Power supply device

Abstract

The power supply device houses a plurality of secondary battery cells in an inner case and is covered with an outer case. The inner housing has a laminated portion formed by partially laminating a first plate and a second plate constituting a side wall in an intermediate region. The first plate is provided with a plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses on a surface facing the second plate, a notch formed by cutting one end of each groove-shaped recess is set as a first open part, and the second plate closes the first open part side of the plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses to form a cylindrical exhaust duct in a state of being laminated on the first plate. The other end portion of the plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses is not closed, but is opened to form a second open portion, and the exhaust duct communicates with the inside and the outside of the inner housing through the first open portion and the second open portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a power supply device that houses multiple secondary battery cells within a housing, and in particular, to a power supply device that houses secondary battery cells within a housing that have a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure is higher than a set pressure. Background Technology

[0002] Power supply devices that house battery packs composed of multiple battery cells within a casing are used in energy storage systems for factory and home applications, as well as in vehicles such as hybrid and electric vehicles. These devices integrate multiple battery cells as battery packs within the casing, but for safety, each battery cell is equipped with a vent valve. If, in an abnormal situation, the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure, the vent valve of the battery cell opens to prevent the battery casing from rupturing. However, the vent valve opens under abnormal operating conditions of the battery cell, resulting in the emitted gases and other ejected materials becoming high-temperature, high-pressure substances, a major cause of various thermal failures. If the ejected materials from the battery cell are released to the outside of the casing while still at a high temperature, they can sometimes become jet flames. Therefore, for safety, a structure is required to prevent the ejected materials from the battery cell from becoming flames and being ejected outwards from the casing.

[0003] To address this situation, the following structure is proposed: inside the outer casing, the pressure and temperature of the ejected gas or other substances are gradually reduced by passing through a labyrinthine discharge path, so that even if an unsafe situation occurs in multiple battery cells, the high-temperature and high-pressure ejected substances will not be released to the outside of the outer casing in a high-temperature and high-pressure state (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2020 / 166501 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on the above structure, it has the advantage of effectively cooling and discharging the gases and other ejected materials from the battery cells using the metal outer casing and walls. Here, the power supply unit ranges in size from small to large, and this method is mainly used for small power supply units. In recent years, there has been a demand for power supply units with high output and high capacity. To meet this demand, in addition to using larger capacity battery cells, it is also necessary to design power supply units with a large number of battery cells. However, in this case, a structure is required to efficiently reduce the pressure and temperature of the large amount of ejected materials discharged from the discharge valve inside the outer casing.

[0008] One aspect of the power supply device disclosed herein includes: a plurality of secondary battery cells, each having a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure; an inner housing housing the plurality of secondary battery cells; and an outer housing covering the inner housing. The inner housing includes a first plate and a second plate forming sidewalls, the first and second plates extending along the extending direction of the inner housing, and partially stacked in the upper and lower intermediate regions of the sidewalls to form a stacked portion. The first plate has a plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses extending along the height direction of the sidewalls on its opposing surface opposite to the second plate, and a cut formed by cutting off one end of each groove-shaped recess in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the groove-shaped recesses is designated as a first opening. When the second plate is stacked on the first plate, it closes one end of the plurality of groove-shaped recesses where the first opening is formed, forming a cylindrical exhaust pipe in the stacked portion, and leaves the other end of the plurality of groove-shaped recesses open, forming a second opening. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior and exterior of the inner housing via the first and second openings.

[0009] The power supply device disclosed herein has the following advantages: even if the secondary battery cells housed in the housing experience unsafe conditions and emit large amounts of gas, foreign matter, etc., they can still be safely discharged to the outside of the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The power supply unit shown is shown in a vertical sectional view along line II-II.

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The power supply unit shown is shown in a vertical sectional view along line III-III.

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The power supply unit shown is a horizontal sectional view along line IV-IV.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the power supply device shown.

[0015] Figure 6 Viewed from below Figure 5 An exploded perspective view of the power supply device shown.

[0016] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 The exploded perspective view of the inner shell is shown.

[0017] Figure 8 Viewed from below Figure 7 An exploded perspective view of the inner shell shown.

[0018] Figure 9 It means Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the exhaust pipe of the power supply unit shown.

[0019] Figure 10 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the check valve of the power supply unit shown.

[0020] Figure 11 It means Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the operation of the check valve of the power supply unit shown.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing process of the check valve.

[0022] Figure 13 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 14 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 15 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 4 of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 16 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 5 of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] A power supply device according to a certain embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of secondary battery cells, each having a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure; an inner housing housing the plurality of secondary battery cells; and an outer housing covering the inner housing. The inner housing includes a first plate and a second plate forming sidewalls, the first plate and the second plate extending along the extending direction of the inner housing, and partially stacked in the middle region of the upper and lower sides of the sidewalls to form a stacked portion. The first plate has a plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses extending along the height direction of the sidewalls on the opposite surface to the second plate, and a cut formed by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recesses in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the groove-shaped recesses is designated as a first opening portion. When the second plate is stacked on the first plate, it closes one end of the plurality of groove-shaped recesses where the first opening portion is formed, forming a cylindrical exhaust pipe in the stacked portion, and does not close the other end of the plurality of groove-shaped recesses but leaves it open to form a second opening portion. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior and exterior of the inner housing through the first opening portion and the second opening portion.

[0027] According to the above structure, the following advantages are available: even if the secondary battery cells housed in the outer casing cause unsafe phenomena and emit large amounts of gas, foreign matter, etc., they can still be safely discharged to the outside of the outer casing. This is because the above power device has an inner casing inside the outer casing that houses multiple secondary battery cells. The first plate and the second plate constituting the side wall of the inner casing are partially stacked to form a stacked portion. Multiple rows of groove-shaped recesses are provided on the opposite side of the first plate that is opposite to the second plate. A cut formed by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recess is a first open portion. When the second plate is stacked on the first plate, it closes the first open portion of the multiple rows of groove-shaped recesses to form a cylindrical exhaust pipe in the stacked portion. Instead, it leaves the other end of the multiple rows of groove-shaped recesses open to form a second open portion. The exhaust pipe communicates with the inside and outside of the inner casing through the first open portion and the second open portion. The power supply device of this structure allows high-temperature, high-pressure gases and other ejected materials from multiple secondary battery cells housed in the inner casing to be discharged to the outside of the inner casing through exhaust pipes formed on the side wall of the inner casing. Therefore, the pressure and temperature of the ejected materials passing through the exhaust pipes are reduced before being discharged to the outside of the inner casing, ensuring their safe discharge to the outside of the outer casing. Furthermore, if sparks or other ignition sources are present in the discharged gases, which are below their auto-ignition temperature, they could potentially ignite into an outer flame. However, since straight-line sparks cannot pass through the exhaust pipes located in the stacked sections of the side wall of the inner casing, the generation of an outer flame is effectively prevented.

[0028] Furthermore, in the power supply device with the above-described structure, as a structure that connects the two ends of the exhaust pipe formed on the side wall of the inner shell to the inside and outside of the inner shell, by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recess to make its cut as the first open part, and the other end is not closed by the second plate but is open to make it the second open part, so there is no need for processes such as perforation and punching, and the first open part and the second open part can be simply and effectively provided at both ends of the exhaust pipe to connect to the inside and outside of the inner shell.

[0029] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, a first plate is disposed on the inner side of the inner housing and a second plate is disposed on the outer side of the inner housing. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior of the inner housing via a first opening and with the exterior of the inner housing via a second opening.

[0030] According to the above structure, since the first plate is arranged on the inner side of the sidewall and the second plate is arranged on the outer side of the sidewall, the interior of the inner housing is connected to the exhaust pipe via the first opening, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the exterior of the inner housing via the second opening. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the first opening can be adjusted by adjusting the cross-sectional area of ​​the cut at one end of the groove-shaped recess, thereby easily adjusting the inflow pressure of the gas passing through the first opening. Moreover, since the above power supply device utilizes the groove-shaped recess of the first plate arranged on the inner side of the sidewall to form the exhaust pipe, the exhaust pipe can be formed on the sidewall without increasing the external shape of the inner housing.

[0031] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the inner housing includes: a lower housing having a first plate vertically connected to both sides of a lower surface plate; and an upper housing having a second plate vertically connected to both sides of an upper surface plate, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

[0032] According to the above structure, by connecting the lower housing with first plates on both sides of the lower surface plate and the upper housing with second plates on both sides of the upper surface plate, exhaust pipes can be easily and simply formed on the sidewalls of opposite sides of the inner housing. Furthermore, according to the above structure, since the first opening connecting the exhaust pipe to the interior of the inner housing is located at the upper end of the exhaust pipe, and the second opening connecting the exhaust pipe to the exterior of the inner housing is located at the lower end of the exhaust pipe, gases and other ejected material filling the interior of the inner housing can pass downwards through the exhaust pipe and be discharged to the exterior of the inner housing. This structure, which allows ejected material discharged into the inner housing to pass downwards through the exhaust pipe, has the advantage that even foreign objects such as liquids and metal fragments discharged from the secondary battery unit can fall along the exhaust pipe and be smoothly discharged to the exterior of the inner housing.

