JP4690013B2 - Connection apparatus and electrical device assembly using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection device for electrically connecting sheet-like electrode terminals and an electrical device assembly in which a plurality of electrical devices are electrically connected using the connection device.

  Conventionally, development of a lightweight and thin battery as a power source for driving a motor of an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as an “electric vehicle or the like”) has been underway. As an example of this type of battery, an assembled battery is known in which a plurality of film-clad batteries are stacked to obtain a predetermined voltage. In a film-clad battery, a thin power generation element is hermetically sealed with a laminate film, and the periphery of the laminate film is heat-sealed for hermetically sealing. In addition, from the heat-sealed portion between the laminate films, positive and negative lead terminals that are electrically connected to the internal power generation element extend.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional assembled battery disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, the assembled battery 151 has two film-clad batteries 103a and 103b (film-clad battery 103) arranged so as to be electrically connected in series. Each of the film-covered batteries 103 has the same structure, and the film-covered battery 103a will be described as an example. The film-covered battery 103a has a power generation element 105 hermetically sealed by an outer package 104. A positive electrode terminal 108 a electrically connected to the internal power generation element 105 is drawn out from the peripheral edge of the heat-sealed outer envelope 104. Further, although not shown, the negative electrode terminal (108b) is drawn out from the peripheral portion (the peripheral portion on the upper side of the drawing) on the opposite side from which the positive electrode terminal 108a is drawn out of the peripheral portion of the outer package 104 of the film-covered battery 103a. Yes.

  The two film-clad batteries 103a and 103b are alternately overlapped so that the respective positive electrode terminals 108a and negative electrode terminals 108b are located on the same side, and the positive electrode terminals 108a and the negative electrode terminals 108b are overlapped in the overlapping portion 110a. They are electrically connected to form a series connection. In addition, in the structure of Fig.12 (a), the overlapping part 110a in which the terminals were mutually connected is bent so that it may be on the outer surface of the film-clad battery 103a on one side.

  Further, according to the same document, examples of means for connecting terminals in the overlapping portion 110a include welding means such as ultrasonic welding and laser welding, and means such as soldering, screwing, and riveting. Yes.

Next, the assembled battery 152 in FIG. 12B is obtained by changing the configuration of the overlapping portion 110b, and the overlapping portion 110b is provided between the film-clad batteries 103a and 103b. An insulating spacer 114 made of an insulating material and having a substantially U-shaped cross section is attached to the overlapping portion 110b, thereby suppressing damage to the outer envelope 104 due to contact of the tip of the overlapping portion 110b. It has become a thing.
JP 2003-338275 A

  However, in the conventional configuration as described above, the electrical connection between the terminals of the film-clad battery is performed using a technique such as ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or soldering. For example, the terminals must be pulled out and welded in a state where the film-clad batteries are gathered together, and the work has been relatively complicated. There are also methods for mechanically connecting terminals such as screws and rivets, but these methods still have room for improvement in terms of reducing the number of parts and simplifying the work process. .

  On the other hand, when the film-clad batteries are connected in series, the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal need to be in close contact with each other. In this case, for example, aluminum (positive electrode) and copper (negative electrode) come into contact with each other. In such a configuration in which different metals are in contact with each other, when a current flows through the electrical connection portion with a liquid (for example, water) entering between the terminals, an electrolytic corrosion phenomenon occurs and the terminal is corroded. It is known that this problem will occur. Corrosion of the terminals causes a decrease in the electrical performance of the battery pack and a shortened life. Therefore, preventing liquid from entering between the terminals is important in terms of making the assembled battery highly reliable.

