This application claims foreign priority based on Japanese patent application No. JP-2004-081569, filed on Mar. 19, 2004, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an accumulator structure in which a plurality of flat accumulators are flatly disposed in a common plane and electrically connected with each other.
In recent years, accumulators including rechargeable batteries such as lithium ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors such as electric double layer capacitors become more compact and lightweight and become to have higher energy density. These accumulators have actively been used as power sources for portable information communication equipments, electric automobiles or hybrid electric automobiles.
In particular, a laminate accumulator comprising: a package case made of a laminated sheet produced by coating both surfaces of a metal layer with resin layers; and generating elements (unit cells) enclosed in the laminated sheet case, can be formed into a thin flat shape. Therefore, the laminate accumulator is useful for reducing the size and weight of a power supply device, and it is possible to significantly improve a flexibility for installing device into another device.
The laminate accumulator has a plurality of unit cells connected in series or parallel and accommodated in a package case, and the plurality of unit cells are installed into another device as a module or a package. Since the package case is soft, the tension applied to the cells by the case cannot be large. Therefore, it is necessary to take some countermeasures against a positional shifting of the unit cells or a breaking of connectors caused by impacts or vibrations.
Disclosed in JP-A-2001-256938 is a case for accommodating the plurality of unit cells, having an upper case part and a lower case part each in the form of a half shell, and having positional restriction walls for restricting positions of the plurality of unit cells formed in the upper and lower case parts. The upper case part is connected to the lower case part between the positional restriction walls and side circumferential walls, so that the case parts are united. Disclosed in JP-A-2003-162989 is a method for preventing a breaking of a structure or a breaking of the connecting tabs caused by vibrations, by filling with resin in a support member accommodating at least two unit cells.
However, when the laminate accumulator is installed in a limited space particularly in a “dead” space as it is provided for example in a vehicle such as an automobile, it is required that the laminate accumulator is flatly formed and this flat structure is flexible enough to bend so that the laminate accumulator can be installed in a three-dimensionally flexible manner.
However, in the laminate accumulator of JP-A-2001-256938, for a restriction of the half-shell shape of the case, it is very difficult to flexibly installing the laminate accumulator in the limited space. Further, in the laminate accumulator of JP-A-2003-162989, since the resin is filled between the support member and the unit cells and a prescribed space is necessary between the support member and the unit cells, a space that the laminate accumulator can be installed thereto is restricted, and it is difficult to install the laminate accumulator in various shapes.
The present invention is in view of the above-described disadvantages, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an accumulator structure that can be installed three-dimensionally with bending flexibility while the flat arrangement of the accumulator structure is maintained and a protection ability and an impact absorbing capability is maintained.
In order to achieve the object, a first accumulator structure according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a reinforcement member bendably suspended between ones of the plurality of flat accumulators.
In a second accumulator according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a case member that covers the plurality of flat accumulators disposed in the common plane in close contact, and fixes the plurality of flat accumulators.
In the second accumulator structure, the case member may be made of a bag-shaped member or a sheet type member having one surface coated with an adhesive. When the bag-shaped member is used, an entire of the plurality of flat accumulators is covered with the bag-shaped member evacuated inside and sealed, so that the bag-shaped member cover the plurality of flat accumulators disposed in the common plane in close contact and fixes the plurality of flat accumulators. When the case member is a sheet type member having one surface coated with an adhesive, the sheet type member covers the entire of the plurality of flat accumulators, and the adhesive surfaces are joined with each other, so that the sheet type member closely contacts with the plurality of flat accumulators, and fixes the plurality of flat accumulators.
A third accumulator structure according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a sheet type member that covers the plurality of flat accumulators, and is sealed between each of the flat accumulators.
A fourth accumulator structure according to the present invention comprises a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a frame member that corresponds to and substantially surrounds the plurality of flat accumulators.
In the fourth accumulator structure, a rigidity of a part of the frame member not surrounding the flat accumulators may be lower than a rigidity of another part of the frame member surrounding the flat accumulators. The frame member may partially correspond to the alignment of the plurality of flat accumulators.
