JP2022133490A - Power source device and electric vehicle and power storage device that comprise the power source devices - Google Patents

Abstract

To effectively insulate a metal collar of a power source device by means of simple structure to thereby maintain high insulation resistance of the power source device.SOLUTION: A power source device has configuration in which an intermediate plate 3 is laminated in the middle of a battery laminate 10 formed by laminating a plurality of square battery cells 1, a pair of end plates 4 are disposed at both ends of the battery laminate, and bind bars 2 are fixed to the end plate 4 and the intermediate plate 3, the power source device comprises: metal collars 31 provided at both sides of the intermediate plate 3; fasteners 14 that couple the bind bars 2 to the intermediate plate 3; and insulation plates 15 fixed to side surfaces of the intermediate plate 3. The intermediate plate 3 is constituted by an insulating plastic molded body 30 and has annular ribs 32 that surround the metal collars 31 and are integrally formed on the side surfaces. An insulation plate 15 is fixed to an open edge of an annular rib 32 to close an opening of the annular rib 32, an outside of a metal collar 31 is insulated by the annular rib 32 and the insulation plate 15, the fastener 14 penetrates the insulation plate 15 and is coupled to the metal collar 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power supply device in which a plurality of rectangular battery cells are stacked, and an electric vehicle and a power storage device provided with this power supply device.

2. Description of the Related Art A power supply device using a secondary battery is used for purposes such as a power source for driving a vehicle. As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 15, such a power supply device has end plates 904 arranged on the end surfaces of a battery stack 910 in which a plurality of battery cells 901 are stacked, and the end plates 904 are arranged in a pair of left and right. A configuration of fastening with a bind bar 902 is generally adopted. In such a power supply device 900 , increasing the number of battery cells 901 is one way to improve the output.

However, in the configuration using the end plate 904 and the bind bar 902 as described above, as the number of battery cells 901 increases, the battery stack 910 becomes longer, and accordingly, a corresponding increase in rigidity is required. For example, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, when an external force is applied to the side surface of the battery stack 910, one bind bar 902 is loaded. Therefore, in order to cope with this, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the bind bar 902. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as increasing the thickness of the metal plate that constitutes the bind bar 902 or using a stronger material. However, there arises a problem that the weight becomes heavy and the cost becomes high. There is also a concern that as the number of battery cells increases, the positional deviation of the battery cell 901 located in the center will increase. In order to prevent the above problems, a power supply device has been developed in which an intermediate plate is arranged in the middle of the battery stack and the intermediate plate is fixed to a bind bar. (See Patent Document 1)

WO2017/017913

In the power supply device of Patent Document 1, the intermediate plate is fixed to the bind bar so that the battery cells can be placed in a fixed position. Water causes the insulation resistance of the device to drop. A power supply device is required to maintain a high insulation resistance, for example several tens of MΩ or more, between an electrode terminal having a potential or a bus bar connected thereto and a ground line. Since the metal collar is connected to the ground line through the metal bind bar and end plate, the insulation resistance between the metal collar connected to the ground line and the electrode terminal or bus bar with electric potential should be kept high. is required. Battery cells are stacked on both sides of the intermediate plate that fixes the metal collars to both sides, and bus bars are connected to the electrode terminals of the battery cells, and the electrode terminals and bus bars are arranged near the metal collars. Therefore, the condensed water adhering to the vicinity of the metal collar conducts the metal collar to the electrode terminal or bus bar, causing a decrease in insulation resistance.

The present invention has been developed with the object of further solving the above drawbacks. One of the objects of the present invention is to effectively insulate the metal collar with a very simple structure and maintain a high insulation resistance of the device. It is to provide the technology that is possible.

A power supply device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a battery stack 10 formed by stacking a plurality of rectangular battery cells 1, an intermediate plate 3 stacked in the middle of the stacking direction of the battery stack 10, and a battery stack A power supply device comprising a pair of end plates 4 arranged at both ends in the stacking direction of a body 10 and bind bars 2 fixed to both side surfaces of the end plates 4 and the intermediate plate 3, wherein the intermediate plate 3 a metal collar 31 provided on both sides of the binding bar 31, a fixture 14 for connecting the bind bar 2 to the intermediate plate 3 via the metal collar 31, and an insulating plate 15 fixed to the side surface of the intermediate plate 3. The intermediate plate 3 is composed of an insulating plastic molding 30 on both sides or in its entirety. The insulating plate 15 is fixed to the opening edge of the annular rib 32 , the insulating plate 15 closes the opening of the annular rib 32 , and the annular rib 32 and the insulating plate 15 insulate the outside of the metal collar 31 . , and the fixture 14 penetrates the insulating plate 15 and is connected to the metal collar 31 .

An electric vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes the power supply device 100, a motor 93 for running to which power is supplied from the power supply device 100, a vehicle main body 91 equipped with the power supply device 100 and the motor 93, and the motor 93 and a wheel 97 that is driven by and drives the vehicle body 91 .

A power storage device according to an aspect of the present invention includes the power supply device 100 described above and a power supply controller 88 that controls charging and discharging of the power supply device 100. With the power supply controller 88, external power is supplied to the battery cells 1. In addition to enabling charging, the battery cells 1 are controlled to be charged.

In the power supply device described above, it is possible to suppress a decrease in insulation resistance due to providing the intermediate plate while stacking the intermediate plate on the battery stack and connecting it to the bind bar. In particular, it is possible to effectively insulate the metal collar with a simple structure and to maintain a high insulation resistance of the power supply.

