Battery and battery module

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery and a battery module. A battery cell is provided with: an electrode body in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked; a battery case in which the electrode body is accommodated; and an electrode lead, one end of which is connected to the electrode body inside the battery case, and the other end of which protrudes from the end of the battery case in the width direction and is folded toward the battery case side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a battery and a battery module. Background Art

[0002] The secondary battery disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0005872 includes: a battery case housing an electrode assembly; and an electrode lead having one end connected to the electrode assembly in the battery case and the other end of the electrode lead protruding to the outside of the battery case. Summary of the invention

[0003] In the secondary battery disclosed in the above-mentioned US Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0005872, the other end of the electrode lead protrudes to the outside of the battery case, so in order to accommodate the other end of the electrode lead, the accommodation space will be enlarged.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery and a battery module capable of miniaturizing the package and improving the space efficiency during storage.

[0005] A first embodiment provides a battery comprising:

[0006] an electrode body having electrodes and separators alternately stacked;

[0007] a battery casing, accommodating the electrode body therein; and

[0008] The electrode lead has one end connected to the electrode body inside the battery case and the other end protruding from an end portion in the width direction of the battery case and folded toward the battery case.

[0009] In the battery of the first embodiment, there are: an electrode body formed by alternately stacking electrodes and separators; a battery case that accommodates the electrode body; and an electrode lead, one end of which is connected to the electrode body inside the battery case. Here, the other end of the electrode lead protrudes from the end of the battery case in the width direction and is folded toward the battery case. As a result, the package is miniaturized in the width direction of the battery case, which can improve the space efficiency when accommodating.

[0010] In the battery of claim 2 according to claim 1, the other end of the electrode lead has a folded portion folded toward the battery case, and an extended portion extending from the folded portion toward the upper side of the battery case and protruding from an upper end portion of the battery case.

[0011] In the battery of the second embodiment,

[0012] The other end of the electrode lead has: a folded portion folded toward the battery case side; and

[0013] The extension portion extends from the folded portion toward the upper side of the battery case and protrudes from the upper end portion of the battery case.

[0014] Thus, the electrode leads and busbars can be connected by accessing from the upper side of the battery case, so the electrode leads can be connected after the battery case is accommodated in a predetermined accommodation space. Therefore, the assembly is excellent and the versatility when embedded in the manufacturing process can be improved.

[0015] The battery of the third embodiment is a battery according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment,

[0016] The battery case has a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body therein and an outer end portion provided outside the receiving portion formed on at least one side surface in the thickness direction of the battery case.

[0017] The other end of the electrode lead has a width narrower than a width of the outer end portion, where the other end is folded toward the battery case and overlaps with the battery case in the thickness direction.

[0018] In the battery of the third embodiment, regarding the battery case, a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body inside and an outer end portion arranged on the outer side of the receiving portion are formed on at least one side of the battery case in the thickness direction. Here, the other end of the electrode lead is configured to be folded toward the battery case side and overlapped with the battery case in the thickness direction with a width narrower than the width of the outer end portion. Therefore, even if the other end of the electrode lead is folded toward the side to which the embossing is performed, the electrode lead can be received without interfering with the receiving portion. As a result, for example, the same design can be applied in both cases where the structure of the battery case is a single cup embossed (emboss) structure and a double cup embossed structure, which can improve versatility.

[0019] The battery of the fourth embodiment is in the first embodiment or the second embodiment,

[0020] The battery case has a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body therein and an outer end portion provided outside the receiving portion formed on at least one side surface in the thickness direction of the battery case.

[0021] The other end of the electrode lead has a width wider than a width of the outer end portion, where the other end is folded toward the battery case and overlaps with the battery case in the thickness direction.

