JP7103043B2 - Batteries - Google Patents

Description

The disclosure herein relates to an assembled battery.

Patent Document 1 describes a battery module including a heat exchanger that cools a plurality of batteries constituting a battery laminate by a fluid flowing inside. The heat exchanger has a heat exchange portion installed between adjacent batteries and a connecting portion for connecting the adjacent heat exchange portions, and a fluid flows from one end to the other end of the battery laminate. It forms a flowing meandering flow path. The heat exchange section is an inter-cell portion that forms an inter-cell passage.

Special Table 2016-526763A

In the battery module of Patent Document 1, when water adheres to a heat exchange portion installed between adjacent batteries, the water may stay. In particular, when water stays in the upper part near the electrode terminal, a problem such as a short circuit of the battery may occur.

An object of the disclosure in this specification is to provide an assembled battery capable of suppressing a defect caused by a liquid adhering to an inter-cell portion through which a heat medium flows.

The plurality of aspects disclosed herein employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. Further, the scope of claims and the reference numerals in parentheses described in this section are examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later as one embodiment, and limit the technical scope. is not.

One of the disclosed assembled batteries is a heat medium and a battery cell that are interposed between a plurality of battery cells (2) that are stacked and installed, and battery cells and battery cells that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and circulate in an internal passage. The inter-cell portion (40; 140; 240; 340; 440; 540 ; 640 ) that exchanges heat with and is connected to the inter-cell portion and the inter-cell portion adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, and the heat medium flows through the internal passage. A unit (41; 141; 241; 341; 441), and a drainage promoting unit (44; 144; 244; 344) provided in the inter-cell portion and allowing the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion to flow downward. The drainage promoting portion is provided with a plurality of grooves provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion on the outer surface of the battery cell side in the inter-cell portion .

According to this assembled battery, the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion is allowed to flow downward by the drainage promoting portion provided in the inter-cell portion, so that the flowing liquid is further dropped from the inter-cell portion by gravity. Contribute. Since the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion can be kept away from the battery cell in this way, it is possible to provide an assembled battery capable of suppressing problems caused by the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion through which the heat medium flows.

In one of the disclosed assembled batteries, each of the plurality of battery cells has an electrode terminal (20) exposed on the upper surface, and a liquid provided in the upper part of the inter-cell portion and adhering to the upper portion of the inter-cell portion is discharged. A storage unit (48) for storing is further provided.

According to this assembled battery, a predetermined amount of the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion in the vicinity of the electrode terminals can be stored in the storage portion provided in the upper part of the inter-cell portion. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid adhering to the upper part between the cells from flowing down to the electrode terminals. According to this assembled battery, it is possible to suppress a defect caused by the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion where the heat medium flows.

It is a partial plan view which showed the structure of the assembled battery of 1st Embodiment. It is a partial view which showed the inter-cell part and the battery cell of the heat medium passage member in the assembled battery of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which showed the heat transfer media passage member of 1st Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the part between cells on the upstream side in 2nd Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the part between cells on the downstream side in 2nd Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part in 3rd Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the connecting part of the heat medium passage member in 3rd Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part of 4th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the connecting part of 4th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part of 5th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the connecting part of 5th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part of 6th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part of 7th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the connecting part of 7th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the inter-cell part of 8th Embodiment. It is a partial front view which showed the connecting part of 8th Embodiment. It is a partial cross-sectional view which showed the connecting part of 9th Embodiment. It is a partial cross-sectional view which showed the connecting part of the tenth embodiment. It is a partial view which showed the inter-cell part and the battery cell in the assembled battery of 11th Embodiment. It is a partial view which showed the inter-cell part and the battery cell in the assembled battery of the twelfth embodiment.

Hereinafter, a plurality of modes for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each form, the same reference numerals may be attached to the parts corresponding to the items described in the preceding forms, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each form, the other forms described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Not only the combinations of the parts that clearly indicate that they can be combined in each embodiment, but also the parts of the embodiments that are not explicitly combined unless there is a problem in the combination. It is also possible.

(First Embodiment)
The assembled battery 1 of the first embodiment is a device having a configuration in which a plurality of battery cells 2 stacked and installed and a heat medium circulating inside the inter-cell portion 40 exchange heat. The heat medium is a temperature control fluid whose temperature can be controlled by cooling or heating the battery cell. The heat medium may be a gas, liquid, or gas-liquid mixed fluid, or may be a fluid that does not undergo a state change during use or a fluid that undergoes a phase change. The assembled battery 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle in which an internal combustion engine and a motor driven by electric power charged in the battery are combined and used as a traveling drive source, and an electric vehicle in which the motor is used as a traveling drive source. The plurality of battery cells 2 included in the assembled battery 1 are, for example, a nickel hydrogen secondary battery, a lithium ion secondary battery, an organic radical battery, an all-solid-state battery, and the like.

The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In each figure, the thickness direction of the battery cells 2 is the stacking direction of the battery cells 2 in the battery stack, and is also referred to as the battery stacking direction. The direction orthogonal to both the stacking direction and the vertical direction is the width direction or the lateral direction of the battery cell 2. One side in the stacking direction is the upstream side of the heat medium that generally flows with respect to the battery stack, and the other side is the downstream side.

