WO2017002318A1

WO2017002318A1 - Assembled battery

Info

Publication number: WO2017002318A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/002918
Authority: WO
Inventors: 長谷川　隆史
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2015-06-30
Filing date: 2016-06-17
Publication date: 2017-01-05
Also published as: JP2018137036A

Abstract

An assembled battery (10), being one example of an embodiment, comprises: a battery stack (11) constituted by stacking a plurality of single cells (20) facing the same direction; first holders (30) that sandwich a seal section (25a) of single cells (20) from both sides of the single cells (20) in the stacking direction and are attached to one end section of the battery stack (11) in the vertical direction; and second holders (50) that sandwich the seal section (25a) from both sides in the stacking direction and is attached to the other end section of the battery stack (11) in the vertical direction. The first holders (30) have openings (31) through which each electrode tab of the single cells (20) is passed, are provided in a plurality, side by side in the stacking direction, the adjacent holders being linked to each other. The second holders (50) are provided in a plurality, side by side in the stacking direction, the adjacent holders being linked to each other.

Description

Assembled battery

This disclosure relates to an assembled battery.

Conventionally, various methods have been proposed as a method for holding and fixing the unit cells constituting the assembled battery. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a battery including a battery holder in which holding walls are formed on three sides of a rectangular bottom plate that is sandwiched between each unit cell to place the unit cell at a fixed position inside. A pack (assembled battery) is disclosed.

JP 2014-22238 A

By the way, in an assembled battery, it is an important issue to reduce the size while maintaining good holding performance of the unit cell. Moreover, it is desirable that the assembled battery has a simple structure and can be easily assembled.

An assembled battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an exterior body configured by a sheet material, and extends from a flat main body portion and both longitudinal end portions of the main body portion, and joins edges of the sheet material. A battery stack formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells in the same direction, each of which has a package including a seal portion formed and a pair of electrode tabs extending from one longitudinal end of the package, and a battery stack A first holder attached to one end in the vertical direction of the battery stack sandwiching the seal part of the unit cell constituting the battery from both sides in the stacking direction of the battery, and the vertical of the battery stack sandwiching the seal part from both sides of the stacking direction And a second holder attached to the other end in the direction, the first holder has an opening through which each electrode tab of the unit cell is passed, and a plurality of the first holders are provided side by side in the stacking direction and adjacent to each other The holders are connected to each other, and the second hole Over, together are more arranged in the stacking direction, characterized in that each holder between adjacent said is connected.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an assembled battery that has good battery retention and a small physique.

It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the assembled battery which is an example of embodiment from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the assembled battery which is an example of embodiment from back. It is a perspective view of the cell which is an example of an embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the battery laminated body which is an example of embodiment from the front. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the parallel block which is an example of embodiment from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the battery laminated body which is an example of embodiment from back. It is the perspective view which looked at the insulating cover which is an example of embodiment from the back side. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. It is CC sectional view taken on the line in FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st fixing member of the 1st holder which is an example of embodiment from the front side upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st fixing member of the 1st holder which is an example of embodiment from the front side lower part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd fixing member of the 1st holder which is an example of embodiment from the front side upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd fixing member of the 1st holder which is an example of embodiment from the front side lower part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd holder which is an example of embodiment from the front side upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd holder which is an example of embodiment from the back side lower part. It is an enlarged view of the bus-bar connection part which is an example of embodiment, and its vicinity. It is a figure which shows the flow-path structure which is an example of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow-path structure which is an example of embodiment.

Hereinafter, the assembled battery 10 which is an example of embodiment is demonstrated in detail.
The drawings referred to in the description of the embodiments are schematically described, and the dimensional ratios of the components drawn in the drawings may be different from the actual products. Specific dimensional ratios and the like should be determined in consideration of the following description.

In the present specification, the vertical direction in the assembled battery and its constituent elements means the direction in which the electrode tab is pulled out from the exterior body of the unit cell, and the pair of electrode tabs are pulled out from one longitudinal end of the exterior body. To do. In addition, the description of “substantially **” in the present specification is intended to include the case where substantially the same is recognized as the same as the case where substantially the same is described as an example.

Hereinafter, the direction along the stacking direction in which the cells are stacked may be referred to as the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the vertical direction is referred to as the horizontal direction. In addition, a surface along the vertical direction located at one longitudinal end of the battery stack from which the electrode tab extends is referred to as a “front surface”, and a surface opposite to the front surface is referred to as a “rear surface”. The terms front, rear, and front and rear are also used for cases, single cells, first holders, and the like. For convenience of explanation, terms indicating a direction such as vertical, horizontal, up and down, and front and rear are used, but the relationship between the direction and an actual usage pattern is not limited.

In addition, for the insulating cover, first holder, and second holder attached to the battery stack, the part facing the battery stack side is called “back”, and the part facing the battery stack side (outside) is called “front” There is.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the assembled battery 10 viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a view of the assembled battery 10 viewed from the rear. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the unit cell 20 (in addition, a cross section of a portion surrounded by a one-dot chain line is shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the assembled battery 10 includes a battery stack 11 formed by stacking a plurality of unit cells 20 in the same direction. The battery stack 11 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, extends longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, and satisfies the vertical length <horizontal length <vertical length. The unit cell 20 constituting the battery stack 11 includes an exterior body 21 composed of two

laminate films

22 and 23, and a pair of electrode tabs (positive electrode tab 26, extended from one longitudinal end of the exterior body 21). A laminated battery having a negative electrode tab 27). The battery exterior body is not limited to one constituted by two laminated

films

22 and 23, and may be constituted by, for example, one laminated film or may be constituted by a metal sheet material. .

The assembled battery 10 includes a first holder 30 attached to the front surface 11a which is one longitudinal end surface of the battery stack 11, and a second holder 50 attached to the rear surface 11b which is the other longitudinal end surface of the battery stack 11. Is provided. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing the size of the assembled battery 10 or the like, it is preferable not to provide a holder on the side surface 11c that is a lateral end surface along the vertical direction of the battery stack 11. A tape 12 is affixed to the side surface 11c of the battery stack 11 over substantially the entire area. In other words, it is preferable to hold the single cells 20 constituting the battery stack 11 by attaching holders only to both ends in the vertical direction of the battery stack 11. As will be described in detail later, each of the first holder 30 and the second holder 50 is attached to the battery stack 11 with the seal portion 25 (see FIG. 3 etc.) of the unit cell 20 sandwiched from both sides in the stacking direction. .

The assembled battery 10 preferably includes a case 60 that houses the battery stack 11 to which the above holders are attached. The case 60 includes, for example, an upper case 63 and a lower case 73 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to the shape of the battery stack 11. The upper case 63 and the lower case 73 are coupled using, for example, screws (not shown). In the example shown in FIG. 1, fixing

portions

64 and 74 used for screwing are provided at the four corners of the upper case 63 and the lower case 73, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the battery stack 11 is disposed on the front surface 11 a between the pair of

output terminals

16 and 17 drawn out of the case 60 through the front surface 11 a and the front surface 11 a and the

output terminals

16 and 17. An insulating cover 18 is provided. The output terminal 16 is a positive output terminal connected to the positive tab 26, and the output terminal 17 is a negative output terminal connected to the negative tab 27. The

output terminals

16 and 17 are respectively fixed to bus bars 80 and 85 (described later) using bolts 93 and nuts 94 (see FIG. 4).

