Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With heat exchange feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2002-09-03
Maples, John S. (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
With heat exchange feature
C429S088000, C429S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06444353
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an integrated sealed secondary battery wherein a plurality of cells are arranged in series, thereby forming a one-piece battery housing.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 14
shows a known integrated sealed secondary battery of this type disclosed in Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-85847. Electricity-generating elements are accommodated respectively in cases
63
formed in rectangular tubular shape having a bottom, and the apertures of the cases
63
are sealed by covers
64
, thereby constituting cells
62
. A plurality of these cells
2
are arranged in a row, and the cases
63
of these cells
62
are tightly bound together with end plates
65
and restraining bands
66
. Positive electrode terminals
67
and negative electrode terminals
68
of cells
62
pass through the covers
64
, projecting upwardly, and these terminals
67
,
68
are connected successively in series by electrical connection bars
69
.
The mono-block rechargeable battery disclosed in Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-215804 in which a battery housing
71
and a cover
72
made of plastics material are heat-welded is constructed as shown in FIG.
15
. Side plates
73
having concave spaces on the inside thereof are heat-welded to the outside faces of opposite side walls of two battery housings
71
, whereby a water-cooled jacket
74
is formed between the side walls of the battery housings
71
and the side plates
73
. A cooling liquid inlet orifice
75
for supplying cooling liquid to the water-cooled jacket
74
and an outlet orifice (not shown) for discharging cooling liquid are provided at both ends of the cover
72
. Numeral
76
represents a connecting trough protruding above the side plate
73
such as to communicate the orifice
75
in the cover
72
with the interior of the water-cooled jacket
74
. It is further disclosed that an inlet orifice and outlet orifice are provided above the two ends of side plate
73
.
Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-45571 discloses the provision of cooling passages that pass through upper and lower portions of partitions between cells in a mono-block housing, and the provision of cooling medium inlet/evacuation headers thereabove and therebelow, separate covers being provided for each cell.
However, with the integrated sealed secondary battery of Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-85847, since the cells are tightly bound in close contact, if the ambient temperature is high or if discharge is effected with large current, heat cannot be removed sufficiently from the cells. There is therefore the problem that the temperature of the cells rises, lowering cell life. Furthermore, since the positive electrode terminals
67
and negative electrode terminals
68
project above the cover at each cell
62
, there is the problem that a sealing construction for the large number of electrode terminals and the portions where they pass through becomes necessary, resulting in increased costs.
In this regard, in the rechargeable battery of Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-215804, rise in temperature is suppressed to some extent by cooling of the side faces of the housing
71
by the water-cooled jacket
74
. Nevertheless, in the case of a secondary battery in which cells are integrated as shown in
FIG. 14
, the temperature rise of the cells cannot be sufficiently suppressed, because of insufficient cooling between the cells. Moreover, since the inlet orifice
75
and the outlet orifice for supplying and discharging cooling medium to and from the water-cooled jacket
74
protrude above the cover
72
, there is a risk that an obstruction may accidentally strike and damage the inlet orifice
75
or outlet orifice, with the result that cooling medium may leak, making cooling impossible.
In the case of the rechargeable battery of Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-45571, while the region where the cooling passages are formed that pass through upper and lower portions of partitions between the cells in the mono-block housing is forcibly cooled, the cooling effect is still insufficient, since the entire outside surface of the cells is not forcibly cooled. There are also the problems that, since the construction of the housing is complicated, manufacturing costs are high and, since it is necessary to provide a cover for each cell, a large number of separate operational steps are required in assembly, also raising the cost.
Consideration has been given, as disclosed in the above Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-85847 or Laid-open Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-45571, to reducing the number of locations where sealing construction is required at the portions where the terminals pass through, by adopting a construction wherein the electrical connection between cells is effected by means of internal connecting elements. However, in this case, there is the problem that the cooling performance is further lowered, owing to the considerable amount of heat generated in the vicinity of the connecting elements.
Furthermore, in some cases, temperature sensors are provided in the space above the electrode plates of each cell in order to enable counter-measures to be taken when any of the cells reached more than a prescribed temperature. However, there was the problem that the cell temperature could not be detected accurately because of a temperature gap between the spaces and the groups of electrode plates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an integrated sealed secondary battery which is of an inexpensive construction and wherein the cells can be effectively cooled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated sealed secondary battery wherein there is no risk of damage to the orifices that supply and discharge cooling medium to and from the cooling medium passages and there is no risk of cooling becoming impossible due to leakage of cooling medium. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated sealed secondary battery wherein, even though electrical connection between the cells is achieved by internal connecting elements so as to reduce cost, the cells and the connecting elements can be effectively cooled.
The present invention provides an integrated sealed secondary battery comprising: a plurality of cells arranged in a row respectively accommodating electricity-generating elements within rectangular tubular cases having a bottom, with their upper open ends being sealed; first cooling medium passages formed on both sides of the row of the cells; and second cooling medium passages formed between the cases of the cells that communicate with the first cooling medium passages on both sides of the row of the cells.
Since all of the side faces of the cells, including those between the cells, can be forcibly cooled by the cooling medium passing through these cooling medium passages, all of the cells can be effectively cooled.
If cooling medium passages are provided on the outside of the cells at the two ends of the integrated sealed secondary battery, the outside faces of the cells at the two ends can also be forcibly cooled.
If a cooling jacket member is joined to both sides and/or both ends of the row of the cells, the cooling medium passages can be constituted easily and with light weight.
If projections are provided on at least one of mutually facing opposite wall surfaces of the cases of the cells, cooling medium passages can be formed in a simple fashion and at low cost over practically the entire surface between the opposite wall surfaces of the cells.
If flow-alignment projecting strips are provided in the cooling medium passages such that the cooling medium flows over the entire surface of the cooling medium passages on both sides of the cell arrangement direction, the whole can be cooled reliably and uniformly, thereby ensuring high cooling performance.
If the cells are mutually joined in integral fashion and their apert
Fukuda Shinsuke
Hamada Shinji
Takaki Mitsugu
Yuasa Shinichi
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Maples John S.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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