Battery receiving device, power source device using the same, and electric motor vehicle using the devices

• US 20050242782A1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Kenji, Kadouchi, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,501,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/106 PTC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides battery storing device (100) that can easily suppress temperature increase in a battery and a battery storing section in high-temperature using environment, without damaging excellent heat retaining function of the battery that is required for low-temperature using environment. Battery storing device (100) has battery storing box body (2), battery storing section (30) in the box body, and battery group (1) stored in battery storing section (30). Battery storing box body (2) is made of heat insulating material and has a heat retaining function of battery group (1). Battery storing device (100) further has lid body (3), opening/closing lid body (6) for opening and closing opening (5) for releasing the heat retaining function, magnetic material (7) disposed at an end of opening/closing lid body (6), electromagnet (8), and electromagnet (9).

Claims

1. A battery storing device comprising:

a battery storing section that can store a battery inside and has a heat retaining function of retaining heat of the battery that is stored inside using heat insulating material; and

a heat retention releasing mechanism for releasing the heat retaining function.

2. A battery storing device according to claim 1,

wherein the heat insulating material is vacuum heat insulating material.

3. A battery storing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an independent discharge circuit that is directly coupled to the battery and can operate discharge independently from the charge/discharge operation of a main circuit.

4. A battery storing device according to claim 3,

wherein the independent discharge circuit has a heating resistor.

5. A battery storing device according to claim 3 or claim 4,

wherein the independent discharge circuit has at least a PTC device.

6. A battery storing device according to one of claim 3 to claim 5, further comprising:

a temperature detector for detecting temperature inside the battery storing section; and

a circuit control section for controlling the independent discharge circuit based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

7. A battery storing device according to one of claim 1 to claim 6,

wherein the heat retention releasing mechanism opens and closes an opening for making air flow between the inside and outside of the battery storing section.

8. A battery storing device according to one of claim 1 to claim 6,

wherein the heat retention releasing mechanism comprises:

a heat conductor forming a heat conduction route for conducting heat between the inside and outside of the battery storing section; and

a mechanism for opening and closing the heat conduction route.

9. A battery storing device according to one of claim 1 to claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature detector for detecting temperature inside the battery storing section; and

a heat-retention release control section for controlling the heat retention releasing mechanism based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

10. A battery storing device according to one of claim 1 to claim 9,

wherein the battery is a lithium secondary battery.

11. A power supply device comprising:

a battery storing device according to one of claim 1 to claim 10;

and

a battery stored in the battery storing device.

12. An electric vehicle comprising:

a power supply device according to claim 11;

and

an electrically driven mechanism for being driven by power supply from the power supply device.