JP2017068972A - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To alleviate an impact applied to a battery due to falling with a very simple structure without enlarging the outer shape of a battery pack and also without arranging a further member for alleviating the impact, thereby effectively preventing occurrence of damage of the battery and connection failure.SOLUTION: A battery pack includes a chargeable/dischargeable battery 1, and an exterior case 2 for housing the battery 1. The exterior case 2 has a holding surface 20 which is provided on the inner surface of the exterior case 2 and holds an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery 1, and a non-contact recessed portion 4 that holds the battery 1 on the holding surface 20 and causes a peripheral edge corner portion 13 to be in non-contact with the inner surface of the corner portion 3 opposed to the peripheral corner portion 13 which is the boundary portion between an end surface 1x and a side surface 1y of the battery 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery pack in which a battery that can be charged and discharged is stored in an outer case, and more particularly to a battery pack having excellent durability against a drop impact.

  With the widespread use of electric devices such as digital cameras and video cameras, battery packs incorporating a chargeable / dischargeable battery are used as power sources for these electric devices. This battery pack can be conveniently used by repeatedly charging the built-in battery. The battery pack is structured to be detachably set on the electric device main body, and can be removed from the electric device main body for convenient carrying, or can be conveniently carried as a spare battery pack. In particular, this type of battery pack is required to have a large capacity in order to be able to use an electric device for a long time. For this reason, the conventional battery pack has a structure in which a battery block formed by stacking a plurality of batteries in a plurality of stages is housed in a plastic outer case. In this battery pack, the output voltage is increased by connecting a plurality of batteries in series, and the use time can be extended by connecting the plurality of batteries in parallel.

  Thus, since the battery pack incorporating a plurality of batteries is heavy, the built-in battery may be damaged when subjected to an impact such as dropping. In particular, battery packs that contain a plurality of batteries in a box-shaped outer case are placed at the corners of the outer case because the impact at the time of dropping is concentrated at one point when dropped from the corner of the case. The end of the is most susceptible to damage. When the battery is formed by closing the opening of the outer can with a sealing plate at the end of the battery, when the impact is applied to this part, the sealing plate or the crimped portion of the outer can is deformed, and the sealing state by the sealing plate is lowered. There is a risk that problems such as leakage of electrolyte or gas from the inside may occur. In the built-in batteries, the lead plates are connected by welding etc. at the electrodes on both end faces. However, if the battery ends receive a strong impact, the connection between the lead plates and the electrodes is damaged. There is also a risk that bad effects such as poor contact and short circuit may occur.

  To solve these problems, a battery pack has been developed that has a hollow space on the outside of the battery housing to absorb the impact when dropped, at the end of the outer case molded from plastic. (Patent Document 1). This structure is characterized in that the impact can be mitigated by absorbing the impact when the battery pack is dropped in a hollow space provided at the end of the exterior case.

  In addition, a battery pack in which an impact buffering portion made of a separate member is arranged in a space formed in a corner portion of the exterior case has been developed (see Patent Document 2). This battery pack is characterized in that the impact received by the end of the battery can be mitigated by absorbing the impact with a plastic impact buffer disposed at the corner.

  Furthermore, a battery pack in which a protective member made of a metal plate or metal wire is arranged at a corner portion of the exterior case has been developed (see Patent Document 3). In this battery pack, the outer case can be mechanically reinforced by a metal protective member disposed at the corner portion of the outer case, and the corner portion of the outer case can be protected from an external impact.

JP 2004-327206 A JP 2014-164815 A JP 2011-198472 A

  However, these battery packs need to form a hollow space at the end portion of the outer case or a space for arranging the shock buffering portion and the protective member in order to absorb the shock acting on the outer case. Therefore, there is a problem that the outer shape of the outer case becomes large. In addition, in battery packs that require separate members such as shock absorbing parts and protective members, the number of parts increases and manufacturing costs increase, and a process for setting these members in place on the exterior case is also required Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to manufacture.

  The present invention has been developed for the purpose of solving the above drawbacks. An important object of the present invention is to relieve the impact received by the battery at the time of dropping with a very simple structure without enlarging the outer shape of the battery pack and without disposing another member for relieving the impact. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery pack that can effectively prevent the occurrence of damage and poor connection.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  The battery pack of the present invention includes a battery 1 that can be charged and discharged and an outer case 2 that houses the battery 1, and the outer case 2 holds an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery 1 that is housed inside. The holding surface 20 is provided on the inner surface of the outer case 2 to hold the battery 1 on the holding surface 20 and to the inner surface of the corner portion 3 facing the peripheral corner portion 13 that is a boundary portion between the end surface 1x and the side surface 1y of the battery 1. The non-contact recessed part 4 which does not contact the peripheral corner part 13 is formed.

  The battery pack according to the present invention has a very simple structure and can effectively prevent the battery from being damaged or poorly connected by reducing the impact received by the battery due to dropping or the like. That is, the battery pack holds the intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery with the holding surface of the inner surface of the outer case, thereby suppressing the movement of the battery in the direction intersecting the holding surface in the outer case, This is because the non-contact concave portion formed on the inner surface of the corner portion facing the peripheral corner portion that is the boundary portion of the side surface prevents the peripheral corner portion of the battery from coming into contact with the inner surface of the corner portion of the outer case. . In the battery pack having this structure, the peripheral corner portion of the battery located at the corner portion of the outer case is held in a non-contact state with respect to the inner surface of the outer case. Even when receiving a strong force from the battery, this force can be prevented from being transmitted directly from the inner surface of the case to the peripheral corner portion of the battery. In other words, the gap in the non-contact recess serves as a cushion and can protect the battery from impact force. Therefore, the battery housed in the outer case is relieved of the impact force acting on the end when dropped or the like, and it is effectively prevented that damage or poor connection occurs.

