Battery and connection apparatus

• US 9,972,812 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Group Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Motoyama, Shigeki, Mitani, Atsushi, Kumagai, Atsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jelsma, Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US15/468,503
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/172 Arrangements of electric connectors penetrating the casing
• 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 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/502 Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/543 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery includes: a casing that includes a plurality of exterior faces having outer faces facing mutually-different directions and has an arrangement concave part formed; a cell that is housed inside the casing; and a connector that includes a connection terminal connected to an electrode terminal of a connection apparatus and is arranged in the arrangement concave part, in which a face forming the arrangement concave part of the casing is formed as a concave part forming face, and the concave part forming face is present between the exterior faces and the connector.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

a casing including a concave portion and a plurality of exterior surfaces,

the plurality of exterior surfaces including a front surface and a rear surface positioned on opposite sides of the casing, and a first side surface and a second side surface positioned on other opposite sides of the casing and orthogonal to the front surface and the rear surface;

a battery cell that is housed inside the casing; and

a connector including a connection terminal configured to be connected to an electrode terminal of a connection apparatus,

wherein the concave portion includes an opening defined by a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion being inclined towards the first side surface, the second wall portion being inclined towards the second side surface, such that the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend to an outermost edge of the front surface, the opening of the concave portion extends from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface and is continuously wider from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface.

2. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein the concave portion is open at least in a connection direction of the connection terminal and the electrode terminal.

3. The battery according to claim 2, wherein the first wall forming face and the second wall forming face of the concave portion are formed in an inclining surface in which an opening area of the concave portion increases as being further spaced apart from the connector in the opening direction of the concave portion.

4. The battery according to claim 3,

wherein the concave portion includes a middle portion between the first wall forming face and the second wall forming face, and

the middle portion is formed in an inclining surface in which the opening area of the concave portion increases as being further spaced apart from the connector in the connection direction.

5. The battery according to claim 3, wherein an inclination angle of the concave portion with respect to the connection direction is larger than 0 degrees and equal to or smaller than 45 degrees.

6. The battery according to claim 1,

wherein the concave portion is open in two orthogonal directions, and

the first wall forming face and the second wall forming face are present between the exterior surfaces and the connector in each of the two directions.

7. A connection apparatus to which a battery is detachably attached, the battery including a casing including a concave portion and a plurality of exterior surfaces, the plurality of exterior surfaces including a front surface and a rear surface positioned on opposite sides of the casing, and a first side surface and a second side surface positioned on other opposite sides of the casing and orthogonal to the front surface and the rear surface, a battery cell that is housed inside the casing, and a connector including a connection terminal configured to be connected to an electrode terminal,

wherein the concave portion includes an opening defined by a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion being inclined towards the first side surface, the second wall portion being inclined towards the second side surface, such that the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend to an outermost edge of the front surface, the opening of the concave portion extends from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface and is continuously wider from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface.

8. A battery comprising:

a casing including a concave portion and a plurality of exterior surfaces,

the plurality of exterior surfaces including a front surface and a rear surface arranged in a longitudinal direction, a first side surface and a second side surface arranged between the front surface and the rear surface in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a top surface and a bottom surface arranged between the front surface and the rear surface and the first side surface and the second side surface in a height direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction and the widthwise direction;

a battery cell that is housed inside the casing; and

connection terminals including a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal that are arranged in a terminal arrangement groove configured for connection to electrode terminals of a connection apparatus,

wherein the concave portion includes an opening defined by a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion being inclined towards the first side surface, the second wall portion being inclined towards the second side surface, such that the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend to an outermost edge of the front surface, the opening of the concave portion extends from the terminal arrangement groove to the outermost edge of the front surface and is continuously wider from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface.

9. The battery according to claim 8,

wherein the concave part is open at least in a connection direction of the connection terminals and the electrode terminals.

10. The battery according to claim 9,

wherein the concave portion includes a middle portion between the first wall forming face and the second wall forming face, and

the middle portion is formed in an inclining surface in which the opening area of the concave part increases as being further spaced apart from the terminal arrangement groove in the connection direction.

11. The battery according to claim 9, wherein an inclination angle of the concave portion with respect to the connection direction is larger than 0 degrees and equal to or smaller than 45 degrees.

12. The battery according to claim 8,

wherein the concave part is open in two orthogonal directions.

13. A connection apparatus to which a battery is detachably attached, the battery including a casing that includes a concave portion and a plurality of exterior surfaces, the plurality of exterior surfaces including a front surface and a rear surface arranged in a longitudinal direction, a first side surface and a second side surface arranged between the front surface and the rear surface in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a top surface and a bottom surface arranged between the front surface and the rear surface and the first side surface and the second side surface in a height direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction and the widthwise direction, a cell that is housed inside the casing, and a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal that are arranged in a terminal arrangement groove and are connected to electrode terminals,

wherein the concave portion includes an opening defined by a first wall portion and a second wall portion, the first wall portion being inclined towards the first side surface, the second wall portion being inclined towards the second side surface, such that the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend to an outermost edge of the front surface, the opening of the concave portion extends from the terminal arrangement groove to the outermost edge of the front surface and is continuously wider from the connector to the outermost edge of the front surface.