JP2020035573A - Cell tray and battery pack including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cell tray capable of efficiently cooling a battery cell without exposing the battery cell to an external environment, and a battery pack including the cell tray.SOLUTION: A battery pack 1 includes a laminate 10 of a plurality of cell units 11. Each cell unit 11 includes a cell tray 12 and a flat battery cell 30. The cell tray 12 includes a plate-like part 21 including a cell mounting surface on which the battery cell 30 is mounted in a contact state, and a tubular part 22 connected to the plate-like part 21 and provided in an edge of the plate-like part 21 and forming a coolant passage. The plate-like part 21 and the tubular part 22 are preferably composed of a metallic material. The plate-like part 21 may be formed in a rectangular shape. It is preferable that the tubular part 22 is provided in a side edge of the plate-like part 21, and forms a pipe conduit extending along the side edge. The side edge of the plate-like part 21 is preferably covered by an edge cover 27 made of an insulation material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a cell tray and a battery pack provided with the same.

The battery pack is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power source, and is used to store electric power to be supplied to the electric motor. As described in Patent Literature 1, for example, a battery pack is configured by fitting a flat battery cell into a frame to form a battery cell unit, and is formed by laminating a required number of such battery cell units. .
Patent Literature 1 discloses a cooling structure in which a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet are arranged at diagonal positions of a rectangular frame, and cool air entering from the refrigerant inlet passes through the vicinity of the battery cell and then exits from the refrigerant outlet.

JP 2014-203763 A

  In the structure of Patent Literature 1, since the cool air passes near the battery cells, the cool air and the battery cells directly exchange heat, so that the battery cells can be efficiently cooled. However, since the structure is such that the cold air as the external atmosphere reaches the battery cells, it is not suitable for use in a severe environment, for example, an environment where a large amount of dust is rolled up, exposed to muddy water, rainwater, or the like. More specifically, in a saddle-ride type vehicle represented by an electric motorcycle, the battery pack is exposed to the external environment, and thus the structure as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not suitable. In particular, rainwater or muddy water is not allowed to reach the battery cells.

  Therefore, in order to improve the environmental resistance performance, a battery pack having a structure in which the outside air does not directly reach the battery cells is desirable. For example, if the battery cell unit laminate is housed in a case made of an insulating material, it will be able to withstand use in a severe environment such as use in a saddle-ride type vehicle or the like. However, cooling of the battery cells is sacrificed. That is, since the battery cells must be indirectly cooled from outside the case, the cooling efficiency deteriorates.

  Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention provides a cell tray capable of efficiently cooling a battery cell without exposing the battery cell to an external environment, and a battery pack provided with such a cell tray.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a cell tray for forming a battery pack by stacking a plurality of battery cells with battery cells mounted. The cell tray includes a plate-shaped portion having a cell mounting surface on which a flat battery cell is mounted, and a tubular portion provided at an edge of the plate-shaped portion so as to be connected to the plate-shaped portion and forming a coolant flow path. Including.
According to this configuration, by flowing the refrigerant through the refrigerant flow path formed by the tubular portion, the tubular portion can be cooled, and the plate-shaped portion connected to the tubular portion can be cooled. Furthermore, in a state where the battery cell is mounted, the battery cell is mounted on the cell mounting surface of the plate-shaped portion, and the battery cell and the plate-shaped portion are thermally coupled with a large area, so that the battery cell can be efficiently mounted. Can be cooled. As described above, since the heat transfer path between the coolant flow path and the battery cells can be formed by the cell tray, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled. On the other hand, it is only necessary to pass the coolant through the coolant channel formed by the tubular portion, and it is not necessary to bring the battery cells into contact with the coolant. Therefore, the battery cells can be arranged in a space sealed from the outside. Thereby, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled without exposing the battery cells to the external environment.

  It is preferable that the battery cell is mounted on the cell mounting surface in a contact state (more specifically, a surface contact state). In this case, the contact state refers to a case where the battery cell is in direct contact with the cell mounting surface and a state where heat transfer is possible indirectly via a film (preferably an electrically insulating film). Including cases. The film may be an adhesive sheet adhered to the cell mounting surface. The adhesive sheet may be a double-sided adhesive sheet that adheres to both the cell mounting surface and the battery cell. That is, the battery cells may be adhered to the cell mounting surface via the adhesive sheet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the plate-like portion and the tubular portion are made of a metal material. According to this configuration, the heat transfer path formed by the plate portion and the tubular portion is made of a metal material having high thermal conductivity. This enables efficient cooling of the battery cells.
In the case of this configuration, it is preferable that an electrically insulating film is disposed between the plate portion and the battery cells in order to ensure electrical insulation between the battery cells and the cell tray. The electrically insulating film may have the form of the above-mentioned adhesive sheet, or may be a film formed on the surface of the cell tray. For example, an electrically insulating film may be formed on the entire surface of the cell tray or on a contact portion with the battery cell (more specifically, on the surface of the plate portion). Further, a resin may be thinly outsert molded on a contact portion with the battery cell (more specifically, on the surface of the plate portion) to form an electrically insulating film.