  In addition, in aluminum and the like, even if they are not different metals, that is, even if they are the same kind of metals, electric corrosion may occur. Therefore, the above problems are not limited to the case where film-coated batteries are connected in series, but in parallel. The same problem can occur when connecting. The above-described problems are not limited to film-clad batteries, and are problems that can occur in the same way with respect to electrical devices in which electrode terminals are electrically connected to each other and can also have a problem of electrolytic corrosion between the terminals.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection device that can connect electrode terminals to each other by a relatively simple process and can suppress damage to the electrode terminals due to corrosion. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electric device assembly that can simplify the manufacturing process and hardly damage electrode terminals by using the connection device of the present invention.

  In order to achieve the above object, the electrode terminal connection device according to the present invention is a connection device that performs electrical connection between the electrode terminals by partially overlapping and closely contacting the sheet-like electrode terminals. A sealing material that hermetically seals the overlapping portion of the electrode terminals, a pair of clamping members that sandwich the overlapping portion via the sealing material, and the pair of clamping members are positioned and fixed to each other, and the overlapping And a pressing member that urges the pair of clamping members so that the electrode terminals are pressed against each other.

  According to the connecting device of the present invention configured as described above, since the electrode terminals are electrically connected to each other using the pair of clamping members and the pressing member, the connection by conventional screwing or the like, or Compared with the connection by welding, the connection work can be performed by a relatively simple process. The pressing member is a means for fixing the pair of clamping members to each other. At the same time, the pressing member is a means for applying a biasing force to the pair of clamping members. The biasing force is applied between the electrode terminals via the clamping member. Acts on the overlapping part. Thereby, contact | adherence of terminals becomes more reliable and generation | occurrence | production of a connection failure will be suppressed. Further, in the connection device of the present invention, since the overlapping portion between the terminals is hermetically sealed with a sealing material, for example, water or the like does not easily enter the overlapping portion (particularly the contact surface between the terminals). Yes.

  Each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of sandwiching members may have a planar sandwiching surface for sandwiching the overlapped portion, or a curved surface or an uneven shape that is complementary to each other. A shaped clamping surface may be formed. Further, each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of sandwiching members may be formed with a pressing projection that directly presses the overlapping portion. In this case, the pressing projection is overlapped. It is preferable to directly pressurize the region excluding the periphery of the portion.

  Further, the electrode terminal may be routed such that the electrode terminal is bent along the outer peripheral surface of the clamping member, and the tip side thereof is clamped by the clamping surface. In this case, it is preferable that a structure part (for example, a curved part or an inclined part) for gently bending the sheet-like electrode terminal is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface.

  Further, the pressing member may be a biasing member having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape and sandwiching the pair of clamping members together. Furthermore, the pressing member may be a conductive material, and may sandwich the pair of clamping members while being in contact with both of the electrode terminals to be connected.

  Moreover, the said sealing material should just be what seals at least the periphery of an overlapping part airtightly, and may consist of two sheet-like sealing members which pinch | interpose the whole overlapping part. In addition, the sealing material may be a solidified resin material having fluidity. In particular, when such a sealing material is used, each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of sandwiching members has the above-mentioned fluidity. It is preferable that the concave structure part which cooperates and forms the space filled with the conductive resin material is formed.

  The electrical device assembly of the present invention is an electrical device assembly in which a plurality of electrical devices each having a sheet-like electrode terminal extended therein, the sheet-like electrode terminal of the electrical device, and the other electrical devices. The sheet-like electrode terminal of the device is connected by the connection device of the present invention as described above. In this case, it is preferable that the electrical device is stored in a storage case, and the clamping member of the connection device is integrally formed on an outer peripheral surface of the storage case.

  According to the present invention as described above, the electrode terminals can be connected to each other by a relatively simple process using the pair of clamping members and the pressing member, and the overlapping portion of the terminals is sealed by the sealing material. Since it is hermetically sealed, it is difficult for water or the like to enter the contact surfaces between the terminals, and as a result, the problem of electroerosion at the contact portions between the terminals is less likely to occur, thereby suppressing damage to the electrode terminals due to corrosion. Can do.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a configuration of a film-clad battery.

