Purification device

Abstract

This invention provides a technology for suppressing the occurrence of short paths caused by the miniaturization of granular purifying material in a gas purification device that purifies gases generated by secondary batteries. [Solution] The gas purification device for purifying gas generated by a secondary battery comprises a case member, a purifying material, a housing, and an elastic member. The case member has a gas flow path. The purifying material is granular for purifying the gas. The housing is filled with the purifying material and has a flow path through which the gas can pass. The case member has a base portion and a housing portion. An elastic member is arranged on the base portion. The housing portion is adjacent to the base portion and the housing can be arranged therein. The purifying material inside the housing is configured to be pressed by the elastic member when the housing is placed in the housing portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a purification device for purifying gas generated in a secondary battery.

Background Art

[0002] There is a purification device for purifying gas generated in a secondary battery. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a removal unit for detoxifying gas is disposed inside a tube through which gas generated in a secondary battery passes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a purification device in which a purification material for purifying gas is filled in a gas flow path of gas generated in a secondary battery, granular purification material may be used. However, the granular purification material can be made finer by vibration or the like. When the granular purification material is made finer, voids occur in the purification material layer, and there is a possibility that a short path may occur in which gas is discharged to the outside without contacting the purification material.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing the occurrence of a short path caused by the refinement of granular purification material in a purification device for purifying gas generated in a secondary battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a gas purification device for purifying gas generated by a secondary battery, comprising a case member, a purifying material, a housing, and an elastic member. The case member is arranged on the outside of the outer shell member that houses the secondary battery, connected to the outer shell member, and has a gas flow path. The purifying material is granular for purifying the gas. The housing is filled with the purifying material and has a flow path through which the gas can pass. The case member has a base portion and a housing portion. An elastic member is arranged on the base portion. The housing portion is adjacent to the base portion, and the housing can be arranged therein. The purifying material inside the housing is configured to be pressed by the elastic member when the housing is arranged in the housing portion.

[0007] With this configuration, the purifying material filling the enclosure is pressed by the elastic member, thus suppressing wear due to vibration and the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, even if the purifying material becomes finer, the formation of voids in the purifying material can be suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of short paths caused by the finening of granular purifying material can be suppressed.

[0008] In one aspect of this disclosure, the elastic member may be connected to a base portion, and the purifying material may be configured such that a plate facing the base portion is pressed against by the elastic member. With this configuration, the purifying material can be effectively pressed using the plate material.

[0009] In one aspect of this disclosure, the housing may be configured to be detachably attached to the case member. With this configuration, when the purifying material wears out due to aging or other reasons, the housing can be separated from the containment unit, allowing the housing contained within the containment unit to be replaced with a different housing filled with new purifying material.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure is that the case member further has an opening on the side of the housing section that is larger than the housing, and further has a fixing section configured to fix the housing to the housing section when the housing is placed in the housing section. With this configuration, the housing can pass through the opening, allowing the housing housed in the enclosure to be easily removed. Therefore, the housing can be easily replaced. With this configuration, when the fixing part secures the housing to the housing part, the housing cannot pass through the opening. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the housing from falling out of the opening.

[0011] One aspect of this disclosure may further include a sealing material for suppressing gas leakage. The sealing material may be placed between the housing and the housing, which are located in the housing. This configuration prevents untreated gas from leaking outside the purification device by passing between the housing and the housing located in the containment section. Therefore, the safety of the purification device can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the battery system. [Figure 2] Figure 2A is a front view of the case member of the first embodiment. Figure 2B is a front view of the housing of the first embodiment. Figure 2C is a front view of the housing when it is placed inside the case member in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a front view of the purification device with the lid attached in the first embodiment. Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in Figure 3A. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a plan view of the ventilation plate. Figure 4B is a plan view of the perforated plate. [Figure 5] Figure 5A is a left side view of the purification device when the housing is placed in the enclosure. Figure 5B is a left side view of the purification device when the housing is pushed in the direction of the elastic member. [Figure 6] Figure 6A is a front view of the purification device with the fixing belt attached in the second embodiment. Figure 6B is a left side view of the purification device with the fixing belt attached in the second embodiment. [Figure 7]Figure 7A is a front view of the third embodiment when the housing is placed inside the case member. Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIB-VIIB in Figure 7A. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Structure] The battery system 100 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions refer to the vertical and horizontal directions when the battery system 100 is mounted on a vehicle. The battery system 100 comprises an outer shell member 1, a secondary battery 2, and a purification device 3.