  In particular, the battery pack according to the present invention forms a non-contact recess on the inner surface of the outer case, which faces the peripheral corner of the battery, so that the outer shape of the outer case is not increased and the impact is reduced. The impact at the time of dropping can be effectively relieved while arranging a very simple structure without arranging another member for relieving the above.

  The battery pack of the present invention is a cylindrical battery 1A or a square battery in which the battery 1 is formed by closing the opening of the outer can 11 with a sealing plate 12, and the outer case 12 is a peripheral corner on the sealing plate 12 side of the battery 1. A non-contact recess 13 can be provided in the corner 3 facing the portion 13.

  Since this battery pack is provided with a non-contact recess in the corner opposite to the peripheral corner on the sealing plate side of the battery, the end on the sealing plate side, which is a closed portion of an outer can that is particularly susceptible to battery damage, is provided. Can be protected effectively.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the outer case 2 includes a plastic main body case 21 that houses the battery 1 and a plastic lid case 25 that closes the opening of the main body case 21, and the main body case 21 has a rectangular shape. And a pair of side wall walls 23Y facing the side surface 1y of the battery 1 and a pair of end surface walls facing the end surface 1x of the battery 1. 23X is connected to form a rectangular cross section, and the non-contact recess 4 can be formed on the inner surface of the corner 3 of the rectangular peripheral wall 23.

  In this battery pack, the main body case for storing the battery has a box shape in which a peripheral wall is connected around the square bottom plate, and a non-contact recess is formed on the inner surface of the corner of the rectangular peripheral wall. The battery can be protected by reliably facing the non-contact concave portion to the peripheral corner portion of the battery stored along.

  The battery pack of the present invention includes a plurality of batteries 1 and can form a battery block 10 by stacking a plurality of batteries 1 in a mutually parallel posture. The peripheral wall 23 includes a holding surface 20 on the inner surface of the side wall 23Y, and the battery blocks 10 are arranged such that the end faces 1x of the batteries 1 are located on the same plane, and are stacked in a plurality of stages on both side faces 1y. The intermediate part of the battery 1 can be brought into contact with the holding surface 20.

  In this battery pack, a plurality of batteries are stacked in parallel with each other and stored as a battery block in the main body case, so that the plurality of batteries can be stored in the main body case easily and easily. Further, the battery block can be accommodated in the main body case while positioning the plurality of batteries by bringing the intermediate portions of the batteries stacked in a plurality of stages on both side surfaces into contact with the holding surface of the side wall of the main body case.

In the battery pack of the present invention, the battery 1 is a cylindrical battery 1A, and the battery block 10 includes a battery holder 5 in which a plurality of cylindrical batteries 1A are arranged vertically and horizontally and are arranged at fixed positions. The cylindrical batteries 1A can be arranged in two rows in the horizontal direction and arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.
In the present specification, the vertical and horizontal directions are specified in the figure. That is, the horizontal direction is the horizontal direction in FIG. 4, and the vertical direction is the vertical direction in FIG.

  In this battery pack, a plurality of cylindrical batteries can be arranged in a fixed position by arranging them vertically and horizontally simply and accurately via a battery holder. In particular, a plurality of cylindrical batteries can be easily accommodated in the outer case while being arranged in two rows in the horizontal direction and arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the battery block 10 connects electrodes on both end faces 1x of a plurality of batteries 1 via lead plates 6, and the end faces 1x of the batteries 1 are connected to the peripheral wall 23 via the lead plates 6. It can be held by the inner surface of the end wall 23X.

  With the above configuration, the end face of the battery is held by the inner surface of the end face wall of the peripheral wall via the lead plate, so that the battery is prevented from moving in the axial direction by the end face wall, and by the impact when the battery pack is dropped, etc. Defects such as damage to the end face of the battery, for example, poor contact of the lead plate, can be reduced.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the non-contact concave portion 4 can be formed in an L shape in cross-section at the corner 3 of the peripheral wall 23 across the side wall 23Y and the end wall 23X.

  In this battery pack, a non-contact concave portion having an L-shape in cross section is formed at the corner of the rectangular peripheral wall so as to straddle the side wall and the end wall, so that the side surface side and the end surface side of the peripheral corner portion of the battery Both can be effectively protected by making both of them non-contact with the peripheral wall.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the non-contact recess 4 can be formed in a groove shape by extending in the depth direction of the main body case 21 at the corner 3 of the peripheral wall 23.

  In this battery pack, the non-contact recesses formed at the corners of the peripheral wall are formed in a groove shape extending in the depth direction of the main body case, so that the peripheral corners of the battery can be used while using a simple structure mold. The non-contact recessed part which opposes a part can be formed reliably.

  Moreover, in the structure which accommodates the battery block formed by stacking a plurality of batteries in a plurality of stages, the battery stacked in a plurality of stages is formed by extending the non-contact recess in the depth direction of the main body case to form a groove shape. The non-contact recessed part which opposes the peripheral corner part of this can be formed easily and reliably.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the non-contact recess 4 can be formed at the four corners of the rectangular peripheral wall 23.

