Battery pack structure with heater

• US 20080096072A1
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ETO, Toyohiko, FUKUSAKO, Naoki, MISU, Masahiro, MARUKAWA, Shuhei
• Granted Patent: US 7,989,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5038 Heating or cooling of cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack structure with heater including a plurality of secondary batteries, a housing case housing them, and a heater is arranged to prevent uneven heating among the secondary batteries, reducing temperature variations among the secondary batteries. Specifically, the battery pack structure with heater of the present invention includes: a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries and a housing case housing them; a first heater; and a second heater. The housing case includes a metal spaced part separated with a space S from each of the secondary batteries. The first heater and the second heater are placed on at least part of an outer surface of the spaced part of the housing case.

Claims

1. A battery pack structure with heater comprising:

a battery pack including;

a plurality of secondary batteries each of which includes a power generating element and a battery case accommodating the power generating element; and

a housing case that houses the plurality of secondary batteries; and

a heater,

wherein the housing case includes a spaced part made of metal which is located with a space from each of the secondary batteries, and

the heater is placed on at least part of an outer surface of the spaced part.

2. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the heater is detachably placed on the outer surface of the spaced part.

3. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the housing case and the plurality of secondary batteries are arranged in a positional relation that the spaced part of the housing case is located with the space from and below the secondary batteries in a vertical direction when the battery pack structure with heater is disposed in a position in use.

4. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the secondary batteries are arranged in a row,

the spaced part of the housing case includes a specific spaced portion located with the space from a specific secondary battery of the secondary batteries in a direction perpendicular to a row direction of the secondary batteries, and

the heater is placed on the outer surface of the spaced part excepting the specific spaced portion.

5. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the secondary batteries are connected in series to each other.

6. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the space between the spaced part of the housing case and the secondary batteries also serves as an air passage of cooled air.

7. The battery pack structure with heater according to claim 1, wherein the heater is configured to be energized by a household AC power source to generate heat.