[0014] The outer shell member 1 is a member that forms a housing space 11 for housing the secondary battery 2. The outer shell member 1 may have any shape as long as it can house the secondary battery 2. In this embodiment, the outer shape of the outer shell member 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped. A communication port 12 is formed on the outer surface of the outer shell member 1 at a position corresponding to the inlet 42a of the purification device 3, which will be described later. In other words, the communication port 12 is an opening that connects the housing space 11 and the purification device 3. In this embodiment, the communication port 12 is formed on the lower surface of the outer shell member 1.

[0015] The secondary battery 2 is located in the housing space 11. The secondary battery 2 comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. At least one of the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the electrolyte contains a sulfur-based material. A specific example of the secondary battery 2 is an all-solid-state battery using a sulfide-based solid electrolyte as the electrolyte. The secondary battery 2 supplies power to a motor that drives a vehicle when the battery system 100 is mounted on the vehicle.

[0016] Gas G is generated from the secondary battery 2. Specifically, when the sulfur-based material reacts with moisture, gas G containing hydrogen sulfide is generated. The purification device 3 is a device that purifies this gas G. The purification device 3 includes a case member 40, a housing 46, a purification material 70, and an elastic member 80.

[0017] The case member 40 shown in FIG. 2A is a member having a flow path for gas G. An inlet 42a is formed at one end in the axial direction of the case member 40. The inlet 42a is an opening for introducing gas G into the case member 40.

[0018] A ventilation plate 50a is disposed at the end of the case member 40 on the inlet 42a side so as to close the inlet 42a. As shown in FIG. 4A, the ventilation plate 50a is a plate-like member in which a plurality of ventilation holes 51 are formed. The ventilation holes 51 are holes penetrating the ventilation plate 50a in the plate thickness direction. The size of the ventilation plate 50a is substantially the same as or larger than the inlet 42a. The ventilation plate 50a of the present embodiment has substantially the same size as the inlet 42a and is fitted into the inlet 42a. The ventilation plate 50a may be integrally formed with the case member 40.

[0019] The purification device 3 may have a sealing material 48. The sealing material 48 is a member that suppresses leakage of gas G to the outside of the purification device 3. The sealing material 48 is disposed between the housing 46 disposed in the housing portion 45 and the housing portion 45. The sealing material 48 of the present embodiment is disposed between the end portion on the inlet 42b side (to be described later) of the housing 46 disposed in the housing portion 45 and the housing portion 45. The sealing material 48 is formed in an annular shape surrounding the periphery of the ventilation plate 50a. The sealing material 48 is made of, for example, rubber.

[0020] The case member 40 has a pedestal portion 44 and a housing portion 45. The pedestal portion 44 is a portion where the elastic member 80 is disposed. The housing portion 45 is a portion configured to dispose the housing 46. The pedestal portion 44 and the housing portion 45 are adjacent to each other. In the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 44 is provided below the housing portion 45 in the vertical direction.

[0021] An elastic member 80 is positioned on the base portion 44. The elastic member 80 is a member that biases an object in a predetermined direction by elastic force. A specific example of the elastic member 80 is a coil spring.

[0022] A housing 46 may be placed in the housing section 45. The housing 46 is a member having a flow path through which gas G can flow. The housing 46 may have any shape as long as it is housed in the housing section 45. The external shape of the housing 46 in this embodiment is cylindrical, as shown in Figure 2B, with openings at both ends in the axial direction. Here, the axial direction is the direction in which the central axis of the housing 46 extends. The axial direction coincides with the direction in which gas G flows within the housing 46 housed in the housing section 45. In this embodiment, the axial direction coincides with the vertical direction. The opening at the upper end functions as an inlet 42b, and the opening at the lower end functions as an outlet 43b. The inlet 42b is an opening for introducing gas G into the housing 46. The outlet 43b is an opening for discharging gas G from the housing 46.

[0023] The housing 46 has a ventilation plate 50b, a perforated plate 52, and at least two filters 60. The ventilation plate 50b and the filters 60 are positioned at the end of the housing 46 on the side of the inlet 42b, so as to close the inlet 42b. The size of the ventilation plate 50b is approximately the same as the inlet 42b. The ventilation plate 50b is fitted into the inlet 42b. The ventilation plate 50b may be integrally formed with the housing 46 (for example, the exterior of the housing 46).

