JPH102806A - Temperature detector and secondary battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature detector which can improve thermal coupling with a temperature detecting element and a secondary battery and easily thermally coupled to the secondary battery of different size and different shape and also provide a secondary battery pack using this temperature detector. SOLUTION: A temperature detector 11 comprises a temperature detecting element 1 and a thermal conducting member 12 coating the temperature detecting element 1 and the thermal conducting member 12 comprises an elastic body which is deformable and has thermal conduction. A secondary battery pack comprises a secondary battery 6, 7 and a case 8 for storing the secondary battery 6, 7 and a temperature detecting element 11 is arranged in a space between the secondary battery 6, 7 and the case 8 and the temperature detecting element 11 is coated with the elastic body which is deformable and has thermal conduction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a temperature detector and a secondary battery pack using the temperature detector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for detecting a temperature, for example, a temperature detecting element 1 as shown in FIG. 6 is used. The temperature detecting element 1 is obtained by connecting lead wires 3 and 4 to a negative characteristic thermistor element 2 and coating the negative characteristic thermistor element 2 with an insulating resin or the like. The lead wires 3, 4 are insulated and coated with an insulating coating or an insulating tube or the like except for the respective end portions 3a, 4a.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 7, this temperature detecting element 1 is used for detecting the temperature of a secondary battery pack 9. That is, in the secondary battery pack 9, the secondary batteries 6, 7 are housed in the case 8 including the case bottom 8a and the case lid 8b in a state of being connected in series. The temperature detecting element 1 is mounted in the space 10 formed by the lid 8b and detects the heat generation temperatures of the secondary batteries 6 and 7.

[0004]

However, in the temperature detecting element 1 having such a configuration, the size of the space 10 varies, and there are various secondary battery packs 9 having different sizes and shapes. As described above, even when the temperature detecting element 1 is loaded in the space 10, the distance between the temperature detecting element 1 and the secondary batteries 6 and 7 fluctuates. There is a problem that the time until detection varies.

In addition, there is a problem in that temperature detecting elements of various sizes must be arranged in correspondence with the secondary battery packs 9 having different sizes and shapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to enhance the thermal coupling between a temperature detecting element and a secondary battery, and to provide a secondary battery having a different space size and shape. Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature detector that can be easily thermally coupled, and to provide a secondary battery pack using the temperature detector.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, a temperature detector according to the present invention comprises a temperature detecting element and a heat conducting member covering the temperature detecting element, wherein the heat conducting member is deformable. And an elastic body having thermal conductivity.

Preferably, the temperature detecting element is a thermistor. Preferably, the elastic body is a sponge.

A secondary battery pack according to the present invention comprises a secondary battery and a case for accommodating the secondary battery, a temperature detecting element is disposed in a space between the secondary battery and the case, and the temperature detecting element is It is covered with a deformable and thermally conductive elastic body.

Accordingly, in the temperature detector, since the temperature detecting element is covered with the deformable and thermally conductive elastic body, the elastic body is deformed to the shape and size of the object to be detected.
As a result, the temperature detecting element can be thermally coupled to the object to be detected, the detected temperature has a small variation, and the detecting time can be shortened.

In the secondary battery pack in which the temperature detector is mounted in the space between the secondary battery and the case, the elastic body covering the temperature detecting element is deformed according to the shape and size of the space. Therefore, regardless of the size and shape of the secondary battery, the temperature detecting element is thermally coupled to the secondary battery via the elastic body, so that overheating of the secondary battery can be prevented.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. However, the same parts as those in the above-described conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The temperature detector 11 uses the temperature detecting element 1 shown in FIG. 6 as it is, and covers the temperature detecting element 1 with a heat conducting member 12. As the heat conductive member 12, a sponge made of an elastic body having excellent heat conductivity and easily deformed in response to a pressing force, for example, made of foamed silicon or the like is used. The heat conducting member 12 has a columnar outer shape and has a hollow or a cut in the inside, and the negative characteristic thermistor 2 of the temperature detecting element 1 is accommodated in the hollow or the cut to thereby form the temperature detecting element 1. Is to be coated.

As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature detector 11 is mounted in the space 10 of the secondary battery pack 9 in the same manner as in the conventional example, and is covered with the case lid 8b. At this time, the cylindrical heat conducting member 12 formed larger than the space 10 in advance.
Follows the shape of the space 10 as shown in FIG.
It is deformed into a substantially triangular prism shape and comes into close contact with the secondary batteries 6 and 7. In this manner, the temperature detecting element 1 is thermally coupled to the secondary batteries 6 and 7 via the heat conducting member 12.