When such an electrically insulating film is provided integrally with the plate-like portion, it can be considered that the surface of the electrically insulating film provides a cell mounting surface. The battery cells may be bonded to such a cell mounting surface via an adhesive or an adhesive sheet.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the plate-like portion has a rectangular shape having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, and at least one of a pair of side edges forming the pair of long sides in the plate-like portion. The tubular portion is provided.

According to this configuration, by disposing the tubular portion at the side edge that forms the long side of the rectangular plate-shaped portion, it is possible to increase the thermal coupling efficiency between the tubular portion and the plate-shaped portion. Thereby, the battery cells can be cooled more efficiently.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cell tray further includes an edge cover made of an insulating material and disposed so as to cover the pair of short edges forming the pair of short sides.

According to this configuration, since the edge of the plate portion is covered with the edge cover, it is possible to prevent, for example, the electrode tab of the battery cell from contacting the cell tray. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the battery cell from being short-circuited to the cell tray, so that the plate portion can be made of a material having a high thermal conductivity (for example, a metal material), and accordingly, the cooling efficiency of the battery cell can be increased. Can be.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tubular portion forms a duct along a direction in which an edge of the plate-shaped portion extends.

According to this configuration, the conduit is formed along the direction in which the edge of the tubular portion extends, and this conduit can be used as a coolant flow path, so that the heat coupling efficiency between the tubular portion and the plate-shaped portion is increased. Can be. Thereby, the battery pack can be efficiently cooled.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tubular portion forms a conduit extending in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the plurality of cell trays.

According to this configuration, since the duct formed by the tubular portion extends along the plate-like portion, the efficiency of thermal coupling between the tubular portion and the plate-like portion can be increased. Thereby, the battery pack can be efficiently cooled.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tubular portion forms a pipe extending in a direction intersecting the plate-shaped portion.

According to this configuration, when a plurality of cell trays are stacked, a pipeline extending over the plate-like portions of the plurality of cell trays can be formed, and the pipeline can be used as a coolant channel. Thereby, heat exchange can be performed between the refrigerant flow path and the plurality of cell trays, so that the efficiency of heat coupling between the refrigerant and the cell trays can be increased. Thereby, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tubular portion forms a conduit extending in the stacking direction of the plurality of cell trays.

According to this configuration, a conduit extending over the plurality of stacked cell trays can be formed, and the conduit can be used as a refrigerant passage. Thereby, heat exchange can be performed between the refrigerant flow path and the plurality of cell trays, so that the efficiency of heat coupling between the refrigerant and the cell trays can be increased. Thereby, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of tubular portions are arranged side by side along the edge of the plate-shaped portion.

According to this configuration, the plurality of refrigerant flow paths respectively formed by the plurality of tubular portions can be thermally coupled to the plate-shaped portion. Thereby, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled.
One embodiment of the present invention is a plurality of cell trays having the above-described features, which are stacked in a direction intersecting with the plate-shaped portion, and are mounted on the cell mounting surfaces of the plurality of cell trays, respectively, together with the cell trays. A plurality of stacked battery cells, and an opening for communicating a coolant passage formed by the tubular portion of the stacked cell trays to the outside, the stacked cell trays and the stacked plurality of cell trays And a case made of an insulating material, covering the battery cell.

  With this configuration, it is possible to realize a battery pack having a configuration in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked together with a cell tray, and these are housed in a case made of an insulating material. Since the refrigerant flow path formed by the tubular portion of the cell tray communicates with the outside through the opening of the case, the refrigerant can be introduced into the refrigerant flow path from outside the case. Thus, a battery pack that can efficiently cool the battery cells without exposing the battery cells to the external environment can be realized.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack further includes a seal structure disposed between the case and an end edge of the coolant flow path, for sealing a space in which the battery cells are disposed.
According to this configuration, the seal structure disposed between the case and the edge of the coolant flow path allows the battery pack to be more efficiently prevented from being exposed to the external environment while being more reliably prevented. Cooling can be realized.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack further includes a contact preventing member for preventing a user from touching the cell tray from outside the case.
According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a battery pack that can efficiently cool the battery cells without exposing the battery tray to an external environment while avoiding the user from contacting the cell tray.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a cell tray is used in which a tubular portion forms a conduit extending in a direction in which the edge of the plate-shaped portion extends or in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which a plurality of cell trays are stacked. Such a plurality of cell trays are stacked in a direction intersecting with the plate-shaped portion, and a plurality of battery cells mounted on the cell mounting surfaces of the plurality of cell trays are stacked together with the cell tray. The battery pack further covered a plurality of coolant flow paths formed by the tubular portions of the stacked cell trays, and formed with a plurality of through holes communicating with the plurality of coolant flow paths, respectively. An insulating cover made of an insulating material, having an opening exposing the plurality of through holes of the insulating cover, covering the stacked cell trays, the stacked battery cells and the insulating cover, And a case made of a material.

