Battery device for loading on a mobile system

• US 6,472,098 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawada, Hirokazu, Kanaishi, Yoshikazu, Takahashi, Hideya, Yamane, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ruthkosky, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/450,343
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 429/96, 429/163, 429/100, 429/148
• US Class Current: 429/163
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• 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 10/6561 Gases
• 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 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery device having a large number of secondary cells in which the voltage of a large number of secondary batteries can be detected and controlled to facilitate the handling and to improve the reliability. The battery device is made up of a modular casing 13, a large number of secondary batteries 12 housed in the modular casing 13, plural cell control units 14 and an exterior casing 11 accommodating the modular casing 13. The modular casing 13 has an inner casing member 26 and an outer casing member 27 and has a large number of terminal openings 29, 42 opened in it. The secondary batteries 12 are housed in the modular casing 13 via the terminal openings 29, 42 so that positive terminal 12a and negative terminal 12b are alternately exposed to outside. A pre-set number of secondary batteries are grouped together as a set, with the totality of the secondary batteries being arranged in a plurality of such sets. The cell control unit 14 has the functions of detecting and controlling the voltage of each battery module and each secondary battery and of inputting and outputting detection and control signals. The exterior casing 11 is provided with a positive electrode terminal 18, a negative electrode terminal 19 and a transmission/reception terminal 20 of the cell control unit 14.

Claims

1. A battery device for loading on a mobile body comprising:

a modular casing of synthetic resin encased within an exterior casing, said modular casing comprising two lateral sides including a number of terminal openings both lateral sides;

a number of secondary batteries loaded in the modular casing with positive electrode terminals and negative electrode terminals alternately disposed in neighboring terminal openings of the modular casing, said secondary batteries being connected in series with one another, with a plurality of the secondary batteries being grouped together as a battery module, said secondary batteries comprising a plurality of such battery modules;

a plurality of cell control units corresponding to the number of said battery modules of the secondary batteries, each cell control unit including at least one of a micro-processor, circuit elements and electronic components loaded on a circuit board to provide a control signal, each cell control unit being connected to a sensing line connected to each secondary battery, said cell control units each having the functions of detecting and controlling the voltage of each battery module and each secondary battery, of detecting humidity in the exterior casing, and inputting/outputting the control signal from the cell control unit; and

the exterior casing of a synthetic resin material, split into at least two casing halves, said exterior casing defining a housing space for accommodating said modular casings in the assembled state of the casing halves;

wherein

positive electrode terminals and negative electrode terminals of said groups of secondary batteries and input/output terminals of said cell control units are provided in said exterior casing; and

wherein

said modular casing, containing said secondary batteries and each having said cell control units assembled thereon, is housed in said housing space to constitute an all-in-one unit.

2. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

each cell control unit is mounted on a side of said modular casing corresponding to an upper side when the battery device is loaded on the mobile device.

3. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

each cell control unit is mounted on a side of said modular casing corresponding to a lateral side along the height-wise direction when the battery device is loaded on the mobile device.

4. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

the micro-processor in each cell control unit is mounted on said cell control unit at a laterally offset position with respect to the center of gravity position.

5. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

said circuit boards of said cell control unit are mounted on a block-shaped mounting portion formed on said modular casing to delimit a gap between the circuit boards and the modular casing.

6. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1

and further comprising a mounting portion formed on said modular casing and a mounting opening formed on said circuit board;

wherein

each cell control unit is mounted in position by having a fitting fusion portion set upright on the mounting portion being fitted in the mounting opening and by thermally fusing said fitting fusion portion.

7. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

each cell control unit is thrust towards the modular casing by a thrust pin protuberantly formed on the inner surface of the exterior casing when the modular casing is housed in said housing space of said exterior casing.

8. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

said secondary battery is a lithium ion secondary battery.

9. The battery device for loading on a mobile body according to claim 1 wherein

said exterior casing is provided with an air intake duct for taking in air for cooling the secondary batteries and an air exhaust duct for discharging air taken in via said air intake duct and circulated through said housing space to cool the secondary batteries.