JPH1125947A - Spacer between batteries and unit battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide spacers between batteries facilitating housing-fixing work of the batteries into a housing frame, and preventing jumping of the housed and fixed batteries by vertical vibration as the spacers between batteries fixing a battery unit by placing the spacers between the adjoining batteries of the battery unit composed of the plural batteries housed in the battery unit housing frame and between the batteries at front and back ends and the front and back frame plates of the housing frame. SOLUTION: Four-periphery fitting walls 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e extending to side 1 from four-periphery edges of a square plate-like spacer main plate 1a are provided, and on the side surrounding frame spacer having a fitting recessed face 3 for fitting to the front portion or the back portion of the battery 2. Locking protrusions 5, 5 locking the right and the left side frame member 4b, 4b of a battery unit housing frame 4 are provided on the outer faces of the right and the left side walls 1b, 1c of the four-periphery fitting walls.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an inter-cell spacer and a unit cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional inter-battery spacer is made of a synthetic resin plate such as polyvinyl chloride, and is provided between a battery housed in a battery unit housing frame and between the battery and front and rear end plates of the frame. It is known to be used for fixing and to be used for making a unit cell which is pressed and fixed. That is, a predetermined number of batteries composed of a metal container containing a battery element are housed in a metal unit battery housing frame in a line in the front-rear direction, and each battery is fixed immovably in the housing frame. In addition, in order to electrically insulate between each of the stored adjacent batteries and between the batteries at both ends thereof and both end frame plates of the storage frame,
The plate-shaped inter-battery spacer is pushed between the batteries adjacent to each other and between the batteries at both ends and the frame plates before and after the storage frame, that is, the unit batteries are inserted into the frame plates before and after the storage frame. The unit battery was configured by being strongly pressed and fixed.

[0003]

However, since the conventional inter-battery spacer has a plate shape, it is necessary to fix the unit batteries in the stacking direction of the respective batteries housed in the frame.
It is indispensable to push the spacer between these batteries and apply pressure in the front-rear direction inside the frame. Not only does it require the difficult work of pushing the spacer, but also during use,
It was not possible to prevent the battery from jumping out of the storage frame due to the vertical vibration or the risk of jumping out. Furthermore, since the battery is in close contact with the spacer, heat dissipation is deteriorated, causing a rise in the temperature of the battery. Further, when the battery is expanded, the storage frame is easily deformed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the above-mentioned conventional inter-battery spacers, and facilitates various kinds of excellent unit batteries such as easy storage and fixing of batteries in a unit battery storage frame. And a four-sided fitting wall extending from the four peripheral edges of the square spacer main plate to one side and having a battery element built-in on one side at the front or rear part of the battery. In addition to forming the surrounding frame type spacer having a fitting concave surface to be fitted, the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls of the four surrounding walls for fitting, the lower surfaces of the left and right horizontal frame members of the metal unit battery housing frame are formed. A locking projection for locking is provided.

[0005] In this case, it is preferable to provide a large number of through holes in the spacer main plate of the above-mentioned inter-battery spacer of the present invention.

Preferably, the left and right protrusions of the inter-battery spacer of the present invention are formed on a downward inclined surface whose outer surface becomes thinner toward its lower end.

Further, the present invention uses the inter-battery spacer of the present invention to prevent the battery from jumping upward due to vibration in the vertical direction and to be positioned within the unit battery housing frame without displacement in the horizontal direction. The battery can be accommodated and fixed, and electrical insulation between adjacent batteries stored and between the front and rear end batteries and the front and rear frame plates of the storage frame, and furthermore, both sides and the lower surface of the battery and the left and right side surfaces of the storage frame and It can also secure electrical insulation with the bottom,
In addition, we provide unit batteries, in front of and behind the batteries,
A predetermined number of the frame-type inter-battery spacers of the present invention, which are fitted and mounted, are housed in a unit battery storage frame,
It is characterized in that projections arranged on the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls of the pair of front and rear battery spacers to which the respective batteries are fitted and fitted are engaged with the left and right horizontal frame members of the unit battery storage frame.

