Buffer construct
The cushioning structure with an elastic body, leaf spring, and outer frame gap maintains high pressure and elasticity, addressing the limitations of existing cushioning technologies by preventing frame contact and enhancing pressure retention.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FUKOKU CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-08
Smart Images
Figure 2026093055000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a buffer structure, and more particularly, to a buffer structure that supports and buffers an object.
Background Art
[0002] In the field of batteries, it is known that a battery expands due to overheating during charging and discharging. Since there is a risk that the battery case may be damaged due to this expansion, a buffer material for buffering the pressing force due to the expansion is used in the battery. In the field of construction, a cushion floor that retains elasticity in the floor itself is known in order to reduce the impact on the legs and waist when a person or animal walks on the floor.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a fire-retardant sheet that is easily deformed following the thermal expansion of a battery cell and can be elastically deformed for a long time to maintain the porosity of the sheet. In a all-solid-state battery, in order to fully exhibit its function, each of the positive and negative electrode layers needs to be firmly adhered to the solid electrolyte. For this reason, a all-solid-state battery is pressurized so as to be compressed along the lamination direction, for example, during manufacturing or use. Patent Document 2 discloses a mechanism for pressurizing a all-solid-state battery with an elastic member and a pressure plate. Patent Document 3 discloses a method of sandwiching a all-solid-state battery between two upper and lower plates, restraining it with a shaft and a nut, and pressurizing it. Patent Document 4 discloses a honeycomb-structured cushion seat cushion that suppresses the repulsive force against a person when a person sits, in other words, buffers the pressing force by the person.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Patent Document 3
Patent Document 4
[0005] Patent documents 1-4 all disclose methods for cushioning loads received from an object. However, as the load, or pressing force, increases, there are limits to the cushioning capacity of an elastic body alone. Specifically, in the relationship between the stress (surface pressure) at the contact surface of the elastic body against which the object abuts and the displacement of the elastic body's thickness, with a single elastic body, as the pressing force increases, the displacement of the elastic body's thickness (the amount of contraction) increases. Then, at some point, when the elastic body can no longer deform, the surface pressure at the contact surface of the elastic body against which the object abuts increases rapidly. As a result, in the battery field, the force that can hold back a expanding battery is lost, and there is a risk that the battery will be damaged.
[0006] On the other hand, in all-solid-state batteries, as mentioned above, it is necessary to maintain close contact between the solid electrolyte and each electrode layer, but it is difficult to make fine local adjustments to the pressure by mechanical adjustment as shown in Patent Documents 1-3. In other words, in order to follow the local expansion (pressure) of the solid electrolyte and for the solid electrolyte and each electrode layer to be in close contact with appropriate pressure, a buffer structure is needed that exhibits elasticity to follow the local pressure of the object and maintains a high pressure on the object. Buffer structures with such buffering properties are needed not only in the battery field but also in a wide range of fields, including cushions and seat covers as shown in Patent Document 4.