[0033] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, the first plate partially cuts off the front end at the cut-off portion to form a first open portion at one end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the first plate that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is set as a non-cut-off portion and arranged along the inner surface of the second plate, so that the upper end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate.

[0034] According to the above structure, the following advantages are available: Since the first opening portion is formed by cutting off the front end portion of the first plate disposed on the inner side by means of a cut at one end of the groove-shaped recess, the first opening portion can be formed on the first plate simply and easily. At the same time, since the non-cut-off portion that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is disposed along the inner surface of the second plate and the upper end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate, the upper and lower positions of the upper shell connected to the lower shell can be accurately positioned and disposed using the first plate.

[0035] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the inner housing includes: a lower housing having a second plate vertically connected to both sides of a lower surface plate; and an upper housing having a first plate vertically connected to both sides of an upper surface plate, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

[0036] According to the above structure, by connecting the lower shell, which has second plates on both sides of the lower surface plate, and the upper shell, which has first plates on both sides of the upper surface plate, to each other, exhaust pipes can be easily and simply formed on the sidewalls of opposite sides of the inner shell. Furthermore, according to the above structure, since the first opening that connects the exhaust pipe to the interior of the inner shell is located at the lower end of the exhaust pipe, and the second opening that connects the exhaust pipe to the exterior of the inner shell is located at the upper end of the exhaust pipe, it is possible for gases or other ejected materials filling the interior of the inner shell to pass upwards and downwards through the exhaust pipe and be discharged to the exterior of the inner shell.

[0037] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, the first plate partially cuts off the front end at the cut-off portion to form a first open portion at one end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the first plate that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is set as a non-cut-off portion and disposed along the inner surface of the second plate, such that the lower end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate.

[0038] According to the above structure, the following advantages are available: Since the first opening portion is formed by cutting off the front end portion of the first plate disposed on the inner side by means of a cut at one end of the groove-shaped recess, the first opening portion can be formed on the first plate simply and easily. At the same time, since the non-cut-off portion that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is disposed along the inner surface of the second plate and the lower end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate, the upper and lower positions of the upper shell connected to the lower shell can be accurately positioned and disposed using the first plate.

[0039] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, a first plate is disposed on the outer side of the inner housing and a second plate is disposed on the inner side of the side wall. An exhaust pipe communicates with the interior of the inner housing via a second opening and with the exterior of the inner housing via a first opening.

[0040] According to the above structure, since the first plate is arranged on the outer side of the sidewall and the second plate is arranged on the inner side of the sidewall, the interior of the inner shell is connected to the exhaust pipe via the second opening and the exhaust pipe is connected to the exterior of the inner shell via the first opening. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the second opening formed on the inner side of the inner shell can be adjusted by using the closed state of the second plate at the other end of the closed groove recess, and the inflow pressure of the gas passing through the second opening can be easily adjusted.

[0041] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the inner housing includes: a lower housing having a second plate vertically connected to both sides of a lower surface plate; and an upper housing having a first plate vertically connected to both sides of an upper surface plate, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

[0042] According to the above structure, by connecting the lower housing with second plates on both sides of the lower surface plate and the upper housing with first plates on both sides of the upper surface plate, exhaust pipes can be easily and simply formed on the sidewalls of opposite sides of the inner housing. Furthermore, according to the above structure, since the second opening connecting the exhaust pipe to the interior of the inner housing is located at the upper end of the exhaust pipe, and the first opening connecting the exhaust pipe to the exterior of the inner housing is located at the lower end of the exhaust pipe, gases and other ejected materials filling the interior of the inner housing can pass downwards through the exhaust pipe and be discharged to the exterior of the inner housing. This structure, which allows ejected materials discharged into the inner housing to pass downwards through the exhaust pipe, has the advantage that even foreign objects such as liquids and metal fragments discharged from the secondary battery unit can fall along the exhaust pipe and be smoothly discharged to the exterior of the inner housing.

[0043] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, the second plate uses a second cut-off portion formed by partially cutting off the front end to determine the closed position of the other end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the second plate that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is set as the second non-cut-off portion and arranged along the inner surface of the first plate, so that the upper end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate.

[0044] According to the above structure, the following advantages are available: Since the position of the other end of the second plate that closes the groove-shaped recess is determined by partially cutting off the front end of the second plate at the second cut-off portion, the position and size of the second open portion can be adjusted simply and easily. At the same time, since the second non-cut-off portion that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is arranged along the inner surface of the first plate and the upper end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate, the upper and lower positions of the upper shell connected to the lower shell can be accurately positioned and configured using the first plate.

[0045] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the inner housing includes: a lower housing having a first plate vertically connected to both sides of a lower surface plate; and an upper housing having the second plate vertically connected to both sides of an upper surface plate, wherein the lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

[0046] According to the above structure, by connecting the lower shell, which has a first plate on both sides of the lower surface plate, and the upper shell, which has a second plate on both sides of the upper surface plate, to each other, an exhaust pipe can be easily and simply formed on the sidewalls of opposite sides of the inner shell. Furthermore, according to the above structure, since the second opening that connects the exhaust pipe to the interior of the inner shell is located at the lower end of the exhaust pipe, and the first opening that connects the exhaust pipe to the exterior of the inner shell is located at the upper end of the exhaust pipe, it is possible for gases or other ejected materials filling the interior of the inner shell to pass upwards and downwards through the exhaust pipe and be discharged to the exterior of the inner shell.

[0047] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, the second plate uses a second cut-off portion formed by partially cutting off the front end to determine the closed position of the other end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the second plate that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is set as a second non-cut-off portion and arranged along the inner surface of the first plate, such that the lower end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate.

[0048] According to the above structure, the following advantages are available: Since the position of the other end of the second plate that closes the groove-shaped recess is determined by partially cutting off the front end of the second plate at the second cut-off portion, the position and size of the second open portion can be adjusted simply and easily. At the same time, since the second non-cut-off portion that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is arranged along the inner surface of the first plate and the lower end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate, the upper and lower positions of the upper shell connected to the lower shell can be accurately positioned and configured using the second plate.

[0049] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the secondary battery unit is a cylindrical battery, and the power supply device includes a battery holder for storing a plurality of secondary battery units in a parallel arrangement. The battery holder is shaped to store the plurality of secondary battery units in an alternating stacked arrangement when viewed from above, and the side opposite to the side wall of the inner housing has an alternating convex and concave shape with protrusions and concave portions extending in the vertical direction. The exhaust pipe is disposed in the concave portion formed on the side of the battery holder.

[0050] According to the above structure, since the side of the battery holder that houses multiple cylindrical secondary battery cells in an alternating stacked arrangement when viewed from above is concave-convex, and an exhaust pipe is provided in the recess formed on the side of the battery holder, the exhaust pipe can be provided in the unused space formed on the side of the battery holder, i.e., the recess, in a space-saving manner.

[0051] In another embodiment of the power supply device of this disclosure, a plurality of secondary battery cells are respectively arranged in the inner housing with the surface having the discharge valve facing the upper surface.

[0052] In another embodiment of the power supply device disclosed herein, the second plate has multiple rows of second groove-shaped recesses extending along the height direction of the sidewall on the opposite surface to the first plate, and has a second cut formed by cutting off one end of the second groove-shaped recess in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the second groove-shaped recess. The second groove-shaped recesses provided on the second plate are positioned opposite to the groove-shaped recesses provided on the first plate. When the second plate is stacked on the first plate, the second cut formed in the second groove-shaped recess is disposed in the second open portion of the groove-shaped recess.

[0053] According to the above structure, since multiple rows of second grooved recesses are provided on the second plate, which is stacked with the grooved recesses provided on the first plate, and these second grooved recesses are positioned opposite to the grooved recesses provided on the first plate, and the second cut at one end of the second grooved recess is provided in the second open portion, the volume of the exhaust pipe formed between the first plate and the second plate can be increased, and the opening area of ​​the second open portion where the second cut is provided can also be increased. Furthermore, it also has the feature of strengthening the second plate by providing irregularities on the second plate.

[0054] The embodiments of this disclosure are described below based on the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are illustrative examples used to concretize the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content. In addition, this specification does not limit the components shown in the claims to the components of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the constituent components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless specifically stated otherwise, but are merely illustrative examples. Furthermore, the size, positional relationship, etc., of the components shown in the various drawings are sometimes exaggerated for clarity. Moreover, in the following description, the same names and reference numerals denote the same or homogeneous components, and detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted. Furthermore, the elements constituting this disclosure may be configured such that the same component constitutes multiple elements, or one component may serve as multiple elements, or conversely, multiple components may share the function of one component.

[0055] The power supply device disclosed herein is suitable for use as a power source for energy storage systems in homes, businesses, factories, etc., for fixed-type energy storage applications, as a backup power source for servers, or as a power source for vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles. Hereinafter, as one embodiment of this disclosure, the power supply device used as a power source for an energy storage system will be described.