[0008]

Next, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates the inter-cell spacer of the present invention. The inter-battery spacer 1 is formed of a three-dimensional molded body of a synthetic resin material such as PVC, and has a rectangular main plate 1a having substantially the same shape and size as the front surface 2a or the rear surface 2b of the rectangular battery 2 and four peripheral edges thereof. To the side of the battery 2, that is, its left side 2 c and right side 2
d, the left side wall 1b, the right side wall 1c, the upper surface wall 1d, and the lower surface wall 1e just fitted so as to engage with the upper surface 2e and the lower surface 2f.
And the inside surrounded by the main plate and the four peripheral walls is defined as a front surface of the battery 2 and a part of the peripheral surface, that is, a front part or a rear part and a part of the four peripheral surfaces, that is, a rear part. A frame-shaped spacer formed on the mating concave surface 3 to be mated is formed, and frames on the front and rear sides of the unit battery housing frame 4 are respectively provided on the outer surfaces of the left side wall 1b and the right side wall 1c of the four surrounding walls for mating. Locking projections 5, 5 are provided to connect the plates 4a, 4a and to engage with the lower end surfaces of the left and right plate-like horizontal frame members 4b, 4b located at a predetermined height.

The battery 2 itself is a known one, and is composed of a metal container containing a battery element. The metal container is composed of a metal battery case and a plate-like metal cover welded to the edge of the battery case on the same plane and welded. And an electrolytic solution. On the upper surface 2e of the metal container, a negative pole terminal N similar to the positive pole terminal P having a threaded peripheral surface protruding upward through the metal lid, and further,
A liquid port plug E is provided between the terminals P and N.

In the illustrated example, the left and right side walls 1b and 1c of the frame-type inter-battery spacer 1 of the present invention are fitted to the front or rear part of the battery 2 when the inter-battery spacer 1 is fitted and mounted. The engagement wall extends to the extent that it is engaged to approximately one-third of the thickness of the left and right side surfaces 2c and 2d in the front-rear direction. The upper surface wall 1d is an engagement wall of a U-shaped frame formed with a concave notch 1d1 serving as a large open surface without covering the upper surface 2c of the battery 2 as much as possible.
Is formed on the engaging wall having the same depth as the left and right side walls 1b and 1c, but having a rectangular notch 1e1 serving as an open surface so as not to cover the lower surface 2f of the battery 2 as much as possible.

Further, the locking projections 5, 5 projecting from the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls 1b, 1c of the inter-battery spacer 1 according to the present invention are accommodated in the unit battery storage frame 4. At the same time as being slidably inserted into the inner surfaces of the left and right horizontal frame members 4a, 4a of the unit battery housing frame 4 and reaching the bottom surface 4c of the unit battery housing frame 4, and The upper end surfaces 5a, 5a correspond to the corresponding left and right horizontal frame members 4a, 4a.
It is provided at a height position and a thickness such that it protrudes and is locked to the lower end surfaces 4a1 and 4b1 of b. The thickness of the left and right locking projections 5 and 5 is approximately the same as or slightly greater than the thickness of the left and right plate-like horizontal frame members 4a and 4b of the unit battery storage frame 4. Can be. Left and right horizontal frame members 4
When the thicknesses of a and 4b are about 1.6 mm, for example, the thickness of each of the projections 5 and 5 is about 1.6 to 2.0 mm.

In order to smoothly insert the left and right locking projections 5 and 5 into the left and right horizontal frames 4a and 4b, the outer shapes of the projections 5 and 5 are set at the lower end. It is preferable to form them on the downward inclined surfaces 5b, 5b which become gradually thinner as they reach.

In the illustrated frame-type inter-battery spacer 1 of the present invention, a large number of ventilation holes 6 are formed in the spacer main plate 2a facing the front surface 2a or the rear surface 2b of the battery 2.
And a notch hole 1e1 at the lower end extending in the vertical direction for communicating the internal concave space 3 and the outside air in the width direction thereof.
And two strip-shaped ventilation holes 7 are provided.

On the other hand, in the illustrated example, the unit battery housing frame 4 is fitted with a predetermined number of batteries 2, 2,. Consisting of an elongated rectangular metal housing suitable for storage. More specifically, the front and rear frame plates 4a, 4a,
4a, the left and right edges are bent inward to form a U-shape, and the height thereof is higher than the upper surface of the battery 2 accommodated in the frame 4, and In the surface area, a hole 4d for handling is formed, and a large number of cooling through holes 8, 8,... Are provided in the lower surface area facing the accommodated battery. The bottom plate 4c is a reinforcing plate which is bent vertically upward at the left and right side edges, and is connected by welding to the lower ends of the front and rear spacer main plates 1a, 1a at both ends. The horizontal frame members 4b, 4b made of left and right narrow band-shaped plates are provided with a pair of strips 4b, 4b on each side at a predetermined height at an interval in the vertical direction. Spacer main plate 1a,
1a.