[0007] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a cushioning structure that, when supporting and cushioning an object, exhibits elasticity that follows the localized pressing force of the object, and can maintain a high pressing force on the object. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] To achieve the above objective, the cushioning structure of the present invention is a cushioning structure that supports and cushions an object, comprising: an elastic body having a contact surface that the object contacts and a side surface connected to the outer edge of the contact surface; a leaf spring portion that contacts at least a part of the side surface of the elastic body; and an outer frame portion formed on the outer circumference of the leaf spring portion, with at least a part of it spaced apart from the leaf spring portion with a gap between them. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] According to the cushioning structure of the present invention, when supporting and cushioning an object, it exhibits elasticity that follows the localized pressing force of the object, and can maintain a high pressing force on the object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0010] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 1. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the buffer structure. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view from direction AA in Figure 2, showing the buffer structure when it is placed on the support. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view when the object presses against the cushioning structure. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the buffer structure in the state shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of a cushioning sheet formed by connecting multiple cushioning structures. [Figure 7] This is a transparent perspective view of a battery pack using a cushioning sheet. [Figure 8] This is a plan view specifying the dimensions of each part of the buffer structure of Example 1 by reference numerals. [Figure 9] This table shows the specific dimensions, materials, and other information of each part identified by the symbols in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a plan view of the buffer structure relating to Comparative Example 1. [Figure 11] This is a plan view of the buffer structure relating to Comparative Example 2. [Figure 12]In Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, it is a graph showing the relationship between the surface pressure F on the contact surface of the elastic body and the displacement amount X of the thickness t1 of the elastic body. [Figure 13] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 2. [Figure 14] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 3. [Figure 15] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 4. [Figure 16] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 5. [Figure 17] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 6. [Figure 18] It is a plan view of the buffer structure according to Example 7. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]
[0011] Hereinafter, the buffer structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Example 1] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the buffer structure 1 according to Example 1, and FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the buffer structure 1 in FIG. 1. The buffer structure 1 is a structure that supports and buffers the object 2 (see FIG. 4), and includes an elastic body 4, a leaf spring portion 6, and an outer frame portion 8. The elastic body 4 according to Example 1 has a substantially triangular shape in plan view (accurately, a hexagonal shape in plan view), and has a contact surface 4a with which the object 2 abuts and a side surface 4b continuous with the outer edge of the contact surface 4a.
[0012] The leaf spring portion 6 abuts on at least a part of the side surface 4b of the elastic body 4. Specifically, the leaf spring portion 6 according to Example 1 is three separate columnar (rectangular parallelepiped) portions, and each leaf spring portion 6 is positioned at a location that abuts on three long side surfaces 4b of the side surface 4b of the elastic body 4. The outer frame portion 8 is formed at least partially separated from the leaf spring portion 6 with a gap 10 on the outer peripheral side of the leaf spring portion 6. Specifically, the outer frame portion 8 according to Example 1 is a portion formed by shaping a columnar (rectangular parallelepiped) member into a regular hexagonal shape in plan view. The buffer structure 1 configured in this way has a gap 10 between the leaf spring portion 6 and the outer frame portion 8 and is formed in a lattice shape as a whole.
[0013] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the broken line cross-section in Figure 2, viewed from the AA direction, when the cushioning structure 1 is placed on the support member 12. In Figure 3, the cushioning structure 1 is not pressed by the object 2. In this state, the thickness (first thickness) t1 of the elastic body 4 in the direction Y perpendicular to the contact surface 4a (in other words, the vertical direction Y) is greater than the thickness (second thickness) t2 of the leaf spring portion 6 and the outer frame portion 8 in the direction Y perpendicular to the contact surface 4a. In other words, the volume of the elastic body 4 is greater than the volume of the housing portion 14 of the elastic body 4, which is surrounded by the leaf spring portion 6 and a part of the outer frame portion 8.
[0014] This allows at least a portion of the elastic body 4 in the vertical direction Y to protrude from the housing portion 14. Therefore, when the object 2 comes into contact with the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4, the load received from the object 2 can be reliably received by the contact surface 4a without the object 2 coming into contact with the leaf spring portion 6 or the outer frame portion 8. Although the thickness t2 of the leaf spring portion 6 and the outer frame portion 8 appear to be the same in Figure 3, they may be different. Furthermore, when the buffer structure 1 is positioned to sandwich the object 2 in the vertical direction Y, the contact surface 4a will be formed not only on the upper surface of the elastic body 4 but also on the lower surface.
[0015] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the buffer structure 1 when the object 2 presses against it in Figure 3, and Figure 5 shows a plan view of the buffer structure 1 in the state shown in Figure 4. When the object 2 contacts the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4, and the object 2 presses the elastic body 4 on the contact surface 4a in the direction indicated by the arrow (vertical direction Y), the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 is reduced to t3, as shown in Figure 4. Consequently, the elastic body 4 deforms in a direction that expands the contact surface 4a, specifically in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 4 and 5, and the leaf spring portion 6 is pressed against the side surface 4b of the elastic body 4, causing it to curve in the gap 10 as shown in Figure 5. As a result, the load received from the object 2 is buffered by the elastic body 4 and the leaf spring portion 6. The thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 is set to a size such that the object 2 does not come into contact with the leaf spring portion 6 or the outer frame portion 8 even when the object 2 presses against the elastic body 4.