1 is a perspective view of a power supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power supply device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of the power supply device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a schematic plan view showing a state in which an external force is applied to the side surface of the power supply device of FIG. 3A. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the power supply device of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an intermediate plate; 2 is a cross-sectional view of the power supply device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line VI-VI. FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state of connection between an annular rib of the intermediate plate and an insulating plate shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state of connection between an annular rib and an insulating plate of another example of an intermediate plate; FIG. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a connecting structure between an intermediate plate and a bind bar; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the connection structure between the intermediate plate and the bind bar; FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing a state before bending of the protruding piece in the bind bar according to the modification, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view showing a state where the protruding piece of FIG. 11A is bent. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of mounting a power supply device on a hybrid vehicle that runs on an engine and a motor; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of mounting a power supply device on an electric vehicle that runs only with a motor; It is a block diagram which shows the example applied to the power supply device for electrical storage. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional power supply device. 16A is a schematic plan view of a power supply device without an intermediate bracket, and FIG. 16B is a schematic plan view showing a state in which an external force is applied to the side surface of the power supply device of FIG. 16A. FIG. 17 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional power supply device.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions and positions (e.g., "upper", "lower", and other terms including those terms) are used as necessary, but the use of these terms is These terms are used to facilitate understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the technical scope of the invention is not limited by the meaning of these terms. Also, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in a plurality of drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts or members.
Furthermore, the embodiments shown below show specific examples of the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following. In addition, unless there is a specific description, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are intended to be examples. It is intended. In addition, the contents described in one embodiment and example can also be applied to other embodiments and examples. Also, the sizes and positional relationships of members shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

A power supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a battery stack formed by stacking a plurality of rectangular battery cells, an intermediate plate stacked in the middle of the stacking direction of the battery stack, and a battery stack A power supply device comprising a pair of end plates arranged at both ends in the stacking direction and binding bars fixed to both side surfaces of the end plates and the intermediate plate, wherein the metal collars are provided on both sides of the intermediate plate. , a fixture that connects the bind bar to the intermediate plate via a metal collar, and an insulating plate that is fixed to the side surface of the intermediate plate, and the intermediate plate is made of insulating plastic molding on both sides or in its entirety. The plastic molded body has an annular rib surrounding a metal collar integrally formed on the side surface, and an insulating plate is fixed to the opening edge of the annular rib, and the insulating plate is attached to the annular rib. An annular rib and an insulating plate insulate the outside of the metal collar, closing the opening of the metal collar, and a fastener extends through the insulating plate and connects to the metal collar.

The power supply device described above has a feature that the insulation resistance of the device can be increased by effectively insulating the metal collar while having an extremely simple structure. In the above power supply device, an annular rib surrounding a metal collar is integrally formed on the plastic molded body of the intermediate plate, and the opening edge of the annular rib is closed with an insulating plate to form the annular rib. This is because the insulation plate insulates the outside of the metal collar. In particular, the above-described power supply device does not require a special member for insulating the periphery of the metal collar, and the plastic molded body forming the intermediate plate and the annular rib are integrally formed, so that it is easy and convenient to use. The annular rib can be easily installed without the addition of special parts, without the need for a process of locating the annular rib at an accurate position with respect to the metal collar, and even in a harsh environment where vibrations are received for a long period of time. can be placed in an accurate position around the metal collar without misalignment, and the metal collar can always be insulated in an ideal state to maintain high insulation resistance of the device.

Furthermore, in the power supply described above, since the annular rib is closed with the insulating plate to insulate the periphery of the metal collar, the creepage distance between the electrode terminal and the bind bar and the metal collar is reduced by both the annular rib and the insulating plate. By increasing the length, it is also possible to effectively suppress a decrease in insulation resistance due to condensed water.

In the power supply device of the second embodiment of the present invention, the opening edge of the annular rib is in close contact with the inner surface of the insulating plate.

In the power supply device of the third embodiment of the present invention, the insulating plate has a fitting groove for fitting the opening edge of the annular rib on the inner surface, and the opening edge of the annular rib is connected to the fitting groove in a fitting structure. is doing.

In the power supply device of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the metal collar is fixed by insert molding to the plastic molding of the intermediate plate.

In the power supply device of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the fixture is a set screw and the metal collar has a female threaded hole into which the set screw is screwed.

In the power supply device of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the entire intermediate plate is made of plastic molding.

In the power supply device of the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the metal collar has a through hole, and the fixture passes through the through hole of the metal collar fixed to both sides of the intermediate plate and the intermediate plate, Fixed to the bind bar.

(Embodiment 1)
A power supply 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. A power supply device 100 shown in these figures is an example of a vehicle-mounted power supply device. Specifically, the power supply device 100 is mainly mounted on an electric vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and is used as a power source for supplying electric power to a driving motor of the vehicle to drive the vehicle. However, the power supply device of the present invention can be used for electric vehicles other than hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, and can also be used for applications other than electric vehicles, such as uninterruptible power supplies that require large output.

(Power supply device 100)
The power supply device 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. A pair of end plates 4 arranged at both ends in the stacking direction and a bind bar 2 fixed to the end plates 4 are provided. The battery cell 1 has a plate-like outer shape with a thickness smaller than the width, and has a rectangular main surface and is laminated with a plurality of sheets. Also, the battery cells 1 are insulated from each other by an insulating member such as a separator 12 . Furthermore, an intermediate plate 3 is stacked in the middle of the battery stack 10 . Furthermore, the end plates 4 cover both end surfaces of the battery stack 10 in a state in which the battery cells 1 are alternately stacked with the separators 12 interposed therebetween. The pair of end plates 4 are fixed with a bind bar 2 to sandwich the battery stack 10 between the end plates 4 .

