Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Current producing cell – elements – subcombinations and... – Cell enclosure structure – e.g. – housing – casing – container,...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-07
2003-12-02
Maples, John S. (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Current producing cell, elements, subcombinations and...
Cell enclosure structure, e.g., housing, casing, container,...
C429S099000, C429S158000, C429S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06656632
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to cell module structures equipped in electric cars, hybrid electric cars, and the like, as a driving power supply. The cell modules in the invention include any type of charging element device, including cells such as nickel hydrogen batteries and lithium batteries; and energy storage devices such as double layered capacitors (ultra-capacitors).
2. Background Art
As a cell module in which plural cells are serially connected to each other, a conventional one is exemplified in which plural cylindrical or rectangular cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal arranged at an end thereof are arranged in parallel, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal in adjoining cells are connected to each other via a bus bar so that the cells are connected to each other. The bus bar is generally mounted to the terminals by bolts or nuts in the assembly of the cell module.
FIG. 18
shows an example of a cell
100
and a bus bar
110
for a conventional cell module. In the example, a positive terminal
101
and a negative terminal
102
are arranged and project at an end of a cylindrical cell
100
. The bus bar
110
consists of a positive bus bar
111
and a negative bus bar
112
, which are insulated from each other and are penetrated by bolts
120
and
120
, which are screwed to the positive terminal
101
and the negative terminal
102
so as to secure and serially connect them to each other.
In the conventional cell module structures in which plural cells are connected to each other according to the connecting feature in
FIG. 18
, the labor for connecting the terminals by a bus bar is substantial since the task in which the bus bar is positioned with respect to the terminal and then the bolt is secured thereto must be repeated. Furthermore, a large space for operating a securing tool is required for securing the bolts, and care to avoid short circuiting by the tool is necessary, and the connecting working is therefore further complicated.
In order to reduce the contact resistance in the connecting portion, the terminal and the bus bar must be rigidly secured. However, the load exerted on the connecting portion increases due to deformation thereof due to vibration and temperature changes, and the condition of the connection may therefore be deteriorated. In order to reduce the load exerted on the connecting portion, it has been proposed that the cells be supported by holding members. However, this proposal results in increase in the number of parts and complication of the structure.
In general, the area occupied by overall the cell and the cell module is readily large in the cell in which a positive terminal and a negative terminal are arranged at an end thereof, and this feature is disadvantageous for vehicles which are required to effectively utilize limited space.
It has been proposed to change the shapes of the positive terminal and the negative terminal to avoid misassembly in which the positive terminals are connected or negative terminals are connected. However, since the terminals are usually formed as protrusions, misassembly can not be completely avoided. In addition, since the terminals are formed as protrusions, the terminals are often damaged by mishandling thereof. As a result, sufficient electrical contact cannot be obtained, or the terminals may short circuiting in some cases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide cell module structures which can satisfy the following requirements.
(1) Cells can be easily connected and electrical resistance can be reduced.
(2) Fine layout of cells can be performed and space is used effectively.
(3) Misassembly, damage and short circuiting of cells can be avoided.
The present invention provides a cell module structure in which cylindrical cells are connected to each other via a terminal connecting portion of a bus bar plate, wherein an inner cell terminal and an outer cell terminal having different polarities are coaxially aligned at an end of the cell; an inner connecting terminal and an outer connecting terminal corresponding to the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminal of the cell are coaxially aligned in the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate; the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminal of the cell are connected to the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate in a connected condition in which the outer cell terminal of the cell contacts the outer connecting terminal of the terminal connecting portion, and the inner cell terminal contacts the inner connecting terminal. The invention includes a feature in which the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate has a contacting portion with each cell terminal of the cell, the each cell terminal is welded or adhered to the contacting portion. The terminals (positive and negative terminals) according to the invention are coaxially aligned as the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminal at an end of the cell. The inner connecting terminal and the outer connecting terminal corresponding to the terminals of the cell are arranged in the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate. Each terminal of the cell is brought into contact with a terminal of the terminal connecting portion, and thus a module is formed. In the invention, since the positive and negative terminals are coaxially aligned, the cell is easily connected to the terminal connecting portion, and the distance for electrical transmission can be extremely short, thereby reducing the electrical resistance. In addition, the space occupied by overall the cell and the cell module can be reduced, so that limited space can be effectively utilized, and fine layout can be achieved when the plural cells are arranged. The connecting operation can be more easily performed since the operator need not confirm the polarity of the terminal of the cell in connecting the cell to the terminal connecting portion, and misassembly of the same polarity and short circuiting due to this can be avoided.
The present invention further provides a more specific cell module structure, wherein: an inner cell terminal and an outer cell terminal having different polarities are coaxially aligned at an end of the cell, at least the outer cell terminal is formed into a cylinder and has a screw portion on an inner surface or an outer surface thereof; an inner connecting terminal and an outer connecting terminal corresponding to the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminals of the cell are coaxially aligned at the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate, and a screw portion screwed into the screw portion of the outer cell terminal is formed at the outer connecting terminal; the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminal of the cell are connected to the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate in a connected condition in which the screw portion of the outer cell terminal in the cell is screwed to the screw portion of the outer connecting terminal in the terminal connecting portion, so that the inner cell terminal is brought into contact with the inner connecting terminal.
According to the invention, the cell is rotated around the axis thereof, the screw portion provided in the outer cell terminal of the cell is screwed and secured to the screw portion provided in the outer connecting terminal in the terminal connecting portion. In this construction, the outer cell terminal of the cell contacts the outer connecting terminal of the terminal connecting portion by screwing. The inner cell terminal of the cell is brought onto contact with the inner connecting terminal of the terminal connecting portion by the action of the screw. For this connected condition, the inner cell terminal and the outer cell terminal are connected to the terminal connecting portion of the bus bar plate.
The present invention further provides another specific cell module structure, wherein: an inner cell terminal and an outer cell terminal having different polarities are co
Asaka Satoru
Matsumoto Kenji
Matsuoka Toshiyuki
LandOfFree
Cell module structure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cell module structure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cell module structure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3174015