JP2019160711A - Power storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power storage device that can suppress swelling of a plurality of power storage elements with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A power storage device 1 includes N storage elements 20 arranged in the X-axis direction (N is an integer of 3 or more), and a regulating member 40 arranged for a power storage element group consisting of two or more and N-1 or less power storage elements 20 in a row from among the N power storage elements 20. The regulating member 40 includes a pair of wall portions 42 that is disposed on both sides of the power storage element group in the X-axis direction and collectively sandwiches the power storage element group, and a connection portion 41 that connects the pair of wall portions 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3C

Description

  The present invention relates to a power storage device including a plurality of power storage elements.

  Conventionally, a power storage device including a plurality of power storage elements is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a battery pack that includes an assembled battery in which a plurality of prismatic battery cells are stacked in the thickness direction and an assembled battery case that houses the assembled battery. In this battery pack, the battery pack is provided with a pair of constraining plates that abut each of the square battery cells positioned at both ends in the stacking direction. Further, the pair of restraint plates are connected to each other by a connecting rod arranged above or below the square battery cells so that all the square battery cells between the pair of restraint plates are pressed. ing. Patent Document 1 describes that the above configuration can prevent the expansion of each prismatic battery cell constituting the assembled battery.

JP 2001-236937 A

  Suppression of the swelling of each power storage element in a power storage element array composed of a plurality of power storage elements can lead to, for example, a defect in the container of each power storage element or a problem in an exterior body that houses the power storage element array. Therefore, suppression of the swelling of each power storage element in the power storage element array is important from the viewpoint of improving the reliability of the power storage device. In response to this problem, for example, when adopting a configuration in which the entire plurality of power storage elements included in the power storage device is constrained from both sides in the stacking direction as in the conventional battery pack, a pair disposed on both sides of the power storage element array And a connecting member for connecting a pair of plates. As a result, problems such as an increase in the weight of the power storage device or an increase in the size of the power storage device may occur. Further, in the power storage element array, for example, due to the relationship between each power storage element and another member (such as a bus bar or an exterior body), a part that easily swells and a part that does not easily swell can be mixed. Therefore, it is not easy to construct a configuration for effectively suppressing the swelling of each storage element in the storage element array.

  The present invention has been made by the inventor of the present application newly paying attention to the above-described problem, and is an electricity storage device including a plurality of electricity storage elements, which suppresses swelling of the plurality of electricity storage elements with a simple configuration. It is an object to provide a power storage device that can be used.

  To achieve the above object, a power storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes N power storage elements arranged in a first direction (N is an integer greater than or equal to 3) and the N power storage elements. A regulating member arranged for a power storage element group consisting of two or more and N-1 or less power storage elements arranged in series, wherein the regulating member is the first member of the power storage element group. It has a pair of wall part which is arrange | positioned at the both sides of a direction and pinches | interposes the said electrical storage element group collectively, and a connection part which connects a pair of said wall part.

  According to the power storage device of this aspect, it is possible to partially dispose the regulating member with respect to the power storage element array composed of N power storage elements. In other words, in the storage element array, for example, when there is a portion that is relatively easy to swell due to a relationship with other members (such as a bus bar and an exterior body) (a portion where the distance between the storage elements is easy to spread), By disposing the restricting member with respect to the above power storage elements, the swelling of the power storage element array as a whole is suppressed. That is, according to the power storage device according to this aspect, it is possible to dispose the restricting member not at the entire power storage element array but at a portion where it is necessary to suppress swelling or can effectively suppress swelling. As described above, the power storage device according to this embodiment is a power storage device that can suppress swelling of a plurality of power storage elements with a simple configuration.

  The power storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a bus bar that electrically connects two power storage elements arranged in succession among the N power storage elements. Each has an electrode terminal to which the bus bar is joined at one end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the power storage element group includes the two power storage elements, and the regulating member is The two storage elements may be arranged in a posture in which the connection portion is positioned on the other end side in the second direction.

  According to this configuration, for example, the restricting member is disposed so as to sandwich the end portions of the two power storage elements arranged in series that are not connected to each other by the bus bar in a plan view. be able to.

  Further, in the power storage device according to one aspect of the present invention, in each of the two power storage elements, the electrode terminal is disposed at one end in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The regulating member is located on the other end side in the second direction of the two power storage elements, and on the other end side in the third direction. It is good also as arrange | positioning with the position which is located.

  According to this configuration, for example, when the electrode terminals are arranged on the upper surfaces of the two power storage elements and these electrode terminals are joined to one bus bar, the two power storage elements are regulated below the two power storage elements. A member is placed. Thereby, the swelling of a plurality of power storage elements can be effectively suppressed.

