Battery module

• US 10,693,112 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Takeshi, Shimizu, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Leong, Jonathan G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buchanan, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US15/743,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20180205048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/186 characterised by the disposition of the sealing members
• 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: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/44 of tubular or cup-shaped cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery module includes: cells; and a battery holder made of a resin material that contains a filler in a resin matrix. In the resin material of the battery holder, the lower limit of the content of the filler is determined on the basis of the endothermic amount, and the upper limit of the content of the filler is determined on the basis of the viscosity. Another battery module includes: cylindrical cells; and a battery holder having a plurality of tubular first accommodation portions each having a substantially hexagonal hole and a plurality of tubular second accommodation portions each having a substantially polygonal (heptagonal or more) hole. In the battery holder, the first accommodation portions and second accommodation portions are arranged in a manner of log pile by sandwiching a first column including the first accommodation portions between second columns including the second accommodation portions.

Claims

1. A battery module comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical cells; and

a battery holder having a plurality of tubular accommodation portions for respectively accommodating the plurality of cylindrical cells,

wherein the battery holder includes, as the plurality of accommodation portions;

a plurality of first accommodation portions each having a substantially hexagonal hole; and

a plurality of second accommodation portions each having a substantially polygonal hole including a seven or more sided hole, and

wherein, in order to arrange the plurality of first accommodation portions and the plurality of second accommodation portions in a manner of log pile, second columns including the plurality of second accommodation portions are disposed on opposite sides in the battery holder so that a first column including the plurality of first accommodation portions is sandwiched between the second columns.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

a hole shape of a half, on a first accommodation portion side, of each of the plurality of second accommodation portions is substantially the same as a hole shape of each of the plurality of first accommodation portions equally divided into two along the first column.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein

each of the plurality of second accommodation portions has a substantially heptagonal hole.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

at corners of the hole of each of the plurality of first accommodation portions and the plurality of second accommodation portions, thick portions overhanging toward an inside of the hole are formed so that the thick portions do not come into contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of cylindrical cells.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

a first partition of a second accommodation portion, of the plurality of second accommodation portions, located at an end of the battery holder has a thick portion thicker than a partition other than the first partition of the second accommodation portion.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the battery holder is made of a resin material containing a filler in a resin matrix, and

in the resin material, a lower limit of a content of the filler is determined based on an endothermic amount, and an upper limit of the content of the filler is determined based on a viscosity.