Stacked battery module and battery pack

• US 8,049,463 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Energy Devices, Ltd. (Envision Group /TX/)
• Inventors: Tochihara, Isao, Tanaka, Izumi, Kumeuchi, Tomokazu, Zama, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/604,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20070120526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 429/7, 429/126, 361/93.8, 361/103, 361/124
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/417 Polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• 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 stacked battery module or a battery pack is formed by laying a plurality of unit batteries of non-aqueous electrolyte batteries in layers with the surfaces thereof having a large area disposed vis-à-vis and electrically connecting them in series and a temperature fuse is arranged in the central part of the stacked battery module with one of its terminals connected to either the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of the stacked battery module while the other terminal connected to a charging terminal for supplying a charging current in a charging operation. One of the terminals of the stacked battery module is connected to a discharging terminal for taking out a discharging current in a discharging operation and the other terminal of the stacked battery module is a common terminal for charging and discharging operations.

Claims

1. A stacked battery module formed by laying a plurality of unit batteries of non-aqueous electrolyte batteries in layers with the surfaces thereof having a large area disposed vis-à

-vis and electrically connecting them in series;

a temperature fuse being arranged in a central part of the stacked battery module with one of its terminals connected to either the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of the stacked battery module and the other terminal connected to a charging terminal for supplying a charging current in a charging operation; and

one of the terminals of the stacked battery module being connected to a discharging terminal for taking out a discharging current in a discharging operation, the other terminal of the stacked battery module being a common terminal for charging and discharging operations,

wherein the temperature fuse is arranged in a temperature fuse mount arranged between the oppositely disposed surfaces of layers of unit batteries.

2. The stacked battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the temperature fuse is activated at a temperature level higher than 70°

C. but lower than the melting temperature of the separator of the stacked battery module by 60°

C.

3. The stacked battery module according to claim 1 wherein

the unit batteries are covered and hermitically sealed by flexible film.

4. The stacked battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the unit batteries are lithium ion secondary batteries.

5. The stacked battery module according to claim 4, wherein

the lithium ion secondary batteries contain lithium-manganese complex oxide as positive active material.

6. The stacked battery module according to claim 1, wherein

the separator for separating the positive electrode and the negative electrode is a single layer of polypropylene or a three-layered structure of polypropylene, polyethylene and polypropylene.

7. An battery pack formed by holding at least a stacked battery module by means of a plate-shaped body at the opposite ends thereof;

the stacked battery module being formed by laying a plurality of unit batteries of non-aqueous electrolyte batteries in layers with the surfaces thereof having a large area disposed vis-à

-vis and electrically connecting them in series;

a temperature fuse being arranged in a central part of the stacked battery module with one of its terminals connected to either the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of the stacked battery module and the other terminal connected to a charging terminal for supplying a charging current in a charging operation; and

one of the terminals of the stacked battery module being connected to a discharging terminal for taking out a discharging current in a discharging operation, the other terminal of the stacked battery module being a common terminal for both charging and discharging operations,

wherein the temperature fuse is arranged in a temperature fuse mount arranged between the oppositely disposed surfaces of layers of unit batteries.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, further comprising:

discharging means for discharging the charging energy of the batteries after the activation of the temperature fuse.

9. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein

two stacked battery modules are connected in series, one of the stacked battery modules being connected to the temperature fuse at the positive electrode terminal thereof, the other stacked battery module being connected to the temperature fuse at the negative electrode terminal thereof.

10. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein

stacked battery modules connected to the temperature fuse at the positive electrode terminal thereof and stacked battery module connected to the temperature fuse at the negative electrode thereof are arranged alternately, the common terminal of the stacked battery module arranged at an end is connected to the common terminal of the adjacently arranged stacked battery module so as to sequentially connect the charging terminals and the discharging terminals or the common terminals of adjacently arranged stacked battery modules, and charging/discharging switching means for switching from a charging operation to a discharging operation and vice versa is provided at the spot for connecting the charging terminals and the discharging terminals.