JP5602509B2 - Power storage device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power storage device having a structure for positioning a cable.

  A plurality of cables may be arranged around an assembled battery composed of a plurality of single cells. Examples of the cable include a cable used for charging / discharging an assembled battery and a cable used for detecting a voltage of a single battery.

JP 2009-154824 A JP 2002-362164 A JP 2006-353062 A JP 2007-207513 A JP 2007-141636 A

  In the configuration in which the cable is arranged around the assembled battery, the cable may become an obstacle when assembling a battery pack including the assembled battery. Here, both ends of the cable are fixed, but the region excluding both ends of the cable moves freely unless fixed.

A power storage device according to the present invention is configured to sandwich a plurality of power storage elements arranged in one direction and a plurality of power storage elements in the arrangement direction of the plurality of power storage elements, and to give a binding force to the plurality of power storage elements A pair of end plates , wherein at least one of the end plates has a concave and convex surface on a surface opposite to the surface facing the power storage element in the arrangement direction of the plurality of power storage elements ; a cable used to control the charging and discharging or charging and discharging of the power storage device is fixed relative to the concave convex, and having a a bracket used for positioning of the cable. Here, by forming an uneven surface on the end plate, it is possible to reduce the weight of the end plate while ensuring the strength of the end plate.

  In the configuration in which the clamp is attached to the cable, an opening that engages with the protrusion formed on the clamp can be formed in the bracket. Thereby, the cable can be fixed to the bracket via the clamp, and the cable can be positioned with respect to the end plate.

  In addition, in a state where the projection of the clamp penetrates the opening, the projection of the clamp can be positioned in the concave surface of the end plate. Since the space formed by the concave surface of the end plate is likely to be a dead space, by positioning the protrusion in this space, it is possible to effectively use the dead space and suppress an increase in the size of the power storage device.

  On the other hand, an arm for supporting a part of the cable can be provided on the bracket. In this case, the cable can be positioned with respect to the end plate simply by attaching the cable to the arm.

  As a configuration for fixing the bracket to the end plate, a bolt and a nut can be used. Specifically, a nut can be provided on the end plate, and a bolt having a bracket penetrated can be engaged with the nut. Thereby, a bracket can be fixed to an end plate. Moreover, the dead space of an end plate can be used effectively by arrange | positioning a nut in the concave surface of an end plate.

  A claw portion that contacts a part of the uneven surface of the end plate and is used for positioning the bracket with respect to the end plate can be provided on the bracket. Thereby, the bracket can be easily positioned with respect to the end plate. If the bracket is easily positioned, the bolt and nut can be easily engaged in the bracket fixing structure using the bolt and nut.

  A shield member constituting a part of the exterior of the power storage device can be disposed at a position covering the cable. In the present invention, since the cable is positioned with respect to the end plate, the shield member can be easily arranged at a position covering the cable.

  According to the present invention, by using the bracket, the cable can be easily positioned with respect to the uneven surface of the end plate.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the battery unit in Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a battery pack that is Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of an end plate in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view of the bracket in Example 1. It is a side view of a bracket when it sees from the direction shown by the arrow D of FIG. In Example 1, it is sectional drawing which shows the connection structure of a clamp and a bracket. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the bracket which is a modification of Example 1. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the battery pack which is Example 2 of this invention. 6 is a front view of an end plate in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of the end plate in FIG. It is a front view of the bracket in Example 2.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

  A battery pack (corresponding to a power storage device) that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a battery unit constituting a part of the battery pack, and is a view when the battery unit is viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a part of the battery pack. 1 and 2, an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis are orthogonal to each other. In this embodiment, an axis corresponding to the vertical direction is a Z axis.

  The battery pack of this embodiment can be mounted on a vehicle, and examples of the vehicle include a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle. A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine in addition to a battery pack as a power source used to travel the vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle that uses only a battery pack as a power source used to travel the vehicle. In a vehicle equipped with a battery pack, the vehicle can be driven using the output of the battery pack, or kinetic energy generated during braking of the vehicle can be stored in the battery pack as regenerative power.

