Battery block and secondary battery module

• US 9,893,333 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Vehicle Energy Japan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hoshi, Hiroshi, Aiba, Tsunemi, Kojima, Naoki, Kikkawa, Chikara, Yoshida, Toshiyuki, Kiyota, Shigeyuki, Tanaka, Yoshiyuki, Iguchi, Toyoki, Saitou, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDDOCK, ULA CORINNA
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernow, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/859,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5027 Dummy cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided are a battery block and a secondary battery module capable of holding a plurality of battery cells stably and so reducing a load applied to a welding part of a conductive member that is connected to an electrode by welding or the like. The battery block includes a lower holding frame and a middle holding frame, one of which includes two protrusions that are in contact with an outer peripheral face of each battery cell and the other includes a pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction. Then, one of an upper holding frame and the middle holding frame includes two protrusions that are in contact with an outer peripheral face of each battery cell and the other includes a pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction.

Claims

1. A battery block, comprising:

a cylindrical plurality of battery cells arranged; and

two holding members sandwiching the arrangement of the battery cells from a radial direction of the battery cells for holding, the two holding members facing each other, wherein

first holding recesses are formed by first semicircular members on one of the two holding members, each first semicircular member holding an outer periphery of each end of each battery cell in a respective first holding recess,

two protrusions extending radially inwardly from the first semicircular member and in contact with an outer peripheral face of each end of each battery cell are formed at each first holding recess,

second holding recesses are formed by second semicircular members on the other holding member, each second semicircular member holding an outer periphery of each end of each battery cell in a respective second holding recess and being arranged opposite to the corresponding first holding recess,

an elastically deformable pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction is integrally formed along each second holding recess, and

the two protrusions are in contact with an outer peripheral face of each end of each battery cell and the elastically deformable pressing part presses the outer peripheral face, thereby allowing the two holding members to hold the plurality of battery cells,

wherein the elastically deformable part includes a pair of connecting legs connected to a base portion of the other holding member and an elastically deformable leg connected at its ends to the pair of connecting legs and being spaced from the base portion of the other holding member.

2. The battery block according to claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive layer between the two holding members and the battery cell being held at the outer peripheral face by the two holding members.

3. The battery block according to claim 2, wherein the two holding members include a plurality of fastening means provided at intermediate positions between neighboring battery cells among the plurality of battery cells to fix the two holding members.

4. The battery block according to claim 3, wherein the two holding members comprise, as alignment means, a protrusion for alignment disposed at one of the two holding members and a recess for alignment disposed at the other, the protrusion fitting into the recess.

5. The battery block according to claim 1, wherein

the arrangement of the battery cells comprises a battery-cell arrangement at a lower layer and a battery-cell arrangement at an upper layer,

the battery-cell arrangement at the lower layer includes battery cells sandwiched by a lower-layer holding member and a middle holding member from a radial direction of the battery cells for holding,

the battery-cell arrangement at the upper layer includes battery cells sandwiched by an upper-layer holding member and the middle holding member from a radial direction of the battery cells for holding,

one of the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member includes two protrusions in contact with an outer peripheral face of each end of each battery cell and an elastically deformable pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction, and

one of the upper-layer holding member and the middle holding member includes two protrusions in contact with an outer peripheral face of each end of each battery cell and an elastically deformable pressing part that presses the outer peripheral face of the battery cell inwardly in the radial direction.

6. The battery block according to claim 5, wherein

the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member include a plurality of lower fastening means provided at intermediate positions of the neighboring battery cells to fix the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member, and

the middle holding member and the upper-layer holding member include a plurality of upper fastening means provided at intermediate positions of the neighboring battery cells to fix the middle holding member and the upper-layer holding member.

7. The battery block according to claim 6, wherein

the battery-cell arrangement at the lower layer and the battery-cell arrangement at the upper layer are mutually displaced, and

the lower fastening means and the upper fastening means are provided at a half pitch of a pitch of the plurality of battery cells arranged.

8. The battery block according to claim 5, wherein

the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member comprise, as alignment means, a protrusion for alignment disposed at one of the holding members and a recess for alignment disposed at the other, the protrusion fitting into the recess, and

the upper-layer holding member and the middle holding member comprise, as alignment means, a protrusion for alignment disposed at one of the holding members and a recess for alignment disposed at the other, the protrusion fitting into the recess.

9. The battery block according to claim 5, wherein

the battery-cell arrangement at the lower layer includes an adhesive layer between the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member, the battery cells being held by the lower-layer holding member and the middle holding member, and

the battery-cell arrangement at the upper layer includes an adhesive layer between the upper-layer holding member and the middle holding member, the battery cells being held by the upper-layer holding member and the middle holding member.

10. The battery block according to claim 5, wherein

each battery cell includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode at two opposed faces sandwiching the outer peripheral face,

the arrangement of the plurality of battery cells include a conductive member connecting a positive electrode and a negative electrode of neighboring battery cells in series, and

the battery cell located at an end includes an external leading terminal.

11. The battery block according to claim 10, further comprising a dummy cell having a same shape as the battery cells at an end position, wherein the external leading terminal is shaped so as to bypass the dummy cell and electrically connect the battery cell located at the end with a connection terminal.

12. The battery block according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detection board including:

a voltage detection circuit that detects voltage of the battery cells; and

a fuse that blocks electrical continuity between the voltage detection circuit and the battery cells.

13. A secondary battery module, comprising a plurality of the battery blocks each according to claim 1, the plurality of battery blocks being arranged in parallel and accommodated in a case, wherein

the case includes a lower case having an upper opening and an upper cover that closes the upper opening,

the lower case includes fastening means upwardly provided in a standing manner from a bottom face of the lower case, and

the battery blocks are fixed in the case by the fastening means.

14. The secondary battery module according to claim 13, wherein

the fastening means includes a stud and a nut,

each battery block includes a through hole through which the stud penetrates, and

the nut is screwed in at an upper end of the stud so as to fix the battery blocks.

15. The secondary battery module according to claim 14, wherein

the stud protrudes upwardly from the upper cover, and

screwing of the nut at the upper end of the stud fixes the upper cover integrally with the battery blocks.