  Since this battery pack forms non-contact recesses at the four corners of the peripheral wall, the peripheral corners of the battery arranged at the corners of the main body case without being influenced by the number, orientation, arrangement, etc. of the batteries to be stored In contrast, the non-contact concave portion can be reliably arranged. In other words, the battery can be stored in the main body case without direction.

  Further, in the structure for storing the battery block formed by stacking a plurality of batteries in a plurality of stages, it is necessary to form the main body case deeply in order to store the battery block having a height. Since the peripheral wall of the main body case becomes high, the peripheral wall on the long side tends to warp inward in the vicinity of the opening as shown by the chain line in FIG. For this reason, in the conventional battery pack, when storing the battery block in the main body case, it is necessary to insert the battery block while spreading the peripheral wall on the long side that warps inward to the outside. There was such a problem. On the other hand, the main body case 21 formed with the non-contact recesses 4 at the four corners of the peripheral wall 23 has the non-contact recesses 4 formed on both sides of the peripheral wall 3 on the long side, and this portion is thinly formed. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 8, the peripheral wall 23 on the long side that warps inward can be easily pushed outward and the battery block can be easily inserted.

  In the battery pack of the present invention, the depth t of the non-contact recess 4 can be set to 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

It is a perspective view which shows the battery pack which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the battery pack of FIG. 1 from the lower side. FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 and is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 and a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 1. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows another example of a non-contact recessed part. It is a bottom view of the main body case shown in FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the battery pack which concerns on other embodiment of this invention from the lower side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a battery pack for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the battery pack as follows. Specifically, the members shown in the claims are by no means specified as the members in the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent members described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to the description unless otherwise specified. It's just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 6, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention is used by being set in an electric device such as a video camera or a digital camera and supplying driving power to these electric devices. Show. However, it is needless to say that the battery pack of the present invention is not limited to electric devices such as video cameras and digital cameras, but can be used as appropriate for other electric devices such as electric tools. Absent.

  1 to 6, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part of the battery pack of FIG. A battery pack 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 includes a battery 1 that can be charged and discharged and an outer case 2 that houses the battery 1.

(Battery 1)
The battery 1 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged. The battery 1 which is a secondary battery uses a lithium ion secondary battery. A lithium ion secondary battery has a high electric capacity per volume, is suitable for downsizing, and is preferable as a portable battery pack. However, the battery is not limited to a lithium ion secondary battery, and may be a rechargeable battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery or a nickel cadmium battery.

  In the battery 1, the opening of a bottomed outer can 11 is closed with a sealing plate 12, and end faces 1 x that are both ends in the axial direction are used as positive and negative electrodes. As shown in FIG. 5, the battery 1 uses positive and negative electrodes at an end surface 1 x that is the bottom surface of the outer can 11 and an end surface 1 x that is the central portion of the sealing plate 12 that closes the outer can 11. In the battery 1, the outer can 11 and the sealing plate 12 are made of metal, and the opening of the outer can 11 is closed with the sealing plate 12 in a state in which they are insulated. The battery 1 insulates the periphery of the outer can 11 in order to prevent the lead plate 5 connected to the electrodes at both ends from causing unintended contact with the outer can 11 and the sealing plate 12 of the other battery 1. It is covered with a tube (not shown).

  The battery pack 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 includes a plurality of batteries 1, and these batteries 1 are stacked in a plurality of stages and stored in the outer case 2 as a battery block 10. The plurality of batteries 1 are arranged in parallel to each other and stacked in a plurality of stages. In the battery pack 100 shown in the figure, the battery 1 is a cylindrical battery 1 </ b> A, and a plurality of cylindrical batteries 1 </ b> A are arranged vertically and horizontally and stacked to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  The battery pack of the present invention is characterized in that, when a strong impact force is applied from the outside due to dropping or the like, the impact acting on the battery accommodated in the outer case is mitigated to protect the accommodated battery. In particular, according to the present invention, the impact received by the battery pack due to dropping or the like is reduced without increasing the outer shape of the outer case that houses the battery and without using another member for reducing the impact. In order to realize this, in the present invention, the outer case that houses the battery has a unique structure. Therefore, the battery pack of the present invention adopts all the batteries that are currently used or will be used in the future for the batteries housed in the outer case and the battery blocks configured by collecting a plurality of batteries. Can do. Hereinafter, the structure of the exterior case will be described in detail.

(Exterior case 2)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the outer case 2 is formed in a shape that has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape. The outer case 2 forms a storage space inside, and the storage space has a size that can store the battery block 10 including the plurality of batteries 1. The outer case 2 has a holding surface 20 that holds an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery 1 housed therein on the inner surface of the outer case 2. The outer case 2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 holds the battery 1 by bringing the side surface 1y of the battery 1 into contact with the holding surface 20. The holding surface 20 shown in FIG. 4 is an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery 1 and is held in contact with a region excluding both end portions. Here, the intermediate part of the battery 1 is an intermediate part excluding both ends of the battery 1, and when the total length (L) of the battery 1 is 1, 2 to 20%, preferably 3 to 10% of both ends. It means the part excluding the area.

