WO2023189654A1

WO2023189654A1 - Lead-acid battery

Info

Publication number: WO2023189654A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/010306
Authority: WO
Inventors: 孝智武光; 壮右藤田; 直生藤本; 尚秋本
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｇｓユアサ
Priority date: 2022-03-28
Filing date: 2023-03-16
Publication date: 2023-10-05

Abstract

A lead-acid battery 10 has a battery container 20 with an opening at the top, an inner lid 60, and a top lid 100. The battery container 20 has a plurality of cell chambers 25 arranged in a matrix. The space between the top lid 100 and the inner lid 60 is divided into exhaust chambers 52 that correspond one-to-one with each of the cell chambers 25. A bottom surface 69 of each of the exhaust chambers 52 is formed with an exhaust port 65 for exhausting gas generated in the cell chamber 25 to the exhaust chamber 52 and a recirculation port 66 for recirculating electrolyte solution W in the exhaust chamber 52 to the cell chamber 25. At least one of the plurality of exhaust chambers 52 is a first exhaust chamber 52A, 52F in which a collective exhaust port 55 for exhausting the gas to the outside of the lead-acid battery 10 is provided. A wall 56 is provided at the bottom of the first exhaust chamber 52A, 52F among the plurality of exhaust chambers 52 so as to correspond to the collective exhaust port 55.

Description

lead acid battery

The present invention relates to a technique for suppressing a decrease in electrolyte in a lead-acid battery.

Lead-acid batteries used in automobiles and the like suppress the increase in internal pressure by exhausting gas generated within the battery through the exhaust port. For example, in Patent Document 1, a lid member for sealing a battery case has a double lid structure, and an exhaust passage is provided inside. A reflux hole communicating with the battery case is provided through the bottom of the passageway, and the electrolyte in the exhaust passage returns to the inside of the battery case from the reflux hole along the sloping bottom surface.

On the other hand, as in Patent Document 2, a structure of a lead-acid battery is known in which a plurality of cell chambers are arranged in rows and columns in rows and columns. In lead-acid batteries in which cell chambers are arranged in rows and columns, sufficient consideration has not been given to the double-lid structure that suppresses electrolyte loss.

Patent No. 5521390 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-236988

The present invention prevents electrolyte loss in lead-acid batteries in which cell chambers are arranged in rows and columns by suppressing the discharge of electrolyte to the outside (liquid leakage) and returning the electrolyte to the battery container. The purpose is to suppress.

The lead-acid battery has a battery case with an open top, an inner lid that seals the opening of the battery case, and an upper lid that covers the inner lid from above, and the battery case houses electrode plates and an electrolyte. , has a plurality of cell chambers arranged in a matrix, a space between the upper lid and the inner lid is divided by an exhaust partition into exhaust chambers corresponding to each cell chamber on a one-to-one basis, The partition wall is formed with a first communication port that communicates the adjacent exhaust chambers, and the bottom of the exhaust chamber is provided with an exhaust port that exhausts gas generated in the cell chamber to the exhaust chamber, and a first communication port that communicates the gas generated in the cell chamber with the exhaust chamber. a reflux port for refluxing the electrolyte to the cell chamber, and at least one of the plurality of exhaust chambers is a first exhaust chamber provided with a collective exhaust port for exhausting gas to the outside of the lead-acid battery. Among the plurality of exhaust chambers, the bottom surface of the first exhaust chamber is provided with a wall corresponding to the collective exhaust port.

According to the lead-acid battery disclosed in this specification, since a wall corresponding to the collective exhaust port is provided, the electrolytic solution is difficult to be discharged to the outside, and a decrease in the electrolytic solution can be suppressed. Further, the electrolyte can be returned to the cell chamber from the reflux port.

Perspective view of lead acid battery Exploded diagram of lead acid battery Top view of battery case Bottom view of the inner lid Top view of the inner lid Bottom view of top lid A-A sectional view of lead-acid battery Top view of the inner lid (explanatory diagram of the reflux path of droplets) Plan view of the inner lid (Embodiment 2) Plan view of the top lid (Embodiment 2) Enlarged plan view of the inner lid (Embodiment 2)

<Embodiment 1>
A lead acid battery 10 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

1. Structure of lead-acid battery 10 The lead-acid battery 10 is, for example, a storage battery that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and supplies electric power to the vehicle. The lead-acid battery 10 is a liquid lead-acid battery, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, includes a battery case 15, an electrode plate group 30, an electrolyte W (shown in FIG. 7), and a terminal portion 40 (40P, 40N). In the following description, the width direction of the battery case 15 when the battery case 15 is placed horizontally without tilting with respect to the installation surface is taken as the X direction, and the depth direction of the battery case 15 (the arrangement of the

terminal parts

40P, 40N) is taken as the X direction. direction) is the Y direction, and the height direction (vertical direction) of the battery case 15 is the Z direction.

The battery case 15 includes a battery case 20 that accommodates the electrode plate group 30 and the electrolyte W, and a lid member 50. The battery case 20 is made of synthetic resin. The battery case 20 has four outer walls 21 and one bottom wall 22, and is box-shaped with an open top.

As shown in FIG. 3, the battery case 20 has a plurality of battery case partition walls 23. The battery case partition 23 is formed of a total of three battery case partitions 23X extending in the X direction and two battery case partitions 23Y extending in the Y direction. It is divided into The cell chambers 25 are arranged in three rows in the X direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 3) and two rows in the Y direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) in the battery case 20, and a total of six chambers are arranged in a matrix. ing. Each cell chamber 25 accommodates an electrode plate group 30 together with an electrolytic solution W made of dilute sulfuric acid. Note that the outer wall 21 and the battery case partition wall 23 have the same height at their upper ends.

