Battery pack manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a battery pack that facilitates filling the gaps between battery modules and metal components in the stacking direction with a filler made of foamed material. [Solution] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a battery pack in which a plurality of battery modules and a plurality of metal parts are stacked alternately and housed in a case, comprising a filling step of inserting a filling nozzle into the case from above in the stacking direction of the battery modules and metal parts, and discharging a filler made of a foaming material from a filling port provided at the tip of the filling nozzle to fill the case, wherein a lid member is provided on the outer surface of the filling nozzle near the filling port to suppress the diffusion of the filler discharged from the filling port upward in the stacking direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a battery pack.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a filling method in which a foaming material is filled between battery cells.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When filling a case in which a plurality of battery modules and a plurality of metal parts are stacked and housed with a filler made of a foaming member, there is room for improvement because it is difficult to fill the filler in the gap between the battery module and the metal part in the stacking direction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a method for manufacturing a battery pack that can easily fill a filler made of a foaming member in the gap between a battery module and a metal part in the stacking direction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a battery pack in which a plurality of battery modules and a plurality of metal parts are stacked alternately and housed in a case, comprising a filling step of inserting a filling nozzle into the case from above in the stacking direction of the battery modules and the metal parts, and discharging a filler made of a foaming material from a filling port provided at the tip of the filling nozzle to fill the case, wherein a lid member is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the filling nozzle near the filling port to suppress the diffusion of the filler discharged from the filling port upward in the stacking direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The battery pack manufacturing method according to the present invention has the effect of suppressing the upward diffusion of the filler material discharged from the filling port in the stacking direction by a lid member, and making it easier to fill the gaps between the battery module and metal parts in the stacking direction with a filler material made of foaming material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the case filled with the packing material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes an embodiment of the method for manufacturing a battery pack according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0010] Figure 1 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 1 shown in Figure 1. The battery pack 1 according to the embodiment is, for example, a large bipolar battery pack for use in an electric vehicle, and is a power source that supplies power to a motor, which is the drive source of the electric vehicle. The battery pack 1 according to the embodiment includes a case 2 composed of an upper case (not shown) and a lower case. The battery pack 1 according to the embodiment also includes a plurality of battery modules 3 stacked in the stacking direction shown in Figure 2 and housed in the case 2, metal parts 4 stacked alternately with the battery modules 3 via adhesive members or the like and housed in the case 2, and a filler material 5 that fills the case 2 and fixes the battery modules 3 and metal parts 4 inside the case 2. In the battery pack 1 according to the embodiment, the stacking direction of the battery modules 3 and metal parts 4 corresponds to the height direction of the battery pack 1, and the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction (height direction) is the horizontal direction.

[0011] The battery module 3 is configured in a plate shape by housing a bipolar electrode body inside an outer casing made of laminate film, for example. The battery module 3 may also be configured in a plate shape by housing a monopolar electrode body inside an outer casing, or by arranging rectangular battery cells in a row. Furthermore, the number of battery modules 3 housed in the case 2 in the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment is not limited to two as shown in Figure 2; for example, two or more battery modules 3 can be provided.

[0012] The metal part 4 has a main body portion 41 and a peripheral edge portion 42 surrounding the main body portion 41. The thickness of the peripheral edge portion 42 is smaller than the thickness of the main body portion 41, and the peripheral edge portion 42 is located in the central part of the main body portion 41 in the thickness direction. In Figure 2, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the main body portion 41 and the peripheral edge portion 42 are shown as rough examples. Therefore, the thickness of the main body portion 41 and the thickness of the peripheral edge portion 42 are, for example, the average thickness of the main body portion 41 and the peripheral edge portion 42, respectively. In addition, in the stacking direction, a closed portion 40 is formed between the battery module 3 and the peripheral edge portion 42 of the metal part 4, which is an open gap on the case 2 side in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, and closed on the main body portion 41 side of the metal part 4.

[0013] The metal component 4 is, for example, a cooler, a current-carrying plate, or a current-collecting plate. The cooler is a component that is placed between stacked battery modules 3 via an adhesive member or the like to cool the battery modules 3. The current-carrying plate is a component that is placed between stacked battery modules 3 via an adhesive member or the like to electrically connect adjacent battery modules 3. The current-collecting plate is a component that functions as the positive or negative electrode of a plurality of battery modules 3 that are electrically connected in series. Note that the number of metal components 4 housed in the case 2 in the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment is not limited to one as shown in Figure 2, but for example, one or more metal components 4 can be provided.