The assembled battery 1 is controlled by electronic components used for charging and discharging or temperature control of a plurality of battery cells 2. The assembled battery 1 is formed by restraining a plurality of battery cells 2 which are connected so as to be energized and which are laminated and installed in the stacking direction and integrally formed. Further, the assembled battery 1 may be stored in the housing. The electronic components described above include, for example, a DC / DC converter, a motor for driving a fluid drive device for flowing a heat medium, electronic components controlled by an inverter, various electronic control devices, and the like. The assembled battery 1 may be a device including such an electronic component.

The battery cell 2 constituting the battery laminate is a single battery having a square outer case. This square-shaped cell has a rectangular cuboid shape whose outer peripheral surface is covered with an outer case made of, for example, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or the like. In each battery cell 2, each of the two electrode terminals 20 including the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal protrudes from the upper surface 21 of the outer case, and the protruding direction is an upward direction perpendicular to the battery stacking direction. The outer case of the battery cell 2 may be made of resin in addition to metal, for example. Further, the battery cell 2 may be provided with a film in which resin and aluminum foil are laminated as an outer case.

In the battery laminate, an aggregate in which a predetermined number of battery cells 2 and inter-cell portions 40 of the heat transfer media passage member 4 are alternately laminated is sandwiched by a set of end plates 3 from both ends in the stacking direction, and a binding force toward the inside is obtained. Is formed integrally by the action of. The end plate 3 is formed in a flat box whose thickness direction dimension is smaller than the vertical direction length and the width direction length. The assembled battery 1 includes a heat transfer media passage member 4 integrally installed with a plurality of battery cells 2. The heat medium passage member 4 is made of a material having thermal conductivity, for example, a metal containing aluminum, a metal containing copper, a resin material containing metal, a carbon resin material, and the like.

The restraint structure of the assembled battery 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the assembled battery 1 includes a plurality of battery cells 2, an inter-cell portion 40 interposed between adjacent battery cells 2, a connecting portion 41 connecting the adjacent inter-cell portions 40, and a set of ends. A restraining member or the like that provides compressive force from both sides to the plate 3 and a set of end plates 3 is provided. For the restraining member, for example, a restraining band can be adopted. In this case, the restraint band is a band-shaped member that surrounds the outer periphery of the laminated structure in which the battery laminate and the set of end plates 3 are combined. The assembled battery 1 is restrained by two restraint bands provided at intervals in the vertical direction. The restraint band is secured by rivets so that it can maintain the state of providing compressive force to the battery laminate. Further, the rivet can be replaced with a fastening and fixing means such as bolts and nuts, and a fixing means such as welding. The restraint band is formed of a material having excellent strength such as a metal or a hard resin material so that a plurality of battery cells 2 and the like can be pressed and integrated with a stable force.

The heat medium passage member 4 includes a plurality of inter-cell portions 40 interposed between the battery cells 2 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction and the battery cells 2. A heat medium circulates in the internal passage of the inter-cell portion 40. The plurality of cell-to-cell portions 40 are installed so as to be arranged in the stacking direction. The inter-cell portion 40 and the inter-cell portion 40 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are provided with a distance equivalent to the thickness dimension of the battery cell 2 in the stacking direction. The cell-to-cell portion 40 is installed in contact with the width surface 22 of the battery cell 2 which forms a surface in the width direction and the vertical direction. The width surface 22 is also the ventral surface having the largest area in the battery cell 2. Further, a spacer member having thermal conductivity may be interposed between the battery cell 2 and the inter-cell portion 40 so that the spacer member is sandwiched between the battery cell 2 and the inter-cell portion 40.

The heat transfer media passage member 4 includes a connecting portion 41 that connects the inter-cell portions 40 and the inter-cell portions 40 that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction. A heat medium circulates in the internal passage of the connecting portion 41. The connecting portion 41 is provided so as to be located outside the battery cell 2 in the width direction of the battery cell 2. The connecting portion 41 is provided so as to face the side surface 23 of the battery cell 2 orthogonal to both the upper surface 21 and the width surface 22.

The connecting portion 41 is a turn portion in which the heat medium flowing inside the heat medium passage member 4 is folded back to change the direction of the flow to form a folded-back flow path facing each other, and is also a folded-back portion. The connecting portion 41 is a folded-back portion that changes the direction of the flow path in the opposite direction, and is provided at least at one position in the heat medium passage member 4. The heat medium passage member 4 forms a meandering flow path as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 by continuously stacking the folded flow paths via the connecting portion 41.

The heat medium passage member 4 includes an inflow portion 420 into which the heat medium flows into the end portion of the folded flow path in the stacking direction, that is, in the battery stacking direction. The inflow portion 420 is connected to an end plate 3 provided on one side in the stacking direction. The internal passage of the inter-cell portion 40, which is the end portion in the battery stacking direction and is located at the upstream end portion of the heat medium, passes through the internal passage of the folded portion 42 and the inflow portion 420 to the internal passage of the end plate 3 on one side. Communicating. A pipe for introducing a heat medium from the outside of the assembled battery 1 is connected to the end plate 3 on one side. The end plate 3 on one side is an inflow tank portion for introducing a heat medium from the outside of the assembled battery 1 into the heat medium passage member 4. The end plate 3 on one side can transfer heat to the battery cell 2 so that the battery cell 2 located at one end of the battery stack and the heat medium flowing through the internal passage exchange heat. It is provided in.

