JP2017027736A - Battery module and manufacturing method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique of maintaining hermetic sealing between a battery cell and a holder and reducing flow-out of adhesive agent from a through-hole in a battery module in which the battery cell is inserted and fixed in the through-hole of the holder.SOLUTION: A battery module 100 includes: a holder 20 for holding a battery cell 10; a through-hole 30 which penetrates the holder 20 in the direction of the thickness thereof, has a protrusion portion 40 on the side of an upper-surface opening portion 31 as one opening portion in the thickness direction of the through-hole 30 out of the inner peripheral surface 35A thereof, and does not have the protrusion portion 40 in the peripheral direction of the through-hole 30 in an area on the side of a lower-surface opening portion 32 as the other opening portion; a battery cell 10 arranged on the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through-hole 30; and adhesive 50 having thixotropy which is filled between the protrusion 40 of the through-hole 30 and the battery cell 10 and fixes the battery cell 10 to the holder 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are assembled to a holder, and a method for manufacturing the battery module.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for increasing the output and capacity of a battery module by attaching a plurality of battery cells to a holder is known. As a technical document disclosing a battery module, for example, there is Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, a holder is provided with a plurality of cylindrical through holes, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the inner peripheral surface of each through hole, and an adhesive is filled between the protrusions. A technique for fixing a plurality of battery cells to a holder by inserting a cylindrical battery cell into each through hole is disclosed.

JP 2006-099997 A

  In the adhesive fixing between the battery cell and the holder, high hermeticity is required, and it is desired that there is no unfilled portion of the adhesive in the gap between the battery cell and the holder. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a low-viscosity adhesive that has high fluidity and can easily fill the gap between the battery cell and the holder. However, in the low-viscosity adhesive, unfilled portions are unlikely to occur, but the adhesive tends to flow out of the through hole due to conveyance vibration or the like. The outflow of the adhesive may cause a defective product due to the adhesion of the adhesive to the adhesion prohibited portion such as the electrode portion. On the other hand, a high-viscosity adhesive has poor fluidity and tends to cause unfilled portions. In addition, high-viscosity adhesives tend to have a large amount of adhesive scraped off at the opening of the through-hole when the battery cell is inserted, and an insufficient amount of adhesive can cause unfilled parts. .

  Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, the protruding portion in the through hole is provided in the entire region in the thickness direction of the holder from one surface of the holder to the other surface. Therefore, for example, when an adhesive having thixotropy is used, the adhesive flows near the other surface, the viscosity decreases, and the adhesive easily flows out.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, the subject is a battery module in which the battery cell is inserted and fixed in the through hole of the holder, and the technology that maintains the sealing property between the battery cell and the holder and reduces the outflow of the adhesive from the through hole. Is to provide.

The battery module made for the purpose of solving this problem includes a holder, a battery cell, a through-hole penetrating the holder in a first direction, and an opening on one side of the through-hole in the first direction. A first opening that is, a second opening that is an opening on the other side of the through hole in the first direction, an adhesive having thixotropy and fixing the battery cell to the holder; , And there is a protrusion on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole in the first region, which is a region existing from the first opening toward the second opening, and from the first region to the first 2 The second region, which is the region existing toward the opening, has no protrusion in the circumferential direction, and the battery cell extends from the first region to the second region on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. The adhesive is located between the protrusion on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole and the battery cell. To fill,
It is characterized by that.

  The battery module disclosed in this specification has a protrusion in a first region located on the first opening side of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. Therefore, by inserting the battery cell to which the adhesive having thixotropy is inserted into the through-hole from the first opening side, the adhesive contacts the protrusion, and external force can be applied to the adhesive from multiple directions. Thereby, the adhesive is stirred, the viscosity of the adhesive having thixotropy is temporarily lowered, and the fluidity of the adhesive is ensured. As a result, the adhesive easily enters the gap between the battery cell and the holder, and high sealing performance is obtained. Further, the second region located on the second opening side of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole has no protrusion in the circumferential direction, and the adhesive is inserted to the second opening side of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. , The adhesive will not be stirred. Since the adhesive has thixotropy, the viscosity recovers over time if not stirred. Therefore, it is difficult for the adhesive to flow out of the through hole, and as a result, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced.