[0016] The following provides a detailed description of the shape, materials, and manufacturing methods of each component of the buffer structure 1. [Shape of the outer frame] Figure 6 shows a plan view of a cushioning sheet 16 formed by connecting multiple cushioning structures 1. The plan view shape of the outer frame 8 is not particularly limited as long as it is a polygon. However, when using the cushioning structures 1 as a cushioning sheet 16, multiple cushioning structures 1 are connected on the side surface 8a of the outer frame 8, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, in order to prevent gaps from being formed when forming the cushioning sheet 16, the plan view shape of the outer frame 8 is preferably a regular polygon. Examples of regular polygons include triangles, squares, hexagons, or octagons, and a regular hexagon, as in Example 1, is particularly preferred. Furthermore, the shape of the portion of the outer frame 8 that extends in the longitudinal direction is preferably columnar (rectangular parallelepiped).
[0017] [Materials for the outer frame] The material of the outer frame 8 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a material that does not deform when the elastic body 4 is subjected to a load within a specified range, or a material that does not deform due to the temperature of the operating environment. Specifically, examples of materials for the outer frame 8 include thermoplastic resins (such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate), thermosetting resins (such as epoxy resin, phenolic resin, or melamine resin), or metals (such as carbon steel, phosphor bronze, copper, titanium alloy, nickel alloy, steel, or stainless steel).
[0018] Figure 7 shows a transmission perspective view of a battery pack 18 using a cushioning sheet 16. The material of the outer frame 8 can be appropriately selected according to the load applied by the object 2. For example, consider the case where a battery pack 18, which is an all-solid-state battery, is manufactured by stacking and modularizing multiple battery cells 20 and sealing them in a battery case 22, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, the object 2 is the multiple battery cells 20 built into the battery pack 18, and the support member 12 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is the battery case 22 of the battery pack 18.
[0019] The battery cell 20 has a solid electrolyte (not shown) and positive and negative electrode layers stacked in close contact with each other. The cushioning sheet 16 is placed in contact with each battery cell 20 and functions as a separator 24 that cushions the pressing force caused by the expansion of the battery cells 20. In such cases, the material of the outer frame 8 is preferably an insulating resin. When a large load such as a building or household goods is applied to the outer frame 8, it is preferable that the material of the outer frame 8 be metal with a thickness t2 significantly larger than that of the battery pack 18.
[0020] [Shape of the leaf spring part] The leaf spring portion 6 has no particular shape restrictions as long as it functions as a spring, but it is preferable to have a columnar shape (rectangular parallelepiped shape) so that it can uniformly receive the pressure from the elastic body 4. The spring constant of the leaf spring portion 6 should be appropriately selected according to the load applied by the object 2 and the hardness of the elastic body 4. When the load applied by the object 2 is relatively large, it is preferable to set the spring constant of the leaf spring portion 6 to be relatively high. It is also important to set the repulsive force based on the rigidity of the leaf spring portion 6 to be greater than or equal to the pressure from the elastic body 4.
[0021] [Materials for the leaf spring section] The material for the leaf spring portion 6 can preferably be one that has been conventionally used as a spring material. Specifically, the material for the leaf spring portion 6 can be a thermoplastic resin (such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate), a thermosetting resin (such as epoxy resin, phenolic resin, or melamine resin), or a metal (such as carbon steel, phosphor bronze, copper, titanium alloy, nickel alloy, steel, or stainless steel).
[0022] [Materials for elastic bodies] The material of the elastic body 4 is preferably a thermosetting elastomer (rubber) or gel. Specifically, the material of the elastic body 4 includes natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber. These rubbers are more preferably foamed rubbers having pores inside the rubber. Having a foamed structure can further improve the cushioning performance of the cushioning structure 1.
