JP5965348B2 - Power storage module - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power storage module.

Conventionally, in a power storage module for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, a plurality of single cells having positive and negative electrode terminals are arranged side by side. A plurality of unit cells are connected in series or in parallel by connecting the electrode terminals of adjacent unit cells with a connecting member (bus bar).
In Patent Literature 1, two adjacent battery terminals of two batteries are inserted into two insertion holes of the bus bar, and the adjacent batteries are electrically connected by tightening a nut to each battery terminal. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-067184

  By the way, in the said structure, the operation | work which fastens two adjacent electrode terminals twice with two nuts must be performed about each of the location which electrically connects between electrode terminals. If the work for electrically connecting such electrode terminals can be reduced, it is preferable because the number of steps for assembling the power storage module can be reduced.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the number of man-hours for assembling the power storage module.

The present invention is a power storage module configured by alternately arranging a first power storage element and a second power storage element having positive and negative electrode terminal portions, wherein the first power storage element and the second power storage element are respectively The electrode terminal portion is formed on one end surface, and the end surfaces on which the electrode terminal portion is formed are arranged to face the same direction, and the positive electrode terminal portion and the negative electrode in the first power storage element The terminal portions are alternately arranged with respect to the arrangement of the positive electrode terminal portion and the negative electrode terminal portion of the second power storage element, and the positive electrode terminal portion and the negative electrode terminal portion are arranged. The electrode terminal portion of one pole is different in shape between the first power storage element and the second power storage element. In the first power storage element, the electrode terminal portion of the one pole is ,next to A first connecting portion that extends to the matching second power storage element and is connected to the electrode terminal portion of the other pole of the adjacent second power storage element, and that is adjacent to the second power storage element; In the electric storage element, the electrode terminal portion of the one electrode extends to the first electric storage element adjacent to the opposite side, and the electrode of the other electrode in the first electric storage element adjacent to the opposite side A second connection portion connected to a terminal portion is integrally provided, and the first power storage element and the second power storage element include a main body portion in which a power storage element is accommodated and the electrode terminal portion, and the first connection The portion includes a fixed portion fixed to the main body portion, a connecting portion that rises from the fixed portion, and a second power storage element that extends from the rising end of the connecting portion to the adjacent second power storage element side. A fastening portion fastened to the second connection portion. A fixed part fixed to the main body part, a connecting part rising from the fixed part, and extending from the rising end of the connecting part to the adjacent first power storage element and fastening to the first power storage element And the first connection portion and the second connection portion are configured to be different from each other only in the extending direction of the fastening portion by 180 ° .

  According to this configuration, when the work of electrically connecting the electrode terminal portions of the adjacent power storage elements is performed, the connection portion integrally fixed as the electrode terminal portion of the power storage element is the power storage adjacent to the power storage element. Since it extends to the element, when the connection portion is connected to the electrode terminal portion of the adjacent power storage element, the plurality of electrode terminal portions can be electrically connected. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for assembling the power storage module as compared with the case where the connection work is performed for each of the plurality of electrode terminal portions.

It is preferable to have the following configuration as an embodiment of the above configuration.
The first connection portion is connected to the electrode terminal portion of the other pole of the adjacent second power storage element by a fastening member, and the second connection portion is connected to the adjacent first power storage element. A fastening member is fastened and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the other pole.

The first connection portion and the second connection portion each include an elastic portion that can be elastically deformed by bending a metal plate material .
If it does in this way, it will become possible to absorb the dimensional tolerance between the electrical storage elements, and the dimensional tolerance by the expansion at the time of charge and discharge of the electrical storage element by elastic deformation of the elastic part.

The first connecting portion further includes a folded portion that is continuous with the fixed portion, and the second connecting portion is further provided with a folded portion that is continuous with the fixed portion .

A resin fitting cover that is fitted inside the folded portion of the first connecting portion and attached to the main body portion, and is fitted inside the folded portion of the second connecting portion, and is attached to the main body portion. And a resin fitting cover to be attached .
In this way, the inner side of the folded portion can be held by the fitting cover.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of steps for assembling the power storage module.

Top view showing power storage module Front view showing power storage module Left side view showing the storage module Diagram for explaining assembly of power storage module Perspective view showing a single cell The perspective view which shows the cell from which a connection part differs from FIG. The perspective view which shows a connection part Plan view showing the connection Front view showing the connection Left side view showing connections The perspective view which shows the connection part different from FIG. The top view which shows the connection part of FIG. The front view which shows the connection part of FIG. The right view which shows the connection part of FIG.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The power storage module 10 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of single cells 11A and 11B (an example of “power storage element”), and is used as a drive source of an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like, for example. In the following description, with respect to the front-rear direction, the lower part of FIG.