The six cell chambers 25 included in the battery case 20 are designated as 25A to 25F, respectively, clockwise from the upper left cell chamber 25 in FIG.

The electrode plate group 30 is composed of an electrode plate (including a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate) 31 whose lattice body is filled with an active material, and a strap 32 that connects the electrode plates of the same polarity. The positive and negative plates are separated by an insulating separator to prevent short circuits between the plates. The main component of the active material of the positive electrode plate is lead dioxide, and the main component of the active material of the negative electrode plate is metallic lead.

The straps 32 are plate-shaped and long in the Y direction, and one set for each cell chamber 25 is provided, one for the positive electrode and one for the negative electrode. By electrically connecting the positive and negative straps 32 of adjacent cell chambers 25 via connecting portions 33 formed on the straps 32, the electrode plate groups 30 of each cell chamber 25 are connected in series.

In the electrode plate groups 30 located at both ends of the electrode plate groups 30 connected in series, pole columns 45 extending upward (in the Z direction) from the strap 32 are formed. The pole post 45 is welded to a bushing 62, which will be described later.

The lid member 50 includes an inner lid 60 and an upper lid 100. 4 is a bottom view of the inner lid 60 seen from below, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inner lid 60 seen from above, and FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the upper lid 100 seen from below. Both the inner lid 60 and the upper lid 100 are made of synthetic resin.

The inner lid 60 is large enough to seal the top surface of the battery case 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the inner lid 60 includes an inner lid main body 61 and two bushings 62. The bushing 62 is made of metal such as a lead alloy and has a hollow cylindrical shape. Since the inner lid 60 is integrally molded by injecting resin into a mold into which the bushing 62 is inserted, the bushing 62 is embedded in the inner lid main body 61 except for the portion exposed above. When assembling the lead-acid battery 10, the above-mentioned pole post 45 is inserted into the bushing 62, and both are welded to form the terminal portion 40. A harness (not shown) and the like for supplying power to the vehicle are attached to the terminal portion 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner lid main body 61 has an inner wall 91 and a plurality of partition walls 93 on the lower surface side. The inner wall 91 projects downward from the lower surface of the inner lid main body 61. The inner wall 91 is provided along the entire circumference along the opening of the battery case 20, and has an overall rectangular frame shape that is long in the X direction.

The partition wall 93 consists of one partition wall 93X extending in the X direction and two partition walls 93Y extending in the Y direction. The partition wall 93 is connected to the inner wall 91 and, like the inner wall 91, protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner lid main body 61.

Each partition 93 is provided corresponding to the battery case partition 23 of the battery case 20, and partitions the inside of the frame-shaped inner wall 91 into six parts corresponding to each of the cell chambers 25A to 25F. The partition wall 93 and the inner wall 91 have the same height at their lower ends.

The inner wall 91 of the inner lid 60 overlaps the upper end surface of the outer wall 21 of the battery case 20, and each partition wall 93 of the inner lid 60 is located so as to overlap the upper end surface of each container partition wall 23 of the battery case 20. In this way, by overlapping the inner wall 91 and partition wall 93 on the inner lid 60 side with the

walls

21 and 23 on the battery case 20 side, the battery case 20 and each cell chamber 25 are made airtight. Note that the inner wall 91 and the outer wall 21, and the partition wall 93 and the container partition wall 23 are joined by thermal welding so that airtightness is maintained (see FIG. 7).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the inner lid main body 61 has a low surface portion 63 (on the left side in FIG. 5) and a high surface portion 64 (on the right side in the same figure), and has a shape with a height difference. It has become.

The lower surface portion 63 has lower

exhaust partition walls

71 and 73 that protrude upward. The lower exhaust partition 71 is provided along the outer periphery of the lower surface portion 63. The lower exhaust partition 73 includes a lower exhaust partition 73X extending in the X direction and a lower exhaust partition 73Y extending in the Y direction. The lower exhaust partition 73 is provided inside the lower exhaust partition 71 so as to overlap the battery case partition 23 .

The lower surface portion 63 has six lower liquid injection ports 75. These six lower liquid injection ports 75 vertically penetrate the lower surface portion 63.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the top lid 100. The upper lid 100 is a rectangular plate-shaped member that covers the lower surface portion 63 from above. Upper

exhaust partition walls

81 and 83 that protrude downward are provided on the lower surface side of the upper lid 100. The upper exhaust partition 83 includes an upper exhaust partition 83X extending in the X direction and an upper exhaust partition 83Y extending in the Y direction. The

upper exhaust partitions

81 and 83 are provided so as to overlap the

lower exhaust partitions

71 and 73, respectively. The upper lid 100 is provided with an upper liquid inlet 85 at a position overlapping with the lower liquid inlet 75 of the inner lid 60.

The end surfaces of the upper

exhaust partition walls

81 and 83 and the lower

exhaust partition walls

71 and 73 are joined by thermal welding (see FIG. 7). The

upper exhaust partitions

81 and 83 and the

lower exhaust partitions

71 and 73 are examples of "exhaust partitions."

The internal space of the lid member 50 is divided into six exhaust chambers 52 by the exhaust partition (see FIG. 5). The six exhaust chambers 52 are designated 52A to 52F clockwise from the upper right of FIG. Each exhaust chamber 52A to 52F corresponds to each cell chamber 25A to 25F on a one-to-one basis.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the liquid inlet plug 120 is attached to the upper lid 100, the upper liquid inlet 85 can be closed. The liquid inlet stopper 120 is screwed into the inner peripheral surface of the upper liquid inlet 85 and is detachable. When the liquid inlet stopper 120 is removed, each cell chamber 25 of the battery case 20 can be replenished with the electrolytic solution W through the upper liquid inlet 85.

