End plate incorporated in battery power source unit, and cooling device for same

• US 6,111,387 A
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukao, Yasuyoshi, Kanamaru, Kunio, Kakino, Manabu, Kobayashi, Takaki, Inui, Kiwamu, Etoh, Toyohiko, Marukawa, Shuuhei, Watanabe, Koh, Kouzu, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/046,416
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 429/96, 429/97, 429/99, 429/100, 429/120
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• 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 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 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 50/278 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/517 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Battery power source device wherein a large number of battery modules (9) consisting of a row of a plurality of single cells (7) connected electrically and mechanically in series are arranged parallel to each other and held in a holder casing (10), bus bars (28) being provided that effect electrical connection between the terminals of battery modules (9) at respective end plates (19), (20) positioned at both ends of this holder casing (10) wherein the end plates (19), (20) are constituted of resin plates and the bus bars (28) are fixed to the end plates (19), (20) by insertion molding.

Claims

1. A battery power source device characterized in that a large number of battery modules consisting of a row of a plurality of single cells connected electrically and mechanically in series are arranged parallel to each other and held in a holder casing, bus bars being provided that effect electrical connection between the terminals of battery modules at respective end plates positioned at both ends of said holder casing wherein the end plates are constituted of resin plates and the bus bars are fixed to the end plates by insertion molding.

2. The battery power source device according to claim 1 wherein all of the battery modules that are arranged in said holder casing are, as a whole, electrically connected in series by being alternately connected by a bus bar of one end plate and a bus bar of the other end plate.

3. The battery power source device according to claim 2 wherein the battery modules are held in said holder casing arranged horizontally in matrix fashion on respective vertical and transverse straight lines.

4. The battery power source device according to claim 1 wherein leads for measuring the voltages across the terminals of single ones or a plurality of battery modules are embedded by insertion molding in an end plate.

5. The battery power source device according to claim 1 wherein temperature sensors whose electrical resistance increases abruptly on rise in temperature of the single cells are mounted from outside, these temperature sensors being connected in series, whereby abnormal rise in temperature is detected in at least battery module units.

6. The battery power source device according to claim 5 wherein holding elements that hold the ends of connecting wires that connect the temperature sensors in series are fixed in an end plate by insertion molding.

7. The battery power source device according to claim 6 wherein abnormality of temperature rise is detected in units of a plurality of battery modules by providing connecting wires at units of battery modules and electrically connecting in series holding elements that hold the ends of these.

8. The battery power source device according to claim 7 wherein connecting elements that effect series electrical connection between holding elements are fixed to an end plate by insertion molding.

9. The battery power source device according to claim 8 wherein abnormality of temperature rise is detected by mounting from the outside temperature sensors whose electrical resistance increases abruptly on rise in temperature on all the single cells arranged in the holder casing, all these temperature sensors being connected in series.

10. The battery power source device according to claim 1 wherein said single cells are nickel-hydrogen secondary cells.

11. The battery power source device according to claim 1, wherein the bus bars are embedded in and integral with the end plates.

13. The battery power source device according to claim 6 constructed so as to be capable of measurement of the voltage across the terminals of two battery modules wherein, of the two end plates, the leads are embedded by insertion molding in only one end plate, each lead being connected to each bus bar.

12. A battery power source device characterized in that a large number of battery modules, each consisting of a row of a plurality of single cells connected electrically and mechanically in series, are arranged parallel to each other and held in a holder casing, bus bars being provided that effect electrical connection between the terminals of battery modules at respective end plates positioned at both ends of said holder casing wherein the end plates are constitutes of resin plates and the bus bars are fixed to the end plates by insertion molding, leads are connected to the battery modules for measuring voltage across the terminals, fuse mounting elements are molded into one of the end plates for receiving fuses, the leads are embedded in and connected to the fuse mounting elements and the respective leads are collected at a single location on the end plate and extend outside of the end plate to enable an electrical connection of the leads.

