Battery unit

Abstract

To provide a battery unit capable of reducing a size.SOLUTION: A battery unit includes: a secondary battery; a first trap formed in a mesh shape and disposed outside the secondary battery so as to cover a gas release valve of the secondary battery; and a second trap formed of a noncombustible material and disposed outside the first trap so as to cover a gas release valve. The first trap is formed of unsaturated polyester and faces an upper surface of the secondary battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery unit in which a first trap made of a mesh material such as mica is provided on the outside of a secondary battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-190385 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the battery unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first trap is made of a heat-resistant material (mica, etc.). However, in the battery unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first trap is not insulating, so a cover to maintain insulation (such as a polypropylene battery module cover) must be installed between the secondary battery and the first trap. Therefore, the battery unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 may be large in size, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a battery unit that can be made smaller in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The battery unit according to the present disclosure comprises a secondary battery, a first trap formed in a mesh shape and arranged on the outside of the secondary battery so as to cover a gas release valve of the secondary battery, and a second trap made of a non-combustible material and arranged on the outside of the first trap so as to cover the gas release valve, the first trap being made of unsaturated polyester and facing the top surface of the secondary battery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, since the first trap has heat resistance and insulating properties, there is no need to install a member to maintain insulation between the secondary battery and the first trap, and the size can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a battery unit according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A battery unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical.

[0010] The battery unit according to the embodiment is used as a battery for vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

[0011] 1 shows a state in which an upper cover (top cover member) is removed from a battery unit according to an embodiment. The battery unit 1 includes a secondary battery 11, a first trap 12, and a second trap 13.

[0012] The secondary battery 11 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. The secondary battery 11 includes a battery case 11a, a gas release valve 11a1, a positive electrode terminal 21, and a negative electrode terminal 22. The battery case 11a is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. An electrolyte is contained inside the battery case 11a. If the secondary battery 11 is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the electrolyte and an electrode assembly are contained inside the battery case 11a.

[0013] The gas release valve 11a1 is located at the top center of the battery case 11a. When a large amount of gas is generated inside the battery case 11a and the internal pressure rises, the gas release valve 11a1 is designed to break open before other parts of the battery case 11a do. This prevents the internal pressure of the battery case 11a from rising above a certain level.

[0014] The positive electrode terminal 21 and the negative electrode terminal 22 are provided on both sides of the gas release valve 11a1 at the top of the battery case 11a.

[0015] The first trap 12 is a member (cover member) for ensuring heat resistance and insulation. The first trap 12 is configured in a mesh shape. The "mesh shape" refers to a shape that covers the entire secondary battery 11 and has holes formed in positions facing the gas release valve 11a1. By configuring the first trap 12 in this mesh shape, for example, gas inside the battery case 11a is allowed to pass through, and if the gas is accompanied by sparks, the sparks can be captured.

[0016] Specifically, the first trap 12 is made of unsaturated polyester. The first trap 12 is disposed on the outside (here, the upper side) of the secondary battery 11 so as to cover the gas release valve 11a1 of the secondary battery 11. The first trap 12 faces the upper surface of the secondary battery 11. That is, no additional member (such as a cover) is disposed between the secondary battery 11 and the first trap 12. Although not shown in FIG. 1, for example, a bus bar connecting the secondary batteries 11 to each other, a band restraining the secondary battery 11, and the like are naturally disposed between the secondary battery 11 and the first trap 12. The first trap 12 is supported by a support structure 14 attached to the battery case 11a.

[0017] The second trap 13 is a member (cover member) for ensuring non-combustibility. The second trap 13 is made of a non-combustible material, such as sponge, wool, silica earth, or fiber material. The second trap 13 is disposed on the outer side (here, the upper side) of the first trap 12 so as to cover the gas release valve 11a1. The first trap 12 is supported by a support structure 14 attached to the battery case 11a.

[0018] A predetermined gap S1 is formed between the first trap 12 and the second trap 13. By forming such gap S1, for example, when gas is discharged from the gas discharge valve 11a1, the gas can be smoothly discharged from the gap S1. The size of the gap S1 is not particularly limited, but can be set to, for example, about 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0019] In the battery unit according to the embodiment described above, the first trap 12 has heat resistance and insulating properties, so there is no need to install a member between the secondary battery 11 and the first trap 12 to maintain insulation, and the size of the battery unit can be reduced.

[0020] In conventional battery units, the first trap provides heat resistance and the battery module cover provides insulation, achieving two functions with two different parts. This not only increases the cost of the two parts, but also increases the size of the battery unit, reducing the space available in the vehicle passenger compartment.

[0021] On the other hand, in the battery unit according to the embodiment, the heat-resistant cover member (heat-resistant cover) mounted between the secondary battery 11 and the upper cover is made insulating. This eliminates the need for a separate cover (battery module cover) that was attached to the top of the secondary battery 11 for insulation purposes. In this way, in the battery unit according to the embodiment, by assigning the heat-resistant and insulating functions to the first trap 12, it is possible to reduce costs by reducing the number of parts and assembly man-hours, and to expand the passenger compartment space by lowering the height of the battery unit 1.

[0022] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 Battery unit 11 Secondary battery 11a Battery case 11a1 Gas exhaust valve 12 First Trap 13 Second Trap 14 Support structure 21 Positive terminal 22 Negative terminal

Claims

[Claim 1] A secondary battery; a first trap having a mesh shape and disposed outside the secondary battery so as to cover a gas release valve of the secondary battery; a second trap made of a non-combustible material and arranged outside the first trap so as to cover the gas exhaust valve; Equipped with The first trap is Made of unsaturated polyester, facing the upper surface of the secondary battery, Battery unit.

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