Multi-cell structure battery for electric motor powered vehicle

• US 6,541,154 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Envision AESC Japan Co., Ltd., Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Oogami, Etsuo, Horiba, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J
• Application Number:
  US09/804,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20020102457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 429/153, 429/149, 429/159, 429/158, 429/160, 429/161, 429/163, 429/65, 429/156, 429/176, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 429/159
• 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 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6565 with recirculation or U-turn in the flow path, i.e. back and forth
• 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 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• 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 50/509 characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A multi-cell structure battery (1A) comprising: a plurality of columnar cells accommodated in a casing (11); bus bars (23A, 23B) to connect respective terminals of the cells; signal transmitting wires (16) to connect the respective cells to an external device; a cell holder (12) to hold the cells; and a covering (13) fixed to the cell holder so as to oppose against the terminals of the cells, the bus bars being disposed on an inner surface of the covering opposed to the terminals of the cells and the signal transmitting wires being disposed in an outer surface of the covering.

Claims

1. A multi-cell structure battery, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical cells accommodated in a casing;

bus bars to connect respective terminals of the cells;

signal transmitting wires to connect the respective cells to an external device;

a cell holder to hold the cells; and

a covering fixed to the cell holder so as to oppose against the terminals of the cells, the bus bars being disposed on an inner surface of the covering opposed to the terminals of the cells and the signal transmitting wires being disposed in an outer surface of the covering.

2. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide to guide the signal transmitting wires along a predetermined route is provided on the outer surface of the covering.

3. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide is formed on a groove between pairs of ribs formed on the outer surface of the covering.

4. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the covering is a front surface of a side cover member fixed onto either side of the cell holder.

5. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pairs of the ribs are extended for the signal transmitting wires to avoid passages over circular holes formed on either of the side cover members.

6. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bus bars and signal transmitting wires are sub-assembled on each of the side cover members.

7. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the bus bars comprises:

a pair of circular cell connecting portions welded to the corresponding terminals of the cells;

a convex portion interposed between the pair of circular cell connecting portions; and

at least one connection terminal extended along the convex portion and connected to one of the signal transmitting wires, each cell connecting portion having projections welded to the corresponding one of the terminals of the cells via one of the circular holes and a Greek cross-shaped slit formed between the projections.

8. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing is housed in a water-proof case.

9. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 8, wherein the water-proof case is cooled with a cooling air supplied from a duct.

10. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water-proof case is installed in a lower space of a floor of a vehicular body.

11. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicular body is a vehicular body of an electric vehicle.

12. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing accommodates totally 48 cells, a pair of cells thereof being connected in series with each other and 24 pairs of the cells being arranged in parallel to each other and connected in series via the bus bars at three rows and eight columns.

13. A multi-cell structure battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external device is a cell controller.

14. A multi-cell structure battery, comprising:

a plurality of cell means accommodated in casing means;

metallic connecting means for connecting respective terminals of the cell means;

signal transmitting wire means to connect the respective cells to an external control means to control the cell means;

cell holding means for holding the cells; and

covering means fixed to the cell holder so as to oppose against the terminals of the cell means, the metallic connecting means being disposed on an inner surface of the covering means opposed to the terminals of the cell means and the signal transmitting wire means being disposed in an outer surface of the covering means.