(Power storage module 10)
The power storage module 10 includes a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) unit cells 11A and 11B (power storage element group) arranged adjacent to each other side by side in the front-rear direction. A slight gap is formed between the adjacent unit cells 11A and 11B to allow a positional shift due to tolerance. The plurality of unit cells 11A and 11B are configured such that electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B having different polarities are adjacent to each other (in this embodiment, the positive electrode is 21A and the negative electrode is 21B) and are fixed by a holding plate (not shown). Yes.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the plurality of unit cells 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B are composed of two types in which the shape of one of the electrode terminal portions 21 </ b> A and 21 </ b> B is different. The single cells 11A and 11B are alternately arranged.

  Each of the cells 11A and 11B has a flat shape in which a storage element (not shown) is accommodated inside, and a flat rectangular parallelepiped main body portion 12 and positive and negative electrodes provided on the upper end surface of the main body portion 12. Terminal portions 21A and 21B are provided.

The main body 12 is covered with a case, and the upper surface 13 is formed with synthetic resin fixing portions 14 and 20 for fixing the electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B at predetermined positions.
The fixing portions 14 and 20 include a first fixing portion 14 that fixes a connecting portion 22A (22B) as an electrode terminal portion 21A described later, and a second fixing portion 20 that fixes the receiving portion 32 to the electrode terminal portion 21B. .

The 1st fixing | fixed part 14 is provided with the surrounding wall part 15 which protrudes upwards so that the to-be-fixed part 23 of 22 A of connection parts (22B) may be enclosed.
The peripheral wall portion 15 has a notch portion 16 in which a predetermined range in the circumferential direction is notched, and the fit cover 18 can be attached to the first fixed portion 14 by inserting the fit cover 18 from the notch portion 16. .
A locking portion 17 protrudes inward from the portion of the notch portion 16 in the peripheral wall portion 15.
A locking recess is formed on the inner wall of the locking portion 17.
The fitting cover 18 is made of synthetic resin and has a plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The edges and the inside of the fitting cover 18 are reinforced by increasing the thickness in a frame shape.
The fitting cover 18 has a locked portion 19 that is locked to the locking portion 17 so as not to be detached from the first fixing portion 14 (see FIG. 1).
The locked portion 19 is a bending piece whose front end side (rear end side) can bend and deform in the left-right direction, and a locking claw that protrudes outward is formed at the front end.

The second fixing portion 20 protrudes from the upper surface 13 of the main body portion 12 at a predetermined height.
The protruding dimension of the second fixing portion 20 is such that a fastening portion 25 of a connecting portion 22A (22B) described later is placed on the electrode terminal portion 21B in a state where the electrode terminal portion 21B is mounted on the second fixing portion 20. It is supposed to be high.

The electrode terminal portion 21 </ b> B includes an L-shaped receiving portion 32 placed on the second fixing portion 20, and a relay connection member 35 that electrically connects the receiving portion 32 and the internal storage element.
The receiving portion 32 is made of a metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel (SUS), and the plate-like plate-like portion 33 and the rod-like portion 34 rising from the plate-like portion 33 are integrally formed. ing.

The plate-like portion 33 is formed with a through hole through which the relay connecting member 35 is inserted.
The relay connecting member 35 is made of metal rivets. It is also possible to use a member such as a screw.
The receiving portion 32 is fixed to the main body 12 through the relay connection member 35 through the relay connection member 35 in the through hole of the plate-like portion 33, and the internal storage element is connected to the internal portion via the relay connection member 35. Electrically connected.

The electrode terminal portion 21A extends to the adjacent unit cell 11B (11A) side of the unit cell 11A (11B) having the electrode terminal unit 21A and is connected to the electrode terminal unit 21B of the adjacent unit cell 11B (11A). Connecting portion 22A (22B).
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the connection portions 22 </ b> A and 22 </ b> B have two types of shapes corresponding to the unit cells 11 </ b> B and 11 </ b> A.
The connecting portions 22A and 22B are both a belt-like fixed portion 23 fixed to the first fixing portion 14, a flat plate-like fastening portion 25 fastened to the electrode terminal portion 21B, and the fixed portion 23 and the fastening portion 25. And a connecting portion 27 that connects the two. The connecting portions 22A and 22B are made of metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel (SUS), and are formed by bending a thin metal plate material punched into a developed shape.

The fixed portion 23 extends in a band shape in the left-right direction, and a circular through hole 24 through which the relay connection member 31 for connecting to the power storage element of the main body portion 12 is inserted is formed at one end side.
The relay connecting member 31 uses a metal rivet (see FIG. 5 and the like). In addition, as another embodiment, not only a rivet but also a member such as a metal screw (a member that can be electrically connected) can be used.
The fixed portion 23 is fixed to the main body portion 12 by being caulked to the main body portion 12 through one end of the relay connection member 31 in the through hole 24 and is electrically connected to the internal storage element via the relay connection member 31. Is done.