  In the power storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the N power storage elements has a rectangular shape having a short side surface and a long side surface, and the short side surface is parallel to the first direction. The regulating members may be arranged in a posture, and the connecting member may be arranged in a posture along the short side surface of each of the power storage element groups.

  According to this configuration, the connecting portion that connects the pair of wall portions extends in the direction in which the storage element group to be suppressed from swelling is likely to swell (the arrangement direction of the long side surfaces). Restraining of the storage element group, that is, suppression of swelling is effectively performed.

  In the power storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the pair of wall portions may be disposed between the power storage element group and a power storage element adjacent to the power storage element group.

  According to this configuration, for example, when at least one power storage element swells, the force acts as a force sandwiching each of the pair of wall portions. Therefore, the restraining force by the connecting portion that connects the pair of wall portions effectively acts as a force that suppresses the swelling of the power storage element group. That is, it is possible to improve the certainty of suppressing the swelling of the power storage element group by using the force that causes the power storage elements to swell.

  Note that the present invention can also be realized as a regulating member disposed in a storage element array formed by arranging N or more storage elements.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electrical storage apparatus which can suppress the swelling of a several electrical storage element with simple structure can be provided.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the electrical storage apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows each component at the time of decomposing | disassembling the electrical storage apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a 1st top view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on embodiment, and a control member. It is a 2nd top view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on embodiment, and a control member. It is a 3rd top view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on embodiment, and a control member. It is a 1st side view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on embodiment, and a control member. It is a 2nd side view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on embodiment, and a control member. It is a side view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on the modification 1 of embodiment, and a control member. It is a bottom view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column and regulation member which concern on the modification 1 of embodiment. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the electrical storage element row | line | column which concerns on the modification 2 of embodiment, and a control member. It is a perspective view which shows the shape of the control member which concerns on the modification 3 of embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention (including modifications thereof) will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below shows a comprehensive or specific example. Numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement positions and connection forms of constituent elements, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept are described as optional constituent elements. In each drawing, dimensions and the like are not strictly illustrated.

  In the following description and drawings, the direction in which the power storage elements are arranged, the direction in which the long side surfaces of the containers of the power storage elements are opposed, or the thickness direction of the containers is defined as the X-axis direction. In addition, the direction in which the electrode terminals are arranged in one power storage element or the facing direction of the short side surface of the container of the power storage element is defined as the Y-axis direction. In addition, the direction in which the main body portion and the outer lid in the exterior body of the power storage device are aligned, the direction in which the power storage element and the bus bar are aligned, or the vertical direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. These X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are directions that intersect with each other (hereinafter, orthogonal in the embodiment and its modifications). Although the case where the Z-axis direction does not become the vertical direction may be considered depending on the usage mode, the Z-axis direction will be described below as the vertical direction for convenience of explanation. In the following description, for example, the X axis direction plus side indicates the arrow direction side of the X axis, and the X axis direction minus side indicates the opposite side to the X axis direction plus side. The same applies to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

(Embodiment)
[General description of power storage device]
First, a general description of the power storage device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a power storage device 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing each component when the power storage device 1 according to the embodiment is disassembled.

  The power storage device 1 is a device that can charge electricity from the outside and discharge electricity to the outside. For example, the power storage device 1 is a battery module used for power storage use or power supply use. Specifically, the power storage device 1 is, for example, an automobile such as an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a motorcycle, a watercraft, a snowmobile, an agricultural machine, a construction It is used as a battery for driving a moving body such as a machine or starting an engine.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power storage device 1 includes a plurality of power storage elements 20 and an exterior body 10 that houses the plurality of power storage elements 20. In the present embodiment, eight power storage elements 20 are accommodated in the outer package 10. The number of power storage elements 20 included in the power storage device 1 is not limited to eight. The power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment only needs to include N (N is an integer of 3 or more) power storage elements 20.

  The exterior body 10 includes a main body 12 that houses a plurality of power storage elements 20, a bus bar plate 17 that is disposed above the plurality of power storage elements 20, and an outer lid 11 that is disposed so as to cover the top of the bus bar plate 17. have. A plurality of bus bars 33 are held on the bus bar plate 17, and the plurality of bus bars 33 are covered with bus bar covers 60 and 70. A connection unit 80 including a control circuit and the like is disposed between the bus bar plate 17 and the outer lid 11.

  The exterior body 10 is a rectangular (box-shaped) container (module case) that constitutes the exterior body of the power storage device 1. That is, the exterior body 10 is a member that fixes the plurality of power storage elements 20, the bus bar plate 17 and the like at predetermined positions and protects these elements from impacts and the like.