The heat medium passage member 4 includes an outflow portion 430 from which the heat medium flows out from the end portion of the folded flow path in the stacking direction, that is, the battery stacking direction. The outflow portion 430 is connected to an end plate 3 provided on the other side in the stacking direction. The internal passage of the inter-cell portion 40, which is the end portion in the battery stacking direction and is located at the downstream end portion of the heat medium, passes through the internal passage of the folded portion 43 and the outflow portion 430 to the internal passage of the end plate 3 on the other side. Communicating. A pipe for flowing out the heat medium to the outside of the assembled battery 1 is connected to the end plate 3 on the other side. The end plate 3 on the other side is an outflow tank portion that allows the heat medium to flow out from the inside of the heat medium passage member 4 to the outside of the assembled battery 1. The end plate 3 on the other side can transfer heat to the battery cell 2 so that the battery cell 2 located at the other end of the battery stack and the heat medium flowing through the internal passage exchange heat. It is provided in.

As described above, the heat transfer media passage member 4 has the folded-back portion 42 and the five connecting portions 41 provided on the inflow portion 420 side, and the five connecting portions 41 and the folded-back portion 43 provided on the outflow portion 430 side. It has a meandering flow path formed via. The internal passage of the heat medium passage member 4 is a flat tube elongated in the vertical direction orthogonal to both the flow direction when the heat medium exchanges heat with the battery cell 2, that is, the width direction and the stacking direction. The heat transfer media passage member 4 can be formed by a serpentine tube in which the flat tube is bent. This flat tube may be a flat multi-hole tube having a plurality of passages inside and formed by extrusion molding.

In the assembled battery 1, the heat medium flows through the heat medium passage member 4 through the internal passage, so that the heat of the battery cells 2 is absorbed by the heat medium via the inter-cell portion 40, and each battery cell 2 can be cooled. .. Further, when the heat medium flows through the internal passage through the heat medium passage member 4, the heat of the heat medium can be dissipated to the battery cells 2 via the inter-cell portion 40 to heat each battery cell 2.

The heat transfer media passage member 4 includes a drainage promoting portion provided in the inter-cell portion 40. The drainage promoting unit has a function of causing the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 to flow downward. The liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 is various liquids having conductivity. This liquid includes, for example, condensed water in which moisture in the air is condensed and adhered to the inter-cell portion 40, liquid that has invaded from the vehicle interior, water that has invaded from the outside of the vehicle and lived, water scattered in the inter-cell portion 40, and the like. Is.

The drainage promoting unit acts to upset the balance of surface tension with respect to the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40, weakens the holding force of the liquid with respect to the inter-cell portion 40, and the liquid moves with respect to the inter-cell portion 40. Create an easy state. For example, the drainage promoting unit applies a shearing force to the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 to deform the liquid and create a state in which it is easy to move with respect to the inter-cell portion 40. As a result, the liquid flows down from the state of being attached to the inter-cell portion 40 by gravity and falls from the inter-cell portion 40.

As an example of the drainage promoting portion, the heat transfer media passage member 4 of the first embodiment includes a groove portion 44 provided on the outer surface of the inter-cell portion 40 on the battery cell 2 side so as to extend downward from the upper portion. This upper portion is a portion included in the upper half of the inter-cell portion 40. The groove portions 44 are provided on the outer surfaces on both sides in the thickness direction of the inter-cell portion 40. The groove portion 44 can be formed by, for example, pressing the inter-cell portion 40. The heat transfer media passage member 4 includes a plurality of groove portions 44 extending in the vertical direction on the surface of the inter-cell portion 40, respectively. The groove 44 may be partially provided in the range from the upper end to the lower end of the inter-cell portion 40. In the inter-cell portion 40, the portion excluding the groove portion 44 is a portion capable of transferring heat to and from the battery cell 2, and the outer surface side opening of the inter-cell portion 40 forming the groove portion 44 transfers heat to and from the battery cell 2. It's a difficult part.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is preferable that the groove 44 is continuous from the upper end to the lower end in the inter-cell portion 40. The plurality of groove portions 44 are provided side by side at intervals in the width direction in the inter-cell portion 40. The groove 44 has a width dimension that is constant in the vertical direction. The groove portion 44 is formed so as to have the same width dimension on the outer surface side and the width dimension on the bottom surface side of the inter-cell portion 40.

The liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 forms a liquid film, but when it comes into contact with the groove portion 44, a part of the liquid enters the groove portion 44, so that a shearing force acts inside and the surface tension holding the liquid. Will lose balance. The liquid whose surface tension is weakened and the force in the direction in which the liquid level tends to shrink is weakened by its own weight flows downward along the outer surface of the inter-cell portion 40 and the groove 44, and further falls from the lower end of the inter-cell portion 40. And is discharged. Further, the liquid that has once entered the groove 44 from the state of being attached to the surface of the inter-cell portion 40 quickly flows downward in the groove 44 due to the capillary phenomenon. Such an action effect on the liquid adhering to the surface of the inter-cell portion 40 is such that the larger the opening area ratio occupied by the groove 44 with respect to the surface area of the inter-cell portion 40, or the larger the number of groove 44s arranged in the width direction. The smaller the distance between the groove 44 and the groove 44 adjacent to each other in the width direction, the more remarkable it is.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the heat medium passage member 4, the heat medium heats all the battery cells 2 from one end to the other end in the stacking direction in the plurality of battery cells 2 included in the battery laminate. It forms a series of internal passages to replace. In the battery laminate, one end is on the upstream side of the heat transfer flow and the other end is on the downstream side. The assembled battery 1 exchanges heat with the battery cells 2 in all the inter-cell portions 40 arranged in the stacking direction until the heat medium flowing in from the inflow portion 420 of the heat medium passage member 4 reaches the outflow portion 430. It is configured in.

