Battery

• US 20050089751A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oogami, Etsuo, Shimizu, Takeshi, Kouda, Satoru, Amagai, Ryuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,648,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0468 Compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0481 Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0486 Frames for plates or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding

Abstract

Unit cells are held in a plate frame to form a cell module. A plurality of the cell modules is laminated in a thickness direction of the frame to form a laminated structure of unit cells. The cell unit is pressurized with heat sinks from both sides in the direction of the lamination, and is integrally held to form a battery.

Claims

1. A battery comprising

a laminated structure of cell modules, each of the cell module including one or a plurality of flat unit cells, wherein the flat unit cells are electrically connected to each other.

2. A battery according to claim 1, wherein

the flat unit cells are not electrically connected to each other within each cell module;

and

each flat unit cell is electrically connected to a corresponding flat unit cell included by the adjacent cell module.

3. A battery according to claim 1, further comprising

plate frames each of which holds one flat unit cell, wherein the frames are laminated to form the laminated structure.

4. A battery according to claim 1, further comprising

plate frames each of which has the flat unit cells within each cell module arrayed on a virtual plane, wherein the frames are laminated in a direction intersecting the virtual plane.

5. A battery according to claim 1, further comprising

holders each of which integrally holds the cell unit by pressurizing the cell unit.

6. A battery according to claim 3, wherein:

the frame has a holder that holds the flat unit cell; and

the holder has a peripheral supporter that supports a part of the periphery of the flat unit cell, and a positioner that positions the flat unit cell therein.

7. A battery according to claim 4, wherein:

the frame has a holder that holds the flat unit cell; and

the holder has a peripheral supporter that supports a part of the periphery of the flat unit cell, and a positioner that positions the flat unit cell.

8. A battery according to claim 3, wherein

the frame has a first connector that electrically connects one electrode tab of the flat unit cell being held in the frame to one electrode tab of the flat unit cell being held in another frame adjacent thereto in the lamination direction.

9. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the frame has first connectors each electrically connects one electrode tab of the flat unit cell being held in the frame to one electrode tab of the flat unit cell being held in another frame adjacent thereto in the lamination direction.

10. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the frame has second connectors each electrically connects one electrode tab of the flat unit cell being held in the frame to one electrode tab of the other flat unit cell being held in the same frame.

11. A battery according to claim 3, wherein

the frame has a voltage detecting terminal that detects a voltage of the flat unit cell being held in the frame and that is electrically connected to the electrode tab of the flat unit cell.

12. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the frame has a voltage detecting terminal that detects a voltage of the flat unit cell being held in the frame and that is electrically connected to the electrode tab of the flat unit cell.

13. A battery according to claim 5, wherein

the holder functions as a pressurizing unit that applies a surface pressure in a lamination direction to all the flat unit cells constituting the cell unit, and functions as a cooler that cools the cell unit by dissipating heat generated from the cell unit.

14. A battery according to claim 5, wherein

the holder has a third connector that electrically connects one laminated structure of cell modules to another laminated structure of cell modules.

15. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

at least one cooler is interposed between the laminated frames.

16. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the external surface of the flat unit cell is in direct contact with the external surface of a flat unit cell adjacent to the flat unit cell in the lamination direction.

17. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the flat unit cells are held in the frame such that polarities of the electrode tabs of the flat unit cells are alternately arranged in the lamination direction.

18. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the flat unit cells laid out in one frame are held in th e frame such that polarities of the electrode tabs are alternated arranged in the layout direction.

19. A battery according to claim 4, wherein

the flat unit cell has a laminated power generation element having positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates laminated in order inside;

and

the flat unit cells are laminated in the same direction as the lamination direction of the positive electrode plates and the negative electrode plates of the power generation element.

20. A battery according to claim 1, wherein

all the flat unit cells are electrically connected in series.

21. A method of manufacturing a battery comprising steps of:

forming a cell module including a plurality of flat unit cells; and

forming a laminated structure of cell modules in which the flat unit cells are electrically connected to each other.

22. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

at the step of forming the cell module, the flat unit cells are not electrically connected to each other, and

at the step of forming the laminated structure, each of the flat unit cells is electrically connected to a corresponding flat unit cell being included by the adjacent cell module.

23. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

the step of forming the cell module includes the steps of:

holding one flat unit cell in a plate frame; and

laminating the plate frames that hold the flat unit cells.

24. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

in the step of forming the cell module, a plurality of flat unit cells arrayed on one plane are held in a frame.

25. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

the step of forming the laminated structure includes

the step of welding a flat unit cell that forms one cell module and a flat unit cell that forms another cell module.

26. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

the step of forming the laminated structure includes

the step of mechanically connecting a flat unit cell that forms one cell module to a flat unit cell that forms another cell module.

27. A method of manufacturing a battery according to claim 21, wherein

the step of forming the laminated structure includes

the step of electrically connecting a flat unit cell that forms one cell module to a flat unit cell that forms another cell module, by welding and by mechanical connection.