  The battery pack of this embodiment includes a battery unit 1 and a pack case that houses the battery unit 1. The pack case is a case constituting the exterior of the battery pack. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower case 100 to which the battery unit 1 is fixed, the upper case (not shown) that covers the battery unit 1 together with the lower case 100, and A shield member 101 is provided.

  The battery unit 1 includes a plurality of battery modules (corresponding to power storage elements) 10 arranged side by side in the X direction, and a pair of end plates 20 are disposed at both ends of the battery unit 1 in the X direction. ing. A constraining rod 30 extending in the X direction is connected to the pair of end plates 20. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, two restraining rods 30 are arranged on the upper surface of the battery unit 1, and two restraining rods (not shown) are also arranged on the lower surface of the battery unit 1. ing.

  By using the pair of end plates 20 and the restraining rod 30, a restraining force can be applied to the plurality of battery modules 10. The restraining force is a force generated when the pair of end plates 20 are displaced in a direction (X direction) approaching each other, and is a force causing two battery modules 10 adjacent in the X direction to approach each other. By giving a binding force to each battery module 10, for example, expansion of the battery module 10 can be suppressed. A specific structure of the end plate 20 will be described later.

  In this embodiment, the restraining rods are arranged on the upper surface and the lower surface of the battery unit 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The restraint rod 30 may be disposed at a position where it can be connected to the pair of end plates 20. For example, the restraint rod 30 can be disposed along the side surfaces (both end surfaces in the Y direction) of the battery unit 1. Further, in the present embodiment, the constraining rod 30 formed in a columnar shape is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a constraining band formed in a flat plate shape can be used.

  The battery module 10 is configured by a plurality of unit cells electrically connected in series, and the plurality of unit cells are accommodated in a case constituting the exterior of the battery module 10. Here, a secondary battery such as a nickel metal hydride battery or a lithium ion battery can be used as the single battery. An electric double layer capacitor can be used instead of the secondary battery. In the present embodiment, the plurality of battery modules 10 are arranged side by side in the X direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of single cells (corresponding to power storage elements) can be arranged in the X direction.

  The plurality of battery modules 10 arranged side by side in the X direction are electrically connected in series. A positive terminal (also referred to as an electrode terminal) 10a and a negative terminal (also referred to as an electrode terminal) 10b are provided on both end faces of the battery module 10 in the Y direction. In FIG. 1, the positive electrode terminal 10 a and the negative electrode terminal 10 b are shown only for some battery modules 10.

  The positive terminal 10a of the battery module 10 is electrically connected to the negative terminal 10b of another battery module 10 adjacent in the X direction via the bus bar 40a. Moreover, the negative electrode terminal 10b of the battery module 10 is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal 10a of another battery module 10 adjacent in the X direction via the bus bar 40a. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of bus bars 40a are configured as a bus bar module 40. The bus bar module 40 includes a plurality of bus bars 40a and a support plate that supports the plurality of bus bars 40a. The support plate can be formed of resin, for example.

  In the present embodiment, the plurality of battery modules 10 are electrically connected in series. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and battery modules 10 electrically connected in parallel may be included.

  The two battery modules 10 positioned at both ends of the battery unit 1 in the X direction are in contact with the end plate 20 and have electrode terminals 10a and 10b that are not connected to the bus bar 40a. A cable (not shown) for charging / discharging the battery unit 1 is connected to the electrode terminals 10a and 10b. That is, the battery unit 1 is connected to a load via this cable.

  When the battery pack of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle, a motor / generator can be used as a load. The motor / generator receives electric power from the battery unit 1 to generate kinetic energy for running the vehicle, or converts the kinetic energy generated during braking of the vehicle into electric energy and supplies the electric energy to the battery unit 1. Or Here, a booster circuit and an inverter can be arranged on the current path between the motor / generator and the battery unit 1.

