Battery module having a plurality of interconnected batteries

• US 6,555,264 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• 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: Eto, Toyohiko, Hamada, Shinji, Ikoma, Munehisa, Fujioka, Noriyuki, Ogata, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaney, Carol
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, DAH WEI D
• Application Number:
  US09/668,380
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 429/149, 429/156, 429/159, 429/163, 429/100, 429/281.2
• US Class Current: 429/156
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/651 characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• 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 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/258 Modular batteries; Casings provided with means for assembling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• 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

Abstract

A plurality of cells each encased in prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls are arranged side by side, with adjacent short lateral walls being integral with each other, thereby constituting an integral battery case. The upper open ends of the plurality of prismatic cell cases are integrally closed by a single lid member. Each of the cells accommodates therein a group of electrodes stacked alternately upon one another parallel to the long lateral walls of the cell cases with intervening separators therebetween. Neighboring cells are connected in series at their abutting lateral opposite ends with each other.

Claims

1. A battery module constituted by coupling a plurality rechargeable batteries together, comprising:

a plurality of prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls coupled together, with adjacent short lateral walls being unitarily formed, thereby constituting an integral battery case; and

a single lid member for integrally closing upper open ends of the plurality of prismatic cell cases, wherein

each of the cell cases accommodates therein a group of electrodes comprising a group of positive electrode plates and a group of negative electrode plates stacked alternately upon one another parallel to the long lateral walls of the cell cases with intervening separators therebetween, thereby constituting rechargeable batteries respectively, and

neighboring rechargeable batteries are connected in series at their opposite lateral ends with each other, within said integral battery case.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of ribs are formed on long lateral walls of the integral battery case such as to extend vertically at intervals.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of protrusions are provided at intervals between the ribs.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, a plurality of positioning protrusions and corresponding recesses are formed upon either one or both of said ribs and said protrusions at positions, so that, when a plurality of battery modules are arranged side by side, the positioning protrusions on one integral battery case will fit in the corresponding recesses of the adjacent integral battery case.

5. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of protrusions are formed across the integral battery case and the lid member.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the integral battery case and the lid member are both made of resin, and said protrusions are formed from molten resin produced during thermal welding of the integral battery case and the lid member.

7. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the integral battery case and the lid member are bonded together by thermal welding, wherein welding portions where the integral battery case and the lid member are welded together are formed flat by re-melting the welding portions with a correction plate being abutted to the welding portions.

8. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, when a plurality of battery modules are arranged side by side, the ribs on the long lateral walls of the integral battery cases together form coolant passages, wherein the thickness of the long lateral walls of the cell cases is set smaller than the thickness of the coolant passages.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the long lateral walls of the cell cases is set smaller than {fraction (1/10)} of the width of the short lateral walls of the cell cases.