[0023] The hardness of the elastic body 4 can be arbitrarily set according to the load applied by the object 2 or the flexibility of the object 2. If the object 2 is hard and the load applied by the object 2 is large, it is preferable to use rubber with high hardness for the material of the elastic body 4. If the object 2 is flexible and the load applied by the object 2 is localized, it is preferable to use rubber with low hardness for the material of the elastic body 4. As mentioned above, it is important that the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 is greater than the thickness t2 of the leaf spring portion 6 and the outer frame portion 8, in other words, that the volume of the elastic body 4 in its natural state is greater than the volume of the housing portion 14 of the elastic body 4 (see Figure 3).
[0024] [Manufacturing method for the outer frame and joining method for the leaf spring] If the material of the outer frame 8 is resin, the outer frame 8 can be manufactured by known molding methods. For example, the outer frame 8 can be manufactured by placing the raw resin polymer into a mold, heating, melting, molding, and then cooling. Alternatively, the outer frame 8 may be manufactured by purchasing commercially available resin sheets. In this case, the outer frame 8 can be manufactured by joining the resin sheets with a commercially available adhesive or by joining them by melting.
[0025] If the outer frame portion 8 is made of metal, it can be manufactured using a known forming method. For example, a commercially available metal sheet can be purchased, cut, and processed to create the outer frame portion 8. In this case, the metal sheet can be joined using a commercially available adhesive or by melting. The leaf spring portion 6 can be joined using the same joining method as the outer frame portion 8.
[0026] [Method for manufacturing elastic bodies] The elastic body 4 can be manufactured by a known method, for example, by placing a raw material rubber polymer into a mold, molding and processing it, and then cooling it. Various additives (e.g., reinforcing agents, degradation inhibitors, bulking agents, or foaming agents) may be added to the rubber polymer, as long as they do not impair its elastic function. In the case of an elastic body 4 that does not have a foamed structure, it is important to satisfy the relationship RUV > RGV between the volume of the elastic body 4 (RUV) and the volume of the housing 14 (RGV). This ensures that the elastic body 4 always protrudes above and below the housing 14, at least in its natural state.
[0027] On the other hand, in the case of an elastic body containing foam, it is important to determine the volume (BRUV) when all the pores of the foam are collapsed, and to establish the relationship BRUV > RGV between the volume of this elastic body 4 (BRUV) and the volume of the housing section 14 (RGV). This ensures that the elastic body 4 always protrudes in the vertical direction Y from the leaf spring section 6 and the outer frame section 8. The manufacturing of the cushioning structure 1 is completed by fitting the elastic body 4 formed in this way into the housing section 14 and fixing it with adhesive.
[0028] Figure 8 is a plan view specifying the dimensions of each part of the buffer structure 1 of Example 1 by reference numerals, and Figure 9 is a table showing the specific dimensions, materials, and other information of each part specified by reference numerals in Figure 8. There are no particular restrictions on the dimensions of each part of the buffer structure 1, and the thickness, side length, height, and angle can be arbitrarily set according to the application. Figure 9 shows, as an example, the dimensions, materials, and other information of the buffer structure 1 which has a regular hexagonal shape in plan view as shown in Figure 8. In this example, the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 is 5.0 mm, and the thickness t2 of the outer frame part 8 is 1.0 mm (the thickness 2 of the leaf spring part 6 is the same), so the elastic body 4 protrudes 2.0 mm from the top and bottom sides of the housing part 14, in other words, from the top and bottom sides of the outer frame part 8 and the leaf spring part 6, respectively.
[0029] [Comparative Examples 1 and 2] Figure 10 shows a plan view of the cushioning structure 32 according to Comparative Example 1, and Figure 11 shows a plan view of the cushioning structure 34 according to Comparative Example 2. The cushioning structure 32 of Comparative Example 1 is composed only of an elastic body 4 (made of ethylene propylene diene rubber, thickness t1: 5.0 mm) having the same shape as in Example 1. The cushioning structure 34 of Comparative Example 2 has an outer frame portion 8 and an elastic body 4 having the same shape as in Example 1, but the leaf spring portion 6 is not formed.