  In the present specification, “the holding surface of the outer case holds the middle portion of the battery” is not necessarily limited to the state in which the holding surface of the outer case is always held in contact with the side surface of the battery. For example, even if there is a slight gap between the holding surface of the outer case and the side surface of the battery, the movement of the battery stored in the outer case is suppressed by the holding surface, and the battery is substantially held. Used in a broad sense including state. In other words, the holding surface of the outer case does not need to be held in a state where the middle portion of the battery is always in contact with the battery, and even if there is some clearance, the outer surface of the outer case contacts the middle portion of the battery. It is used in a broad sense including the state where the battery is held in contact. However, the outer case can hold the battery more reliably by bringing the holding surface into contact with the side surface of the battery. Therefore, the outer case preferably holds the battery by bringing the holding surface into contact with the side surface of the battery.

  Further, the outer case 2 is a boundary portion between the end surface 1x and the side surface 1y of the battery 1 in order to prevent an impact force applied to the corner portion of the outer case 2 from directly acting on the end portion of the battery 1 due to dropping or the like. A non-contact concave portion 4 that does not contact the peripheral corner portion 13 is formed on the inner surface of the corner portion 3 facing the peripheral corner portion 13. The outer case 2 holds the intermediate portion of the battery 1 with the holding surface 20 of the outer case 2, thereby suppressing the movement of the battery 1 in the direction intersecting the holding surface 20, and the peripheral corner portion 13 of the battery 1. By forming the non-contact recesses 4 in the corners 3 facing each other, the peripheral corners 13 of the battery 1 are prevented from coming into contact with the inner surfaces of the corners 3 of the outer case 2. For this reason, even when the corner 3 of the outer case 2 receives a strong force from the outside, this force is prevented from being transmitted directly from the inner surface of the outer case 2 to the peripheral corner 13 of the battery 1, thereby The part can be protected.

  The outer case 2 can preferably be provided with a non-contact recess 4 in a corner 3 facing the peripheral corner 13 on the sealing plate 12 side of the battery 1. In the battery 1 formed by closing the opening of the outer can 11 with the sealing plate 12, when a strong impact force is applied to this portion, the sealing state by the sealing plate 12 is lowered, and there is a possibility that the electrolyte or gas leaks from the inside. For this reason, by providing the non-contact concave portion 4 in the corner portion 3 facing the peripheral corner portion 13 on the sealing plate 12 side of the battery 1, the end portion on the sealing plate 12 side where the battery 1 is particularly easily damaged is effectively protected. it can. However, the outer case 2 can also be provided with the non-contact concave portion 4 in the corner portion 3 facing the peripheral corner portion 13 on the can bottom side of the outer can 11. This structure can protect both ends of the battery 1 from impact.

  The outer case 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 includes a main body case 21 that is open at one side and is molded into a box shape that houses the battery 1, and a lid case 25 that closes the opening of the main body case 21. . The main body case 21 and the lid case 25 can be made of a plastic excellent in insulation, for example, polycarbonate.

(Main body case 21)
The main body case 21 has a box shape formed by connecting a peripheral wall 23 around a square bottom plate 22 and has an inner shape that can accommodate the battery block 10. The rectangular bottom plate 22 has a shape and a size along the upper surface 10 </ b> C of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped battery block 10. The peripheral wall 23 is connected to a pair of side walls 23Y facing the side surface 1y of the battery 1 and a pair of end surface walls 23X facing the end surface 1x of the battery 1 to form a rectangular cross section. The peripheral wall 23 is provided with a holding surface 20 that holds the intermediate portion of the battery 1 on the inner surface of the side wall 23Y. The main body case 21 holds the battery 1 in a state in which the side surface 1y of the battery 1 which is both side surfaces 10A of the battery block 10 is in contact with the holding surface 20 of the side wall 23Y in a state where the battery block 10 is housed inside. .

  Further, the main body case 21 holds both end surfaces 10B of the battery block 10 with the inner surfaces of the end surface walls 23X of the peripheral wall 23 in a state in which the battery block 10 is housed therein. The battery block 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has electrodes on both end faces 1x of a plurality of batteries 1 connected via lead plates 6, and the end face 1x of the battery 1 is connected to the end face wall 23X via the lead plates 6. It is held on the inner surface. A main body case 21 shown in FIG. 5 holds the battery 1 in a state where both end surfaces 10B of the battery block 10 are in contact with the inner surface of the end wall 23X. However, the main body case 21 is not necessarily limited to a state in which the inner surface of the end surface wall is always held in contact with the end surface 10B of the battery block 10. As described above, even when there is a slight gap between the inner surface of the end wall 23X and the end surface 10B of the battery block 10, the movement of the battery 1 housed in the main body case 21 is suppressed by the end wall 23X. This is because the battery 1 can be substantially retained.

(Non-contact recess 4)
Further, the main body case 21 has a non-contact recess 4 formed on the inner surface of the corner 3 of the square peripheral wall 23, that is, the inner surface of the boundary portion between the side wall 23Y and the end wall 23X. The non-contact recess 4 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is formed in an L shape in cross section across the side wall 23Y and the end wall 23X at the corner 3 of the peripheral wall 23. The non-contact recessed part 4 which makes a cross-sectional shape L shape is comprised by the end surface part 4X formed in the end surface wall 23X, and the side part 4Y formed in the side wall 23Y. The non-contact concave portion 4 having this shape is configured such that the end surface portion 4X is opposed to the end surface side of the peripheral corner portion 13 and the side surface portion 4Y is opposed to the side surface side so that the peripheral corner portion 13 of the battery 1 is not in contact with the inner surface of the corner portion 3. Arranged in contact. With this structure, both the end surface side and the side surface side of the peripheral corner portion 13 of the battery 1 can be in a non-contact state with respect to the peripheral wall 23, and this portion can be effectively protected.

