Power source apparatus

• US 6,819,081 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Izawa, Ryosaku, Kunimoto, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Luk, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US10/353,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20030141842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/109, 320/112, 320/116, 320/117, 320/110, 439/627, 429/52, 429/99, 429/100, 429/159, 429/160
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• 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 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/517 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A power source apparatus has a plurality of the battery modules housed in a case. The battery modules include a plurality of batteries joined in a straight line fashion. These battery modules are connected via bus-bars. Metal plate output terminals are attached to both ends of a battery module in a manner that is perpendicular to, and projecting from the battery end-planes. The case of the power source apparatus houses the battery modules with adjacent battery module output terminals connected via bus-bars.

Claims

1. A power source apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said casing, each of said battery modules having a plurality of batteries, and each of said batteries having battery end-planes on each end thereof,

said batteries in each of said battery modules being connected in a first straight line fashion in series such that the battery end-planes of adjacent batteries are opposed to each other in order to electrically connect the battery terminals, and said battery modules are arranged in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first straight line arrangement of said batteries;

bus-bars connecting said battery modules; and

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of said battery modules, respectively, wherein each of said output terminals is perpendicular to, and projects from the respective battery end-plane, said output terminals being arranged so as to be substantially parallel to adjacent ones of said output terminals, and said output terminals of adjacent battery modules are connected via said bus-bars,

wherein each of said output terminals has an attachment plate which is welded to a battery end-plane, and said attachment plate is oriented so as to be perpendicular to a main part of the output terminal which connects to one of said bus-bars.

2. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the battery modules has a plurality of rechargeable batteries, which are circular cylindrical batteries.

3. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable batteries are nickel hydrogen batteries.

4. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable batteries are lithium ion rechargeable batteries.

5. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said case has bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, and said battery modules are disposed in fixed positions by fitting said bus-bars and said output terminals into the insertion sections.

6. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein nuts are attached to the bus-bars, bolts are inserted into through-holes in the output terminals, and the bolts are tightened into the nuts to join the output terminals to the bus-bars.

7. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said case is made up of an upper case and a lower case, battery grooves are provided in the upper case and the lower case to hold said battery modules, the inside diameter of each of the battery grooves is made slightly larger than the outside diameter of the battery section of a battery module, and cooling gaps are establish between the inside surface of the battery groove and the surface of the battery module to permit a flow of cooling air to pass.

8. A power source apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said casing, each of said battery modules having a plurality of batteries, and each of said batteries having battery end-planes on each end thereof,

said batteries in each of said battery modules being connected in a first straight line fashion in series such that the battery end-planes of adjacent batteries are opposed to each other in order to electrically connect the battery terminals, and said battery modules are arranged in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first straight line arrangement of said batteries;

bus-bars connecting said battery modules; and

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of said battery modules, respectively, wherein each of said output terminals is perpendicular to, and projects from the respective battery end-plane, said output terminals being arranged so as to be substantially parallel to adjacent ones of said output terminals, and said output terminals of adjacent battery modules are connected via said bus-bars,

wherein each of the battery modules has a plurality of rechargeable batteries, which are circular cylindrical batteries, and

wherein press-formed metal sheet connectors are disposed between the rechargeable batteries of each battery module, the connectors are weld-attached to opposing battery end-planes of adjacent rechargeable batteries, and the rechargeable batteries are electrically connected in series.

9. A power source apparatus comprising:

a case;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said case, each of said battery modules comprising a plurality of batteries connected in a straight line fashion;

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of the battery modules perpendicular to, and projecting from battery end-planes; and

bus-bars connecting output terminals of adjacent battery modules,

wherein each of said output terminals has an attachment plate that is welded to a battery end-plane, and said attachment plate is oriented so as to be perpendicular to a main part of said output terminal which connects to one of said bus-bars, and

wherein said output terminal, which is made up of the attachment plate and the main part, has two metal pieces with right angle bends which are weld-attached together where the two pieces overlap to form two layers at the main part.

10. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said case has bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, and said battery modules are disposed in fixed positions by fitting said bus-bars and said output terminals into said bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections.

11. A power source apparatus comprising:

a case;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said case, each of said battery modules comprising a plurality of batteries connected in a straight line fashion;

bus-bars connecting said battery modules;

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of said battery modules perpendicular to, and projecting from battery end-planes; and

metal plate bus-bars connecting output terminals of adjacent battery modules,

wherein each of said output terminals has an attachment plate that is welded to a battery end-plane, and said attachment plate is oriented so as to be perpendicular to a main part of said output terminal which connects to one of said bus-bars, and

wherein said output terminal attachment plates that are attached at positive ends said battery modules have a different shape than said output terminal attachment plates attached at negative ends of said battery modules.

12. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said case has bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, and said battery modules are disposed in fixed positions by fitting said bus-bars and said output terminals into said bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections.

13. A power source apparatus comprising:

a case;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said case, each of said battery modules comprising a plurality of batteries connected in a straight line fashion;

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of the battery modules perpendicular to, and projecting from battery end-planes; and

metal plate bus-bars connecting output terminals of adjacent battery modules,

wherein each of said output terminals has a through-hole for bolt insertion to connect to one of said bus-bars, the through-hole is a long narrow opening extending in a lengthwise direction of the battery module, and the through-hole allows bus-bar connection while accommodating battery module length variation.

14. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said case has bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, and said battery modules are disposed in fixed positions by fitting said bus-bars and said output terminals into said bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections.

15. A power source apparatus comprising:

a case;

a plurality of battery modules housed in said case, each of said battery modules comprising a plurality of batteries connected in a straight line fashion;

metal plate output terminals attached at both ends of the battery modules, said output terminals projecting from battery end-planes so as to be perpendicular thereto; and

metal plate bus-bars connecting said output terminals of adjacent battery modules,

wherein said case has bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, and said battery modules are disposed in fixed positions by fitting said bus-bars and said output terminals into the bus-bar and output terminal insertion sections, respectively,

wherein tolerance is provided in the case insertion section to accommodate any error in battery module length.

16. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said output terminals comprises an attachment plate and a main portion, and each of said output terminals is formed of two metal pieces which have right angle bends and are welded together so that part of the two pieces overlap so as to form two layers at the main portion.

17. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said battery modules has a positive end and a negative end, and each of said output terminals has an output terminal attachment plate,

wherein the output terminal attachment plates that are attached at the positive ends of said battery modules are shaped differently than the output terminal attachment plates that are attached at the negative ends of said battery modules.

18. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said output terminals has a through-hole for bolt insertion to connect to one of said bus-bars, the through-hole being a long narrow opening extending in a lengthwise direction of said respective battery module, wherein the through-hole allows bus-bar connection while accommodating battery module length variation.

19. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein each of said output terminals is provided with a main portion for connecting to one of said bus-bars,

wherein said main portion at one end of each of said battery modules has projections on opposite side edges, and said main portion at the other end of each of said battery modules has indentations on opposite side edges, and

wherein the projections and indentations fit into said respective output terminal insertion sections provided in said case.

20. A power source apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the bus-bar insertion sections is provided with a level change in its bottom to fit the respective bus-bar, which is bent so as to form a level change along its length.