The ratio of the opening area of the plurality of grooves 44 to the surface area of the inter-cell portion 40 is set larger in the inter-cell portion 40 on the upstream side located at one end than in the inter-cell portion 40 on the downstream side located at the other end. Has been done. The opening area of the groove portion 44 is a value obtained by multiplying the width dimension of the groove portion 44 at the opening end on the outer surface side of the inter-cell portion 40 by the vertical dimension. As an example of a configuration in which the heat medium passage member 4 realizes this technical idea, the distance between the groove 44 and the groove 44 adjacent to each other in the width direction is such that the cell-to-cell portion 40 at the other end is the inter-cell portion at one end. It has a configuration larger than 40. Further, the heat medium passage member 4 is configured such that the number of groove portions 44 in the inter-cell portion 40 on the downstream side is smaller than that in the inter-cell portion 40 on the upstream side. With this configuration, the inter-cell portion 40 on the upstream side has a larger liquid discharge effect than the downstream side, and the inter-cell portion 40 on the downstream side can have a larger heat transfer area with the battery cell 2 than the upstream side. ..

As another form of the heat transfer media passage member 4, the inter-cell portion 40 on the upstream side located at one end and the inter-cell portion 40 on the downstream side located at the other end do not intervene between the inter-cell portions 40. It may be a configuration in which they are connected by. Further, the inter-cell portion 40 at one end and the inter-cell portion 40 at the other end may be connected via an inter-cell portion 40 partially provided in the battery laminate. In such a configuration, the inter-cell portion 40 at one end and the inter-cell portion 40 at the other end communicate with each other so that the heat medium flows down the internal passage from one end to the other end.

The actions and effects of the assembled battery 1 of the first embodiment will be described. The assembled battery 1 is provided in a plurality of battery cells 2, a heat medium passage member 4 in which heat exchange between a heat medium flowing through the internal passage and the battery cell 2 exchanges heat, and an inter-cell portion 40, and adheres to the inter-cell portion 40. It is provided with a drainage promotion unit that allows the liquid to flow downward. The heat medium passage member 4 includes an inter-cell portion 40 that is interposed between the battery cells 2 that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction and exchanges heat between the heat medium and the battery cells that flow through the internal passage, and an inter-cell portion 40 that is adjacent to each other in the stacking direction. A connecting portion 41 that connects the inter-cell portion 40 and allows a heat medium to flow through the internal passage is provided.

According to the assembled battery 1, the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 can be allowed to flow downward by the drainage promoting portion provided in the inter-cell portion 40, so that the flowing liquid can be further flowed between the cells by gravity. It is possible to promote the discharge from the unit 40. For example, the drainage promoting unit has an effect of weakening the surface tension or losing the balance of the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40, and the liquid can flow down by using gravity. In this way, the assembled battery 1 can quickly move the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 away from the battery cell 2. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 capable of suppressing problems such as a short circuit caused by the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 40 through which the heat medium flows.

The drainage promoting portion includes a plurality of groove portions 44 provided on the outer surface of the inter-cell portion 40 on the battery cell 2 side so as to extend downward from the upper portion. According to this configuration, the liquid adhering to the outer surface of the inter-cell portion 40 comes into contact with the groove portion 44, thereby weakening the surface tension of the liquid and causing the liquid to flow downward along the groove portion 44. As a result, the discharge of the liquid from the inter-cell portion 40 can be promoted, and the state in which the liquid stays in the vicinity of the battery cell 2 can be quickly eliminated.

The inter-cell portion 40 and the connecting portion 41 are provided at least at one end in the stacking direction in the plurality of battery cells 2 and the other end in the stacking direction in the plurality of battery cells 2. The inter-cell portion 40 at one end and the inter-cell portion 40 at the other end communicate with each other so that the heat medium flows down the internal passage from one end to the other end. Further, the ratio of the opening area of the groove 44 to the surface area of the inter-cell portion 40 is smaller in the inter-cell portion 40 located at the other end than in the inter-cell portion 40 located at one end. According to this configuration, the inter-cell portion 40 at the downstream end has a larger surface area excluding the groove 44 than the inter-cell portion 40 at the upstream end, and the heat transferable area with the battery cell 2 is larger. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 which can exhibit the liquid discharge effect and suppress the decrease in the cell cooling capacity and the cell heating capacity at the downstream end.

The cell-to-cell portion 40 and the connecting portion 41 form a series of internal passages through which a heat medium that exchanges heat with all the battery cells 2 flows down from one end to the other end in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 2. It is provided. The ratio of the opening area of the plurality of groove portions 44 to the surface area of the inter-cell portion 40 is smaller in the inter-cell portion 40 located at the other end than in the inter-cell portion 40 located at one end. According to this configuration, in the heat medium passage member 4 that exchanges heat with all the battery cells 2 of the battery laminate, the inter-cell portion 40 at the downstream end is more grooved than the inter-cell portion 40 at the upstream end. The area of the portion excluding the above is large and the area where heat can be transferred to the battery cell 2 is large. For this reason, the assembled battery can exert a liquid discharge effect, compensate for the decrease in heat exchange performance due to the increase in the number of heat exchanges with the battery cell 2 in the downstream side, and suppress the decrease in the cell cooling capacity and the cell heating capacity on the downstream side. 1 can be provided.