  Next, a specific structure of the end plate 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the structure of the end plate 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a connecting portion 21 to which the restraining rod 30 is connected is provided on the upper end surface 20 a of the end plate 20. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the restraining rod 30 is fixed to the connecting portion 21 with a bolt 41. Moreover, the connection part 23 is provided in the lower end surface 20b of the end plate 20, and the one end of a restraint rod is fixed with the volt | bolt 42 with respect to the connection part 23 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the distance between the two restraining rods 30 arranged on the upper surface of the battery unit 1 (distance in the Y direction) is the distance between the two restraining rods arranged on the lower surface of the battery unit 1 (in the Y direction). It is narrower than (distance).

  A plurality of ribs 22 are formed on the end plate 20, and the ribs 22 protrude in a direction (X direction) orthogonal to the surface (YZ plane) of the end plate 20 that contacts the battery module 10. Yes. A space is formed in the region surrounded by the ribs 22. In other words, the surface of the end plate 20 opposite to the battery module 10 side (the surface on which a bracket 60 described later is fixed) is configured as an uneven surface.

  By forming the rib 22, it is possible to secure the strength of the end plate 20 while reducing the weight of the end plate 20. The end plate 20 can be formed of resin, for example. In this embodiment, the ribs 22 are formed in the shape shown in FIG. 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it is only necessary to ensure the strength of the end plate 20 while reducing the weight of the end plate 20, and the shape of the rib 22 (the shape in the YZ plane) can be set as appropriate.

  Further, nuts 81 and 82 are fixed to the end plate 20. The nuts 81 and 82 are used to fix the bracket 60 to the end plate 20. Here, FIG. 4 shows a front view of the bracket 60, and FIG. 5 shows a side view of the bracket 60 when viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG.

  The bracket 60 has through holes 61 and 62, and bolts 43 and 44 are inserted into the through holes 61 and 62, respectively. The bolts 43 and 44 engage with the nuts 81 and 82 in a state of passing through the through holes 61 and 62. Thereby, the bracket 60 can be fixed to the end plate 20.

  Here, the bracket 60 has a claw portion 66 protruding toward the end plate 20 side. The claw portion 66 is used when the bracket 60 is positioned with respect to the end plate 20. In the present embodiment, the claw portion 66 comes into contact with the rib 22 that forms the lower end surface 20 b of the end plate 20.

  If the claw portion 66 is moved along the rib 22, the bracket 60 can be slid in the Y direction, and the through holes 61 and 62 of the bracket 60 can be overlapped with the nuts 81 and 82. If the bolts 43 and 44 are attached to the through holes 61 and 62 and the nuts 81 and 82 that overlap each other, the bracket 60 can be fixed to the end plate 20. Here, the bolts 43 and 44 can be easily attached to the nuts 81 and 82 by making the diameters of the through holes 61 and 62 larger than the diameters of the thread grooves in the nuts 81 and 82.

  In addition, openings 63 to 65 used for positioning the cables 51 to 53 are formed in the bracket 60. Clamps 71 to 73 are attached to the cables 51 to 53, and the claws of the clamps 71 to 73 are inserted into the openings 63 to 65 of the bracket 60.

  FIG. 6 shows a connection state between the clamp 71 and the bracket 60. The clamp 71 has a protrusion 71 a, and the protrusion 71 a is engaged with the opening 63 of the bracket 60. In the state shown in FIG. 6, the base end side of the protrusion 71 a comes into contact with the bracket 60, thereby preventing the protrusion 71 a from coming out of the opening 63. The clamps 72 and 73 also have the same structure as the clamp 71. Further, the shape of the protrusion 71 a is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 6, and it is sufficient that the protrusion 71 a has a shape that engages with the opening 63 and is not easily removed from the opening 63.

  When the projections 71 a and the like of the clamps 71 to 73 are inserted into the openings 63 to 65 of the bracket 60 in a state where the bracket 60 is fixed to the end plate 20, the projections 71 a and the like of the clamps 71 to 73 are surrounded by the ribs 22. It is designed to be located in a designated space. For example, the protrusion 71a of the clamp 71 is located in the space S1 shown in FIGS.

