Battery

Abstract

To provide a battery that suppresses blockage of an injection port for injecting an electrolyte and has excellent electrolyte injectability.SOLUTION: A battery includes: a laminated body in which electrode bodies are laminated; and an outer frame arranged on a side surface parallel to the lamination direction of the laminated body, the outer frame including: a plurality of injection ports for injecting an electrolyte into the battery; and a pillar part arranged between the plurality of injection ports.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an energy storage module including: an electrode stack having a plurality of electrodes stacked with separators interposed therebetween; and a sealing body that surrounds the stack as viewed in the stacking direction of the plurality of electrodes and seals each of a plurality of internal spaces formed between the electrodes adjacent in the stacking direction, wherein a plurality of communication holes that communicate with each of the plurality of internal spaces are provided on a side surface of the sealing body along the stacking direction; a first protrusion for increasing the thickness of the sealing body is provided on at least a portion of a first end of the sealing body on one side in the stacking direction that overlaps with a first communication hole that is the communication hole that communicates with the internal space of the outermost layer on the one side as viewed in the stacking direction; and a second protrusion for increasing the thickness of the sealing body is provided on at least a portion of a second end of the sealing body on the other side in the stacking direction that overlaps with a second communication hole that is the communication hole that communicates with the internal space of the outermost layer on the other side as viewed in the stacking direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-021544 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a conventional battery such as that shown in Patent Document 1, an electrolyte solution is injected into the sealed body through a plurality of communication holes formed on the side surface of the sealed body. However, in the conventional battery, there is a problem in that the communication holes are clogged when the electrolyte solution is injected, which reduces the injection efficiency.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a battery that is excellent in injectability by suppressing clogging of the injection port for injecting electrolyte. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The means for solving the above problems include the following aspects. <1> A battery comprising: a laminate in which electrode bodies are stacked; and an outer frame arranged on a side surface of the laminate parallel to the stacking direction, wherein the outer frame has a plurality of filling ports for injecting an electrolyte into the battery, and pillar portions arranged between the plurality of filling ports. <2> The outer frame further includes a liquid injection frame surrounding the plurality of liquid injection ports. <1> The battery described in <3> The outer frame has two or more of the pillar portions. <1> or <2> The battery described in <4> It is a bipolar battery <1> ~ <3> 1. A battery according to any one of the preceding claims. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a battery that is excellent in terms of electrolyte injection properties by suppressing clogging of the injection port for injecting the electrolyte during injection of the electrolyte. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a liquid inlet portion in one embodiment of the battery of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main portion schematically illustrating the shape of a liquid injection port as viewed from the direction in which an electrolyte solution is injected in one embodiment of a battery according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of a liquid injection port in one embodiment of a battery of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which an electrolyte is being poured in a cross section cut in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of a pouring port in a battery of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which an electrolyte is poured into a cross section cut in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of a pouring port in a conventional battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description is for illustrating the embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0010] In this specification, a numerical range indicated using "to" indicates a range that includes the numerical values ​​before and after "to" as the minimum and maximum values, respectively. In the present specification, the upper or lower limit of one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range. In addition, in the present specification, the upper or lower limit of a numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples.

[0011] In this specification, the term "process" includes not only an independent process but also a process that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes, as long as the intended purpose of the process is achieved.

[0012] In this specification, when an embodiment is described with reference to drawings, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the sizes of components in each drawing are conceptual, and the relative size relationships between components are not limited to these.

[0013] The battery according to the present disclosure includes a laminate in which electrode assemblies are stacked, and an outer frame arranged on a side surface of the laminate parallel to the stacking direction. The outer frame has multiple inlets for injecting electrolyte into the battery and columns arranged between the multiple inlets. In the battery according to the present disclosure, because the columns are arranged between the multiple inlets, the outer frame is less likely to bend or deform due to external forces compared to a battery with a single inlet without columns. Therefore, the battery according to the present disclosure can prevent the inlet from being blocked when injecting electrolyte into the battery through the inlet, thereby achieving excellent injectability.

[0014] Hereinafter, a battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a liquid inlet portion of one embodiment of a battery according to the present disclosure. The battery 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a stack (not shown) in which multiple electrode assemblies (not shown) are stacked, an outer frame 18 on a side parallel to the stacking direction of the stack, and an internal space (not shown) formed for each electrode assembly by a sealing member (not shown) and a spacer (not shown). In the battery 10, the multiple electrode assemblies are housed in their respective internal spaces. The outer frame 18 has multiple liquid inlets 12 for injecting electrolyte into the internal spaces formed inside the battery. Here, the multiple liquid inlets 12 shown in FIG. 1 communicate with a single internal space. In the battery 10, the multiple internal spaces each communicate with a multiple liquid inlet 12. The multiple liquid inlets 12 are separated by pillars 24 formed on the outer frame 18.

