Battery case

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of protecting a wide surface of an electrode body accommodated in a battery case.SOLUTION: A battery case for accommodating an electrode body may include a body part, a lid part combined with the body part, and a pair of terminal parts provided on the lid part. The body part may include a rectangular bottom part and a pair of short side parts extending upward from a pair of short sides of the bottom part. The lid part may include a rectangular top part facing the bottom part and a pair of long side parts extending downward from a pair of long sides of the top part. The pair of terminal parts may be provided on the top surface of the lid part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a battery case. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery case that houses an electrode assembly. The battery case of Patent Document 1 includes a main body, a lid that is combined with the main body, and a pair of terminals provided on the lid. The main body includes a rectangular bottom and a pair of long side portions that extend upward from a pair of long sides of the bottom. The lid includes a rectangular top that faces the bottom, and a pair of short side portions that extend downward from a pair of short sides of the top. The pair of terminals are provided on the top of the lid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-32465 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, before the main body and the lid are assembled, the electrode body to be accommodated in the battery case is accommodated between a pair of short side surfaces of the lid on which the terminals are provided. After that, the main body and the lid are assembled with the electrode body accommodated between the pair of short side surfaces of the lid. In this configuration, at the stage when the main body and the lid are assembled, the narrow surface (short side surface) of the electrode body accommodated in the battery case is covered by the pair of short side surfaces of the lid and is not exposed to the outside. However, the wide surface (long side surface) of the electrode body is exposed to the outside. Therefore, it is considered that the wide surface (long side surface) of the electrode body may be damaged when the main body and the lid of the battery case are assembled.

[0005] The present specification provides a technique capable of protecting a wide surface of an electrode assembly housed in a battery case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect of the present technology, a battery case that houses an electrode assembly may include a main body, a lid that is combined with the main body, and a pair of terminals provided on the lid. The main body may include a rectangular bottom and a pair of short side portions extending upward from a pair of short sides of the bottom. The lid may include a rectangular top facing the bottom and a pair of long side portions extending downward from a pair of long sides of the top. The pair of terminals may be provided on the top of the lid.

[0007] According to this configuration, before the main body and lid of the battery case are combined, the electrode body to be accommodated in the battery case is accommodated between a pair of long side surfaces of the lid where the terminals are provided. The main body and lid are then combined with the electrode body accommodated between the pair of long side surfaces of the lid. According to this configuration, at the stage where the main body and lid are combined, the wide surface (long side surface) of the electrode body accommodated in the battery case is covered by the pair of long side surfaces of the lid and is not exposed to the outside. Therefore, the wide surface of the electrode body accommodated in the battery case can be protected.

[0008] In a second aspect, in the first aspect described above, the main body portion may include a groove portion into which the long side of the long side portion and a pair of short sides of the cover body portion are inserted, the groove portion extending along the long side of the bottom surface portion and each of the long sides of the pair of short side portions, and a recess in which the short side of the top surface portion of the cover body portion is positioned, the recess extending along the short side of the short side portion at an upper end of the short side portion.

[0009] This configuration can prevent a gap from being formed between the body and the lid of the battery case, thereby preventing the electrolyte inside the battery case from leaking out to the outside. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery including a battery case according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery case according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2 . [Figure 4] IV-IV cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] VV cross-sectional view of Figure 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A battery case and a battery according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a battery 100 according to the embodiment includes a battery case 2, an electrode body 50 housed in the battery case 2, and a pair of terminals 60, 60 attached to the battery case 2. The battery 100 is, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The battery 100 is mounted, for example, on an electric vehicle (for example, an electric car or a hybrid car).

[0012] The battery case 2 includes a body 10 and a lid 20. The body 10 and the lid 20 are combined to form the battery case 2. The body 10 and the lid 20 are joined by, for example, welding. The battery case 2 accommodates an electrode assembly 50 and an electrolyte in a space surrounded by the body 10 and the lid 20. The electrode assembly 50 is formed, for example, by winding a sheet-like member (not shown) including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator.

[0013] The main body 10 of the battery case 2 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. The main body 10 has a bottom surface 12 and a pair of short side surfaces 14, 14. The bottom surface 12 and the pair of short side surfaces 14, 14 are integrally formed.

[0014] The bottom surface portion 12 is configured in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of long sides 12a, 12a and a pair of short sides 12b, 12b. The pair of short side surface portions 14, 14 extend upward from the pair of short sides 12b, 12b of the bottom surface portion 12. Each short side surface portion 14 extends from the bottom surface portion 12 of the main body portion 10 toward the top surface portion 22 of the lid portion 20. Each short side surface portion 14 is configured in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of long sides 14a, 14a and a pair of short sides 14b, 14b.

[0015] Also, the main body portion 10 includes a pair of groove portions 30, 30 provided across the bottom surface portion 12 and the pair of short side surface portions 14, 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The main body portion 10 further includes a concave portion 40 provided at the upper end portion of each short side surface portion 14 (see FIG. 5). Details of the groove portion 30 and the concave portion 40 will be described later.

[0016] The lid portion 20 of the battery case 2 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, for example. The lid portion 20 includes a top surface portion 22 and a pair of long side surface portions 24, 24. The top surface portion 22 and the pair of long side surface portions 24, 24 are integrally formed.

[0017] The top surface portion 22 faces the bottom surface portion 12 of the main body portion 10. The top surface portion 22 is configured in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of long sides 22a, 22a and a pair of short sides 22b, 22b. The pair of long side surface portions 24, 24 extend downward from the pair of long sides 22a, 22a of the top surface portion 22. Each long side surface portion 24 extends from the top surface portion 22 of the lid portion 20 toward the bottom surface portion 12 of the main body portion 10. An electrode body 50 is disposed between the pair of long side surface portions 24, 24. Each long side surface portion 24 is configured in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of long sides 24a, 24a and a pair of short sides 24b, 24b.