(Battery cell 1)
The battery cell 1 has a rectangular exterior can that is thinner than the width. The outer can is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder with an upper opening, and the opening is closed with a sealing plate. The outer can accommodates the electrode assembly. The sealing plate is provided with positive and negative electrode terminals and a gas discharge valve between the electrode terminals. In the battery cell, the surface of the outer can is covered with an insulating film (not shown) such as a heat-shrinkable tube. Since the surface of the sealing plate is provided with the electrode terminal and the discharge valve, it is exposed without being covered with the insulating film. The battery cells 1 are electrically connected to each other by bus bars 13 and the like. Bus bar 13 is formed by bending a metal plate.

An insulating member such as a resin separator 12 is interposed between adjacent battery cells 1 to insulate them. Battery cells whose surfaces are covered with an insulating film can also be stacked without interposing a separator.

(Separator 12)
As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 2, the separator 12 is interposed between the opposing main surfaces of adjacent battery cells 1 to insulate them. Separators 12 are also arranged between the battery cells 1 at both ends and the end plates 4 and between the battery cells 1 in the middle and the intermediate plate 3 . The separator 12 is made of an insulating material in the form of a thin plate or sheet. The separator 12 shown in the figure is in the form of a plate having a size approximately equal to the facing surfaces of the battery cells 1. The separator 12 is laminated between the adjacent battery cells 1 to insulate the adjacent battery cells 1 from each other. ing. As the separator, a separator having a shape that forms a cooling gas flow path between adjacent battery cells may be used, and the battery cells may be cooled by forcibly blowing the cooling gas through the flow path.

The material of the separator 12 is insulative. For example, by using a resin such as plastic, the light weight and low cost configuration can be achieved. In addition to using a hard member, a member having flexibility may be used. In particular, the separator 12 having no cooling gap can be made of a flexible thin material such as a sheet. If a sheet-shaped separator having an adhesive surface applied on one side is used, it becomes easy to attach the separator to areas where insulation is required, such as the main surface and part of the side surface of the battery cell 1 . In addition, the sheet shape facilitates thinning of the separator, and an increase in the thickness and weight of the battery stack 10 can be suppressed.

(End plate 4)
A pair of end plates 4 are arranged on both end surfaces of a battery stack 10 in which battery cells 1 and separators 12 are alternately stacked, and the battery stack 10 is fastened with the pair of end plates 4 . The end plate 4 is made of a material exhibiting sufficient strength, such as metal. However, the end plate can be made of resin, or the end plate made of resin can be reinforced with a member made of metal. In the example of FIG. 2, the end plate 4 is composed of one metal plate.

(bind bar 2)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bind bars 2 are arranged on both sides of a battery stack 10 having end plates 4 stacked on both ends, and the ends are fixed to the pair of end plates 4 to form the battery stack. 10 is concluded. The bind bar 2 is formed in a plate shape extending in the battery stacking direction of the battery stack 10 . Specifically, the bind bar 2 includes a flat fastening main surface 25 covering the side surface of the battery stack 10, and a first bent piece 21 and a second bent piece 21 as bent pieces obtained by bending the edges of the fastening main surface 25. It has a piece 22 , a third bent piece 23 and a fourth bent piece 24 . The first bent piece 21 is an upper end bent piece formed by bending one of the longitudinal edges of the fastening main surface 25, here the upper end side. The second bent piece 22 is a bottom bent piece formed by bending the other edge of the main fastening surface 25 along the longitudinal direction, here the bottom end side. Further, the third bent piece 23 is an end plate fixing piece obtained by partially bending the edge that intersects the longitudinal direction of the main fastening surface 25, here the front side. Finally, the fourth bent piece 24 is an end plate fixing piece obtained by partially bending the rear side of the edge that intersects the longitudinal direction of the fastening main surface 25 . By bending each end edge of the bind bar 2 in this way, both the cross-sectional shape along the longitudinal direction and the cross-sectional shape crossing the longitudinal direction are U-shaped, making it possible to increase the rigidity.

Also, the bind bar 2 is fixed to the end plate 4 by screwing or the like with an end plate fixing piece. Further, the corners of the upper surface of the battery stack 10 are partially covered with the upper bent pieces, and the corners of the lower surface of the battery stack 10 are partially covered with the lower bent pieces to increase the strength. It should be noted that the power supply device 100 can also be fixed to an installation location, for example, inside a vehicle, by screwing or the like using the lower end bent piece.

A bent metal plate is preferably used for such a bind bar 2 . Moreover, the bind bar 2 needs to have sufficient strength so as to hold the battery stack 10 between them for a long period of time. For this reason, high-strength steel, general steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, etc., which are excellent in rigidity and heat conduction, or a combination thereof can be used. In the example of FIG. 2, for example, a metal plate made of Fe-based metal is used.

It should be noted that the bind bar may have other shapes. For example, both ends of a metal plate extended in a belt shape may be bent into a U-shape in cross section. Moreover, the positions where the bind bars are provided may be the upper and lower surfaces as well as the side surfaces of the battery stack. Further, the structure for fixing the bind bar to the end plate is not limited to screwing, and known fixing structures such as riveting, caulking, welding, and adhesion can be used as appropriate. Furthermore, an opening region 25 a may be provided in the binding main surface 25 of the bind bar 2 so that cooling gas can be blown between the battery cells 1 . In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 , a plurality of opening regions 25 a are provided on the binding main surface 25 of the bind bar 2 so that the side surfaces of the battery cells 1 are exposed to the side surfaces of the battery stack 10 . Moreover, since the strength of the bind bar 2 is suppressed by providing the opening region 25a, the bind bar 2 is preferably made of metal.