  According to this configuration, the tubular portion forms a conduit extending along the plate-shaped portion, and the conduit forms a refrigerant flow path. The edge of the coolant channel is covered with an insulating cover made of an insulating material. The coolant flow path communicates with a through hole formed in the insulating cover, and further communicates with the outside of the case via a through hole formed in the case. Therefore, since the refrigerant can be guided from the outside to the refrigerant channel, the battery pack can be efficiently cooled through the tubular portion and the plate-shaped portion. Since the coolant channel is formed by the tubular portion, the battery pack can be arranged in a space isolated from the external environment. In addition, since the insulating cover is interposed between the cell tray and the case, it is possible to prevent the finger of the user from touching the cell tray.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulating cover engages with the tubular portions of the plurality of cell trays to hold the plurality of cell trays in a stacked state.
With this configuration, the insulating cover provides not only the function of preventing contact with the cell tray, but also the function of maintaining the stacked state of the plurality of cell trays. This makes it possible to provide a battery pack that can be efficiently cooled without exposing the battery cells to the external environment, and that has improved structural stability while preventing the user from contacting the cell tray.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack further includes a seal structure disposed between the inner surface of the case and the insulating cover to seal a space in which the battery cells are disposed.
According to this configuration, by the seal structure disposed between the inner surface of the case and the insulating cover, the battery pack can be efficiently cooled while the battery pack is more reliably prevented from being exposed to the external environment. .

  According to the present invention, the battery cells can be efficiently cooled without exposing the battery cells to the external environment.

1A and 1B are perspective views of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a front view of the battery pack 1, and FIG. 2B is a rear view thereof. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the configuration of the battery pack with the case removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the battery pack with the insulating cover removed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cell tray. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the battery cell. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cell unit. 8A and 8B are perspective views of the insulating cover. 9A and 9B are perspective views of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the battery pack with the case removed. 11A and 11B are perspective views of the cell unit. 12A and 12B are perspective views of the cell tray. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a cut surface along the longitudinal direction of the battery pack. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a cut surface along the short direction of the battery pack.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the battery pack 1 of FIG. 1A as viewed obliquely from behind. The battery pack 1 has a case 2 for storing a plurality of battery cells. The case 2 is made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The case 2 includes a cylindrical case body 3, a front cover 4 for closing a front end of the case body 3, and a rear cover 5 for closing a rear end of the case body 3. In this embodiment, the case main body 3 is formed in a square tubular shape, and accordingly, the front cover 4 and the rear cover 5 have a substantially rectangular shape. The front cover 4 and the rear cover 5 are coupled to the case body 3 with the case body 3 sandwiched therebetween by four bolts 6 and corresponding nuts 7 extending in the longitudinal direction along four corners of the case body 3. . Although not shown, both ends of the bolt 6 and the nut 7 are covered with an electrically insulating cap.

  FIG. 2A is a front view of the battery pack 1, and FIG. 2B is a rear view thereof. An opening 4 a for exposing the terminal block 8 is formed near the lower edge of the front cover 4. The terminal block 8 includes positive and negative electrode terminals 8a and 8b, and a plurality of control terminals 8c. The rear cover 5 is provided with a handle 9 used when transporting the battery pack 1. In the vicinity of both side edges, the front cover 4 is formed with straight openings 18 extending along the respective side edges. Similarly, in the rear cover 5, in the vicinity of both side edges, linear openings 19 extending along the respective side edges are formed. The four bolts 6 are arranged near both ends of the openings 18 and 19, respectively.

  3A and 3B show the configuration of the battery pack 1 with the case 2 removed. A gasket 41A as a sealing member is interposed between the front cover 4 and the front end of the case body 3, whereby the space between the front cover 4 and the case body 3 is air-tightly and liquid-tightly sealed. . Similarly, a gasket 41B as a sealing member is interposed between the rear cover 5 and the rear end of the case main body 3, whereby the space therebetween is air-tightly and liquid-tightly sealed. Further, an O-ring 42 as a sealing member provided on the surface of the terminal block 8 seals the space between the terminal block 8 and the front cover 4 in an air-tight and liquid-tight manner.

  The battery pack 1 includes a plurality of stacked cell units 11, and a stacked body 10 of the plurality of cell units 11 is housed in the case 2. Electric components and electronic components constituting the battery management unit 15 are arranged below the stacked body 10 of the plurality of cell units 11, and are housed in a unit case 16 made of an insulating material. The unit case 16 is housed in the case 2.

  Each cell unit 11 includes a cell tray 12 and one or two battery cells 30 mounted on one main surface or both main surfaces of the cell tray 12. By stacking the cell trays 12, a plurality of cell units 11 are stacked. The stacked cell trays 12 are connected to four insulating covers 13 extending in the stacking direction, and the stacked state is maintained. The insulating cover 13 is made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The insulating cover 13 has a plurality of through holes 13H corresponding to the plurality of cell trays 12. The plurality of through holes 13H are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the insulating cover 13, that is, in the stacking direction of the cell units 11. An O-ring 43 as a sealing member is provided so as to surround all the through holes 13H. The O-ring 43 hermetically and liquid-tightly seals the space between the surface of the insulating cover 13 and the inner surface of the front cover 4 or the rear cover 5.