2. About the exhaust chamber 52 Each exhaust chamber 52 has one exhaust port 65 and one reflux port 66. As shown in FIG. 7, the exhaust port 65 and the recirculation port 66 vertically penetrate the inner lid main body 61 and communicate the exhaust chamber 52 and the cell chamber 25.

As shown in FIG. 5, each exhaust chamber 52 has a reflux wall 67 formed to spirally surround an exhaust port 65 and a reflux port 66. The reflux wall 67 is formed by welding the partition wall on the inner lid main body 61 side and the partition wall on the upper lid 100 side, similarly to the above-mentioned exhaust partition walls (lower

exhaust partition walls

71, 73, upper exhaust partition walls 81, 83). (See Figure 7).

The inside of the reflux wall 67 where the exhaust port 65 and the reflux port 66 are located is not completely partitioned from the outside of the reflux wall 67. A second communication port 67A that communicates between the inside and outside of the reflux wall 67 is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the reflux wall 67, and liquid and gas can enter and exit the inside and outside of the reflux wall 67 through the second communication port 67A.

The gas generated within the cell chamber 25 flows into the exhaust chamber 52 through the exhaust port 65. The gas includes water vapor generated by evaporation of the electrolyte W and droplets of the electrolyte W generated by vibration. In the exhaust chamber 52, when the gas is cooled and water vapor condenses (dew condensation) or a large number of droplets gather, droplets D are generated within the exhaust chamber 52. The electrolytic solution W in which a large number of droplets D have gathered may flow inside the exhaust chamber 52 .

The reflux port 66 is located at the lowest position within the exhaust chamber 52 and has the function of returning the droplets D within the exhaust chamber 52 to the cell chamber 25 below. The bottom surface 69 of the exhaust chamber 52 is a combination of a plurality of slopes, which are highest at the point where they intersect with the lower

exhaust partition walls

71 and 73 outside the recirculation wall 67, and which slope downward as they approach the second communication port 67A. Become. Further, the bottom surface 69 of the exhaust chamber 52 is formed by combining a plurality of slopes that become lower as they approach the recirculation port 66 inside the recirculation wall 67. The droplet D generated in the exhaust chamber 52 flows on the bottom surface 69 according to the slope, and flows back into the cell chamber 25 from the reflux port 66 via the second communication port 67A.

The reflux wall 67 and the bottom surface 69 are oblique to the inclination direction of the bottom surface 69 (the direction in which the inclination angle is maximum). Oblique means crossing diagonally. The line of intersection between the reflux wall 67 and the bottom surface 69 is lowered closer to the second communication port 67A. Even if the droplet D flowing in the inclined direction on the bottom surface 69 hits the reflux wall 67, by moving on the bottom surface 69 along the reflux wall 67, the droplet D changes its traveling direction toward the second communication port 67A. It's flowing.

In this embodiment, the inclination direction of the bottom surface 69 is a direction perpendicular to the lower

exhaust partition walls

71 and 73 with which the respective inclined surfaces are in contact, in plan view. At this time, the reflux wall 67 is provided so as to be oblique with respect to the lower

exhaust partition walls

71 and 73 in plan view (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper lid 100 of this embodiment has five first communication ports 54 in the upper exhaust partition 83. The five first communication ports 54 are designated as first communication ports 54A to 54E in counterclockwise order from the first communication port located at the lower left in FIG. The six exhaust chambers 52A to 52F communicate in a line through first communication ports 54A to 54E. Gas can freely flow between adjacent exhaust chambers 52 through the first communication port 54.

The

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F have

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F that open toward the outside of the battery case 15, respectively. The

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F are examples of "first exhaust chambers." Since the collective exhaust port 55A of the exhaust chamber 52A and the collective exhaust port 55F of the exhaust chamber 52F have the same configuration, the collective exhaust port 55A will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 6, the collective exhaust port 55A is a hole that communicates the inside and outside of the battery case 15 in a substantially horizontal direction, and has the function of exhausting the gas in the exhaust chamber 52A to the outside. The collective exhaust port 55A has an outer opening located on the side surface of the upper lid 100 (see FIG. 1), and an inner opening located at a corner of the exhaust chamber 52A.

In each of the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F, the second communication port 67A opens in a direction away from the collective exhaust port 55A or in a direction away from at least one first communication port 54. In the case of the exhaust chamber 52A, the second communication port 67A of the exhaust chamber 52A opens toward the right, which is the direction away from the collective exhaust port 55A located at the lower left in FIG.

Furthermore, in the case of the exhaust chamber 52B, the second communication port 67A of the exhaust chamber 52B opens to the right, which is the direction away from the first communication port 54A located in the lower left direction.

Furthermore, the exhaust chamber 52C has a first communication port 54B in the upper left direction and a first communication port 54C in the upper right direction. The second communication port 67A of the exhaust chamber 52C opens toward the lower left, which is the direction away from the

first communication ports

54B and 54C. The

exhaust chambers

52D, 52E, and 52F have the same configuration as the

exhaust chambers

52C, 52B, and 52A, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust chamber 52A is provided with a maze wall (an example of a "wall") 56 that partitions the inside of the exhaust chamber 52A. Like the reflux wall 67 described above, the labyrinth wall 56 is formed by joining a lower labyrinth wall projecting upward from the inner lid main body 61 and an upper labyrinth wall projecting downward from the upper lid 100 side. The labyrinth wall 56 is connected from the bottom surface 69 in the exhaust chamber 52A to the ceiling wall, and gas and electrolyte W (including droplets D) cannot flow across the labyrinth wall 56. For example, when the lead acid battery 10 swings as the vehicle travels, the electrolyte W moves within the exhaust chamber 52A. When the gas or electrolyte W moves and hits the maze wall 56, it is blocked or the direction of movement is changed without exceeding the maze wall 56.

