Device for detecting abnormality in a secondary battery

• US 8,282,275 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Akaboshi, Takayuki, Kawai, Nobuyuki, Tanaka, Toshihide, Shimpo, Toshiya, Narita, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Gail
• Application Number:
  US12/778,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/126, 320/154, 320/150, 320/35, 320/112, 320/FOR.127, 320/FOR.134, 320/FOR.147, 320/FOR.148, 374/4, 374/5, 374/43, 374/44, 374/45, 374/29, 374/30, 374/57, 374/100, 374/170, 374/183, 374/185, 374/163, 374/208, 374/141, 374/143, 324/426, 324/430, 324/434, 324/439, 324/441, 324/446, 324/450, 324/424, 324/421, 324/417, 324/415
• US Class Current: 374/152
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0481 Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/55 on the same side of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/553 Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

There are provided an electrically-conductive connecting plate that connects electrode terminals of a plurality of battery cells; a fastening member that fastens the connecting plate and each of the electrode terminals together; temperature-detecting means that is placed near a fastened portion between the connecting plate and the corresponding electrode terminal which are fastened together with the fastening member, and detects temperature around the fastened portion; and abnormality-judging means that judges abnormality in the battery cells or the fastening member on the basis of temperature detected by the temperature-detecting means.

Claims

1. A device for detecting abnormality in a secondary battery cell having a plurality of electrode terminals, comprising:

an electrically-conductive connecting plate that connects each of the plurality of electrode terminals to other battery cells;

a fastening member that fastens the connecting plate with one of the plurality of electrode terminals together;

a metal plate, a first end of which being electrically and thermally connected to the one of the plurality of electrode terminals;

a metal terminal joined to a second end, opposite to the first end, of the metal plate, the metal terminal being electrically and thermally joined to the one of the plurality of electrode terminals;

temperature-detecting means placed near a fastened portion adjacent the fastening member and the metal plate, and detects temperature around the fastened portion; and

abnormality judging means that judges abnormality in the fastening member on the basis of temperature detected by the temperature-detecting means, wherein

the abnormality judging means detects looseness in the fastening member on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature-detecting means, when a load current equal to or higher than a prescribed value is flowing from the corresponding electrode terminal to the connecting plate, and either one of the two temperature-detecting means detects temperature equal to or higher than a prescribed temperature.

2. The device for detecting abnormality in a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein

the temperature-detecting means is a thermistor.

3. The device for detecting abnormality in a secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery-monitoring device that monitors conditions of the corresponding battery cell, the battery-monitoring device having a substrate connected to the second end of the metal plate, wherein

the temperature-detecting means is attached to the substrate of the battery-monitoring device to be located adjacent to the metal plate.

4. The device for detecting abnormality in a secondary battery according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery-monitoring device that monitors conditions of the corresponding battery cell, the battery-monitoring device having a substrate connected to the second end of metal plate, wherein

the temperature-detecting means is attached to the substrate of the battery-monitoring device to be located adjacent to the metal plate.