  FIG. 4 is a front perspective view showing a state where the insulating cover 13 is removed. The cell tray 12 has a tubular portion 22 that forms a conduit 25 that becomes the coolant flow path 20 on each side edge. The insulating cover 13 is attached so that the plurality of through holes 13H communicate with the conduits 25 of the tubular portions 22 of the stacked cell trays 12, respectively. An O-ring 44 as a sealing member is disposed between the insulating cover 13 and the plurality of cell trays 12 to seal the space between them in an air-tight and liquid-tight manner.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cell tray 12. The cell tray 12 includes a plate-shaped portion 21 having a cell mounting surface 23, and a tubular portion 22 connected to the plate-shaped portion 21 and provided on an edge of the plate-shaped portion 21. Both the plate-like portion 21 and the tubular portion 22 are made of a metal material. The metal material is preferably a metal having a high thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum).
The plate-like portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. Both main surfaces of the plate portion 21 provide a cell mounting surface 23 on which the battery cells 30 can be mounted in a contact state (more specifically, a surface contact state). In the plate-like portion 21, a tubular portion 22 is provided on at least one (both in this embodiment) of a pair of side edges 24 forming a pair of long sides. The tubular portion 22 forms a conduit 25 along the direction in which the edge (the side edge 24 in this embodiment) of the plate-shaped portion 21 extends. That is, in this embodiment, the tubular portion 22 forms a conduit 25 extending in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the cell trays 12. The pipe 25 forms the coolant channel 20. In this embodiment, since the tubular portion 22 is arranged so as to form a conduit 25 extending linearly along the side edge 24 of the plate portion 21, the cell tray 12 including the plate portion 21 and the tubular portion 22 is formed. Can be produced by extrusion of a metal material. That is, the plate-like portion 21 and the tubular portion 22 are configured such that the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the direction in which the conduit 25 extends is uniform at any position. It is preferable that the plate-shaped part 21 and the tubular part 22 are an integral product manufactured by extrusion molding.

  The tubular portion 22 has a rectangular cross section. That is, the tubular portion 22 includes a top surface portion 22a and a bottom surface portion 22b opposed to each other in the stacking direction of the cell tray 12, and a pair of side surface portions 22c and 22d which connect both side edges of the top surface portion 22a and the bottom surface portion 22b to face each other. have. These define a refrigerant channel 20 having a rectangular channel cross section. The top surface portion 22a and the bottom surface portion 22b have flat outer surfaces parallel to the plate-like portion 21. The top surface portion 22a of the tubular portion 22 in one cell tray 12 faces the bottom surface portion 22b of the tubular portion 22 in the other cell tray 12 that is stacked immediately above, and abuts each other to form a stable stacked structure of the stacked body 10. Contribute.

A pair of short edges 26 forming a pair of short sides of the plate-shaped portion 21 are covered with an edge cover 27 made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The edge cover 27 prevents the battery cell 30 from being short-circuited to the metal cell tray 12. The edge cover 27 may be fixed to the edge 26 of the plate portion 21 with an adhesive.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the battery cell 30. The battery cell 30 is configured by a laminate type cell. Specifically, the battery cell 30 has a structure in which a laminate 31 formed by alternately laminating a positive electrode and a negative electrode with a separator interposed therebetween is sealed with a laminate film 32. The battery cell 30 has a flat rectangular shape that matches the cell mounting surface 23 of the cell tray 12. A pair of electrode tabs 33 protrude from both end edges of the battery cell 30, respectively. One of the pair of electrode tabs 33 is a positive electrode tab, and the other is a negative electrode tab.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cell unit 11 configured by mounting the battery cells 30 on the cell tray 12. The thickness of the battery cell 30 is equal to or less than the height of the tubular portion 22 of the cell tray 12 from the plate portion 21. The electrode tab 33 protrudes beyond the edge 26 of the cell mounting surface 23. Accordingly, in a state where the plurality of cell units 11 are stacked, the electrode tab 33 of the battery cell 30 can be connected to the electrode tab 33 at a corresponding position of another battery cell 30 adjacent above or below. The edge cover 27 is interposed between the electrode tab 33 and the cell tray 12 to ensure insulation therebetween.

  The battery cell 30 has a flat shape having a pair of flat main surfaces. One of the pair of main surfaces is mounted on the cell mounting surface 23 (see FIG. 5) in a contact state (more specifically, a surface contact state). Specifically, one main surface of the battery cell 30 may be bonded to the cell mounting surface 23 by an adhesive sheet 28 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The adhesive sheet 28 is, for example, a double-sided adhesive sheet having an adhesive layer on both surfaces of a resin film. One surface of the adhesive sheet 28 is bonded to the cell mounting surface 23, and the other surface is bonded to the battery cell 30. The adhesive sheet 28 is an electrically insulating film, and secures electrical insulation between the battery cell 30 and the plate-shaped portion 21. Instead of using the adhesive sheet 28, the battery cells 30 may be bonded to the cell mounting surface 23 using an adhesive.

  In order to secure electrical insulation between the battery cells 30 and the cell tray 12, an electrically insulating film may be formed on the surface of the cell tray 12. For example, an electrically insulating film may be formed on the entire surface of the cell tray 12 or on a contact portion with the battery cell 30 (more specifically, on the surface of the plate portion 21). Further, a resin may be thinly outsert molded on a contact portion with the battery cell 30 (more specifically, on the surface of the plate portion 21) to form an electrically insulating film.

When such an electrically insulating film is provided integrally with the plate portion 21, it can be said that the surface of the electrically insulating film provides the cell mounting surface 23. The battery cells 30 may be bonded to such a cell mounting surface 23 via an adhesive or an adhesive sheet.
When electrical insulation between the battery cell 30 and the plate-shaped portion 21 is ensured by the outer film of the battery cell 30, the electric cell insulating film as described above is omitted and the battery cell 30 is formed in a plate-like shape. The surface of the portion 21 may be directly contacted.