  The film-clad battery 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a conventionally known battery, and a thin power generation element 2 that outputs a predetermined electromotive force is hermetically sealed by a film envelope 7 and is electrically connected to the power generation element 2 respectively. The sheet-like positive electrode terminal 3 and negative electrode terminal 4 thus formed are drawn out from the heat-sealed portion 7 a of the film outer package 7. In addition, the outline shape of the film outer package 7 is a rectangle, the positive electrode terminal 3 is drawn out from one of the two short sides, and the negative electrode terminal 4 is drawn out from the short side on the opposite side. . The positive electrode terminal 3 and the negative electrode terminal 4 are made of different materials, for example, the positive electrode terminal 3 is made of aluminum, and the negative electrode terminal 4 is made of copper or copper plated with nickel.

  With reference to FIG. 2, first, the overall configuration of the connection device 50 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the connection device of the present embodiment, and shows a state in which the film-clad batteries 1 shown in FIG. 1 are connected in series. That is, the state where the positive electrode terminal 3 of one film-clad battery 1 and the negative electrode terminal 4 of the other film-clad battery 1 are connected is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connection device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a pair of sandwiching members 21 and 22 for sandwiching an overlapping portion in which the positive electrode terminal 3 and the negative electrode terminal 4 are overlapped, and the pair of sandwiching members 21. , 22 for positioning and fixing each other, and a sealing member 40 for hermetically sealing the overlapped portion of the terminals 3 and 4 to suppress the occurrence of electrolytic corrosion.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, each component of these connection devices will be described in detail. Here, FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connection device of FIG. 2, and shows a completed state in which terminals are connected by the connection device. 4 is an exploded perspective view mainly showing the structure of the clamping member and the sealing material, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the pressing member of FIG. 2 as a single unit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of sandwiching members 21 and 22 is a member that sandwiches the overlapping portion 5 of the terminals 3 and 4 via the seal members 40 a and 40 b, and is symmetrical but substantially the same. It has a configuration. Each clamping member 21, 22 is formed longer than the width of the overlapping portion 5 so that the overlapping portion 5 can be sandwiched over the entire width direction (the depth direction in the drawing). Clamping portions 21d and 22d for arranging the seal members 40a and 40b are formed on the opposing surfaces 21a and 22a of the clamping members 21 and 22 that face each other. If one clamping part 22d is described as an example, the clamping part 22d is a concave structure part dug slightly from the opposing surface 22a so as to leave both sides and the lower side of the opposing surface 22a. It has a flat clamping surface.

  Each clamping member 21 and 22 has engaging grooves 21e and 22e on the outer side surfaces, respectively. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, each of the engaging grooves 21e and 22e is a structure portion on which an engaging portion 30a of a pressing member 30 described later is hooked, and has a semicircular shape in this embodiment. In addition, curved R-shaped portions 21 c and 22 c are formed at corners on the outer upper side of the sandwiching members 21 and 22. By forming the R-shaped portions 21c and 22c in this way, the terminals 3 and 4 can be satisfactorily aligned with the outer peripheries of the sandwiching members 21 and 22. That is, the terminals 3 and 4 are not bent at a steep angle, but are gently bent along the R-shaped portions 21c and 22c. Problems such as deterioration of mechanical characteristics or mechanical strength are unlikely to occur.

  Referring to FIG. 4 again, the seal members 40a and 40b are sheet-like members having substantially the same outline shape as the above-described sandwiching portions 21d and 22d. The sealing members 40a and 40b are melted together by being heated, for example, and after melting, they become an integral member (seal material 40, see FIG. 3) to hermetically seal the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals. It is. Since the integrated sealing material 40 hermetically seals the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals in this way, as shown in FIG. 6, the sealing material 40 has a shape surrounding the periphery of the overlapping portion 5. Preferably it is.