Furthermore, it is preferable not to provide an opening area in the portion where the screw hole is opened as the intermediate plate fixing portion 27 for coupling with the intermediate plate 3 . As a result, the strength of the bind bar 2 can be avoided from being lowered at the portion where it is fixed to the intermediate plate 3, and the reliability can be improved. In addition, since the battery cells 1 are not positioned in the intermediate plate 3, there are no cooling gaps for cooling the battery cells 1, and therefore there is no need to provide an opening region. In this way, by not providing an opening region or reducing the area of the opening region in a portion where strength is required, it is possible to avoid reduction in strength and rigidity while ensuring the cooling performance of the battery cell 1 .

Furthermore, by covering the side surface of the battery stack 10 with the metal bind bar 2, the outer can of the battery cell 1 is prevented from unintentionally short-circuiting. can also be provided with an insulating structure. In the example of FIG. 2, an insulating material 9 is interposed between the metal bind bar 2 and the battery stack 10 . The insulating material 9 is composed of an insulating member such as a resin sheet or paper. Moreover, the shape of the insulating material 9 is made substantially the same as the shape of the bind bar 2 so that the side surface of the battery stack 10 does not come into contact with the bind bar 2 . Furthermore, in the insulating material 9 laminated on the bind bar 2 provided with the opening area 25a, the opening area 9a is also opened in the insulating material 9 so as not to close the opening area 25a.

(Intermediate plate 3)
An intermediate plate 3 is interposed in the intermediate portion of the battery stack 10 . Although one intermediate plate 3 is provided in the center of the battery stack 10 in FIGS. 1 to 4, it does not necessarily have to be in the center and may be provided between the stacking directions of the battery stacks. That is, the meaning of "in the middle of the stacking direction of the battery stack" is "between the stacking directions of the battery stacks". In addition, long battery stacks can be provided with multiple intermediate plates in between. The intermediate plate 3 is fixed in the middle of the bind bar 2 in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, the bind bar 2 has an intermediate plate fixing portion 27 for fixing to the intermediate plate 3 in the middle in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the intermediate plate 3 has a metal collar 31 fixed to the intermediate plate fixing portion 27, as shown in FIGS. As described above, in the present embodiment, the intermediate portion of the battery stack 10 is reinforced with the intermediate plate 3, so that the rigidity can be maintained even when the number of stacked battery cells 1 increases.

As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 15, a conventional power supply device 900 employs a configuration in which end plates 904 on both end surfaces are fastened with bind bars 902 . In this example, 18 thin rectangular battery cells 901 are stacked with separators 912 in between, end plates 904 are placed on the end faces of the battery stack 910, and the end plates 904 on both end faces are fastened together with bind bars 902. is doing. In this configuration, only the end plates 904 are fixed to the bind bars 902 , so the battery stack 910 of the battery cells 901 and the separators 912 sandwiched by the bind bars 902 is not fixed to the bind bars 902 . With such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, when an external force is applied from the side, the load is concentrated on one bind bar 902 . In order to prevent the bind bars from breaking in this state, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of each bind bar. and other methods are conceivable, but all lead to an increase in cost. In particular, if the thickness of the bind bar is increased, the weight increases, so it is not preferable for the power supply device for in-vehicle use.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, an intermediate plate 3 is provided at the intermediate portion of the bind bar 2 and fixed to each of the pair of bind bars 2 . In other words, the pair of bind bars 2 are fixed to each other at the intermediate portion via the intermediate plate 3 . As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, even if an external force is applied from one side of the power supply device 100 in the longitudinal direction, the pair of bind bars 2 can receive the external force. Compared to the 16B configuration, it is possible to eliminate the need to increase the rigidity of the bind bar and use a thinner bind bar to reduce cost and weight.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 17, the intermediate plate 3 also has the effect of suppressing variations in thickness between the battery cells. That is, as the number of stacked battery cells is increased, variations in the thickness of each battery cell 901 are accumulated as shown in FIG. Similarly, since the separator 912 also has manufacturing tolerances, thickness variations are accumulated in the same manner as the number of battery cells 901 . When this is fastened with the bind bar 902, in a configuration where the end plate 904 is simply sandwiched, as shown in FIG. If the length is not sufficient, it will be difficult to maintain an appropriate clamping state. On the other hand, by arranging the intermediate plate 3 in the middle as shown in FIG. Since the battery stack 10 can be halved and sandwiched between each of the two, the number of stacks of the bisected battery stack 10 can be halved. It can be easily concluded. In other words, it is possible to suppress variations in the fastening state of the bind bar 2 between the power supply devices, and to maintain the fastening state of each power supply device constant, thereby improving reliability.

The position where the intermediate plate 3 is arranged on the bind bar 2 is preferably approximately the center of the bind bar 2 in the longitudinal direction. However, it does not prevent the intermediate plate from being arranged and fixed at a position slightly eccentric to either one. In particular, when the number of stacked battery cells is even, it is possible to arrange the intermediate plate in the center, but when the number is odd, it is difficult to arrange the intermediate plate in the middle. The present invention can be suitably used in such a mode as well. Furthermore, when a plurality of intermediate plates are provided, it is also preferable to dispose the plurality of intermediate plates at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the bind bar 2 .