  The through hole may have a diameter of the first opening larger than a diameter of the second opening, and the second opening may be located inside the protrusion in a radial direction of the through hole. . For example, the through hole may have a tapered shape in which the diameter of the first opening is larger than the diameter of the second opening.

  The through hole of the battery module disclosed in the present specification has a shape in which the diameter of the first opening is larger than the diameter of the second opening, and the second opening having a smaller diameter than the first opening penetrates the through hole. It is located inside the protrusion in the radial direction of the hole. That is, the protrusion is not positioned on the center axis side of the through hole from the second opening which is the minimum diameter of the through hole. From this, the clearance gap between a battery cell and a projection part can be ensured, and the fluidity | liquidity of the adhesive agent in a through-hole can be ensured more. Moreover, since the space | interval of a battery cell and a holder becomes narrow near 2nd opening part, an adhesive agent becomes difficult to flow out from a through-hole more.

  Moreover, it is preferable that there are a plurality of the protrusions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole. Moreover, the said through-hole has two or more in the said holder, and it is good for one battery cell to be located in the internal peripheral surface of each through-hole. The battery cell may be cylindrical.

  Further, in the battery module manufacturing method disclosed in the present specification, the adhesive is disposed on a side surface of the battery cell, and the battery cell is connected to the adhesive from the side of the first opening of the through hole. It inserts in the said through-hole so that at least one part may be accommodated in the said through-hole of the said holder, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the battery module manufacturing method disclosed in the present specification, the battery cell in which the thixotropic adhesive is arranged on the side surface is connected from the side of the first opening of the through hole, that is, from the side where the protrusion is formed. , By inserting into the through hole, the adhesive comes into contact with the protrusion during insertion. Thereby, an adhesive agent is stirred, the viscosity of an adhesive agent falls and the fluidity | liquidity of an adhesive agent is ensured. As a result, the amount of the adhesive entering the gap between the battery cell and the holder increases, and high sealing performance is obtained. In addition, the second region of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole has no protrusion in the circumferential direction, and the adhesive is not stirred, so that the viscosity of the adhesive is recovered. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the adhesive to flow out from the gap between the second opening of the through hole and the battery cell, and the occurrence of defective products can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the battery module disclosed in this specification, the battery module may be inserted into the through-hole while applying vibration to the battery cell. By inserting the battery cell into the through-hole while intentionally applying vibration to the battery cell, the adhesive is more agitated and the fluidity of the adhesive is reduced compared to the case where vibration is not intentionally applied to the battery cell. More secure. Therefore, higher sealing performance can be obtained.

  Further, in the battery module manufacturing method disclosed in this specification, the battery cell is vibrated by at least one of the reciprocating motion in the first direction or the rotational motion with respect to the central axis of the through hole. Give it.

  Further, in the battery module manufacturing method disclosed in the present specification, after the tip of the adhesive in the first direction contacts the protrusion of the through hole, the insertion amount of the battery cell is the target insertion amount. It is preferable to stop applying the vibration before reaching the value, and then insert the battery cell up to the target penetration amount without applying vibration to the battery cell.

  According to the present invention, a battery module in which a battery cell is inserted and fixed in a through hole of a holder, and a technique for maintaining the sealing property between the battery cell and the holder and reducing the outflow of the adhesive from the through hole is realized. Is done.

It is a perspective view of the top view of the battery module which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of the battery module which concerns on embodiment of the bottom view. It is sectional drawing of the through-hole of a holder after battery cell insertion, and its periphery. It is sectional drawing of the through-hole of a holder before battery cell insertion, and its periphery. It is an enlarged view of the top view of a through hole. It is a figure which shows the 1st application form of a through hole. It is a figure which shows the 2nd application form of a through hole. It is a figure which shows the 3rd application form of a through hole. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the assembly | attachment apparatus of the battery cell of the battery module which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the transition of the insertion state of a battery cell of the battery module which concerns on embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a battery module according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, the present invention is applied to a battery module mounted on a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle.

[Configuration of battery module]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment as viewed from above. In FIG. 2, the perspective view of the bottom view of the battery module 100 which concerns on this form is shown. The battery module 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of battery cells 10 and a holder 20 that holds the battery cells 10.