  In the non-contact concave portion 4 having an L shape in cross-sectional view, the width (h1) of the end surface portion 4X and the width (h2) of the side surface portion 4Y are optimal widths, and the depth (t) of the non-contact concave portion 4 is optimal. It is formed to be deep. The width (h1) of the end face portion 4X can be 3 to 15%, preferably 5 to 12%, with respect to the width (H1) of the end face wall 23X. The width (h1) of the end surface portion 4X is preferably set to a width that allows the inner surface of the end surface wall 23X to be disposed opposite to the lead plate 6 connected to the end surface 1x of the battery 1. Further, the width (h2) of the side surface portion 4Y can be 2 to 15%, preferably 3 to 10%, with respect to the width (H2) of the side wall 23Y. The width (h2) of the side surface portion 4Y is preferably a width that can cover the sealing plate 12 and the area where the crimping portion 14 that holds the sealing plate 12 in place is disposed, particularly on the sealing plate 12 side of the battery 1. .

  Further, the non-contact recess 3 can have a depth (t) of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.2 to 0.4 mm. However, the depth (t) of the non-contact recess 3 can be specified with respect to the wall thickness (d) of the peripheral wall. For example, in the main body case 21, the thickness (d) of the peripheral wall 23 can be set to 1 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1.5 to 2 mm, and the depth (t) of the non-contact recess 3 can be set to the above-described range. When the wall thickness (d) of the peripheral wall 23 is increased, the strength of the case of the main body case 21 increases, but the overall weight increases and the cost increases. Further, when the depth (t) of the non-contact concave portion 4 is increased, the peripheral corner portion 13 can be effectively prevented from contacting the inner surface of the peripheral wall 23, but the strength of the case itself is reduced. Therefore, the main body case 21 is determined so as to optimize the thickness (d) of the peripheral wall 23 and the depth (t) of the non-contact recess 4 in consideration of these matters.

  The non-contact recessed part 4 shown in the enlarged sectional view of FIG. 6 has a tip part of the end face part 4X as a step part 4a and a tip part of the side face part 4Y as a tapered surface 4b. The tapered surface 4b shown in the figure has a shape that gradually becomes deeper from the protective surface 20 of the side wall 23Y toward the corner 3. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the non-contact concave portion 4 may have a stepped portion 4 a at both ends of the end surface portion 4 </ b> X and the side surface portion 4 </ b> Y, or may be provided with a tapered surface at the end portion of the end surface portion. it can.

  Further, the non-contact concave portion 4 shown in FIG. 3 is formed in a groove shape extending in the depth direction of the main body case 21. Since the non-contact concave portion 4 is formed in a groove shape extending in the depth direction, the non-contact concave portion 4 can be reliably disposed at a position facing the peripheral corner portion 13 of the battery 1 while using a mold having a simple structure. In particular, it is possible to easily and reliably form the non-contact recesses 4 facing the peripheral corner portions 13 of the plurality of batteries 1 stacked in a plurality of stages in the state in which the battery block 10 is housed.

  A main body case 21 shown in FIG. 5 has non-contact recesses 4 formed at the four corners of a rectangular peripheral wall 23. This main body case 21 is reliably non-contact recessed part 4 with respect to the peripheral corner part 13 of the battery 1 arrange | positioned in the corner part 3 of the surrounding wall 23, without being influenced by the number, direction, arrangement | sequence, etc. of the battery accommodated. Can be placed.

  Further, the main body case 21 for storing the battery block 10 formed by stacking a plurality of batteries 1 in a plurality of stages is formed deep to store the battery block 10 having a height. Since the peripheral wall 23 becomes high, as shown by a chain line in FIG. 8, the side wall 23 </ b> Y that is the long side peripheral wall 23 tends to warp inward in the vicinity of the opening. For this reason, in the conventional battery pack, when storing the battery block in the main body case, it is necessary to insert the battery block while spreading the peripheral wall on the long side that warps inward to the outside. There was such a problem.

  On the other hand, in the battery pack of the present invention, the non-contact concave portion 4 is formed in the corner 3 of the peripheral wall 23. Therefore, the peripheral wall on the long side is made outward by forming the non-contact concave portion 4 in a planned manner. Easy to spread. For example, the main body case 21 forms the non-contact recesses 4 extending in the depth direction at the corners 3 located on both sides of the side wall 23Y which is the long side, thereby thinning both side edges of the side wall 23Y. The side wall 23Y can be easily spread outward. For this reason, the battery block 10 can be easily inserted into the main body case 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the main body case 21 formed by forming the non-contact recesses 4 at the four corners of the rectangular peripheral wall 23 deforms the opposing side wall 23Y to both outer sides as shown by the arrows in the figure. The battery block 10 can be inserted easily. Therefore, this battery pack can improve the working efficiency by simply and easily inserting the battery block 10 into the main body case 21 having a depth.