[0022] In the battery of the fourth embodiment, with respect to the battery case, a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body inside and an outer end portion arranged on the outer side of the receiving portion are formed on at least one side of the battery case in the thickness direction. Here, the other end of the electrode lead is configured to be folded toward the battery case side and overlapped with the battery case in the thickness direction so that the overlapping width is wider than the width of the outer end portion. Therefore, for example, in the case where a plurality of batteries are stacked in a predetermined receiving space along the thickness direction of the battery case, the other end of the electrode lead is clamped by the adjacent battery case. Thus, a gap corresponding to the thickness of the electrode lead can be provided in the central portion of the battery case in the width direction, and the gap can be utilized to absorb the expansion and contraction of the battery during charging and discharging.

[0023] In addition, when a predetermined storage space is stacked along the thickness direction of the battery case to accommodate multiple batteries, a predetermined constraint pressure is applied to each battery case along the stacking direction (thickness direction). At this time, since the other end of the electrode lead is clamped by the adjacent battery case, the constraint pressure at the end of the width direction of the battery case is higher than that at the central part. Thus, in the case of a liquid battery, the electrolyte can flow well to the central part of the battery case, and unevenness in the reaction of the electrode body due to the electrolyte in the battery case being biased to one side can be suppressed.

[0024] A fifth aspect provides a battery module, wherein the battery according to the first aspect is housed in a module case, wherein:

[0025] A plurality of the batteries are stacked in the module case along a thickness direction of the battery case, and the other end of the electrode lead is arranged between adjacent battery cases.

[0026] In the fifth battery module, the battery is packaged in a compact size in the width direction of the battery case by folding the other end of the electrode lead toward the battery case, and a plurality of batteries are stacked in the thickness direction of the battery case inside the module case. Thus, the other end of the electrode lead is arranged between adjacent battery cases, so that the module case can be compacted in the width direction of the battery case, and the space efficiency when accommodating the battery module can be improved.

[0027] As described above, in the battery and the battery module according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the package and improve the space efficiency during storage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and appended hereto:

[0029] Figure 1It is a schematic plan view showing a main part of a vehicle to which the battery pack according to the embodiment is applied.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic perspective view of a battery module according to the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a plan view of the battery module according to the embodiment, in a state where an upper cover of the module case is removed.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of battery cells housed in a battery module as viewed from the thickness direction.

[0033] Figure 5A This is a diagram for explaining part of the manufacturing process of the battery module, showing the process of folding the electrode leads of the battery cells.

[0034] Figure 5B This is a diagram for explaining a part of the manufacturing process of the battery module, showing the process of inserting the electrode lead into the through hole of the bus bar.

[0035] Figure 5C This is a diagram for explaining part of the manufacturing process of the battery module, showing the process of connecting the electrode lead to the bus bar.

[0036] Figure 6 It is a schematic plan view partially enlargedly showing a state where a plurality of battery cells are accommodated in a module case.

[0037] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining a modification of the battery cell and is a schematic plan view showing, in a partially enlarged manner, a state in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated in a module case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 6 One embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0039] (Overall Structure of Vehicle 100)

[0040] Figure 1 1 is a schematic top view showing the main parts of a vehicle 100 to which a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment is applied. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 100 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) equipped with a battery pack 10 under the vehicle floor. In addition, the arrow UP, arrow FR, and arrow LH in each figure respectively indicate the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction, the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the left side in the vehicle width direction. When the front-rear, left-right, up-down and left-right directions are used for explanation, unless otherwise specified, they indicate the front-rear direction of the vehicle front-rear direction, the left-right direction of the vehicle width direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle.

[0041] In the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment, as an example, a DC / DC converter 102, an electric compressor 104, and a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater 106 are arranged on the vehicle front side relative to the battery pack 10. In addition, a motor 108, a gear box 110, an inverter 112, and a charger 114 are arranged on the vehicle rear side relative to the battery pack 10.

[0042] The DC current output from battery pack 10 is supplied to electric compressor 104, PTC heater 106, inverter 112, etc. after voltage adjustment by DC / DC converter 102. In addition, by supplying power to motor 108 via inverter 112, rear wheels rotate and vehicle 100 travels.

