BATTERY PACK AND BATTERY-EQUIPPED DEVICE

• US 20100255359A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishino, Hajime, Hirakawa, Yasushi, Yokoyama, Tomohiko
• Application Number:
  US12/740,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6235 Power tools
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/659 by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/30 Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention provides a battery pack and a battery-equipped device in which, even if a battery experiences an abnormal event to cause thermal runaway, and generates heat, temperature increase in the battery pack and batteries except for the battery which experienced the abnormal event can be prevented. For this purpose, a heat absorbing member 4 is arranged in space inside a battery pack 1 between a casing 2 and batteries 3. Even if one of the batteries 3 experiences thermal runaway, the heat absorbing member 4 absorbs heat generated by the battery 3, thereby preventing the thermal runaway from occurring in the other batteries 3.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of cells;

a casing for containing the cells; and

a heat absorber for absorbing heat generated by the cells, wherein

the cells are lithium ion batteries, and

the heat absorber absorbs heat of gas generated from the inside of one of the cells which experienced thermal runaway so as to keep temperature of the gas at 300°

C. or lower, thereby preventing the thermal runaway from occurring in the other cells adjacent to the cell which experienced the thermal runaway.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein

the heat absorber is placed inside the casing.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein

the heat absorber is made of a material having a specific heat of 0.5 J/g·

K or higher.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein

the casing is made of a material having a specific heat of 0.5 J/g·

K or higher.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:

an exhaust path for guiding the gas outside the casing, wherein

the gas is emitted through an emission hole provided in the cell.

6. A battery-equipped device comprising the battery pack of claim 1.

9. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein

a wall of the exhaust path comprises at least part of the heat absorber.

10. A battery-equipped device comprising the battery pack of claim 9.

7. A battery-equipped device comprising:

a plurality of cells;

a containing chamber for containing the cells; and

a heat absorber for absorbing heat generated by the cells, wherein

the cells are lithium ion batteries, and

the heat absorber absorbs heat of gas generated from the inside of one of the cells which experienced thermal runaway so as to keep temperature of the gas at 300°

C. or lower, thereby preventing the thermal runaway from occurring in the other cells adjacent to the cell which experienced the thermal runaway.

8. The battery-equipped device of claim 7, further comprising:

an exhaust path for guiding the gas outside the casing, wherein

the gas is emitted through an emission hole provided in the cell.

11. The battery-equipped device of claim 8, wherein

a wall of the exhaust path comprises at least part of the heat absorber.