  The outer lid 11 included in the exterior body 10 is a rectangular member that closes the opening of the main body 12, and includes an external terminal 91 on the positive electrode side and an external terminal 92 on the negative electrode side. The external terminals 91 and 92 are electrically connected to the plurality of power storage elements 20 via the connection unit 80 and the bus bar 33, and the power storage device 1 receives electricity from the outside via the external terminals 91 and 92. Charge and discharge electricity to the outside. The external terminals 91 and 92 are formed of a metal conductive member such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, for example. The main body 12 is a bottomed rectangular cylindrical housing (housing) in which an opening is formed, and houses the power storage element 20 and the like.

  Further, the main body 12, the bus bar plate 17 and the outer lid 11 of the outer package 10 are made of, for example, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), tetrafluoro, or the like. It is made of an insulating material such as ethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or poly ether sulfone (PES). Thus, the outer package 10 avoids the storage element 20 and the like from coming into contact with an external metal member or the like.

  The storage element 20 is a secondary battery (unit cell) that can charge and discharge electricity, and more specifically, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. . The power storage element 20 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape (square shape), and in this embodiment, eight power storage elements 20 are arranged in the X-axis direction. In the present embodiment, eight power storage elements 20 arranged in this way are handled as a power storage element array 25.

  The storage element 20 is not limited to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and may be a secondary battery other than a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, a capacitor, or a user charging a battery. The battery may be a primary battery that can use the stored electricity without having to perform the operation. Further, the electricity storage element 20 may be a battery using a solid electrolyte. Moreover, the shape of the electrical storage element 20 is not limited to a square shape, and may be a cylindrical shape, a long cylindrical shape, or a polygonal column shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped.

  Specifically, the electricity storage element 20 includes a metal container 21, and a metal electrode terminal 22 (a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal) is provided on the lid portion of the container 21. The container 21 has a rectangular shape and has a pair of long side surfaces 21a and a pair of short side surfaces 21b. The electrode terminal 22 (positive electrode terminal and negative electrode terminal) is disposed so as to protrude from the lid portion of the container 21 toward the bus bar plate 17 (upward, that is, toward the Z axis direction plus side). The electrode terminal 22 is connected to the external terminals 91 and 92 via at least one bus bar 33 and the connection unit 80, whereby the power storage device 1 charges electricity from the outside and discharges electricity to the outside. be able to. The lid portion of the container 21 may be provided with a liquid injection part for injecting an electrolytic solution. In addition, an electrode body (also referred to as a power storage element or a power generation element), a current collector (a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode current collector), and the like are disposed inside the container 21, and an electrolytic solution (non-aqueous electrolyte) or the like is provided. Although it is enclosed, detailed description is omitted.

  The bus bar 33 is a rectangular plate-like member that is disposed on the at least two power storage elements 20 while being held by the bus bar plate 17 and electrically connects the electrode terminals 22 of the at least two power storage elements 20. is there. The bus bar 33 is formed of a conductive member made of metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, for example. In the present embodiment, two sets of power storage elements 20 are connected in parallel using five bus bars 33 to form four sets of power storage element groups, and the four sets of power storage element groups are connected in series. Connected.

  The connection unit 80 is a unit having a plurality of bus bars, a control board, and the like, and connects a power storage element group including eight power storage elements 20 to the external terminals 91 and 92. The control board included in the connection unit 80 has a plurality of electrical components, and a detection circuit for detecting the state of each storage element 20 and a control circuit for controlling charging and discharging are formed by the plurality of electrical components. Yes. In the present embodiment, the connection unit 80 is fixed to the bus bar plate 17.

  The bus bar plate 17 is a member that holds the bus bar 33. More specifically, the bus bar plate 17 is a member that holds the plurality of bus bars 33, the connection unit 80, and other wirings (not shown), and can regulate the positions of these members. In addition, the bus bar plate 17 is provided with a plurality of bus bar openings 17 a that hold each of the plurality of bus bars 33 and expose a part of each of the plurality of bus bars 33 to the plurality of power storage elements 20. .

  Each of the bus bar covers 60 and 70 is a resin member that covers the plurality of bus bars 33 from above. For example, the bus bar covers 60 and 70 have a role of electrically insulating the plurality of bus bars 33 and the connection unit 80.

  The power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a regulating member 40. The regulating member 40 is a member that is disposed with respect to a part of the power storage element row 25 and includes a pair of wall portions 42 that are sandwiched together and a connection portion 41 that connects the pair of wall portions 42. . The regulating member 40 is arranged in a state in which a pair of wall portions 42 sandwich a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) power storage elements 20, so that the plurality of power storage elements 20 swell (distance between the power storage elements 20). Spread).

  In addition, as a raw material of the regulating member 40, for example, an insulating material such as polycarbonate (PC), PP, PE, PPS, PEEK, PFA, PTFE, PBT, or PES, and an insulating material containing glass fiber or the like are used. A composite material is exemplified. Moreover, the regulating member 40 may be formed of, for example, a metal plate such as iron or stainless steel, or a plate-like member obtained by coating the metal plate with an insulating material.