[0043] A charging port 116 is provided on the right side of the rear portion of the vehicle 100 . By connecting a charging plug of an external charging device (not shown) to the charging port 116 , electric power can be stored in the battery pack 10 via the on-vehicle charger 114 .

[0044] In addition, the configuration and structure of each part constituting the vehicle 100 are not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, it can also be applied to a hybrid electric vehicle (HV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) equipped with an engine. In addition, in the present embodiment, a rear-wheel drive vehicle is provided with a motor 108 mounted at the rear of the vehicle, but it is not limited thereto, and it can also be provided as a front-wheel drive vehicle with a motor 108 mounted at the front of the vehicle, and a pair of motors 108 can also be mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, it can also be a vehicle with a hub motor on each wheel.

[0045] Here, the battery pack 10 is configured to include a plurality of battery modules 11. In the present embodiment, as an example, 10 battery modules 11 are provided. Specifically, five battery modules 11 are arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction on the right side of the vehicle 100, and five battery modules 11 are arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction on the left side of the vehicle 100. In addition, each battery module 11 is electrically connected.

[0046] Figure 2 1 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of the battery module 11. Figure 2As shown, the battery module 11 includes a module housing 16 forming an outer shell. The module housing 16 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction. In addition, the module housing 16 is formed of an aluminum alloy. For example, the module housing 16 is formed by joining aluminum die castings at both ends of an extruded material of an aluminum alloy by laser welding or the like.

[0047] A pair of voltage terminals 12 and a connector 14 are provided at both ends of the battery module 11 in the vehicle width direction. A flexible printed circuit board 21 described later is connected to the connector 14. In addition, bus bars 30 (see FIG. 1 ) are welded to both ends of the battery module 11 in the vehicle width direction. Figure 4 ).

[0048] The battery module 11 has a length MW in the vehicle width direction of, for example, 350 mm to 600 mm, a length ML in the vehicle front-rear direction of, for example, 150 mm to 250 mm, and a height MH in the vehicle vertical direction of, for example, 80 mm to 110 mm.

[0049] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a top view of the battery module 11 with the upper cover removed. Figure 3 As shown, a battery cell 20 as a battery is housed inside the module case 16. As an example, a plurality of battery cells 20 are housed in an arranged (stacked) state inside the module case 16. In this embodiment, 24 battery cells 20 are arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction and bonded to each other.

[0050] In addition, for easy understanding, Figures 3 to 6 In each of the figures, the direction indicated by the arrow W is set as the width direction of the battery cell 20, the direction indicated by the arrow H is set as the height direction (vertical direction) of the battery cell 20, and the direction indicated by the arrow D is set as the thickness direction of the battery cell 20.

[0051] The width direction of the battery case 22 described below coincides with the width direction W of the battery cell 20 . The height direction of the battery case 22 coincides with the height direction H of the battery cell 20 . The thickness direction of the battery case 22 coincides with the thickness direction D of the battery cell 20 .

[0052] A flexible printed circuit (FPC) 21 is disposed above the battery cell 20. The flexible printed circuit 21 is formed in a strip shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and thermistors 23 are provided at both ends of the flexible printed circuit 21. The thermistor 23 is not bonded to the battery cell 20 but is pressed toward the battery cell 20 by the upper cover of the battery module 11.

[0053] In addition, one or more buffer materials (not shown) are accommodated inside the module case 16. For example, the buffer material is a thin plate-shaped member that can be elastically deformed, and is arranged between adjacent battery cells 20 with the arrangement direction of the battery cells 20 being set as the thickness direction. In this embodiment, as an example, the buffer materials are arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction and the central part in the longitudinal direction of the module case 16.