[0030] Figure 12 shows a graph illustrating the relationship between the surface pressure F at the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4 and the displacement X of the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The surface pressures F1 to F2 shown in Figure 12 represent the surface pressure range controlled in the buffer structure 1 of Example 1, and the displacement amounts X1 to X2 shown in Figure 12 represent the range of change in the thickness t2 of the elastic body 4 corresponding to the range of surface pressures F1 to F2.
[0031] In Example 1, the elastic body 4 receives a load that becomes a surface pressure F from the object 2, and the cushioning structure 1 cushions it. At this time, the leaf spring portion 6 presses against the side surface 4b of the elastic body 4, so that the elastic body 4, while receiving the load from the object 2, is pushed back by the leaf spring portion 6 in the direction of extension in the vertical direction Y, that is, in the direction that maintains the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4. As a result, the cushioning structure 1 can cushion the load received from the object 2 by pushing back with an equal force by the elastic body 4 and the leaf spring portion 6 that assists the elastic body 4.
[0032] As a result, in Example 1, compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the elastic body 4 can maintain a constant high range of surface pressure F from F1 to F2 while deforming under surface pressure F within the displacement range of X1 to X2. This allows the cushioning structure 1 to exhibit elasticity that follows the local pressing force of the object 2, and to maintain a high pressing force on the object 2. If the load from the object 2 is large and the elastic body 4 deforms by being crushed even by the leaf spring portion 6 assisting the elastic body 4, potentially causing the object 2 to come into contact with the outer frame portion 8, the spring constant of the leaf spring portion 6 should be increased to increase the force pressing down on the elastic body 4 by the leaf spring portion 6.
[0033] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, only the elastic body 4 receives the load applied by the object 2, and only the elastic body 4 cushions the load. In this case, the elastic body 4 is crushed and its thickness t1 is reduced, while the area of the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4 increases without restriction. Therefore, in the range of displacement X1 to X2, the surface pressure F at the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4 decreases, and the elastic body 4 and the object 2 do not come into close contact. Furthermore, once the displacement exceeds X2 and the elastic body 4 is completely crushed and no longer deforms, the surface pressure F increases sharply. On the other hand, if the hardness of the elastic body 4 is increased in order to suppress the crushing deformation of the elastic body 4, it becomes impossible to flexibly cushion the pressure caused by the local expansion of the object 2.
[0034] In Comparative Example 2, the elastic body 4 receives the load applied by the object 2, and although some of the load is also received by the outer frame 8 via the elastic body 4, the load is mainly cushioned by the elastic body 4. In this case, the elastic body 4 is compressed and its thickness t1 is reduced, while the area of the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4 increases with almost no restriction. Therefore, similar to the case of Comparative Example 1, in the displacement range of X1 to X2, the surface pressure F on the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4 decreases, and the elastic body 4 and the object 2 do not come into close contact.
[0035] Furthermore, similar to Comparative Example 1, once the displacement X2 is exceeded and the elastic body 4 is completely crushed and no longer deforms, the surface pressure F increases even more rapidly than in Comparative Example 1. As a result, the object 2 comes into contact with the outer frame 8, and there is a risk that the outer frame 8 may be damaged. On the other hand, if the hardness of the elastic body 4 is increased in order to suppress the crushing deformation of the elastic body 4, similar to Comparative Example 1, it becomes impossible to flexibly cushion the pressure caused by the local expansion of the object 2. Thus, the cushioning structures 32 and 34 of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are unable to exhibit elasticity that follows the local pressing force of the object 2, nor are they able to maintain a high pressing force on the object 2.