(Lid case 25)
The lid case 25 has a shape along the opening edge of the main body case 21 and is formed into a shallow box shape in which a low peripheral wall 27 is provided around a square bottom plate 26. The lid case 25 has a depth that can accommodate the circuit board 7 disposed on the bottom surface 10D of the battery block 10, but has a height at which the side surface 1y of the cylindrical battery 1A disposed at the lowermost level does not come into contact. In the main body case 21, the circuit board 7 is disposed on the bottom side of the battery block 10 located in the opening with the battery block 10 housed inside. The lid case 25 is connected to the main body case 21 while guiding a part of the battery 1 located at the lowest stage of the battery block 10 and the circuit board 7 disposed on the bottom surface 10D of the battery block 10 to the inside. The opening of the case 21 is closed.

  The lid case 25 is provided with a peripheral wall 27 around the bottom plate 26 that covers the circuit board 7, and the distal end edge of the peripheral wall 27 is connected and fixed to the opening edge of the main body case 21. The lid case 25 opens a terminal window 34 for exposing the connection terminal 33 fixed to the circuit board 7 to the outside. The lid case 25 shown in FIG. 3 has a terminal window 34 opened at one end thereof in a slit shape. The lid case 25 causes the connection terminal 33 fixed to the built-in circuit board 7 to be exposed to the outside from the terminal window 34 in a state in which the opening of the main body case 21 is closed.

  The main body case 21 and the lid case 25 are fixed by ultrasonic welding of the peripheral walls 23 and 27 to each other, and the battery block 10 and the circuit board 7 are incorporated therein. The main body case 21 and the lid case 25 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are ultrasonically welded to the opposing peripheral walls 23 and 27 without being displaced, so that the engaging claw 30 and the engaging portion 31 are connected to the connecting portion to be ultrasonically welded. Is provided. The main body case 21 is provided with a welding rib 24 extending downward along the lower end edge of the peripheral wall 23. The welding rib 24 is provided on the inner side of the tip so as to project a plurality of locking claws 30. The lid case 25 is provided with a connecting piece 28 for guiding the engaging claw 30 on the inner side of the distal end portion of the peripheral wall 27, and forms a locking portion 31 for locking the engaging claw 30 to the connecting piece 28. The outer case 2 having this structure is ultrasonically welded by ultrasonically vibrating the connecting portion between the main body case 21 and the lid case 25 in a state where the locking claw 30 is guided to the locking portion 31. However, the main body case and the lid case can be bonded and fixed, or can be connected by a locking structure.

(Installation guide 35)
Furthermore, the exterior case 2 includes a mounting guide 35 so that when the battery pack is connected to the electric device, the outer case 2 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion of the electric device while sliding in a correct posture. The exterior case 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is provided with a plurality of mounting convex portions 35A that are guided by mounting recesses (not shown) provided in the mounting portion of the electric device so as to protrude from both side surfaces of the lid case 25. Yes. The mounting convex portion 35A is guided by a mounting recess (not shown) provided in the mounting portion of the electric device, and the battery pack is set at a fixed position of the electric device. Further, the connection terminal 33 exposed from the terminal window 34 is electrically connected to a device-side connection terminal (not shown) of the electric device in a state where the battery pack is set at a fixed position of the electric device.

(Battery block 10)
The battery pack 100 shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 includes eight cylindrical batteries 1A, and the battery block 10 is formed by stacking the eight cylindrical batteries 1A in two rows and four stages so that the outer shape is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. It is said. Note that the number of batteries constituting the battery block is not limited to 8, but may be 7 or less, or 9 or more. Here, the even number of cylindrical batteries 1A can be arranged in two rows and stacked in a plurality of stages. For example, as in the battery pack 200 shown in FIG. 9, four cylindrical batteries 1A can be stacked and arranged in two rows and two stages. Alternatively, although not shown, the six cylindrical batteries 1A can be stacked in two rows and three stages. In the present invention, the battery to be stored is not specified as a cylindrical battery. A square battery can also be used as the battery. A plurality of prismatic batteries can be stacked in the thickness direction to form a battery block.

(Battery holder 5)
The battery block 10 includes a battery holder 5 in which a plurality of batteries 1 are arranged vertically and horizontally and arranged at a fixed position. The battery holder 5 is formed of plastic so that the plurality of cylindrical batteries 1A can be placed in place while being insulated. The battery holder 5 is provided between the adjacent batteries 1 and includes an insulating wall 50 that insulates the adjacent batteries 1 from each other. The battery block 10 shown in FIG. 4 has eight cylindrical batteries 1A arranged in two rows and four columns. Therefore, the insulating wall 50 of the battery holder 5 includes a vertical insulating part 51 disposed between the batteries 1 positioned on the left and right sides, and a horizontal insulating part 52 disposed between the batteries 1 positioned on the top and bottom. .

  The vertical insulating portion 51 has a curved plate portion 51A having a curved surface along the curved surface of the cylindrical battery 1A facing one side, and a plurality of vertical insulators arranged in a posture crossing the cylindrical battery 1A facing the opposite side surface. And a rib 51B. The plurality of vertical ribs 51 </ b> B are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the battery 1 and have curved concave portions that are shaped along the curved surface of the corresponding cylindrical battery 1 </ b> A. The vertical insulating portion 51 has one battery 1 on the left and right arranged along a curved surface on one side of the curved plate portion 51A, and the other battery 1 arranged along a curved concave portion of the vertical rib 51B at a fixed position. The structure can be made. The battery holder 5 shown in the figure has the vertical insulating parts 51 arranged between the horizontal insulating parts 52 and arranged vertically so that the left and right batteries 1 are alternately reversed in the left and right directions. Yes.