14. A cooling device for a battery power source in which a large number of battery modules are constituted by connecting a plurality of single cells in a row electrically and mechanically in series are arranged parallel to each other and held in a holder casing comprising;

means for forcibly making air to flow in one direction within said holder casing thereby cooling the large number of battery modules in said holder casing wherein the direction of flow of the air is a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said battery modules and means for flow alignment are arranged within said holder casing such that a flow speed of the air flowing through said holder casing is faster on the downstream side than on the upstream side.

15. The cooling device for a battery power source according to claim 14 in which, at a location on the downstream side in said holder casing, the flow path area is progressively diminished such that the flow speed of air flowing through said holder casing gradually becomes larger in the direction of flow of the air.

16. A cooling device for a battery power source in which a large number of battery modules constituted by connecting a plurality of single cells in a row electrically and mechanically in series are arranged parallel to each other and held in a holder casing and air is forcibly made to flow in one direction within said holder casing thereby cooling the large number of battery modules in said holder casing wherein the direction of flow of the air is at a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said battery modules and means for screening are arranged in said holder casing such that the area of said battery modules that is exposed to the air flowing through said holder casing becomes greater from the upstream to the downstream side.

17. The cooling device for a battery power source according to claim 16 in which means for screening are arranged only at a location on the upstream side within said holder casing, the means for screening being constituted such that the area of said battery modules that is exposed to air flowing through said holder casing gradually becomes larger going in the direction in which the air is flowing.

18. A cooling device for a battery power source comprising a pair of left and right battery power source devices constituted by holding a large number of battery modules consisting of a plurality of single cells connected in a row electrically and mechanically in series arranged horizontally and parallel to each other in a holder casing, respective air supply chambers being formed below said holder casings and wherein air is fed to a lower aperture of the holder casing of the respective battery power source devices through left and right air supply chambers from a pressure-feed fan so that the battery module is cooled by the air current that is discharged from an upper aperture after rising through said holder casings wherein the pressure-feed fan has two blowing ports that supply air in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the end plates into said respective battery power source devices, these blowing ports open in positions close to a respective one end plate of the battery power source devices, the bottom faces of the air supply chambers being formed with a slope whereby the cross-sectional area of the flow path gradually diminishes from the one end plate side towards the other end plate side and means for flow alignment are arranged within said holder casing whereby the flow rate of the air flowing within said holder casing is faster at the upper than at the lower side of said holder casing.

19. The cooling device for a battery power source according to claim 18 wherein the flow path area is gradually diminished at a location in the upper part in said holder casing such that the flow speed of air flowing in said holding casing gradually gets larger in the direction in which the air is flowing.

20. A cooling device for a battery power source comprising a pair of left and right battery power source devices constituted by holding a large number of battery modules consisting of a plurality of single cells connected in a row electrically and mechanically in series arranged horizontally and parallel to each other in a holder casing, respective air supply chambers being formed below said holder casinos and wherein air is fed to a lower aperture of the holder casing of the respective battery power source devices through left and right air supply chambers from a pressure-feed fan so that the battery module is cooled by the air current that is discharged from an upper aperture after rising through said holder casings wherein the pressure-feed fan has two blowing ports that supply air in the direction parallel to the surfaces of the end plates into said respective battery power source devices, these blowing ports opening in positions close to a respective one end plate of the battery power source devices, the bottom faces of the air supply chambers being formed with a slope whereby the cross-sectional area of the flow path gradually diminishes from the one end plate side towards the other end plate side and means for screening are arranged in the holder casing whereby the area of the battery modules that is exposed to the air flowing through said holder casing is greater in an upper part of said holder casing than in a lower part.

21. The cooling device for a battery power source according to claim 20 wherein means for screening are arranged only in a location of the bottom part in said holder casing, the means for screening being constructed such that the area of the battery modules that is exposed to the air flowing through said holder casing gradually gets larger in the direction of flow of the air.