Battery pack

Abstract

To provide a battery pack that can ensure both ease of handling and rigidity of an end plate.SOLUTION: A battery pack 1 includes: a plurality of power storage cells 12 arranged in line in a first direction; and a pair of end plates 20. Each of the end plates 20 includes: an inner surface S1 formed on an inner side in the first direction; an outer surface S2 formed on an outer side in the first direction; a hole h which extends in a second direction; an inner interposed portion 21 which is interposed between the inner surface and the hole; and an outer interposed portion 22 which is interposed between the outer surface and the hole. A length W1 of the inner interposed portion 21 in a third direction is longer than a length W2 of the outer interposed portion 22 in the third direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent No. 3426445 discloses a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, a pair of end plates, and a band. The end plates are provided with holes for attaching a hanging jig. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3426445 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the battery pack described in Japanese Patent No. 3426445, it is required to ensure ease of handling (ease of assembly and transport) while also ensuring the rigidity of the end plates.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack that can ensure both ease of handling and rigidity of the end plates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A battery pack according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of storage cells arranged in a first direction, and a pair of end plates sandwiching the plurality of storage cells from both sides in the first direction, each of the end plates having an inner surface formed on the inside in the first direction, an outer surface formed on the outside in the first direction, a hole extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an inner intervening portion interposed between the inner surface and the hole, and an outer intervening portion intervening between the outer surface and the hole, and a length of the inner intervening portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is greater than a length of the outer intervening portion in the third direction. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a battery pack that is capable of ensuring both ease of handling and rigidity of the end plates. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1 during transportation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery pack 1 being mounted on, for example, a vehicle.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the battery pack 1 includes a stack 10, a pair of end plates 20, a pair of restraining members 30, and a case 40.

[0012] The stack 10 includes a plurality of storage cells 12 arranged side by side in a first direction. Each storage cell 12 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. Each storage cell 12 is formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped. A resin frame (not shown) may be disposed between a pair of adjacent storage cells 12.

[0013] The pair of end plates 20 sandwich the stack 10 from both sides in the first direction. Each end plate 20 has an inner surface S1, an outer surface S2, a plurality of holes h, an inner intermediate portion 21, an outer intermediate portion 22, and an engagement portion 23.

[0014] The inner surface S1 is configured by a surface of the end plate 20 that is formed on the inside in the first direction.

[0015] The outer surface S2 is configured as a surface of the end plate 20 that is formed on the outer side in the first direction.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the holes h extend in a second direction (height direction) perpendicular to the first direction. As shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of holes h are formed in each end plate 20 so as to be aligned in a third direction (width direction) perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction. In a plan view, each hole h has a shape in which the dimension in the third direction gradually decreases toward the outside in the first direction.

[0017] The inner intermediate portion 21 is a portion interposed between the inner surface S1 and the hole h. The outer intermediate portion 22 is a portion interposed between the outer surface S2 and the hole h. As shown in Fig. 1, the length W1 of the inner intermediate portion 21 in the third direction is greater than the length W2 of the outer intermediate portion 22 in the third direction.

[0018] The engaging portion 23 is a portion that engages with a transport jig T2 described later. The engaging portion 23 has a shape that is recessed from the hole h toward the outer surface S2. The engaging portion 23 may penetrate the outer intermediate portion 22.

[0019] The pair of restraining members 30 restrain the stack 10 and the pair of end plates 20 from both sides in the first direction.

[0020] The case 40 accommodates the stack 10, the pair of end plates 20, and the pair of restraining members 30. The case 40 is open upward.

[0021] Next, a manufacturing method (assembly method) of the battery pack 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, with a pair of compression tools T1 inserted into holes h in the end plates 20, the stack 10 is compressed by the pair of compression tools T1 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. In this state, a restraining member 30 is attached to restrain the stack 10 and the pair of end plates 20. After the restraining member 30 is attached, the compression by the compression tool T1 is released, and the compression tool T1 is removed from the end plates 20. Note that in Fig. 2, the restraining member 30 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0023] Next, as shown in Fig. 3, the transport jig T2 is engaged with the engagement portions 23 of each end plate 20, and a unit consisting of the stack 10, the pair of end plates 20, and the pair of restraining members 30 is inserted into the case 40. After the unit has been inserted into the case 40, the transport jig T2 is removed. Note that Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the transport jig T2 taken along line III-III in Fig. 1, showing the state after the unit has been inserted into the case 40.

[0024] As described above, in the battery pack 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to insert the compression jig T1 or the transport jig T2 into the hole h of each end plate 20, thereby ensuring ease of handling, and further, since the length W1 of the inner interposed portion 21 in the third direction is greater than the length W2 of the outer interposed portion 22 in the third direction, the rigidity of the end plate 20 is ensured when each end plate 20 is compressed with the compression jig T1.

[0025] In the above embodiment, the pair of restraining members 30 may be omitted. In this case, in a state in which the stack 10 is compressed by the pair of compression jigs T1, the stack 10 and the pair of end plates 20 are inserted into the case 40. As a result, the case 40 accommodates the stack 10 and the pair of end plates 20 while restraining the stack 10 and the pair of end plates 20 from both sides in the first direction. In this case, each end plate 20 may be provided with an engagement portion (not shown) with which the compression jig T1 engages, and the surface of the compression jig T1 may be subjected to an anti-slip treatment.

[0026] In the above embodiment, the engagement portion 23 may be configured by a notch provided at the lower end of the outer intermediate portion 22. Alternatively, the surface of the transport jig T2 may be subjected to an anti-slip treatment, and the engagement portion 23 may be omitted. In this case, the transport jig T2 may also serve as the compression jig T1.

[0027] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0028] [Aspect 1] A plurality of storage cells arranged in a first direction; a pair of end plates that sandwich the plurality of storage cells from both sides in the first direction, Each of the end plates is An inner surface formed on the inside in the first direction; An outer surface formed on the outer side in the first direction; A hole extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; an inner intermediate portion interposed between the inner surface and the hole; an outer intermediate portion interposed between the outer surface and the hole; a length of the inner intermediate portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is greater than a length of the outer intermediate portion in the third direction.

[0029] In this battery pack, a compression tool or a transportation tool can be inserted into the holes in the end plates, ensuring ease of handling. Furthermore, since the length of the inner intermediate portion in the third direction is greater than the length of the outer intermediate portion in the third direction, the rigidity of the end plates is ensured when the end plates are compressed with a compression tool.

[0030] [Aspect 2] Each of the end plates has an engagement portion that engages with a transport jig, 2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is connected to the outer intermediate portion.

[0031] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 battery pack, 10 stack, 12 storage cell, 20 end plate, 21 inner intermediate portion, 22 outer intermediate portion, 23 engagement portion, 30 restraining member, 40 case, h hole, S1 inner surface, S2 outer surface.

Claims

[Claim 1] A plurality of storage cells arranged to be aligned in a first direction; a pair of end plates that sandwich the plurality of storage cells from both sides in the first direction, Each of the end plates is An inner surface formed on the inside in the first direction; an outer surface formed on the outer side in the first direction; A hole extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; an inner intermediate portion interposed between the inner surface and the hole; an outer intermediate portion interposed between the outer surface and the hole; A battery pack, wherein a length of the inner intermediate portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is greater than a length of the outer intermediate portion in the third direction.

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