  In the end plate 20, a plurality of spaces surrounded by the ribs 22 become dead spaces. Therefore, if a part of the clamps 71 to 73 is positioned in the dead space, the dead space can be effectively used, and the battery pack An increase in size can be suppressed. Further, since the nuts 81 and 82 are arranged in the dead space surrounded by the ribs 22, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the battery pack.

  The cables 51 to 53 are used in association with the battery pack. For example, there are cables used for charging / discharging the battery unit 1 and cables used for controlling charging / discharging of the battery unit 1. Examples of the cable used for controlling charging / discharging of the battery unit 1 include a cable for detecting the voltage of the battery module 10. The detection voltage of the battery module 10 is used to control charging / discharging of the battery unit 1.

  In the present embodiment, the cables 51 to 53 are disposed along the bus bar module 40 and the end plate 20, and one end side of each cable 51 to 53 is led above the battery unit 1.

  The cables 51 to 53 are covered with the shield member 101 after the cables 51 to 53 are fixed to the bracket 60 using the clamps 71 to 73. Here, since the cables 51 to 53 are fixed to the end plate 20 via the bracket 60, the battery pack can be easily assembled as compared with the case where the cables 51 to 53 are not fixed to the end plate 20. be able to.

  When the cables 51 to 53 are not fixed to the end plate 20, the shield member 101 must be attached while collecting the cables 51 to 53 by manual work or the like. Further, the cables 51 to 53 may be bent in a direction away from the end plate 20, and the shield members 101 are difficult to attach due to the bending of the cables 51 to 53.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the cables 51 to 53 are fixed to the end plate 20, it is not necessary to gather the cables 51 to 53 by manual work or the like, and the cables 51 to 53 bend in a direction away from the end plate 20. Can also be suppressed. In this case, since only the shield member 101 needs to be attached, the battery pack can be easily assembled.

  Moreover, since the rib 22 is formed in the surface of the end plate 20 which is going to fix the cables 51-53, it is difficult to fix the cables 51-53. In the present embodiment, by using the bracket 60, it is possible to secure an area for fixing the cables 51 to 53.

  In the present embodiment, the arrangement path of the cables 51 to 53 can be changed by changing the positions where the openings 63 to 65 are formed in the bracket 60. Here, a larger number of openings than the number of the clamps 71 to 73 are formed in the bracket 60, and among the plurality of openings, the openings for engaging the clamps are changed to change the cables 51 to 53. The arrangement route can be changed.

  In the present embodiment, the brackets 60 are fixed to the end plate 20 using the bolts 43 and 44, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it is only necessary that the bracket 60 can be fixed to the end plate 20, and the structure is not limited to the structure using the bolts 43 and 44. For example, a claw portion can be formed on the end plate 20 (rib 22), and the bracket 60 can be supported using the claw portion.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the bracket 60 is fixed to one end plate 20 of the pair of end plates 20, but the bracket 60 may be fixed to both end plates 20. In this case, the cable can be positioned in each of the pair of end plates 20.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cables 51 to 53 are positioned by engaging the projections 71a and the like of the clamps 71 to 73 with the openings 63 to 65 of the bracket 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . That is, it is only necessary that a part of the cables 51 to 53 can be fixed to the bracket 60 fixed to the end plate 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, an arm 67 may be provided on the bracket 60, and the cables 51 to 53 may be supported by the arm 67. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a bracket which is a modification of the present embodiment.

  A battery pack that is Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a partial configuration of the battery pack. In the present embodiment, the same members as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In FIG. 8, the battery unit 1 is surrounded by a lower case 100 and an upper case 102, and a groove 102 a for passing cables 51 to 56 is formed in the upper case 102. Also in the first embodiment, the upper case 102 shown in FIG. 8 can be used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, two nuts 81 and 83 are fixed to the end plate 20, and the nuts 81 and 83 are used to fix a bracket 90 described later. As shown in FIG. 10, the nut 83 is press-fitted into the fixing portion 24 of the end plate 20. The nut 81 can also be fixed with the same structure. Here, FIG. 10 is an AA cross-sectional view of the end plate 20 in FIG.