The labyrinth wall 56 forms a labyrinth-like passage 57 within the exhaust chamber 52A. The maze-like passage 57 may include branching parts, dead ends, and merging parts.

When the gas passes through the maze-like passage 57, the path length becomes longer than when the gas does not pass through the maze-like passage 57, and the time until it is exhausted to the outside becomes longer. This lowers the temperature of the gas, promotes condensation of water vapor, and easily generates droplets D. Further, droplets of the electrolytic solution W contained in the gas adhere to the inner wall of the exhaust chamber 52A and the labyrinth wall 56, and easily generate droplets D. The maze-like passage 57 makes it difficult for water vapor contained in the gas and droplets of the electrolytic solution W to be discharged from the collective exhaust port 55A, thereby suppressing a decrease in the electrolytic solution W.

Note that the exhaust chamber 52F is also provided with a maze wall 56 similar to the exhaust chamber 52A, and a maze-like passage 57 is formed.

3. Regarding Gas Exhaust Routes The gas exhaust routes in each exhaust chamber 52 will be described with reference to FIG.

The exhaust path of the exhaust chamber 52A will be explained. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 6, the gas generated in the cell chamber 25A flows into the exhaust chamber 52A from the exhaust port 65, passes through the second communication port 67A, and exits to the outside of the reflux wall 67. The second communication port 67A opens in a direction (to the right) away from the collective exhaust port 55A located in the lower left direction in FIG. 6, and gas is discharged in the direction away from the collective exhaust port 55A. Thereafter, the gas is divided into two parts: gas A1 heading towards the batch exhaust port 55A and gas A2 heading towards the batch exhaust port 55F.

The gas A1 is reversed from the discharge direction (right direction) to the opposite direction (left direction), reaches the collective exhaust port 55A via the maze-shaped passage 57, and is exhausted to the outside. Since the gas A1 is once discharged in a direction away from the collective exhaust port 55A, the path length until it reaches the collective exhaust port 55A is longer than when the gas A1 is discharged in a direction approaching the collective exhaust port 55A. Gas A2 heading toward the collective exhaust port 55F flows into the adjacent exhaust chamber 52B through the first communication port 54A, further passes through the exhaust chambers 52C to 52F, and is finally exhausted from the collective exhaust port 55F.

In the exhaust chamber 52B, the second communication port 67A opens in the direction away from the first communication port 54A (to the right), and the gas is discharged to the right. The discharged gas is divided into two parts: gas B1 heading towards the batch exhaust port 55A and gas B2 heading towards the batch exhaust port 55F. The gas B1 is reversed from the discharged direction (rightward) to the opposite direction (leftward), flows into the exhaust chamber 52A through the first communication port 54A, and is exhausted from the collective exhaust port 55A.

Since the gas B1 is once discharged in a direction away from the first communication port 54A, the path length becomes longer than when the gas B1 is discharged in a direction approaching the first communication port 54A. Gas B2 flows into the exhaust chamber 52C through the first communication port 54B, further passes through the exhaust chambers 52D to 52F, and is finally exhausted from the collective exhaust port 55F.

Between the gas B1 discharged from the collective exhaust port 55A and the gas B2 discharged from the collective exhaust port 55F, the path length of the gas B1 until it is discharged to the outside is shorter. By orienting the opening of the second communication port 67A in a direction away from the first communication port 54A, the path length of the gas B1, which is relatively short compared to the gas B2, can be increased.

In the exhaust chamber 52C, the second communication port 67A opens in the direction away from the

first communication ports

54B and 54C (lower left direction). The gas is discharged in a direction away from the

first communication ports

54B and 54C (lower left direction). The gas discharged in the lower left direction changes direction upward and is divided into two parts: gas C1 that heads toward the collective exhaust port 55A, and gas C2 that goes around the outside of the reflux wall 67 and heads toward the collective exhaust port 55F.

The gas C1 flows into the exhaust chamber 52B through the first communication port 54B, and is then exhausted from the collective exhaust port 55A of the exhaust chamber 52A. The gas C2 flows into the exhaust chamber 52D through the first communication port 54C, further passes through the

exhaust chambers

52E and 52F, and is finally exhausted from the collective exhaust port 55F. Since the gases C1 and C2 are once discharged in a direction away from the

first communication ports

54B and 54C, their path length becomes longer than when they are discharged in a direction approaching the

first communication ports

54B and 54C.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F, the shape and arrangement of the exhaust port 65, reflux port 66, reflux wall 67, and labyrinth wall 56 are vertically symmetrical in each figure. The gas exhaust paths of the

exhaust chambers

52D, 52E, and 52F are symmetrical to those of the

exhaust chambers

52C, 52B, and 52A, respectively, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In any of the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F, the gas flowing out from the second communication port 67A is finally exhausted from either the

collective exhaust port

55A or 55F.

4. Regarding the reflux path of the droplet D The reflux path of the droplet D in each of the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F will be described with reference to FIG. The arrow in FIG. 8 represents the path of the droplet D.

As described above, the bottom surface 69 of the exhaust chamber 52 is formed by a combination of a plurality of slopes that descend toward the second communication port 67A on the outside of the reflux wall 67, and the bottom surface 69 slopes downward toward the reflux port 66 on the inside of the reflux wall 67. It is a combination of multiple slopes that descend. The line of intersection between the reflux wall 67 and the bottom surface 69 is oblique to the slope of the bottom surface 69, and decreases as it approaches the second communication port 67A.

In this way, when a droplet D flowing along the slope of the bottom surface 69 hits the reflux wall 67, the droplet D changes direction and flows downward along the reflux wall 67, that is, in a direction approaching the second communication port 67A. . When the droplet D reaches the second communication port 67A, it passes through the second communication port 67A, enters the inside of the reflux wall 67, flows along the slope of the bottom surface 69 to the reflux port 66, passes through the reflux port 66, and enters the reflux wall 67. It is refluxed to the cell chamber 25.