[Arrangement position of restriction member]
Next, an example of the arrangement position of the regulating member 40 and the function of the regulating member 40 in the power storage device 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 4B.

  FIG. 3A is a first plan view showing a positional relationship between the storage element row 25 and the regulating member 40 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3B shows a relationship between the storage element row 25 and the regulating member 40 according to the embodiment. It is a 2nd top view which shows a positional relationship. FIG. 3C is a third plan view showing a positional relationship between the storage element row 25 and the regulating member 40 according to the embodiment according to the embodiment.

  FIG. 4A is a first side view showing a positional relationship between the power storage element row 25 and the regulating member 40 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4B shows a relationship between the power storage element row 25 and the regulating member 40 according to the embodiment. It is a 2nd side view which shows a positional relationship.

  3A to 4B, in order to clearly show the positional relationship between the storage element array 25 and the regulating member 40, the regulating member 40 is illustrated with a dot and a large wall thickness. Shows a simplified shape. Further, in order to distinguish each of the eight power storage elements 20 included in the power storage element row 25, different symbols (20a to 20h) are given. Similarly, the three restricting members 40 are also given different signs (40A to 40C). Similarly, the five bus bars 33 in FIGS. 3C to 4B are also given different symbols (33a to 33e). These supplementary matters regarding FIGS. 3A to 4B also apply to FIGS. 5A to 6 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A to 4B, three regulating members 40 are arranged in the power storage element row 25 according to the present embodiment. Each of the three regulating members 40 is disposed so as to sandwich two power storage elements 20 that are continuously arranged in the power storage element row 25.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a regulating member 40A is arranged for the power storage elements 20b and 20c, a regulating member 40B is arranged for the power storage elements 20d and 20e, and the power storage elements 20f and 20g. In contrast, a restricting member 40C is arranged.

  As a result, the regulating member 40A is in a state where the power storage elements 20b and 20c are collectively sandwiched between the pair of wall portions 42, and the regulation member 40B is in a state where the power storage elements 20d and 20e are collectively sandwiched between the pair of wall portions 42. Become. In addition, the regulating member 40C is in a state where the power storage elements 20f and 20g are collectively sandwiched between the pair of wall portions 42. The state in which a plurality of power storage elements 20 arranged in a row is sandwiched between a pair of wall portions 42 means, for example, that there are wall portions 42 on both sides in the arrangement direction of the plurality of power storage devices 20 and a plurality of There is substantially no wall portion that restricts the movement of the two storage elements 20 in the arrangement direction between the two storage elements 20 adjacent to each other in the storage element 20.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3C, five bus bars 33 are arranged with respect to the storage element row 25. Accordingly, each of the power storage elements 20a and 20b (first group), the power storage elements 20c and 20d (second group), the power storage elements 20e and 20f (third group), and the power storage elements 20g and 20h (fourth group), respectively. Are connected in parallel.

  The first group and the second group are connected in series by the bus bar 33a, the second group and the third group are connected in series by the bus bar 33c, and the third group and the fourth group are connected in series by the bus bar 33b. Connected. Furthermore, the bus bar 33e is joined to the two electrode terminals 22 on the negative electrode side of the first group, which is the negative electrode as a whole of the power storage element row 25, and the fourth group as the positive electrode as the whole of the power storage element row 25. A bus bar 33d is joined to the two electrode terminals 22 on the positive electrode side. The bus bar 33e is electrically connected to the negative-side external terminal 92 (see FIG. 2), and the bus bar 33d is electrically connected to the positive-side external terminal 91 (see FIG. 2).