A perspective view of the intermediate plate 3 is shown in FIG. The intermediate plate 3 is preferably made of insulating plastic. However, the intermediate plate does not need to be entirely made of plastic. For example, although not shown, both side portions and upper and lower portions of the square, that is, the outer peripheral portion, can be made of plastic while the other portions are made of metal. The intermediate plate can be manufactured by insert molding a metal plate into plastic, and the surface can be insulated with plastic. The intermediate plate 3 described above can reliably insulate the battery cells 1 stacked on both sides. Examples of resin materials for molding the intermediate plate include crystalline polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether sulfone (PES), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamideimide (PAI), and polyphthalamide (PPA). , polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polycarbonate, and the like can be used.

(Metal collar 31)
The intermediate plate 3 has metal collars 31 fixed on both sides for fixing the binding bar 2 . The metal collar 31 is preferably fixed to the intermediate plate 3 by insert molding. A metal collar 31 shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 is provided with a ring-shaped groove 31b on its outer peripheral surface in order to be firmly fixed to the intermediate plate 3. As shown in FIG. Although not shown, the metal collar can also have a large number of protrusions on its outer peripheral surface. The metal collar 31 fixed by insert molding is firmly fixed to the intermediate plate 3 at an accurate position. However, the metal collar can also be glued or pressed into the intermediate plate. The hybrid structure, in which the metal collar 31 is fixed to the plastic intermediate plate 3 by insert molding, makes the intermediate plate 3 lightweight and made of resin that is easy to mold. can be made of metal to increase reliability. The above-described intermediate plate 3 is made of plastic, and the metal collar 31 is fixed by insert molding. However, the metal collar may be integrated with the intermediate plate. This intermediate plate is partly made of metal and integrated with a metal collar, and has a structure in which the surface of the intermediate plate made of metal is insulated with plastic or the like. This intermediate plate can be realized with a structure in which the part integrally molded with the metal collar is made of aluminum die-cast, and the surface is insulated with plastic or the like.

The intermediate plate 3 has metal collars 31 fixed at a plurality of locations on both sides thereof to securely fix the bind bar 2. - 特許庁The intermediate plate 3 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has metal collars 31 fixed at three locations, upper, lower, and central. Although the number of metal collars 31 fixed to the intermediate plate 3 is not specified, they are fixed above, below and in the middle so that the bind bar 2 can be securely fixed.

The metal collar 31 protrudes from the side surface of the intermediate plate 3 and is fixed to have a planar tip. Further, the metal collar 31 is provided with a female screw hole 31a in its central portion. A set screw 14A passing through the bind bar 2 is screwed into the female screw hole 31a to connect the bind bar 2 to the intermediate plate 3. As shown in FIG. The metal collar 31 is electrically connected to the ground line through the metal bind bar 2 . This is because the bind bar 2 is connected to the base on which the power supply device is installed, or to the chassis in the case of a vehicle. When the metal collar 31 electrically connected to the ground line is connected to the electrode terminal of the battery cell 1 or the bus bar through condensed water or the like, the insulation resistance decreases. This is because the conductive condensed water electrically connects the metal collar 31 to the ground line.

The left and right metal collars 31 are provided on both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 3 on the same straight line. Here, the metal collar can also be configured to pass through the intermediate plate, which can improve strength. However, in this case, it is necessary to prepare a long metal cylinder corresponding to the width of the intermediate plate, and the increased number of metal members increases the weight and increases the cost of parts. Therefore, in the configuration of FIG. 6, the metal collars 31 are arranged on both side surfaces of the intermediate plate 3 as separate members, and the left and right metal collars 31 are arranged on the same straight line.

(Annular rib 32)
Since the power supply device 100 is used in an environment where external conditions such as temperature change, when the air in contact with the surface is cooled and becomes supersaturated, water vapor in the air liquefies and adheres to the surface as condensed water. do. In order to prevent the insulation resistance of the metal collar 31 from decreasing due to dew condensation, the intermediate plate 3 has an annular rib 32 surrounding the metal collar 31 integrally formed on the side surface thereof. Since the intermediate plate 3 described above is entirely made of plastic, it is constructed entirely of the plastic molding 30 . The annular rib 32 is formed integrally with the plastic molding 30 . The intermediate plate 3 made entirely of a plastic molded body 30 has a metal collar 31 arranged inside an annular rib 32 and insulates the periphery of the metal collar 31 with the annular rib 32 . The intermediate plate 3 described above is entirely composed of a plastic molded body 30, but the intermediate plate is not necessarily made entirely of a plastic molded body. For example, the core material may be a metal plate and the surface may be a plastic molded body. can. This intermediate plate is manufactured in a structure in which a metal plate is insert-molded and embedded in a plastic molding. Since the annular rib 32 is integrally formed with the plastic molded body 30, the intermediate plate 3, a part of which is made of the plastic molded body 30, has at least both side portions formed of the plastic molded body 30 so that the annular rib 32 is integrally formed. to mold.