[0018] A pair of terminal portions 60, 60 are provided on the top surface portion 22 of the lid portion 20. Each terminal portion 60 is attached to the top surface portion 22 in a state insulated from the lid portion 20. For example, an insulating member is disposed between each terminal portion 60 and the top surface portion 22. The pair of terminal portions 60, 60 are electrically connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode (not shown) of the electrode body 50, respectively.

[0019] Next, the groove 30 and the recess 40 provided in the main body 10 of the battery case 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the main body 10 has a pair of grooves 30, 30 provided on its inner surface. The pair of grooves 30, 30 extend in parallel across the bottom 12 and the pair of short side surfaces 14, 14 of the main body 10. Each groove 30 is provided on the inner surface of the bottom 12 and the inner surface of each short side surface 14 of the main body 10. The groove 30 provided in the bottom 12 extends along the long side 12a of the bottom 12. The groove 30 provided in each short side surface 14 extends along the long side 14a of each short side surface 14. The long side 24a of the long side surface 24 of the lid 20 is inserted into the groove 30 provided in the bottom 12. The short sides 24b of the long side surfaces 24 of the lid 20 are inserted into the grooves 30 provided in each of the short side surfaces 14.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 5, each short side surface portion 14 of the main body portion 10 has a recess 40 provided on its inner surface. The recess 40 is provided at the upper end portion of the short side surface portion 14. The recess 40 extends along the short side 14b of the short side surface portion 14. The short side 22b of the top surface portion 22 of the cover body portion 20 is disposed in the recess 40.

[0021] In the above-mentioned battery case 2 and battery 100, before the main body 10 and the cover 20 of the battery case 2 are assembled, the electrode body 50 accommodated in the battery case 2 is accommodated between a pair of long side surfaces 24, 24 of the cover 20 on which the terminal 60 is provided. Thereafter, the main body 10 and the cover 20 are assembled with the electrode body 50 accommodated between the pair of long side surfaces 24, 24 of the cover 20. In the assembled state of the main body 10 and the cover 20, the long side 24a and the pair of short sides 24b, 24b of the long side surface 24 of the cover 20 are inserted into the groove 30. In addition, the short side 22b of the top surface 22 of the cover 20 is disposed in the recess 40. The main body 10 and the cover 20 are joined together, for example, by welding.

[0022] (effect) The battery case 2 and the battery 100 of the embodiment have been described above. As described above, the battery case 2 includes a main body portion 10 and a lid portion 20, and the main body portion 10 includes a rectangular bottom surface portion 12 and a pair of short side surfaces 14, 14 extending upward from a pair of short sides 12b, 12b of the bottom surface portion 12. The lid portion 20 includes a rectangular top surface portion 22 facing the bottom surface portion 12, and a pair of long side surfaces 24, 24 extending downward from a pair of long sides 22a, 22a of the top surface portion 22. A pair of terminal portions 60, 60 are provided on the top surface portion 22 of the lid portion 20.

[0023] According to this configuration, at the stage when the main body 10 and the lid 20 are assembled, the wide surface (long side surface) of the electrode body 50 housed in the battery case 2 is not exposed to the outside because it is covered by the pair of long side surface portions 24, 24 of the lid 20. Therefore, the wide surface of the electrode body 50 housed in the battery case 2 can be protected.

[0024] The main body 10 of the battery case 2 also includes a groove 30 into which the long side 24a of the long side 24 of the lid 20 and the pair of short sides 24b, 24b are inserted. The groove 30 extends along the long side 12a of the bottom 12 of the main body 10 and the long sides 14a, 14a of the pair of short side 14, 14. The main body 10 also includes a recess 40 in which the short side 22b of the top 22 of the lid 20 is disposed. The recess 40 extends along the short side 14b of the short side 14 at the upper end of the short side 14. This configuration can prevent a gap from being formed between the main body 10 and the lid 20 of the battery case 2. This can prevent the electrolyte in the battery case 2 from leaking out to the outside.

[0025] As described above, specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology exemplified in this specification or the drawings can achieve a plurality of purposes simultaneously, and achieving one of those purposes itself has technical utility.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0026] 2: Battery case, 10: Main body, 12: Bottom surface, 12a: Long side, 12b: Short side, 14: Short side surface, 14a: Long side, 14b: Short side, 20: Cover body, 22: Top surface, 22a: Long side, 22b: Short side, 24: Long side surface, 24a: Long side, 24b: Short side, 30: Groove portion, 40: Recess portion, 50: Electrode body, 60: Terminal portion, 100: Battery

Claims

1. A battery case that houses an electrode assembly, A main body portion, A cover body portion that is combined with the main body portion; A pair of terminals provided on the cover portion, The main body portion includes a rectangular bottom surface portion and a pair of short side surfaces extending upward from a pair of short sides of the bottom surface portion, The cover body portion includes a rectangular top surface portion facing the bottom surface portion, and a pair of long side surface portions extending downward from a pair of long sides of the top surface portion, The pair of terminal portions are provided on the top surface of the lid body.

2. The battery case according to claim 1 , The main body portion is a groove into which a long side of the long side surface portion of the lid body and a pair of short sides are inserted, the groove extending along the long side of the bottom surface portion and each of the long sides of the pair of short side surfaces; A battery case comprising: a recess in which a short side of the top surface portion of the lid body is disposed, the recess extending along the short side of the short side portion at an upper end of the short side portion.

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