A fifth accumulator structure according to the present invention comprises a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a frame member that covers the flat accumulators and comprises surrounding parts that individually surround each of the flat accumulators.
In the fifth accumulator structure, each of the surrounding parts is segmented by a groove-shaped thinned part.
A sixth accumulator structure according to the invention comprises a plurality of flat accumulators flatly disposed in a common plane, each of the flat accumulators electrically connected to at least another of the flat accumulators; and a plurality of surrounding frame members that separately cover the plurality of flat accumulators for an alignment block in the common plane, wherein the frame members are connected by a hinge mechanism.
The accumulator structure according to the present invention can be installed three-dimensionally with bending flexibility while the flat arrangement of the accumulator structure is maintained and a protection ability and an impact absorbing capability is maintained.
Now, embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 5 show flat accumulators to which the invention is applied.
FIGS. 6 to 8 show examples of modules each including a plurality of connected flat accumulators.
In
The accumulator portion 1a and the sealing portion 1b serving as the package case is for example made of a sheet type material (laminate sheet) produced by insulation-coating the surface of an aluminum-based metal layer with a resin layer. One electrode terminal 1c exposed from the laminate sheet serves as a positive electrode and the other electrode terminal 1d serves as a negative electrode. In this way, a thin flat unit cell that outputs voltage in the minimum unit (such as voltage corresponding to one dry cell) is produced.
Note that in
Meanwhile,
A plurality of such flat laminate cells 1 or such flat can installed type accumulator cells 2 are disposed in a common plane and connected in series or parallel to form a module for outputting prescribed voltage. In the following description, unit cells constituting the module will be described with reference to the flat laminate cell (hereinafter simply as “accumulator cell”) 1. Meanwhile, the description applies the flat can installed type accumulator cell 2 or other types of accumulator cells having similar shapes. In addition, the description applies to a capacitor having a similar shape.
The module 5 in
Meanwhile, the modules 10 and 15 shown in
More specifically, bus bars 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are alternately connected at the back surface side and the front surface side in four locations altogether: in the uppermost part where the electrode terminals 1c are arranged in the row-direction, in the intermediate parts where the junction portions between the electrode terminals 1c and 1d are arranged in the row-direction, and in the lowermost part where the electrode terminals 1d are arranged in the row-direction. A module terminal 11a (positive electrode) and a module terminal 11b (negative electrode) are provided at the electrode terminals 1c and 1d at the ends, respectively, so that a module that outputs voltage three times that of a single accumulator cell 1 is provided.
In the module 15 in
The above-described modules can be packaged, keeping their flat structure in the common plane, as a module package to be treated as an installment unit shape, and can be installed in a limited space such as in an automobile. Now, various forms of module packages will be described.
Now, a first embodiment of the invention will be described. FIGS. 9 to 11 are related to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the module having unit cells in a common plane is reinforced by a string-shaped member and formed as a package.
The module package 20 shown in
The module package shown in
The module package 30 shown in
According to the first embodiment, the use of the strip-shaped reinforcement members restricts the positional relation in the string-direction, so that the positional relation between flat unit cells can be maintained. Therefore, when the package is hung, the row-column relation in the matrix arrangement in the module is unchanged. Furthermore, impacts applied on the accumulator structure can be absorbed by the strip-shaped reinforcement members.
Note that the first embodiment is particularly effectively applied to the module 5 having unit cells connected in series, while the embodiment is also applicable to the parallel-connected modules 10 and 15 or other modules having similar structures with unit cells in a common plane.
Now, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. FIGS. 12 to 19 are related to the second embodiment of the invention.
In the second embodiment, the entire module having unit cells in a common plane is covered with a case member and formed into a module package. Note that in the second embodiment, the module 5 having series-connected unit cells is covered with the case member, while the embodiment is applicable to the parallel-connected modules 10 and 15 and other similar modules having similar structures with unit cells in a common plane.