  The sealing members 40a and 40b may be integrated by heating, for example, or may be integrated by being pressed against each other, or may be integrated by contacting even if they are not pressed. It may be something like Such a material may be, for example, an adhesive or a caulking material made of a resin material, and it is preferable that the overlapping portion 5 can be satisfactorily anaerobic after welding.

When the resin material is used, the sealing material 40a, 40b is not used, but the resin material having fluidity in one space 27 (see FIG. 6) formed by the above-described sandwiching portions 21d, 22d in cooperation. Can be poured and solidified to obtain the final sealing material 40. In this case, the contour shape of the sealing material 40 depends on the shape of the space 27. From this, it is preferable that the width dimension L _22d of each clamping part 21d, 22d is larger than the width dimension L ₅ of the overlapping part 5 as shown in FIG.

  Further, considering that the problem of electrolytic corrosion in the overlapping portion 5 is generally caused by water entering the contact surfaces of the terminals 3 and 4, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the side end 5 a and the lower end 5 b of the overlapping portion 5 are hermetically sealed by the sealing material 40. Furthermore, in FIG. 3, it is preferable to dispose a sealing material between the upper surfaces of the terminals 3 and 4 and the inner surface of the pressing member 30. That is, for hermetic sealing for preventing electric corrosion, it is important to hermetically seal the contact surfaces between the terminals, and in other parts, the thickness of the sealing material 40 may be thin, Or the sealing material 40 may not exist depending on the case.

  FIG. 6C shows an example of such a configuration, and the thickness of the sealing material 40 is partially reduced in the central portion 5 c of the overlapping portion 5. According to such a structure, since the thickness of the sealing material 40 is thin in the center part 5c of the overlapping part 5, it is preferable at the point which can press the overlapping part 5 favorably from both sides. That is, since the terminals 3 and 4 are more closely adhered to each other, problems such as poor connection are less likely to occur. In addition, the shape change of the sealing material 40 as described above can be performed by changing the shapes of the sandwiching portions 21d and 22d.

  Next, the pressing member 30 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressing member 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and specifically includes an upper surface 30b and two side surfaces 30c connected to the upper surface.

  At the lower end of each side surface 30c, a roll-shaped engaging portion 30a that engages with the engaging grooves 21e and 22e of the holding members 21 and 22 is formed. The pressing member 30 is attached so as to be inserted from the upper surface side of the holding members 21 and 22, and the engagement portion 30a is in a roll shape as described above, so that the pressing member 30 can be easily inserted. This is advantageous in that it can be performed, and can be prevented from coming off from the engaging grooves 21e and 22e, and further, the terminals 3 and 4 are hardly damaged when inserted.

  The pressing member 30 may be made of any material that can fix the pair of clamping members 21 and 22 and can apply a predetermined biasing force to the clamping members 21 and 22 to bring the terminals 3 and 5 into close contact with each other. It may be a resin material or a metal material. Moreover, it is not specifically limited whether it has insulation.

  For example, in the case of an insulating resin material, the pressing member 30 functions as a cover, and insulation of the terminals 3 and 4 from the outside is realized. However, it is possible to obtain the same effect regarding insulation even if the surface of the pressing member 30 made of a metal material is not limited to a resin material but is provided with an insulating coating.

  Next, in the case of a conductive material, the terminals 3 and 4 are electrically connected to each other via the pressing member 30 in addition to the electrical connection in the overlapping portion 5. Thereby, the electrical connection between the terminals 3 and 4 becomes more reliable.

  Furthermore, when the pressing member 30 is made of, for example, a metal plate, the engaging portion 30a can be formed by roll bending and has a hollow structure. Thus, when the engaging part 30a has a hollow structure, an attachment jig for the pressing member 30 using the hollow part can also be used. That is, for example, the attachment jig can expand the pressing member 30 by inserting a rod-shaped insertion portion into each of the hollow portions of the two engaging portions 30a facing each other. If such a mounting jig is used, the pressing member 30 can be moved to the mounting position in a state where the engaging portions 30a are spread apart, instead of being inserted while sliding the pressing member 30. A problem that damages the terminals 3 and 4 when mounting 30 is less likely to occur.