[0054] Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram of a battery cell 20 housed in a battery module 11 as viewed from the thickness direction D. Figure 4 As shown, the battery cell 20 is formed into a rectangular plate shape with the width direction W as the length direction, and has a battery case 22 forming an outer shell. Inside the battery case 22, an electrode body 40 is accommodated. The electrode body 40 is composed of a positive electrode as an electrode, a negative electrode as an electrode, and a separator. In this embodiment, the battery case 22 is composed of a laminate film, and the electrode body 40 is sealed by the laminate film.

[0055] Regarding the battery case 22, at least one side of the battery case 22 in the thickness direction is embossed. Due to the embossing, a concave housing portion 221 for internally accommodating the electrode body 40 and an outer end portion 223 provided on the outside of the housing portion 221 are formed on the side. In addition, the battery case 22 can adopt both a single cup embossing structure with 1 embossing location and a double cup embossing structure with 2 embossing locations. In the present embodiment, the single cup embossing structure with a hole depth of about 8 mm to 10 mm is adopted. Therefore, regarding the battery case 22, the first side surface 22A on one side in the thickness direction becomes the embossed surface subjected to embossing, and the second side surface 22B (refer to Figure 6 ) becomes a non-embossed surface that has not been embossed.

[0056] The upper end of the battery case 22 in the width direction is bent, and the corners are chamfered to form a substantially trapezoidal shape. In addition, the upper end of the battery case 22 is bent, and a fixing band 24 is wound around the upper end of the battery case 22 in the width direction.

[0057] Here, the battery cell 20 includes an electrode lead 26 protruding from the end of the battery case 22. The electrode lead 26 is provided at both ends of the battery cell in the width direction. In the present embodiment, as an example, the electrode lead 26 is provided at a position lower than the center of the height direction H of the battery cell 20. One end of the electrode lead 26 is connected to the electrode body 40 inside the battery case 22. The other end of the electrode lead 26 protrudes from the end of the battery case 22 in the width direction and is folded toward the battery case 22 side.

[0058] The other end of the electrode lead 26 has: a folded portion 261 folded toward the battery case 22; and an extension portion 262 extending from the folded portion 261 toward the upper side of the battery case 22 and protruding from the upper end of the battery case 22. The electrode lead 26 is formed into a substantially L-shape by the folded portion 261 and the extension portion 262. The front end of the extension portion 262 is joined to the bus bar 30 by laser welding or the like. The electrode lead 26 is connected to the wiring outside the battery module 11 via the bus bar 30.

[0059] The length CW1 of the battery cell 20 in the vehicle width direction is, for example, 530 mm to 600 mm, the length CW2 of the region containing the electrode body is, for example, 500 mm to 520 mm, and the height CH of the battery cell 20 is, for example, 80 mm to 110 mm. In addition, the thickness of the battery cell 20 is 7.0 mm to 9.0 mm, and the height TH of the folded portion 261 of the electrode lead (terminal) 26 is 40 mm to 50 mm.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the battery case 22 so that the overlapping width TW with the battery case 22 in the thickness direction is smaller than the width CW3 of the outer end portion 223 of the embossed first side surface 22A.

[0061] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C This is a diagram for explaining part of the manufacturing process of the battery module 11 , and shows a folding process of the electrode lead 26 and a joining process to the bus bar 30 .

[0062] like Figure 5A As shown, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded at a folding line L1 extending along an end portion in the width direction of the battery case 22 , thereby forming a folded portion 261 at a lower portion in the height direction H.

[0063] Next, if Figure 5B As shown, the bus bar 30 is arranged on the upper side of the battery case 22 , and the front end of the extension portion 262 is inserted into the through hole 32 formed through the bus bar 30 .

[0064] Next, if Figure 5C As shown, the front end of the extension portion 262 protruding upward from the bus bar 30 through the through hole 32 is bent along the fold line L2 and welded to the upper surface of the bus bar 30 by a welding machine 200 or the like. Thus, the electrode lead 26 and the bus bar 30 are joined.

[0065] Figure 5B as well as Figure 5C The steps shown may be performed before or after the step of housing the battery cell 20 in the module case 16 .