The insulating cover 18 has, for example, two output terminal insertion holes 18 a and

hooks

18 e and 18 f and is fixed to the first holder 30. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a wiring board 19 having a connector 19 a used for connection to an external device is attached to the surface of the insulating cover 18. The wiring board 19 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction, and is provided at the center in the horizontal direction on the surface of the insulating cover 18. A plurality of insertion portions 19b of the voltage monitoring terminal 92 are formed in the wiring board 19 in the vertical direction. For example, a wiring connecting the insertion portion 19b and the connector 19a is provided on the back surface. Details of the insulating cover 18 and the voltage monitoring terminal 92 will be described later.

On the front surface of the upper case 63, two notches 67 for passing the

output terminals

16 and 17 and a connector opening 68 for exposing the connection portion of the connector 19a are formed. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a connector opening 68 is formed in the lateral center of the front surface of the upper case 63, and notches 67 are formed on both lateral sides. Two fastening portions 77 are provided in front of the lower case 73 so as to correspond to the respective notches 67. For example, the tip portions of the

output terminals

16 and 17 drawn from the notches 67 are connected to the fastening portion 77. It is bolted. In the case 60, for example, a convex part 78 protruding inward is formed between

openings

61 and 62 described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that two

openings

61 and 62 are formed on the rear surface of the case 60. As will be described in detail later, the battery pack 10 includes a cooling air flow path 100 (see FIG. 18 and the like) formed between adjacent unit cells 20. For example, the opening 61 serves as an inlet for cooling air. 62 is an outlet for cooling air. The shape of the

openings

61 and 62 is, for example, a square shape, but may be other shapes such as a circular shape. In the example shown in FIG. 2,

notch portions

65 and 66 are formed on the rear surface of the upper case 63, and notch

portions

75 and 76 are formed on the rear surface of the lower case 73, respectively. Together, the

openings

61 and 62 are formed. The

openings

61 and 62 are formed in the lower part of the rear surface side by side in the lateral direction of the case 60. Hereinafter, the components that form the flow channel 100 are collectively referred to as a “flow channel structure CS”.

As shown in FIG. 3, the unit cell 20 constituting the battery stack 11 includes a power generation element including an electrode body and an electrolyte, an exterior body 21 that houses the power generation element, and a longitudinal end of the exterior body 21. It has a pair of extended electrode tabs (positive electrode tab 26, negative electrode tab 27). An example of the electrode body is a wound electrode body in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound through a separator. The positive electrode tab 26 is connected to the positive electrode, and the negative electrode tab 27 is connected to the negative electrode. It is preferable to use a film in which a resin layer is formed on both surfaces of a metal layer for the

laminate films

22 and 23 constituting the outer package 21. The metal layer is a thin film layer of aluminum, for example, and has a function of preventing permeation of moisture and the like.

The exterior body 21 includes a flat main body portion 24 and a seal portion 25 that extends from at least both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 24 and joins the edges of the

laminate films

22 and 23 together. In the unit cell 20, the power generation element is accommodated in the main body 24. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 24 is formed on the laminate film 22. The main body 24 is formed, for example, by drawing the laminate film 22 so as to be convex on the opposite side of the laminate film 23 disposed opposite to the main body portion 24. The seal portion 25 is formed around the main body portion 24 by heat-sealing the edge portions of the

laminate films

22 and 23, for example.

In the present embodiment, the seal portion 25 formed along the vertical direction of the unit cell 20 is bent upward so as to overlap the side surface 24c which is a lateral end surface along the thickness direction of the main body portion 24. Hereinafter, a seal portion 25 extending from both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 24 and formed along the horizontal direction of the unit cell 20 is referred to as a “seal portion 25 a”, and a seal formed along the vertical direction of the unit cell 20. The part 25 is referred to as a “seal part 25b”. The width of the seal portion 25b is preferably the same as or slightly shorter than the vertical length of the side surface 24c, for example. By bending the seal portion 25b upward, for example, the side surface 24c of the main body portion 24 is reinforced, and the battery pack 10 can be downsized.

The seal portion 25a is formed to extend in the vertical direction from the lower portion of the front surface 24a that is one end surface in the vertical direction along the thickness direction of the main body portion 24 and the rear surface 24b that is the other end surface in the vertical direction. The width of the seal portion 25a is, for example, substantially the same as the width of the seal portion 25b, and is formed substantially perpendicular to the front surface 24a and the rear surface 24b of the main body portion 24. Since the seal portion 25a is formed by overlapping the two

laminate films

22 and 23, the seal portion 25a has high rigidity and can be used for attaching the first holder 30 and the second holder 50.

As described above, the positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27 both extend from one longitudinal end portion (front surface 24a side) of the exterior body 21. That is, the pair of electrode tabs are pulled out of the exterior body 21 from the same surface (front surface 24 a) of the main body portion 24 through the seal portion 25 a. The positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27 are thin plate-like conductive members, and are arranged side by side in the lateral direction of the unit cell 20. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the positive electrode tab 26 is disposed on one end side in the lateral direction of the unit cell 20, and the negative electrode tab 27 is disposed on the other end side in the lateral direction of the unit cell 20. Between the positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27, a space is provided in which a connection portion 90 (see FIG. 4 and the like) of a pair of bus bars described later can be formed.

The positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27 may have the same shape and the same size at least in a portion extending from the tip of the seal portion 25a to the outside of the exterior body 21 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an “exposed portion”). preferable. The lateral length of each electrode tab is less than 50% of the lateral length of the main body 24, and preferably 20 to 40%. The length in the vertical direction of the exposed portion of each electrode tab is a length that does not hinder the connection with the bus bar, and is, for example, approximately the same as the width of the bus bar.

In addition, the shape of the exposed part of each electrode tab is the unit cell 20 (unit cell 20x of FIG. 5 etc.) arrange | positioned above the parallel block 13 mentioned later, and the unit cell 20 arrange | positioned below the parallel block 13. FIG. (Single cell 20y in FIG. 5 and the like).

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the battery stack 11 will be described in more detail.
4 is a view of the battery stack 11 from which the insulating cover 18 is removed as viewed from the front, and FIG. 5 is an exploded view of one of the parallel blocks 13 constituting the battery stack 11 as viewed from the front. 4 and 5, among the two unit cells 20 constituting the parallel block 13, the unit cell 20 disposed on the upper side is referred to as “unit cell 20x”, and the unit cell 20 disposed on the lower side is represented by “unit cell 20y”. And x and y are respectively attached to the constituent elements of each battery. FIG. 6 is a view of the battery stack 11 as viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the battery stack 11 is configured using a plurality of single cells 20 having a body portion 24 having the same shape and the same dimensions. The number of unit cells 20 constituting the battery stack 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably four or more. In the present embodiment, the battery stack 11 is composed of eight unit cells 20, and the battery stack 11 includes four parallel blocks 13 configured by connecting two unit cells 20 in parallel. The battery stack 11 is configured by stacking a plurality of unit cells 20 in the same direction as described above. Specifically, the front surface 24a of the main body portion 24 from which the positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27 are drawn is directed in the same direction, and the positions of both the longitudinal end portions and the lateral end portions of the main body portion 24 are matched. The unit cells 20 are stacked.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the parallel block 13 constituting the battery stack 11 is composed of two

unit cells

20x and 20y. In the

unit cells

20x and 20y, the

main body portions

24x and 24y are preferably fixed to each other via the adhesive layer 28. For example, a double-sided tape can be applied to the adhesive layer 28. The parallel block 13 includes a positive electrode tab stack portion 14 formed by overlapping the positive electrode tabs 26 of the individual cells 20 constituting the block, and a negative electrode tab stack portion 15 formed by overlapping the negative electrode tabs 27. Have The positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 and the negative electrode tab laminated portion 15 may be formed so as to be substantially aligned in the lateral direction of the battery stack 11 in the central portion in the vertical direction of the parallel block 13, that is, in the vicinity of the boundary between the

single cells

20 x and 20 y. Is preferred. A bus bar 80 (positive electrode side bus bar) connected to the positive electrode tab laminate portion 14 and a bus bar 85 (negative electrode side bus bar) connected to the negative electrode tab laminate portion 15 are attached to the battery laminate 11.