8A and 8B are perspective views of the insulating cover 13 viewed from different directions. However, FIG. 8B also shows the arrangement of the O-rings 43 and 44.
The insulating cover 13 includes a cover body 13A having a seat portion 13a abutting on an end face of the tubular portion 22 of the cell tray 12, and a plurality of tube portions 13B protruding from the cover body 13A so as to correspond to the plurality of through holes 13H. .

  The plurality of pipe sections 13B are designed to fit into the inner surfaces of the tubular sections 22 of the plurality of cell trays 12, respectively. Thereby, the tubular portion 22 of the cell tray 12 and the through hole 13H of the insulating cover 13 communicate with each other reliably, and the plurality of cell trays 12 are held in a state where they are positioned by the plurality of tube portions 13B of the insulating cover 13. An O-ring 44 is arranged on the outer surface of each tube 13B. The O-ring 44 seals between the outer surface of the tube portion 13B and the inner surface of the corresponding tubular portion 22 of the cell tray.

The cover body 13 </ b> A is formed in a frame shape extending on the opposite side to the cell tray 12. An O-ring 43 is arranged on the outer surface of the cover body 13A. On the inner surfaces of the front cover 4 and the rear cover 5, recesses (not shown) for receiving the cover body 13A are formed. An O-ring 43 seals the space between the inner surface of the recess and the outer surface of the cover body 13A.
Bolt insertion holes 13C for inserting the bolts 6 are formed at both ends of the cover body 13A. A pair of tube portions 13B at both ends of the cover body 13A are configured to surround the bolt insertion holes 13C and the through holes 13H. Therefore, the bolt insertion hole 13C faces the conduit 25 of the cell tray 12 disposed at the lamination end position (the upper end or the lower end in the configuration of FIG. 3A) in the stacked body 10 (see FIG. 3A and the like) of the plurality of cell units 11. are doing. The bolt 6 is arranged so as to pass through the conduit 25 of the cell tray 12 and pass through the bolt insertion hole 13C.

  As described above, according to the battery pack 1 of this embodiment, the conduit 25 defined by the tubular portions 22 of the plurality of cell trays 12 has the through hole 13H of the insulating cover 13 and the openings 18 of the front cover 4 and the rear cover 5. , 19 through which a refrigerant flow path 20 communicating with the external space is formed. Therefore, a refrigerant, typically air, can be introduced into the conduit 25 of the tubular portion 22 of the plurality of cell trays 12. Thereby, heat exchange is performed between the metal cell tray 12 and the refrigerant, and the cell tray 12 can be cooled. On the other hand, since the battery cells 30 are mounted on the cell mounting surface 23 of the cell tray 12 in a state of surface contact, heat can be efficiently exchanged with the cell tray 12. Then, the metal cell tray 12 satisfactorily transfers heat from the plate portion 21 (cell mounting surface 23) to the tubular portion 22. Thereby, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the battery cells 30 via the cell tray 12, so that the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

  On the other hand, since the coolant flow path 20 is isolated from the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as outside air, rainwater, and muddy water containing a large amount of dust from reaching the battery cells 30. Moreover, in this embodiment, the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged is hermetically and liquid-tightly sealed from the outside by seal members such as the gaskets 41A and 41B and the O-rings 42 to 44. Therefore, the battery cells 30 can be reliably prevented from being adversely affected by the external environment. Therefore, the battery pack 1 of this embodiment has environmental resistance that can withstand a severe use environment, such as in a saddle-ride type vehicle.

  Further, the insulating cover 13 is disposed between the openings 18 and 19 of the front cover 4 and the rear cover 5 and the tubular portion 22, so that a user or the like cannot contact the cell tray 12 through the openings 18 and 19. ing. Moreover, since the edge 26 of the plate portion 21 of the cell tray 12 is covered with the edge cover 27 made of an insulating material, insulation between the plate portion 21 and the electrode tab 33 can be ensured. Therefore, since the plate-like portion 21 can be made of a metal material having a high thermal conductivity, the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

  In this embodiment, the tubular portion 22 is arranged on the side edge 24 (both side edges 24 in this embodiment) of the rectangular plate-shaped portion 21, and the tubular portion 22 extends along the side edge 24. I have. In other words, the tubular portion 22 forms a conduit 25 extending in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the cell trays 12. With such a configuration, the thermal coupling efficiency between the plate portion 21 and the tubular portion 22 is increased, so that the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

  In this embodiment, the insulating cover 13 is engaged with the tubular portions 22 of the cell trays 12 to hold the cell trays 12 in a stacked state. Therefore, the insulating cover 13 has not only a function as a contact preventing member for preventing a user from contacting the cell tray 12, but also a function for improving structural stability. Therefore, it is possible to provide the battery pack 1 having a stable structure and capable of efficiently cooling the battery cells 30 without being exposed to the external environment.

  FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a battery pack 61 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing a configuration of the battery pack 61 as viewed from the bottom. The battery pack 61 has a case 62 for storing a plurality of battery cells. The case 62 is made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The case 62 includes a box-shaped case main body 63 and a lid 64 that closes an opening of the case main body 63. The case main body 63 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped bottomed container shape, and has a pair of end surfaces 65, a pair of side surfaces 66, and a bottom surface 67. The pair of end surface portions 65 and the pair of side surface portions 66 are respectively connected to four sides of the substantially rectangular bottom portion 67, and define a substantially rectangular opening on the side opposite to the bottom portion 67. This opening is closed by a substantially rectangular lid 64. The case body 63 and the lid 64 are fastened by four bolts 68 and corresponding nuts 69 arranged at four corners of the lid 64, respectively. On the outer surface of the lid 64, a handle 70 used when carrying the battery pack 61 is provided. Although not shown, both ends of the bolt 68 and the nut 69 are covered with an electrically insulating cap.

  An opening 67 a for exposing the terminal block 81 is formed in the bottom surface 67 of the case body 63 near one end in the longitudinal direction. Further, in the bottom portion 67, a plurality of openings 82 are formed in the vicinity of a pair of both side edges along the longitudinal direction, which are linearly arranged along the both side edges. Similarly, a plurality of openings 83 are formed in the lid 64 in the vicinity of both side edges, the openings 83 being linearly arranged along the side edges. In this embodiment, a plurality of openings 82 formed in the bottom surface 67 of the case body 63 and a plurality of openings 83 formed in the lid 64 are arranged to face each other.

The case body 63 and the lid 64 are provided with finger touch prevention ribs 84 and 85 for preventing a user or the like from accessing the inside through the openings 82 and 83. In this embodiment, the finger touch prevention ribs 84 and 85 extend in the longitudinal direction of the case main body 63 in the openings 82 and 83, respectively. The finger touch prevention ribs 84 and 85 are an example of a contact prevention member.
FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the battery pack 61 with the case 62 removed. The battery pack 61 includes a plurality of stacked cell units 91, and a stacked body 90 of the plurality of cell units 91 is accommodated in a case 62. Above the stacked body 90 of the plurality of cell units 91, electric components and electronic components constituting the battery management unit 95 are arranged, and these are housed in a unit case 96 made of an insulating material. The unit case 96 is also housed in the case 62. Power cables 97 are drawn out from the battery management unit 95, and are arranged so as to pass through the side of the stacked body 90 of the cell unit 91, and are connected to the terminal block 81.

11A and 11B are perspective views of the cell unit 91. FIG. FIG. 11A is a perspective view seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view seen from diagonally below.
Each cell unit 91 includes a cell tray 92 and one or two battery cells 30 mounted on one main surface or both main surfaces (cell mounting surfaces) of the cell tray 92. The battery cell 30 is configured by a laminate type cell, and the configuration example is as described in relation to the above-described first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the cell tray 92 includes a plate-shaped portion 101 and a plurality of tubular portions 102 connected to the plate-shaped portion 101 and provided at an edge of the plate-shaped portion 101. Each tubular portion 102 forms a conduit 105. Both the plate-like portion 101 and the tubular portion 102 are made of a metal material. The metal material is preferably a material having high thermal conductivity (eg, aluminum).

  The plate portion 101 is formed in a rectangular shape having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. Both main surfaces of the plate portion 101 provide a cell mounting surface 103 on which the battery cells 30 can be mounted in a contact state (more specifically, a surface contact state). In the plate-like portion 101, a tubular portion 102 is provided on at least one (in this embodiment, both) of a pair of side edges 104 forming a pair of long sides. In this embodiment, a plurality of tubular portions 102 are arranged along the direction in which the edge of the plate-shaped portion 101 (the side edge 104 in this embodiment) extends.

  Each tubular portion 102 forms a conduit 105 extending in the stacking direction of the cell tray 92, that is, in the direction normal to the cell mounting surface 103. More specifically, the tubular portion 102 is formed in the shape of a square tube extending in the stacking direction of the cell trays 92, and defines a conduit 105 that provides a rectangular flow path cross section. At one end (upper end in FIGS. 12A and 12B) of each tubular portion 102, an annular concave portion 108 (step portion) is formed at an edge of the conduit 105. At the other end (the lower end in FIGS. 12A and 12B) of each tubular portion 102, an annular protrusion 109 is formed at the edge of the conduit 105. The protrusion 109 fits into the corresponding concave portion 108 at the edge of the conduit 105 provided in another cell tray 92 that is stacked adjacently. Thus, when the plurality of cell trays 92 are stacked, the projection 109 and the recess 108 of the tubular portion 102 of the adjacent cell tray 92 are fitted and connected. As a result, the plurality of cell trays 92 are stacked in a positioned state, and the conduits 105 formed by the tubular portions 102 of the adjacent cell trays 92 are continuous with each other.

A pair of edges 106 forming a pair of short sides of the plate-shaped portion 101 are covered by an edge cover 107 made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin (see FIGS. 11A and 11B). The edge cover 107 may be fixed to the edge 106 with an adhesive. The edge cover 107 prevents the electrode tab 33 of the battery cell 30 from being short-circuited to the metal cell tray 92.
The configuration of the battery cell 30 is the same as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 6). The mounting state of the battery cell 30 on the cell mounting surface 103 is the same as that of the first embodiment. 12A and 12B show an adhesive sheet 28 for attaching the battery cells 30 to the cell mounting surface 103 in an electrically insulated state. In addition, modifications similar to those of the first embodiment can be made with respect to securing electric insulation between the battery cell 30 and the plate-shaped portion 101 and mounting the battery cell 30 on the cell mounting surface 103.