  The battery cell 10 is a cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery. Specifically, for example, it is an 18650 type lithium ion secondary battery. The battery cell 10 includes a positive electrode terminal 12 electrically connected to a positive electrode plate (not shown), a negative electrode terminal 13 electrically connected to a negative electrode plate (not shown), and a cylindrical can 14 serving as an outer shell. With. The battery cell 10 further accommodates an electrode body composed of positive and negative electrode plates and an electrolytic solution containing a lithium salt in a cylindrical can 14. Thus, the battery cell 10 can be charged and discharged.

  The holder 20 is a member for fixing the plurality of battery cells 10. The holder 20 has a plurality of through holes 30 for holding the battery cells 10. The through hole 30 is a through hole penetrating from the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22 of the holder 20. The through hole 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape that matches the shape of the battery cell 10. The through hole 30 is an example of a through hole. Details of the shape of the through hole 30 will be described later. The holder 20 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, a plated steel plate, or a stainless steel plate.

  In the battery module 100, the ends of the plurality of battery cells 10 on the negative electrode terminal 13 side in the axial direction are respectively disposed in the through holes 30 of the holder 20. That is, one battery cell 10 is disposed in one through hole 30. Each battery cell 10 is inserted to the position where the negative electrode terminal 13 is in the same position as the lower surface 22 of the holder 20 in the axial direction or slightly protrudes from the lower surface 22. In the battery cell 10, the positive electrode terminal 12 in the axial direction of each battery cell 10 protrudes from the upper surface 21 of the holder 20.

  The through holes 30 are arranged in a staggered pattern in the holder 20. Specifically, the plurality of through holes 30 are arranged in the holder 20 so as to form a plurality of rows by being arranged at equal pitches in the left-right direction, and the plurality of through holes 30 are arranged in the vertical direction. Has been. In addition, each row of the through holes 30 arranged at an equal pitch is provided so as to be shifted by a half of the above-mentioned pitch in the left-right direction with respect to other rows adjacent vertically.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the holder 20 in a state where the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the holder 20 before the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the through hole 30 of the holder 20 as viewed from above. In FIG. 3, details of the cross section of the battery cell 10 are omitted.

  As described above, the through hole 30 is a through hole that opens to the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 22 of the holder 20, and penetrates the holder 20 having a thickness T in the thickness direction (X direction in FIGS. 3 and 4). ing. 3 and 4, the through hole 30 has an upper surface opening 31 that is an opening on the upper surface 21 side of the holder 20, a lower surface opening 32 that is an opening on the lower surface 22 side of the holder 20, an inner peripheral surface 35, Respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the through hole 30 is formed in a tapered shape in which the diameter RU of the upper surface opening 31 is larger than the diameter RL of the lower surface opening 32. That is, the through hole 30 has a narrower opening width from the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22 of the holder 20, and the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30 is inclined with respect to the central axis S of the through hole 30. . That is, since the distance between the battery cell 10 and the holder 20 is reduced in the vicinity of the lower surface opening 32, the adhesive 50 hardly flows out from the lower surface opening 32 of the through hole 30.

  Further, a plurality of through holes 30 are provided on the inner peripheral surface 35 on the upper surface 21 side of the holder 20, more specifically in an upper region 35 U that is a region from the middle C of the thickness T of the holder 20 to the upper surface opening 31. The protrusion 40 is formed. Since the protrusion 40 is formed in the upper region 35U of the inner peripheral surface 35, the protrusion 40 does not reach the lower surface opening 32 and does not continue the holder 20 in the thickness direction. That is, in the lower region 35L of the inner peripheral surface 35 on the lower surface 22 side of the holder 20, more specifically, in the lower region 35L, which is the region from the middle C of the thickness T of the holder 20 to the lower surface opening 32, the periphery of the through hole 30. The protrusions 40 are not formed in the direction, and the lower region 35L of the inner peripheral surface 35 is a smooth surface with almost no unevenness. Note that the boundary between the upper region 35U and the lower region 35L does not have to be an intermediate C that divides the thickness T into two, and may be between the upper surface opening 31 and the lower surface opening 32. That is, the upper region 35U is a region existing from the upper surface opening 31 toward the lower surface opening 32, and the lower region 35L is a region existing from the upper region 35U toward the lower surface opening 32. The upper area 35U is an example of a first area, and the lower area 35L is an example of a second area.

