Battery module, and rechargeable battery for constituting the battery module

• US 6,780,538 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• 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: Hamada, Shinji, Inoue, Hiroshi, Taniguchi, Akihiro, Ikoma, Munehisa, Fujioka, Noriyuki, Morishita, Nobuyasu, Ogata, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US10/455,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20030203278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 429/157, 429/159, 429/158, 429/160, 429/181
• US Class Current: 429/157
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/80 Porous plates, e.g. sintered carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/529 Intercell connections through partitions, e.g. in a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/536 characterised by the method of fixing the leads to the electrodes, e.g. by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/54 Connection of several leads or tabs of plate-like electrode stacks, e.g. electrode pole straps or bridges
• 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 battery module is provided which includes multiple rechargeable batteries coupled together. The battery module includes multiple prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls arranged side by side. Adjacent short lateral walls are integral with each other. The battery module includes holes extending through the short lateral walls of the cell cases at upper edge portions. The battery module also includes a pair of frame fittings that have base ends and protruding portions in each of the cell cases for connecting two adjacent cell cases. The protruding portions of the pair of frame fittings extend into the through holes in the upper edge portions of the short lateral walls of the cell cases from both sides and are welded together. Positive and negative electrode collector plates in the cell cases are respectively attached to the base ends of the frame fittings. End frame fittings that have base ends and protruding portions for cell cases are located at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery for connecting the cell cases to outside terminals. Connection terminals that have protruding portions are connected to the end frame fittings at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A battery module with a plurality of rechargeable batteries coupled together, each of the rechargeable batteries configured for accommodating therein a liquid electrolyte and a group of electrodes comprising a group of positive electrode plates and a group of negative electrode plates, the battery module comprising:

a plurality of prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls arranged side by side with adjacent short lateral walls being integral with each other, and upper open ends of the plurality of prismatic cell cases being integrally closed with a single lid member;

the group of electrodes inside a cell case including a positive electrode collector plate and a negative electrode collector plate arranged at laterally opposite ends of each of the group of positive electrode plates and the group of negative electrode plates respectively;

holes extending through the short lateral walls of the cell cases at upper edge portions thereof;

a pair of frame fittings comprising base ends and protruding portions in each of the cell cases for connecting two adjacent cell cases, the protruding portions of the pair of frame fittings extending into the through holes in the upper edge portions of the short lateral walls of the cell cases from both sides and being welded together, and the positive and negative electrode collector plates in the cell cases being respectively attached to the base ends of the frame fittings;

end frame fittings having base ends and protruding portions for cell cases located at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery for connecting the cell cases at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery to outside terminals; and

connection terminals having protruding portions connected to the end frame fittings of the cell cases at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery.

2. The battery module of claim 1, further comprising a sealing material around the protruding portions of the frame fittings and the connection terminals, so as to provide a seal between the two adjacent cell cases.