The battery stack 11 is configured by connecting a plurality of parallel blocks 13 in series using a pair of bus bars. That is, the connection form of the unit cells 20 in the assembled battery 10 is a series-parallel connection in which a series connection and a parallel connection are combined. However, the assembled battery 10 does not have the parallel connection of the single cells 20 and may have a structure not including the parallel block 13. In this case, the bus bar 80 is electrically connected only to the positive electrode tab 26 of one single battery 20, and the bus bar 85 is electrically connected only to the negative electrode tab 27 of one single battery 20, and each bus bar is a battery stack. 11 are connected in series. Note that the number of unit cells 20 constituting the parallel block 13 may be three or more.

The pair of

bus bars

80 and 85 are both metal conductive members, and are connected to the positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 and the negative electrode tab laminated portion 15 by welding, for example. The bus bar 80 has a first connection part 81, a second connection part 82, and a connection part 83, and is preferably configured by bending one metal plate. The first connection portion 81 is a portion connected to the positive electrode tab laminate portion 14. The second connection portion 82 is a portion that extends substantially parallel to the first connection portion 81 and is connected to the bus bar 85 of another parallel block 13. For example, the bus bar 80 has a constant width over its entire length, and the first connection portion 81 is longer than the second connection portion 82. The connection part 83 is a part which connects each connection part, Comprising: A level | step difference is formed between each connection part.

The first connecting portion 81 extends from one end of the connecting portion 83 and the second connecting portion 82 extends from the other end of the connecting portion 83 in opposite directions. The connecting portion 83 is preferably formed substantially perpendicular to each connecting portion. In this embodiment, the 1st connection part 81 is welded to the upper surface of the positive electrode tab lamination | stacking part 14, is located in the up-down direction approximate center part of the parallel block 13, and the 2nd connection part 82 is located in the upper end part of the parallel block 13. . The connecting part 83 forms a step between the connecting parts.

The bus bar 85, like the bus bar 80, preferably includes a first connecting portion 86, a second connecting portion 87, and a connecting portion 88, and is formed by bending one metal plate. The second connection part 87 is connected to the bus bar 80 of another parallel block 13. In the present embodiment, the first connection portion 86 is welded to the lower surface of the negative electrode tab laminate portion 15 and is positioned at a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of the parallel block 13, and the second connection portion 87 is positioned at the lower end portion of the parallel block 13. . The connection part 88 forms the level | step difference concerning between each connection part.

In this embodiment, bolt holes 82a and 87a are formed in the second connection portion 82 of the bus bar 80 and the second connection portion 87 of the bus bar 85, respectively. The first holder 30 also has

bolt holes

35c and 45c (see FIGS. 10 to 13) at positions overlapping the bolt holes 82a and 87a in the vertical direction. According to the said structure, after attaching the 1st holder 30 and each bus-

bar

80,85, the connection of each bus-bar can be formed by letting one volt | bolt (not shown) pass to each bolt hole. The bolt is made of, for example, an insulating material.

The pair of

bus bars

80 and 85 may have different shapes and dimensions, but preferably have the same shape and dimensions. Only the direction in which the bus bars 80 and 85 are attached to the battery stack 11 is different, and a member used as the bus bar 80 can be used as the bus bar 85. In this case, the assembled battery 10 can be configured using one type of bus bar, and the number of parts can be reduced.

Adjacent parallel blocks 13 are connected in series using

bus bars

80 and 85 as described above. For example, the second connecting portion 87 of the bus bar 85 and the second connecting portion 82 of the bus bar 80 are overlapped and welded to the connecting portion 90 of the bus bar 80 and the bus bar 85, which is an electrical connecting portion between the parallel blocks 13. Thus, it is formed in the vicinity of the boundary between the two parallel blocks 13. A plurality of connection portions 90 are preferably formed side by side in the vertical direction on the front surface 11 a of the battery stack 11.

The first holder 30 is attached to the front surface 11a of the battery stack 11 as described above. A plurality of first holders 30 are provided side by side in the stacking direction (vertical direction) of the unit cells 20, and the adjacent holders are connected to each other. That is, the plurality of first holders 30 connected to each other hold one longitudinal end of the battery stack 11. For example, the first holder 30 is attached to one parallel block 13 at a ratio of one. In the present embodiment, since the battery stack 11 is composed of four parallel blocks 13, four first holders 30 are attached to the battery stack 11. Each first holder 30 has the same shape and the same dimensions.

The first holder 30 has an opening 31 through which the positive electrode tab 26 and the negative electrode tab 27 of the unit cell 20 are passed. The positive electrode tab 26 is pulled out to the front side (opposite side of the main body portion 24) of the first holder 30 through the opening 31, and the positive tab 26 of another unit cell 20 constituting the same parallel block 13 that is similarly drawn out. At the same time, the positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 is formed (see FIG. 8 described later in detail). Similarly to the positive electrode tab 26, the negative electrode tab 27 is pulled out to the front side of the first holder 30 through the opening 31 to form the negative electrode tab stacked portion 15.

The number of openings 31 may be one, but in the present embodiment, two openings 31 through which each electrode tab passes are formed on each side of the first holder 30 in the lateral direction. The two openings 31 are formed side by side in a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of each first holder 30, and are also formed side by side between adjacent first holders 30.

The first holder 30 preferably has a support portion 32 that supports the bus bar 80 and the bus bar 85. The support portion 32 is formed between the two openings 31 with the central portion in the horizontal direction of the first holder 30 protruding in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the support portions 32 of the four first holders 30 are arranged in the vertical direction, and the bus bars 80 and 85 are sandwiched between the adjacent parallel blocks 13. More specifically, each support portion 32 sandwiches the connection portion 90 of the pair of bus bars. For this reason, for example, breakage of the connection portion 90, poor contact, and the like hardly occur, and a good connection state is maintained for a long time.

The first holder 30 may be composed of a single member, but is preferably composed of two fixing

members

33 and 43 from the viewpoint of attachment. The fixing

members

33 and 43 sandwich the seal portion 25a of the unit cell 20 from above and below while being connected to each other (see FIG. 8 and the like described later). The fixing member 33 is disposed above the fixing member 43 in one first holder 30.

The fixing

members

33 and 43 are used for connecting the rectangular bar-like

main body portions

34 and 44 that are long in the horizontal direction and the overhanging

portions

35 and 45 that protrude in the vertical direction from the horizontal central portion of each main body portion. It has engaging

parts

37 and 47, respectively. The

overhang portions

35 and 45 are connected in the vertical direction to form a support portion 32 that holds the connection portion 90 of the bus bar. The engaging

portions

37 and 47 are preferably provided so as to protrude in the vertical direction on both lateral sides of the

main body portions

34 and 44 in the same manner as the

overhang portions

35 and 45. An example of a suitable structure of the engaging

portions

37 and 47 is a structure in which a hook 47 a of the engaging portion 47 is hooked on the engaging portion 37 and fixed.