  Further, the protrusion 40 is rectangular when viewed from the upper surface of the holder 20 as shown in FIG. 5, and the top 41 of the protrusion 40 is parallel to the central axis S of the through hole 30 as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the protrusion 40 has a fin shape of a right triangle when viewed from the cross section of the holder 20 as shown in FIG. In addition, the protrusion part 40 should just protrude in the radial direction (Y direction of FIG. 3) of the through-hole 30, and the shape is not restricted to a fin shape. For example, the protrusion 40 may be hemispherical as shown in FIG. 6, or may be pyramidal as shown in FIG. 6 and 7, (B) is an enlarged view of the through hole 30 in a top view, and (A) is an AA cross section in (B).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the radial direction of the through hole 30, the protrusion 40 has a top 41 closest to the central axis S of the through hole 30 outside the lower surface opening 32 of the through hole 30. That is, when the virtual line L is drawn from the lower surface opening 32 of the through hole 30 in the thickness direction of the holder 20, there is a gap 42 between the virtual line L and the top 41 of the protrusion 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, even when the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30, a gap 42 (see FIG. 4) is secured between the battery cell 10 and the protruding portion 40. The adhesive 50 is easy to flow through.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the protrusion 40 has a higher radial height H as it is closer to the upper surface opening 31. Therefore, the height H in the radial direction of the protrusion 40 is not constant in the thickness direction of the holder 20, and is highest at a location closest to the upper surface opening 31 in the thickness direction of the holder 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protrusions 40 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole 30. By arranging the protrusions 40 at equal intervals, the adhesive 50 described later can be stirred uniformly. In the present embodiment, the protrusions 40 are provided at eight locations at intervals that divide one circumference of the through-hole 30 into eight equal parts. Reference).

  The adhesive 50 for filling the space between the battery cell 10 and the inner peripheral surface 35 or the protrusion 40 of the through hole 30 and fixing the battery cell 10 to the holder 20 has thixotropy (thixotropic and thixotropic properties). ) Is used. The thixotropy is usually in a high-viscosity state, and when stirred, the viscosity decreases. If not stirred, the viscosity increases with time and returns to a high-viscosity state. The adhesive 50 of this embodiment is, for example, a two-component epoxy resin adhesive, using silicon carbide particles as a thixotropic agent, a blending viscosity of 10 to 100 Pa · s, and a thixotropic coefficient. 2 to 20 are applicable. In addition, it may be a two-component urethane resin adhesive or a humidity curable silicone resin adhesive. Further, as the thixotropic agent, fluorine resin powder may be used.

[Battery Module Manufacturing Method]
Then, the manufacturing method of the battery module 100 is demonstrated. Specifically, an assembly process for assembling the battery cell 10 in the through hole 30 of the holder 20 in the method for manufacturing the battery module 100 will be described.

  In the assembling process, as shown in FIG. 9, an assembling apparatus 60 including an arm 61, a control unit 62, and a power source 64 is used. First, the battery cell 10 is gripped by the arm 61 of the assembling apparatus 60. An adhesive 50 is attached in advance to the side surface of the end portion of the battery cell 10 on the negative electrode terminal 13 side, that is, the portion disposed in the through hole 30 of the holder 20. The arm 61 holds the end of the battery cell 10 on the positive electrode terminal 12 side so as not to contact the adhesive 50. The thixotropic adhesive 50 is not stirred when it is held by the arm 61, and has a high viscosity when not stirred, so that the problem of dripping hardly occurs. .

  The arm 61 can move in three directions, ie, the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the depth direction in FIG. Therefore, the arm 61 can arrange | position the battery cell 10 in a suitable position according to the through-hole 30 based on the control signal from the control part 62. FIG.

  The arm 61 includes a vibration mechanism 63 that incorporates a laminated piezoelectric element. After the battery cell 10 is held by the arm 61, the assembling device 60 applies a pulse voltage to the vibration mechanism 63 via the power source 64, thereby causing the vibration mechanism 63 to reciprocate in the vertical direction, that is, vertical vibration. generate. This minute vertical vibration is transmitted to the arm 61, and as a result, the battery cell 10 held by the arm 61 moves up and down with a minute movement width.

  In the assembling process, the assembling device 60 inserts the battery cell 10 to which the adhesive 50 is attached into the through hole 30 of the holder 20 while vibrating vertically. More specifically, the end of the battery cell 10 on the negative electrode terminal 13 side is inserted into the through hole 30 from the upper surface 21 side of the holder 20.