Note that the distance L _30a (see FIG. 5) between the engaging portions 30a facing each other increases the pressing force so that the terminals can be more securely adhered to each other, so that the distance between the engaging grooves 21e and 22e is increased. It is formed slightly shorter than the distance Le (see FIG. 3). 5 shows an example in which one engaging portion 30a is formed at each end of each side surface 30c, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  The upper surface 30b of the pressing member 30 may be formed in a flat shape as shown in FIG. 5, or may be formed in a curved shape as shown in FIG. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 30 b is curved so as to protrude toward the holding members 21 and 22, and the inner surface of the upper surface 30 b contacts both the terminals 3 and 4 when the pressing member 30 is attached. You may be set as such. According to such an upper surface 30b, the terminals 3 and 4 can be more reliably fixed by pressing the terminals 3 and 4 against the upper surfaces of the holding members 21 and 22.

  Next, an example of a method of connecting the positive electrode terminal 3 of one film-covered battery 1 and the negative electrode terminal 4 of the other film-covered battery 1 using the connection device 50 of the present embodiment configured as described above. explain.

  First, the sheet-like sealing members 40a and 40b are disposed in the clamping portions 21d and 22d of the clamping members 21 and 22, respectively. Next, the terminals 3 and 4 are bent along the outer peripheral surfaces of the holding members 21 and 22, respectively. Next, the pair of clamping members 21 and 22 are arranged to face each other so that the tip portions of the bent terminals 3 and 4 are in close contact with each other. In this state, the tips of the terminals 3 and 4 are in close contact with each other to form an overlapping portion 5 as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and outside the overlapping portion 5, a sheet-like sealing member 40a, 40b is partially in close contact with each other. Next, a predetermined process for integrating the seal members 40a and 40b is performed. This predetermined process differs depending on the material of the selected seal members 40a and 40b, and is a process such as heating or pressurization (pressing) as described above. Next, by attaching the pressing member 30, the connection between the terminals 3 and 4 is completed (see FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 3, in a state where the pressing member 30 is attached, the clamping members 21 and 22 are pressed against each other. The urging force by the pressing member 30 acts substantially perpendicularly on the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals via the sealing material 40. As a result, the positive electrode terminal 3 and the negative electrode terminal 4 are brought into close contact with each other, and electrical connection is performed on the contact surface. In addition, the sealing material 40 has a shape that tightly surrounds and surrounds the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals, thereby realizing hermetic sealing of the overlapping portion 5.

  In the connection device 50 according to the present embodiment as described above, the terminals 3 and 4 are electrically connected to each other using the pair of clamping members 21 and 22 and the pressing member 30. It is possible to perform the connection work in a relatively simple process as compared with connection by means of, for example, or connection by welding. Moreover, in the overlapping part 5, since the terminals 3 and 4 are closely_contact | adhered in the state mutually pressed, electrical connection is more reliable. Further, since the sealing material 40 is provided in the overlapping portion 5, it is difficult for a liquid such as water to enter the overlapping portion 5 (particularly, the contact surfaces of the terminals 3 and 4).

  As described above, examples of the clamping members 21 and 22 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as the first embodiment. However, the clamping members are not limited to those shapes, for example, as shown in FIG. May be. Here, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the holding member.

  Although the clamping members 21 and 22 described above are formed with clamping portions 21d and 22d for disposing the sheet-like seal members 40a and 40b on the opposing surfaces 21a and 22a, FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the clamping member 23 may be one in which no clamping part is formed. In this case, the overlapping part 5 between the terminals is sandwiched between the opposing planar opposing surfaces 23a. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to perform hermetic sealing of the overlapping portion 5 by surrounding the overlapping portion 5 using, for example, sheet-like seal members 40a and 40b.