The main body portion 34 of the fixing member 33 is disposed on the seal portion 25ax of the unit cell 20x, and is disposed in a portion surrounded by the seal portion 25ax, the seal portion 25bx bent upward, and the front surface 24ax of the main body portion 24x. . The main body portion 44 of the fixing member 43 is disposed on the seal portion 25ay of the unit cell 20y, and is disposed in a portion surrounded by the seal portion 25ay, the seal portion 25by bent upward, and the front surface 24ay of the main body portion 24y. . And the seal | sticker part 25ax of the cell 20x is pinched | interposed by the fixing

members

33 and 43 from the upper and lower sides. As will be described in detail later, the seal portion 25ay of the unit cell 20y is sandwiched between a fixing member 43 disposed on the seal portion and a fixing member 33 of another first holder 30 disposed below the seal portion. It is.

In this embodiment, the protrusions 47b and the like provided at both ends in the horizontal direction of the main body 44 are used to prevent the positional deviation between the adjacent first holders 30 in the vertical and horizontal directions. On the other hand, the first holder 30 does not have a structure that is fixed so as not to be displaced in the vertical direction with respect to another first holder 30 arranged in the vertical direction, and the plurality of first holders 30 arranged in the vertical direction have the insulating cover 18. (See FIG. 1 etc.). The fixing

members

33 and 43 have

cover insertion ports

34b and 47c for attaching the insulating cover 18, respectively. The cover insertion port 34 b is formed in the main body 34 of the fixing member 33, and the cover insertion port 47 c is formed in the engaging portion 47 of the fixing member 43.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second holder 50 is attached to the rear surface 11b of the battery stack 11 as described above. A plurality of second holders 50 are provided side by side in the vertical direction, and adjacent holders are connected to each other. That is, the plurality of second holders 50 connected to each other hold the other end in the vertical direction of the battery stack 11. In the present embodiment, the second holder 50 is attached to one parallel block 13 at a ratio of one. The second holders 50 have the same shape and the same dimensions.

At least one of the second holder 50 and the adjacent second holder 50 is introduced to introduce cooling air into the channel 100 (see FIGS. 17 and 18) formed between the adjacent single cells 20. It is preferable that an outlet 51 and an outlet 52 for discharging cooling air from the flow path 100 are provided. In the present embodiment, the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are formed side by side between the adjacent second holders 50. That is, an inlet 51 and an outlet 52 are formed for each parallel block 13. The horizontal lengths of the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are, for example, substantially the same. The introduction port 51 is disposed on the other lateral end of the second holder 50, and the discharge port 52 is disposed on one lateral end of the second holder 50. The respective introduction ports 51 and the respective discharge ports 52 are arranged in the vertical direction. Has been placed.

The second holder 50 may be composed of a plurality of members similarly to the first holder 30, but is preferably composed of one member from the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts. Since there is no electrode tab or the like on the rear surface 11b of the battery stack 11, even the second holder 50 formed integrally can be easily attached.

Similar to the first holder 30, the second holder 50 has a rectangular bar-shaped main body portion 53 that is long in the horizontal direction, a protruding portion 54 that protrudes in the vertical direction from the horizontal central portion of the main body portion 53, and an adjacent second holder. 50 and an engaging portion 55 used for connection with 50. The overhanging portion 54 is connected to the overhanging portion 54 of the unit cell 20 arranged above and below, and forms the partition portion 103 (see FIGS. 17 and 18) of the flow path structure CS together with the convex portion 78 formed in the case 60. The engaging portions 55 are preferably provided on both lateral sides of the main body portion 53. The engaging portion 55 has, for example, a hook 55 a protruding downward and an insertion port 55 b formed in the upper portion of the second holder 50. The hook 55a of the second holder 50 arranged on the upper side is inserted into the insertion port 55b of the second holder 50 arranged on the lower side, and the adjacent second holders 50 are connected to each other.

The second holder 50 has two holding

portions

56 and 57 that sandwich the seal portion 25a of the unit cell 20 from above and below. Between each holding |

maintenance part

56 and 57, the groove | channel 58 in which the seal | sticker part 25a is inserted is formed. In other words, the two holding

portions

56 and 57 are formed by the groove 58 formed in the main body portion 53. The groove 58 is formed on the back side of the second holder 50. The groove 58 is preferably formed over the entire length in the lateral direction of the main body 53.

FIG. 7 is a view of the insulating cover 18 as seen from the back side.
As shown in FIG. 7, the insulating cover 18 has two output terminal insertion holes 18a. Each output terminal insertion hole 18a is formed separately on the left and right, for example, at the top and bottom of the insulating cover 18. As described above, the

output terminals

16 and 17 are attached to the bus bars 80 and 85 using bolts 93 and nuts 94 (see FIG. 4), respectively. For this reason, it is preferable to provide the bolt fastening opening 18b used for the fastening operation of the bolt 93 and the nut fitting portion 18c into which the nut 94 is fitted in the vicinity of the output terminal insertion hole 18a. In the example shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of voltage monitoring terminal insertion holes 18 d are formed in the central portion in the horizontal direction of the insulating cover 18 in the vertical direction.

It is preferable that the insulating covers 18 are respectively fixed to the first holders 30 attached to the unit cells 20 positioned at least at both ends of the battery stack 11 in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, two hooks 18 e extending from the upper end of the insulating cover 18 to the back side and two hooks 18 f extending from the lower end of the insulating cover 18 to the back side are provided on both sides in the lateral direction of the insulating cover 18. ing. The hook 18e is inserted into the cover insertion port 34b of the fixing member 33 installed at the top, and the hook 18f is inserted into the cover insertion port 47c of the fixing member 43 installed at the bottom. Accordingly, the plurality of first holders 30 arranged in the vertical direction are connected by the insulating cover 18.

It is preferable to provide a support portion 18g for supporting each bus bar on the back surface of the insulating cover 18. The support portions 18g are formed on both sides of the insulating cover 18 so as not to interfere with the support portions 32 of the first holder 30 so as to avoid the central portion in the horizontal direction. Each of the bus bars 80 and 85 is disposed on the support portion 18g when the insulating cover 18 is fixed to the first holder 30.

With reference to FIG.8 and FIG.9, it demonstrates further in full detail about the structure of the vertical direction both ends of the battery laminated body 11. FIG.
8A is a diagram showing a part of a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 4, and FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a part of a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 9 is a view showing a part of a cross section taken along the line CC in FIG. Here, two parallel blocks 13 are shown, but when it is necessary to distinguish each parallel block 13 and its components, the terms “upper” and “lower” are used.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the fixing member 33 is disposed on the seal portion 25ax of the unit cell 20x, and the fixing member 43 is disposed below the seal portion 25ax, and the seal portion 25ax is sandwiched from above and below by the fixing

members

33 and 43. It is. The fixing member 43 may be in contact with the lower surface of the seal portion 25ax, and the seal portion 25ax may be sandwiched between the fixing

members

33 and 43. However, in the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the small size is between the fixing member 43 and the seal portion 25ax. A gap is formed.

The seal portion 25ay of the upper unit cell 20y is sandwiched between the fixing member 43 of the upper first holder 30 and the fixing member 33 of the lower first holder 30. The lower fixing member 33 is disposed on the seal portion 25ax of the lower unit cell 20x. The lower fixing member 33 may be in contact with the seal portion 25ay of the upper unit cell 20y, but in the example shown in FIG. 8, a small gap is formed between the fixing member 33 and the seal portion 25ay. Yes.

