Battery container, battery and layer-built battery

• US 6,033,800 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichiyanagi, Takashi, Sato, Kenji, Hamada, Shinji, Kakino, Manabu, Ikoma, Munehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Nuzzolillo, Maria
• Assistant Examiner(s): O MALLEY, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US08/913,596
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 429/72, 429/153, 429/148, 429/151, 429/156, 429/157, 429/163, 429/176, 429/152, 429/120
• US Class Current: 429/176
• 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 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery container for containing battery elements includes large thickness sections formed on the outer rims of walls that compose the container and small thickness areas formed in the areas surrounded by the large thickness sections. A spacer that is formed of straight-line ribs, a combination of latticed ribs and projections, cylindrical projections or the like is disposed on the small thickness areas and the outer surface of the spacing means protruded out of the outer surfaces of the large thickness sections, thereby ensuring the mechanical strength and durability of the container and at the same time allowing cooling air to circulate efficiently along the walls of the battery envelope. This facilitates the transfer of heat produced inside of the battery to the outside.

Claims

1. A battery container for containing battery elements comprising:

first and second side walls, each of which has;

(a) large thickness sections extending along the peripheries thereof,

(b) a small thickness area within said large thickness sections with the thickness of said small thickness area less than the thickness of said large thickness sections, and

(c) a plurality of spacers protruding from said small thickness area to beyond said large thickness sections;

first and second end walls extending between said first and said second side walls;

a bottom wall extending;

(a) transverse to said first and said second side walls and said first and said second end walls, and

(b) between said first and said second side walls and said first and said second end walls.

2. A battery container for containing battery elements according to claim 1 wherein said spacers are ribs which extend vertically.

3. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein the area occupied by said small thickness area accounts for 40 to 80% of the wall'"'"'s area of the wall that has a larger area.

4. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said small thickness area is 20 to 70% of that of said large thickness sections.

5. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of side walls are provided with said small thickness areas.

6. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein said spacing means is formed of straight-line ribs.

7. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein said spacing means is formed of a combination of latticed ribs and projections.

8. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein said spacing means is formed so as to extend to said large thickness sections on the side walls.

9. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein said spacing means is formed of cylindrical projections.

10. The battery container according to claim 1, wherein said spacing means is formed of square pillar like projections that are disposed on said small thickness area in a staggered arrangement.

11. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 6 and battery elements.

12. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 7 and battery elements.

13. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 8 and battery elements.

14. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 9 and battery elements.

15. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 10 and battery elements.

16. A battery comprising:

a battery container having;

(a) first and second side walls each of which has;

(1) large thickness sections extending along the peripheries thereof,

(2) a small thickness area within said large thickness sections with the thickness of said small thickness area less than the thickness of said large thickness sections, and

(3) a plurality of spacers protruding from said small thickness area to beyond said large thickness sections;

(b) first and second end walls extending between said first and said second side walls; and

(c) a bottom wall extending;

(1) transverse to said first and said second side walls and said first and said second end walls, and

(2) between said first and said second side walls and said first and said second end walls; and

battery elements within said container.

17. A battery according to claim 16 wherein said spacers are ribs which extend vertically.

18. A multi-tier battery comprising a plurality of the batteries according to claim 16 assembled together.

19. A battery container for containing battery elements comprising:

first and second side walls, each of which has;

(a) large thickness sections extending along the peripheries thereof, comprising two pairs of sections, each pair parallel to one another and each pair differing in thickness from the other,

(b) a small thickness area surrounded by said large thickness sections with the thickness of said small thickness area being less than the thickness of said large thickness sections, and

(c) a plurality of spacers protruding from said small thickness area to beyond said large thickness sections;

first and second end walls extending between said first and second side walls; and

a bottom will extending;

(a) transverse to said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls,

(b) between said first and second side walls and said first and second end walls.

20. A battery comprising the battery container as cited in claim 19 and battery elements.