  In the holding member 24 shown in FIG. 7B, an inclined portion 24f is formed on the upper side of the facing surface 24a, that is, on the side where the terminals 3 and 4 are wound. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the terminals 3 and 4 are clamped using such a clamping member 24. As shown in the figure, since the terminals 3 and 4 are sandwiched along the inclined portion 24f, the same effects as those of the R portions 21c and 22c described above can be obtained. In addition, in a state where the pair of clamping members 24 are arranged to face each other, the inclined portions 24f of the respective members cooperate to form one concave portion. In this case, the pressing member 31 is preferably provided with a convex portion 31a. The convex portion 31a has a shape that complementarily corresponds to the concave portion formed by the two inclined portions 24f. With this, when the pressing member 31 is attached, the convex portion 31a is formed in the inclined portion 24f. The terminals 3 and 4 are brought into contact with each other and pressed against the inclined portion 24f. In the configuration of FIG. 9, a gap 28 is formed between the convex portion 31 a of the pressing member 31 and the terminals 3, 4. However, if necessary, a sealing material is filled in the gap 28. Also good. Thereby, the hermetic sealing of the overlapping portion 5 becomes more reliable.

  The sandwiching member 25 shown in FIG. 7 (c) has a curved engagement portion 25g formed in a part of the opposing surface 25a so as to complementarily correspond to each other and engage with each other. By forming such a meshing portion 25g, the positioning accuracy of both members when the pair of clamping members 25 are arranged to face each other is improved. Further, by sandwiching the overlapping portion 5 of the terminals 3 and 4 with the engagement portion 25g, the overlapping portion 5 becomes difficult to come out, and a wide contact area between the terminals 3 and 4 can be secured. Even when the overlapping portion 5 is sandwiched between the engagement portions 25g, it is important to hermetically seal the overlapping portion 5 with a sealing material in order to prevent electrolytic corrosion. If the sheet-like sealing members 40a and 40b as described above are used, it is preferable that the sealing members 40a and 40b can be attached along the surface of the engaging portion 25g. From this, it is preferable that the surface shape of the meshing portion 25g is relatively gently formed. That is, it is desirable that the shape of the meshing portion 25g does not adversely affect the hermetic sealing of the overlapping portion 5 with the sealing material. Although illustration is omitted, the meshing part is not limited to the curved surface as shown in FIG. 7C, but may also be such that, for example, the concave and convex parts having a trapezoidal cross section mesh with each other.

  Further, in addition to the above, the clamping members 21 and 22 may be as shown in FIG. The clamping members 21 and 22 shown in FIG. 8 have pressing protrusions 21b and 22b at clamping parts (a clamping part 22d, see FIG. 2) formed on the opposing surfaces (only the opposing surface 22a is shown). ing. If one clamping member 22 is described as an example, a plurality of pressing protrusions 22b are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the clamping member 22, and the contour shape thereof is circular as an example. Further, the front surface of the pressing protrusion 22b is a flat surface, and this surface is a clamping surface for the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals. That is, when the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals is sandwiched between the clamping members 21 and 22 in FIG. 8, each of the clamping surfaces of the pressing protrusions 21 b and 22 b comes into direct contact with the overlapping portion 5. Will be pressed from both sides. Therefore, the contact between the terminals is more reliable. In the case of such a configuration, the sheet-like seal member 40c may be a member in which the pressing protrusion 22b is cut out in advance. The seal member 40c is preferably adapted to hermetically seal at least the periphery of the overlapping portion 5 (three sides indicated by reference numerals 5a and 5b in FIG. 6). Therefore, the pressing protrusions 21b and 22b It is preferable that it is arranged at a substantially central portion of the overlapping portion 5 excluding the region.

  The pressing protrusions 21b and 22b can be variously modified as long as they can directly press the overlapping portion 5 between the terminals. For example, although the pressing protrusions 22b are arranged in a line in FIG. 8, the pressing protrusions may be arranged in two upper and lower lines. Moreover, each pressing protrusion may be formed in a rib shape.

