BATTERY SYSTEM WITH BATTERY HOLDERS

• US 20100187027A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KOMAKI, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,322,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.210
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 comprising a single busbar
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The connecting bolts 5 are inserted through the connecting cylinders 21 to hold a plurality of battery holders 20 in the stacked configuration and form a battery block 2. The battery holder 20 connecting cylinders 21 are disposed at a plurality of locations on the perimeter of the battery block 2, and are disposed in straight-lines to form rows of partial-stack connecting cylinders 4 on battery holders 20 stacked in two levels or more, but not on the entire stack of battery holders 20. Connecting bolts 5 are inserted through each row of partial-stack connecting cylinders 4 to hold the connecting cylinders 21 that make up each row of partial-stack connecting cylinders 4 in a stacked configuration, and retain the battery holders 20 in a stacked configuration as a battery block 2.

Claims

1. A battery system comprising:

battery holders stacked in three levels or more to hold batteries in fixed positions; and

connecting bolts inserted in the direction of battery holder stacking to hold the stacked battery holders together,

wherein connecting cylinders are established on the perimeters of the battery holders to accept the connecting bolts inserted in the direction of battery holder stacking,

wherein the connecting bolts are inserted through the connecting cylinders to hold a plurality of battery holders in the stacked configuration and form a battery block,

wherein the connecting cylinders established on the perimeters of the battery holders are disposed at a plurality of locations on the perimeter of the battery block,

wherein the connecting cylinders established on the perimeter of the battery block are disposed in straight-lines to form rows of partial-stack connecting cylinders on battery holders stacked in two levels or more, but not on the entire stack of battery holders, and

wherein the connecting bolts are inserted through each row of partial-stack connecting cylinders to hold the connecting cylinders that make up each row of partial-stack connecting cylinders in a stacked configuration, and retain the battery holders in a stacked configuration as a battery block.

2. The battery system as cited in claim 1 wherein the rows of partial-stack connecting cylinders are made up of rows of upper connecting cylinders, which are a plurality of connecting cylinders disposed on the perimeters of a plurality of battery holders extending in straight-lines in the direction of battery holder stacking from the upper surface of the battery block to an intermediate level, and rows of lower connecting cylinders, which are a plurality of connecting cylinders disposed on the perimeters of a plurality of battery holders extending in straight-lines in the direction of battery holder stacking from the lower surface of the battery block to an intermediate level,

wherein the battery holders stacked at battery block mid-level have both upper connecting cylinders and lower connecting cylinders established on their perimeters;

and connecting bolts are inserted through the upper connecting cylinders and the lower connecting cylinders to hold all the battery holders 20.

3. The battery system as cited in claim 2 wherein the battery block is a stack of six levels of battery holders;

one row of partial-stack connecting cylinders is made up of four connecting cylinders established on four levels of battery holders;

one connecting bolt can hold the upper four battery holder levels together; and

one connecting bolt can hold the lower four battery holder levels together.

4. The battery system as cited in claim 2 wherein the battery block is a stack of eight levels of battery holders;

connecting cylinders on the two upper level battery holders and the four mid-level battery holders are disposed in straight- lines at the same locations to form rows of partial-stack connecting cylinders that are the upper connecting cylinders;

connecting cylinders on the two bottom level battery holders and the four mid-level battery holders are disposed in straight-lines at the same locations to form rows of partial-stack connecting cylinders that are the lower connecting cylinders;

the perimeters of the four battery holders stacked at mid-level are provided with both upper connecting cylinders and lower connecting cylinders;

one row of partial-stack connecting cylinders is made up of six connecting cylinders established on six battery holder levels;

connecting bolts are inserted through each row of upper connecting cylinders and lower connecting cylinders, which are the partial-stack connecting cylinders; and

each connecting bolt holds together six battery holder levels.

5. The battery system as cited in claim 2 wherein upper connecting cylinders and lower connecting cylinders are alternately disposed around the perimeter of the battery block.

6. The battery system as cited in claim 1 wherein connecting cylinders are formed as a single-piece with a battery holder.

7. The battery system as cited in claim 6 wherein a battery holder is made of plastic, and connecting cylinders are formed as a single-piece with the battery holder.

8. The battery system as cited in claim 1 wherein main bolts that have a larger diameter than the connecting bolts are inserted through all the battery holders of the battery block;

and these main bolts pass through all of the stacked battery holders to hold all the battery holders in the stacked configuration.

9. The battery system as cited in claim 8 wherein the battery holder perimeters are provided with connecting cylinders for main bolt insertion and connecting cylinders for connecting bolt insertion.

10. The battery system as cited in claim 1 wherein both sides of a battery holder is provided with a plurality of connecting cylinders.

11. The battery system as cited in claim 9 wherein connecting cylinders for main bolt insertion are formed as a single-piece with a battery holder in a manner protruding from both ends of the long side of the battery holder.

12. The battery system as cited in claim 11 wherein a battery holder is provided with connecting cylinders on both sides extending in the direction of battery holder stacking, and connecting cylinders for main bolt insertion at both ends of the long side of the battery holder.

13. The battery system as cited in claim 10 wherein connecting cylinders for main bolt insertion are disposed in a plurality of rows on the battery holders.

14. The battery system as cited in claim 8 wherein the battery block has a base plate disposed on its bottom surface;

and the main bolts pass through the base plate to attach the battery block to the base plate.

15. The battery system as cited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of circular cylindrical batteries are joined in a straight-line to form a battery module;

and

battery modules are arranged in parallel orientation between a pair of battery holders to form a battery unit.

16. The battery system as cited in claim 15 wherein a battery unit has a plurality of battery modules disposed in parallel orientation within a single plane and held in fixed positions by battery holders that sandwich the battery modules from above and below.

17. The battery system as cited in claim 14 wherein the sides of the battery holders are provided with electrode windows to expose battery module electrodes to the outside, and bus-bars are connected to the electrodes projecting through those electrode windows to electrically connect adjacent battery modules.

18. The battery system as cited in claim 1 installed on-board an electric- powered vehicle that supplies power to a motor to drive the vehicle.

19. The battery system as cited in claim 18 used in a power source apparatus for a hybrid car.