  The thickness of the battery cell 30 composed of a laminated cell is equal to or less than the height of the tubular portion 102 of the cell tray 92 from the plate-like portion 101. The electrode tab 33 protrudes beyond the edge 106 of the cell mounting surface 103. Thereby, in a state where the plurality of cell units 91 are stacked, the electrode tab 33 of the battery cell 30 can be connected to the electrode tab 33 at a corresponding position of another battery cell 30 which is adjacent above or below. The edge cover 107 is interposed between the electrode tab 33 and the cell tray 92 to ensure insulation therebetween.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a cut surface of the battery pack 61 along the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a cut surface of the battery pack 61 along the short direction. 13 and 14 show the structure of a cut surface of the cell tray 92 passing through the tubular portion 102. FIG.
By stacking the plurality of cell units 91, the tubular portions 102 of the adjacent cell trays 92 are connected to each other. Thereby, the plurality of conduits 105 are continuously formed to form the refrigerant flow passage 110 extending in the stacking direction of the cell units 91 (the vertical direction in FIGS. 13 and 14). This coolant channel 110 is isolated from the battery cell 30 by the tubular portion 102. The tubular portion 102 of the lowermost cell tray 92 in contact with the bottom surface 67 of the case body 63 is connected to an opening 82 formed at a position corresponding to the bottom surface 67. Further, the tubular portion 102 of the uppermost cell tray 92 in contact with the lid 64 is connected to an opening 83 formed at a position corresponding to the lid 64. As a result, a coolant channel 110 is formed from the opening 82 of the bottom surface 67 to the openings 83 of the lid 64 through the conduits 105 of the plurality of cell trays 92.

  A gasket 121 as a sealing member is sandwiched between the case body 63 and the lid 64. The gasket 121 seals the space between the case body 63 and the lid 64 in an air-tight and liquid-tight manner. At the edge of the opening 83 of the lid 64, an annular protrusion 112 that fits into the annular recess 108 of the tubular portion 102 of the cell tray 92 is formed. An annular recess 111 (step) into which the annular protrusion 109 of the tubular portion 102 of the cell tray 92 fits is formed at the edge of the opening 82 of the bottom portion 67 of the case body 63.

  A labyrinth-shaped seal structure is formed between the lid 64 and the cell tray 92 and between the cell tray 92 and the bottom surface 67 by coupling the concave portions 108 and 111 and the protrusions 112 and 109. A labyrinth-like sealing structure is formed between the tubular portions 102 of the adjacent cell trays 92 by coupling the concave portions 108 and the protruding portions 109. Therefore, the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged is sealed from the coolant channel 110. Thus, the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged is sealed from the external space of the case 62. Of course, the sealing characteristics may be improved by using a sealing member such as an O-ring instead of or in addition to the labyrinth-like sealing structure as described above.

  As described above, in a state where the battery pack 61 is assembled, the refrigerant flow passage 110 formed by connecting the tubular portions 102 of the plurality of cell trays 92 is formed by the opening 82 and the lid 64 of the bottom surface 67 of the case main body 63. The opening 83 communicates with the external space. Therefore, a refrigerant, typically air, can be introduced into the refrigerant channel 110 formed by the tubular portions 102 of the plurality of cell trays 92. Accordingly, heat can be exchanged between the metal cell tray 92 and the refrigerant, and the cell tray 92 can be cooled. On the other hand, since the battery cells 30 are mounted on the cell mounting surface 103 of the cell tray 92 in a state of surface contact, heat can be efficiently exchanged with the cell tray 92. Then, the metal cell tray 92 satisfactorily transfers heat from the plate portion 101 (cell mounting surface 103) to the tubular portion 102. Thereby, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the battery cells 30 via the cell tray 92, so that the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

  On the other hand, the path of the refrigerant (typically air) is isolated from the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged, so that foreign matters such as outside air containing a large amount of dust, rainwater, and muddy water reach the battery cells 30. Can be avoided. Moreover, in this embodiment, the space in which the battery cells 30 are arranged is sealed from the outside by the gasket 121 and the labyrinth-like sealing structure. Therefore, the battery cells 30 can be reliably prevented from being adversely affected by the external environment. Therefore, the battery pack 61 of this embodiment has environmental resistance that can withstand a severe use environment, such as in a saddle-ride type vehicle.