(Second Embodiment)
In the connection device of the present invention, more practically, the holding member may be provided in a case for holding the film-clad battery 1.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cases 60 a and 60 b are for holding the film-clad batteries 1 one by one, and have a frame body 65 that surrounds the outer periphery of the film-clad battery 1. The frame body 65 is configured as a molded product made of, for example, a resin material, and the terminals 3 and 4 of the film-clad battery 1 penetrate the frame body 65 and extend outward. The illustrated cases 60a and 60b are the same, and one case 60a will be described as an example. When the case 60a is described as an example, the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the frame body 65 is sandwiched by the sandwiching member 22 in the first embodiment. The member 62 is formed integrally with the frame body 65, and is formed integrally with the holding member 61 corresponding to the holding member 21 in the first embodiment on the outer peripheral surface on the lower side of the frame body 65. Yes.

  The upper holding member 62 is provided on the right side of the frame body 65 in the figure, while the lower holding member 61 is provided on the left side of the frame body 65 in the figure. In other words, one clamping member 62 and the other clamping member 61 are provided at positions opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the frame body 65. In this manner, when the clamping members 61 and 62 are provided on the opposite side in the thickness direction in one case, the two cases 60a and 60b are arranged adjacent to each other in the state shown in FIG. The clamping member 62 of 60a and the clamping member 61 of the case 60b are opposed to each other. Therefore, by using this pair of sandwiching members 61 and 62, one connection device for sandwiching the terminals 3 and 4 can be configured as in the first embodiment, and two film-clad batteries 1 are connected in series. can do. In the same manner, it is possible to arrange another case (not shown) adjacent to each of the cases 60a and 60b and connect another film-covered battery 1 further, whereby several film-covered batteries can be connected. An assembled battery in which 1 is assembled is formed.

  According to such a configuration of the present embodiment, the pressing member 30 that presses and contacts the terminals 3 and 4 via the clamping members 61 and 62 also functions as means for fixing the cases 60a and 60b. Is more stable. In some cases, the cases can be fixed without using other fixing means, which has an advantage in that the number of parts of the assembled battery can be reduced.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the film-clad battery 1 can also be connected in parallel using the above cases 60a and 60b. In the configuration of FIG. 11, the two cases 60 at the center are the ones to which the present invention is applied, and the sandwiching member 61 of one case 60 and the sandwiching member 61 of the other case 60 face each other. . The four terminals 3 of the same polarity drawn from the cases 60 and 66 are in close contact with each other by being sandwiched between a pair of sandwiching members 61, thereby realizing electrical connection. Has been. Although not shown, the overlapping portion of the four terminals 3 is hermetically sealed with a sealing material.

  As described above, the first and second embodiments have been described, and it has been described that the connection device of the present invention is useful for connecting terminals of the film-covered batteries 1. It may be something like this. That is, the power generation element 2 of the film-clad battery 1 may be a laminated type composed of a positive electrode side active electrode and a negative electrode side active electrode laminated via a separator (not shown), or a belt-like positive electrode side active electrode and Even if it is a wound type of a structure in which the negative electrode side active electrode and the negative electrode side active electrode are alternately stacked by stacking the negative electrode side active electrode through a separator and then compressing it to a flat shape Good. Further, the power generation element 2 may be configured for a general lithium ion secondary battery. Specifically, a positive electrode active material such as lithium-manganese composite oxide or lithium cobaltate is used. Electrolyte containing a lithium salt and a positive electrode plate coated on both sides of an aluminum foil and a negative electrode plate coated with a lithium-doped / dedoped carbon material on both sides of a copper foil, etc. It may be impregnated with. In addition to this, the power generation element may be a power generation element of another type of chemical battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a lithium metal primary battery or secondary battery, or a lithium polymer battery. The present invention is further applicable to connection between terminals drawn from an electric device element that stores electric energy therein, such as a capacitor element exemplified by a capacitor such as an electric double layer capacitor or an electrolytic capacitor. .