[0024] The perforated plate 52 is, for example, a metal plate. The perforated plate 52 and the filter 60 are positioned at the end of the housing 46 on the outlet 43b side, so as to block the outlet 43b. The perforated plate 52 shown in Figure 4B is a plate-shaped member with a plurality of ventilation holes 51 formed therein. The size of the perforated plate 52 is larger than the outlet 43b. In this embodiment, the perforated plate 52 is larger than the outlet 43b and is positioned inside the housing 46. The perforated plate 52 is configured to slide relative to the housing 46.

[0025] The filter 60 is configured to prevent the purifying material 70 from passing through, while allowing the gas containing gas G to pass through. The material of the filter 60 is not particularly limited, as long as it prevents the purifying material 70 from passing through and allows the gas to pass through. The filter 60 may be, for example, metal, nonwoven fabric, resin, or sponge. Preferably, the filter 60 is made of a soft material that does not easily wear down the purifying material 70 due to contact with the filter 60. The size of the filter 60 is approximately the same as that of the perforated plate 52. In this embodiment, the filter 60 is located inside the housing 46 and is positioned on the opposite side of the inlet 42b and outlet 43b via the ventilation plate 50b and the perforated plate 52, respectively.

[0026] The housing 46 has a filled section 47 which is formed by being sandwiched between filters 60. The filled section 47 is densely filled with a purifying material 70. The purifying material 70 has the function of purifying gas G by adsorption or modification. The purifying material 70 is granular. The purifying material 70 forms a purifying material layer by being filled into the filled section 47. Examples of materials for the purifying material 70 include activated carbon, metal oxides such as alumina, and metal hydroxides such as magnesium hydroxide.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2C, the housing 46 is housed in the housing section 45 such that the lower surface of the perforated plate 52 faces the elastic member 80. Therefore, the elastic member 80 passes through the discharge port 43b and is in contact with the perforated plate 52. The elastic member 80 presses the purifying material 70 inside the housing 46 via the perforated plate 52 and filter 60, which are positioned between the purifying material 70 and the purifying material 70. In other words, since the perforated plate 52 and the purifying material 70 are located inside the housing 46, it can also be said that the elastic member 80 is pressing against the housing 46.

[0028] Furthermore, the case member 40 may have an opening 90 configured to allow the housing 46 to pass through. The opening 90 is provided on at least a portion of the side surface of the case member 40. The horizontal size of the opening 90 is larger than the largest portion in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the housing 46. The vertical size of the opening 90 is approximately the same as or larger than the axial size of the housing 46. In this embodiment, the vertical size of the opening 90 is approximately the same as the axial size of the case member 40.

[0029] The housing 46, positioned in the housing section 45, is pressed by the elastic member 80 and held within the housing section 45. As shown in Figure 5A, the housing 46 can be attached to and detached from the housing section 45 by being pushed in the direction of the elastic member 80. Specifically, when the housing 46 is pushed in the direction of the elastic member 80, a gap is formed between the case member 40 and the housing 46, as shown in Figure 5B. In other words, the holding of the housing 46 by the elastic member 80 is released. Therefore, the housing 46 can be separated from the housing section 45 by passing it through the opening 90.

[0030] In addition, the housing 46 may be provided with a fixing part 95 configured to fix the housing 46 to the housing 45 when the housing 46 is placed in the housing 45. The fixing part 95 is located in at least a portion of the opening 90 to prevent the housing 46 from passing through the opening 90.

[0031] In this embodiment, the fixing portion 95 has a lid portion 95a as shown in Figure 3. The lid portion 95a is a plate-shaped member configured to cover at least a part of the opening 90. The lid portion 95a in this embodiment is curved to conform to the cylindrical housing 46. The size of the portion of the opening 90 not covered by the lid portion 95a is smaller than the housing 46. In other words, when the lid portion 95a covers at least a part of the opening 90, the housing 46 cannot pass through the opening 90.

[0032] The lid portion 95a is fixed to a fastening portion 96 provided on the case member 40 when the housing 46 is housed in the housing portion 45. A well-known fixing method is used to fix the lid portion 95a to the fastening portion 96. In this embodiment, the lid portion 95a and the fastening portion 96 are fixed by a pin 97. By removing the pin 97, it is possible to easily switch whether or not the lid portion 95a covers the opening 90.

[0033] The lid portion 95a is positioned to cover at least a portion of the opening 90 that corresponds to the side of the storage portion 45. That is, even when the opening 90 is covered by the lid portion 95a, at least a portion of the side of the base portion 44 remains open, as shown in Figure 3A.