[0015] Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a main portion of the outer frame 18 where the column sections 24 are formed. As shown in Fig. 2, the battery 10 of the present disclosure has column sections 24 between multiple liquid filling ports 12, and these column sections 24 suppress deformation and blockage of the liquid filling ports 12 due to external forces applied during liquid filling, resulting in excellent liquid filling properties. In the battery 10 shown in Fig. 2, three liquid filling ports 12 communicate with one internal space, and a total of two liquid filling ports 12 corresponding to the two internal spaces are shown.

[0016] In a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, the laminate has a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the battery 10 (i.e., the stacking direction of the laminate). Note that the term "rectangular" as used herein does not only include cases where the shape is an exact rectangle (e.g., a rectangle, a square, etc.), but also includes cases where the shape is close to a rectangle overall. Therefore, the above-mentioned "rectangular" also includes, for example, a shape that is close to a rectangle with slightly rounded corners. A rectangular battery can have a length of 1,000 mm or more and a width of 10,000 mm or more.

[0017] The outer frame 18 is shaped to cover the entire side surface of the laminate parallel to the stacking direction. The outer frame 18 can be fabricated by heat-welding a sealant or spacer between multiple electrode assemblies from the side of the laminate. Alternatively, the outer frame 18 can be fabricated by heat-welding a different sealant from the side of a laminate having sealants or spacers between multiple electrode assemblies. The outer frame 18 can form an internal space between adjacent electrode assemblies in the laminate and seal the internal space. In addition to the outer frame 18, other members may be disposed to cover the top or bottom of the laminate. In the battery 10 according to this embodiment, the outer frame 18 is formed of a resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or modified polyphenylene ether (modified PPE).

[0018] In a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a liquid filling port 12 is provided penetrating an outer frame 18 to communicate the inside and outside of the battery 10. The shape of the liquid filling port 12 is not particularly limited. However, from the viewpoint of liquid filling performance, the shape of the open end of the liquid filling port 12 is preferably a rectangle whose longitudinal direction is at least twice as long as its lateral direction, more preferably a rectangle whose longitudinal direction is at least three times as long as its lateral direction, and particularly preferably a rectangle whose longitudinal direction is at least five times as long as its lateral direction. Furthermore, the multiple liquid filling ports 12 divided by the pillar portions 24 may each have the same shape or different shapes.

[0019] Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid inlet 12 has a shape with a substantially rectangular opening. However, the liquid inlet 12 is not limited to this shape and may have any shape. For example, the liquid inlet 12 may have a wave-like shape when viewed from the pouring direction, in which wide areas and narrow areas are alternately repeated. By making the liquid inlet 12 have a wave-like shape in which wide areas and narrow areas are alternately repeated, deformation and clogging are suppressed even when an external force is applied from the outside. Furthermore, the multiple liquid inlets 12 may all have the same shape, or may have multiple different shapes. For example, some of the multiple liquid inlets 12 may have a shape with a substantially rectangular opening as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the remaining multiple liquid inlets 12 may have a wave-like shape in which wide areas and narrow areas are alternately repeated. For example, the multiple liquid inlets 12 may have a shape with a substantially rectangular opening and a wave-like shape in which wide areas and narrow areas are alternately repeated.

[0020] In a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple liquid filling ports 12 divided by the pillar portions 24 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. However, the battery 10 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which the multiple liquid filling ports 12 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction, and may be configured such that the multiple liquid filling ports 12 are arranged in multiple lines in the longitudinal direction.

[0021] Furthermore, in a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer frame 18 further includes a liquid filling frame 14 that surrounds the multiple liquid filling ports 12, as shown in FIG. 1 . That is, the liquid filling frame 14 is disposed so as to surround all of the liquid filling ports 12 that are divided into multiple ports by the pillars 24. In other words, the group of liquid filling ports 12 divided into multiple ports by the pillars 24 is disposed within an area surrounded by the liquid filling frame 14. The battery 10 according to this embodiment is characterized in that the liquid filling ports 12 disposed within an area surrounded by the liquid filling frame 14 are configured to be divided by the pillars 24, and differs from conventional batteries that have a single slit-shaped liquid filling port that does not have pillars 24 within that area.

[0022] In a battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer frame 18 preferably has two or more pillar portions 24. When two or more pillar portions 24 are present, three or more liquid filling ports 12 are formed in the outer frame 18. Note that by providing two or more pillar portions 24 and forming three or more liquid filling ports 12 in the battery 10 according to this embodiment, better liquid filling performance can be achieved. The number of pillar portions 24 is more preferably three or more, even more preferably five or more, and particularly preferably five to twenty.