  In FIG. 10, the state transition of the assembly | attachment of the battery cell 10 by the assembly | attachment apparatus 60 is shown. First, the assembling apparatus 60 aligns the position of the battery cell 10 with the upper surface opening 31 of the through hole 30 of the holder 20. Then, the assembling device 60 moves the battery cell 10 toward the through hole 30. As a result, the negative electrode terminal 13 of the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30, and the end of the battery cell 10 on the negative electrode terminal 13 side is inserted into the through hole 30 as shown in FIG. . At this time, the adhesive 50 attached to the side surface of the battery cell 10 contacts the protruding portion 40 formed in the through hole 30.

  The adhesive 50 comes into contact with the protrusion 40, and the battery cell 10 moves toward the lower surface opening 32, whereby the adhesive 50 is agitated. Thereby, the shearing of the adhesive 50 is promoted. As a result, the viscosity of the adhesive 50 starts to decrease, the fluidity of the adhesive 50 is improved, and the adhesive 50 is placed in the gap 42 between the battery cell 10 and the protrusion 40 as shown in FIG. Begins to flow. In particular, in this embodiment, since the assembling apparatus 60 is inserted while giving vertical vibration to the battery cell 10, the stirring of the adhesive 50 by the protrusion 40 is promoted, and the fluidity of the adhesive 50 is improved. easy. Therefore, the filling property of the gap 42 between the battery cell 10 and the protrusion 40 or the inner peripheral surface 35 by the adhesive 50 is high.

  Thereafter, as the battery cell 10 is inserted, the adhesive 50 is continuously stirred. As shown in FIG. 10 (3), the gap 42 is formed in the vertical direction and the diameter of the through hole 30 by the adhesive 50 having improved fluidity. Fill gradually in the direction. Alternatively, the intrusion operation may be temporarily stopped, the vertical vibration is continued, the fluidity of the adhesive 50 is improved, and the filling of the gap 42 by the adhesive 50 is promoted, and then the intrusion operation may be resumed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10 (4), the assembling apparatus 60 waits until the negative electrode terminal 13 of the battery cell 10 reaches the lower surface opening 32 after passing through the middle C in the thickness direction of the through hole 30. Then, the vertical vibration by the vibration mechanism 63 is stopped. That is, the application of the pulse voltage to the vibration mechanism 63 is stopped. The insertion operation of the battery cell 10 continues. By stopping the vertical vibration, the adhesive 50 filled in the gap 42 becomes difficult to be stirred, and the viscosity starts to recover. Therefore, it is difficult for the adhesive 50 to flow out from the lower surface opening 32 of the through hole 30.

  Thereafter, the assembling apparatus 60 continues to insert the battery cell 10 with the vertical vibration stopped until the penetration amount of the battery cell 10 reaches the target penetration amount, and as shown in FIG. In the state where the negative electrode terminal 13 is slightly protruded from the lower surface 22 of the holder 20, that is, in the state where the battery cell 10 is arranged from the upper region 35 U to the lower region 35 L of the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30. 10 insertion operation is stopped. Thereafter, the assembly process is completed by waiting for the viscosity of the adhesive 50 to recover. Since the insertion operation of the battery cell 10 is also stopped, the adhesive 50 is not stirred, and the recovery of the viscosity of the adhesive 50 is promoted. At this stage, since the gap 42 is filled with the adhesive 50 having a high viscosity, the surplus adhesive 50 is peeled off from the battery cell 10 and deposited around the upper surface opening 31, thereby further sealing. To improve.

  As described in detail above, the battery module 100 has the protrusion 40 in the upper region 35U on the upper surface opening 31 side of the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30. Therefore, by inserting the battery cell 10 to which the adhesive 50 having thixotropy is inserted into the through hole 30 from the upper surface opening 31 side, the adhesive 50 comes into contact with the protrusion 40, and the adhesive 50 is multidirectional. External force can be applied. Thereby, the adhesive 50 is stirred, the viscosity of the adhesive 50 having thixotropy is temporarily lowered, and the fluidity of the adhesive 50 is ensured. As a result, the adhesive 50 can easily enter the gap between the battery cell 10 and the holder 20, and high sealing performance can be obtained. Further, the battery module 100 does not have the protrusion 40 in the lower region 35L of the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30 on the lower surface opening 32 side. Therefore, when the adhesive 50 is inserted up to the lower surface opening 32 side of the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30, the adhesive 50 is not stirred. Since the adhesive 50 has thixotropy, the viscosity recovers with time if it is not stirred. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the adhesive 50 to flow out of the through hole 30, and as a result, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the secondary battery constituting the battery cell 10 is not limited to a lithium ion battery. In other words, the present invention can be applied to general secondary batteries, and the present invention can also be applied to, for example, nickel metal hydride batteries and nickel cadmium batteries.