The plurality of groove portions 44 provided in the inter-cell portion 40 located at the other end on the downstream side are adjacent to the plurality of groove portions 44 provided in the inter-cell portion 40 located at one end on the upstream side. The distance between the 44 and the groove 44 is large. According to this configuration, the inter-cell portion 40 at the downstream end has a larger surface area between the grooves 44 and the groove 44 at the inter-cell portion 40 than the inter-cell portion 40 at the upstream end, so that the surface area is larger than that of the battery cell 2. Large heat transferable area. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 which has a liquid discharge effect and suppresses a decrease in the cell cooling capacity and the cell heating capacity at the downstream end.

The heat medium passage member 4 has a plurality of inter-cell portions 40 with respect to the surface area of the inter-cell portion 40 as it approaches the other end from the inter-cell portion 40 located at one end on the upstream side to the inter-cell portion 40 located at the other end on the downstream side. It is configured so that the ratio of the opening area of the groove 44 is small. According to this configuration, the heat transferable area between the cell-to-cell portion 40 and the battery cell 2 increases as it approaches the downstream side, so that the cell cooling capacity and the cell heating capacity are evenly approached in the stacking direction, and the liquid discharge effect is achieved. It is possible to provide an assembled battery 1 having both.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and only the points different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inter-cell portion 40U on the upstream side located at one end in the stacking direction in the assembled battery 1 is between cells more than the inter-cell portion 40D on the downstream side located at the other end. The ratio of the opening area of the plurality of grooves to the surface area of the portion is set large. Further, in the second embodiment, as an example of the configuration for realizing this technical idea, the plurality of groove portions 44D in the downstream side inter-cell portion 40D located at the other end portion are between the upstream side cell located at the one end portion. A configuration in which the groove width dimension is smaller than that of the plurality of groove portions 44U in the portion 40 is disclosed. The groove width dimension referred to here refers to the width dimension of the groove portion 44 at the outer surface side opening end of the cell-to-cell portion 40. Further, the distance between the groove portions adjacent to each other in the width direction is larger in the inter-cell portion 40D at the other end than in the inter-cell portion 40U at the one end. With this configuration, the inter-cell portion 40U on the upstream side has a large liquid discharge effect described above in the first embodiment, and the inter-cell portion 40D on the downstream side can increase the heat transferable area with the battery cell 2.

According to the second embodiment, the plurality of groove portions 44D provided in the inter-cell portion 40D located at the other end on the downstream side are from the groove 44U provided in the inter-cell portion 40U located at one end on the upstream side. The groove width dimension is also small. According to this assembled battery 1, the inter-cell portion 40D at the downstream end has a larger surface area excluding the groove than the inter-cell portion 40U at the upstream end, and therefore the heat transferable area with the battery cell 2 is larger. It has a liquid discharge effect and can suppress a decrease in cell cooling capacity and cell heating capacity at the downstream end.

(Third Embodiment)
The third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 7, those having the same configuration as the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the third embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from those in the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the inter-cell portion 140 of the third embodiment is formed to have a larger groove width dimension than the inter-cell portion 40 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the groove portion 144 provided in the inter-cell portion 140 is formed to have a larger groove width dimension than the groove portions 45 and 46 provided in the connecting portion 41 and the folded portions 42 and 43.

According to the third embodiment, since the inter-cell portion 140 has a groove portion 144 having a groove width dimension larger than that of the connecting portion 41, the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 140 easily enters the groove portion 144. As a result, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 capable of improving the drainage performance.

(Fourth Embodiment)
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment in FIG. 9 are designated by the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the fourth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiments will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inter-cell portion 240 of the fourth embodiment is formed with a larger distance between the groove portions 244 and the groove portions 244 adjacent to each other in the width direction than the inter-cell portion 40 of the first embodiment. ing. Therefore, the plurality of groove portions 244 provided in the inter-cell portion 240 are formed with a larger distance between the groove portions than the groove portions 45 and 46 provided in the connecting portion 41 and the folded-back portions 42 and 43.

According to the fourth embodiment, since the space between the grooves is larger than that of the connecting portion 41 in the inter-cell portion 240, the heat transferable area between the inter-cell portion 240 and the battery cell 2 is secured and the liquid discharge performance is improved. It is possible to provide an assembled battery 1 that achieves both.

(Fifth Embodiment)
A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. Those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment in FIGS. 10 and 11 have the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configuration, action, and effect not particularly described in the fifth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the plurality of groove portions 344 provided in the inter-cell portion 340 of the fifth embodiment include the groove portion 44, the connecting portion 41, and the folded portion 42 of the inter-cell portion 40 of the first embodiment. The shape of the open end is different from that of the groove 45 and the groove 46 provided in the folded-back portion 43. Further, the groove portion 344 is formed so that the groove width dimension becomes larger toward the lower side. The groove portion 344 is formed so as to have the same width dimension on the outer surface side and the width dimension on the bottom surface side of the inter-cell portion 340 at the same position in the vertical direction.