The fastening portion 25 has a rectangular shape that is slightly longer in the left-right direction, and extends toward the adjacent unit cell 11B (11A) to be connected.
A circular fastening hole 26 is formed through the intermediate portion in the left-right direction on the distal end side of the fastening portion 25.
The fastening hole 26 has an oval shape that is long in the front-rear direction (the arrangement direction of the cells 11A and 11B).
Thus, by making the fastening hole 26 into an oval shape, it is possible to absorb the tolerance at the time of assembly (tolerance in the front-rear direction).

The connecting portion 27 includes a folded portion 28 that extends so as to be folded from the edge of the fixed portion 23, and an elastic portion 29 that connects the folded portion 28 and the fastening portion 25 so as to be elastically deformable.
The folding direction of the folding portion 28 is the same as the extending direction of the fastening portion 25 in the connecting portion 22A, and the extending direction of the fastening portion 25 is the opposite direction in the connecting portion 22B.
In a state where the connecting portions 22A and 22B are attached to the main body portion 12, the edge portion of the fitting cover 18 is fitted inside the folded portion 28 (see FIG. 6).
When the insertion cover 18 is inserted from the inside of the notch 16 in the main body 12 toward the rear side, the locked portion 19 is elastically deformed and the insertion cover 18 is inserted inside the folded portion 28, so that the locked portion 19 is inserted. The engaging cover 18 is fixed to the first fixing portion 14 by being locked to the inner wall of the locking recess of the locking portion 17.
The fitting cover 18 fitted into the folded portion 28 is fixed to the first fixing portion 14, thereby pressing the fixed portion 23 from above and fixing the fixed portion 23 to the main body portion 12.

The elastic portion 29 includes a bent portion 29A where a portion where the fastening portion 25 continues is bent, and a bent portion 29B where a portion where the folded portion 28 continues is bent.
The elastic portion 29 extends in the vertical direction at a position in the middle in the front-rear direction of the fixed portion 23 (intermediate in the front-rear direction of the cells 11A and 11B).
By elastically deforming the elastic portion 29, tolerances in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction between the unit cells 11A and 11B can be absorbed.
The tolerance can be absorbed not only when the power storage module 10 is assembled, but also after the power storage module 10 is assembled. Since the connection portions 22A and 22B are made of thin members, the elasticity other than the elastic portion 29 can be absorbed. Even with deformation, the tolerance can be absorbed to some extent.
The bent portion 29 </ b> A is formed with a recess 30 with both side edges cut out.
The concave portion 30 serves as a mark when the metal plate material is bent during the formation of the connecting portions 22A and 22B.

Here, since the connection portions 22A and 22B are formed of a thin metal plate material, the width dimension (the fastening portion 25 and the coupling portion 25) is reduced by a thickness that is thinner than a bus bar as a connection member between electrodes that is normally used. The width dimension of the portion 27 is increased. Thus, even if the thickness is reduced, the conductor cross-sectional area corresponding to the energization current is secured by being widened.
The connecting portions 22A and 22B have the same configuration except that the bending direction of the fastening portion 25 at the position of the bent portion 29A differs by 180 degrees.

Next, assembly of the power storage module will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the two types of single cells 11A and 11B are alternately arranged so that the fastening portions 25 of the connection portions 22A and 22B protrude in the same direction, and the rod-shaped portions 34 of the electrode terminal portions 21B are connected to the connection portions. The nut 36 as a fastening member is screwed into the rod-like portion 34 through the fastening holes 26 of 22A and 22B and fastened.

According to the said embodiment, there exist the following effects.
According to the present embodiment, when the work of electrically connecting the electrode terminal portions 21A, 21B of the adjacent unit cells 11A, 11B (storage element) is performed, the unit cells 11A, 11B include the electrode terminal portions 21A, Since the connecting portions 22A and 22B integrally fixed as 21B extend to the adjacent single cells 11B and 11A of the single cells 11A and 11B, the connecting portions 22A and 22B are connected to the adjacent single cells 11B and 11A. By connecting to the electrode terminal portion 21B, the plurality of electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B can be electrically connected. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for assembling the power storage module 10 as compared with the case where the connection work is performed for each of the plurality of electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B.

Further, the connecting portions 22A and 22B include an elastic portion 29 that can be elastically deformed by bending a metal plate material.
In this way, it is possible to absorb the dimensional tolerance between the single cells 11A and 11B and the dimensional tolerance due to expansion during charging and discharging of the single cells 11A and 11B by elastic deformation of the elastic portion 29.