  Moreover, although the battery cell 10 of this Embodiment was a cylindrical secondary battery, it is not restricted to a cylindrical type. For example, a square shape may be used, and in this case, the shape of the through hole 30 is also rectangular according to the battery cell. Even in this case, the thixotropic adhesive 50 adheres to the side surface from the upper surface 21 of the holder 20 to the through hole 30 in which the protrusion 40 is formed in the vicinity of the upper surface opening 31 as in the embodiment. By inserting the battery cell 10 thus obtained, the same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, the through hole 30 of the present embodiment is formed in a tapered shape (conical shape) in which the diameter RU of the upper surface opening 31 is larger than the diameter RL of the lower surface opening 32, but the diameter RU of the upper surface opening 31. The shape of which is larger than the diameter RL of the lower surface opening 32 is not limited to the tapered shape. For example, a shape in which two cylindrical holes having different diameters are combined and the cross section is stepped may be used.

  Further, the through hole 30 may have a cylindrical shape in which the diameter RU of the upper surface opening 31 and the diameter RL of the lower surface opening 32 are equal. Even in this case, the thixotropic adhesive 50 adheres to the side surface from the upper surface 21 of the holder 20 to the through hole 30 in which the protrusion 40 is formed in the vicinity of the upper surface opening 31 as in the embodiment. By inserting the battery cell 10 thus obtained, the same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained. However, when the diameter RU of the upper surface opening 31 of the through hole 30 is larger than the diameter RL of the lower surface opening 32 as in the present embodiment, the distance from the battery cell 10 near the lower surface opening 32 becomes narrower. Therefore, the adhesive 50 is less likely to flow out of the through hole 30.

  Further, the protrusion 40 of the present embodiment has a top 41 that is closest to the central axis S of the through hole 30 in the radial direction of the through hole 30, but is outside the lower surface opening 32 of the through hole 30. It may be inside the lower surface opening 32 of the hole 30. Even in this case, the thixotropic adhesive 50 adheres to the side surface from the upper surface 21 of the holder 20 to the through hole 30 in which the protrusion 40 is formed in the vicinity of the upper surface opening 31 as in the embodiment. By inserting the battery cell 10 thus obtained, the same effect as in the embodiment can be obtained. However, if the configuration is such that the virtual line L does not intersect with the protrusion 40 as in the present embodiment, the gap 42 between the battery cell 10 and the protrusion 40 can be secured, and the adhesive 50 in the through hole 30 can be secured. The liquidity of can be secured more.

  In addition, the protrusion 40 according to the present embodiment is provided over the entire upper region 35U of the inner peripheral surface 35 in the thickness direction of the holder 20, but does not have to be the entire region and is provided in the upper region 35U. It only has to be done. For example, the protrusion 40 may be located away from the upper surface opening 31 that is the upper end of the through hole 30. That is, any position may be used as long as the adhesive 50 is agitated and unfilling is suppressed when the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30. In addition, the lower region 35L does not need to be a strictly smooth surface, and may be any configuration as long as the adhesive 50 is not easily stirred and the outflow of the adhesive 50 can be suppressed.

  Further, in the assembly process of the present embodiment, in the first half of insertion, the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30 with the vibration mechanism 63 generating the vertical vibration. Good. That is, even when no vibration is applied, the viscosity of the adhesive 50 is reduced not a little because the battery cell 10 is stirred by the contact between the adhesive 50 and the protrusion 40 when inserted into the through hole 30. A gap between the battery cell 10 and the inner peripheral surface 35 of the through hole 30 can be filled. In addition, since the direction which gives a vibration can stir the adhesive agent 50 continuously and can accelerate | stimulate the fall of the viscosity of the adhesive agent 50, the filling effect of a clearance gap is acquired more.

