Sealed battery

• US 8,936,861 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiyama, Akira, Yamada, Tadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOMONE, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US13/126,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/56
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/20 Pressure-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/147 Lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/152 for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/15, H01M50/153 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/171 using adhesives or sealing agents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/3425 in the form of rupturable membranes or weakened parts, e.g. pierced with the aid of a sharp member
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/572 Means for preventing undesired use or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/578 in response to pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A sealed battery (10) provided by the present invention includes: a current cut-off valve (22); and a connecting member (30) having an engagement hole (34) formed in a location adjacent to the current cut-off valve. The current cut-off valve is conductively connected to the connecting member by joining linearly to a peripheral edge of the engagement hole and/or joining at a surface that is in contact with an inner wall of the engagement hole in a state in which part of the current cut-off valve is fitted into the engagement hole. When an internal pressure of a battery case (40) rises above a predetermined level, the current cut-off valve is deformed outward of the case by the internal pressure, the current cut-off valve is separated from the connecting member, and the electric connection between the connecting member and the current cut-off valve is broken.

Claims

1. A sealed battery comprising:

an electrode body including a positive electrode and a negative electrode;

a case accommodating the electrode body;

a deformable, disk-shaped current cut-off valve that prevents gas circulation between an inside and an outside of the case and is deformed when an internal pressure in the case rises above a predetermined level;

either a positive external terminal or a negative external terminal electrically connected to the electrode body via the disk-shaped current cut-off valve; and

a connecting member that is electrically connected to the electrode body and has an engagement hole formed in a location adjacent to the disk-shaped current cut-off valve, wherein

the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is conductively connected directly to a peripheral edge and/or an inner wall of the engagement hole of the connecting member by annularly welding in a state in which part of the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is fitted into the engagement hole, and

when the internal pressure in the case rises above the predetermined level, the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is deformed outward of the case by the internal pressure and the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is separated from the connecting member, thereby breaking the electric connection between the connecting member and the disk-shaped current cut-off valve.

2. The sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is ruptured, following the deformation of the disk-shaped current cut-off valve, on an outer periphery of the annularly welded portion, and part of the connecting member including the peripheral edge of the engagement hole of the connecting member is separated together with the disk-shaped current cut-off valve from a main body of the connecting member.

3. The sealed battery according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the connecting member that is separated together with the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is formed thinner than the main body of the connecting member.

4. The sealed battery according to claim 2, wherein a slit that can facilitate the rupture is formed in advance in the portion of the connecting member that is ruptured.

5. The sealed battery according to claim 1, wherein when the internal pressure of the case further rises, part of the disk-shaped current cut-off valve that has separated from the connecting member ruptures and gas release from the inside to the outside of the case is realized.

6. The sealed battery according to claim 5, wherein a slit that can facilitate the rupture is formed in advance in the portion of the disk-shaped current cut-off valve that is ruptured.

7. The sealed battery according to claim 1, which is a cylindrical sealed battery, wherein

the case is formed in a cylindrical shape,

the connecting member and the disk-shaped current cut-off valve are both formed in respective disk shapes and provided at one end in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case,

the engagement hole is formed in a central portion of the disk-shaped connecting member, and the peripheral edge portion of the engagement hole is formed thinner than other portions, and

the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is disposed in a state in which a central portion of the disk-shaped current cut-off valve is fitted into the engagement hole in the central portion of the connecting member.

8. The sealed battery according to claim 7, wherein

either the positive external terminal or the negative external terminal that is electrically connected to the disk-shaped current cut-off valve constitutes a lid covering one end in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case, and

the external terminal in the form of the lid and the connecting member are mounted on one end in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical case, while being adjacent to each other.

9. A vehicle comprising the sealed battery according to claim 1.