It is preferable that the first holder 30 protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the unit cell 20x. Moreover, it is preferable that the second holder 50 also protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the unit cell 20x (see FIG. 9). In the present embodiment, the length of the fixing member 33 in the vertical direction is longer than that of the fixing member 43, the fixing member 33 protrudes upward from the upper end portion of the unit cell 20 x, and a cooling flow is provided between the adjacent parallel blocks 13. A path 100 is formed.

The positive electrode tab 26x and the negative electrode tab 27x of the unit cell 20x extend straight from the front end portion of the seal portion 25a through the opening 31 formed between the fixing

members

33 and 43 in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the positive electrode tab 26y of the unit cell 20y is pulled out to the front side of the first holder 30 through the opening 31 formed between the adjacent first holders 30, and is along the surface (front surface) of the first holder 30. Thus, the cell 20x is bent toward the positive electrode tab 26x. The positive electrode tab 26y extends in the vertical direction to a position in contact with the positive electrode tab 26x, is bent again at a position in contact with the lower surface of the positive electrode tab 26x, and extends from the bent portion to the tip portion in the vertical direction. It extends substantially in parallel. And the lower surface of the positive electrode tab 26x and the upper surface of the positive electrode tab 26y are joined, and the positive electrode tab lamination | stacking part 14 is formed.

Similarly to the positive electrode tab 26y, the negative electrode tab 27y of the unit cell 20y is pulled out to the front side of the first holder 30 through the opening 31 formed between the adjacent first holders 30, and the surface of the first holder 30 Is bent toward the negative electrode tab 27x side of the unit cell 20x. The negative electrode tab 27y extends in the vertical direction to a position in contact with the negative electrode tab 27x, is bent again at a position in contact with the lower surface of the negative electrode tab 27x, and extends from the bent portion to the tip portion in the vertical direction. It extends substantially in parallel. And the lower surface of the negative electrode tab 27x and the upper surface of the negative electrode tab 27y are joined, and the negative electrode tab lamination | stacking part 15 is formed.

The positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 is formed by, for example, superposing and welding the positive electrode tab 26x and the positive electrode tab 26y. The welding method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include ultrasonic welding and laser welding. For example, the positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 can be formed and the bus bar 80 can be connected to the positive electrode tab laminated portion 14 at the same time as the positive electrode tab laminated portions 14 are formed by superposing the

positive electrode tabs

26x and 26y and the bus bar 80 and performing ultrasonic welding. The negative electrode tab laminated portion 15 can also be formed by overlapping and welding the negative electrode tab 27x and the negative electrode tab 27y. In addition, you may fasten tabs with fastening members, such as a volt | bolt, for example by methods other than welding, and may form each tab lamination | stacking part.

As shown in FIG. 9, the seal portion 25ax of the unit cell 20x is inserted into the groove 58 of the second holder 50, and is sandwiched between the upper and

lower holding portions

56 and 57. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the holding portion 57 is disposed on the seal portion 25 ay of the single battery 20 y, and the seal portion 25 ax of the single battery 20 x is disposed on the holding portion 57. The holding part 56 is disposed above the seal part 25ax with a gap between the holding part 56 and the seal part 25ax.

It is preferable that the groove 58 is open on the main body 24 side (back side) of the second holder 50 and the length in the vertical direction becomes longer as the main body 24 is approached. That is, it is preferable that the groove 58 is widened as it approaches the main body 24. Thereby, it becomes easy to insert the seal portion 25 a into the groove 58. In order to widen the groove 58 and facilitate insertion of the seal portion 25a, it is preferable that the holding portion 56 is formed such that the length in the vertical direction becomes shorter as the body portion 24 is approached. The surface of the holding portion 56 that faces the seal portion 25a is inclined so as to be positioned upward as it approaches the main body portion 24, for example.

A cooling air inlet 51 is formed between the upper second holder 50 and the lower second holder 50. A cooling air discharge port 52 is formed on the opposite side of the overhanging portion 54 from the introduction port 51. Adjacent second holders 50 are connected in the vertical direction by an overhanging portion 54 provided at the central portion in the horizontal direction of the main body portion 53 and engaging portions 55 provided at both lateral sides of the main body portion 53. The introduction port 51 and the discharge port 52 are formed between the overhanging portion 54 and each engagement portion 55, respectively.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the first holder 30 and the second holder 50 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

10 and 11 are views showing the fixing member 33 (first fixing member).
The main body portion 34 of the fixing member 33 is composed of a bottom wall portion 34f and a side wall portion 34g from the viewpoint of weight reduction and material cost reduction. The bottom wall portion 34f has a substantially quadrangular shape extending long in the lateral direction, and a side wall portion 34g is erected on the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 34f. That is, the cross-sectional shape in the width direction of the main body 34 is a substantially U-shape opening upward (see FIG. 8). In the main body 34, a receiving portion 34d into which a projection 44c of the fixing member 43 described later is inserted, and a plate-like reinforcing portion 34e that connects the side wall portions 34g arranged to face each other are provided. Cover insertion ports 34b into which the hooks 18e of the insulating cover 18 are inserted are formed in the side wall 34g located in front of the fixing member 33 on both sides in the lateral direction.

A projecting portion 35 protruding forward is provided in the central portion of the main body portion 34 in the horizontal direction. The overhanging portion 35 has a base portion 35a on which the second connection portion 82 of the bus bar 80 is placed, and a standing wall portion 35b extending downward from both lateral sides of the base portion 35a. The standing wall portion 35b is a portion for forming the support portion 32 that is in contact with the protruding portion 45 of the fixing member 43 and connected in the vertical direction, and is formed substantially perpendicular to the base portion 35a, for example. Bolt holes 35c are formed in the base portion 35a at positions overlapping the bolt holes 82a of the bus bar 80 in the vertical direction.

The main body portion 34 is provided with a presser portion 36 that protrudes forward like the overhang portion 35. The presser part 36 is provided at one end in the lateral direction of the main body part 34 with respect to the overhanging part 35 with a gap in which the bus bar 80 can be inserted between the overhanging part 35. For example, the pressing portion 36 contacts the connecting portion 83 of the bus bar 80 and restrains the lateral movement of the bus bar 80 together with the overhanging portion 35.

At both ends in the lateral direction of the main body 34, engagement portions 37 having a substantially rectangular tube shape protruding forward are provided. The engaging portion 37 is formed with a cylindrical wall portion 37a in which the height of the cylindrical wall is lower than other portions. The engaging portion 37 is open at both upper and lower ends, and the hook 47 a of the fixing member 43 can be inserted into the cylinder of the engaging portion 37. The hook 47a is inserted into the engaging portion 37 from below and is hooked on the cylindrical wall portion 37a. Further, a protrusion 47b of a fixing member 43 attached to another adjacent parallel block 13 is inserted into the cylinder of the engaging portion 37 from above.

The main body 34 has a recess 34 a formed at least between the overhanging portion 35 and the engaging portion 37. The concave portion 34 a forms an opening 31 that allows the electrode tab to be drawn by forming a gap with the fixing member 43 when the fixing member 33 is connected to the fixing member 43. The front side portion of the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 34f is recessed above the rear side portion. That is, a step is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 34f, and the rear portion of the lower surface contacts the seal portion 25a. The standing wall part 35b and the engaging part 37 of the overhang part 35 protrude below the lower end part of the bottom wall part 34f. Accordingly, it is possible to connect the fixing member 33 to the fixing member 43 arranged below the seal portion in a state where the fixing member 33 is arranged on the seal portion 25a. The main body 34 is provided with a protrusion 34c that protrudes downward from the bottom wall 34f. The protrusion 34c is inserted into a receiving portion 44d of the fixing member 43 described later.

