JP3702211B2 - Pack battery - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery pack in which a secondary battery and a substrate chamber are built in a plastic case.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It is important that the battery pack has a small outer shape, a large capacity, and a light weight. In order to realize this, various developments have been made to increase the capacity of the secondary battery, and the capacity has increased rapidly. Increasing the capacity of the secondary battery is effective for increasing the capacity of the entire battery pack. However, the capacity of the whole battery pack is not specified only by the capacity of the secondary battery. For example, when the secondary battery is stored in a large case, the capacity with respect to the volume decreases. Therefore, in order to make the battery pack small, light, and large in capacity, it is important to make the case as small and light as possible. However, there is a drawback that if the case is made small and light, it cannot be made sufficiently strong.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
A battery pack in which a secondary battery is stored in a conventional plastic case stores the secondary battery in a box-shaped case closed by connecting the upper case to the opening of the lower case having a peripheral wall. The battery pack having this structure is required to have strong characteristics that can withstand the weight of the secondary battery by increasing the thickness of the case. If the plastic case is made thin to make the battery pack lighter and smaller, it will not be able to have sufficient strength. For this reason, it is necessary to make it considerable thickness. A thick case battery pack is strong, but has a drawback that cooling of the secondary battery is poor. This is because the thick case has poor heat conduction and cannot effectively dissipate the secondary battery. This adversely affects the battery characteristics due to the heat generated by the secondary battery and shortens the battery life. In order to effectively cool the secondary battery, it is necessary to make the case thinner. However, the thin case has a disadvantage that the strength is lowered.
[0004]
In particular, a battery pack used for a power source of a laptop computer, a DVD or the like incorporates a large number of secondary batteries in order to increase the output, so that the battery becomes heavy. However, since the size is extremely limited, it is required to design as compact as possible. Furthermore, the battery pack used for the power supply of devices with high power consumption, such as a large laptop computer, has a large load current and is also required to be charged quickly in a short time. It is important how to effectively dissipate heat. The battery pack is small, light, and in order to efficiently dissipate heat, the case cannot be made strong if the case is thinned. If the case is made strong, the battery is large, heavy, and heat dissipation is poor. That is, these characteristics are mutually contradictory characteristics, and it is extremely difficult to satisfy both.
[0005]
The present invention was developed to solve this difficult problem, and an important object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can be made to be a sturdy structure while being small and light and effectively dissipating heat. It is in.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the battery pack of the present invention, a plastic lower case 1B and an upper case 1A are connected, and a secondary battery 2 and a substrate 3 are accommodated therein. The lower case 1 </ b> B is formed by integrally forming a partition wall 6 and partitioning a substrate chamber 4 in which the substrate 3 is accommodated by the partition wall 6. The partition wall 6 has an engagement hole 7. The upper case 1A is integrally provided with an engaging arm 8 that protrudes from the inner surface and has a hook 9 hooked to the engaging hole 7 and connected to the partition wall 6 at the tip. In the battery pack, the hook 9 of the engaging arm 8 of the upper case 1A is connected to the engaging hole 7 of the lower case 1B, and the engaging arm 8 of the upper case 1A is connected to the partition wall 6 of the lower case 1B.
[0007]
Further, in the battery pack of claim 2 of the present invention, the plastic lower case 1B and the upper case 1A are connected, and the secondary battery 2 and the substrate 3 are accommodated therein. The lower case 1 </ b> B is formed by integrally forming a partition wall 6 and partitioning a substrate chamber 4 in which the substrate 3 is accommodated by the partition wall 6. The partition wall 6 is provided with an engaging projection 10. The upper case 1 </ b> A is integrally formed with an engagement arm 8 having an engagement hole 7 that protrudes from the inner surface and is connected to the engagement protrusion 10. In this battery pack, the engaging projection 10 of the lower case 1B is connected to the engaging hole 7 of the engaging arm 8, and the engaging arm 8 of the upper case 1A is connected to the partition wall 6 of the lower case 1B.