According to the fifth embodiment, since the lower portion includes the groove portion 344 in which the groove width dimension is larger than that in the upper portion, the heat transferable area with the battery cell 2 in the upper portion which is close to the electrode terminal 20 and has a large heat generation amount is larger than that in the lower portion. Can be increased. As a result, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 which can suppress the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the cell and can secure the liquid discharge performance.

Further, since the plurality of groove portions 344 are formed so that the groove width dimension becomes larger toward the lower side, the amount of the liquid flowing down along the groove portion 344 increases toward the lower part. A groove 344 having a capacity that can be accommodated can be provided. As described above, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 capable of smoothly flowing the liquid in contact with the groove portion 344 from the upper part to the lower part.

(Sixth Embodiment)
The sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 12, those having the same configuration as the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the sixth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiments will be described.

As shown in FIG. 12, the inter-cell portion 440 of the sixth embodiment is provided with a plurality of groove portions 44 arranged at intervals in the width direction and an aggregation groove portion 444 that aggregates the plurality of groove portions 44. The groove portion 44 is connected to the aggregation groove portion 444 above the lower end of the inter-cell portion 440. The aggregation groove portion 444 includes a communication unit that connects the lower ends of the plurality of groove portions 44, and an aggregation unit that aggregates the communication portions. Further, the plurality of groove portions 44 may be directly connected to the aggregation groove portion reaching the lower end of the inter-cell portion 440 without a connecting portion. With such a configuration, the upper end of each groove 44 is connected to the lower end of the inter-cell portion 440 via the groove 44 extending in the vertical direction and the aggregation groove 444.

According to the sixth embodiment, the liquid that adheres to the inter-cell portion 440 and flows down along each groove portion 44 can be collected and discharged in the aggregation groove portion 444, so that the liquid is discharged from a more preferable place in the assembled battery 1 or the vehicle. It is possible to provide an assembled battery 1 capable of carrying out a preferable drainage treatment.

(7th Embodiment)
A seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. Those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment in FIGS. 13 and 14 have the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the seventh embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiments will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the groove portions 145 and groove portions 146 provided in the connecting portion 141, the folded-back portion 142, and the folded-back portion 143 of the seventh embodiment have a groove width with respect to the groove portion 44 of the inter-cell portion 40. The dimensions are large. The groove portion 145 and the groove portion 146 are formed so that the groove width dimension along the surface of the curved member is larger than the groove width dimension of the groove portion 44 along the surface of the inter-cell portion 40. Further, the groove portion 145 and the groove portion 146 are provided so that the groove width dimension is larger than the groove width dimension of the groove portion 44 of the intercell portion 40 even in a flat plate shape before the curved shape is formed. ..

According to the seventh embodiment, since the connecting portion 141 which is a curved portion is provided with a groove portion having a wide groove width to reduce the rigidity, a process of bending a plate-shaped member to form the connecting portion 141. Easy to carry out. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 in which the productivity of the connecting portion 141 can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(8th Embodiment)
The eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. Those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment in FIGS. 15 and 16 have the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the eighth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from those in the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the connecting portion 241 and the folded portion 242 of the eighth embodiment, the groove portion 245 and the groove portion 246 provided in the folded portion 243 are formed in the groove portion 44 of the inter-cell portion 40 of the first embodiment. On the other hand, it is provided so that the distance between the adjacent groove portions is shortened. The groove portion 245 and the groove portion 246 are formed so that the distance between the groove portion and the groove portion along the surface of the curved member is smaller than the distance between the groove portion and the groove portion along the surface of the inter-cell portion 40. Further, the groove portion 245 and the groove portion 246 are provided so that the distance between the groove portions is smaller than the distance between the groove portions in the inter-cell portion 40 even in the state of forming a flat plate before forming the curve. There is.

According to the eighth embodiment, since the connecting portion 241 which is the curved portion is provided with a plurality of groove portions for reducing the rigidity at short intervals, the plate-shaped member is bent to form the connecting portion 241. Easy to process. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 in which the productivity of the connecting portion 241 can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(9th Embodiment)
A ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration, action, and effect not particularly described in the ninth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 17, the groove portion 345 and the groove portion 346 provided in the connecting portion 341, the folded portion 342, and the folded portion 343 of the ninth embodiment have a smaller width dimension on the outer surface side than the width dimension at the bottom portion. It is formed to be. In other words, the groove portion 345 and the groove portion 346 are formed so that the cross-sectional shape of the groove has a trapezoidal shape with the bottom surface as a short side. Further, the groove portion 345 and the groove portion 346 may be formed so that the cross-sectional shape of the groove has a triangular shape with the bottom apex.

According to the ninth embodiment, since the connecting portion 341, which is the curved portion, has a groove portion in which the width dimension of the outer surface side opening is larger than that of the bottom portion, the plate-shaped member is bent and connected. It is easy to carry out the process of forming the portion 341. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 in which the productivity of the connecting portion 341 can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, since the connecting portion 341 has the groove portions 345 and the groove portions 346 on both sides in the thickness direction, the workability of bending the plate-shaped member to form the connecting portion 341 can be improved.

