Electrical storage device

• US 8,616,311 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsurumi, Yoshihisa, Fujino, Shinichi, Seto, Sadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEMMONS, STEVE M
• Application Number:
  US12/892,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20110155485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.29, 180/65.275, 180/68.5, 429/7, 429/153, 429/159, 429/163, 429/177, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.6, 307/10.7, 361/753, 361/212, 361/216, 361/217, 361/752, 361/799, 903/903, 903/951, 903/952
• US Class Current: 180/65.22
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical storage device includes: a conductive battery house casing electrically connected to a chassis; a plurality of battery cells held in the battery house casing; and a control unit that comprises a circuit that manages the plurality of battery cells and is mounted on the battery house casing so that a negative terminal of the circuit and the battery house casing are electrically conducting.

Claims

1. An electrical storage device comprising:

a plurality of conductive battery house casings electrically connected to a chassis;

a plurality of battery cells housed and held in the battery house casings; and

a control unit that is disposed outside the battery house casings and comprises a circuit that monitors a state of the plurality of battery cells, wherein;

the circuit comprises a terminal for grounding; and

a conductive base of the control unit is directly fixed to the battery house casings and the terminal for grounding of the circuit is electrically connected to the battery house casings through the base so as to ground the circuit to the chassis;

wherein a battery assembly constituted with the plurality of battery cells is housed in the plurality of battery house casings, wherein;

the base is mounted astride the plurality of battery house casings and is directly fixed to each of the plurality of the battery house casings; and

the terminal is electrically connected to the plurality of the battery house casings through the base so as to be grounded to the chassis.

2. An electrical storage device according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery house casings each comprise;

a casing body that is formed with a conductive lower base and a conductive upper base that is disposed above the lower base and is connected to the lower base so as to form the casing body circularly with both side surfaces being open; and

side plates that hold the battery cells while closing the both side surfaces of the casing body;

the base is fixed directly to the upper base; and

the terminal is electrically connected to the lower base through the base and the upper base so as to be grounded to the chassis.

3. An electrical storage device according to claim 1, wherein:

the battery house casings are formed from die-cast aluminium.

4. An electrical storage device according to claim 1, wherein:

The plurality of battery house casings are integrated by the base.

5. An electric powered vehicle, comprising:

a travel drive device that generates travel drive on electric power;

an electrical storage device according to claim 1 that generates the electric power; and

a vehicle body on which the travel drive device is provided, wherein;

the plurality of battery house casings is mounted on the vehicle body through a mounting member; and

a potential of the vehicle body is used as a ground potential.

6. An electrical storage device comprising:

a conductive mounting member that is fixed to a chassis;

a plurality of conductive battery house casings that is fixed to the mounting member and is electrically connected to the chassis through the mounting member;

a plurality of battery cells housed and held in the battery house casings; and

a control unit that is disposed outside the battery house casings, and comprises a circuit, mounted on a board, that monitors a state of the plurality of battery cells and a conductive base on which the board is mounted, wherein;

the circuit comprises a terminal for grounding; and

the base is directly fixed to the battery house casings and the terminal for grounding of the circuit is electrically connected to the mounting member through the base and the battery house casings so as to ground the circuit to the chassis;

wherein a battery assembly constituted with the plurality of battery cells is housed in the plurality of battery house casings, wherein;

the base is mounted astride the plurality of battery house casings and is directly fixed to each of the plurality of the battery house casings; and

the terminal is electrically connected to the mounting member through the base and the plurality of the battery house casings so as to be grounded to the chassis.

7. An electrical storage device according to claim 6, wherein:

each of the battery house casings comprises;

a casing body that is formed with a conductive lower base that is fixed to the mounting member and a conductive upper base that is disposed above the lower base and is connected to the lower base so as to form the casing body circularly with both side surfaces being open; and

side plates that hold the battery cells while closing the both side surfaces of the casing body;

the base is fixed directly to the upper base; and

the terminal is electrically connected to the mounting member through the base, the upper base and the lower base so as to be grounded to the chassis.

8. An electrical storage device according to claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of battery house casings are integrated by the base.

9. An electrical storage device according to claim 6, wherein:

the battery house casings are formed from die-cast aluminium.

10. An electric powered vehicle, comprising:

a travel drive device that generates travel drive on electric power;

an electrical storage device according to claim 6 that generates the electric power; and

a vehicle body on which the travel drive device is provided, wherein;

the plurality of battery house casings is mounted on the vehicle body through a mounting member; and

a potential of the vehicle body is used as a ground potential.