Battery for work vehicle and battery-type work vehicle

• US 9,306,245 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Seimiya, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US14/124,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20150050530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07531 Battery compartments
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• 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 50/51 : Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 : Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 : in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery includes: battery cell groups, each of which is obtained by connecting battery cells in series to each other; a battery casing storing the battery cells; a bus-bar connecting positive electrodes of the respective battery cell groups; a bus-bar connecting negative electrodes of the respective battery cell groups; and a first line connecting the positive electrode and the bus-bar, a second line connecting the negative electrode and the bus-bar, and a third line connecting the battery cells included in each of the battery cell groups. The first line and the second line are drawn to the outside of the battery casing and connected to the bus-bar, and the corresponding first and second lines are bent at the outside of the battery casing according to a position of the battery cell group in the battery casing and are connected to the bus-bar.

Claims

1. A battery that supplies electric power to a battery-driven work vehicle, the battery comprising:

a plurality of battery cell groups, each of which is obtained by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series to each other;

a battery casing which includes a bottom, a top facing the bottom, and sides connecting the bottom and the top, and stores the plurality of battery cells in a space surrounded by the top, the bottom, and the sides;

a first conductor which connects positive electrodes of the respective battery cell groups;

a second conductor which connects negative electrodes of the respective battery cell groups; and

a first line which connects the positive electrode and the first conductor, a second line which connects the negative electrode and the second conductor, and a third line which connects the plurality of battery cells included in each of the battery cell groups, each of the first, second, and third lines corresponding to one of the battery cell groups and is disposed along top surfaces of the battery cells,

wherein surplus length portions of the first line and the second line generated depending on distances from the respective battery cell groups to the first conductor and the second conductor are drawn to an outside of the battery casing to be connected to the first conductor and the second conductor, and the corresponding first and second lines are bent at the outside of the battery casing according to a position of the battery cell group in the battery casing to be connected to the first conductor and the second conductor, and the shorter the distances from the respective battery cell groups to the first conductor and the second conductor in the battery casing, the larger bending amounts of the first line and the second line at the outside of the battery casing.

2. The battery for the work vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a variation in values obtained by summing the lengths of the first lines, the second lines, and the third lines in the respective battery cell groups falls within a predetermined range such that each of the values obtained by summing the lengths of the first lines, the second lines, and the third lines in the respective battery cell groups falls within a tolerance of ±

5% with respect to an average value of all of the values obtained by summing the lengths of the first lines, the second lines, and the third lines in the respective battery cell groups.

3. The battery for the work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fuse which is electrically connected to the first conductor and each of the battery call groups; and

a storage casing which is provided at an outside of the top of the battery casing and stores the fuse.

4. A battery-type work vehicle with the battery of claim 1 that supplies electric power to the battery-type work vehicle.

5. The battery-type work vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein the battery for the work vehicle is mounted under a battery hood which is provided in the battery-type work vehicle.

6. The battery-type work vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein the battery hood rotates about a predetermined shaft which is present in a front of the battery-type work vehicle, and

wherein a storage casing which is provided at the outside of the top of the battery casing to store the fuse electrically connected to the terminal is provided on a rear side of the battery-type work vehicle.