  In this way, each of the eight power storage elements 20 included in the power storage element row 25 is electrically and mechanically connected to the other power storage elements 20 by the bus bar 33 that is a metal member. However, not all power storage elements 20 are connected uniformly. For example, the ends on the negative side in the Y-axis direction of the storage elements 20b and 20c are mechanically connected by the bus bar 33a. On the other hand, the ends on the positive side in the Y-axis direction of the storage elements 20b and 20c are not connected by the bus bar 33. Similarly, the Y-axis direction minus side end of each of the electricity storage elements 20d and 20e and the Y-axis direction plus side end of each of the electricity storage elements 20f and 20g are not connected by the bus bar 33. These end portions that are not connected by the bus bar 33 are portions that easily open when the power storage element 20 having the end portions swells.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the regulating member 40 is disposed in a portion where the connection by the bus bar 33 is not made between the two power storage elements 20 that are continuously arranged. For example, the connection part 41 is located on the end side (Y-axis direction plus side) of the electricity storage elements 20b and 20c that is not connected by the bus bar 33, and the wall parts are located on both sides in the X-axis direction of the electricity storage elements 20b and 20c. The regulating member 40 is arranged in a posture in which 42 is located. In other words, in the power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, the restriction member 40 is disposed in a portion that easily swells in the power storage element row 25 (a portion in which the distance between the power storage elements 20 tends to increase), whereby the plurality of power storage elements 20 swell Can be efficiently suppressed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each power storage element 20 has two electrode terminals 22 on the positive side in the Z-axis direction, so that the restraining force by the bus bar 33 hardly acts on the negative side in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the regulating member 40 is disposed in the negative portion (lower part) in the Z-axis direction of the power storage element array 25. For example, the power storage elements 20b and 20c are on the end side not connected by the bus bar 33 in the plan view (Y-axis direction plus side) and on the end side not connected by the bus bar 33 in the side view The restricting member 40A is disposed (on the negative side in the Z-axis direction). As described above, in the present embodiment, the regulating member 40 is disposed at the end portion where the electrode terminals 22 in the power storage element 20 are easily swelled in the arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). As a result, the swelling is more effectively suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the restricting member 40 is arranged with the connecting portion 41 in a posture along the short side surface 21 b of the power storage element 20 in the lower part of the power storage element 20. That is, the regulating member 40 is not disposed on the bottom surface 21 c side of the power storage element 20. Therefore, for example, it is advantageous when the bottom surface 21c of each power storage element 20 and the floor surface of the exterior body 10 (surface on which the power storage element row 25 is placed) are fixed with an adhesive or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the three regulating members 40 </ b> A to 40 </ b> C are all arranged so as to sandwich the two power storage elements 20. Therefore, the shape and size of the three regulating members 40A to 40C can be made common. That is, by producing a plurality of regulating members 40 having the same shape and the same size, the necessary number of regulating members 40 for one power storage element row 25 can be obtained. This contributes to, for example, simplification of component management when manufacturing the power storage device 1 or suppressing the manufacturing cost of the power storage device 1.

  In the present embodiment, the wall portions 42 of the regulating members 40 arranged on the plus side and the minus side in the Y axis direction are arranged between two power storage elements 20 adjacent in the X axis direction. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, between the two adjacent power storage elements 20c and 20d, the right wall 42 of the regulating member 40A and the left wall 42 of the regulating member 40B However, it arrange | positions with the attitude | position which makes a mutual end surface oppose. Further, between the two adjacent power storage elements 20e and 20f, the right wall portion 42 of the regulating member 40B and the left wall portion 42 of the regulating member 40C are arranged in such a posture that their end faces face each other.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the respective wall portions 42 of the two regulating members 40 positioned on the Y axis direction minus side and plus side are arranged between a pair of adjacent power storage elements 20. Accordingly, an increase in the length of the power storage element row 25 (length in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction)) due to the wall portion 42 being disposed between the two power storage elements 20 is suppressed. That is, as in the present embodiment, when the three regulating members 40 are arranged with respect to the power storage element row 25, each of the six wall portions 42 is adjacent to the selected one of the power storage element rows 25. Arranged between two power storage elements 20. Therefore, compared with the case where the three regulating members 40 are not arranged, the length of the power storage element row 25 can be increased by the total thickness of the six wall portions 42 at the maximum. However, in the present embodiment, as described above, there are two sets of wall portions 42 facing each other in the Y-axis direction in the power storage element row 25 in a state where the three regulating members 40 are arranged. Therefore, for example, as can be seen from FIG. 3B, the increase in the length of the power storage element row 25 due to the arrangement of the three regulating members 40 is only the total thickness of the three wall portions 42. This contributes to miniaturization of the power storage device 1, for example.

  The power storage device 1 according to the embodiment has been described above. However, the arrangement position or shape of the regulating member 40 included in the power storage device 1 may be different from the arrangement position or shape illustrated in FIGS. Therefore, in the following, a modified example related to the regulating member 40 included in the power storage device 1 will be described focusing on the difference from the above embodiment.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 5A is a side view showing a positional relationship between the storage element row 25a according to the first modification of the embodiment and the regulating member 40, and FIG. 5B shows a storage element row 25a according to the first modification of the embodiment. It is a bottom view (figure seen from the Z-axis direction minus side) showing the positional relationship with the regulating member 40. 5A and 5B is formed by arranging eight power storage elements 20 in the X-axis direction, similarly to the power storage element array 25 according to the above embodiment, and 5 Two bus bars 33 (33a to 33e) are arranged, for example, in the layout shown in FIG. 3C.

  In the power storage element row 25a according to the present modification, the two power storage elements 20 arranged in a row are on the end side (Y axis direction plus side) not connected by the bus bar 33 in a plan view, and on the side surface. The restriction member 40 is arranged on the end side (Z-axis direction minus side) that is not connected by the bus bar 33 when viewed. This point is common to the above embodiment.