[0034] [1-2. Effects] The first embodiment described in detail above provides the following effects. (1a) The case member 40 has a passage for gas G. The purification material 70 is a granular material that purifies gas G. The housing 46 is filled with the purification material 70 and has a passage through which gas G can flow. The purification material 70 inside the housing 46 is configured to be pressed by the elastic member 80 when the housing 46 is placed in the housing 45.

[0035] With this configuration, the purifying material 70 filled inside the housing 46 is pressed by the elastic member 80, thereby suppressing wear and noise generation due to vibration. Furthermore, even if the purifying material 70 becomes finer due to wear, the formation of voids in the purifying material 70 can be suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of short paths caused by the finening of the granular purifying material 70 can be suppressed.

[0036] (1b) The housing 46 is configured to be detachably attached to the case member 40. With this configuration, when the purifying material 70 wears out due to aging or other reasons, the housing 46 can be separated from the housing 45, allowing the housing 46 housed in the housing 45 to be replaced with a different housing 46 filled with new purifying material 70.

[0037] (1c) The case member 40 has an opening 90 on at least a portion of the side surface of the housing 45 that is larger than the housing 46 and through which the housing 46 can pass. With this configuration, the housing 46 can pass through the opening 90, and the housing 46 can be easily separated from the housing 45. Therefore, the housing 46 can be easily replaced.

[0038] (1d) The purification device 3 has a lid 95a configured to cover at least a portion of the opening 90. The size of the portion of the opening 90 not covered by the lid 95a is smaller than the housing 46. The lid 95a can be easily switched to cover the opening 90 or not.

[0039] With this configuration, when the lid 95a covers at least a portion of the opening 90, the housing 46 cannot pass through the opening 90. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the housing 46 from falling out of the opening 90 except when replacing the housing 46.

[0040] (1e) The purification device 3 has a sealing material 48 that suppresses the leakage of gas G to the outside of the purification device 3. The sealing material 48 is placed between the housing 46, which is located in the housing 45, and the housing 45. The sealing material 48 is formed in an annular shape that surrounds the vent plate 50a.

[0041] With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the leakage of untreated gas G from the purifying device 3 by passing between the housing 46 located in the housing 45 and the housing 45. Therefore, the safety of the purifying device 3 can be improved.

[0042] [2. Second Embodiment] [2-1. Differences from the First Embodiment] The second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, so the differences will be explained below. Note that the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same components, and refer to the preceding description.

[0043] In the first embodiment described above, the fixing part 95 was provided as a lid portion 95a. In contrast, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the fixing part 95 is provided as a fixing belt 95b.

[0044] The fixing belt 95b is a strip-shaped member configured to cover at least a portion of the opening 90. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, both ends of the fixing belt 95b are attached to the case member 40 so as to sandwich the opening 90. At this time, the fixing belt 95b is positioned to overlap with the housing section 45 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the housing 46 is placed in the housing section 45, the fixing belt 95b secures the housing 46 to the housing section 45.

[0045] [2-2. Effects] The second embodiment described in detail above achieves the effect (1a) of the first embodiment described above, and further achieves the following effects.

[0046] (2a) The end of the fixing belt 95b is attached to the case member 40. In other words, it does not have members corresponding to the fastening portion 96 and pin 97 of the first embodiment. With this configuration, when 95b covers at least a portion of the opening 90, the housing 46 cannot pass through the opening 90. Therefore, the housing 46 can be prevented from falling out of the opening 90 with a simple configuration.

[0047] [3. Third Embodiment] [3-1. Differences from the First Embodiment] The third embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, so the differences will be explained below. Note that the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same components, and refer to the preceding description.

[0048] In the first embodiment described above, the fixing portion 95 was provided as a lid portion 95a. In contrast, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the fixing portion 95 is provided as a claw portion 95c.

[0049] The claw portion 95c is a portion of the side surface of the housing portion 45 that protrudes toward the opening 90. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the claw portions 95c in this embodiment are provided on both sides of the opening 90 in the horizontal direction.

[0050] The claw portion 95c is flexible. That is, when force is applied to the claw portion 95c from the outside, the claw portion 95c bends in the direction of the applied force without breaking, and returns to its original shape when the force is removed. Therefore, by applying force from the outside, the housing 46 passes through the opening 90. On the other hand, with accidental and minute forces such as vehicle vibrations, the claw portion 95c does not deform to the extent that the housing 46 falls out. Therefore, when the housing 46 is placed in the housing portion 45, the claw portion 95c can securely fix the housing 46 to the housing portion 45.

