Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Cell support for removable cell – For plural cells
Patent
1998-11-16
2000-10-10
Maples, John S.
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Cell support for removable cell
For plural cells
429100, 429157, 429159, H01M 210
Patent
active
061300039
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a battery assembly adapted to be mounted on an electric motor vehicle such as an electric car.
2. Background Art
For batteries, such as NiMH batteries, which are adaptable for use in an electric motor vehicle, it is known from theory and experience that the life of such a battery can be prolonged, and that such a battery can be more efficiently charged or discharged, when its temperature is kept within a predetermined range. Temperature control in a battery involves cooling or warming, and a corresponding battery storage or loading structure adaptable for cooling or warming a battery is therefore necessary. For example, Japanese Patent laid-open Publication No. Hei 5-343105 discloses a battery module which accommodates a number of rectangular parallelepiped battery cells. When using battery cells of such a shape, it is necessary to either to arrange the cells in contact with one another, or to set a fully rigid rectangular parallelepiped spacer intervening between battery cells in order to prevent cell deformation due to an increased inner pressure. In the above publication, a rectangular parallelepiped spacer having an opening is arranged between battery cells so that cooling medium or cool and flows through the opening.
However, since numerous spacers must be arranged in the above structure, the structure suffers from problems of complexity, increased part costs, and increased assembling steps. Moreover, such a structure is not directly applicable to a battery or a battery cell which is not rectangular parallelepiped.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a modified battery, a new structure for connecting parts between batteries, and a supporting structure for batteries and cells so that they can be efficiently cooled or warmed without requiring additional members such as spacers or the like. This will simplify structure and reduced part costs and assembling steps.
In order to achieve the above object, a battery assembly according to the present invention comprises a number of supporting bulkheads having battery holding openings formed therein at predetermined positions in a predetermined arrangement, and a number of battery modules each of which is a long cylindrical unit composed of a plurality of cylindrical battery cells electrically and mechanically connected in a longitudinal arrangement. The supporting bulkheads are arranged like the teeth of a comb, with a space equivalent to natural number of the length of one battery is ensured between adjacent supporting bulkheads. The battery module penetrates the arranged supporting bulkheads from one end to the other, and is inserted through the battery holding openings. Further, the supporting bulkhead holds and supports a connection part between batteries. With this arrangement, in the present invention, space is produced between supporting bulkheads. By supplying a thermal medium, such as air, through this space, batteries can be effectively cooled or warmed and there is no need to use an additional member such as an opened spacer or the equivalent. As a result, the structure is simplified, and part costs and assembly steps can be reduced. Furthermore, the connecting portions of batteries are unlikely to be damaged by mechanical vibration, even if they have poor mechanical rigidity or vibration resistance because that part is held by the supporting bulkhead. In other words, in the present invention, batteries can be connected using an inexpensive method free from problems regarding mechanical rigidity or vibration resistance.
It may also be preferable to employ a tuning bulkhead which has battery passing openings formed at predetermined positions in a predetermined arrangement and a tuning projection formed on the edge of the battery passing opening or a part between the openings, projecting in the direction where the batteries pass. The tuning bulkhead may be arranged between supporting bulkheads or between a supporting bulkhea
REFERENCES:
patent: 4443523 (1984-04-01), Hasenauer
patent: 5034290 (1991-07-01), Sands et al.
patent: 5187031 (1993-02-01), Heiman et al.
patent: 5578392 (1996-11-01), Kawamura
patent: 5756227 (1998-05-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5866276 (1999-02-01), Ogami et al.
patent: 5879833 (1999-03-01), Yoshii et al.
Etoh Toyohiko
Watanabe Koh
Maples John S.
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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