  FIG. 11 shows a front view of the bracket 90. At both ends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the bracket 90, through holes 91 and 92 through which the bolts 43 and 44 pass are formed. When fixing the bracket 90 to the end plate 20, first, the bracket 90 is positioned so that the through holes 91 and 92 overlap the nuts 81 and 83. Then, the bolts 43 and 44 are inserted into the through holes 91 and 92, and the bolts 43 and 44 are engaged with the nuts 81 and 83. Here, in order to allow the displacement of the through holes 91 and 92 with respect to the nuts 81 and 83, the through hole 91 extends in the Y direction.

  In addition, five openings 93 to 97 are formed in the bracket 90, and the openings 93 to 97 are used for positioning the cables 51 to 56. Specifically, the cable 51 can be fixed to the bracket 90 by inserting a part of the clamp 71 attached to the cable 51 (corresponding to the protrusion 71a described in FIG. 6) into the opening 93. it can. Similarly, the clamp 72 of the cable 52 is inserted into the opening 94, and the clamp 73 of the cable 53 is inserted into the opening 95.

  Further, the cable 54 can be fixed to the bracket 90 by inserting the clamp 74 attached to the cable 54 into the opening 96 of the bracket 90. The clamp 75 bundles two cables 55 and 56, and the clamp 75 is inserted into the opening 97 of the bracket 90. Thereby, the cables 55 and 56 can be fixed to the bracket 90.

  Also in this embodiment, the same effect as that of Embodiment 1 can be obtained. Moreover, the bracket 90 of the present embodiment is larger than the bracket 60 described in the first embodiment, and can fix a larger number of cables 51 to 56 than the number of cables 51 to 53 fixed to the bracket 60. The number of cables that can be fixed to the bracket 90 can be set as appropriate. Moreover, although the external shape of the bracket 90 can be set as appropriate, the external shape of the bracket 90 is set so as to be along the minimum necessary region including the through holes 91 and 92 and the openings 93 to 97 as in the present embodiment. If formed, the weight of the bracket 90 can be reduced.

1: Battery unit 10: Battery module (storage element)
10a: Positive terminal 10b: Negative terminal 20: End plate 21, 23: Connection part 22: Rib 30: Restraint rod 40: Bus bar module 40a: Bus bar 41-44: Bolt 51-53: Cable 60: Bracket 61, 62: Through Holes 63 to 65: Openings 71 to 73: Clamps 71a: Protrusions 81, 82: Nuts 100: Lower case 101: Shield member 102: Upper case

Claims (7)

A plurality of power storage elements arranged side by side in one direction;
A pair of end plates for sandwiching the plurality of power storage elements in the arrangement direction of the plurality of power storage elements and applying a binding force to the plurality of power storage elements, wherein at least one of the end plates A pair of end plates in which the surface located on the opposite side to the surface facing the power storage element in the arrangement direction of the power storage elements is formed as an uneven surface ;
A cable used for charge / discharge or charge / discharge control of the plurality of power storage elements;
A bracket fixed to the uneven surface and used for positioning the cable;
A power storage device comprising:
A clamp attached to the cable;
The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket has an opening that engages with a protrusion formed on the clamp.   The power storage device according to claim 2, wherein the protruding portion of the clamp is located in a concave surface of the end plate in a state of penetrating the opening.   The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket includes an arm that supports a part of the cable.   5. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the end plate includes a nut that engages with a bolt that penetrates the bracket and is used to fix the bracket. 6.   6. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket includes a claw portion that contacts a part of the uneven surface and is used for positioning the bracket with respect to the end plate. The power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a shield member that constitutes a part of an exterior of the power storage device and is disposed at a position covering the cable.

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