In the exhaust chamber 52A in which the labyrinth wall 56 is provided, the droplets D near the collective exhaust port 55A reach the second communication port 67A via the labyrinth-shaped passage 57. In the labyrinth-like passage 57, the path length becomes long because the labyrinth wall 56 must be bypassed, and it takes time for the droplet D to return to the cell chamber 25A.

The

exhaust chambers

52B and 52C are not provided with a labyrinth wall 56, and a labyrinth-like passage 57 does not exist. Since the droplets D in the

exhaust chambers

52B and 52C can reach the second communication port 67A in a shorter distance than the exhaust chamber 52A, they flow back into the cell chamber 25 in a short time. The droplet D returns faster in the

exhaust chambers

52B and 52C than in the exhaust chamber 52A.

The reflux paths of the exhaust chambers 52D to 52F are symmetrical to the

exhaust chambers

52C, 52B, and 52A, so a description thereof will be omitted.

5. Effect Description (1) In the lead-acid battery 10 of this embodiment, the maze wall 56 is provided in the

first exhaust chambers

52A, 52F. The maze wall 56 is not provided in the exhaust chambers (52B to 52E) other than the

first exhaust chambers

52A and 52F.

Inside the

first exhaust chambers

52A and 52F, the labyrinth wall 56 restricts the direction of movement and the movable range of the electrolyte W. Even if the electrolytic solution W attempts to move within the first exhaust chamber 52A due to vibrations of a vehicle or the like in which the lead-acid battery 10 is mounted, the movement is restricted by the labyrinth wall 56. This makes it difficult for the electrolytic solution W to reach the

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F. Since the electrolytic solution W is less likely to be discharged to the outside of the lead storage battery 10 through the

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F, a decrease in the electrolytic solution W can be suppressed.

Further, in the exhaust chambers 52B to 52E that do not have the

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F, the labyrinth wall 56 does not exist, and the movement of the electrolyte W in the exhaust chambers is not restricted. If the movement of the electrolytic solution W is not restricted, the electrolytic solution W can flow along the slope of the bottom surface 69, and the electrolytic solution W reaches the reflux port 66 in a short time compared to the

first exhaust chambers

52A and 52F. . Thereby, the electrolytic solution W can be returned to the cell chamber 25 in a short time.

(2) In the lead-acid battery 10 of this embodiment, the labyrinth wall 56 forms a labyrinth-shaped passage 57 within the

first exhaust chambers

52A, 52F.

In the

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F in which the labyrinth wall 56 is provided, the presence of the labyrinth-like passage 57 increases the path length until the gas is exhausted, and the time the gas remains in the exhaust chamber increases. Cooling of the water vapor and adhesion of the droplets to the inner wall are promoted, and the electrolytic solution W contained in the gas easily returns to the droplets D. This makes it difficult for the electrolytic solution W to be discharged to the outside, thereby suppressing a decrease in the electrolytic solution W. On the other hand, in the other exhaust chambers 52B to 52E in which the labyrinth wall 56 is not provided, the droplet D in the exhaust chamber reaches the reflux port 66 through a shorter path than in the

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F, so the electrolyte W can be returned to the cell room 25 quickly.

(3) In the exhaust chamber 52A, the maze-like passage 57 is on the gas path between the first communication port 54A and the collective exhaust port 55A, and on the gas path between the exhaust port 65 and the collective exhaust port 55A. It is formed at at least one position on the route. The exhaust chamber 52F also has a similar configuration.

The gas flows into the exhaust chamber 52A through at least one of the first communication port 54A and the exhaust port 65. Since the inflowing gas flows toward the collective exhaust port 55A, which is the outlet, it passes through the maze-like passage 57 before being exhausted. By passing through the maze-like passage 57, the path length becomes longer, and water vapor and the like contained in the gas easily return to the droplet D. Thereby, the electrolytic solution W becomes difficult to be discharged, and the decrease in the electrolytic solution W can be further suppressed.

(4) The internal spaces of the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F are connected in a line through the first communication ports 54A to 54E. The exhaust chambers 52 provided with collective exhaust ports 55 for exhausting gas to the outside are

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F located at both ends of the row.

In either exhaust chamber 52, the gas flowing into the exhaust chamber 52 from the exhaust port 65 is divided into two parts and flows toward the

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F, which are the exits. By dividing the gas into two parts, the flow rate and flow velocity per direction are reduced, and the time it takes for the gas to be exhausted to the outside becomes longer. This promotes condensation of the water vapor contained in the gas, and makes it easier for droplets of the electrolytic solution W to adhere to the inner wall of the exhaust chamber 52, thereby suppressing a decrease in the electrolytic solution W.

Furthermore, even if one of the two

collective exhaust ports

55A, 55F becomes clogged or otherwise unable to exhaust air, it becomes possible to exhaust air from the other collective exhaust port. Thereby, an increase in the internal pressure of the battery case 15 can be suppressed.

(5) The exhaust chamber 52 has a reflux wall 67 surrounding the reflux port 66. The reflux wall 67 is formed with a second communication port 67A that communicates between the inside and outside of the reflux wall 67. The second communication port 67A opens in a direction away from the

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F, or in a direction away from at least one first communication port 54 (54A to 54E).

In a certain exhaust chamber 52, the gas exhausted from the second communication port 67A is discharged in a direction away from the

collective exhaust ports

55A, 55F or at least one of the first communication ports 54A to 54E in the same exhaust chamber 52. be done. The path length and time required for the gas to move to the outside of the lead-acid battery 10 or to the adjacent exhaust chamber 52 become longer, and the reflux of the electrolyte W in the original exhaust chamber 52 is promoted. This suppresses the decrease in the electrolytic solution W and the movement of the electrolytic solution W from the original exhaust chamber 52 to other exhaust chambers 52, and makes it difficult for the amount of the electrolytic solution W to differ between the cell chambers 25.