[0056] [Implementation Method 1]

[0057] Figures 1-9 The power supply device according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure is shown. In these figures, Figure 1 A perspective view of the power supply device according to Embodiment 1 is shown. Figure 2 ShowFigure 1 Sectional view of the power supply unit along line II-II. Figure 3 Show Figure 1 Sectional view of the power supply unit along line III-III. Figure 4 Show Figure 1 A horizontal sectional view of the power supply unit along line IV-IV. Figure 5 Show Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the power supply unit. Figure 6 Showing the view from below Figure 5 An exploded perspective view of the power supply device. Figure 7 An exploded perspective view of the inner shell is shown. Figure 8 Showing the view from below Figure 7 An exploded perspective view of the inner shell. Figure 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the exhaust duct of the inner casing is shown.

[0058] The power supply device 100 shown in these figures includes: a plurality of secondary battery units 1, each having a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure; an inner housing 3 that houses the plurality of secondary battery units 1; and an outer housing 5 that covers the inner housing 3. The inner housing 3 has a first plate 35 and a second plate 36 forming a sidewall 33X, the first plate 35 and the second plate 36 extending along the extending direction of the inner housing 3, and partially stacked in the middle region of the upper and lower sides of the sidewall 33X to form a stacked portion 34. The first plate 35 has a plurality of rows of groove-shaped recesses 40 extending along the height direction of the sidewall 33X on the opposite surface opposite to the second plate 36, and a cut 40a formed by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recesses 40 in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the groove-shaped recesses 40 is designated as a first opening portion 41. With the second plate 36 stacked on top of the first plate 35, it closes one end of the multi-row grooved recesses 40 where the first opening 41 is formed, thus forming a cylindrical exhaust pipe 4 in the stacked portion 34. Instead of closing the other end of the multi-row grooved recesses 40, it leaves them open, forming a second opening 42. The exhaust pipe 4 communicates with the interior and exterior of the inner housing 3 via the first opening 41 and the second opening 42.

[0059] The power supply device 100 disclosed herein is characterized in that it is configured to house a plurality of secondary battery cells 1 within an inner housing 3 and to cover the inner housing 3 with an outer housing 5. In particular, the inner housing 3 is used to reduce the temperature and pressure of gases or other ejected substances discharged from the secondary battery cells 1 and to rapidly discharge such ejected substances to the outside. Hereinafter, an example of the housing configuration of the secondary battery cells 1 housed in the inner housing 3 and the configuration of the outer housing 5 covering the inner housing 3 will be shown, and the construction of the inner housing 3 will be described in detail.

[0060] (Secondary battery unit 1)

[0061] Figure 2 ,Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The power supply device 100 shown houses multiple secondary battery units 1 within an inner casing 3. Each secondary battery unit 1 is a cylindrical secondary battery with a cylindrical outer casing. The cylindrical secondary battery unit 1 houses electrodes and is filled with electrolyte within a bottomed, metal cylindrical outer casing. The opening of the outer casing is tightened and sealed airtightly using a sealing body. The sealing body is airtightly fixed to the outer casing through an insulating material. This sealing body is equipped with a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure to release gas or other ejected substances. The cylindrical secondary battery unit 1 has positive and negative electrodes at both ends along its length. For each secondary battery unit 1, the end face sealed by the sealing body is designated as the first end face 1A, the center electrode located at the center of the sealing plate is designated as one electrode, and the end face electrode, which serves as the bottom surface of the outer casing, is designated as the other electrode.

[0062] Such a secondary battery unit 1 can appropriately utilize non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries with high energy efficiency, such as lithium-ion secondary batteries. However, the power supply device disclosed herein does not limit the secondary battery unit to lithium-ion secondary batteries. The secondary battery unit can also use any rechargeable battery, such as nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, etc.

[0063] (Battery holder 20)

[0064] Multiple secondary battery units 1 are arranged in a predetermined posture and fixed in a fixed position by means of a battery holder 20. The multiple secondary batteries 1 are arranged in an up-down posture with the first end face 1A of the discharge valve facing upward and in a parallel posture with each other. The battery holder 2 has multiple holding parts 21 that respectively house the multiple secondary battery units 1 inside and cover and hold the ends of the secondary battery units 1, and the holding parts 21 hold each secondary battery unit 1 in a fixed position. Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The battery holder 20 is divided into a first holder 20A and a second holder 20B in the middle of the length direction of the secondary battery unit 1, and clamps the secondary battery unit 1 from both ends to keep it in a fixed position. Figure 2 The battery holder 20 holds multiple secondary battery cells 1 in a parallel orientation and with their first end faces 1A arranged on the same plane.

[0065] Figure 7 and Figure 8The battery holder 20 shown is provided with multiple holding parts 21 so that multiple secondary battery cells 1 can be stored in an alternating stacked arrangement when viewed from above. This structure, which arranges the multiple secondary battery cells 1 in an alternating stacked manner, allows for space-saving storage by arranging adjacent rows of secondary battery cells 1 in a valley-like manner between the cells arranged in a straight line. Therefore, the battery holder 20 described above can efficiently store multiple secondary battery cells 1, achieving high capacity.

[0066] in particular, Figure 4 The battery holder 20 shown is configured such that a plurality of secondary battery cells 1 arranged in a straight line along the width of the inner housing 3 extending in the length direction form battery rows. In the multiple battery rows arranged along the length direction of the inner housing 3, the secondary battery cells 1 of adjacent rows are arranged in an alternating stacked configuration. The battery holder 20 has two sides 20X arranged along the inner side of the sidewall 33X extending in the length direction of the inner housing 3, with alternating protrusions 20x and recesses 20y. The power supply device 100 is configured such that the multiple battery rows, which allow the multiple secondary battery cells 1 to be arranged in an alternating stacked configuration, are positioned such that the vertically extending protrusions 20x and recesses 20y are located on the sides 20X of the battery holder 20. For this battery holder 20, the vent duct 4 of the inner housing 3, described later, is arranged in the recess 20y formed on the side 20X. The battery holder 20, which houses multiple secondary battery cells 1 in multiple layers and rows, is formed from resin and consists of multiple retaining parts 21 connected in multiple layers and rows. The battery holder 20 is preferably made of a material with excellent insulation and heat resistance, such as polycarbonate or ABS resin.

[0067] (Battery pack 10)

[0068] Multiple secondary battery units 1 are arranged in a fixed position using battery holders 20 to form a battery block 11, and are housed in the inner casing 3 as a battery pack 10 connected together as multiple battery blocks 11. Figure 4 The battery pack 10 has four battery blocks 11 arranged in the front, back, left, and right directions. Each battery block 11 is equipped with 30 secondary battery cells 1, and the entire battery pack 10 has 120 secondary battery cells 1. Figure 4 In the battery block 11, 30 secondary battery units 1 are arranged in three columns in the front-to-back direction and 10 columns in the left-to-right direction. The 10 columns of battery units 1, each consisting of three secondary battery units 1, are arranged alternately in the left-to-right direction in an alternating stacked configuration.

[0069] (Leaderboard 13)

[0070] like Figure 4 ,Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, multiple secondary battery cells 1 housed in the battery holder 20 are interconnected via lead plates 13 on opposite upper and lower surfaces of the battery holder 20. The illustrated battery block 11 connects 30 secondary battery cells 1 in parallel via two lead plates 13 arranged vertically. The lead plates 13 include: a first lead plate 13A, which connects the center electrode 1a of all the secondary battery cells 1 constituting the battery block 11 on the upper surface of the battery holder 20; and a second lead plate 13B, which connects the end electrode 1b of all the secondary battery cells 1 constituting the battery block 11 on the lower surface of the battery holder 20.

[0071] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first lead plate 13A has an exposure window on its planar main body that exposes the center electrode 1a, and a first connecting piece 13a is provided on the exposure window. The first lead plate 13A is connected to the center electrode 1a of the secondary battery cell 1 opposite to the first connecting piece 13a, thereby connecting all the secondary battery cells 1 in parallel. Moreover, the first lead plate 13A has a plurality of connecting portions 13x protruding from one side edge of the main body, and the connecting portions 13x are exposed from the protrusions 20x of the side surface 20x of the battery holder 20. The first lead plate 13A connects adjacent battery cells 11 in series with each other or connects to the output line via the connecting portions 13x.

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown, the second lead plate 13B has an exposure window on its planar main body to expose the end face electrode 1b, and a second connecting piece 13b is provided in the exposure window. The second lead plate 13B is connected to the end face electrode 1b of the secondary battery cell 1 opposite to the second connecting piece 13b, thereby connecting all the secondary battery cells 1 in parallel. Moreover, the second lead plate 13B has a plurality of protruding connecting portions 13y that protrude from one side edge of the main body and extend from the lower surface side to the upper surface side of the battery holder 20, and the protruding connecting portions 13y are disposed in the recess 20y of the side surface 20X of the battery holder 20. The second lead plate 13B connects adjacent battery cells 11 in series with each other or connects to the output line via the protruding connecting portions 13y.