The shape of the fixing member 33 is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIGS. For example, the engaging portion 37 may be provided with a hook that is hooked on the fixing member 43 of the first holder 30 disposed on the upper side. Further, the fixing member 33 may be in a form that does not have the protrusion 34c, the receiving portion 34d, and the like, and the bolt hole 35c may not be formed in the overhanging portion 35.

12 and 13 are views showing the fixing member 43 (second fixing member).
Similar to the main body 34, the main body 44 of the fixing member 43 includes a bottom wall 44f and a side wall 44g. The bottom wall portion 44f has a substantially quadrangular shape extending long in the lateral direction, and a side wall portion 44g is erected on the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 44f. That is, the cross-sectional shape in the width direction of the main body 44 is a substantially U-shape opening upward (see FIG. 8). The main body portion 44 is provided with a receiving portion 44d into which the protrusion 34c of the fixing member 33 is inserted, and a plate-like reinforcing portion 44e that connects the side wall portions 44g arranged to face each other. The receiving part 44d is formed by disposing a part of the side wall part 44g inside the main body part 44 rather than the other part.

An overhanging portion 45 protruding forward is provided in the central portion of the main body portion 44 in the horizontal direction. The overhanging portion 45 includes a base portion 45a for pressing the second connection portion 87 of the bus bar 85, and a standing wall portion 45b extending upward from both lateral sides of the base portion 45a. The standing wall portion 45b is a portion for forming the support portion 32 that is in contact with the protruding portion 35 of the fixing member 33 and connected in the vertical direction, and is formed substantially perpendicular to the base portion 45a, for example. Bolt holes 45c are formed in the base portion 45a so as to overlap with the bolt holes 87a of the bus bar 85, the bolt holes 35c of the overhang portion 35, and the bolt holes 82a of the bus bar 80 in the vertical direction.

The main body portion 44 is provided with a presser portion 46 that protrudes forward like the overhang portion 45. The presser portion 46 is provided on the other end side in the lateral direction of the main body 44 with respect to the overhanging portion 45 with a gap in which the bus bar 85 can be inserted between the overhanging portion 45. For example, the presser portion 46 comes into contact with the connecting portion 88 of the bus bar 85 and restrains the lateral movement of the bus bar 85 together with the overhanging portion 45.

Engaging portions 47 projecting forward are provided at both ends of the main body portion 44 in the lateral direction. The engaging portion 47 includes a hook 47 a protruding upward from the upper end portion of the main body portion 44 and a protrusion 47 b protruding downward from the lower end portion of the main body portion 44. As described above, the hook 47 a is hooked on the cylindrical wall portion 37 a of the engaging portion 37, and the protrusion 47 b is inserted into the engaging portion 37 of the fixing member 33 attached to another adjacent parallel block 13. The engaging portion 47 is formed with a cover insertion port 47c into which the hook 18f of the insulating cover 18 is inserted.

The main body 44 has a recess 44 a formed at least between the overhanging portion 45 and the engaging portion 47. The recess 44a forms an opening 31 that allows the electrode tab to be pulled out by forming a gap with the fixing member 33 attached to another adjacent parallel block 13. The front side portion of the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 44f is recessed above the rear side portion. That is, a step is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 44f, and a rear portion of the bottom surface contacts the seal portion 25a. Further, the main body portion 44 is provided with a protrusion 44c protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 44f. The protrusion 44 c is inserted into the receiving portion 34 d of the fixing member 33 attached to another adjacent parallel block 13.

The shape of the fixing member 43 is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIGS. For example, instead of the protrusion 47 b, a structure capable of hooking a hook provided on the fixing member 33 may be applied to the engaging portion 47. In addition, the fixing member 43 may have a form that does not include the protrusion 44c, the receiving portion 44d, and the like, and the bolt hole 45c may not be formed in the projecting portion 45.

14 and 15 are views showing the second holder 50.
The second holder 50 is formed with two holding

portions

56 and 57 that sandwich the seal portion 25a from above and below by the groove 58 formed in the main body portion 53 as described above. The groove 58 is formed over the entire lateral length of the main body 53 on the back side of the second holder 50 facing the main body 24. The cross-sectional shape in the width direction of the main body 53 is substantially U-shaped as in the case of the main bodies 34 and 44 (see FIG. 9). However, the main body 53 is open rearward. The main body portion 53 is provided with a plate-like reinforcing portion 53d.

A projecting portion 54 that protrudes rearward is provided in the central portion in the horizontal direction of the main body portion 53. The overhang portion 54 is provided over the entire length of the main body portion 53 in the vertical direction, and is connected to the overhang portion 54 of the adjacent second holder 50 in the vertical direction to form the partition portion 103 of the flow path structure CS. More specifically, the protruding portion 54 abuts on the convex portion 78 of the case 60 to form the partition portion 103. Bolt holes 54 a used for bolting on the rear surface 11 b side of the battery stack 11 are formed in the overhang portion 54.

Engaging portions 55 are provided at both ends of the main body portion 53 in the horizontal direction. The engaging portion 55 includes a hook 55 a and a protrusion 55 c that protrude downward from the lower end portion of the main body portion 53. An insertion port 55b and a receiving portion 55d are provided on the upper portion of the engaging portion 55. That is, the hook 55a is inserted into the insertion port 55b of the second holder 50 disposed on the lower side, and the protrusion 55c is inserted into the receiving portion 55d of the second holder 50 disposed on the lower side.

A recess 53 a is formed between the overhanging portion 54 and the engaging portion 55 at the upper end portion of the main body portion 53 (holding portion 56). The recessed portion 53a is a portion recessed below the overhanging portion 54 and the engaging portion 55, and forms a clearance between the adjacent second holder 50 to form the cooling air inlet 51 and the outlet 52. To do. Further, the main body 53 is provided with a protrusion 53b protruding downward. The protrusion 53 b is inserted into the receiving portion 53 c of the adjacent second holder 50.

The shape of the second holder 50 is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIGS. For example, the overhanging portion 54 may be unevenly distributed on one side in the horizontal direction. Further, the second holder 50 may be in a form that does not have the protrusion 55c, the receiving portion 55d, and the like, and the bolt hole 54a may not be formed in the projecting portion 54.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the connection portion 90 of the battery stack 11 and the vicinity thereof. In FIG. 16, the stacked parallel blocks 13 are referred to as “

parallel blocks

13X, 13Y, and 13Z” in order from the top, and X, Y, and Z are given to the components of each block, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 16, the connecting portion 90XY of the adjacent

parallel blocks

13X and 13Y includes a bus bar 85X connected to the negative electrode tab stacked portion 15X and a bus bar 80Y connected to the positive electrode tab stacked portion 14Y of the parallel block 13Y. Connected and formed. For example, the connection part 90XY is formed in the vicinity of the boundary part of the

parallel blocks

13X and 13Y by overlapping and welding the second connection part 87X and the second connection part 82Y. A conductive member 91XY is sandwiched between the bus bar 85X and the bus bar 80Y, and the second connection portion 82Y and the second connection portion 87X are electrically connected via the conductive member 91XY.