  However, in the restriction member 40 according to the present modification, the connection portion 41 is disposed in a posture along the bottom surface 21c, not the short side surfaces 21b of the plurality of (two in the present modification) power storage elements 20 that are to be swollen. This is different from the above embodiment.

  As described above, in the present modification, the connection portion 41 of the regulating member 40 is disposed on the bottom surface 21 c side of the power storage element 20. Thereby, for example, even when there is no room for the connection portion 41 to be arranged in the space between the inner surface of the exterior body 10 and the electricity storage element row 25a in the Y-axis direction, the regulating member 40 is arranged in the electricity storage element row 25a. can do.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the storage element row 25b and the regulating member 40 according to the second modification of the embodiment. In the power storage element row 25b according to the present modification, for example, the regulation member 40B is disposed on the end side (Y axis direction plus side) of the power storage elements 20d and 20e that are not connected by the bus bar 33 in plan view. Yes. This point is common to the above embodiment. However, the regulating member 40B according to the present modification sandwiches the four power storage elements 20 (20c to 20f) arranged in a row including the power storage elements 20d and 20e having ends not connected by the bus bar 33. This is different from the above embodiment. Specifically, the regulating member 40 </ b> B according to the present modification is provided with wall portions 42 at both ends of the connection portion 41 a having a length corresponding to the four power storage elements 20.

  In this way, the regulating member 40 can suppress the spread between the two power storage elements 20 by directly sandwiching the portion where the distance between the two power storage elements 20 is likely to increase rather than directly. Thus, the swelling of the two power storage elements 20 is suppressed. Of the four power storage elements (20c to 20f) sandwiched between the control members 40B shown in FIG. 6, for example, the ends of the power storage elements 20c and 20d on the side of the control member 40B are connected by the bus bar 33a. Has been. Therefore, the restraint force by the bus bar 33a is used to suppress the spread between the ends connected to the bus bars 33a of the power storage elements 20c and 20d (the ends on the Y axis direction minus side and the Z axis direction plus side). I can expect. However, the ends of the storage elements 20c and 20d that are not connected by the bus bar 33a (the ends on the Y axis direction minus side and the Z axis direction minus side) are on the bus bar 33a side. Restraint force is difficult to act. In this regard, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the regulating member 40B according to the present modification is disposed at the lower portion of the power storage element row 25b, so that the swelling preventing effect of the regulating member 40B is exerted on the lower end of the power storage element 20c. Can affect up to. In other words, when the number of power storage elements 20 included in the power storage device 1 is N (N is an integer of 3 or more), the number of power storage elements that are two or more and N−1 or less consecutively arranged restriction members 40 are arranged. It can arrange | position with respect to the electrical storage element group which consists of 20. Thereby, the regulating member 40 can suppress swelling of the plurality of power storage elements 20 included in the power storage element group.

(Modification 3)
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the shape of the regulating member 140 according to Modification 3 of the embodiment. The restriction member 140 according to the present modification includes a pair of wall portions 142 and a first connection portion 141a that connects the pair of wall portions 142, similarly to the restriction member 40 according to the above-described embodiment. The restricting member 140 according to this modification further includes a second connecting portion 141b that connects the pair of wall portions, and this is different from the restricting member 40 according to the above-described embodiment.

  For example, when the regulating member 140 according to the present modification is disposed in place of the regulating member 40 with respect to the electricity storage element row 25 according to the above embodiment, the first connection portion 141a includes two electricity storage elements 20. It arrange | positions with the attitude | position along the short side surface 21b. Further, the second connection portion 141 b is arranged in a posture along the bottom surfaces 21 c of the two power storage elements 20. In this way, the pair of wall portions 142 are connected by the two connection portions (141a and 141b) that form surfaces that intersect with each other, so that the pair of wall portions 142 are difficult to open. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the swelling of the plurality of (two in the present modification) power storage elements 20 by the regulating member 140 is improved.

  For example, the regulating member 140 that can sandwich three or more power storage elements 20 between the pair of wall portions 142 can be manufactured by increasing the lateral width of the first connection portion 141a in FIG.

(Effects etc.)
As described above, power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment includes N power storage elements 20 (N is an integer of 3 or more) and N power storage elements arranged in the first direction (X-axis direction). 20, and a regulating member 40 arranged for a power storage element group including two or more and N−1 or less power storage elements 20 arranged in succession. The restricting member 40 is disposed on both sides of the power storage element group in the X-axis direction, and includes a pair of wall portions 42 that collectively sandwich the power storage element group, and a connection portion 41 that connects the pair of wall portions 42. .