[0073] As described above, in the four battery blocks 11 where all the secondary battery cells 1 are connected in parallel, adjacent battery blocks 11 are connected in series via opposing connecting portions 13x and protruding connecting portions 13y. In adjacent battery blocks 11, the connecting portions 13x and protruding connecting portions 13y exposed on one side wall of the inner casing 3 are connected in series via connecting busbars. Furthermore, the connecting portions 13x and protruding connecting portions 13y exposed on the other side wall of the inner casing 3 are connected to the output line. Thus, in the entire battery pack 10, 120 secondary battery cells 1 are connected in a 30 parallel and 4 series configuration. The lead plate 13 and the connecting busbars are made of metal plates with excellent conductivity, such as nickel or aluminum. However, this disclosure does not limit the connection state of the multiple secondary battery cells to the above state. For the battery pack, various changes can be made to the number and arrangement of the secondary battery cells constituting each battery block, and various changes can be made to the arrangement of multiple battery blocks.

[0074] (Inner shell 3)

[0075] Figures 5-9 The inner casing 3 shown is made of metal and is box-shaped, formed by connecting the lower surface plate 31 and the upper surface plate 32 with the outer peripheral wall 33. Inside, a battery pack 10 containing multiple secondary battery units 1 is housed. The inner casing 3, formed of metal plates, has a first plate 35 and a second plate 36 constituting opposing side walls 33X in the outer peripheral wall 33. The first plate 35 and the second plate 36 extend along the extending direction of the inner casing 3, and are partially stacked in the middle region of the upper and lower sides of the side walls 33X to form a stacked portion 34.

[0076] exist Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the inner shell 3 shown, the first plate 35, which forms the laminated portion 34, has a multi-row groove-shaped recess 40 extending along the height direction of the sidewall 33X on the opposite side facing the second plate 36, thus forming a concave-convex shape. The second plate 36, which forms the laminated portion 34, is planar. For the first plate 35, a cut 40a formed by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recess 40 in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the groove-shaped recess 40 (horizontally in the figure) is designated as the first open portion 41. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The front end of the first plate 35 shown is partially cut off at multiple cut-off portions 43, and the height of the sidewall 33X is determined by designating the uncut portions as non-cut-off portions 44. The rear end of the groove-shaped recess 40 extends to the rear end of the first plate 35, and the rear end of the groove-shaped recess 40 is formed into an arc shape.

[0077] For the sidewall 33X, with the second plate 36 stacked on the first plate 35, the second plate 36 partially closes the front end of the groove-shaped recess 40 provided on the first plate 35, but not completely closes it, leaving the rear end partially open. For the stacked portion 34, a cylindrical exhaust pipe 4 is formed by partially closing the groove-shaped recess 40 provided on the first plate 35 using the second plate 36, and a first opening portion 41 is formed at the cut-out portion 43 at the front end of the groove-shaped recess 40, and a second opening portion 42 is formed by partially opening the rear end side of the groove-shaped recess 40, which is not closed by the second plate 36. In this way, the sidewall 33X forms an exhaust pipe 4 in the stacked portion 34 using the stacked structure of the first plate 35 and the second plate 36 with the groove-shaped recess 40, and the exhaust pipe 4 communicates the interior and exterior of the inner shell 3 through the first opening portion 41 and the second opening portion 42.

[0078] exist Figure 2 and Figures 7-9 In the inner casing 3 shown, the first plate 35 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X, and the second plate 36 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X. Additionally, Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The inner shell 3 shown includes a lower shell 30A formed by vertically connecting a first plate 35 to both sides of a lower surface plate 31, and an upper shell 30B formed by vertically connecting a second plate 36 to both sides of an upper surface plate 32. In this configuration, the inner shell 3 has a groove-shaped recess 40 extending vertically on the outer side of the first plate 35 of the first shell 30A, with the upper end of the groove-shaped recess 40 being a first open portion 41 formed by cutting. Furthermore, in this configuration, the second plate 36 of the second shell 30B is stacked on the outside of the first plate 35 of the first shell 30A, partially closing one end of the groove-shaped recess 40 where the first open portion 41 is formed, thus forming an exhaust pipe 4 in the stacked portion 34, and partially opening the other end of the groove-shaped recess 40 to form a second open portion 42. The exhaust pipe 4 communicates with the interior of the inner shell 3 via the first open portion 41 and with the exterior of the inner shell 3 via the second open portion 42.

[0079] The inner casing 3 has a first opening 41 that connects the exhaust pipe 4 to the interior of the inner casing 3, located at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 4, and a second opening 42 that connects the exhaust pipe 4 to the exterior of the inner casing 3, located at the lower end of the exhaust pipe 4. Therefore, gases or other ejected material filling the interior of the inner casing 3 pass downwards through the exhaust pipe 4 and are discharged to the exterior of the inner casing 3. This structure, which allows ejected material discharged into the inner casing 3 to pass downwards through the exhaust pipe 4, has the advantage that even foreign objects such as liquids or metal fragments discharged from the secondary battery unit 1 can fall along the exhaust pipe 4 and be smoothly discharged to the exterior of the inner casing 3.

[0080] The second shell 30B, which is stacked on the outside of the first shell 35 of the first shell 30A, is connected to the upper end of the non-cut-out portion 44 located at the upper end of the first shell 35 by the upper surface plate 32. This connection position of the second shell 30B is determined by the contact between the upper surface plate 32 and the upper end of the non-cut-out portion 44 located at the upper end of the first shell 35. The inner shell 3 uses the depth of the cut-out portion 43 located at the first shell 35 to determine the distance (k) between the opening position of the first opening portion 41 formed on the inner side of the inner shell 3 and the upper surface plate 32.

[0081] Figures 5-8 The inner casing 3 shown has multiple exhaust pipes 4 on opposite sidewalls 33X. These multiple exhaust pipes 4 can, for example, have equal vertical length (L) and horizontal width (W) of each groove-shaped recess 40, and be of the same shape and size. Furthermore, the multiple exhaust pipes 4 can be arranged at predetermined intervals. The multiple exhaust pipes 4 are positioned opposite to the recesses 20y formed on the sidewalls 20X of the battery holder 20 housed inside. By arranging the multiple exhaust pipes 4 opposite to the recesses 20y of the battery holder 20 in this way, exhaust pipes 4 can be provided on the sidewalls 33X without increasing the overall size of the inner casing 3. In addition, by balancing the multiple exhaust pipes, the gas filling the inner casing 3 can be efficiently and smoothly discharged to the outside.

[0082] The first sheet of metal, 35, is formed into a groove-shaped recess, 40, by deep drawing. For Figure 2 The first plate 35 shown has a groove-shaped recess 40 formed by deep drawing the opposing surface to the second plate 36 to a predetermined depth. The depth (d) of the groove-shaped recess 40 can be set to, for example, 3 mm to 10 mm. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The groove-shaped recess 40 shown extends along the vertical direction of the first plate 35 and is shaped to have a predetermined lateral width (W) and vertical length (L). The volume of the exhaust pipe 4 is adjusted by adjusting the vertical length (L), lateral width (W), and depth (d) of the groove-shaped recess 40 that forms the exhaust pipe 4.

[0083] The vertical length (L) of the recess 40 forming the exhaust duct 4 is 60% to 90% of the height (Z) of the outer peripheral wall 33, for example, it can be set to 10cm to 25cm. The lateral width (W) of the recess 40 is the size of the recess 20y formed on the side 20X of the battery holder 20 housed in the inner housing 3, for example, it can be set to 0.6 to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the cylindrical secondary battery unit 1. The groove-shaped recess 40 provided on the side wall 33X of the inner housing 3 can be provided opposite to all the recesses 20y of the built-in battery holder 20, or it can be provided opposite to a portion of the recesses 20y. Moreover, Figures 5-8The inner shell 3 shown can adjust the opening length (h) of the second opening 42 by adjusting the closing length (s) of the second plate 36 stacked on the first plate 35 to close the groove-shaped recess 40. The second plate 36 preferably determines the closing length (s) in such a way that it closes 50% to 90% of the vertical length (L) of the groove-shaped recess 40.

[0084] The lower housing 30A has a first plate 35 connected to both sides of the lower surface plate 31 on which the battery pack 10 is mounted, in an upright position. Fixing pieces 38 are connected to both ends of the lower surface plate 31, and these fixing pieces 38 are used to connect to the closing plate 27 forming the discharge passage 25. The first plate has its two ends bent inwards to form a collision plate 26 and a bending portion 26A for forming the discharge passage 25. The fixing piece 38 has its front end bent inwards in a horizontal position to form a fixing portion 38A for fixing the battery holder 20 of the battery pack 10. The battery pack 10 is fixed to the fixing portion 38A of the fixing piece 38 by means of fastening screws 19 that pass through the protrusion 20a provided in the battery holder 20. Furthermore, Figure 8 The lower housing 30A shown has multiple height difference protrusions 39 on its lower surface plate 31 for reinforcement. Each height difference protrusion 39 is a convex shape that protrudes downwards relative to the planar lower surface plate 31, and extends in a width direction intersecting the extending direction of the sidewall 33X when viewed from above. The multiple height difference protrusions 39 are arranged at equal intervals in a parallel configuration. The lower housing 30A is formed as follows: a metal sheet is cut into a predetermined shape, and a groove-shaped recess 40 is formed on the first plate 35 and the height difference protrusions 39 are formed on the lower surface plate 31 using a deep drawing process. The first plate 35, the collision plate 26, and the fixing piece 38 are then bent in a predetermined configuration relative to the lower surface plate 31.