  In the assembling process of the present embodiment, the vertical vibration is generated by the vibration mechanism 63, but the applied vibration is not limited to the vertical vibration. For example, if the battery cell 10 is cylindrical, the battery cell 10 is moved to the through hole 30 of the holder 20 while rotating the battery cell 10 with respect to the central axis S of the through hole 30 by a vibration mechanism that generates rotational movement. It may be inserted. Moreover, you may combine both a vertical vibration and rotational motion.

  Further, in the assembly process of the present embodiment, in the latter half of the insertion, the battery cell 10 is inserted into the through hole 30 in a state where the vertical vibration by the vibration mechanism 63 is stopped, but the vertical vibration during the insertion is stopped. Is not required. That is, even if the vibration is continuously applied to the target penetration amount, the protrusion 40 is not formed on the lower surface opening 32 side of the through hole 30 and the adhesive 50 is difficult to be stirred. And the adhesive 50 does not easily flow out of the through hole 30. In addition, since the recovery of the viscosity of the adhesive 50 can be accelerated by stopping the vibration in the middle of insertion, the effect of preventing the adhesive 50 from flowing out is further obtained.

  In the assembling process of the present embodiment, the negative electrode terminal 13 of the battery cell 10 passes through the middle C in the thickness direction of the through hole 30 and then reaches the lower surface opening 32 so that the vibration mechanism 63 Although the vertical vibration is stopped, the timing for stopping the vertical vibration is not limited to this. In other words, after the adhesive 50 is brought into contact with the protrusion 40, it may be before the insertion amount of the battery cell 10 reaches the target insertion amount. For example, the lower end of the adhesive 50 is the thickness of the through hole 30. It may be before passing through the middle C of the direction. However, in order to reduce the unfilled portion, it is preferable to continue the vertical vibration at the position in contact with the protrusion 40 and increase the fluidity of the adhesive.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Battery cell 20 Holder 30 Through-hole 31 Upper surface opening part 32 Lower surface opening part 35 Inner peripheral surface 40 Protrusion part 50 Adhesive 60 Assembly apparatus 63 Vibration mechanism 100 Battery module

Claims (10)

A holder,
A battery cell;
A through hole penetrating the holder in a first direction;
A first opening that is an opening on one side of the through hole in the first direction;
A second opening that is an opening on the other side of the through hole in the first direction;
An adhesive having thixotropy and fixing the battery cell to the holder;
With
On the inner peripheral surface of the through hole,
There is a protrusion in the first region, which is a region existing from the first opening toward the second opening,
In the second region, which is a region existing from the first region toward the second opening, there is no protrusion in the circumferential direction,
The battery cell is
Located on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole from the first region to the second region,
The adhesive is
Filling between the protrusion and the battery cell on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole,
A battery module. The battery module according to claim 1,
The through hole has a diameter of the first opening larger than that of the second opening,
The second opening is located inside the protrusion in the radial direction of the through hole;
A battery module. The battery module according to claim 2,
The battery module, wherein the through hole has a tapered shape in which a diameter of the first opening is larger than a diameter of the second opening. A battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The battery module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the protrusions are provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the through hole. A battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
There are a plurality of the through holes in the holder, and one battery cell is located on the inner peripheral surface of each through hole. A battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The battery module is characterized in that the battery cell has a cylindrical shape. In the manufacturing method of the battery module as described in any one of Claims 1-6,
Placing the adhesive on the side of the battery cell;
The battery cell is inserted into the through hole from the side of the first opening of the through hole so that at least a part of the adhesive is accommodated in the through hole of the holder.
A method for manufacturing a battery module. In the manufacturing method of the battery module according to claim 7,
A method for producing a battery module, wherein the battery cell is inserted into the through-hole while vibrating. In the manufacturing method of the battery module according to claim 8,
A method of manufacturing a battery module, wherein the battery cell is vibrated by at least one of a reciprocating motion in the first direction or a rotational motion with respect to a central axis of the through hole. In the manufacturing method of the battery module according to claim 8 or 9,
After the tip of the adhesive in the first direction comes into contact with the protrusion of the through hole, the application of vibration is stopped before the insertion amount of the battery cell reaches the target insertion amount, and then the battery cell A battery module manufacturing method, wherein the battery cell is inserted up to a target penetration amount without applying vibration to the battery.

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