  The lateral insulating portion 52 has a flat plate shape, and its tip does not protrude from the side surface 1y of the battery 1 located on the outermost side. Further, the lateral insulating portion 52 is provided with a Y-shaped holding portion 53 along the curved surface of the battery 1 at a position facing the both end portions of the battery 1 at the front end thereof. The Y-shaped holding part 53 forms a curved part along the curved surface of the battery 1 on both upper and lower surfaces, and positions one curved part in contact with the upper surface of the battery 1 arranged in the lower stage, The other curved portion is positioned in contact with the upper surface of the battery 1 arranged in the upper stage.

  Furthermore, the battery holder 5 includes a bottom surface insulating portion 54 that holds the lower surface of the battery 1 disposed at the lowest level while positioning. The bottom surface insulating portion 54 forms a curved portion on the upper surface, and holds the lower surface of the battery 1 arranged at the lowermost position in a fixed position.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the battery block 2 has a plurality of batteries 1 arranged vertically and horizontally via a battery holder 5 and a predetermined arrangement via lead plates 6 connected to both end faces 1x. Is electrically connected. 2 and 3, two vertically adjacent batteries 1 are stacked in the same direction, and opposite electrodes of these batteries 1 are connected by a lead plate 6 to be parallel to each other. Connected to. Furthermore, the connection bodies of the batteries 1 connected in parallel with each other are connected in series with each other, and the eight batteries 1 are connected in parallel with four series. However, the present invention does not specify the number of batteries constituting the battery block and the connection state thereof. For example, in the battery pack 200 shown in FIG. 9, four batteries 1 are connected in series.

(Lead plate 6)
The lead plate 6 is a flat metal plate having excellent conductivity and is connected to the end face 1 x of the battery 1. The lead plate 6 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is arranged at both ends of a plurality of batteries 1 connected in series, and an output lead plate 6A from which the output of the battery block 10 is taken out, and four batteries 1 in parallel with each other. And an intermediate lead plate 6B connected in series. The intermediate lead plate 6 </ b> B extends the detection lead portion 6 a for extracting the intermediate potential to the circuit board 7. The lead plate 6 shown in the figure is connected to the electrode of the battery 1 by spot welding, and the output lead plate 6A and the detection lead portion 6a are extended to the circuit board 7 and connected to the circuit board 7.

(Circuit board 7)
The circuit board 7 is an insulating board and is disposed to face the bottom surface 10D of the battery block 2 as shown in FIG. The circuit board 7 is connected to the lead plate 6 drawn from the battery block 10. Furthermore, the circuit board 7 is mounted with an electronic component that realizes a protection circuit for the battery 1. The protection circuit controls the charge / discharge current so that the voltage, remaining capacity, and temperature of the battery 1 are in a preset range. Furthermore, the circuit board 7 includes a remaining capacity detection circuit (not shown) that detects the remaining capacity of the battery 1. The remaining capacity detection circuit calculates the remaining capacity from the voltage and current of the battery 1 and displays the remaining capacity of the battery pack on the display unit 16.

(Sub circuit board 15, display unit 16)
In the battery pack 100 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the sub circuit board 15 that realizes the display unit 16 is arranged on the upper surface of the battery block 10. The sub circuit board 15 has a plurality of LEDs 16 </ b> A for displaying the remaining capacity of the battery 1 or the like as the display unit 16 mounted on the upper surface. In the sub circuit board 5 shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of LEDs 16 </ b> A are arranged to face a plurality of display windows 36 provided on the bottom plate 22 of the main body case 21. The sub-circuit board 15 shown in FIG. 2 has four LEDs mounted thereon, and displays the remaining capacity of the battery 1 by controlling the lighting state. The sub circuit board 15 is connected to the circuit board 7 via a bendable harness 18.

(Operation switch 17)
Further, the operation switch 17 is also mounted on the sub circuit board 15 shown in FIG. The operation switch 17 is a switch for causing the display unit 16 to display the state of the battery 1. The display unit 16 is normally in an OFF state, and when the operation switch 17 is pressed, the display is performed for a fixed time, and the display returns to the OFF state after the fixed time has elapsed. An operation button 37 is disposed on the outer surface of the bottom plate 22 of the main body case 21 on the surface of the outer case 2. The operation button 37 is disposed adjacent to the display window of the LED 16A. The operation button 37 is connected to the operation button 17 so as to press the operation switch 17 mounted on the sub circuit board 15.

(Connection terminal 33)
Furthermore, the battery pack 100 includes a plurality of connection terminals 33 as electrical connection portions for electrical connection with externally connected electrical devices. The connection terminal 33 is fixed to the circuit board 7. The plurality of connection terminals 33 include a positive / negative output terminal 33A connected to the output side of the battery 1 built in the battery pack 100, and a signal terminal 33B for outputting information on the protection circuit, for example, battery temperature and battery information. Consists of. As shown in FIG. 3, the connection terminal 33 is exposed to the outside through a terminal window 34 opened in the lid case 25 of the exterior case 2. Although not shown, the connection terminal 33 is electrically connected to a device side connection terminal provided in a mounting portion of the electrical device.