  Specifically, in power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, restriction member 40 can be partially arranged for power storage element row 25 including N = 8 power storage elements 20. That is, when there is a portion that easily swells in relation to other members (such as the bus bar 33 and the exterior body 10) in the power storage element row 25 (portion where the distance between the power storage elements 20 is likely to increase), for example, By disposing the regulating member 40 with respect to two or more power storage elements 20 including the bulge of the power storage element array 25 as a whole is suppressed. That is, according to the power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, the regulating member 40 is disposed not in the entire power storage element array 25 but in a portion where suppression of swelling is necessary or where swelling can be effectively suppressed. Can do. This is advantageous, for example, for reducing the weight or size of the power storage device 1 or reducing the manufacturing cost. As described above, the power storage device 1 according to the first embodiment is a power storage device 1 that can suppress swelling of the plurality of power storage elements 20 with a simple configuration.

  The above-described effects can be obtained in the same manner in the storage element rows 25a and 25b according to the first and second modifications. In addition, in the power storage device 1, the above effect can be obtained in the same manner even when the regulating member 140 according to the modified example 3 is arranged instead of the regulating member 40. The same applies to the effects described below.

  In addition, power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a bus bar 33 that electrically connects two power storage elements 20 arranged in a row among N power storage elements 20. Each of the two power storage elements 20 has an electrode terminal 22 to which the bus bar 33 is joined at one end in a second direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the X-axis direction. The power storage element group sandwiched between the regulation members 40 includes the two power storage elements 20, and the regulation member 40 is connected to the other end side in the Y-axis direction of the two power storage elements 20. Is arranged in a position where is located.

  According to this configuration, for example, the regulating member 40 is disposed so as to sandwich the end portions of the two power storage elements 20 arranged in series that are not connected by the bus bar 33 in plan view. In other words, the end portions of the two power storage elements 20 to which the restraining force by the bus bar 33 is unlikely to be applied are collectively sandwiched by the regulating member 40. Thereby, a swelling can be suppressed effectively.

  Further, in the power storage device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the two power storage elements 20 is provided at one end portion in the third direction (Z-axis direction) orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The electrode terminal 22 joined to the bus bar 33 is disposed, and the regulating member 40 is the other end side in the Y-axis direction of the two power storage elements 20 and the other in the Z-axis direction. The connecting portion 41 is disposed in a posture where the connecting portion 41 is located.

  That is, in the power storage device 1, when attention is paid to the two power storage elements 20, the end portions are not connected by the bus bar 33 in the Y-axis direction and are connected by the bus bar 33 in the Z-axis direction. The regulating member 40 is disposed on the end portion side that is not present. That is, for example, the regulating member 40 is disposed on the lower surface of at least two power storage elements 20 on which the electrode terminals 22 joined to one bus bar 33 are disposed. As a result, the swelling of the at least two power storage elements 20 is more effectively suppressed.

  In power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, each of N power storage elements 20 has a rectangular shape having short side surface 21b and long side surface 21a, and short side surface 21b is parallel to the X-axis direction. Are arranged in a posture. The restricting member 40 is arranged in a posture in which the connecting portion 41 is along the short side surface 21b of each of the power storage element groups that are collectively sandwiched by the restricting member 40.

  According to this structure, the connection part 41 which connects a pair of wall part 42 extends in the direction (alignment direction of the long side surface 21a, that is, the X-axis direction) in the power storage element group that is the target of swelling suppression. become. Therefore, the storage element group is restrained by the pair of wall portions 42, that is, the swelling is effectively suppressed.

  Further, in the power storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, each of the pair of wall portions 42 is between the power storage element group sandwiched by the regulation member 40 and the power storage element 20 adjacent to the power storage element group. Has been placed.

  For example, in FIG. 3C, one of the pair of wall portions 42 of the regulating member 40A is disposed between the power storage elements 20a and 20b, and the other of the pair of wall portions 42 is between the power storage elements 20c and 20d. Is arranged. According to this configuration, for example, when at least one of the N power storage elements 20 swells, the force acts as a force sandwiching each of the pair of wall portions 42. Therefore, the restraining force by the connecting portion 41 that connects the pair of wall portions 42 effectively acts as a force that suppresses the swelling of the power storage element group. That is, it is possible to improve the certainty of suppressing the swelling of the power storage element group by using the force that causes the power storage element 20 to swell.

(Other embodiments)
Heretofore, the power storage device according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiments (including modifications). However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Unless it deviates from the gist of the present invention, various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art have been applied to the above-described embodiments, or forms constructed by combining a plurality of the constituent elements described above are within the scope of the present invention. include.

