CAR POWER SOURCE APPARATUS

• US 20100167116A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OKADA, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 8,426,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/158
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/325 comprising deformable valve members, e.g. elastic or flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/578 in response to pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A case 20 of each battery cell 1 houses a current interrupt device 30 that cuts-off current when internal pressure exceeds a set pressure. The case has a rectangular outline with a pair of opposing planar surfaces 20A. An electrode unit 10, which is a stack of positive and negative electrode plates 10A with intervening separators 10C, and the current interrupt device 30 are disposed between the pair of opposing planar surfaces. A plurality of battery cells is stacked with opposing planar surfaces 20A opposite each other to form a battery block 2. The power source apparatus has a pair of endplates 4 disposed at the ends of the battery block 2, the pair of endplates 4 is connected by connecting components 5, and the pair of endplates 4 holds the battery cells 1 in the stacked configuration applying pressure in a direction perpendicular to the opposing planar surfaces 20A.

Claims

1. A car power source apparatus comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

each of battery cells having

a case and

a current interrupt device housed therein, the current interrupt device deforming to separate a connection point and cut-off current when the battery cell internal pressure exceeds a set pressure; and

a high voltage battery having the plurality of battery cells connected in series or parallel, each battery cell having the current interrupt device connected to an electrode terminal,

wherein

the case has a rectangular outline with a pair of opposing planar surfaces, an electrode unit, which is a stack of positive and negative electrode plates with intervening separators, and the current interrupt device are disposed between the pair of opposing planar surfaces,

the plurality of battery cells is stacked with opposing planar surfaces opposite each other to form a battery block, a pair of endplates is disposed at the ends of the battery block, the pair of endplates is connected by connecting components, and the pair of endplates holds the battery cells in the stacked configuration applying pressure in a direction perpendicular to the opposing planar surfaces.

2. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the current interrupt device is provided with a deformable metal plate that deforms with battery cell internal pressure, and connection metal that locally connects electrically to the deformable metal plate;

when battery cell internal pressure becomes greater than the set pressure, the deformable metal plate deforms due to pressure and detaches from the connection metal to cut-off current.

3. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 2 wherein the deformable metal plate is a diaphragm formed in a curved arch-shape, and the peak region of the diaphragm is welded to the connection metal for electrical connection.

4. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 3 wherein the diaphragm is connected to an electrode terminal, and the connection metal is connected to an electrode tab that is connected to an electrode plate.

5. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 3 wherein the current interrupt device houses the diaphragm and the connection metal in and inner case made from insulating material.

6. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 5 wherein the inner case joins one side of the diaphragm with the inside of the battery cell, and seals-off the other side of the diaphragm in an airtight fashion.

7. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 3 wherein the current interrupt device has the bottom surface of a cover plate attached in an airtight fashion to one side of the diaphragm, which is the deformable metal plate, to hermetically seal-off one side of the diaphragm.

8. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 7 wherein the current interrupt device has the cover plate and the diaphragm shaped as disks, and the cover plate and the diaphragm are attached in an airtight fashion around the periphery rim.

9. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the current interrupt device is connected between an electrode terminal established on the battery cell and the electrode unit housed in the case.

10. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the battery cell is provided with a safety valve that opens when internal pressure rises, and the pressure for safety valve opening is set greater that the pressure for current cut-off by the current interrupt device.

11. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the electrode unit has positive and negative electrode plates and intervening separators stacked and wound in a spiral-shape with planar sections and U-shaped rounded sections, and the electrode unit is put in the case with the planar sections parallel to the opposing planar surfaces of the case.

12. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the case is a metal case, and insulating material is provided between the inside surfaces of the case and the conducting regions of the current interrupt device.

13. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein insulating material is provided between the inside surfaces of the case and conducting regions of the electrode unit.

14. The car power source apparatus as cited claim 1 wherein the endplates are provided with reinforcing ribs extending vertically and horizontally on the outside surface and formed in single-piece construction with the endplates.

15. The car power source apparatus as cited claim 1 wherein the outline of the endplates is made the same rectangular shape as the rectangular batteries of the battery cells.

16. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 15 wherein the rectangular endplates are the same size as the rectangular batteries or are slightly larger than the rectangular batteries.

17. The car power source apparatus as cited claim 1 wherein the connecting components are sheet metal with a prescribed width and thickness.

18. The car power source apparatus as cited claim 1 wherein the connecting components have bent regions at their ends and these bent regions are attached to the endplates.

19. The car power source apparatus as cited in claim 18 wherein the bent regions have through-holes for set screws, and the connecting components are attached to the endplates via set screws inserted in the through-holes.

20. The car power source apparatus as cited claim 1 wherein the battery cell has the current interrupt device housed in the upper section of the case, connecting components are connected to upper and lower sections of the endplates, and upper sections of the pair of endplates are pulled together by the connecting components to retain the battery cells with pressure applied to their upper sections.