[0008]
The lower case 1 </ b> B can be provided with a peripheral wall 5, a partition wall 6 connected to the peripheral wall 5, and the substrate chamber 4 can be provided by the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6. Further, the battery pack can be provided with a rectangular substrate chamber 4 at the corner portion of the lower case 1 </ b> B with the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6, and the engagement arm 8 can be connected in the vicinity of the corner portion of the partition wall 6. In this battery pack, the connecting portion between the engaging arm 8 and the partition wall 6 can be approached to the central portion of the case 1, so that deformation of the central portion of the upper case 1 </ b> A can be effectively prevented.
[0009]
The upper case 1 </ b> A can have a lattice shape having a plurality of slits 11. In the battery pack in which the upper case 1A has a lattice shape, a cylindrical battery can be inserted into the slit 11 of the upper case 1A. This battery pack has features that the upper case 1A can be made thin and the heat of the secondary battery 2 can be efficiently radiated from the slit 11.
[0010]
Further, the battery pack has a plurality of connection holes 12 opened in the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B, and a plurality of engagement hooks 13 are integrally formed at the periphery of the upper case 1A and hooked by the plurality of connection holes 12. The engaging hook 13 can be connected to the connecting hole 12, and the peripheral edge of the upper case 1A and the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B can be connected at a plurality of locations. This battery pack has a feature that the engaging hook 13 is guided to the connecting hole 12, and the periphery of the upper case 1A can be reliably connected to the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the example shown below illustrates the battery pack for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the battery pack as follows.
[0012]
Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the scope of claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the examples are referred to as “the scope of claims” and “the means for solving the problems”. It is added to the member shown by. However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members in the embodiments.
[0013]
FIG. 1 shows a battery pack in which the upper case 1A is separated from the lower case 1B. This battery pack is used as a power source for a laptop computer, and is mounted so as to be detachable from the computer. In this battery pack, a secondary battery 2 and a substrate 3 are housed in a plastic case 1. The secondary battery 2 is a cylindrical nickel-hydrogen battery. However, the secondary battery 2 can also be a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel-cadmium battery. This battery pack contains nine cylindrical batteries. In the cylindrical battery, seven batteries are accommodated in parallel and the remaining two batteries are accommodated in parallel next to the substrate chamber 4 in a posture orthogonal to the horizontally arranged secondary batteries 2. In the battery pack, all the secondary batteries 2 are arranged in the same plane and stored in the case 1. This battery pack can be made thin overall. For this reason, it becomes an ideal shape as a battery pack that can be attached to and detached from the main body of a laptop computer.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the case 1 includes a lower case 1B and an upper case 1A, and the peripheral edge of the upper case 1A is connected to the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B. The lower case 1B and the upper case 1A are integrally formed of plastic as a whole. The secondary battery 2 and the substrate 3 are attached to the lower case 1B, and the upper case 1A is connected to the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B. The lower case 1B in the figure has a square shape as a whole. However, the protrusion part 1a is provided in one corner. The lower case 1B is provided by integrally molding the peripheral wall 5 along the periphery thereof. Further, the lower case 1B is provided with a partition wall 6 that is integrally formed in order to partition the substrate chamber 4 in which the substrate 3 is stored. The partition wall 6 is formed so as to be connected to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 5, and the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6 are provided with the substrate chamber 4 having a square planar shape at the corner portion of the lower case 1 </ b> B. The rectangular substrate chamber 4 has two adjacent sides as a peripheral wall 5 and two adjacent sides as partition walls 6. The partition walls 6 on the two sides are provided so as to protrude perpendicularly to the inner surface of the lower case 1B so as to intersect each other at a right angle. As shown in this figure, the partition walls 6 connected so as to be orthogonal to each other act as ribs to reinforce each other and effectively prevent deformation of the partition walls 6. This is because the partition walls 6 connected to each other at right angles firmly prevent the walls from falling down. Further, in order to prevent the lower case 1B and the partition wall 6 from falling down, reinforcing ribs 14 are partially connected to the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6. The peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6 of this structure can be formed into a sturdy structure that is thin and difficult to deform. The structure of the reinforcing rib 14 will be described in detail later.