[0066] Figure 6 1 is a partially enlarged schematic top view showing a state where a plurality of battery cells are housed in the module case 16. Figure 6 As shown, inside the module housing 16, a plurality of battery cells 20 are stacked along the thickness direction of the battery housing 22, and the folded portion 261 and the extended portion 262 of the electrode lead 26 are arranged between adjacent battery housings 22. Figure 6 In the figure, for the sake of convenience, intervals are provided between the battery cells 20, but in fact, the stacked battery cells 20 are mutually constrained with a predetermined constraining pressure applied along the stacking direction (thickness direction D) with a buffer material interposed therebetween or directly in contact.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the battery case 22 , so that the package of the battery cell 20 is miniaturized in the width direction W, thereby achieving efficient storage space in the module case 16 .

[0068] Furthermore, since the overlapping width TW between the other end of the electrode lead 26 and the battery case 22 is narrower than the width CW3 of the outer end portion 223 of the battery case 22 , a gap is formed between the electrode lead 26 and the housing portion 221 of the battery case 22 .

[0069] In addition, Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the first side surface 22A of the battery case 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The electrode lead 26 may be folded toward the second side surface 22B.

[0070] Function and effect

[0071] As described above, the battery cell 20 according to the embodiment includes: an electrode body 40 formed by alternately stacking electrodes and separators; a battery case 22 that accommodates the electrode body 40; and an electrode lead 26, one end of which is connected to the electrode body 40 inside the battery case 22. Here, the other end of the electrode lead 26 protrudes from the end of the battery case 22 in the width direction and is folded toward the battery case 22. As a result, the package is miniaturized in the width direction of the battery case 22, and the space efficiency when accommodating can be improved.

[0072] In addition, in the embodiment, the other end of the electrode lead 26 has: a folded portion 261 folded toward the battery case 22; and an extension portion 262 extending from the folded portion 261 toward the upper side of the battery case 22 and protruding from the upper end of the battery case 22. As a result, the electrode lead 26 and the bus bar 30 can be connected from the upper side of the battery case 22, so the electrode lead 26 can be connected to the bus bar 30 after the battery case 22 is accommodated in the module case 16. Therefore, the assembly performance is excellent, and the versatility when embedded in the manufacturing process can be improved.

[0073] In the embodiment, the first side surface 22A of the battery case 22 in the thickness direction is embossed to form a concave receiving portion 221 for receiving the electrode body 40 therein, and an outer end portion 223 provided outside the receiving portion 221. Here, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the battery case 22 and overlapped with the battery case 22 in the thickness direction, so that the overlap width TW is narrower than the width CW3 of the outer end portion 223. Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, even when the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the first side surface 22A subjected to the embossing process, the other end of the electrode lead 26 can be accommodated without interfering with the accommodating portion 221. As a result, the same design can be applied to both the case where the structure of the battery case 22 is a single cup embossed structure and the case where the double cup embossed structure is used, and the versatility can be improved.

[0074] In addition, as shown in the embodiment, the battery module 11 has a plurality of battery cells 20 stacked in the thickness direction of the battery case 22 inside the module case 16, and the other ends of the electrode leads 26 are arranged between adjacent battery cases 22. Thus, the module case 16 can be miniaturized in the width direction of the battery case 22, and the space efficiency when the battery module 11 is housed in the battery pack 10 can be improved.

[0075] Variations of battery cells

[0076] Next, refer to Figure 7 A battery unit 60 according to a modified example of the above embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those in the above embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0077] Figure 7 1 is a partially enlarged schematic top view showing a state where a plurality of battery cells 60 are housed in the module case 16. Figure 7 As shown, regarding the battery case 22 constituting the outer shell of the battery cell 60, the first side surface 22A on one side in the thickness direction of the battery case 22 is embossed. Thus, a concave receiving portion 221 and an outer end portion 223 provided outside the receiving portion 221 are formed on the first side surface 22A. The other end of the electrode lead 26 protruding from the end portion in the width direction of the battery case 22 is folded toward the battery case 22 side in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0078] In addition, Figure 7 In the figure, for the sake of convenience, intervals are provided between the battery cells 60, but in fact, the stacked plurality of battery cells 60 are mutually constrained with a predetermined constraining pressure applied along the stacking direction (thickness direction D) with buffer materials interposed therebetween or directly in contact.

