Sealed secondary battery

• US 8,323,826 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arciero, Adam A
• Application Number:
  US12/439,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/164
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/107 having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/112 Monobloc comprising multiple compartments
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/528 Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery casing 10 includes a plurality of cylindrical accommodation parts 12a to 12d accommodating a plurality of electrode assemblies 20, and connecting parts 13a to 13c connecting the accommodation parts 12a to 13d adjacent to each other. The inner circumferences of the accommodation parts 12a to 12d have substantially the same shape as the outer circumferences of the electrode assemblies. The connecting parts 13a to 13c are formed along the side surfaces of the accommodation parts 12a to 12d. Each electrode assembly 20 is formed by winding a positive electrode plate 21 and a negative electrode plate 22 with a separator 23 interposed therebetween to be in a cylindrical shape. The plurality of electrode assemblies 20 are accommodated in the accommodation parts 12a to 12d with substantially no gap left.

Claims

1. A sealed secondary battery, comprising:

a plurality of electrode assemblies wound in cylindrical shape and sealed in a battery casing,

wherein the battery casing includes,

a plurality of cylindrical accommodation parts configured to accommodate the plurality of electrode assemblies, and

at least one hollow connecting part having a cavity within configured to connect the accommodation parts adjacent to each other,

the accommodation parts have inner circumferences having a substantially same shape as that of outer circumferences of the electrode assemblies,

each of side portions of the at least one hollow connecting part is connected to the accommodation part along a side surface thereof,

the accommodation parts adjacent to each other communicate physically with each other through the at least one hollow connecting part, and

the battery case is configured to contain an electrolyte liquid and to allow said electrolyte liquid to flow between the accommodation parts and through the cavity of the at least one hollow connecting part.

2. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the accommodation parts are filled with said electrolyte liquid, which is a nonaqueous electrolyte or an organic gel electrolyte.

3. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the accommodation parts and the electrode assemblies are formed in elliptic cylindrical shapes.

4. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of accommodation parts has end parts forming an open end deformed in a substantially elliptic shape along an envelope of outer contours of the accommodation parts, and

the open end is sealed with a sealing portion in the substantially elliptic shape substantially same as an outer contour of the open end.

5. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the plurality of accommodation parts and the at least one hollow connecting part connecting the accommodation parts are formed integrally with one another.

6. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein

the accommodation parts form an end part sealed with a flat sealing portion,

the sealing portion has an inside surface at which protrusions are formed, and

the electrode assemblies have winding cores fitted to the protrusions.

7. The sealed secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the sealed secondary battery is a lithium ion battery.