[0085] The upper shell 30B has a second plate 36 vertically connected to both sides of the upper surface plate 32, and end panels 37 vertically connected to both ends of the upper surface plate 32. The illustrated upper shell 30B has multiple height difference protrusions 39 on the upper surface plate 32 for reinforcement. Each height difference protrusion 39 is a convex shape protruding upwards relative to the planar upper surface plate 32, extending in a width direction intersecting the extension direction of the sidewall 33X when viewed from above. The multiple height difference protrusions 39 are arranged at equal intervals in a parallel manner. The upper shell 30B is formed by cutting a metal sheet into a predetermined shape, forming the height difference protrusions 39 on the upper surface plate 32 using a deep drawing process, and then bending the second plate 36 and end panels 37 in a predetermined posture relative to the upper surface plate 32.

[0086] like Figure 2As shown, the inner shell 3 is formed by stacking the second plate 36 of the upper shell 30B on the outside of the first plate 35 of the lower shell 30A and connecting the lower shell 30A and the upper shell 30B to each other. This structure, by connecting the lower shell 30A, which has the first plate 35 on both sides, and the upper shell 30B, which has the second plate 36 on both sides, allows the sidewalls 33X to be easily and simply stacked while forming an exhaust duct 4 in the stacked portion 34. The stacked first plate 35 and second plate 36 are securely fixed in a close fit by fastening screws 49. Furthermore, the upper shell 30B shown in the figure has an end panel 37, which is vertically connected to one end of the upper surface plate 32, positioned on the outside of the collision plate 26 of the lower shell 30A for reinforcement.

[0087] Furthermore, the inner shell 3 has a discharge passage 25 on the opposite end face wall 33Y of the outer peripheral wall 33, which is connected to the interior of the inner shell 3. Figure 4 The discharge passage 25 of the collision structure shown includes: a pair of collision plates 26, which are provided on both sides of the end face of the inner housing 3; and a sealing plate 27, which is disposed on the battery pack 10 side closer to the collision plates 26, and has a gap 28 between it and the two side walls 33X when fixed to the fixing piece 38. For the pair of collision plates 26, the front end of the central side is bent inward to provide a bending portion 26A, and for the sealing plate 27, both ends are bent toward the collision plates 26 to provide bending pieces 27A. Figure 4 As indicated by the arrow, the discharge passage 25 of this structure is configured such that gas passing through the gap 28 between the bent piece 27A and the side wall 33X of the sealing plate 27 collides with the impact plate 26. Furthermore, the bend 26A of the impact plate 26 causes the gas, whose flow direction has been changed by the impact plate 26, to change direction towards the sealing plate 27 and collide with it. The gas is then discharged to the outside through the wiring opening 29 on the end face. This discharge passage 25 causes the leads and output lines from the battery pack 10 to meander non-linearly towards the outside of the inner casing 3, thereby preventing gases and other ejected materials from the secondary battery unit 1 from becoming straight flames and being ejected from the inner casing 3 to the outside.

[0088] Here, in Figure 2 , Figure 3 In the power supply device 100 shown, multiple secondary battery cells 1 housed in the inner casing 3 are arranged with the first end face 1A, which has a discharge valve, facing upwards. The groove-shaped recess 40 formed on the first plate 35 of the side wall 33X is arranged to extend vertically. A first opening 41 is provided at the upper end of the side wall 33X, and a second opening 42 is provided at the lower part of the side wall 33X. When the secondary battery cells 1 are arranged in this manner with the discharge valve facing upwards, if any one of the secondary battery cells 1 malfunctions and becomes a state of venting gas or other ejected substances, then... Figure 2 andFigure 9 As indicated by arrow A, the ejected material from the upper surface of the battery pack 10 flows towards the side wall 33X through the upper gap 15 formed between the upper surface of the battery pack 10 and the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3, and is then guided to the exhaust pipe 4 from the first opening 41 at the upper end of the side wall 33X for rapid discharge. This allows for the rapid discharge of high-temperature, high-pressure gases and foreign matter from the secondary battery cell 1 that has become abnormal to the outside of the inner casing 3, thereby reducing adverse effects on the surrounding secondary battery cells 1.

[0089] (Outer shell 5)

[0090] like Figures 1-6 As shown, the outer casing 5 is box-shaped and hollow inside, housing the inner casing 3 which contains the battery pack 10. The outer casing 5 is a structure made of multiple connected metal plates. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example shown in the exploded perspective view, the outer shell 5 is a rectangular box shape, with the side panels 53 on both sides and the end panels 54 at both ends connecting the bottom panel 51 and the top panel 52 which are arranged opposite each other.

[0091] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The illustrated outer casing 5 includes a first casing 50A formed by vertically connecting side panels 53 to both sides of a top panel 52, and a second casing 50B formed by vertically connecting end panels 54 to both ends of a bottom panel 51. Furthermore, the illustrated second casing 50B has fixing pieces 55 along both sides of the bottom panel 51 and around the end panels 54 for threaded fastening to the first casing 50A. With the first casing 50A covering the second casing 50B, the outer periphery of the first casing 50A is screwed to the fixing pieces 55 of the second casing 50B by fastening screws 69, thus connecting them to each other. With the first casing 50A and the second casing 50B connected, a storage space for accommodating the inner casing 3 is formed inside the outer casing 5.

[0092] and, Figure 5 and Figure 6The outer casing 5 shown has a plurality of height difference protrusions 58 on its bottom panel 51. Each height difference protrusion 58 on the bottom panel 51 is a convex shape that protrudes upward relative to the planar body of the bottom panel 51 and extends along the width direction of the outer casing 5. The plurality of height difference protrusions 58 are arranged in a parallel configuration. In particular, the height difference protrusions 58 protruding upward from the bottom panel 51 are arranged in an alternating manner with the downward protruding height difference protrusions 39 provided on the lower surface plate 31 of the inner casing 3. According to this configuration, since the height difference protrusions 58 protruding upward from the bottom panel 51 of the outer casing 5 are arranged in the recesses formed between the downward protruding height difference protrusions 39 formed on the lower surface plate 31 of the inner casing 3, it is possible to strengthen the outer casing 5 while preventing the outer casing 5 from becoming too large.

[0093] in addition, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The outer casing 5 shown also has multiple height difference protrusions 59 on its top panel 52. These height difference protrusions 59 on the top panel 52 are convex shapes that protrude downwards relative to the planar main body of the top panel 52, extending along the width direction of the outer casing 5. The multiple height difference protrusions 59 are arranged in a parallel configuration; in particular, the height difference protrusions 59 protruding downwards from the top panel 52 are arranged in an alternating manner with the upward-protruding height difference protrusions 39 provided on the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3. According to this configuration, since the height difference protrusions 59 protruding downwards from the top panel 52 of the outer casing 5 are arranged in the recesses formed between the upward-protruding height difference protrusions 39 from the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3, it is possible to strengthen the outer casing 5 while preventing its overall size from increasing.

[0094] (Check valve 7)

[0095] Furthermore, the outer casing 5 is equipped with a check valve 7, which is used to discharge the gas, foreign matter, and other ejected materials that fill the interior of the outer casing 5 to the outside when the high-temperature and high-pressure gas and foreign matter have been discharged from the housed secondary battery unit 1. Figure 1 and Figures 4-6 The power supply unit 100 shown has check valves 7 on opposite side panels 53 of the housing 5. When viewed from above, each check valve 7 is located at a point symmetrical position. The check valve 7 is configured to open when the internal pressure of the housing 5 increases and close when the internal pressure decreases.

[0096] Figure 10 and Figure 11The check valve 7 shown includes a discharge window 71 partially formed in the outer casing 5 and a closing mechanism 70 that can freely open and close the discharge window 71. When the internal pressure of the outer casing 5 rises, the closing mechanism 70 opens the discharge window 71, allowing gas, foreign matter, or other ejected material filling the interior to be discharged to the outside of the outer casing 5 through the open discharge window 71. Furthermore, when gas, foreign matter, or other ejected material is discharged from the interior and the internal pressure of the outer casing 5 decreases, the closing mechanism 70 closes the discharge window 71 to prevent air from entering from the outside.

[0097] Figure 10 and Figure 11 The closure mechanism 70 shown is a leaf spring 72. The closure mechanism 70 of the leaf spring 72 closes the discharge window 71 by partially fixing it near the discharge window 71, thereby allowing the discharge window 71 to be opened and closed freely. The illustrated leaf spring 72 has a fixing portion 72A fixed to the outer casing 5 and a closing portion 72B extending from the fixing portion 72A and elastically closing the discharge window 71. The fixing portion 72A of the leaf spring 72 is fixed to a fixed position on the outer casing 5, for example, by screwing a fixing screw 73 through the fixing portion 72A into a fixing hole 74 provided in the outer casing 5. In the illustrated check valve 7, the discharge window 71 opened on the outer casing 5 is circular, and the closing portion 72B that closes the discharge window 71 is rectangular, capable of closing the circular discharge window 71. This configuration allows the rectangular closing portion 72B to reliably close the circular discharge window 71. However, the shapes of the discharge window 71 and the closing portion 72B are not limited to the above shapes and can be various shapes.

