Cooling device for battery pack and rechargeable battery

• US 20040004461A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Eto, Toyohiki, Hamada, Shinji, Watanabe, Ko, Asahina, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,914,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

In a battery pack including a plurality of prismatic rechargeable batteries arranged in parallel with ventilation spaces being provided therebetween, the battery pack is constituted so that cooling air is downwardly sent from above the battery pack through the ventilation spaces. In accordance with a temperature detected with a temperature detection sensor attached to the lower end of the rechargeable battery, a blower fan is controlled by a control section. Moreover, a sensor placement concave, which is separated from a space inside a battery case through a thin partition wall, is provided on a bottom wall of the battery case of the rechargeable battery. The temperature detection sensor is placed in the sensor placement concave so as to be pressed against the partition wall.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a battery pack including a plurality of prismatic rechargeable batteries arranged in parallel with a ventilation space being provided therebetween, the cooling device comprising:

a blower device for downwardly sending cooling air from above the battery pack through the ventilation space; and

a control device for controlling the blower device in accordance with a temperature detected by a temperature detection sensor attached to a lower end of the rechargeable battery.

2. A rechargeable battery comprising:

a sealed prismatic battery case for accommodating an electricity generating element, the battery case having a sensor placement concave being provided on a bottom wall of the battery case through a partition wall thinner than the bottom wall so as to be separated from a space inside the battery case; and

a temperature detection sensor provided in the sensor placement concave and pressed against the partition wall.

3. The rechargeable battery according to claim 2, wherein the temperature detection sensor includes a main body having a detection portion therein, the main body being almost entirely placed within the sensor placement concave.

4. The rechargeable battery according to claim 3, wherein

the temperature detection sensor includes the main body and elastically deformable attachment arms being upwardly extended from both sides of the main body, the attachment arms having engaging portions at their tips;

and

engaging protruding portions for engaging with the engaging portions of the attachment arms are provided on a bottom of the battery case on its both side so that the main body is pressed against the partition wall with the engaging portions of the attachment arms being engaged with the engaging protruding portions.

5. The rechargeable battery according to claim 4, wherein side face concaves are formed at lower portions in both side faces of the battery case;

the engaging protruding portions are provided at centers of lower ends of the side face concaves so as not to protrude beyond the both side faces of the battery case; and

the engaging portions of the attachment arms are respectively placed within the side face concaves.