[0079] Here, in this modified example, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is configured so that the overlap width TW of the electrode lead 26 folded toward the battery case 22 and overlapped with the battery case 22 in the thickness direction is wider than the width of the outer end 223. Thus, when the housing space in the module case 16 houses a plurality of battery cells 20 in a stacked manner along the thickness direction of the battery case 22, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is sandwiched by the side surfaces of the adjacent battery case 22. Thus, a gap corresponding to the thickness of the electrode lead 26 can be provided in the central portion in the width direction of the battery case 22, and the expansion and contraction of the battery cell 20 during charge and discharge can be absorbed by the gap.

[0080] In addition, when the storage space in the module housing 16 stores a plurality of battery cells 20 in a stacked manner along the thickness direction of the battery housing 22, a predetermined restraining pressure is applied to the battery housing 22 of each battery cell 20 along the stacking direction (thickness direction D). At this time, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is clamped by the adjacent battery housing 22, so that the restraining pressure at the end of the width direction of the battery housing 22 is higher than that at the center. As a result, in the case of a liquid-based battery, the electrolyte can flow well to the center of the battery housing 22, and unevenness in the reaction of the electrode body 40 due to the electrolyte in the battery housing 22 being biased to one side can be suppressed.

[0081] In addition, Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is folded toward the second side surface 22B which is the non-embossed surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The other end of the electrode lead 26 may be folded toward the first side surface 22A which is the embossed surface. Even in this case, the other end of the electrode lead 26 is sandwiched by the side surface of the adjacent battery case 22.

[0082] Although one embodiment and one modification have been described above, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the invention. The scope of rights of the present invention is of course not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0083] For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified example, the extension portion 262 is integrally formed with the folded portion 261, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The extension portion 262 may be formed independently of the folded portion 261 and joined to the folded portion 261 by welding or the like.

[0084] For example, in the above-described embodiment and the modified example, the other end of the electrode lead 26 protruding from one battery case 22 is folded and arranged between adjacent battery cases 22 in the module case 16, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In order to arrange the electrode leads of adjacent battery cells 20 closely, the other ends of the electrode leads 26 protruding from each other's battery cases may be folded and arranged between adjacent battery cases.

Claims

1. A battery having: an electrode body having electrodes and separators alternately stacked; a battery casing, accommodating the electrode body therein; and The electrode lead has one end connected to the electrode body inside the battery case and the other end protruding from an end portion in the width direction of the battery case and folded toward the battery case.

2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein The other end of the electrode lead has: a folded portion folded toward the battery case; and an extended portion extending from the folded portion toward the upper side of the battery case and protruding from an upper end portion of the battery case.

3. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The battery case has a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body therein and an outer end portion provided outside the receiving portion formed on at least one side surface in the thickness direction of the battery case. The other end of the electrode lead has a width narrower than a width of the outer end portion, where the other end is folded toward the battery case and overlaps with the battery case in the thickness direction.

4. The battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The battery case has a concave receiving portion for receiving the electrode body therein and an outer end portion provided outside the receiving portion formed on at least one side surface in the thickness direction of the battery case. The other end of the electrode lead has a width wider than a width of the outer end portion, where the other end is folded toward the battery case and overlaps with the battery case in the thickness direction.

5. A battery module, comprising a battery as claimed in claim 1 housed in a module housing, wherein: A plurality of the batteries are stacked in the module case along a thickness direction of the battery case, and the other end of the electrode lead is arranged between adjacent battery cases.

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