[0098] For the closed mechanism 70, which is a leaf spring 72, such as Figure 11 As shown, if the discharge window 71 is closed in the closed section 72B, the internal pressure (P1) of the outer casing 5 increases due to the ejection from the secondary battery unit 1 (see reference). Figure 11 If (A) occurs, the outward force (F1) on the closure 72B from the internal gas at the discharge window 71 increases. If this force (F1) is greater than the elastic pressing force (Ro) of the leaf spring 72 acting on the closure 72B, the leaf spring 72 deforms, the closure 72B separates from the discharge window 71, and the discharge window 71 opens (see reference). Figure 11 (B) When this state is reached, gases, foreign objects, and other ejected materials are discharged from the inside of the outer casing 5 through the open exhaust window 71 to the outside of the outer casing 5. If the internal pressure (P2) of the outer casing 5 decreases due to the discharge of gases and foreign objects from the inside, the outward force (F2) on the gas inside at the exhaust window 71 becomes smaller. If this force (F2) is less than the elastic pressing force (Ro) of the leaf spring 72 acting on the sealing part 72B, the leaf spring 72 returns to its original shape, and the sealing part 72B closes the exhaust window 71 (see reference). Figure 11 (C) prevents air from entering from the outside.

[0099] Figure 10 The check valve 7 shown is configured with three discharge windows 71 arranged in a row, and a leaf spring 72, which serves as a closing mechanism 70, has three closing portions 72B arranged opposite to each discharge window 71 relative to the fixing portion 72A fixed to the outer casing 5. The leaf spring 72 extends from the fixing portion 72A to close the three discharge windows 71 respectively. With the fixing portion 72A fixed to the outer casing 5, each closing portion 72B elastically closes the opposite discharge window 71. The leaf spring 72 shown is configured such that each closing portion 72B extending from the fixing portion 72A is separated by a slit-like cut 72C, forming three strip-shaped closing portions 72B connected to the fixing portion 72A. This configuration allows the leaf spring 72 to close each discharge window 71 while the fixing portion 72A is fixed to the outer casing 5.

[0100] The check valve 7 of this structure opens multiple discharge windows 71 when gas or foreign matter is discharged from the secondary battery unit 1, based on the increase in internal pressure of the outer casing 5. Therefore, it has the advantage of being able to open multiple check valves 7 according to the amount of gas or foreign matter discharged from multiple secondary battery units 1, thereby increasing the discharge amount of gas, foreign matter, etc.

[0101] The check valve 7 described above is configured to close multiple parallel discharge windows 71 using a leaf spring 72 divided by a closing portion 72B. However, the leaf spring 72 can also be provided for each discharge window 71. For example, three leaf springs can be provided for three discharge windows. In this case, it is not necessary to arrange multiple discharge windows in parallel; the check valve 7, including one discharge window 71 and one leaf spring 72, can be distributed on the outer peripheral wall. This configuration allows the check valve 7 located in the portion corresponding to the area where the internal pressure inside the housing 5 is particularly concentrated to open, thereby effectively discharging internal gas.

[0102] Furthermore, for the closing mechanism 70 of the leaf spring 72, it is preferable that, with the fixing part 72A of the leaf spring 72 fixed to the outer casing 5, the closing part 72B is held in a state where it is forcefully applied to elastically close the exhaust window 71. To achieve this, for example, for the closing mechanism 70 of the leaf spring 72, when the fixing part 72A is fixed to the outer casing 5, as follows: Figure 12 As shown, the closing portion 72B is pre-deformed relative to the fixing portion 72A at a predetermined angle (α). Therefore, even when the leaf spring 72 is disposed on the surface of the outer casing 5 and is planar, the closing portion 72B can still be forcefully applied to elastically close the discharge window 71. According to this configuration, when the check valve 7 is closed, the discharge window 71 can remain closed by the closing portion 72B.

[0103] As described above, the leaf spring 72 constituting the closing mechanism 70 is made of iron-based spring material (spring steel), stainless steel-based spring material, or copper-based spring material. Although the shape of the leaf spring 72 also depends on its shape, its thickness is set to 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, so that the closing part 72B elastically applies force toward the discharge window 71.

[0104] (Exhaust section 8)

[0105] Furthermore, the outer casing 5 has a partial exhaust section 8 on its outer surface for gas passage, allowing propellants such as gas discharged from the secondary battery unit 1 housed in the inner casing 3 and discharged to the outside of the inner casing 3 to be discharged to the outside of the outer casing 5 without forming a flame. The exhaust section 8 shown includes an opening 57 formed in the outer casing 5 and a perforated plate 68 disposed in the opening 57. The outer casing 5 shown has multiple holes 57a arranged in a grid pattern on the side panel 53 to form the opening 57, and a perforated plate 68 is disposed inside the opening 57. The perforated plate 68 has multiple through holes 68a with a small diameter. The opening area of ​​the through holes 68a is smaller than the opening area of ​​the holes 57a, and the inner diameter of the through holes 68a is 0.5 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The opening area of ​​the holes 57a is 10 to 30 times the opening area of ​​the through holes 68a, and 5 to 10 through holes 68a are located in one hole 57a. This structure achieves the function of a flame arrester by reducing the opening area of ​​the through hole 68a in the perforated plate 68 and reducing the overall opening area of ​​the perforated plate 68, thereby creating an oxygen-deficient environment inside the outer casing 5 to block the flame (fire extinguishing effect, prevention of backfire, and prevention of ignition). For example, perforated metal can be used as such a perforated plate 68. However, metal mesh can also be used as the perforated plate.

[0106] The outer casing 5 allows the high-temperature, high-pressure gas discharged from the inner casing 3 to pass through the through-hole 68a of the perforated plate 68 at the exhaust section 8, and then be released to the outside of the outer casing 5 through multiple holes 57a. This effectively prevents the ejected material from the secondary battery unit 1 from becoming a flame and being ejected to the outside of the outer casing 5. When the amount of gas, foreign matter, or other ejected material discharged from the secondary battery unit 1 is small and the internal pressure of the outer casing 5 has not risen to the set pressure for opening the check valve, the power supply device 100 allows the ejected material to be discharged to the outside through the perforated plate 68 located at the opening 57 of the outer casing 5, thereby preventing the generation of external flames and other drawbacks. If a large amount of gas, foreign matter, or other material is discharged from the secondary battery unit 1 and the capacity of the perforated plate 68 cannot keep up, and the internal pressure of the outer casing 5 exceeds the predetermined valve opening pressure, then the aforementioned check valve 7 is activated and opens, and the gas and foreign matter inside the outer casing 5 are rapidly discharged to the outside through the open exhaust window 71. When gas or foreign matter is discharged to the outside, causing the internal pressure of the outer casing 5 to fall below the valve opening pressure, the check valve 7 closes. With the check valve 7 closed, the outer casing 5 becomes sealed, and the aforementioned perforated plate 68 functions as a flame arrester. Therefore, this power supply device 100 can optimally control the discharge of gas and foreign matter to the outside while simultaneously discharging internal gas and foreign matter, based on the amount of gas and foreign matter discharged from the housed secondary battery unit 1 and the internal state of the outer casing. However, the power supply device of this disclosure does not necessarily require an exhaust section in the outer casing. This power supply device utilizes a check valve located in the outer casing to discharge gas and foreign matter discharged from the secondary battery unit 1.

[0107] (Substrate chamber 60, circuit board)

[0108] and, Figures 3-6 The power supply unit 100 shown can have a substrate chamber 60 for housing the circuit board, as indicated by the dashed line, provided on the end face side of the housing 5 and at a position opposite to the wiring gap 29 of the inner housing 3. This substrate chamber 60 is configured to be separated from the internal space of the housing 5, thereby protecting the circuit board from the effects of jets such as high-temperature, high-pressure gases emitted from the inner housing 3. The circuit board can be equipped with a charge / discharge circuit for charging and discharging the secondary battery cell 1, a protection circuit for monitoring the voltage and temperature of the secondary battery cell 1 and cutting off the current in case of abnormalities, etc. Furthermore, the housing 5 can also be configured to expose the positive and negative output terminals and signal terminals connected to the circuit board from the end panel.

[0109] For the outer casing 5 described above, the inner casing 3 is fixed to the bottom panel 51 of the second casing 50B, and the leads and output lines drawn from the inner casing 3 are connected to the circuit board disposed in the substrate chamber 60. Then, the first casing 50A and the second casing 50B are connected. The side panel 53 and top panel 52 of the first casing 50A are fixed to the fixing piece 55 of the second casing 50B by fixing screws 69, thereby forming the outer casing 5 into a box shape.

