the side surface portions 37 and 37, respectively. The terminal accommodating portion 43 opens in a U shape in the X-axis direction. The terminal accommodating portions 43 and 43 are portions that surround the electrode terminals 13 and 13 of the battery cell 11 when the battery cell 11 is held.

  The column members 47 and 47 are provided adjacent to the terminal accommodating portions 43 and 43 at the upper end of the base portion 41. The column member 47 is a quadrangular columnar column member extending in the X-axis direction, and its length matches the X-axis direction length of the lower surface portion 35. Each of the column members 47, 47 is provided with an insertion hole 47A penetrating along the X-axis direction. The bolt 18 described above is inserted through the insertion hole 47A.

  In the cell holder 31, the accommodating portion S in which the battery cell 11 is accommodated by the space surrounded by the lower surface portion 35, the pair of side surface portions 37 and 37, the base portion 41, the terminal accommodating portions 43 and 43, and the column members 47 and 47. Is formed.

  The base part 41 and the side part 37 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base portion 41 faces the main surface 12 </ b> A (see FIG. 2) of the battery cell 11 when the battery cell 11 is held in the cell holder 31, and A coolant passage 50 through which cooling air (refrigerant) flows is formed between the surface 12A. Specifically, the refrigerant passage 50 is formed when the battery cell 11 comes into contact with the unevenness 51 formed on the surface 41 </ b> A facing the main surface 12 </ b> A of the battery cell 11 in the base portion 41. The concave portion 51B and the convex portion 51A in the concave and convex portion 51 extend in a direction (Y-axis direction) in which the pair of side surface portions 37 face each other. In the present embodiment, of the recess 51 </ b> B and the protrusion 51 </ b> A in the unevenness 51, the recess 51 </ b> B serves as the refrigerant passage 50.

  The pair of side surface portions 37, 37 face the side surface 12 </ b> B orthogonal to the main surface 12 </ b> A of the battery cell 11 when holding the battery cell 11. The pair of side surface portions 37 and 37 are provided with rectangular openings 33 for introducing cooling air into the refrigerant passage 50 or discharging cooling air from the refrigerant passage 50.

  As shown in FIG. 6, each of the pair of side surface portions 37, 37 is disposed around the opening portions 33, 33 and protrudes from each of the side surface portions 37, 37 toward the side surface 12 </ b> B of the battery cell 11. A flexible sealing portion 61 is provided. The sealing portion 61 protrudes from the side surface portion 37 toward the battery cell 11 side along the edge 33 </ b> A of the opening portion 33. In the present embodiment, the sealing portion 61 is provided on one side along the Z-axis direction and one side along the X-axis direction of the edge 33 </ b> A of the opening 33.

  The sealing portion 61 protrudes toward the battery cell 11 side, and is formed so as to become thinner toward the tip as shown in FIG. 7B. That is, the sealing part 61 is formed in a so-called lip shape. The thickness of the sealing part 61 can be 1 mm-2 mm. The sealing portion 61 is formed integrally with the side surface portion 37 by a member (for example, a rubber member) made of a material different from the material (for example, polypropylene resin) that forms the side surface portion 37. Thus, since the sealing part 61 is formed with the flexible member, when holding the battery cell 11, it contacts the battery cell 11 in the bent state.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the base portion 41 has a notch portion 55 when viewed from the back side. And the protrusion amount P of the sealing part 61 from the side part 37 is below the notch amount W of the notch part 55 in the Y-axis direction, when it sees from the back side, as FIG. 5 shows. . Thereby, the mold | die at the time of shape | molding the cell holder 31 can be made into the minimum number (two), and cost can be suppressed.

  Next, the attachment method of the battery cell 11 to the cell holder 31 is demonstrated using FIG. 7 (A) and FIG. 7 (B). As shown in FIG. 7A, the battery cell 11 is attached to the cell holder 31 by inserting the battery cell 11 into the accommodating portion S of the cell holder 31. When the battery cell 11 is inserted into the housing part S of the cell holder 31, the tip of the sealing part 61 contacts the side surface 12 </ b> B of the battery cell 11. When the battery cell 11 is further inserted in this state, the sealing portion 61 is bent in the insertion direction as shown in FIG. 7B.

  As described above, the battery module 10 in which a plurality of battery cells 11 held by the cell holder 31 as described above are arranged is attached to a casing (not shown) as a battery pack. At that time, as shown in FIG. 1, one side of the battery module 10 is provided with an intake passage 81 along the arrangement direction of the battery cells 11, and the other is along the arrangement direction of the battery cells 11. An exhaust passage 83 is provided. Cooling air (refrigerant) flows through the intake passage 81 and the exhaust passage 83 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

  Each cell holder 31 circulates cooling air, which is a refrigerant, between the intake passage 81 and the exhaust passage 83. The passage through which the cooling air flows is the above-described refrigerant passage 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Since the refrigerant passage 50 is formed in each of the cell holders 31, it is formed between the battery cells 11 adjacent in the arrangement direction.

  For example, cooling air introduced from the outside of the battery pack into the housing of the battery pack flows into the refrigerant passage 50 from the intake passage 81 through the opening 33. The cooling air that has flowed into the refrigerant passage 50 flows along the main surface 12 </ b> A of the battery cell 11. Thereby, heat exchange is performed between the cooling air and the battery cell 11. The cooling air whose temperature has been increased by heat exchange with the battery cell 11 is discharged from the refrigerant passage 50 through the opening 33 to the exhaust passage 83. Although FIG. 1 shows the case where cooling air flows in the same direction in the intake passage 81 and the exhaust passage 83, the cooling air may flow in directions opposite to each other.

