BATTERY PACK AND BATTERY-MOUNTED DEVICE

• US 20100183910A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Yusuke, Nishino, Hajime, Hirakawa, Yasushi
• Application Number:
  US12/663,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20100183910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/163
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack is provided in which battery characteristics are not degraded in normal use and, even if a cell reaches a high temperature and a high-temperature gas is released from the inside of the cell, the spread of combustion to the entire pack can be suppressed to reduce damage. The battery pack is provided with cells, a housing for accommodating the cells and a thermal expansion section capable of reducing internal clearances between the cells and the housing upon the application of heat.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a cell;

a housing for accommodating the cell; and

a thermal expansion section capable of reducing internal clearances between the cell and the housing upon an application of heat.

2. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the thermal expansion section is made of a thermal expansion material covering at least parts of the outer surfaces of the cell.

3. A battery pack according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cell partition wall provided in the housing, wherein:

the thermal expansion section is made of a thermal expansion material used at least in a part of the housing and the cell partition wall.

4. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the thermal expansion section is made of a thermal expansion material used at least in a part of a covering material covering the inner walls of the housing.

5. A battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the thermal expansion material is a material containing thermally expandable graphite.

6. A battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the thermal expansion material includes a material which generates a gas during expansion.

7. A battery-mounted device, characterized by being mounted with a battery pack according to claim 1.