The connecting portion 90YZ between the adjacent

parallel blocks

13Y and 13Z includes a bus bar 85Y connected to the negative electrode tab laminate portion 15Y and a bus bar 80Z connected to the positive electrode tab laminate portion (not shown in FIG. 17) of the parallel block 13Z. Connected and formed. The connecting portion 90YZ is formed in the vicinity of the boundary portion between the

parallel blocks

13Y and 13Z, for example, by welding the second connecting portion 87Y and the second connecting portion 82Z via the conductive member 91YZ.

The connection portion 90XY is sandwiched between the support portion 32X of the first holder 30X and the support portion 32Y of the first holder 30Y. The support portion 32X is formed by connecting

overhang portions

35X and 45X in the vertical direction (the same applies to the support portion 32Y), and the support portion 32X, the connection portion 90XY, and the support portion 32Y are connected in the vertical direction. Is preferred. That is, it is preferable that the

support portions

32X and 32Y sandwich the connection portion 90XY. Thereby, for example, breakage of the connection portion 90, poor contact, and the like hardly occur, and a good connection state is maintained for a long time.

The connection portions 90 are preferably formed side by side in the vertical direction, and the support portions 32 and the connection portions 90 are preferably connected (see FIG. 4 and the like). If the connection portions 90 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, the connection portions 90 can be formed within a very limited range. For example, when laser welding is performed, the plurality of connection portions 90 are scanned by scanning the welding laser beam in the vertical direction or by moving the battery stack 11 in the vertical direction while fixing the irradiation spot of the laser beam. Can be easily formed.

The conductive member 91 is a thin plate member disposed between the bus bars in the connection portion 90, and is preferably provided in all the connection portions 90. The conductive member 91 disposed at the top is connected only to the bus bar 80, and the conductive member 91 disposed at the bottom is connected only to the bus bar 85 (see FIG. 4). The conductive member 91 preferably has a voltage monitoring terminal 92 protruding from between the bus bars 80 and 85.

It is preferable that a plurality of voltage monitoring terminals 92 are provided side by side in the vertical direction. By arranging the voltage monitoring terminal portions 92 in a line, for example, the structure of the wiring board 19 can be simplified. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the voltage monitoring terminal 92XY extends in the vertical direction from one end in the horizontal direction of the connection portion 90XY, and serves as a terminal for measuring the voltage of the series block composed of the

parallel blocks

13X and 13Y. Function. Similarly, the voltage monitoring terminal 92YZ functions as a terminal for measuring the voltage of the series block composed of the

parallel blocks

13Y and 13Z.

It is preferable that the conductive member 91 further functions as a fuse. The conductive member 91 is made of, for example, a metal material having a lower melting point than the metal material constituting each bus bar (such as a low melting point alloy), and cuts off the current when an excessive current flows. A conductive member that functions as a fuse may be used separately from the conductive member for voltage monitoring. Alternatively, the conductive member 91 does not have the voltage monitoring terminal 92 and may be used exclusively as a fuse.

In the assembled battery 10, the electrode tabs of the single cells 20 constituting the parallel block 13 are drawn out in the same direction as described above, and the bus bars are attached on the same surface of the battery stack 11. Therefore, since connection work of each bus bar etc. can be performed on one surface of the battery laminated body 11, it is excellent in productivity compared with the case where each bus bar is attached on the several surface of the battery laminated body 11, for example.

Hereinafter, the flow path structure CS will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. 17 and 18 are views showing the flow path structure CS and the flow of cooling air in the structure.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the flow path structure CS has a cooling air introduction port 51 and a discharge port 52 communicating with the

openings

61 and 62 of the case 60, respectively, formed on the rear surface 11 b side of the battery stack 11. The cooling air flow path 100 is formed between the adjacent unit cells 20. In this embodiment, the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are formed side by side between the adjacent second holders 50. Each inlet 51 and each outlet 52 are lined up and down.

Between the second holder 50 and the case 60, an introduction path 101 and a discharge path 102 separated by a partition 103 are formed. As described above, the partition portion 103 is formed by the projecting portion 54 of the second holder 50 and the convex portion 78 of the case 60 in contact with each other. The overhanging portion 54 or the convex portion 78 may be elongated in the vertical direction, and either one may be omitted. The partition part 103 is preferably formed over substantially the entire vertical length of the battery stack 11.

The introduction path 101 that connects the opening 61 and each introduction port 51 and the discharge path 102 that connects the opening 62 and each discharge port 52 are provided substantially parallel to each other with the partition 103 interposed therebetween. By arranging the introduction ports 51 and the discharge ports 52 in the vertical direction, the structure of the introduction path 101 and the discharge path 102 can be simplified. For example, an air duct is attached to the opening 61, and an exhaust duct is attached to the opening 62 (both not shown). By providing the introduction port 51 and the discharge port 52 on the rear surface 11b side of the battery stack 11, for example, the duct structure is simplified, and the battery stack 11 and its peripheral devices can be downsized. It is possible to avoid the eleven electrical connections from becoming complicated.

The flow path 100 is formed by disposing the partition member 104 between the main body portions 24 of the adjacent unit cells 20. In the present embodiment, a flow path 100 is formed between each parallel block 13. That is, the flow path 100 is formed at a rate of one for every two unit cells 20. A channel 100 is also formed between the unit cell 20 and the upper case 63 disposed on the top of the battery stack 11. In addition, you may form the flow path 100 between the cell 20 arrange | positioned at the bottom of the battery laminated body 11, and the lower case 73. FIG.

The partition member 104 plays a role of discharging cooling air introduced into the flow path 100 from the rear surface 11b side of the battery stack 11 through the front surface 11a side of the battery stack 11 from the rear surface 11b side. In the battery stack 11, the front surface 11 a side from which the electrode tab is drawn out, that is, the region H closer to one end in the vertical direction than the center in the vertical direction of the main body 24 is particularly likely to generate heat. By providing the partition member 104, the region H can be sufficiently cooled even when the inlet and outlet of the flow path 100 are formed on the rear surface 11b side. That is, the partition member 104 prevents a shortcut of the cooling air flowing from the discharge port 52 without the cooling air flowing from the introduction port 51 passing through the region H.

It is preferable that the partition member 104 is formed from a position between the introduction port 51 and the discharge port 52 to a position closer to the front surface 11a than to the rear surface 11b of the battery stack 11. In the present embodiment, the partition wall member 104 is continuously formed from the position in contact with the second holder 50 to the front surface 11 a side of the battery stack 11 beyond the longitudinal center of the main body 24. That is, the front end portion of the partition wall member 104 is located on the front surface 11 a side with respect to the central portion in the vertical direction of the main body portion 24.

It is preferable that the flow path structure CS includes the side wall members 105 disposed on both lateral sides of the main body 24 between the parallel blocks 13. The side wall member 105 is continuously provided, for example, from the position in contact with the second holder 50 to the vicinity of the first holder 30 or the position in contact with the first holder 30. Although the gap between the main body 24 and the case 60 is small, the leakage of cooling air from the flow path 100 can be further suppressed by providing the side wall member 105.

The fixing member 33 and the second holder 50 of the first holder 30 protrude above the upper end of the unit cell 20 between the adjacent parallel blocks 13 as described above. The first holder 30 and the second holder 50 form a gap that becomes the flow path 100, and the first holder 30 constitutes a side wall of the flow path 100. The channel 100 is formed in a substantially U shape in plan view by the first holder 30 and the side wall member 105 and the partition member 104 extending in the vertical direction between the introduction port 51 and the discharge port 52.