Further, the cells 11A and 11B (power storage elements) include a main body portion 12 in which power storage elements are accommodated and electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B, and the connection portions 22A and 22B are fixed portions fixed to the main body portion 12. 23 and a folded portion 28 that is continuous with the fixed portion 23, and a resin fitting cover 18 that is fitted inside the folded portion 28 and attached to the main body portion 12.
In this way, the inside of the folded portion 28 can be held by the fitting cover 18.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the connection portion 22A (22B) is provided only in one electrode terminal portion 21A of the pair of electrode terminal portions 21A and 21B of each unit cell 11A (11B). For example, the connecting portions 22A and 22B may be provided in both the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal portion. In this case, next to the unit cell having the connection portions 22A, 22B11A, and 11B, a unit cell not provided with the connection portions 22A and 22B is disposed on both of the pair of electrode terminal portions, and a plurality of unit cells are alternately arranged next to each other. You may make it connect between the electrode terminal parts of the unit cell 1 which fits.

(2) In the above embodiment, an example in which the power storage element is a battery has been described, but the power storage element may be a capacitor or the like.
(3) In the above embodiment, the nut 36 is fastened to the rod-like portion 34 of the electrode terminal portion 21B. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a nut-like portion is provided on the electrode terminal portion 21B and a bolt-like fastening member is screwed together. May be fastened.

(4) In the above embodiment, the electrode terminal portion 21A is a positive electrode and the electrode terminal portion 21B is a negative electrode. However, the electrode terminal portion 21B may be a positive electrode and the electrode terminal portion 21A may be a negative electrode.
(5) In the above embodiment, the plurality of single cells 11A and 11B are connected in series. However, the plurality of single cells 11A and 11B may be connected in parallel.
(6) The number of the single cells 11A and 11B is not limited to the number in the above embodiment, and may be another number.

10 ... Power storage modules 11A, 11B ... Single battery (power storage element)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Main-body part 14 ... 1st fixing | fixed part 17 ... Locking part 18 ... Insertion cover 19 ... Locked part 20 ... 2nd fixing | fixed part 21A, 21B ... Electrode Terminal part 22A, 22B ... Connection part 23 ... Fixed part 25 ... Fastening part 27 ... Connection part 28 ... Folding part 29 ... Elastic part 29A, 29B ... Bending part 31 35 ... Relay connection member 32 ... Receiving part 34 ... Rod-like part 36 ... Nut (fastening member)

Claims (5)

A power storage module configured by alternately arranging first power storage elements and second power storage elements having positive and negative electrode terminal portions,
Each of the first power storage element and the second power storage element has the electrode terminal portion formed on one end surface thereof, the end surfaces on which the electrode terminal portions are formed are arranged in the same direction, and the first The arrangement of the positive electrode terminal part and the negative electrode terminal part of the storage element is alternately arranged with respect to the arrangement of the positive electrode terminal part and the negative electrode terminal part of the second storage element. Arranged in
Of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal part, the electrode terminal part of one of the electrodes is different in shape between the first power storage element and the second power storage element. A first connecting portion extending from the electrode terminal portion of the one pole to the adjacent second power storage element and connected to the electrode terminal portion of the other pole of the adjacent second power storage element; On the other hand, in the adjacent second power storage element, the electrode terminal portion of the one pole extends to the first power storage element adjacent to the opposite side and is adjacent to the opposite side. A second connecting portion integrally connected to the electrode terminal portion of the other pole of the first power storage element;
The first power storage element and the second power storage element include a main body portion that stores a power storage element and the electrode terminal portion,
The first connection portion includes a fixed portion that is fixed to the main body portion, a connecting portion that rises from the fixed portion, and extends from the rising end portion of the connecting portion to the adjacent second power storage element side. A fastening portion fastened to the second power storage element,
The second connection portion includes a fixed portion that is fixed to the main body portion, a connecting portion that rises from the fixed portion, and extends from the rising end portion of the connecting portion to the adjacent first power storage element side. A fastening portion fastened to the first power storage element,
The power storage module in which the first connection portion and the second connection portion are configured to differ by 180 ° only in the extending direction of the fastening portion . The first connection part is fastened and connected to the electrode terminal part of the other pole of the second storage element adjacent by a fastening member,
The power storage module according to claim 1, wherein the second connection part is fastened and connected to the electrode terminal part of the other pole of the adjacent first power storage element by a fastening member . 3. The power storage module according to claim 1, wherein each of the first connection portion and the second connection portion includes an elastic portion that can be elastically deformed by bending a metal plate material . The first connection portion further includes a folded portion that is continuous with the fixed portion,
The power storage module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second connection portion further includes a folded portion that is continuous with the fixed portion . A resin fitting cover fitted inside the folded portion of the first connecting portion and attached to the main body portion;
The power storage module according to claim 4 , further comprising: a resin insertion cover that is fitted inside the folded portion of the second connection portion and attached to the main body portion .

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