(6) The bottom surface 69 of the exhaust chamber 52 is composed of a plurality of inclined surfaces that descend toward the second communication port 67A on the outside of the reflux wall 67. The line of intersection between the reflux wall 67 and the bottom surface 69 is oblique to the slope of the bottom surface 69, and decreases as it approaches the second communication port 67A.

When the droplet D flowing toward the second communication port 67A on the inclined bottom surface 69 hits the reflux wall 67, it flows downward along the intersection line of the bottom surface 69 and the reflux wall 67, and flows toward the second communication port 67A. reach up to. The droplet D that has reached the second communication port 67A enters the inside of the reflux wall 67 and flows back into the cell chamber 25 through the reflux port 66. This makes it easier for the electrolytic solution W to return to the cell chamber 25.

<Embodiment 2>
Like the lead acid battery 10 of the first embodiment described above, the structure of the battery case 20 in which the cell chambers 25 are arranged in rows and columns is often applied to large lead acid batteries used in large vehicles. When the thickness of the lid member 50 is constant, as the lead-acid battery 10 becomes larger and the area of the exhaust chamber 52 becomes larger, the inclination angle of the bottom surface 69 becomes smaller. When the angle of inclination of the bottom surface 69 is small, it becomes difficult for the electrolytic solution W in the exhaust chamber 52 to flow along the inclination, and it becomes difficult for the electrolytic solution W to flow back into the battery container 20. Such problems become particularly noticeable when the area of the exhaust chamber is 6000 mm ² or more.

In the lead-acid battery 10 of the first embodiment described above, by providing the labyrinth wall 56 in the exhaust chamber 52, condensation of water vapor contained in the gas is promoted, and the electrolytic solution W discharged together with the gas can be reduced. On the other hand, the labyrinth wall 56 in the exhaust chamber 52 may obstruct the flow of the electrolytic solution W along the slope, making it difficult for the electrolytic solution W to flow back. Embodiment 2 shows a structure of a wall and a lid member that suppresses discharge of the electrolytic solution W from the collective exhaust port without interfering with the flow of the electrolytic solution W along the slope.

The lead-acid battery according to the second embodiment differs from the lead-acid battery 10 of the first embodiment in the structure of the lid member 150. The lid member 150 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. Description of the same structure as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

The lid member 150 includes an inner lid 160 and an upper lid 180. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the inner lid 160 that constitutes the lower side of the lid member 150. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the upper lid 180 that constitutes the upper side of the lid member 150.

As shown in FIG. 9, the inner lid 160 includes an annular lower exhaust partition 171 projecting upward, a lower exhaust partition 173X extending in the X direction, and a lower exhaust partition 173Y extending in the Y direction. ing. As shown in FIG. 10, the upper lid 180 includes an annular upper exhaust partition 181 that protrudes downward at a position overlapping with the lower exhaust partitions 171 and 173, an upper exhaust partition 183X extending in the X direction, and an upper exhaust partition 183X extending in the Y direction. It has an exhaust partition wall 183Y.

By joining the end surfaces of the inner lid 160 and the upper lid 180, the interior of the lid member 150 is divided into six exhaust chambers 152 (152A to 152F). As shown in FIG. 9, each exhaust chamber 152 has one exhaust port 165, one reflux port 166, and one reflux wall 167. A second communication port 167A that communicates the inside and outside of the reflux wall 167 is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the reflux wall 167.

As shown in FIG. 10, a total of six first communication ports 154 are formed in the upper exhaust partition walls 181X and 181Y. The first communication port 154 is a hole penetrating the wall surfaces of the upper exhaust partition walls 181X and 181Y. In the example of this embodiment, six first communication ports 154 are provided so as to connect the internal spaces of the exhaust chambers 152A to 152F in an annular manner.

The upper lid 180 is provided with

collective exhaust ports

155B and 155E. The collective exhaust port 155B communicates the exhaust chamber 152B with the external space, and has a function of exhausting the gas in the exhaust chamber 152B to the outside. Similarly, the collective exhaust port 155E also discharges the gas in the exhaust chamber 152E to the outside. The

exhaust chambers

152B and 152E having the

collective exhaust ports

155B and 155E are examples of "first exhaust chambers." The

exhaust chambers

152A, 152B, and 152C are symmetrical to the

exhaust chambers

152F, 152E, and 152D, respectively. The exhaust chamber 152B will be explained below.

As shown in FIG. 9, the collective exhaust port 155B communicates with an exhaust passage 153 that is an exhaust route on the internal space side of the exhaust chamber 152B, and an exhaust opening 153P that is an opening on the internal space side that communicates with the exhaust chamber 152B. ,have. The opening width of the exhaust opening 153P is set to W1 (see FIG. 11). The gas in the exhaust chamber 152B is exhausted from the exhaust opening 153P via the exhaust passage 153.

Inside the exhaust chamber 152B, a baffle wall (an example of a "first wall") 158 and a guide wall (an example of a "second wall") 159 are provided. The baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 are formed by vertically joining a portion formed in the inner lid 160 and a portion formed in the upper lid 180.

The baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 have a function of regulating the movement of the electrolytic solution W within the exhaust chamber 152B. FIG. 11 shows a partially enlarged view of the exhaust chamber 152B. The baffle wall 158 is erected at a position facing the exhaust opening 153P with a space therebetween. Let the width of the baffle wall 158 be W2.

As shown in FIG. 11, the exhaust opening 153P opens substantially downward in the plane of the paper. The baffle wall 158 is located lower in the drawing (on the open side) with respect to the exhaust opening 153P, and the wall surface of the baffle wall 158 faces the exhaust opening 153P. The width W2 of the baffle wall 158 is larger than the opening width W1 of the exhaust opening 153P.