(insulating plate 15)
The annular rib 32 is fixed so that the insulating plate 15 is in close contact with the edge of the opening, and the insulating plate 15 closes the opening. The insulating plate 15 is pressed against the annular rib 32 by the bind bar 2 arranged on the outer surface thereof so that the insulating plate 15 is in close contact without a gap. The annular rib 32 in FIG. 7 has a tip end edge that is gradually thinned and sharpened, and is crushed by the insulating plate 15 that is pressed, so that the rib 32 is in close contact more reliably without a gap. The annular rib 32 shown in FIG. 8 guides the opening edge into the fitting groove 15b provided on the inner surface of the insulating plate 15 with a fitting structure, and is closely attached to the insulating plate 15 without any gap. The insulating plate 15 is tightly attached to the opening edge of the annular rib 32 via a set screw 14A passing therethrough. A set screw 14A is a fixture 14 that connects the bind bar 2 to the intermediate plate 3 . The insulating plate 15 is provided with a through hole 15a for the set screw 14A of the fixture 14, through which the set screw 14A is inserted. The inner diameter of the through-hole 15a is preferably approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the set screw 14A so that the set screw 14A can be inserted without any clearance. The through hole 15a, which is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the setscrew 14A, is expanded by the inserted setscrew 14A and comes into close contact with the surface of the setscrew 14A. This structure allows the insulating plate 15 to watertightly seal the opening of the annular rib 32 to insulate the metal collar 31 in an ideal manner. However, the through hole 15a may be made larger than the outer diameter of the set screw 14A so that a gap can be created when the set screw 14A is inserted. The insulating plate 15 does not water-tightly seal the opening of the annular rib 32, but the annular rib 32 and the insulating plate 15 cover the outer side of the metal collar 31, thereby increasing the creepage distance and suppressing a decrease in insulation resistance. do.

The insulating plate 15 closing the opening of the annular rib 32 is connected to the intermediate plate 3 via the fixture 14, as shown in FIG. The insulating plate 15 shown in the figure is formed in a plate shape facing the side surface of the intermediate plate 3, and is sized and shaped to simultaneously block the three annular ribs 32 provided on the side surface of the intermediate plate 3. The insulating plate 15 is, for example, fixed at a fixed position in the central portion of the insulating material 9 connected to the inner surface of the bind bar 2, so that the bind bar 2 is attached to the bind bar 2 via the insulating material 9 connected to the bind bar 2. It is placed in place on the inner surface. In this insulating plate 15, a set screw 14A passing through an intermediate plate fixing portion 27, which is a through hole provided in the bind bar 2, and a through hole 9b provided in the insulating material 9 is inserted into the through hole 15a, and a metal collar 31 is attached. By being screwed in, the opening of the annular rib 32 is closed by closely pressing the opening edge of the annular rib 32 .

In the structure described above, the insulating plate 15 and the insulating material 9 are formed as separate members, so that the insulating plate 15 can be mass-produced at low cost while using the optimum material and shape. Moreover, by making the insulating plate a separate member, it is possible to simplify its handling and improve manufacturing efficiency. However, the insulating plate can also be constructed integrally with the insulating material. The insulating plate is manufactured integrally as part of an insulating material that is manufactured in the form of a plate or sheet. This insulating plate is also placed in place against the side of the intermediate plate to block the opening in the annular rib, with the insulating material connected in place to the bind bar. Furthermore, the insulating plate can also be fixed to the inner surface of the insulating material as a plurality of plate members facing each annular rib.

(Intermediate plate fixing portion 27)
The bind bar 2 is provided with an intermediate plate fixing portion 27 for fixing to the metal collar 31 of the intermediate plate 3 in the middle in the longitudinal direction. Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the direction of the fixture 14 for fixing the intermediate plate 3 and the bind bar 2 is substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the bind bar 2. As shown in FIG. By providing the fixture 14 so that the axial force acts in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the bind bar 2, the load applied to the bind bar 2 can be reduced.

(Other Examples of Intermediate Plate and Fixture)
In the intermediate plate 3 described above, the metal collars 31 having the female screw holes 31a are arranged on opposite sides on a straight line, and the set screws 14A, which are the fixtures 14, are screwed into the respective metal collars 31 from both sides. As a result, the insulating plate 15 is fixed to both side surfaces via the bind bar 2 . However, the intermediate plate can also be fixed to the binding bar by forming through holes in the metal collars and using fasteners that pass through the through holes to fix the metal collars fixed to both sides of the intermediate plate to the bind bar.

The intermediate plate 3 shown in FIG. 8 has a metal collar 31 which is a metal cylinder provided with a through hole 31c, and the metal collar 31 is insert-molded into the plastic molding 30 so as to pass through the intermediate plate 3 in the width direction. and manufacture. The fixture 14 shown in FIG. 8 comprises a bolt 14B having a threaded portion longer than the width of the intermediate plate, and a nut member 14C screwed onto the bolt 14B. The intermediate plate 3 has a front end of a threaded portion of a bolt that penetrates the metal collar 31, protrudes from the opposite side surface, and penetrates the insulating plate 15 and the bind bar 2. A nut member 14C is attached to the tip portion of the intermediate plate 3. The bind bar 2 is fixed to both sides of the intermediate plate 3 by screwing. However, the fixture penetrating the intermediate plate can also be composed of a threaded rod longer than the width of the intermediate plate 3 and nut members connected to both ends of the threaded rod.

(Fastening member side second fixing part 28)
Furthermore, a plurality of fixing structures for fixing the bind bar 2 to the intermediate plate 3 can be provided. For example, a fastening member side second fixing portion 28 may be provided in the middle of the first bent piece 21 . The bind bar 2 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 has a first bent piece screw hole projecting from the center of the first bent piece 21 as the fastening member side second fixing portion 28. . Thus, by providing the fastening member side second fixing portion 28 at the position where it intersects with the intermediate plate fixing portion 27, the bind bar 2 and the intermediate plate 3 can be fixed at the position where they intersect with each other. A stronger fixed structure from the direction is realized. In addition, on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 3 , a bracket-side second screw hole is opened as a bracket-side second fixing portion 38 at a portion facing the first bending piece screw hole. As a result, screws can be inserted and screwed from the upper surface of the battery stack 10 through the first bending piece screw hole and the bracket-side second screw hole.