[0110] The inner housing 3 of the power supply device 100 in Embodiment 1 described above is configured such that a first plate 35 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X, and a second plate 36 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X. Furthermore, the first plate 35 and the second plate 36 are stacked by connecting the lower housing 30A, to both sides of the lower surface plate 31 in a vertical orientation, and the upper housing 30B, to both sides of the upper surface plate 32 in a vertical orientation. However, the power supply device of this disclosure does not limit the arrangement of the first and second plates forming the sides of the inner housing to the above structure. The arrangement of the first and second plates can also be modified for the inner housing as follows.

[0111] [Implementation Method 2]

[0112] Figure 13 The power supply device 200 shown is configured such that a first plate 35 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X, and a second plate 36 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X. The first plate 35 and the second plate 36 are stacked by connecting a lower housing 30C, to which the second plate 36 is vertically connected on both sides of the lower surface plate 31, and an upper housing 30D, to which the first plate 35 is vertically connected on both sides of the upper surface plate 32. The inner housing 3B connects the lower housing 30C and the upper housing 30D such that the first plate 35, which is disposed on both sides of the upper housing 30D, is disposed on the inner side of the second plate 36 on both sides of the lower housing 30C.

[0113] Figure 13 The inner shell 3B is configured such that a first opening 41, formed at one end of a groove-shaped recess 40 formed on the first plate 35, faces downwards, and a second opening 42, formed at the other end of a groove-shaped recess 40 partially closed by a second plate 36 arranged in an upwards position, is positioned above the exhaust pipe 4. The inner shell 3B has the first opening 41, which communicates with the interior of the inner shell 3B, positioned at the lower end of the exhaust pipe 4, and the second opening 42, which communicates with the exterior of the inner shell 3B, positioned at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 4. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in the figure, gases and other ejected substances filling the interior of the inner shell 3B flow into the exhaust pipe 4 from the first opening 41 located below the side wall 33X, pass through the exhaust pipe 4, and are then discharged to the exterior of the inner shell 3B from the second opening 42 located above the side wall 33X.

[0114] Therefore, as shown in the figure, in a structure in which the secondary battery unit 1 is housed in the inner casing 3B with the discharge valve facing upwards, the ejected material discharged from the upper surface side of the battery pack 10 is as follows: Figure 13 As shown by arrow B, the gas flows from the upper gap 15 formed between the upper surface of the battery pack 10 and the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3 toward the side wall 33X, and then further descends along the side gap 16 formed between the side wall 33X of the inner casing 3 and the battery pack 10 as shown by arrow C, and is guided to the exhaust pipe 4 and discharged from the first opening 41 provided at the lower part of the side gap 16. Therefore, the flow path of the gas and other ejected substances discharged from the secondary battery cell 1 until they are guided to the exhaust pipe 4 can be extended, and the pressure and temperature of the gas inside the inner casing 3B can be sufficiently reduced before it is discharged to the outside.

[0115] Furthermore, for the inner housing 3B, the front end of the first plate 35 is partially cut off at the cut-off portion 43, and a first opening portion 41 is formed at one end of the groove-shaped recess 40. The portion of the front end of the first plate 35 that is not cut off at the cut-off portion 43 is designated as a non-cut-off portion 44 and arranged along the inner surface of the second plate 36, so that the lower end of the non-cut-off portion 44 abuts against the lower surface plate 31 to determine the connection position of the second housing 30D.

[0116] [Implementation Method 3]

[0117] in addition, Figure 14 The power supply device 300 shown is configured such that a first plate 35 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X, and a second plate 36 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X. Furthermore, the first plate 35 and the second plate 36 are stacked by connecting a lower housing 30E, to which the second plate 36 is vertically connected on both sides of a lower surface plate 31, and an upper housing 30F, to which the first plate 35 is vertically connected on both sides of an upper surface plate 32. The inner housing 3C connects the lower housing 30E and the upper housing 30F such that the first plate 35, disposed on both sides of the upper housing 30F, is disposed on the outer side of the second plate 36 on both sides of the lower housing 30E.

[0118] Figure 14The inner housing 3C is configured such that a first opening 41, formed at one end of a groove-shaped recess 40 formed on the first plate 35, faces downwards, and a second opening 42, formed at the other end of a groove-shaped recess 40 partially closed by a second plate 36 arranged in an upwards position, is positioned above the exhaust pipe 4. With the second opening 42, which communicates with the interior of the inner housing 3C, positioned at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 4, and the first opening 41, which communicates with the exterior of the inner housing 3C, positioned at the lower end of the exhaust pipe 4, as shown by the arrow in the figure, gases and other ejected material filling the interior of the inner housing 3C flow into the exhaust pipe 4 from the second opening 42 located above the side wall 33X, pass through the exhaust pipe 4, and then exit to the exterior of the inner housing 3C from the first opening 41 located below the side wall 33X.

[0119] Therefore, as shown in the figure, in a structure in which the secondary battery unit 1 is housed in the inner casing 3C with the discharge valve facing upwards, the ejected material discharged from the upper surface side of the battery pack 10 is as follows: Figure 14 As indicated by arrow E, the gas flows from the upper gap 15 formed between the upper surface of the battery pack 10 and the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3C toward the side wall 33X, and is then guided to the exhaust pipe 4 from the second opening 42 formed at the upper end of the side wall 33X for rapid discharge. Therefore, high-temperature and high-pressure gases and foreign objects discharged from the secondary battery cell 1 that has become abnormal can be quickly discharged to the outside of the inner casing 3C, reducing adverse effects on the surrounding secondary battery cells 1. In addition, the structure that allows the ejected material discharged into the inner casing 3C to pass from the top to the bottom of the exhaust pipe 4 also has the following feature: even foreign objects such as liquids and metal sheets discharged from the secondary battery cell 1 can fall along the exhaust pipe 4 and be smoothly discharged to the outside of the inner casing 3C.

[0120] Furthermore, for the inner housing 3C, the front end of the second plate 36 disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X is partially cut off at the second cut-off portion 45 to determine the position of the other end of the second plate 36 closing the groove-shaped recess 40, and the part of the front end of the second plate 36 that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion 45 is set as the second non-cut-off portion 46 and disposed along the inner surface of the first plate 35, so that the upper end of the second non-cut-off portion 46 abuts against the upper surface plate 32 to determine the connection position of the second housing 30F.

[0121] [Implementation Method 4]

[0122] in addition, Figure 15The power supply device 400 shown is configured such that a first plate 35 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X, and a second plate 36 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X. The first plate 35 and the second plate 36 are stacked by connecting a lower housing 30G, to which the first plate 35 is vertically connected on both sides of the lower surface plate 31, and an upper housing 30H, to which the second plate 36 is vertically connected on both sides of the upper surface plate 32. The inner housing 3D connects the lower housing 30G and the upper housing 30H by disposing the second plate 36, which is disposed on both sides of the upper housing 30H, inside the first plate 35 on both sides of the lower housing 30G.

[0123] Figure 15 The inner shell 3D is configured such that a first opening 41 formed at one end of the groove-shaped recess 40 formed on the first plate 35 faces upward, and a second opening 42 formed at the other end of the groove-shaped recess 40, which is partially closed by a second plate 36 arranged in a downward position, is positioned below the exhaust pipe 4. The inner shell 3D has the second opening 42, which communicates with the interior of the inner shell 3D, positioned at the lower end of the exhaust pipe 4, and the first opening 41, which communicates with the exterior of the inner shell 3D, positioned at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 4. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in the figure, gases and other ejected substances filling the interior of the inner shell 3D flow into the exhaust pipe 4 from the second opening 42 located below the side wall 33X, pass through the exhaust pipe 4, and are then discharged to the exterior of the inner shell 3D from the first opening 41 located above the side wall 33X.

[0124] Therefore, as shown in the figure, in a structure in which the secondary battery unit 1 is housed in the inner casing 3D with the discharge valve facing upwards, the ejected material discharged from the upper surface side of the battery pack 10 is as follows: Figure 15 As indicated by arrow G, the gas flows from the upper gap 15 formed between the upper surface of the battery pack 10 and the upper surface plate 32 of the inner casing 3D toward the side wall 33X, and then further descends along the side gap 16 formed between the side wall 33X of the inner casing 3D and the battery pack 10, as indicated by arrow H. As indicated by arrow I, it is guided to the exhaust pipe 4 and discharged. Therefore, the flow path of the gas and other ejected substances discharged from the secondary battery cell 1 until they are guided to the exhaust pipe 4 can be extended, and the pressure and temperature of the gas inside the inner casing 3D can be sufficiently reduced before it is discharged to the outside.

[0125] Furthermore, for the inner housing 3D, the front end of the second plate 36 disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X is partially cut off at the second cut-off portion 45 to determine the position of the other end of the second plate 36 closing the groove-shaped recess 40, and the part of the front end of the second plate 36 that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion 45 is set as the second non-cut-off portion 46 and disposed along the inner surface of the first plate 35, so that the lower end of the second non-cut-off portion 46 abuts against the lower surface plate 31 to determine the connection position of the second housing 30H.

