Battery pack

• US 7,189,474 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Eto, Toyohiko, Hamada, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruthkosky; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/667,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20040058233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 429/62, 429/120, 429/151
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 10/6563 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 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 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/66 Heat-exchange relationships between the cells and other systems, e.g. central heating systems or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack is compos d of a plurality of battery modules, holding brackets, a tubular cover, and a fan. The battery module is composed of a plurality of sealed rechargeable batteries having a metal case, which are arranged in a row and integrally connected in series. The plurality of battery modules are arranged in parallel, and the holding brackets hold both ends of the battery modules in a direction perpendicular to a parallel direction. The tubular cover forms a coolant path by surrounding the periphery of the battery modules. The fan supplies coolant to the inside of the coolant path. In the battery pack with above structure, increase in the height thereof is prevented.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery modules arranged in parallel, each of said battery modules comprising a plurality of sealed rechargeable batteries arranged in a row and integrally connected in series, said sealed rechargeable battery having a metal case;

a pair of holding brackets for holding both ends of said battery modules in a direction perpendicular to the parallel direction of said battery modules;

said battery modules being disposed with a cooling space provided between said battery modules;

said battery pack further comprising;

a tubular cover for surrounding the periphery of said plurality of battery modules so that said cover surrounds the entire periphery of said plurality of battery modules disposed with a cooling space provided therebetween; and

a coolant supply device for supplying coolant from one end to the other end of said tubular cover;

wherein said holding brackets are each provided with a ring-shaped protrusive wall into which said ends of said battery modules are fitted, said ring-shaped protrusive walls slide in both ends of said tubular cover, a slit is formed in said holding brackets in such a position as to correspond to said cooling space between the battery modules, and a fan is provided in the outer surface of at least one of said holding brackets.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a member for restricting or promoting cooling is disposed in the sidewall of said sealed rechargeable battery facing said cooling space between said battery modules, to even cooling performance between an intake side and an discharge side of said coolant.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a blow direction of said fan is changeable.