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the structure of a film-clad battery. It is a figure which shows the connection apparatus of 1st Embodiment, and has shown the state by which the film-clad battery 1 shown in FIG. 1 was connected in series. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the connection apparatus of FIG. 2, and has shown the completion state in which the terminals were connected by the connection apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a clamping member and a sealing material. It is a perspective view which shows the pressing member of FIG. It is a figure which shows the overlapping part of terminals, and the sealing material which airtightly seals it. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a clamping member. It is a perspective view which shows the further another modification of a clamping member. It is a figure which shows the state which connected terminals using the clamping member of FIG.7 (b). It is a figure which shows the connection apparatus of 2nd Embodiment, and has shown the state by which the terminals were connected in series. It is a figure which shows the state which connected the terminals in parallel using the connection apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the connection of the terminals in the conventional assembled battery.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film exterior battery 2 Power generation element 3 Positive electrode terminal 4 Negative electrode terminal 5 Overlapping part 5a Side end 5b Lower end 5c Center part 7 Film outer cover 7a Heat-fusion part 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 61, 62 Holding member 21a , 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a Opposing surfaces 21c, 22c R-shaped portions 21d, 22d Nipping portions 21e, 22e Engaging grooves 24f Inclined portions 25g Engaging portions 27 Spaces 28 Gaps 30, 31 Pressing members 30a Engaging portions 30b Upper surface 30c Side surfaces 31a Convex 40 Sealing material 40a, 40b Sealing member 50 Connection device 60, 60a, 60b, 66 Case 65 Frame

Claims (14)

A connection device that performs electrical connection between the electrode terminals by partially overlapping and adhering the sheet-like electrode terminals,
A sealing material for hermetically sealing the overlapping portion of the electrode terminals;
A pair of clamping members that sandwich the overlapping portion via the sealing material;
A connecting device that positions and fixes the pair of sandwiching members and presses the pair of sandwiching members so that the electrode terminals are pressed against each other in the overlapping portion;   The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of clamping members is formed with a planar clamping surface for clamping the overlapping portion.   The connection device according to claim 1, wherein each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of sandwiching members is formed with a curved surface or an uneven sandwiching surface having a complementary meshing shape.   The connection device according to claim 1, wherein a pressing protrusion that directly pressurizes the overlapping portion is formed on each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of clamping members.   The connection device according to claim 4, wherein the pressing protrusion directly pressurizes a region of the overlapping portion excluding a peripheral edge of the overlapping portion.   6. The connection device according to claim 2, wherein the sheet-like electrode terminal is bent along an outer peripheral surface of the clamping member, and a leading end side thereof is clamped by the clamping surface.   The connection device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of a curved portion and an inclined portion for gently bending the sheet-like electrode terminal is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface.   The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a biasing member having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape and sandwiching the pair of clamping members together.   The connection device according to claim 8, wherein the pressing member is made of a conductive material, and sandwiches the pair of clamping members in a state of being in contact with both of the electrode terminals to be connected.   The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material hermetically seals at least a peripheral edge of the overlapping portion.   The connection device according to claim 10, wherein the sealing material is composed of two sheet-like sealing members that sandwich the overlapped portion over substantially the whole. The sealing material is a solidified resin material having fluidity,
11. The connection device according to claim 10, wherein each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of holding members is formed with a concave structure portion that cooperates to form a space filled with the fluid resin material. An electrical device assembly in which a plurality of electrical devices in which sheet-like electrode terminals are extended,
The electrical device assembly in which the sheet-like electrode terminal of the electrical device and the sheet-like electrode terminal of another electrical device are connected by the connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12. body. The electric device assembly according to claim 13, wherein the electric device is stored in a storage case, and the clamping member of the connection device is integrally formed on an outer peripheral surface of the storage case.

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