(Cushion material 19)
Further, the battery block 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 has a cushion material 19 fixed to the upper surface 10 </ b> C facing the bottom plate 22 of the main body case 21. The cushion material 19 is a urethane resin or silicon resin excellent in cushioning properties. In the battery block 10 shown in the drawing, two rows of cushion materials 19 are arranged on the upper surface 10C. The cushion material 19 has a belt shape extending in the axial direction of the battery 1 and is fixed to each of the batteries 1 arranged on the left and right. The cushion material 19 absorbs the clearance between the upper surface 10C of the battery block 10 and the bottom plate 22 of the main body case 21 to hold the battery block 10 at a fixed position of the main body case 21, and also absorbs external shock and vibration. Thus, the battery block 10 can be protected.

  Although not shown, the battery pack 100 described above is connected to an electrical device such as a digital camera or a video camera, and supplies power from the built-in battery 1 to the electrical device. In addition, the battery pack 100 charges the built-in battery 1 with electric power supplied via an electric device to which a charging adapter is connected, or with electric power placed on the charging base and supplied from the charging base. .

  The battery pack according to the present invention is suitably used as a portable battery pack that is set in an electric device such as a video camera or a digital camera and supplies electric power to these electric devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200 ... Battery pack 1 ... Battery 1A ... Cylindrical battery 1x ... End face 1y ... Side face 2 ... Exterior case 3 ... Corner part 4 ... Non-contact recessed part 4X ... End face part 4Y ... Side face part 4a ... Step part 4b ... Tapered surface 5 ... Battery holder 6 ... Lead plate 6A ... Output lead plate 6B ... Intermediate lead plate 6a ... Detection lead 7 ... Circuit board 10 ... Battery block 10A ... Side face 10B ... End face 10C ... Top face 10D ... Bottom face 11 ... Exterior can 12 ... Sealing plate 13 ... Peripheral corner 14 ... Caulking part 15 ... Sub circuit board 16 ... Display part 16A ... LED
17 ... Operation switch 18 ... Harness 19 ... Cushion material 20 ... Holding surface 21 ... Main body case 22 ... Bottom plate 23 ... Peripheral wall 23X ... End wall 23Y ... Side wall 24 ... Welding rib 25 ... Lid case 26 ... Bottom plate 27 ... Peripheral wall 28 ... Connecting piece 30 ... locking claw 31 ... locking part 33 ... connection terminal 33A ... output terminal 33B ... signal terminal 34 ... terminal window 35 ... mounting guide 35A ... mounting convex part 36 ... display window 37 ... operation button 50 ... insulating wall 51 ... vertical insulating part 51A ... curved plate part 51B ... vertical rib 52 ... horizontal insulating part 53 ... Y-shaped holding part 54 ... bottom insulating part

Claims (10)

A battery pack comprising a battery that can be charged and discharged, and an outer case that houses the battery,
The outer case has a holding surface that holds an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the battery accommodated in the inner surface of the outer case, holds the battery on the holding surface, and also has an end surface and a side surface of the battery. A battery pack in which a non-contact concave portion that does not contact the peripheral corner portion is formed on the inner surface of the corner portion that opposes the peripheral corner portion that is a boundary portion of the battery pack. The battery pack according to claim 1,
The battery is a cylindrical battery or a rectangular battery in which an opening of an outer can is closed with a sealing plate, and the outer case is in non-contact with a corner facing the peripheral corner on the sealing plate side of the battery. A battery pack comprising a recess. The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2,
The outer case is composed of a plastic main case for housing the battery and a plastic lid case for closing the opening of the main case,
The main body case has a box shape formed by connecting a peripheral wall around a rectangular bottom plate, and the peripheral wall has a pair of side walls facing the side surface of the battery and a pair of end surfaces facing the battery. The cross-sectional shape is connected to the end face wall to make a square shape,
A battery pack formed by forming the non-contact recesses on the inner surfaces of the corners of the rectangular peripheral wall. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein
A plurality of the batteries are provided, and the plurality of batteries are stacked in a parallel posture to form a battery block.
The peripheral wall includes the holding surface on the inner surface of the side wall,
The battery block is a battery pack in which end surfaces of the respective batteries are arranged on the same plane, and on both side surfaces, intermediate portions of the batteries stacked in a plurality of stages are brought into contact with the holding surface. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein
The battery is a cylindrical battery, and the battery block includes a battery holder for arranging the plurality of cylindrical batteries vertically and horizontally and arranged in a fixed position,
A battery pack in which the battery holder is formed by arranging the plurality of cylindrical batteries in two rows in the horizontal direction and in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. The battery pack according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The battery block includes a battery pack in which electrodes on both end faces of the plurality of batteries are connected via a lead plate, and an end face of the battery is held on an inner surface of an end face wall of the peripheral wall via the lead plate. . The battery pack according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
The battery pack in which the non-contact recess is formed in an L shape in a cross-sectional view across the side wall and the end wall at the corner of the peripheral wall. The battery pack according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
The battery pack in which the non-contact recess is formed in a groove shape at a corner of the peripheral wall, extending in the depth direction of the main body case. The battery pack according to any one of claims 3 to 8,
A battery pack in which the non-contact recesses are formed at four corners of the rectangular peripheral wall. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A battery pack in which the non-contact recess has a depth of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

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