Battery block with external guiding member receiving a rail

• US 10,099,572 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Energy Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Motokawa, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/423,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 429 99
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Each battery block is formed by a plurality of unit cells arranged. Coupling a plurality of battery blocks with each other forms a battery module. Guiding members, through which a rail is made to pass, is provided on an external surface of the battery block, where the rail is used to couple the battery block with another battery block. The guiding members are provided on at least two adjacent lateral faces of four lateral faces excluding electrode faces of the battery block.

Claims

1. A cell module comprising:

a plurality of battery blocks, each including a plurality of unit cells arranged together;

first guiding members on respective first external surfaces of

the plurality of battery blocks and located on the same plane when the plurality of blocks are arranged such that unit cells are aligned in a first direction;

second guiding members on respective second external surfaces of the plurality of battery blocks adjacent to respective first external surfaces and located on the same plane when the plurality of blocks are arranged such that unit cells are aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

a rail received by the first guiding members when the plurality of blocks are arranged such that unit cells are aligned in the first direction and coupling the plurality of battery block to each other, and received by the second guide members when the plurality of blocks are arranged such that unit cells are aligned in the second direction and coupling the plurality of blocks to each other.

2. The cell module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of unit cells are arranged in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and

wherein the first and second guiding members each include portions provided on at least two opposing faces of the battery block, on which a cathode external terminal and an anode external terminal thereof are arranged, respectively.

3. The cell module according to claim 2, wherein the first and second guiding members are each provided in an orientation such that the rail passes through in a direction parallel to a face where each of the cathode external terminal and the anode external terminal is arranged on each of their mounting surfaces, and

the first and second guiding member members are each provided in a position where distances between the guiding members and the face having either the cathode external terminal or the anode external terminal are equal.

4. The cell module according to claim 1, wherein the first and second guide members are on brackets fitted to the plurality of battery blocks, each of the brackets includes a planar portion and a gripper portion extending from sides of the planar portion, and the first guiding members are on the gripper portion and the second guiding members are on the planar portion.