Battery pack and vehicle equipped with same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658635-B2
Application number	US-201515522319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A battery pack including a lightweight and high-rigidity end plate is provided. The battery pack includes: cell stacked body including a plurality of stacked rectangular cells; first end plate disposed at one end of cell stacked body in the stacking direction of rectangular cells; second end plate disposed at the other end of cell stacked body; and connection member connected to first end plate and second end plate. At least one of first end plate and second end plate includes first member made of a first metal material and second member made of a second metal material different from the first metal material. First member and second member are stacked in the stacking direction of rectangular cells. The rigidity of the second metal material is higher than that of the first metal material. The specific gravity of the first metal material is lower than that of the second metal material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack comprising:
a cell stacked body including a plurality of stacked rectangular cells;
a first end plate disposed at a first end of the cell stacked body in a stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells;
a second end plate disposed at a second end of the cell stacked body in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells; and
a connection member coupled to the first end plate and the second end plate,
wherein at least one of the first end plate and the second end plate includes a first member made of a first metal material and a second member made of a second metal material different from the first metal material,
wherein the first member and the second member are stacked in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells,
wherein a rigidity of the second metal material is higher than a rigidity of the first metal material,
wherein a specific gravity of the first metal material is lower than a specific gravity of the second metal material, and
wherein the second member is disposed between the first member and the cell stacked body, and a vertical length of the second member is less than a height of the first member such that the second member presses a part of an adjacent one of the rectangular cells other than an upper end thereof.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second member is disposed between the first member and the cell stacked body.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first member in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells is greater than a thickness of the second member in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first member includes an engagement recess on a surface facing the second member, the second member being to be engaged with the engagement recess, and the second member is engaged with the engagement recess.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first member and the second member are pasted on and fixed to each other using an adhesive or a tape having adhesive layers on opposite surfaces.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the first member includes a through hole, and the second member includes a through hole at a position facing the through hole in the first member.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first member is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the second member is made of iron or an iron alloy.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second member includes a reinforcing rib, and the reinforcing rib is formed by folding an end of the second member.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the first member includes a recess, and the reinforcing rib is disposed in the recess.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the reinforcing rib is disposed at at least one of an upper edge and a lower edge of the second member.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second member includes a fitting projection on a surface facing the first member,
the first member includes a fitting recess on the surface facing the second member, and
the fitting projection is disposed in the fitting recess.

12. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the connection member is fixed to the first member via a fixing component,
the first member includes a first through hole into which the fixing component is inserted,
the second member includes a second through hole on an extension of the first through hole, and
a caulked portion of the fixing component is disposed inside the first through hole in the first member.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the fixing component includes a rivet.

14. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the connection member is disposed on a side surface or an upper surface of the cell stacked body,
the connection member includes a first fixing portion at the first end in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells, the first fixing portion being folded so as to follow an outer surface of the first end plate,
the connection member includes a second fixing portion at the second end in the stacking direction of the plurality of rectangular cells, the second fixing portion being folded so as to follow an outer surface of the second end plate,
the first fixing portion is fixed to the outer surface of the first end plate, and
the second fixing portion is fixed to the outer surface of the second end plate.

15. A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Sanyo Electric Co

Inventors

• Nagane Takeshi
• Hirakawa Yasushi

Classifications

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M2/1077 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M50/209 Primary

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/236

  Hardness · CPC title

• H01M50/289

  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 title