[0051] [3-2. Effects] The third embodiment described in detail above achieves the effect (1a) of the first embodiment described above, and further achieves the following effects.

[0052] (3a) The claw portion 95c is a portion of the side surface of the housing portion 45 that protrudes toward the opening 90. The claw portion 95c is flexible and deforms due to external forces such as the separation of the housing 46 from the housing portion 45.

[0053] With this configuration, the purification device 3 can prevent the housing 46 from falling out of the opening 90 except when replacing the housing 46, using a small number of parts. [4. Other Embodiments] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0054] (4a) In the above embodiment, the communication port 12 is formed on the lower surface of the outer shell member 1, but is not limited to this. For example, the communication port 12 may be formed on the side surface of the outer shell member 1.

[0055] (4b) In the above embodiment, the claw portion 95c is provided on both sides in the horizontal direction of the opening 90, but is not limited thereto. For example, the claw portion 95c may be provided on only one side in the horizontal direction of the opening 90.

[0056] (4c) The functions of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed among multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Also, some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be omitted. Also, at least some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be added to, replaced with, or otherwise adapted to the configurations of other above embodiments.

[0057] [Technical Concept Disclosed in This Specified Specification] [Item 1] A purification device that purifies gas generated by a secondary battery, A case member having a gas passage is positioned on the outside of the outer shell member that houses the secondary battery, connected to the outer shell member, A granular purifying material for purifying the aforementioned gas, A housing filled with the aforementioned purifying material and having a flow path through which the aforementioned gas can flow, Elastic member and Equipped with, The case member is The base portion on which the elastic member is arranged, Adjacent to the base portion is a housing portion in which the housing can be arranged, It has, The purifying material inside the housing is When the housing is positioned in the housing, it is configured to be pressed by the elastic member, Purification device. [Item 2] The purification device described in item 1, A purification device in which the elastic member is connected to the base portion, and the purification material is configured such that a plate facing the base portion is pressed by the elastic member. [Item 3] A purification device as described in item 1 or item 2, The housing is configured to be detachably attached to the case member, and is a purification device. [Item 4] A purification device described in any one of items 1 to 3, A purification device wherein the case member further has an opening on the side of the housing portion that is larger than the housing portion, and further has a fixing portion configured to fix the housing portion to the housing portion when the housing portion is placed in the housing portion. [Item 5] A purification device described in any one of items 1 through 4, The invention further includes a sealing material for suppressing the outflow of the aforementioned gas, The sealing material is positioned between the housing and the housing, which is located in the housing. Purification device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 1...Outer shell component, 2...Secondary battery, 3...Purification device, 11...Housing space, 12...Communication port, 40...Case component, 42a...Inlet, 42b...Inlet, 43b...Outlet, 44...Base section, 45...Housing section, 46...Housing, 47...Filling section, 48...Sealing material, 50a...Ventilation plate, 50b...Ventilation plate, 51...Ventilation hole, 52...Perforated plate, 60...Filter, 70...Purification material, 80...Elastic component, 90...Opening, 95...Fixing section, 95a...Lid section, 95b...Fixing belt, 95c...Claw section, 96...Fastening section, 97...Pin, 100...Battery system, G...Gas.

Claims

1. A purification device that purifies gas generated by a secondary battery, A case member having a gas passage is positioned on the outside of the outer shell member that houses the secondary battery, connected to the outer shell member, A granular purifying material for purifying the aforementioned gas, A housing filled with the aforementioned purifying material and having a flow path through which the aforementioned gas can flow, Elastic member and Equipped with, The case member is The base portion on which the elastic member is arranged, Adjacent to the base portion is a housing portion in which the housing can be arranged, It has, The purifying material inside the housing is When the housing is positioned in the housing, it is configured to be pressed by the elastic member, Purification device.

2. A purification device according to claim 1, A purification device in which the elastic member is connected to the base portion, and the purification material is configured such that a plate facing the base portion is pressed by the elastic member.

3. A purification device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The housing is configured to be detachably attached to the case member, and is a purification device.

4. A purification device according to claim 1 or claim 2, A purification device wherein the case member further has an opening on the side of the housing portion that is larger than the housing portion, and further has a fixing portion configured to fix the housing portion to the housing portion when the housing portion is placed in the housing portion.

5. A purification device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The invention further includes a sealing material for suppressing the outflow of the aforementioned gas, The sealing material is positioned between the housing and the housing, which is located in the housing. Purification device.

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