[0015]
The partition 6 is made equal to the height of the peripheral wall 5 and partitions the substrate chamber 4 from the battery chamber. The height of the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical battery. The substrate chamber 4 defined by the partition wall 6 and the peripheral wall 5 is substantially equal to the outer shape of the printed circuit board 3 that houses the inner shape, and is slightly larger precisely. This is for mounting the printed circuit board 3 inside. The printed circuit board 3 solders and fixes an electronic component (not shown) that realizes a protection circuit and the like to the output connector 15. Further, as a protection circuit, a lead wire 17 of a temperature sensor 16 that detects the temperature of the battery is soldered and fixed to the printed circuit board 3. The temperature sensor 16 approaches the surface of the secondary battery 2 across the partition wall 6 or contacts the surface of the secondary battery 2 to detect the battery temperature. When the battery temperature becomes higher than the set temperature, the protection circuit of the printed circuit board 3 cuts off the current. The output connector 15 fixed to the printed circuit board 3 is exposed from the electrode window 18 provided on the peripheral wall 5 to the outside of the battery pack.
[0016]
The partition wall 6 is connected to the upper case 1A to prevent the upper case 1A from being deformed. In order to realize this, an engagement hole 7 is provided in the partition wall 6, and an engagement arm 8 is integrally formed in the upper case 1A. 2 shows the lower case 1B in which the engagement holes 7 are provided in the partition wall 6, and FIG. 3 shows the upper case 1A in which the engagement arms 8 are provided. The engagement hole 7 is provided at a corner portion of the partition wall 6. This is because the connecting portion between the engaging arm 8 and the partition wall 6 is as close to the central portion of the case 1 as possible.
[0017]
A printed circuit board, which is a substrate 3 on which various electronic circuits need to be mounted, cannot have a very small outer shape. This is because it is necessary to mount electronic components that realize various protection circuits so that the battery can be protected from being charged and discharged to extend the life of the battery or can be used safely. In order to store the substrate 3, the substrate chamber 4 also needs to have a predetermined size. In the lower case 1B, the vertical and horizontal lengths (A1 × A2) of the substrate chamber 4 partitioned by the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6 are about 30 to the vertical and horizontal lengths (B1 × B2) of the entire lower case 1B. 40%. The lower case 1B is disposed at a position where the corner portions of the partition walls 6 that intersect each other approach the central portion of the lower case 1B. Therefore, when the corner portion of the partition wall 6 is connected to the upper case 1A, deformation of the central portion of the upper case 1A can be effectively prevented. Therefore, the engagement hole 7 of the partition wall 6 is provided at a position as close as possible to the center portion of the lower case 1B.
[0018]
The engagement arm 8 protrudes from the inner surface of the upper case 1A. In other words, the engagement arm 8 is provided so as to protrude in the direction of the partition wall 6, and is hooked to the engagement hole 7 and connected to the partition wall 6 at the tip. 9 is provided. When the upper case 1A is connected to the lower case 1B, the engaging arm 8 guides the hook 9 to the engaging hole 7 as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 4, and the upper case 1A is moved to the partition wall 6 of the lower case 1B. Connect firmly. In particular, when the engagement arm 8 is pulled in an attempt to deform the upper case 1A so as to swell, the hook 9 is caught in the engagement hole 7 and reliably prevented from expanding. Therefore, the engagement arm 8 can reliably prevent the thin upper case 1A from deforming so as to swell. Since the upper case 1A houses the secondary battery 2 inside, the secondary battery 2 can prevent deformation in the direction of being crushed. Therefore, it is important to firmly prevent the deformation so as to swell, but the engagement arm 8 and the partition wall 6 connected by the hook 9 and the engagement hole 7 firmly prevent this deformation.
[0019]
In the case 1 described above, the engagement hole 7 is provided in the partition wall 6, the hook 9 is provided in the engagement arm 8 of the upper case 1 </ b> A, and the engagement arm 8 is connected to the partition wall 6. As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 5, the battery pack of the present invention is provided with an engaging convex portion 10 in the partition wall 6, and an engaging hole 7 for hooking the engaging convex portion 10 is provided in the engaging arm 8. It is also possible to connect the engaging arm 8 to the partition wall 6 by hooking the engaging convex portion 10 of the lower case 1 </ b> B into the engaging hole 7 of the joint arm 8.