(10th Embodiment)
The tenth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 18, those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. The configuration, action, and effect not particularly described in the tenth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 18, the groove portions 45 and the groove portions 446 provided in the connecting portion 441, the folded-back portion 442, and the folded-back portion 443 of the tenth embodiment are provided with a plurality of groove portions 45 on one surface on both sides in the thickness direction. , A plurality of groove portions 46 are provided on the other surface. The groove portion 45 is formed to have a larger groove width dimension than the groove portion 446. Alternatively, the groove portion 446 may be formed so that the groove width dimension is larger than that of the groove portion 45. Therefore, the connecting portion 441 has a configuration in which the groove portion provided on one side surface in the thickness direction has a larger groove width dimension than the groove portion provided on the other side surface. Further, the connecting portion 441 shown in FIG. 18 also has a configuration in which a plurality of groove portions provided on one side surface in the thickness direction have a larger number of grooves arranged in the width direction than a plurality of groove portions provided on the other side surface.

According to the tenth embodiment, on both sides of the connecting portion 441 which is a curved portion, one side surface has a larger groove width dimension or a larger number of grooves than the other side surface, so that the plate-shaped member It is easy to carry out the process of bending to form the connecting portion 441. Therefore, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 in which the productivity of the connecting portion 441 can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(11th Embodiment)
The eleventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 19, those having the same configuration as the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configurations, actions, and effects that are not particularly described in the eleventh embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from those in the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 19, the assembled battery 1 of the eleventh embodiment is provided with the inter-cell portion 540 tilted with respect to the upper surface 21 of the battery cell 2 with respect to the assembled battery 1 of the first embodiment. The difference is that they are. The upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540 is inclined so that one end in the width direction is located below the other end with respect to the upper surface 21 of the battery cell 2. As described above, the upper surface 47 has a lowering portion that is located lower than the upper surface 21 of the battery cell 2 as it approaches the end of the inter-cell portion 540 located on the connecting portion 41 side. The descending portion provided on the upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540 functions as a drainage promoting portion that allows the liquid adhering to the upper surface to flow down by its own weight.

According to the eleventh embodiment, the drainage promoting portion includes a descending portion formed on the upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540. The lowering portion has a shape that is located lower than the upper surface 21 of the battery cell 2 as it approaches the end of the inter-cell portion 540 located on the connecting portion 41 side. According to this configuration, the liquid adhering to the upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540 can be flowed down so as to collect at the end portion on the connecting portion 41 side and discharged. In this way, the assembled battery 1 can perform a drainage treatment so as to quickly move the liquid adhering to the upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540 from the battery cell 2 and the electrode terminal 20.

Further, the descending portion is located on the upper surface 47 of the inter-cell portion 540 because the end portion on one side is located below the end portion on the other side in the width direction orthogonal to both the stacking direction and the vertical direction. The adhering liquid can be drained by flowing down so as to collect at one end. As a result, it is possible to provide the assembled battery 1 which can discharge the liquid from a specific place in the assembled battery 1 or the vehicle and can carry out a preferable liquid draining treatment.

(12th Embodiment)
A twelfth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment in FIG. 20 are designated by the same reference numerals and have the same actions and effects. The configuration, action, and effect not particularly described in the twelfth embodiment are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 20, the assembled battery of the twelfth embodiment has a different configuration of the inter-cell portion 640 from the assembled battery 1 of the first embodiment. On the upper surface of the inter-cell portion 560, a storage portion 48 capable of storing the liquid adhering to the upper portion of the inter-cell portion 640 is provided. The storage portion 48 is a recess provided on the upper surface of the inter-cell portion 560, and has a volume capable of storing a predetermined amount of liquid. As shown in FIG. 20, it is preferable that the storage unit 48 is provided at a position overlapping the electrode terminal 20 provided on the upper surface 21 in the width direction of the battery cell 2. The storage unit 48 is preferably provided over a range including the electrode terminal 20 in the width direction of the battery cell 2. According to this, since the liquid adhering to the vicinity of the electrode terminal 20 can be quickly stored in the storage unit 48, it is possible to avoid an electrical defect in the electrode terminal 20.

According to the twelfth embodiment, the assembled battery is between a plurality of battery cells 2 having electrode terminals 20 exposed on the upper surface 21 and being stacked and installed, and two battery cells 2 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction. It is provided with an inter-cell portion 640 in which a heat medium that circulates in the internal passage and the battery cell 2 exchange heat with each other. The assembled battery is provided on the connecting portion 41 in which two adjacent inter-cell portions 640 are connected in the stacking direction and the heat medium flows through the internal passage, and the inter-cell portion 640 is provided above the inter-cell portion 640 and adheres to the upper portion of the inter-cell portion 640. A storage unit 48 for storing liquid is provided.

According to this configuration, a predetermined amount of the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion 640 in the vicinity of the electrode terminal 20 can be stored in the storage portion 48. By this liquid storage action, the liquid adhering to the upper part of the inter-cell portion 640 can be held, and the liquid can be suppressed from flowing down to the electrode terminal 20. The liquid stored in the storage unit 48 can evaporate due to heat generation in the assembled battery or with the passage of time, and can be reduced to an amount that does not easily cause electrical problems or can be completely vaporized. Therefore, it is possible to provide an assembled battery capable of suppressing problems caused by the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion through which the heat medium flows.

Further, the inter-cell portion 640 preferably includes a plurality of groove portions described in the first to tenth embodiments in addition to the storage portion 48. When the inter-cell portion 640 has such a configuration, it is possible to provide an assembled battery having the liquid discharge effect described in the above-described embodiment in addition to the above-mentioned liquid storage action.