The temperature detector 11 is also attached to secondary battery packs 15, 16 as shown in FIGS. In the secondary battery pack 15, a flat secondary battery 17 is accommodated in a case 18, and the temperature detector 11 is located at the center of the secondary battery 17 and is located in the space between the secondary battery 17 and the case 18. The heat conducting member 12 is loaded after being deformed into a flat shape. The secondary battery pack 16 has a flat secondary battery 19 accommodated in a case 20, and the temperature detector 11 has a secondary battery 1.
The heat conducting member 12 is loaded into the space between the secondary battery 19 and the case 20 in a corner shape of 9 in a substantially triangular prism shape.

(Embodiment 1) In FIG. 3, a heat conducting member 12 is interposed in a secondary battery pack 9 and a space 10 in which the distance between the temperature detecting element 1 and the secondary batteries 6 and 7 becomes 0.5 mm. The temperature detector 11 was loaded in the state. As Comparative Example 1, the space 10 of the secondary battery pack 9 which is the same as that of Example 1 was used.
Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the battery was mounted in a floating state so that the distance between the temperature detecting element 1 and the secondary batteries 6 and 7 was 0.5 mm.

The temperature of the secondary batteries 6 and 7 is set to 40 ° C.
Table 1 shows the time (unit: seconds) required from the time when each temperature was detected by Example 1 to the time when Comparative Example 1 detected the same temperature was set to 50 ° C. and 60 ° C.
It writes in.

(Embodiment 2) In FIG. 3, the distance between the temperature sensing element 1 and the secondary batteries 6 and 7 was set to 1.0 mm, and the other conditions were the same as those in Embodiment 1 and compared with those in Embodiment 2. Example 2 was prepared.

Then, as in Experimental Example 1, the secondary battery 6,
7 was set to 40 ° C., 50 ° C., and 60 ° C., and the time (unit: seconds) required for each of the temperatures from Example 2 to Comparative Example 2 to detect the same temperature was determined. This is described in Table 1 as Experimental Example 2.

[0020]

[Table 1]

As is clear from Table 1, the secondary batteries 6, 7
It can be understood that the time required for temperature detection is shortened by filling the space 10 between the temperature detector 11 with the heat conductive member 12.

The temperature detector according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified within the scope of the invention. For example, the outer shape of the heat conductive member 12 described above is cylindrical, but it is needless to say that the heat detector 12 may have a substantially triangular prism shape or a substantially quadrangular prism shape. It is preferable to make the shape suitable for the shape of the space 10 to be formed. Further, the heat conducting member 12 may cover the temperature detecting element 1 by using a tubular member such as a cylindrical member. The element 1 may be sandwiched from both sides and covered.

Although a negative temperature coefficient thermistor has been described as a temperature detection element, other temperature detection elements such as a positive temperature coefficient thermistor may be used.

[0024]

As described above, in the temperature detector according to the present invention, since the temperature detecting element can be thermally coupled to the heating element via the heat conducting member which is deformed according to the shape of the object to be detected. The variation in temperature is reduced and the detection time is shortened.

Further, in a secondary battery pack in which a temperature detector whose temperature detecting element is covered with a heat conductive member is mounted in the space between the secondary battery and the case, the heat conductive member is provided in the space between the secondary battery and the case. Since the temperature detecting element is deformed and thermally coupled to the secondary battery, the temperature of the secondary battery can be accurately controlled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a temperature detector 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
1 is a perspective view of FIG.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the secondary battery pack 9 using the temperature detector 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the secondary battery pack 9 of FIG. 2 from which a side portion of a case 8 is removed.

FIG. 4 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a secondary battery pack 15 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a secondary battery pack 16 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional temperature detecting element 1.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a conventional secondary battery pack 9 using the temperature detecting element 1.

8 is a side view of the secondary battery pack 9 shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Temperature detection element 6, 7 Secondary battery 8 Case 10 Space 11 Temperature detector 12 Heat conduction member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A temperature detector comprising: a temperature detecting element; and a heat conductive member that covers the temperature detecting element, wherein the heat conductive member is formed of a deformable elastic material having heat conductivity. 2. The temperature detector according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection element is a thermistor. 3. The temperature detector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is a sponge. 4. A temperature detecting element is provided in a space between the secondary battery and the case, the temperature detecting element being deformable and having a thermal conductivity. A secondary battery pack characterized by being covered with an elastic body having the same.