[0020]
Further, in the above battery pack, one engagement arm 8 provided on the upper case 1A is connected to the partition wall 6, but a plurality of engagement holes and engagement protrusions are provided on the partition wall and connected to these. A plurality of engagement arms may be provided on the upper case, and the engagement arms of the upper case may be connected to a plurality of locations on the partition wall.
[0021]
The upper case 1A shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 has a lattice shape with slits 11 for guiding the cylindrical secondary battery 2 in order to make the entire battery pack as thin as possible. The slit 11 is provided facing the position where the secondary battery 2 is disposed. Further, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the slit 11 has a shape into which the cylindrical battery can be inserted, in other words, the inner surface of both sides of the slit of the upper case 1A is formed along the surface of the cylindrical battery. This battery pack can be made thin by making the upper surface of the upper case 1A substantially equal to the upper surface of the cylindrical battery. Further, since a part of the secondary battery 2 is exposed to the outside through the slit 11, there is a feature that the heat of the secondary battery 2 can be efficiently radiated.
[0022]
The upper case 1A in which the slits 11 are opened to form a lattice shape is easy to deform and difficult to have a strong structure. However, in the battery pack of the present invention, the upper case 1A is connected to the partition wall 6 of the lower case 1B by the engagement arm 8 in order to firmly prevent the upper case 1A from being deformed, particularly in the direction of swelling. As shown by point P in FIGS. 1 and 6, the lattice-shaped upper case 1 </ b> A has a part of the intermediate bar 20 connecting the lattice 19 of the upper case 1 </ b> A connected to the partition wall 6 by the engaging arm 8. Yes. The deformation of the grid 19 is reduced by preventing the deformation of the intermediate bar 20 connecting the respective grids 19.
[0023]
Further, the case 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a plurality of connecting holes 12 opened in the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B, and a plurality of engagement hooks 13 provided on the periphery of the upper case 1A. The engaging hook 13 of the upper case 1A is guided to the connecting hole 12 to connect the lower case 1B and the upper case 1A. In the lower case 1B shown in the drawing, a plurality of connecting walls 23 protruding in the height direction of the peripheral wall 5 are integrally formed inside the peripheral wall 5, and the connecting holes 12 are opened in the connecting wall 23. . Furthermore, the upper case 1A is provided with a plurality of engaging hooks 13 integrally formed at a position that is a peripheral edge of the upper case 1A and is hooked by the plurality of connecting holes 12. The case 1 having this structure guides the engaging hook 13 to the connecting hole 12, and firmly connects the peripheral edge of the upper case 1A to the peripheral wall 5 of the lower case 1B. Thus, the upper case 1A and the lower case 1B that are connected to each other via the connection hole 12 and the engagement hook 13 have a feature that they can be connected more reliably.
[0024]
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the reinforcing rib 14 is provided so as to be connected to the side surfaces of the peripheral wall 5 and the partition wall 6. The reinforcing ribs 14 of the peripheral wall 5 are formed when the lower case 1B is formed of plastic. The reinforcing rib 14 is provided in a vertical posture by being connected to the corner portion of the bottom surface of the lower case 1B and the inner surface of the peripheral wall 5. The reinforcing rib 14 of the partition wall 6 is also formed when the lower case 1B is formed of plastic. The partition wall 6 is provided with reinforcing ribs 14 on the inner side and the outer side. The reinforcing rib 14 provided inside the partition wall 6 is used in combination with a support 21 that supports the printed circuit board 3 at a fixed position. In the lower case 1B in the figure, the reinforcing rib 14 provided in the substrate chamber 4 on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 5 is also used for the support 21 of the printed circuit board 3. The reinforcing rib 14 used together with the support tool 21 is provided at a position that supports the lower surface of the printed circuit board 3 and supports the printed circuit board 3 at a fixed position. Further, the partition wall 6 and the peripheral wall 5 shown in the figure are also provided with stopper protrusions 22 on the inner surface for preventing the printed circuit board 3 mounted at a fixed position of the substrate chamber 4 from floating. The stopper protrusions 22 come into contact with the upper surface of the printed circuit board 3 and prevent the printed circuit board 3 from floating from the substrate chamber 4.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
The battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that it can be made small and light, and can have a sturdy structure while effectively dissipating heat. This is because the battery pack of the present invention is provided by partitioning the substrate chamber with a partition wall formed integrally with the lower case, and further, an engagement hole provided in the partition wall protruding from the inner surface of the upper case. This is because the hooks of the joint arms are connected, or the engaging projections provided on the partition walls are connected to the engagement holes of the engagement arms, and the engagement arms of the upper case are connected to the partition walls of the lower case. . The battery pack with this structure connects the partition wall integrally formed with the lower case and the engagement arm provided on the inner surface of the upper case, so that it is effective to reduce the strength of the battery pack even if the case is formed thin. Can be prevented. Therefore, the battery pack of the present invention can realize an ideal feature that allows the battery pack to have a sturdy structure despite the fact that the case is formed thin and the battery pack is small, light, and efficiently dissipates heat. Moreover, the battery pack according to the present invention connects the partition wall and the engagement arm via the engagement hole and the hook or the engagement protrusion and the engagement hole, so that the battery can be reliably connected as an extremely simple structure. is there.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the case of the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the case shown in Fig. 2 as viewed from below. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a connecting structure between a partition wall and an engaging arm. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of a connecting structure between a partition wall and an engaging arm. 6 is a plan view of the upper case shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a substrate chamber of the lower case. Is a perspective view showing a state in which the substrate is disposed in the substrate chamber
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Case 1A ... Upper case 1B ... Lower case 1a ... Protrusion part 2 ... Secondary battery 3 ... Substrate 4 ... Substrate room 5 ... Perimeter wall 6 ... Partition wall 7 ... Engagement hole 8 ... Engagement arm 9 ... Hook 10 ... Engagement Convex part 11 ... Slit 12 ... Connecting hole 13 ... Engaging hook 14 ... Reinforcing rib 15 ... Output connector 16 ... Temperature sensor 17 ... Lead wire 18 ... Electrode window 19 ... Grid 20 ... Intermediate bar 21 ... Support tool 22 ... Stopper convex part 23. Connecting wall

Claims (4)

A plastic lower case (1B) and an upper case (1A) are connected to each other, and a cylindrical secondary battery (2) and a substrate (3) are accommodated therein. A partition wall is placed in the lower case (1B). (6) is integrally formed, and a partition chamber (4) is provided to partition a substrate chamber (4) for storing the substrate (3), and the partition hole (6) has an engagement hole (7). And an engaging arm (8) having a hook (9) at the tip which projects from the inner surface of the upper case (1A) and hooks into the engaging hole (7) and is connected to the partition wall (6). The hook (9) of the engagement arm (8) of the upper case (1A) is connected to the engagement hole (7) of the lower case (1B), and the upper case (1A) is engaged. a slip arms (8) a battery pack formed by connecting the partition wall (6) of the lower case (1B), the upper case (1A) has a slit (11) And, a battery pack formed by fitting the slit (11) in the cylindrical secondary battery (2). A plastic lower case (1B) and an upper case (1A) are connected to each other, and a cylindrical secondary battery (2) and a substrate (3) are accommodated therein. A partition wall is placed in the lower case (1B). (6) is integrally formed and a partition wall (6) is provided to partition and provide a substrate chamber (4) in which the substrate (3) is stored. ) And an engagement arm (8) having an engagement hole (7) that protrudes from the inner surface of the upper case (1A) and is hooked to the engagement protrusion (10) to be integrally formed. The engaging projection (10) of the lower case (1B) is connected to the engaging hole (7) of the engaging arm (8), and the engaging arm (8) of the upper case (1A) is lowered. a battery pack formed by connecting the partition wall (6) of the case (1B), the upper case (1A) has a slit (11), a cylinder in a slit (11) Battery pack which is obtained by fitting the secondary battery (2).   The peripheral wall (5) and the partition wall (6) provide a square substrate chamber (4) at the corner of the lower case (1B), and the engagement arm (8) is connected in the vicinity of the corner of the partition wall (6). The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2.   A plurality of connection holes (12) are opened in the peripheral wall (5) of the lower case (1B), and the upper case (1A) has a plurality of engagement hooks ( 13) is integrally formed, the engaging hook (13) is connected to the connecting hole (12), and a plurality of peripheral edges (5) of the upper case (1A) and the lower case (1B) are provided. The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the battery packs are connected at a location.

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