Battery structure for electric vehicle and battery module

• US 20010046624A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Goto, Takeyuki, Onuki, Toshiaki, Aiba, Tsunemi
• Application Number:
  US09/803,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20010046624A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery structure for an electric vehicle which has an excellent cooling performance, which can fix battery cells securely, and which can improve work efficiency in assembling. A battery module 1 is provided with a battery case main body comprising an upper cover 4, a middle cover 5 and a lower cover 6, and two side covers covering exposed side surfaces of battery cells held in the battery case main body in a horizontal state. The upper cover 4 and the lower cover 6 are respectively formed with discharging side ventilating holes 14a and introducing side ventilating holes 14b which allow cooling air to flow upwardly and total aperture area of the discharging side ventilating holes 14a is set to 1/2 of total aperture area of the introducing side ventilating holes 14b. A plurality of holding ribs which divide the interior of the battery case into a plurality of partition rooms to hold the battery cells in a horizontal state are formed on the upper cover 4, the middle cover 5 and the upper cover 6. Cooling air is supplied from the lower cover 6 side to the upper cover 4 side.

Claims

1. A battery structure for an electric vehicle where a plurality of pillar shaped battery cells are accommodated in a battery case and the battery cells are electrically connected, comprising:

an upper covering member, having a plurality of holding ribs for dividing the battery case into a plurality of partition rooms in a longitudinal direction and for holding the battery cells in a horizontal state, and in which a plurality of ventilating holes for discharging cooling air from the battery case are formed;

a middle covering member, having a plurality of holding ribs for dividing the battery case into a plurality of partition rooms in a longitudinal direction and for holding the battery cells in a horizontal state;

a lower covering member, having a plurality of holding ribs for dividing the battery case into a plurality of partition rooms in a longitudinal direction and for holding the battery cells in a horizontal state, and in which a plurality of ventilating holes, whose total aperture area is larger than a total aperture area of the ventilating holes formed in the upper covering member, for introducing the cooling air into the battery case are formed; and

two side covering members for covering exposed side surfaces of the battery cells which are held in the horizontal state.

2. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein an aperture area of each of the ventilating holes formed in the upper covering member is smaller than that of each of the ventilating holes formed in the lower covering member, and the number of the ventilating holes formed in the upper covering member is larger than that of the ventilating holes formed in the lower covering member.

3. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein circular arc shaped holding end surfaces, on which groove portions are formed in a circumferential direction, for holding the battery cells, are formed in the holding ribs, and adhesives are filled up in the groove portions.

4. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein a tunnel part which penetrates through the upper covering member in a longitudinal direction and which accommodates lead wires for internal wiring is formed in the upper covering member, and the lead wires are not exposed to an exterior of the battery case.

5. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein the middle covering member has strengthening ribs in a longitudinal direction for strengthening the holding ribs of the middle covering member.

6. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein a plurality of foot portions which are provided so as to project out from a bottom face of the lower covering are formed, and the bottom face is separated from a mounting floor for the battery case.

7. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein the exposed side surfaces of the battery cells are connected with a connecting member for connecting battery cells electrically in series.

8. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein a plurality of fuse holding ribs for holding a fuse from a bottom side are formed so as to project toward the fuse on an upper portion of one of the side covering members, and the fuse is held and fixed in a vertical direction by the fuse holding ribs and a fuse cover on which a plurality of fuse holding ribs for holding the fuse from an upper side are formed so as to project inside the fuse cover.

9. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein an accommodating portion for accommodating a battery cell control unit for controlling the battery cells is disposed at an upper portion of another of the side covering members, a plurality of unit holding ribs for holding the battery cell control unit from a bottom side are formed so as to project toward the battery cell control unit, and the battery cell control unit is held and fixed in a vertical direction by the unit holding ribs and a battery cell control unit cover on which a plurality of unit holding ribs for holding the battery cell control unit from an upper side are formed so as to project inside the battery cell control unit cover.

10. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 8

, wherein external output terminals are formed vertically via an insulating material so as to stride over the fuse on the upper portion of one of the side covering members.

11. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 9

, wherein the accommodating portion is mounted on the upper covering unit.

12. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein the battery cell is covered with an outer tube made of resin material having electrical insulation.

13. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein the battery case accommodates eight battery cells in total in four rows along a horizontal direction and in two rows along a vertical direction.

14. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

, wherein each of joining end faces of the upper covering member, the middle covering member and the lower covering member has a straight scarf joint structure.

15. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 2

, wherein the aperture area of each of the ventilating holes formed in the upper covering member is ½

of that of each of the ventilating holes formed in the lower covering member

16. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 3

, wherein the holding ribs are at least formed at positions where both end portions of electrode groups of the battery cells are held.

17. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 3

, wherein one of the holing ribs is formed at a central position, in a longitudinal direction, of the battery cells.

18. A battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 4

, wherein the tunnel part is formed at an inside of the upper covering member.

19. A battery module having the battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 1

.

20. A battery module having the battery structure for an electric vehicle according to

claim 2

.