Thus, the inter-battery spacer 1 of the present invention can be used as follows, and the battery can be housed and fixed in the unit battery housing frame 4 as follows. That is, before storing the battery 2 in the unit battery storage frame 4, first, as shown by an arrow from the front and rear direction of the battery 2 as shown in FIG. The inter-battery spacers 1 and 1 of the present invention are fitted and fitted with the fitting concave surfaces 3 and 3 and inserted into the storage frame 4 as shown by the arrows in this fitted state, and the upper end surfaces of the left and right projections 5 and 5 thereof. 5a, 5a, a horizontal frame member 4b at the upper left and right of the storage frame 4;
4a is housed in a state of being locked with lower surfaces 4b1 and 4b1. Thus, the pair of inter-battery spacers 1,1
Are fixed to the storage frame 4 against vibration in the vertical direction.
In the fixed inter-battery spacers 1, 14, not only are fixed against front-back, left-right, and vibrations, but also fixed against vertical vibrations, so that jumping out of the storage frame 4 is prevented. However, if the pair of front and rear battery spacers 1, 1 is pushed in the front-rear direction with a strong force along the length direction of the horizontal frame 4a of the horizontal frames 4b, 4b, the left and right spacers 1, 1 are moved along the lower end surfaces 4b1, 4b1. The protrusions 5 and 5 slide, and the fitted battery 2 can be moved to and installed at a desired position in the storage frame 4. In this battery storage operation, when the downwardly inclined surfaces 5b, 5b are formed on the left and right protrusions 5, 5 of the pair of front and rear battery spacers 1, 1, the inclined surfaces 5b are formed.
The b and 5b can be smoothly inserted while slidingly contacting the inner surfaces of the facing horizontal frames 4a and 4b. Thus, the operation of fitting the predetermined number of batteries 2 in the storage frame 4 by fitting and mounting the inter-cell spacers 1 and 1 on the front and rear portions thereof as described above is repeated.
In the illustrated example, five batteries 2, 2, 2
Are accommodated and the unit battery A shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is obtained. Between the batteries 2, the inter-battery spacers 1, 1 of the present invention fitted and mounted on the front and rear of each of the batteries 2 are interposed doubly, and the batteries 2 and 2 at both ends in the front and rear direction and the front and rear frame plates are interposed. 4
b, 4b between the battery spacers 1 and 2 of the present invention, respectively.
1 and the respective batteries 2 are fitted not only with the frame plates 4a, 4a before and after the unit battery housing frame 4 but also with the fitting walls 1b, 1 thereof.
By c and 1e, electric insulation between the left and right horizontal frame members 4b and 4b and the bottom surface 4c is secured, and the inter-battery spacers 1 into which the respective batteries 2 are fitted from the front and rear are as described above. Are fixed to the left and right horizontal frame members 4b, 4b of the unit battery housing frame 4 via the left and right projections 5, 5, respectively, and are fitted and held by the front and rear inter-battery spacers 1, 1, respectively. Each of the batteries 2 is fixed in its position by the fixed inter-battery spacers 1 and accommodated therein, so that the entire battery accommodated in the conventional storage frame is divided into frame plates before and after the storage frame. It is not necessary to press and fix the plate-shaped spacer between the batteries strongly to fix it, which not only facilitates the work of fixing the battery, but also secures it against vibration in the vertical direction. Prevents frame deformation That.

In the example shown in the drawing, the spacers 1a, 1a of a pair of front and rear inter-battery spacers 1, 1 fitted and mounted from the front and rear portions thereof, are housed in a back-to-back state and in close contact with each other. End battery spacer 1,1
The spacer main plates 1a, 1a and the frame plates 4a, 4a before and after the storage frame 4 are housed in close contact with each other, but the batteries 2 constituting the unit battery are fitted and mounted on the front and rear portions thereof. Since they are fixed by the spacers 1, 1, they do not always need to be in close contact with each other. Between them, the spacers 1, 1 at the back and the battery spacers 1, 1 at both ends and the front frame plate 4a and The battery can be accommodated and fixed with an appropriate slight gap between it and the rear frame plate 4a, and the work of accommodating and fixing the battery can be further facilitated. Again,
Each of the batteries 2 constituting the unit batteries does not jump out of the storage frame 4 and, even if there is battery expansion, the expansion can be absorbed in the gap. 4 can be prevented well.

