Battery pack with reduced temperature differential between cells

• US 6,818,343 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xantima LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), 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: Kimura, Kenji, Takahashi, Yasuhiro, Fukuda, Shinsuke, Kimoto, Shinya, Katsuta, Toshihiro, Asakawa, Kieko, Takaki, Mitsugu, Yokoyama, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cantelmo, Gregg
• Application Number:
  US09/856,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/120, 429/148, 429/157, 429/149, 429/160, 429/152
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/289 characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A plurality of cells (1a to 1j) are abutted against each other and electrically connected on the short sides of rectangular battery housings (2), and binding plates (14, 14) disposed on both long sides are tied together with binding bands (13) to integrally link the cells (1a to 1j). Because the heat radiation conditions are equalized among the cells (1a to 1j), there is an extremely small temperature differential between the cells, charging efficiency, which varies with temperature conditions, is consistent, and there is no variance in battery capacity, so none of the cells are over-discharged, and battery life is extended.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery, comprising:

a plurality of cells;

each cell of said plurality of cells including elements for electromotive force and each cell being formed in a rectangular shape having short sides with a narrow width, long sides with a wide width relative to the narrow width, a top side, and bottom side;

each cell of said plurality of cells including ribs extending on said long sides;

said plurality of cells and being electrically interconnected and linked together adjacent to one another at the short sides to form a battery pack;

a first binding plate adjacent the long sides of the plurality of cells on a first side of the battery pack, the first binding plate having an outer side edge parallel with the short sides of the plurality of cells;

a second binding plate adjacent the long sides of the plurality of cells on a second side of the battery pack opposing the first side of the battery pack, the second binding plate having an outer side edge parallel with the short sides of the plurality of cells;

at least one binding band at an end of the battery pack overlapping the outer side edge of the first binding plate and the outer side edge of the second binding plate;

said first binding plate and said second binding plate forming coolant passages in conjunction with the first and second sides of the battery pack and the plurality of ribs; and

coolant passing through the coolant passages.

6. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of cells are linked together with the elements for electromotive force of each cell provided inside a battery case and the battery cases are integrally linked together.

7. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of cells are integrally linked with the linking position and linking direction varied as desired.

2. A rechargeable battery, comprising:

a plurality of cells;

each cell of said plurality of cells including elements for electromotive force and each cell being formed in a rectangular shape having short sides with a narrow width, long sides with a wide width relative to the narrow width, a top side, and bottom side;

each cell of said plurality of cells including ribs extending on said long sides;

said plurality of cells including at least two groups of cells wherein the cells of each of the at least two groups are linked together adjacent to one another at the short sides to form at least two battery modules wherein the cells form at least one row in each of the at least two battery modules, the at least two battery modules being arranged in parallel with the long sides of the battery cells of the respective ones of the at least two battery modules adjacent one another, and the battery modules being linked together to form a battery pack and the plurality of cells being electrically connected;

a first binding plate adjacent the long sides of said cells on a first side of the battery pack, and the first binding plate having an outer side edge parallel with the short sides of said plurality of cells;

a second binding plate adjacent the long sides said cells on a second side of the battery pack opposing the first side, and the second binding plate having an outer side edge parallel with the short sides of said plurality of cells;

at least one binding band overlapping the outer side edge of the first binding plate and the outer side edge of the second binding plate; and

said first binding plate and said second binding plate forming coolant passages in conjunction with the first and second sides of the battery pack and the plurality of ribs; and

coolant passing through the coolant passages.

3. The rechargeable battery according to claim 2, further comprising a heat transfer plate with thermal conductivity provided between the battery modules disposed in parallel.

4. The rechargeable battery according to claim 2, further comprising a heat transfer plate with thermal conductivity provided between the battery modules disposed in parallel, and end heat transfer plates exposed to the outside linked to ends of the heat transfer plate in the direction in which the battery modules are linked.

5. The rechargeable battery according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the coolant is made to flow through the heat transfer plate and/or the end heat transfer plates.