[0023] Here, the battery 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a laminate in which electrode assemblies are stacked. In particular, the battery 10 according to this embodiment is preferably a bipolar battery including bipolar electrodes in which a positive electrode is formed on one side of an electrode plate (not shown) and a negative electrode is formed on the other side. The bipolar battery includes a laminate in which a plurality of bipolar electrodes are stacked with separators interposed therebetween.

[0024] The battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to a laminate configuration in which electrode assemblies are stacked. For example, the battery 10 may have the laminate configuration of the bipolar battery disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-21544. Specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-21544 discloses a bipolar battery having a structure (multi-cell structure) in which multiple cells (e.g., 24 cells) are stacked. This bipolar battery includes a module body, and one side of the module body has multiple communication holes that communicate with each of multiple internal spaces. When the battery 10 according to the present disclosure is applied to the bipolar battery disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-21544, the multiple communication holes in the bipolar battery disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-21544 correspond to the multiple inlets 12 in the present disclosure, and each of these multiple communication holes is divided into multiple sections by pillar portions 24.

[0025] In the battery 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the electrolyte 20 is injected into the outer frame 18 housing the laminate (not shown). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrolyte 20 is injected into the outer frame 18 using an injection device. Note that FIG. 3 shows the state before injection using the injection device. The injection device, although not shown in its entirety, includes a packing 22 having a flow path through which the electrolyte 20 passes. The injection device brings the packing 22 into contact with the injection frame end 16 (see FIG. 1) of the injection frame 14. The injection device then presses the packing 22 toward the outer frame 18 with a predetermined pressure, thereby maintaining an airtight seal in the space formed by the packing 22 and the injection frame 14. In this state, the injection device supplies the electrolyte 20 into the space formed by the packing 22 and the injection frame 14 through the flow path formed in the packing 22. The electrolyte 20 supplied to this space is then injected into the outer frame 18 via the injection port 12.

[0026] Here, the electrolytic solution is similar to a typical liquid electrolyte, and examples thereof include those obtained by dissolving an electrolyte such as LiPF6, LiBF4, LiAsF6, Li(CF3SO2)2N, Li(C2F5SO2)2N, LiTaF6, LiClO4, or LiCF3SO3 in a solvent. Examples of the solvent include cyclic carbonate solvents such as ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC); and chain carbonate solvents such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC).

[0027] In the battery 10 according to this embodiment, even if the packing 22 is pressed down so far as to bend the liquid filling frame 14, the pillars 24 arranged between the multiple liquid filling ports 12 prevent the outer frame 18 from deforming to block the liquid filling ports 12. If the battery 10 did not have the pillars 24, as in a conventional battery, the battery 100 would bend when the packing 22 is pressed down, as shown in FIG. 5 , and as a result, the liquid filling port 102 formed in the outer frame 101 would be blocked as the outer frame 101 deforms. This makes it difficult to inject electrolyte into the interior of the outer frame 101 through the liquid filling port 102. In contrast, in the battery 10 according to this embodiment, the liquid filling port 102 is not blocked as shown in FIG. 5 , and therefore electrolyte can be easily and reliably injected into the interior of the outer frame 18 through the liquid filling port 12.

[0028] The battery 10 into which the electrolytic solution 20 has been injected as described above is manufactured as a finished product by going through various steps constituting a typical battery manufacturing method. The manufactured battery is typically a lithium-ion secondary battery. Examples of uses of the battery include power sources for vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), electric vehicles (BEVs), gasoline-powered vehicles, and diesel-powered vehicles. In particular, it is preferable to use the battery as a driving power source for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), or electric vehicles (BEVs). Furthermore, batteries manufactured by the battery manufacturing method according to the present disclosure may be used as power sources for mobile objects other than vehicles (e.g., railways, ships, and aircraft), or as power sources for electrical appliances such as information processing devices.

[0029] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and any configuration that is substantially identical to the technical idea described in the claims of the present disclosure and that provides similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10: Battery, 12: Filling port, 14: Filling frame, 16: Filling frame edge, 18: Outer frame, 20: Electrolyte, 22: Gasket, 24: Pillar

Claims

1. a laminate in which electrode bodies are stacked; an outer frame disposed on a side surface parallel to the stacking direction of the laminate; and The outer frame has a plurality of injection ports for injecting an electrolyte into the battery, and pillars arranged between the injection ports. battery.

2. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the outer frame further comprises a liquid filling frame surrounding the plurality of liquid filling holes.

3. The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the outer frame has two or more pillars.

4. 10. The battery of claim 1 which is a bipolar battery.

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