FIG. 2 shows that, as shown in FIG. 1, after the batteries are accommodated and fixed in the frame 4 via the inter-battery spacer of the present invention, the adjacent batteries 2 and 2 face each other. The top and bottom views of the unit batteries A completed by connecting the positive and negative terminals P and N with the connecting rod 10 and screwing and fixing a nut 11 from above, and connected in series, FIG. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. Thus, the heat generated in each battery during its use is generated by a large number of holes 6, 6,... Provided in the main plates 1a, 1a before and after each of the inter-cell spacers 1, the band-shaped cooling through holes 7, 7,. Notch 1d provided on top wall 1d
1, the lower surface wall 1e1, and the frame plates 4a before and after the storage frame 4,
.. Can be radiated to the outside through the large number of holes 8, 8,... Provided on the battery 4a. On the lower surface of the lower surface wall 1e of the inter-battery spacer 1, ribs 1e2, 1e2,... Extending in the front-rear direction are protrudingly provided. 1e3, which serves as an air cooling passage, may be formed therebetween, and the electric insulation with the bottom plate 4c may be further improved. In the illustrated embodiment, the heights of the protrusions 5, 5 provided on the left and right side walls 1b, 1c of the inter-battery spacer 1 are determined by the upper horizontal frame members 4b, 4b provided on the left and right sides of the unit battery storage frame 4.
It may be provided at a low position suitable for engaging with the vehicle.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, four circumferential walls for engagement extending to one side are provided on the four circumferences of the main plate of the spacer, and are formed on one surface thereof as concave surfaces, and projections are formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right engagement side walls. Since the inter-battery spacer with
A predetermined number of sets of the assembly in which the in-battery spacers are fitted and mounted on the front and rear portions of the battery with their concave surfaces are accommodated in a unit battery frame, and the upper surfaces of the left and right protrusions protruding from the left and right sides thereof are arranged. By locking to the lower surface of the horizontal frame of the corresponding unit battery frame, each inter-cell spacer and each battery fitted and mounted thereto are stable against vibration in the front-rear direction and left-right direction, Not only immovable,
It is stable and immovable even in the vertical vibration, and can eliminate the inconvenience of the battery jumping out of the conventional frame.

In this case, when the outer surface of each projection is formed as a downwardly inclined surface that becomes thinner toward the lower end, the work of accommodating the inter-cell spacer can be performed smoothly.

Further, when a large number of holes are provided in the inter-battery spacer and the unit battery frame, heat generated in the battery during use can be radiated to the outside, and adverse effects on the battery due to temperature rise can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a unit battery according to an embodiment of the present invention is assembled.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the unit battery of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the unit battery of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inter-battery spacer 1a Spacer main plate 1b Left side wall 1c Right side wall 1d Upper surface wall 1e Lower surface wall 2 Battery 3 Concave concave surface 4 Unit battery storage frame 4a Front and rear frame plates 4b Horizontal frame member 5 Projection 5a Top end surface of projection 5b Inclined surface of projection 6 Through hole

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tetsuro Nomura 23-6 Tokiwashita-Funamachi Pile, Fukushima Prefecture Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. Iwaki Works (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Iizuka Tokiwashita-Funamachi, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima Pref. 23-6 Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. Iwaki Plant (72) Inventor Takashi Shirai 23-6 Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. Iwaki Plant, Tokiwa Shimawa-cho, Fukushima Prefecture (72) Inventor Toshiaki Sawahata Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture 23-6 Tsuruga-machi, Joban-cho Tsurugi 23-6 Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd. Iwaki Works (72) Inventor Mitsuru Nagano 7-2-1, Nakayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Research and Development Center (72) Inventor Fumio Sato 7-2-1, Nakayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Inside the R & D Center of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (72) Inventor Ken Koyama 7-2-1 Nakayama, Aoba-ku, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi R & D Center Inside

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A concave fitting surface for fitting to a front or rear portion of a battery comprising a metal container having a battery element built therein, the fitting spacer having four peripheral walls extending to one side from four peripheral edges of a rectangular spacer main plate. And formed on the outer surface of each of the left and right side walls of the fitting four peripheral walls,
An inter-battery spacer in which locking projections are provided for locking with lower surfaces of left and right horizontal frame members of a metal unit battery storage frame. 2. The spacer between batteries according to claim 1, wherein a large number of through holes are provided in the spacer main plate. 3. The inter-battery spacer according to claim 1, wherein each of the left and right protrusions of the inter-battery spacer is formed on a downwardly inclined surface which becomes thinner toward its lower end. 4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the front and rear portions of the battery are provided.
The outer surface of the right and left side walls of a pair of front and rear inter-battery spacers in which a predetermined number of the enclosed frame-type inter-battery spacers are fitted and mounted in a unit battery storage frame, and the respective batteries are fitted and mounted. Wherein the protrusions disposed on the left and right sides of the unit battery storage frame are engaged with left and right lateral frame members of the unit battery storage frame.