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

• US 6,211,645 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2000
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• 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:
  US09/612,678
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 429/96, 429/97, 429/99, 429/100
• 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 constitutes of resin plates and the bus bars are fixed to the end plates by insertion molding;

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; and

fuses are arranged on the leads for measuring the voltages across the terminals, the fuses being mounted on fuse mounting elements fixed by insertion molding in an end plate.