  Then, the effect of the battery module 10 demonstrated above is demonstrated. In the cell holder 31 of the above embodiment, when the battery cell 11 is held, the sealing portion 61 comes into contact with the side surface 12B of the battery cell 11, so that the cooling air flows between the side surface portion 37 and the battery cell 11 from the refrigerant passage 50. Blocks circulation to gaps between them. In addition, since the sealing portion 61 is in contact with the battery cell 11 in a bent state (and has flexibility), even when the battery cell 11 expands, the follow-up can follow. It becomes possible. As a result, the leakage of cooling air from the refrigerant passage 50 formed between the base portion 41 and the battery cell 11 can be more reliably suppressed.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above embodiment, the sealing portion 61 is integrally formed with the side surface portion 37. For this reason, the sealing part 61 reduces the number of parts, and is formed more easily.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above embodiment, since the sealing portion 61 is provided at the edge 33A of the opening 33, the cooling air flowing from the opening 33 is more directly guided to the refrigerant passage 50. Can do. As a result, the battery cell 11 can be effectively cooled.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above-described embodiment, the sealing portion 61 is provided on both the side surface portions 37, so that the cooling air can be effectively flowed in and out of the opening 33. As a result, the flowability of the cooling air in the refrigerant passage 50 is improved. Further, in this cell holder 31, since it is not necessary to consider the inflow side or the outflow side, even if the left and right positions in the intake passage 81 and the exhaust passage 83 are opposite to those in the above embodiment, they can be used as they are. That is, the battery holder can be shared.

  Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above embodiment, the sealing portion 61 has been described with an example in which the sealing portion 61 is integrally formed with the side surface portion 37 by a member (rubber member) made of a material different from the material forming the side surface portion 37. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sealing part 61 may be integrally formed of the same material (for example, polypropylene resin) as the side part 37. Further, when the rubber material sealing portion 61 is provided directly on the side surface portion 37, not only the above-described integral molding is performed, but, for example, a groove is provided in the side surface portion 37 and the sealing portion 61 is embedded in the groove. Then, a resin may be poured into the groove.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above-described embodiment, the example in which the sealing portion 61 is disposed on the edge 33A of the opening 33 has been described. For example, if it is the periphery of the opening 33, it is provided at a position away from the edge 33A. Also good. A passage connecting the opening 33 and the refrigerant passage 50 may be formed by the sealing portion 61 contacting the side surface 12B of the battery cell 11.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the sealing portion 61 is in the initial state, that is, in the state before the battery cell 11 is inserted into the accommodating portion S of the cell holder 31. Although an example of projecting straight (without bending) in the direction in which is inserted is described, it may be projected in a bent state (curved state) in the initial state.

  In the cell holder 31 of the above-described embodiment, the sealing portion 61 is formed of a flexible material so that the battery cell 11 is brought into contact with the battery cell 11 in a bent state when the battery cell 11 is held. However, this invention is not limited to this, You may form in the shape which will be in the state bent when it was made to contact the battery cell 11. FIG. For example, in the cross section of the sealing portion 61 illustrated in FIG. 7B, the sealing portion 61 may have a wavy surface that intersects the direction in which the battery cell 11 is inserted. In other words, grooves extending in the paper depth direction in FIG. 7B may be arranged in parallel along the protruding direction on the surface intersecting with the direction in which the battery cell 11 is inserted. Thus, the sealing part 61 can be appropriately changed in terms of material and / or shape so as to be bent when brought into contact with the battery cell 11.

  The present invention may appropriately combine the contents described in the embodiment and the modified example.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Battery module, 11 ... Battery cell, 12A ... Main surface of battery cell, 12B ... Side surface of battery cell, 31 ... Cell holder (battery holder), 33 ... Opening part, 33A ... Edge of opening part, 37 ... Side part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 ... Base part, 50 ... Refrigerant channel, 51 ... Concavity and convexity, 51A ... Convex part, 51B ... Concave part, 61 ... Sealing part, S ... Storage part.

Claims (8)

A battery holder for holding a battery cell,
When the battery cell is held, a base portion that faces the main surface of the battery cell and forms a refrigerant passage for allowing a refrigerant to flow between the battery cell and the main surface;
When the battery cell is held, a pair of side surface portions opposed to the side surface intersecting the main surface of the battery cell and disposed at both ends of the base portion,
An opening that is provided on each of the pair of side surfaces, introduces the refrigerant into the refrigerant passage, or discharges the refrigerant from the refrigerant passage;
A sealing portion disposed around the opening and protruding from at least one of the side portions toward the side surface of the battery cell;
With
The said sealing part is a battery holder which contacts the said battery cell in the state bent when holding the said battery cell. The refrigerant passage is formed when the battery cell contacts an unevenness formed on a surface of the base portion that faces the main surface of the battery cell,
The battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the concave and convex portions in the concave and convex portions extend in a direction in which the pair of side surface portions face each other.   The battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is provided at an edge of the opening.   The said sealing part is a battery holder as described in any one of Claims 1-3 provided in both the said side parts.   The battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is integrally formed with the side surface portion.   The battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is a rubber member.   The battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is formed of the same material as the side surface portion.   The battery holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sealing portion is formed so as to become thinner toward a tip when a side that contacts the battery cell is a tip.

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