In the module package 35 shown in
The sealing structure using the case member 36 can roughly be divided into package evacuation type or non-evacuation type. When the package is removed of air inside, the air inside the package is let go as shown in
Meanwhile, when the package is not removed of air inside, the structure as shown in
As shown in
In the second embodiment, the positional relation between the cells in the module is forcibly maintained by the function of the case member, so that the unit cells can surely be prevented from being shifting to one side by impacts or by its own weight. Consequently, the electrode terminals can be prevented from contacting each other and impacts can be absorbed.
Now, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 20 to 24 are related to the third embodiment of the invention.
In the third embodiment, the module having unit cells in a common plane is reinforced using the grid frame as a frame member corresponding to a flat alignment structure of the unit cells.
The module package 50 shown in
In this case, as shown in
A grid frame 52 may be provided corresponding to the matrix arrangement of the unit cells, so that as shown in
In the grid frame 52, the matrix arrangement of the unit cells is maintained while the part having relatively low rigidity can absorb impacts and the part having higher rigidity can protect the cells.
Note that the grid frames 51 and 52 described above may also be applied to modules 10 and 15 and other modules having similar matrix arrangement of the unit cells, the module packages 20, 25, and 30 according to the first embodiment having their matrix arrangement structures reinforced with the strip-shaped members, and the module package 35 according to the second embodiment sealed by covering the module with the sheet type case member. The above-described grid frame may be applied to these modules or module packages only on one side if the other side can be held.
The grid frame reinforcing the matrix structure of the unit cells may be provided only at the part desired to be protected in the alignment structure.
The grid frame 56a is an outer frame for holding the outer circumferential part of the entire module. The grid frame 56b is a reinforcement frame that surrounds and protects three unit cells, the grid frame 56c is a reinforcement frame that surrounds and protects two unit cells, the grid frame 56d is a reinforcement frame that surrounds and protects one unit cell, and the entire structure is covered with the covering 57.
In this way, for the unit cells in the module, reinforcement frames can be disposed in shapes and positions optimally provided based on the matrix structure and a connection structure of the unit cells, in order to improve a flexibility of the accumulator structure.
In the third embodiment, the matrix structure of the unit cells is reinforced, so that the protection function against impacts is provided, while a three-dimensional bending shape may be provided depending on the shape of a grid frame. For example, the structure may be used instead of an indoor trim in an automobile and provided in a large form suitable for being installed into the top trim, which improves the space use efficiency.
Now, a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described. FIGS. 25 to 29 are related to the fourth embodiment of the invention.
In the fourth embodiment, a frame produced by integrating a grid frame corresponding to the matrix structure of the unit cells and a covering is used as a frame member to accommodate a module or a module package. The embodiment may be applied to the modules 10 and 15, modules having other similar matrix structures with unit cells in a common plane, the module packages 20, 25, and 30 according to the first embodiment having their matrix structures reinforced with the strip-shaped members, and the module package 35 according to the second embodiment sealed by covering the module with the sheet type case member.
The module package 60 shown in
The frame 61 is produced by press-molding a resin material or an aluminum material, and as shown in
In this case, as shown in
In order to increase the difference in rigidity between the part to be protected against impacts (accumulator portions 1a) and the part that absorbs the impacts, the use of a frame 63 as shown in
In the fourth embodiment, the positional relation between the unit cells is forcibly maintained in order to prevent the unit cells from shifting to one side by impacts or their own weight, while the part that should be protected against impacts can surely be protected.
Now, a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described.
In the fifth embodiment, the hinge function is provided for the matrix structure in the module, and the hinge mechanism provides more flexibility for bending.
The module package 65 shown in
Note that the frames 66a, 66b, and 66c surrounding the cells are formed as a grid frame corresponding to the case storing the cells or the alignment structure of the cells and desirably hold the cells between the front surface side and the back surface side. In this case, the hinge mechanism may be provided for the frames on both sides or only on one side.
In the fifth embodiment, the protection function can be secured by surrounding the cells, and the bending flexibility provided by the hinge mechanism allows the structure to be fitted more closely to the shape of an installment location, and the bending part by the hinge mechanism can absorb applied impacts.
It will be understood to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all modifications and variations of this invention consistent with the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-081569 | Mar 2004 | JP | national |