[0126] [Implementation Method 5]

[0127] In the inner housings 3, 3B, 3C, and 3D of the power supply devices 100, 200, 300, and 400 shown in embodiments 1 to 4 above, the second plate 36 stacked on the first plate 35 is planar. This structure allows for a simple construction of the second plate 36 while forming an exhaust duct 4 at the overlap 34 between the second plate 36 and the first plate 35. However, the second plate stacked on the first plate 35 does not necessarily have to be planar; it can also have an uneven shape. For example, the second plate can also be shaped like the first plate, having a groove-shaped recess extending along the height direction of the sidewall.

[0128] exist Figure 16 In the power supply device 500 shown, the inner housing 3E is configured such that a first plate 35 is disposed on the inner side of the side wall 33X and a second plate 36 is disposed on the outer side of the side wall 33X. The second plate 36 is configured to have a second groove-shaped recess 47 extending along the height direction of the side wall 33X on the opposite surface opposite to the first plate 35. The inner housing 3E is configured such that a lower housing 30A, in which the first plate 35 with the groove-shaped recess 40 is connected to both sides of the lower surface plate 31, and an upper housing 30J, in which the second plate 36 with the second groove-shaped recess 47 is connected to both sides of the upper surface plate 32, are stacked together, thereby connecting the first plate 35 and the second plate 36. The second plate 36 has a second cut 47a formed by cutting off one end of the second groove-shaped recess 47 in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the second groove-shaped recess 47. The second groove-shaped recess 47 provided on the second plate 36 is positioned opposite to the groove-shaped recess 40 provided on the first plate 35. When the second plate 36 is stacked on top of the first plate 35, the second cutout 47a formed in the second groove-shaped recess 47 is positioned opposite to the second opening 42 of the groove-shaped recess 40. This structure, by stacking the groove-shaped recess 40 of the first plate 41 and the second groove-shaped recess 47 of the second plate 36 in a mutually opposing state, increases the volume of the exhaust pipe 4 formed between the first plate 35 and the second plate 36, and also increases the opening area of ​​the second opening 42 where the second cutout 47a is located. Furthermore, it also features the characteristic of strengthening the second plate 36 by providing irregularities in the second plate 36.

[0129] Industrial availability

[0130] The power supply device disclosed herein can be appropriately used as a power source for energy storage systems in homes, businesses, factories, etc., for fixed-type energy storage applications, as a backup power source for servers, or as a power source for vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles.

[0131] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0132] 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, Power supply unit; 1, Battery cell; 1A, First end face; 1a, Center electrode; 1b, End face electrode; 3, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, Inner casing; 4, Exhaust pipe; 5, Outer casing; 7, Check valve; 8, Exhaust section; 10, Battery pack; 11, Battery block; 13, Lead plate; 13A, First lead plate; 13B, Second lead plate; 13a, First connecting piece; 13b, Second connecting piece; 13x, Connecting part; 13y, Protruding connecting part; 1 5. Upper clearance; 19. Fastening screw; 20. Battery holder; 20A. First holder; 20B. Second holder; 20X. Side; 20x. Protrusion; 20y. Recess; 20a. Raised portion; 21. Holding portion; 25. Exhaust passage; 26. Collision plate; 26A. Bending portion; 27. Sealing plate; 27A. Bending piece; 28. Clearance; 29. ​​Wiring opening; 30A, 30C, 30E, 30G. Lower housing; 30B, 30D, 30F, 30H, 30J. Upper housing; 31. 32. Lower surface plate; 33. Upper surface plate; 34. Outer peripheral wall; 35. Side wall; 36. End face wall; 37. Stacked portion; 38. First plate; 39. Second plate; 30. End face plate; 31. Fixing piece; 32. Fixing part; 43. Height difference concave-convex portion; 44. Groove-shaped recess; 45. Incision; 46. Second open portion; 47. Removal portion; 48. Non-removal portion; 49. Second removal portion; 40. Second non-removal portion; 41. Second groove-shaped recess; 42. Second incision; 43. Fastening Screw; 50A, First housing; 50B, Second housing; 51, Bottom panel; 52, Top panel; 53, Side panel; 54, End panel; 55, Fixing piece; 57, Opening; 57a, Hole; 58, Height difference protrusion / recess; 59, Height difference protrusion / recess; 60, Base plate chamber; 68, Perforated plate; 68a, Through hole; 69, Fixing screw; 70, Closing mechanism; 71, Exhaust window; 72, Leaf spring; 72A, Fixing part; 72B, Closing part; 72C, Slit; 73, Fixing screw; 74, Fixing hole.

Claims

1. A power supply device comprising: Multiple secondary battery units, each having a discharge valve that opens when the internal pressure exceeds a set pressure; Inner casing, which houses the plurality of secondary battery cells; and An outer shell that covers the inner shell. in, The inner shell includes a first plate and a second plate forming the sidewalls. The first plate and the second plate extend along the extension direction of the inner shell, and are partially stacked in the middle region of the upper and lower sides of the sidewall to form a stacked portion. The first plate has multiple rows of groove-shaped recesses extending along the height direction of the sidewall on the opposite surface to the second plate, and a cut formed by cutting off one end of the groove-shaped recess in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the groove-shaped recess is designated as a first open portion. When the second plate is stacked on top of the first plate, it closes one end of the multi-row grooved recesses where the first open portion is formed, thus forming a cylindrical exhaust pipe in the stacked portion. Furthermore, it does not close the other end of the multi-row grooved recesses, leaving it open to form a second open portion. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior and exterior of the inner housing via the first opening and the second opening.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The inner housing has the first plate disposed on the inner side of the side wall and the second plate disposed on the outer side of the side wall. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior of the inner housing via the first opening and with the exterior of the inner housing via the second opening.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein, The inner shell includes: The lower housing, on both sides of the lower surface plate, is vertically connected to the first plate; and The upper shell has the second plate vertically connected to both sides of its upper surface plate. The lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

4. The power supply device according to claim 3, wherein, The first plate partially cuts off its front end at the cut-off portion to form the first open portion at one end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the first plate that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is designated as a non-cut-off portion and disposed along the inner surface of the second plate, such that the upper end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate.

5. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein, The inner shell includes: The lower housing, on both sides of the lower surface plate, is vertically connected to the second plate; and The upper shell has the first plate vertically connected to both sides of its upper surface plate. The lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

6. The power supply device according to claim 5, wherein, The first plate partially cuts off its front end at the cut-off portion to form the first open portion at one end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the first plate that is not cut off at the cut-off portion is designated as a non-cut-off portion and disposed along the inner surface of the second plate, such that the lower end of the non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate.

7. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The inner housing has the first plate disposed on the outer side of the side wall and the second plate disposed on the inner side of the side wall. The exhaust pipe communicates with the interior of the inner housing via the second opening and with the exterior of the inner housing via the first opening.

8. The power supply device according to claim 7, wherein, The inner shell includes: The lower housing, on both sides of the lower surface plate, is vertically connected to the second plate; and The upper shell has the first plate vertically connected to both sides of its upper surface plate. The lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

9. The power supply device according to claim 8, wherein, The second plate uses a second cut-off portion formed by partially cutting off the front end to determine the closed position of the other end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the second plate that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is designated as a second non-cut-off portion and arranged along the inner surface of the first plate, such that the upper end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the upper surface plate.

10. The power supply device according to claim 7, wherein, The inner shell includes: The lower housing, on both sides of the lower surface plate, is vertically connected to the first plate; and The upper shell has the second plate vertically connected to both sides of its upper surface plate. The lower housing and the upper housing are connected to each other in a stacked state of the first plate and the second plate.

11. The power supply device according to claim 10, wherein, The second plate uses a second cut-off portion formed by partially cutting off the front end to determine the closed position of the other end of the groove-shaped recess, and the portion of the front end of the second plate that is not cut off at the second cut-off portion is designated as a second non-cut-off portion and arranged along the inner surface of the first plate, such that the lower end of the second non-cut-off portion abuts against the lower surface plate.

12. The power supply device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein, The secondary battery unit is a cylindrical battery, and the power supply device includes a battery holder that houses the plurality of secondary battery units in a parallel arrangement. The battery holder is shaped to house the plurality of secondary battery cells in an alternating stacked arrangement when viewed from above, and the side opposite the sidewall of the inner housing has an alternating pattern of protrusions and recesses extending in the vertical direction. The exhaust duct is disposed in the recess formed on the side of the battery holder.

13. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The plurality of secondary battery units are respectively arranged within the inner housing in an orientation in which the surface with the discharge valve faces the upper surface.

14. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The second plate is planar.

15. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The second plate has multiple rows of second groove-shaped recesses extending along the height direction of the sidewall on its opposite surface to the first plate, and has a second cut formed by cutting off one end of the second groove-shaped recess in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the second groove-shaped recess. The second groove-shaped recess on the second plate is positioned opposite to the groove-shaped recess on the first plate. With the second plate stacked on top of the first plate, the second cut formed in the second groove-shaped recess is disposed in the second open portion of the groove-shaped recess.

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