[0014] The filler material 5 is filled into the case 2 to bond the battery module 3 and metal parts 4 together and fix them inside the case 2. The filler material 5 is a foamed material that foams and hardens when two liquids are mixed, for example, a main component containing isocyanate and a curing agent containing polyether polyol.

[0015] In the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment, the battery module 3 is mounted in the case 2 to the maximum possible size to ensure high capacity. Furthermore, in the battery pack 1 according to Embodiment 1, the gap between the battery module 3 and metal parts 4 and the case 2 is filled with a filler material 5 to protect the battery module 3 and metal parts 4 from impacts when installed in a vehicle. In addition, by filling the case 2 with the filler material 5, it is possible to absorb the misalignment of the battery module 3 when stacking them, thereby preventing a decrease in energy density.

[0016] Here, as shown in Figure 2, if the depth of the closure section 40 in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction is dimension A, the shortest distance of the gap between the peripheral edge 42 of the metal part 4 and the case 2 in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction is dimension B, and the height of the entrance (opening) of the closure section 40 in the stacking direction is dimension C, then the relationship A > B > C is satisfied. For example, dimension A is 25 mm, dimension B is 5 mm, and dimension C is 1.5 mm. Therefore, the entrance of the closure section 40 is narrower than the gap between the peripheral edge 42 of the metal part 4 and the case 2, and the depth of the closure section 40 is long, making it difficult for the filler material 5 to be filled into the closure section 40.

[0017] Figure 3 shows the state in which the filler material 5 is filled into the case 2. The manufacturing method of the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment includes a filling step of filling the case 2 with the filler material 5. In the filling step, for example, with the upper case removed from the lower case that constitutes the case 2, a cylindrical filling nozzle 7, which has a filling port 70 at its tip, is inserted from above in the stacking direction into the gap between the battery module 3 and metal parts 4 and the case 2 (lower case), and the filler material 5 is discharged from the filling port 70 to fill the gap. A plate-shaped lid member 6 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion of the filling nozzle 7 near the filling port 70. The lid member 6 is configured to cover and close a part of the gap when the filling nozzle 7 is inserted into the gap, as viewed from above in the stacking direction, and has the function of suppressing the diffusion of the filler material 5 discharged from the filling port 70 upward in the stacking direction. The lid member 6 may be provided integrally with the filling nozzle 7, or it may be provided separately from the filling nozzle 7.

[0018] In the filling step of the manufacturing method of the battery pack 1 according to the embodiment, the filling material 5 discharged downward in the stacking direction from the filling port 70 can be suppressed from diffusing upward in the stacking direction by the lid member 6. Thereby, in the filling step of the manufacturing method of the battery pack 1 according to the embodiment, the filling material 5 can be preferentially introduced into the blocking portion 40 from the entrance (opening) of the blocking portion 40 communicating with the gap between the metal part 4 and the case 2 (lower case). Therefore, in the filling step of the manufacturing method of the battery pack 1 according to the embodiment, it becomes easier to fill the filling material 5 into the blocking portion 40, and the fixing of the peripheral portion 42 of the metal part 4 adjacent to the blocking portion 40 and the like can be satisfactorily performed by the filling material 5.

Description of Symbols

[0019] 1 Battery pack 2 Case [[ID=1第十二個電池モジュール 4 Metal part 5 Filling material 6 Lid member 7 Filling nozzle 40 Blocking portion 41 Main body portion 42 Peripheral portion 70 Filling port

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for manufacturing a battery pack in which multiple battery modules and multiple metal components are stacked alternately and housed in a case, The system includes a filling step in which a filling nozzle is inserted into the case from above in the stacking direction of the battery module and the metal parts, and a filling material made of foaming material is discharged from a filling port provided at the tip of the filling nozzle to fill the case. A method for manufacturing a battery pack, characterized in that a lid member is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the filling nozzle near the filling port to suppress the diffusion of the filling material discharged from the filling port upward in the stacking direction.

Images