Rechargeable cell support device with insulating rings

• US 6,340,877 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Anazawa, Makoto, Mita, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/746,074
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/116, 320/112, 429/99, D13/103
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/04 Construction or manufacture in general H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0422 Cells or battery with cylindrical casing
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A charging element device comprising columnar charging element modules arranged by serially connecting cylindrical cells via an insulating ring, the module having a terminal at opposite ends thereof; charging element module groups arranged by laterally aligning the modules in parallel; a built-up construction of the modules arranged by building-up the modules groups in several stages; bus bar plates disposed at the opposite ends of the built-up construction and fitted to the terminals; bus bars disposed outside the bus bar plate and serially connecting the terminals; a housing in which cooling air flows and the built-up construction is contained; and mounting plates having a securing ring for holding and securing the insulating ring, the mounting plate being provided below the lowermost modules group, above the uppermost modules group, and between the intermediate modules groups. The mounting plates are integrally bound so as to hold and secure the insulating ring by the securing ribs, a restriction arrangement for rotation of the insulating ring is provided to the insulating ring and the securing rib.

Claims

1. A charging element device comprising:

columnar charging element modules arranged by serially connecting cylindrical cells via an insulating ring, the module having a terminal at opposite ends thereof;

charging element module groups arranged by laterally aligning the charging element modules in parallel;

a built-up construction of the charging element modules arranged by building-up the charging element module groups in several stages;

bus bar plates disposed at opposite ends of the built-up construction of charging element modules and fitted to the terminals;

bus bars disposed outside the bus bar plate and serially connecting the terminals;

a housing in which cooling air flows and the built-up construction of the charging element modules is contained; and

mounting plates having a securing ring for holding and securing the insulating ring, the mounting plate being provided below the lowermost charging element module group, above the uppermost charging element module group, and between the intermediate charging element module groups;

wherein the mounting plates are integrally bound so as to hold and secure the insulating ring by the securing ribs;

a restriction arrangement for rotation of the insulating ring is provided to the insulating ring and the securing rib.

2. A charging element device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate includes rectifying plates disposed between the charging element modules and extending along an axial direction of the charging element modules,

whereby the cooling air passes through the interval of the rectifying plates and flows in the built-up direction of the charging element modules.

3. A charging element device according to claim 1, wherein the built-up construction of charging element modules has an upper surface and a lower surface, one of which serves as a cooling air inlet surface, and the built-up construction of charging element modules is inclined so that the cooling air inlet surface faces toward the upstream of the cooling air.

4. A charging element device according to claim 1, wherein the charging element module has opposite polarities in the terminals,

four protrusions are formed along a concentric circle on the terminals, an end of the bus bar is fitted into inside of the protrusions,

the phase of the protrusions on the terminal with the polarity is offset from the phase of the protrusions on the terminal with the opposite polarity so that one protrusion is positioned at an extending portion of the bus bar,

the diameters of the concentric circles are different from each other, and

the bus bar includes a hole which receives the one protrusion so as to allow the connection of the terminals by the bus bar.

5. A charging element device according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises a pair of the built-up construction of charging element modules,

the built-up construction has opposite ends along the alignment direction of the charging element modules,

an inner surface facing the other built-up construction, and an outer surface which is a reverse side of the inner surface,

a pair of ends of the built-up constructions are in proximity to each other and the other pair of ends of the built-up constructions are apart from each other, whereby the built-up constructions are arranged in a V-shape, and

one of the inner surfaces or one of the outer surfaces of the built-up constructions serves as a cooling air inlet surface.

6. A charging element device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the stages of the charging element module groups is less than the number of the charging element modules comprising the charging element module group.

7. A charging element device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate comprises partition members, which divide the space along an axial direction and the alignment direction of the charging element modules in a cubic pattern, and extend along the built-up direction of the charging element modules so as to form compartments serving as a cooling air path.

8. A charging element device comprising:

columnar charging element modules arranged by serially connecting cylindrical cells via an insulating ring, the module having a terminal at opposite ends thereof;

charging element module groups arranged by laterally aligning the charging element modules in parallel;

bus bar plates disposed at the opposite ends of the built-up construction of charging element modules and fitted to the terminals;

bus bars disposed outside the bus bar plate and serially connecting the terminals;

a housing in which cooling air flows and the built-up construction of the charging element modules is contained; and

mounting plates disposed apart from each other in an axial direction of the charging element module, the mounting plates being arranged such that the charging element modules are inserted thereto and are circumferentially aligned to form the charging element module group;

holding and securing the insulating ring, the mounting plate being provided below the lowermost charging element module group, above the uppermost charging element module group, and between the intermediate charging element module groups; and

a cooling air path disposed in a radially inner portion or a radially outer portion of the charging element module group;

wherein the mounting plate has securing ribs for fitting and securing the insulating rings, and a restriction arrangement for rotation of the insulating ring is provided to the insulating ring and the securing rib.

9. A charging element device according to claim 8, wherein the device comprises a connecting ring serially connecting the charging elements,

the connecting ring is fitted to the insulating ring and an outer package of the charging element, which has one polarity thereof, and contacts the other charging element, and

the connecting ring and the insulating ring have a positioning arrangement for circumferentially positioning the relative location thereof, and the insulating ring covers at least a portion of an outer surface of the connecting ring.

10. A charging element device according to claim 8, wherein the charging element module has opposite polarities in the terminals,

the terminal with one polarity has a cross section different from that of the terminal with the other polarity, the terminal has a connecting portion at the center thereof,

the bus bar plate has holes for corresponding and fitting to the terminals,

wherein the bus bar plate is assembled with the charging element modules by corresponding and fitting the holes to the terminals.

11. A charging element device according to claim 8, wherein the charging element module has opposite polarities in the terminals,

four protrusions are formed along a concentric circle on the terminals, an end of the bus bar is fitted into the inside of the protrusions,

the phase of the protrusions on the terminal with the polarity is offset by K°

which is calculated by the following equation (1) in which the number of the charging element modules is defined as “

H”

, from the phase of the protrusions on the terminal with the other polarity, so that one protrusion is positioned at an extending portion of the bus bar,

12. A charging element device according to claim 10, wherein the positive terminal and the negative terminal have a star-shaped or a circular cross section.

13. A charging element device according to claim 8, wherein the restriction arrangement for rotation of the insulating ring comprises a dowel provided to one of the insulating ring and the securing rib and a hole fitting the dowel provided to the other of the insulating ring and the securing rib.

14. A charging element device according to claim 8, wherein the restriction arrangement for rotation of the insulating ring comprises a flat face formed on an peripheral outer surface of the insulating ring and a fitting surface formed in the securing rib and fitting to the flat face.