The guide wall 159 is provided on the opposite side of the exhaust opening 153P when viewed from the baffle wall 158. In the guide wall 159, a first guide wall 159A extending in a direction away from the exhaust opening 153P and a second guide wall 159B extending in a direction approaching the second communication port 167A are connected at their respective ends. It is roughly L-shaped. The end of the first guide wall 159A that is not connected to the second guide wall 159B is connected to the baffle wall 158. The baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 are integrally formed.

The lid member 150 of this embodiment has the above configuration. Next, the effects of this embodiment will be explained.

In the lead-acid battery of the second embodiment, the collective exhaust port 155B has an exhaust opening 153P that communicates with the first exhaust chamber 152B, and the baffle wall 158 is provided at a position facing the exhaust opening 153P with a space therebetween. There is.

In such a configuration, the electrolytic solution W moving from the bottom to the top in the paper of FIG. Arrow E1). Therefore, it becomes difficult for the electrolytic solution W to reach the exhaust opening 153P, and it is possible to suppress the electrolytic solution W from being discharged to the outside from the collective exhaust port 155B.

The gas in the first exhaust chamber 152B reaches the exhaust opening 153P through the gap between the baffle wall 158 and the opening edge of the exhaust opening 153P, and is exhausted to the outside from the collective exhaust port 155B. In this way, since there is a gap between the baffle wall 158 and the exhaust opening 153P, the baffle wall 158 does not hinder gas discharge.

In the lead-acid battery of the second embodiment, the first exhaust chamber 152B has a reflux wall 167 surrounding a reflux port 166, and a second communication port 167A that communicates between the inside and outside of the reflux wall 167 is formed in the reflux wall 167. The bottom surface 69 is composed of a plurality of inclined surfaces that descend toward the second communication port 167A on the outside of the reflux wall 167, and the wall includes a guide wall 159 in addition to the baffle wall 158. A first guide wall 159A or a second communication port that is provided on the opposite side of the exhaust opening 153P and extends in a direction away from the exhaust opening 153P starting from a side close to the exhaust opening 153P when viewed from above. It has a second guide wall 159B extending along at least one of the directions approaching 167A.

The first guiding wall 159A guides the electrolytic solution W (arrow line E1) blocked by the baffle wall 158 and other electrolytic solutions W moving in the direction approaching the exhaust opening 153P in the direction away from the exhaust opening 153P. It has a function (FIG. 11, arrow E2). Due to the induction effect of the first guide wall 159A, the electrolytic solution W is less likely to stay near the exhaust opening 153P, so that the amount of electrolytic solution W that moves from the exhaust opening 153P to the exhaust passage 153 can be reduced.

The second guide wall 159B allows the electrolyte W guided away from the exhaust opening 153P by the first guide wall 159A (FIG. 11, arrow E2), and other electrolytes moving toward the exhaust opening 153P. It has a function of guiding W in the direction of the second communication port 167A (arrow E3). The electrolytic solution W guided to the second communication port 167A enters inside the reflux wall 167, reaches the reflux port 166, and is finally refluxed to the battery container 20. Since the second guide wall 159B guides the electrolyte W in the direction of the reflux port 167A, the electrolyte W can be refluxed into the battery container 20 in a short time.

In the lead-acid battery of the second embodiment, the guide wall 159 (first guide wall 159A) is connected to the baffle wall 158. Further, the end of the first guide wall 159A that is not connected to the baffle wall 158 is connected to the second guide wall 159B.

Since the baffle wall 158 and the first guide wall 159A are connected, most of the electrolyte W (arrow line E1) blocked by the baffle wall 158 is guided away from the exhaust opening 153P by the first guide wall 159A. (arrow line E2). Furthermore, since the first guide wall 159A and the second guide wall 159B are connected, most of the electrolyte W (arrow E2) guided by the first guide wall 159A is directed toward the second communication port 167A. guided (arrow E3). Thereby, the electrolytic solution W can be smoothly moved away from the exhaust opening 153P, so that reduction in the electrolytic solution W can be suppressed.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention; It can be implemented with various modifications.

(1) In Embodiment 1, the maze-like passage 57 is provided in two first exhaust chambers (

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F) that are part of the six exhaust chambers 52. did. There may be one first exhaust chamber having the maze-like passage 57, or there may be three or more.

(2) In the first embodiment, in the

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F, the maze-like passage 57 is provided on the gas path between the first communication port 54A and the collective exhaust port 55A; It may be provided at other positions within 52A and 52F.

(3) In the first embodiment described above, in the

exhaust chambers

52A and 52F, the maze-like passage 57 is provided on the gas path between the exhaust port 65 and the collective exhaust port 55A, but the exhaust chamber 52A, It may be provided at other positions within 52F.

(4) In the first embodiment, the internal spaces of the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F are connected in a line through the first communication port 54. The exhaust chambers 52A to 52F may be connected in a line, or may be connected so as to branch or merge.

(5) In the first embodiment, the exhaust chambers 52A to 52F are connected in a line through the first communication port 54, and the

exhaust chambers

52A and 55F located at both ends of the line are provided with

collective exhaust ports

55A and 55F, respectively. ing. The exhaust chambers 52 in which the collective exhaust ports 55 are provided may be exhaust chambers 52 other than those at both ends of the row.

(6) In the first embodiment, the lead acid battery 10 is exemplified as having six cells connected in series. The number of cells is not limited to six, and may be five or less, or seven or more. Moreover, a plurality of cells may be connected in parallel.

(7) In the first and second embodiments described above, the battery case 20 is illustrated in which two rows of three cells are arranged in each row, but the number of cells per row and the number of rows are not limited to this.