  For example, there is no limitation on the manner of electrical connection by the bus bar 33 of the plurality of power storage elements 20 included in the power storage device 1. For example, all of the eight power storage elements 20 included in the power storage device 1 may be connected in series by seven bus bars. Further, for example, two power storage element groups each including four power storage elements 20 connected in parallel may be formed, and these two power storage element groups may be connected in series with one bus bar. In any case, for example, a state is formed in which one end in the Y-axis direction of two power storage elements 20 arranged in series is connected by the bus bar and the other end is not connected by the bus bar. The Therefore, the regulating member 40 that sandwiches the plurality of power storage elements 20 including the two power storage elements 20 is disposed at the other end. Thereby, the swelling (spreading) of a portion that is relatively easy to swell (a portion where the distance between the power storage elements 20 tends to spread) can be suppressed.

  Moreover, a part of the regulating member 40 may be formed by the exterior body 10. For example, two or more and N−1 or less power storages of the N power storage elements 20 arranged in series by a pair of wall portions formed to protrude from the inner surface of the main body 12 of the exterior body 10. The elements 20 may be sandwiched together. That is, the connection part in the restriction member may be realized by a part of the main body part 12. Even in this case, swelling is effectively suppressed for a part of the power storage element array including the N power storage elements 20 (two or more power storage elements 20 sandwiched between the pair of wall portions). Further, in this case, for example, the number of parts necessary for manufacturing the power storage device 1 is reduced, thereby simplifying component management when manufacturing the power storage device 1.

  Further, when the regulating member 40 is disposed with respect to the power storage element row 25, the regulating member 40 may be fixed to one or more power storage elements 20 using an adhesive or the like. Thereby, for example, the possibility that the position of the regulating member 40 is shifted due to vibration during transportation or use of the power storage device 1 is reduced.

  Further, a part of the regulating member 40 may be formed by the exterior body 10. For example, two or more and N−1 or less number of power storage elements 20 arranged in series may be sandwiched between a pair of wall portions formed to protrude from the inner surface of the main body portion 12 of the exterior body 10. That is, the connection part in the restriction member may be realized by a part of the main body part 12. Even in this case, swelling is effectively suppressed for a part of the power storage element array including the N power storage elements 20 (two or more power storage elements 20 sandwiched between the pair of wall portions). Further, in this case, for example, the number of parts necessary for manufacturing the power storage device 1 is reduced, thereby simplifying component management when manufacturing the power storage device 1.

  Further, in the N power storage elements 20 to which the regulating member 40 is to be disposed, the movement of the two consecutive power storage elements 20 in the direction away from each other may be regulated by a member different from the bus bar. For example, in the main body portion 12 of the exterior body 10, when there is a rib that sandwiches the end portions of two continuous power storage elements 20 only at one end portion in the Y-axis direction, the other end in the Y-axis direction The regulating member 40 that sandwiches the power storage element group including the two power storage elements 20 is disposed in the portion. Thereby, the swelling in each of the two power storage elements 20 is suppressed.

  Further, the shape and size of the regulating member 40 are not limited to the shape and size shown in FIG. For example, in the X-axis direction, the connection portion 41 of the restriction member 40 may be extended to the outside of the pair of wall portions 42. Further, for example, the height of the regulating member 40 (the width in the Z-axis direction) may be approximately the same as the height of the container 21 of the storage element 20.

  In addition, an embodiment constructed by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements included in the above embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be applied to a power storage device including a power storage element such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power storage device 20, 20a-20g Power storage element 21 Container 21a Long side surface 21b Short side surface 21c Bottom side 22 Electrode terminal 25, 25a, 25b Power storage element row 33, 33a-33e Bus bar 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 140 Restriction member 41, 41a connection part 42, 142 wall part 141a first connection part 141b second connection part

Claims (5)

N storage elements arranged in the first direction (N is an integer of 3 or more);
A regulating member arranged for a power storage element group composed of two or more and N-1 or less power storage elements arranged in sequence among the N power storage elements,
The regulating member is
A pair of wall portions disposed on both sides of the power storage element group in the first direction and sandwiching the power storage element group together;
A power storage device having a connection portion connecting the pair of wall portions. And a bus bar for electrically connecting two of the N storage elements arranged in series.
Each of the two power storage elements has an electrode terminal in which the bus bar is joined to one end portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
The power storage element group includes the two power storage elements,
The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction member is arranged in a posture in which the connection portion is positioned on the other end side in the second direction in the two power storage elements. In each of the two power storage elements, the electrode terminal is disposed at one end in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
The power storage device according to claim 2, wherein the restriction member is disposed on the other end side in the second direction and on the other end side in the third direction in the two power storage elements. . Each of the N power storage elements has a rectangular shape having a short side surface and a long side surface, and is arranged in a posture in which the short side surface is parallel to the first direction.
The power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting member is arranged in a posture along the short side surface of each power storage element group. Each of a pair of said wall part is arrange | positioned between the said electrical storage element group and the electrical storage element adjacent to the said electrical storage element group. The electrical storage apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4.

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