Electric storage unit

• US 9,034,501 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Tatehiko, Kawasaki, Shusaku, Kakiuchi, Kimiyasu, Shoji, Rihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARSONS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US12/522,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20100015512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,652 Days
• Field of Search: 429/100, 429/151, 429/159, 429/163, 429/176
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/10 Multiple hybrid or EDL capacitors, e.g. arrays or modules housings, cases, encapsulations or mountings thereof H01G11/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/18 against thermal overloads, e.g. heating, cooling or ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/04 specially adapted for mounting on a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/08 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/08 Housing; Encapsulation
• 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 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6552 Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 : Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 : with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 : Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 : adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/222 : Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 : Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 : Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/229 : Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 : adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/278 : Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/289 : characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 : characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 : comprising a single busbar
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 : Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electric power storage unit includes plural storage element blocks, an external bus bar for electrically connecting the storage element blocks, a base made of metal for fixing the storage element blocks, and a cover fixed to the base for accommodating the storage element blocks. Each of the storage element blocks includes plural electric power storage elements connected electrically to each other, and a case made of heat-conductive insulating resin for holding the electric power storage elements. This electric power storage unit reduces variation of cooling of the electric power storage elements, hence having high reliability.

Claims

1. An electric power storage unit comprising:

a plurality of electric power storage elements;

a holder including retaining sections, each of the retaining sections holding a respective one of the plurality of electric power storage elements by having a respective one of bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements inserted therein; and

a base made of metal for fixing the holder

wherein the holder has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface faces the plurality of electric power storage elements, and the second surface faces the base,

wherein the holder has therein a plurality of through-holes passing from the first surface to the second surface at the retaining sections, respectively, and wherein a plurality of heat-conductive insulating greases are provided in the through-holes, and each of the heat-conductive insulating greases contact the base and each respective one of the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements,

wherein each of the plurality of through-holes has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening opens to the first surface of the holder, and the second opening opens to the second surface of the holder and is larger than the first opening,

wherein the second opening of each of the plurality of through-holes is between the base and the first opening of a respective one of the plurality of through-holes, and

wherein the first opening of each of the plurality of through-holes is between a respective one of the plurality of electric power storage elements and the second opening of a respective one of the plurality of through-holes.

2. The electric power storage unit according to claim 1,

wherein the retaining sections comprise a plurality of retaining holes provided in the holder, each of the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements inserted in a respective one of the plurality of retaining holes, the plurality of retaining holes having bottoms facing the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements, respectively,

wherein the holder has an elastic portion extending from an inner wall surface of each of the plurality of retaining holes at each of the bottoms of the plurality of retaining holes, and the elastic portion has each respective one of the through-holes provided therein,

wherein each of the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements contacts the elastic portion of each respective one of the plurality of retaining holes,

wherein each of the bottoms of the retaining holes has a further through-hole therein connected to each respective one of the through-holes, and

wherein each of the plurality of heat-conductive insulating greases contacts the base and each respective one of the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements through each further through-hole and each respective one of the through-holes.

3. The electric power storage unit according to claim 2,

wherein the elastic portion comprises a plurality of elastic portions having a cantilever structure extending upward and toward a center of each of the retaining holes from the wall surface at a respective one of the bottoms of the retaining holes,

wherein the further through-hole is provided between a pair of elastic portions out of the plurality of elastic portions which are adjacent to each other,

wherein each of the plurality of heat-conductive insulating greases contacts the base and each respective one of the bottom portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements through the further through-hole and each respective one of the through-holes.

4. The electric power storage unit according to claim 3,

wherein the holder includes:

a lower case facing the base and having the retaining holes and the through-holes therein; and

an upper case having top portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements inserted therein for supporting the plurality of electric power storage elements between the lower case and the upper case,

wherein displaceable ranges of the plurality of elastic portions are larger than a difference of heights from the bottom portions to the top portions of the plurality of electric power storage elements.

5. The electric power storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the holder has a step portion provided at a portion of the holder facing the base such that the second opening of each of the through-holes is larger than the first opening of respective one of the plurality of through-holes.

6. The electric power storage unit according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is provided between the holder and the base such that the second opening of each of the through-holes is larger than the first opening of respective one of the plurality of through-holes.

7. The electric power storage unit according to claim 6, wherein the spacer is made of material having a heat-conductivity not smaller than a heat-conductivity of the holder.

8. The electric power storage unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the through-holes has a cross section flaring toward the base from respective one of the bottom portions of electric power storage elements such that the second opening of each of the through-holes is larger than the first opening of respective one of the plurality of through-holes.

9. The electric power storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the holder entirely surrounds the second opening of each of the plurality of through-holes.