(Fastening member side third fixing part 29)
Furthermore, three or more fixing structures between the bind bar 2 and the intermediate plate 3 may be provided. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, a second bent piece screw hole is also formed in the middle of the second bent piece 22 as the fastening member side third fixing portion 29 . Similarly, the intermediate plate 3 is also provided with a bracket-side third screw hole as a bracket-side third fixing portion 39 at a position corresponding to the fastening member-side third fixing portion 29 .

Further, the intermediate plate 3 shown in FIG. 5 has an open intermediate portion to reduce the amount of resin used. When separators having ventilation gaps are arranged on both sides of the intermediate plate, the shape of the separators, for example, the unevenness of the cooling gaps, should be matched.

In the example of FIG. 2, the battery cell 1 is joined to the intermediate plate 3 with the separator 12 covering the side surface of the battery cell 1 . In other words, the separator 12 is interposed between the battery cell 1 and the intermediate plate 3 . However, the separator can be omitted for the battery cells in contact with the intermediate plate. In this case, the above-described cooling gap or the like may be formed on the surface of the intermediate plate so that the surface of the battery cell can be covered with the side surface of the intermediate plate.

(Modification)
The bind bar 2 has a configuration in which the edges of the fastening main surface 25 are respectively bent as shown in FIGS. can also be improved. Such an example is shown in the perspective views of FIGS. 11A and 11B as a bind bar 2B according to a modification. In the bind bar 2B shown in these figures, the second bent piece 22 has a protruding piece 26 in which the longitudinal edge thereof protrudes from the edge of the fastening main surface 25 . The protruding piece 26 has a protruding piece side screw hole 26 a for screwing with the end plate 4 . On the other hand, the third bent piece 23 and the fourth bent piece 24 have a third screw hole 23a and a fourth screw hole 24a, respectively. The protruding piece 26 is bent from the state shown in FIG. 11A so as to overlap the second bent piece 22 as shown in FIG. 11B. In this state, the protruding one-side screw hole 26a, the third screw hole 23a and the fourth screw hole 24a are aligned and screwed together to be fixed to the end plate 4. As shown in FIG. By adopting such a configuration, the surfaces where the bind bar 2B is screwed to the end plate 4 are configured three-dimensionally by intersecting surfaces, and a stronger fixing structure is realized.

The power supply device described above can be used as a vehicle power supply that supplies electric power to a motor that drives an electric vehicle. Electric vehicles equipped with power supply units can be hybrid vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles that run on both an engine and a motor, or electric vehicles that run only on a motor. be. In addition, in order to obtain electric power for driving the vehicle, it is also possible to construct and install a large-capacity, high-output power supply device by connecting a large number of the above-mentioned power supply devices in series or in parallel and adding a necessary control circuit. can.

(Power supply for hybrid vehicles)
FIG. 12 shows an example in which a power supply device is installed in a hybrid vehicle that runs on both an engine and a motor. A vehicle HV equipped with the power supply device shown in this figure includes a vehicle main body 91, an engine 96 and a driving motor 93 for driving the vehicle main body 91, and wheels driven by the engine 96 and the driving motor 93. 97 , a power supply 100 that supplies power to the motor 93 , and a generator 94 that charges the battery of the power supply 100 . Power supply 100 is connected to motor 93 and generator 94 via DC/AC inverter 95 . The vehicle HV runs on both the motor 93 and the engine 96 while charging and discharging the battery of the power supply device 100 . The motor 93 is driven to run the vehicle in a region where the engine efficiency is low, for example, during acceleration or low speed running. The motor 93 is driven by being supplied with power from the power supply device 100 . The generator 94 is driven by the engine 96 or driven by regenerative braking when braking the vehicle to charge the battery of the power supply device 100 . The vehicle HV may include a charging plug 98 for charging the power supply device 100 as shown in the figure. By connecting this charging plug 98 to an external power supply, the power supply device 100 can be charged.

(Electric vehicle power supply)
Further, FIG. 13 shows an example in which a power supply device is mounted on an electric vehicle that runs only with a motor. A vehicle EV equipped with the power supply device shown in this figure includes a vehicle body 91, a driving motor 93 for driving the vehicle body 91, wheels 97 driven by the motor 93, and power supplied to the motor 93. and a generator 94 for charging the battery of the power supply device 100 . Power supply 100 is connected to motor 93 and generator 94 via DC/AC inverter 95 . The motor 93 is driven by being supplied with power from the power supply device 100 . The generator 94 is driven by the energy generated when the vehicle EV is regeneratively braked, and charges the battery of the power supply device 100 . The vehicle EV is also equipped with a charging plug 98, and the power supply device 100 can be charged by connecting this charging plug 98 to an external power supply.

(Power supply device for power storage device)
Furthermore, the present invention does not specify the use of the power supply device as the power supply for the motor that drives the vehicle. The power supply device according to the embodiment can also be used as a power supply for a power storage device that charges a battery with power generated by solar power generation, wind power generation, or the like. FIG. 14 shows a power storage device that charges the battery of the power supply device 100 with a solar battery 82 to store power.