  Further, since the edge 106 of the plate portion 101 of the cell tray 92 is covered with the edge cover 107 made of an insulating material, insulation between the plate portion 101 and the electrode tab 33 can be ensured. Finger-prevention ribs 84 and 85 are arranged on the bottom surface 67 of the case body 63 and the openings 82 and 83 of the lid 64, and a user or the like contacts the cell tray 92 through the openings 82 and 83. The configuration is not possible. Thereby, since the plate-shaped portion 101 can be made of a metal material having a high thermal conductivity, the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of tubular portions 102 are arranged on the side edge 104 (both side edges 104 in this embodiment) of the rectangular plate-shaped portion 101, and the plurality of tubular portions 102 are attached to the side edge 104. Are arranged along. Each tubular portion 102 forms a conduit 105 extending in a direction intersecting the plate-shaped portion 101, more specifically, in a stacking direction of the cell trays 92. The pipeline 105 of each of the plurality of stacked cell trays 92 forms a coolant channel 110 extending across the plurality of cell trays 12. Thereby, the heat exchange between the refrigerant passage 110 and the plurality of cell trays 92 can be performed, so that the efficiency of heat coupling between the refrigerant and the cell trays 92 can be increased. Thus, the battery cells 30 can be efficiently cooled.

The two embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention can be embodied in other forms.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the tubular portions 22, 102 are provided along the side edges 24, 104 of the cell trays 12, 92, but the tubular portions 22, 102 are provided only on one of the side edges 24, 104. It may be provided.

Further, the plate-shaped portion of the cell tray may have any shape as long as it follows the shape of the battery cell, and may have a shape other than a rectangular shape.
Further, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path does not need to be a gas such as air, and may be a liquid such as water. That is, the cooling structure of the battery pack may be air-cooled or liquid-cooled (for example, water-cooled). Further, a forced cooling type in which the refrigerant is forcibly circulated through the refrigerant flow path may be used, or a natural cooling type in which the refrigerant is not forcibly circulated may be used.

  In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims.

  1: battery pack, 2: case, 3: case body, 4: front cover, 5: rear cover, 8: terminal block, 11: cell unit, 12: cell tray, 13: insulating cover, 13A: cover body, 13B: Tube part, 13H: Through hole, 15: Battery management unit, 18, 19: Opening, 20: Refrigerant flow path, 21: Plate part, 22: Tubular part, 23: Cell mounting surface, 24: Side edge, 25: Pipe line, 26: edge, 27: edge cover, 30: battery cell, 33: electrode tab, 41A, 41B: gasket, 42 to 44: O-ring, 61: battery pack, 62: case, 82, 83: Opening, 84, 85: finger touch prevention rib, 91: cell unit, 92: cell tray, 95: battery management unit, 101: plate portion, 102: tubular portion, 103: cell mounting surface, 104: side edge, 10 : Pipe, 106: edge, 107: edge cover, 108: recess, 109: projection, 110: coolant channel 111: recess, 112: projection, 121: Gasket

Claims (15)

A cell tray for forming a battery pack by stacking a plurality of sheets with battery cells mounted thereon,
A plate-shaped portion having a cell mounting surface on which a flat battery cell is mounted,
A cell tray, comprising: a tubular portion provided on an edge of the plate-shaped portion so as to be connected to the plate-shaped portion and forming a coolant flow path.   The cell tray according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped portion and the tubular portion are made of a metal material. The plate-like portion has a rectangular shape having a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides,
The cell tray according to claim 1, wherein the tubular portion is provided on at least one of the pair of side edges forming the pair of long sides in the plate-shaped portion.   4. The cell tray according to claim 3, further comprising an edge cover made of an insulating material and arranged to cover the pair of short edges forming the pair of short sides. 5.   The cell tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular portion forms a duct along a direction in which an edge of the plate-shaped portion extends.   The cell tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular portion forms a conduit extending in a direction orthogonal to a stacking direction of the plurality of cell trays.   The cell tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular portion forms a conduit extending in a direction intersecting the plate-shaped portion.   The cell tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular portion forms a conduit extending in a stacking direction of the plurality of cell trays.   9. The cell tray according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of tubular portions are arranged side by side along an edge of the plate-shaped portion. 10. The plurality of cell trays according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of cell trays are stacked in a direction crossing the plate-shaped portion.
A plurality of battery cells each mounted on the cell mounting surface of the plurality of cell trays, and stacked with the cell tray,
An insulating material, which has an opening for communicating a coolant flow path formed by the tubular portion of the stacked cell trays to the outside and covers the stacked cell trays and the stacked battery cells, is made of an insulating material. A battery pack including a case.   The battery pack according to claim 10, further comprising a seal structure disposed between the case and an end edge of the coolant flow path, for sealing a space in which the battery cells are disposed.   The battery pack according to claim 10, further comprising a contact prevention member that prevents a user from touching the cell tray from outside the case. The plurality of cell trays according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of cell trays are stacked in a direction crossing the plate-shaped portion.
A plurality of battery cells each mounted on the cell mounting surface of the plurality of cell trays, and stacked with the cell tray,
Insulation made of an insulating material, which covers edges of a plurality of refrigerant flow paths respectively formed by the tubular portions of the plurality of stacked cell trays, and has a plurality of through-holes respectively communicating with the plurality of refrigerant flow paths. Cover and
A case made of an insulating material, having an opening for exposing the plurality of through holes of the insulating cover, and covering the stacked cell trays, the stacked battery cells and the insulating cover; pack.   14. The battery pack according to claim 13, wherein the insulating cover is engaged with the tubular portions of the plurality of cell trays to hold the plurality of cell trays in a stacked state.   15. The battery pack according to claim 13, further comprising a seal structure disposed between an inner surface of the case and the insulating cover to seal a space in which the battery cells are disposed.

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