(Other embodiments)
Disclosure of this specification is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The disclosure includes exemplary embodiments and modifications by those skilled in the art based on them. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combination of parts and elements shown in the embodiment, and can be implemented in various modifications. Disclosure can be carried out in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiment. The disclosure includes parts and elements of the embodiment omitted. Disclosures include replacements or combinations of parts, elements between one embodiment and another. The technical scope disclosed is not limited to the description of the embodiments. The disclosed technical scope is indicated by the description of the claims and should be understood to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the claims.

The assembled battery in the above-described embodiment is a laminated body of batteries formed by alternately stacking battery cells 2 and inter-cell portions 40, and an assembled battery capable of achieving the object disclosed in the specification is in this embodiment. Not limited to. This assembled battery includes a battery having a structure in which the inter-cell portion 40 is interposed only between specific battery cells 2 among all the adjacent battery cells 2 constituting the battery laminate. Further, the assembled battery 1 is provided with at least one inter-cell portion 40.

The groove provided in the assembled battery that can achieve the object disclosed in the specification includes various shapes extending downward from the upper position included in the upper half of the inter-cell portion, and is in the vertical direction in the inter-cell portion. It is not limited to the shape extending to.

1 ... Battery, 2 ... Battery cell, 20 ... Electrode terminals 40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640 ... Cell-to-cell 41, 141,241,341,441 ... Connecting part 44,144,244,344 … Groove (drainage promotion part),
47 ... Top surface (lowering part), 48 ... Storage part, 444 ... Consolidation groove part

Claims (17)

Multiple battery cells (2) that are stacked and installed,
Inter-cell portion (40; 140; 240; 340; 440; 540 ; 640 ) and
A connecting portion (41; 141; 241; 341; 441) in which the inter-cell portion and the inter-cell portion adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are connected and the heat medium flows through the internal passage.
A drainage promoting unit (44; 144; 244; 344) provided in the inter-cell portion and allowing the liquid adhering to the inter-cell portion to flow downward.
With
The drainage promoting portion is an assembled battery including a plurality of groove portions provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion on the outer surface of the battery cell side in the inter-cell portion . The inter-cell portion and the connecting portion are provided at least at one end in the stacking direction in the plurality of battery cells and at the other end in the stacking direction in the plurality of battery cells.
The inter-cell portion of the one end portion and the inter-cell portion of the other end portion communicate with each other so that the heat medium flows down the internal passage from the one end portion to the other end portion.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the opening area of the groove to the surface area of the inter-cell portion is smaller in the inter-cell portion of the other end than in the inter-cell portion of the one end . The inter-cell portion and the connecting portion form a series of internal passages through which the heat medium that exchanges heat with all the battery cells flows down from one end to the other end in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells. It is provided as
According to claim 1 , the ratio of the opening area of the plurality of grooves to the surface area of the inter-cell portion is smaller in the inter-cell portion located at the other end than in the inter-cell portion located at the one end . The described assembled battery. 2. Item 3. The assembled battery according to item 3. The plurality of groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion located at the other end portion are adjacent to the groove portion and the groove portion than the plurality of the groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion located at the one end portion. The assembled battery according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the interval between the two and the battery is large . Grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion are provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the groove portion provided in the inter-cell portion has a groove width dimension larger than that of the groove portion provided in the connecting portion . A plurality of grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion are provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion have a larger distance between the groove portions adjacent to the groove portions than the plurality of the groove portions provided in the connecting portion. Each of the battery cells has an electrode terminal (20) exposed on the upper surface thereof.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion have a groove width dimension larger in the lower portion than in the upper portion. The assembled battery according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion are formed so that the groove width dimension becomes larger toward the lower side . The first aspect of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion are arranged in a width direction orthogonal to both the stacking direction and the vertical direction, and are connected to an aggregation groove portion (444) provided in the lower portion . The assembled battery described. Grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion are provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion.
The connecting portion is a curved portion and is formed.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the groove portion provided in the connecting portion has a groove width dimension larger than that of the groove portion provided in the inter-cell portion . A plurality of grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion are provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion.
The connecting portion is a curved portion and is formed.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the groove portions provided in the connecting portion have a shorter distance between the groove portions adjacent to each other than the plurality of the groove portions provided in the inter-cell portion. A plurality of grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion are provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion.
The connecting portion is a curved portion and is formed.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the groove portion provided in the connecting portion is formed so that the width dimension on the outer surface side is larger than the width dimension at the bottom portion of the connecting portion . The connecting portion includes a plurality of grooves (45, 46) provided so as to extend downward from the upper portion on each of the outer surfaces on both sides in the thickness direction .
The connecting portion is a curved portion and is formed.
The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the groove portion provided on one side surface in the thickness direction of the connecting portion has a groove width dimension larger than that of the groove portion provided on the other side surface . The drainage promoting portion is a descending portion formed on the upper surface of the inter-cell portion, and is located at an end portion of the inter-cell portion located on the connecting portion side with respect to the upper surface (21) of the battery cell. The assembled battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a lowering portion (47) located lower as it approaches . The assembled battery according to claim 15 , wherein the lowering portion has an end on one side located below the end on the other side in a width direction orthogonal to both the stacking direction and the vertical direction . Each of the plurality of battery cells has an electrode terminal (20) exposed on the upper surface thereof.
The assembled battery according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a storage unit (48) provided in the upper part of the inter-cell portion and storing the liquid adhering to the upper portion of the inter-cell portion .

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