The power storage device shown in FIG. 14 charges the battery of power supply device 100 with electric power generated by solar battery 82 arranged on the roof of building 81 such as a house or factory. This power storage device charges the battery of power supply device 100 with charging circuit 83 using solar battery 82 as a charging power source, and then supplies power to load 86 via DC/AC inverter 85 . Therefore, this power storage device has a charge mode and a discharge mode. In the power storage device shown in the figure, a DC/AC inverter 85 and a charging circuit 83 are connected to a power supply device 100 via a discharging switch 87 and a charging switch 84, respectively. ON/OFF of the discharge switch 87 and the charge switch 84 are switched by a power supply controller 88 of the power storage device. In the charging mode, the power supply controller 88 turns on the charging switch 84 and turns off the discharging switch 87 to permit charging from the charging circuit 83 to the power supply device 100 . When the charging is completed and the battery is fully charged, or when the battery is charged to a capacity equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the power supply controller 88 turns off the charging switch 84 and turns on the discharging switch 87 to switch to the discharging mode. to discharge to the load 86. Also, if necessary, the charge switch 84 is turned on and the discharge switch 87 is turned on to supply power to the load 86 and charge the power supply device 100 at the same time.

Furthermore, although not shown, the power supply device can also be used as a power source for a power storage device that charges a battery using late-night power and stores electricity. A power supply device that is charged with late-night power can be charged with late-night power, which is surplus power from a power plant, and output power during the daytime when the power load is large, thereby limiting peak power during the daytime. Furthermore, the power supply device can also be used as a power supply that charges with both the output of the solar cell and the late-night power. This power supply device effectively utilizes both power generated by solar cells and late-night power, and can efficiently store power while taking weather and power consumption into account.

Such power storage devices include backup power sources that can be mounted on racks of computer servers, backup power sources for wireless base stations such as mobile phones, power sources for domestic or factory power storage, power sources for street lights, etc. It can be suitably used for applications such as power storage devices combined with solar cells, and backup power sources for traffic lights and traffic indicators for roads.

A power supply device according to the present invention and an electric vehicle and an electric storage device equipped with this power supply device are for large current used as power sources for motors that drive electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles, and electric motorcycles. can be suitably used as a power source for For example, power supply devices for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles capable of switching between an EV running mode and an HEV running mode can be used. In addition, a backup power supply device that can be mounted on a computer server rack, a backup power supply device for wireless base stations such as mobile phones, a power storage power source for domestic use and factories, a power source for street lights, etc., a power storage device combined with a solar battery , and can also be used as a backup power supply for traffic lights and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Power supply device 1... Battery cell 2, 2B... Bind bar 3... Intermediate plate 4... End plate 9... Insulator 9a... Opening area 9b... Through hole 10... Battery stack 12... Separator 13... Bus bar 14... Fixture 14A Set screw 14B Bolt 14C Nut member 15 Insulating plate 15a Through hole 15b Fitting groove 21 First bent piece 22 Second bent piece 23 Third bent piece 23a Third screw hole 24... Fourth bent piece 24a... Fourth screw hole 25... Fastening main surface 25a... Opening area 26... Projecting piece 26a... Projecting piece side screw hole 27... Intermediate plate fixing part 28... Fastening member side second fixing part 29... Fastening Member-side third fixing portion 30 Plastic molding 31 Metal collar 31a Female screw hole 31b Groove portion 31c Through hole 32 Annular rib 38 Bracket-side second fixing portion 39 Bracket-side third fixing portion 81 Building 82 Solar cell 83 Charging circuit 84 Charging switch 85 DC/AC inverter 86 Load 87 Discharging switch 88 Power supply controller 91 Vehicle body 93 Motor 94 Generator 95 DC/AC inverter 96 Engine 97 ...Wheel 98...Charging plug HV, EV...Vehicle 900...Power supply device 901...Battery cell 902...Bind bar 904...End plate 910...Battery stack 912...Separator

Claims (9)

a battery stack formed by stacking a plurality of prismatic battery cells;
an intermediate plate laminated in the middle of the stacking direction of the battery stack;
a pair of end plates arranged at both ends in the stacking direction of the battery stack;
A power supply device comprising bind bars fixed to both side surfaces of the end plate and the intermediate plate,
metal collars provided on both sides of the intermediate plate;
a fixture that connects the bind bar with the intermediate plate via the metal collar;
and an insulating plate fixed to the side surface of the intermediate plate,
The intermediate plate is
Consists of both sides or the whole with an insulating plastic molded body,
The plastic molding is
An annular rib surrounding the metal collar is integrally formed on the side surface,
The insulating plate is fixed to the opening edge of the annular rib,
The insulating plate closes the opening of the annular rib,
the annular rib and the insulating plate insulate the outside of the metal collar;
A power supply device, wherein the fixture penetrates the insulating plate and is connected to the metal collar. A power supply device according to claim 1,
A power supply device, wherein the opening edge of the annular rib is in close contact with the inner surface of the insulating plate. A power supply device according to claim 1,
The insulating plate has an inner surface with a fitting groove into which the opening edge of the annular rib is fitted,
A power supply device, wherein the opening edge of the annular rib is connected to the fitting groove in a fitting structure. A power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A power supply device, wherein the metal collar is fixed by insert molding to the plastic molding of the intermediate plate. A power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the fixture is a set screw,
A power supply device, wherein said metal collar is provided with a female screw hole into which said set screw is screwed. A power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A power supply device, wherein the entire intermediate plate is a plastic molding. A power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
the metal collar has a through hole,
The fixture is
Passing through the through-holes of the metal collars fixed to both sides of the intermediate plate and the intermediate plate,
A power supply device fixed to the bind bar. An electric vehicle comprising the power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
the power supply;
a running motor supplied with power from the power supply;
a vehicle main body on which the power supply device and the motor are mounted;
and wheels that are driven by the motor to run the vehicle body. A power storage device comprising the power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
the power supply;
a power supply controller that controls charging and discharging of the power supply,
A power storage device, wherein the power supply controller enables the battery cell to be charged with electric power from the outside and controls the battery cell to be charged.

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