It is preferable to apply elastically deformable elastic members to the partition wall member 104 and the side wall member 105. By using an elastic member for the partition wall member 104 or the like, for example, a change in the vertical length of the battery stack 11 due to the expansion of the body portion 24 is suppressed, and the body portion 24 is damaged by the edge of the partition wall member 104 or the like. Can be prevented. Examples of suitable elastic members include rubber and foam. The elastic member is attached to the upper surface of the main body 24 using an adhesive, for example.

The thickness of the partition wall member 104 and the side wall member 105 is preferably substantially the same as the interval between the main body portions 24 of the adjacent parallel blocks 13. In this embodiment, both the partition member 104 and the side wall member 105 are substantially constant in width over the entire length, and are formed narrower than the lateral lengths of the introduction port 51 and the discharge port 52.

In the flow path structure CS, the cooling air introduced into the case from the opening 61 of the case 60 flows into the flow paths 100 from the introduction ports 51 through the introduction paths 101. The cooling air flowing into each flow path 100 flows along the partition wall member 104 toward the front surface 11 a, passes over the region H of the main body 24, and flows again along the partition wall member 104 toward the rear surface 11 b. The cooling air that has cooled each unit cell 20 through the flow path 100 flows out from each discharge port 52, and is discharged from the opening 62 through the discharge path 102. According to the assembled battery 10 including the flow path structure CS, the unit cell 20 can be cooled by flowing cooling air between the main body portions 24 of the adjacent unit cells 20. In addition, by providing the inlet / outlet of the flow path 100 on the rear surface 11b side of the battery stack 11 to simplify the structure of the battery stack 11 and its peripheral devices, downsize, etc., cooling air is generated on the region H where heat is easily generated. It is possible to efficiently cool the single cell 20 by flowing.

The assembled battery 10 can stably hold the unit cells 20 constituting the battery stack 11 by the first holder 30 and the second holder 50 attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the battery stack 11. Further, each holder is attached with the seal portion 25a of the unit cell 20 located at both ends in the vertical direction of the battery stack 11 being sandwiched, and no holder is provided on the side surface 11c of the battery stack 11, thereby reducing the size of the assembled battery 10. Can be achieved.

10 battery packs, 11 battery stacks, 11a front, 11b rear, 11c side, 12 tapes, 13 parallel blocks, 14 positive tab stacks, 15 negative tab stacks, 16, 17 output terminals, 18 insulation covers, 18a output terminals Insertion hole, 18b Bolt fixing opening, 18c Nut fitting part, 18d Voltage monitoring terminal insertion hole, 18e, 18f hook, 18g reinforcement part, 19 wiring board, 19a connector, 19b insertion part, 20 cell, 21 exterior Body, 22, 23 laminate film, 24 body part, 24a front face, 24b rear face, 24c side face, 25, 25a, 25b seal part, 26 positive electrode tab, 27 negative electrode tab, 28 adhesive layer, 30 first holder, 31 opening part, 32 support parts, 33 fixing members, 34 body parts, 34a Part, 34b cover insertion port, 34c protrusion, 34d receiving part, 34e reinforcing part, 34f bottom wall part, 34g side wall part, 35 overhang part, 35a base part, 35b standing wall part, 35c bolt hole, 36 presser part, 37 engagement Part, 37a cylindrical wall part, 43 fixing member, 44 main body part, 44a concave part, 44c protrusion, 44d receiving part, 44e reinforcing part, 44f bottom wall part, 44g side wall part, 45 projecting part, 45a base part, 45b standing wall part, 45c Bolt hole, 46 holding part, 47 engaging part, 47a hook, 47b protrusion, 47c cover insertion port, 50 second holder, 51 inlet, 52 discharge port, 53 body part, 53a recess, 53b protrusion, 53c receiving part 53d reinforcement part, 54 overhang part, 54a bolt hole, 55 engagement part, 5 a hook, 55b insertion port, 55c protrusion, 55d receiving part, 56, 57 holding part, 58 groove, 60 case, 61, 62 opening part, 63 upper case, 64 fixing part, 65, 66, 67 notch part, 68 Connector opening, 73 Lower case, 74 Fixed part, 75, 76 Notch part, 77 Fastening part, 78 Convex part, 80 Bus bar, 81 First connection part, 82 Second connection part, 83 Connection part, 85 Bus bar , 86 1st connection part, 87 2nd connection part, 88 connection part, 90 connection part, 91 conductive member, 92 voltage monitoring terminal, 93 bolt, 94 nut, 100 flow path, 101 introduction path, 102 discharge path, 103 partition part, 104 partition member, 105 side wall member

Claims

An exterior body composed of a sheet material, including a flat main body part, and a seal part that extends from at least both longitudinal ends of the main body part and joins the edges of the sheet material to each other. A battery stack configured by stacking a plurality of unit cells in the same direction, each having a package and a pair of electrode tabs extending from one longitudinal end of the package;
A first holder attached to one end in the longitudinal direction of the battery stack, sandwiching the seal portion of the battery constituting the battery stack from both sides of the stack of the cells;
A second holder attached to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the battery stack with the seal portion sandwiched from both sides in the stacking direction;
With
The first holder has an opening through which the electrode tabs of the unit cell are passed, and a plurality of the holders are provided side by side in the stacking direction, and the adjacent holders are connected to each other.
A plurality of the second holders are provided side by side in the stacking direction, and the adjacent holders are connected to each other.
The first holder is composed of two fixing members that sandwich the sealing portion of the unit cell from both sides in the stacking direction while being connected to each other.
The assembled battery according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed between the fixing members.
The second holder has two holding portions that sandwich the sealing portion of the unit cell from both sides in the stacking direction,
The assembled battery according to claim 1, wherein a groove into which the seal portion is inserted is formed between the holding portions.
A case for accommodating the battery laminate to which the holders are attached;
A pair of output terminals connected to the electrode tab drawn out from the opening of the first holder and drawn out of the case through one longitudinal end of the battery stack;
An insulating cover disposed between one end in the vertical direction of the battery stack and each output terminal;
With
The insulating covers are respectively fixed to the first holders attached to the unit cells located at both ends in the stacking direction of the battery stack,
The assembled battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the first holders is connected by the cover.
The battery stack includes a plurality of parallel blocks in which at least two adjacent cells are connected in parallel.
The parallel block has a pair of electrode tab stacked portions formed by superimposing the pair of electrode tabs of the unit cells constituting the block, respectively. Battery pack.
A pair of bus bars connecting the parallel blocks adjacent to each other in series;
The assembled battery according to claim 5, wherein each of the first holders has a support portion that supports each of the bus bars.
The assembled battery according to claim 6, wherein the support portions are arranged side by side in the stacking direction and sandwich the bus bars between the adjacent parallel blocks.
The first holder and the second holder protrude in the stacking direction from the end of the unit cell, and form a cooling gap between the adjacent unit cells. The assembled battery as described in the item.
At least one of the second holder and the adjacent second holders includes:
An inlet for introducing cooling air into the gap;
A discharge port for discharging the cooling air from the gap;
Is provided,
A partition that extends from the other end in the vertical direction of the battery stack to one end in the vertical direction between the introduction port and the discharge port is disposed in the gap, and the vertical direction of the battery stack from the introduction port The assembled battery according to claim 8, wherein a flow path for allowing the cooling air to flow through the one end side to the discharge port is formed.