Cell module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9231237-B2
Application number	US-201113807672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 6, 2010
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Batteries 100 are accommodated in a case 20 , wherein the batteries 100 each include an opening portion 8 a for releasing gas produced in an associated one of the batteries to outside the battery, the case 20 is partitioned into an accommodation section 50 configured to accommodate the batteries 100 and an exhaust passage 60 configured to expel the gas released from at least one of the opening portions 8 a of the batteries 100 to outside the case 20 , the opening portions 8 a of the batteries 100 are allowed to communicate with the exhaust passage 60 through sealed connection passages 40 , and a one-way open valve 70 which is configured to open only along a direction from the opening portion 8 a of the battery 100 to the exhaust passage 60 is provided in an intermediate portion or at an end of each of the connection passages 40.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery module, comprising
batteries which are accommodated in a module case, wherein:
the batteries each include an opening portion configured to release gas produced in an associated one of the batteries to outside the battery,
the module case is partitioned into an accommodation section configured to accommodate the batteries and an exhaust passage configured to expel the gas released from at least one of the batteries to outside the case, the exhaust passage being located inside the module case,
sealed connection passages are provided between the accommodation section and the exhaust passage, each of the sealed connection passages being located between the opening portion of each of the batteries and the exhaust passage, and
one-way open valves provided at the sealed connection passages, respectively, each of the one-way open valves being configured to open only along a direction from the opening portion of each of the batteries to the exhaust passage, and each of the one-way open valves being provided in an intermediate portion or at an end of an associated one of the sealed connection passages,
wherein the accommodation section is sealed when all of the one-way open valves are in a blocking state.

2. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein
the case is partitioned into the accommodation section and the exhaust passage by a flat plate placed in the case.

3. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein:
the opening portion is provided in a protrusion of each of the batteries,
the flat plate is placed in such a manner that the protrusion of each of the batteries is inserted into an associated one of through holes formed in the flat plate and battery cases of the batteries are in contact with the flat plate at portions surrounding the protrusion, and
the through holes respectively form the sealed connection passages.

4. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein:
the flat plate includes a plurality of hollow members formed thereon,
an inner periphery of each of the hollow members is engaged with an outer periphery of an associated one of the battery cases of the batteries, and
the hollow members form the sealed connection passages.

5. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein:
the protrusion of each of the batteries extends with an end opened and is engaged with an inner surface of an associated one of the through holes of the flat plate, and
the protrusion forms the sealed connection passages.

6. The battery module of claim 3 , wherein:
a plate member is placed in contact with a surface of the flat plate facing the exhaust passage so as to close the through holes of the flat plate,
the plate member includes thinner portions formed in regions which are located near the through holes and in contact with the flat plate, and
each of the thinner portions constitutes each of the one-way open valves.

7. The battery module of claim 6 , wherein:
the plate member further includes non-rupturable portions formed in the regions being in contact with the flat plate, and
when in an opened state, each of the one-way open valves is positioned such that flow of the gas having been released from the opening portion of an associated one of the batteries to the exhaust passage through an associated one of the sealed connection passages is directed toward a vent of the exhaust passage.

8. The battery module of claim 2 , wherein
the flat plate is made of a circuit board on which a connector electrically connecting electrodes of the batteries is formed.

9. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein
each the sealed connection passages is surrounded by an associated one of the one-way open valves, a part of the flat plate and an associated one of the batteries.

10. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein
each of the one-way open valves faces one end of an associated one of the batteries along a longitudinal direction of the associated one of the batteries.

11. The battery module of claim 1 , wherein
the one-way open valves are provided at the flat plate.

Assignees

• Shimizu Keisuke
• Yokoyama Tomohiko
• Fujikawa Masato
• Naito Keisuke
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Keisuke
• Yokoyama Tomohiko
• Fujikawa Masato
• Naito Keisuke

Classifications

• H01M50/519

  comprising printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/284

  with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/213 Primary

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/367

  Internal gas exhaust passages forming part of the battery cover or case; Double cover vent systems · CPC title

• H01M50/317 Primary

  Re-sealable arrangements · CPC title