(8) In the first and second embodiments, the lead acid battery 10 has the reflux wall 67 surrounding the reflux port 66. The lead acid battery 10 does not need to have the reflux wall 67.

(9) In Embodiment 2 above, the case where a part of the wall forming the exhaust passage 153 is made up of a part of the reflux wall 167 and a part of the wall around the liquid injection port 175 is exemplified. The wall constituting the exhaust passage 153 may be formed from a wall independent of other components in the exhaust chamber 152 (recirculation wall 167, etc.).

(10) In Embodiment 2 above, the case is illustrated in which the walls include a baffle wall (first wall) 158 and a guide wall (second wall) 159. The wall may include only the baffle wall 158 without including the guide wall 159.

(11) In the second embodiment, the second wall includes the first guide wall 159A and the second guide wall 159B. The second wall may include at least one of the first guide wall 159A and the second guide wall 159B.

(12) In the above second embodiment, the case where there are two first exhaust chambers having collective exhaust ports,

exhaust chambers

152B and 152E, is illustrated, but the number of first exhaust chambers is not limited to two. There may be one, or there may be three or more. Moreover, which exhaust chamber among the plurality of exhaust chambers may be the first exhaust chamber.

(13) In the second embodiment, the case where the guide wall 159 is connected to the baffle wall 158 has been described as an example, but the two may not be connected. The baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 may exist independently at intervals within the exhaust chamber 152B.

(14) In the second embodiment, the guide wall 159 has a substantially L-shaped shape in which the first guide wall 159A and the second guide wall 159B extending in different directions are connected. The guide wall 159 may be either the first guide wall 159A or the second guide wall 159B. Further, the first guide wall 159A and the second guide wall 159B may not be connected.

(15) In the second embodiment, the baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 are connected from the bottom to the ceiling wall, but they do not need to be connected to the ceiling wall. The baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159 are provided to stand upward from the bottom surface, and the flow direction of the electrolytic solution moving on the bottom surface can be limited to the direction along the extension direction of each wall.

(16) In the first embodiment described above, the case where the wall (maze wall 56) is provided only in the

first exhaust chambers

52A and 52F is illustrated. Further, in the second embodiment, a case is illustrated in which the walls (the baffle wall 158 and the guide wall 159B) are provided only in the

first exhaust chambers

152B and 152F. The wall may be provided only in the first exhaust chamber, or may be provided in the other exhaust chambers.

10: Lead-acid battery 20: Battery case 25: Cell chamber 52: Exhaust chamber 54: First communication port 55: Bulk exhaust port 56: Maze wall 57: Maze-shaped passage 60: Inner lid 65: Exhaust port 66: Reflux port 69 : Bottom W: Electrolyte

Claims

A lead-acid battery comprising a battery case with an open top, an inner cover that seals the opening of the battery case, and an upper cover that covers the inner cover from above,
The battery case houses an electrode plate and an electrolyte, and has a plurality of cell chambers arranged in a matrix,
The space between the upper lid and the inner lid is divided by an exhaust partition into exhaust chambers corresponding to each of the cell chambers on a one-to-one basis,
A first communication port that communicates the adjacent exhaust chambers is formed in the exhaust partition,
An exhaust port for exhausting gas generated in the cell chamber to the exhaust chamber, and a reflux port for refluxing the electrolyte in the exhaust chamber to the cell chamber are formed on the bottom surface of the exhaust chamber,
At least one of the plurality of exhaust chambers is a first exhaust chamber provided with a collective exhaust port for exhausting gas to the outside of the lead acid battery;
Among the plurality of exhaust chambers, the bottom surface of the first exhaust chamber is provided with a wall corresponding to the collective exhaust port.
The lead acid battery according to claim 1,
The lead-acid battery, wherein the wall is a labyrinth wall forming a labyrinth-like passage within the first exhaust chamber.
The lead acid battery according to claim 2,
The labyrinth-like passage is located at least at any position on the gas path between the first communication port and the collective exhaust port, and on the gas path between the exhaust port and the collective exhaust port. A lead-acid battery made of
The lead acid battery according to claim 2 or 3,
The internal spaces of the plurality of exhaust chambers are connected in a line through the first communication port,
The first exhaust chambers are located at each end of the row of exhaust chambers in the lead-acid battery.
The lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The exhaust chamber has a reflux wall surrounding the reflux port,
A second communication port is formed in the reflux wall, and the second communication port communicates between the inside and outside of the reflux wall.
In the lead-acid battery, the second communication port opens in a direction away from the collective exhaust port or in a direction away from at least one of the first communication ports.
The lead acid battery according to claim 5,
The bottom surface is formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces that descend toward the second communication port on the outside of the reflux wall,
In the lead-acid battery, the line of intersection between the reflux wall and the bottom surface is oblique to the slope of the bottom surface, and lowers as it approaches the second communication port.
The lead acid battery according to claim 1,
The collective exhaust port has an exhaust opening that communicates with the first exhaust chamber,
The lead-acid battery, wherein the wall includes a first wall spaced apart from and facing the exhaust opening.
The lead acid battery according to claim 7,
The first exhaust chamber has a reflux wall surrounding the reflux port,
A second communication port is formed in the reflux wall, and the second communication port communicates between the inside and outside of the reflux wall.
The bottom surface is formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces that descend toward the second communication port on the outside of the reflux wall,
The wall includes a second wall in addition to the first wall,
The second wall is provided on the opposite side of the exhaust opening when viewed from the first wall, and is arranged in a direction away from the exhaust opening starting from a side closer to the exhaust opening, or in a direction away from the exhaust opening, or A lead-acid battery extending along at least one of the directions approaching the communication port.
The lead acid battery according to claim 8,
The second wall is a lead-acid battery connected to the first wall.