[0036] The following describes the buffer structure 1 according to Example 2-9, which is derived from Example 1, primarily focusing on the differences from Example 1, with reference to the drawings. [Example 2] Figure 13 shows a plan view of the cushioning structure 1 according to Example 2. The outer frame 8 has a regular hexagonal shape in plan view, and a fan-shaped inner frame 26 is formed inside the outer frame 8 at each vertex of the regular hexagon. An elastic body 28 is installed inside the inner frame 26. The elastic body 28 may be formed from the same material as the elastic body 4, but it is optimal to form it from foamed rubber with voids. In the case of Example 2, as in the case of Example 1, the cushioning structure 1 exhibits elasticity that follows the local pressing force of the object 2 and can maintain a high pressing force on the object 2.
[0037] Alternatively, foamed rubber having pores similar to those of the elastic body 28 in the inner frame 26 may be installed in the gap 10, and the foamed rubber may be brought into contact with the object 2. This increases the contact area of the elastic body with respect to the object 2, and further enhances the cushioning force and pressing force on the leaf spring portion 6. Therefore, the cushioning structure 1 as a whole can exhibit a higher compression and cushioning effect.
[0038] In particular, in the case of Example 2, the increase in the number of elastic bodies 28 enhances the compression and cushioning effect against the pressure applied by the object 2 compared to Example 1. In addition, the presence of inner frames 26 at each vertex of the outer frame 8 increases the mechanical strength of the cushioning structure 1, making it possible to further reduce the thickness t2 of the outer frame 8 and the leaf spring 6. Therefore, when using cushioning sheets 16, which are connected cushioning structures 1, stacked in a case of a certain capacity, it is possible to increase the number of cushioning sheets 16 installed. This makes it possible to more effectively achieve localized pressure tracking against the object 2 and high pressure retention.
[0039] [Example 3] Figure 14 shows a plan view of the cushioning structure 1 according to Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 3, the leaf spring portion 6 is not a complete columnar shape (rectangular parallelepiped shape), but has bent portions 30 in two places, for example. In Embodiment 3, as in Embodiment 1, the cushioning structure 1 exhibits elasticity that follows the local pressing force of the object 2, and can maintain a high pressing force on the object 2.
[0040] In particular, in the case of Example 3, the formation of a bent portion 30 in the leaf spring portion 6 provides the leaf spring portion 6 with even greater flexibility. As a result, when the elastic body 4 is pressed and the leaf spring portion 6 is pressed radially outward from the cushioning structure 1, the leaf spring portion 6 becomes even more easily bent. Therefore, the leaf spring portion 6 follows the elastic body 4 more flexibly and presses it, making it possible to more effectively achieve localized pressure following on the target object 2 and high pressure retention. In addition to bending as shown in the figure, the same effect can be obtained by curved R processing.
[0041] [Examples 4-7] Figures 15-18 show plan views of the buffer structure 1 according to each of the four embodiments. In the case of embodiment 4, as shown in Figure 15, the outer frame portion 8 is formed in a triangular shape in plan view. In the case of embodiment 5, as shown in Figure 16, the outer frame portion 8 is formed in a square shape in plan view, and the leaf spring portion 6 is arranged in four positions that form a regular octagon together with the outer frame portion 8 in plan view.
[0042] In Example 6, as shown in Figure 17, the outer frame 8 is formed in a regular pentagonal shape in plan view, and the leaf spring portion 6 is positioned at five locations that form a regular pentagon in plan view when the outer frame 8 is rotated 180 degrees. In Example 8, as shown in Figure 18, the outer frame 8 is formed in a regular octagonal shape in plan view, and the leaf spring portion 6 is positioned at four locations that form a square in plan view. In Examples 4-7 as well, similar to Example 1, the cushioning structure 1 exhibits elasticity that follows the localized pressing force of the object 2, and can maintain a high pressing force on the object 2.
[0043] As described above, the cushioning structure 1 of this embodiment comprises the elastic body 4, the leaf spring portion 6, and the outer frame portion 8 which is spaced apart from the leaf spring portion 6 with a gap 10 between them. When the object 2 presses the elastic body 4 against the contact surface 4a, the elastic body 4 deforms in a direction that expands the contact surface 4a, and the leaf spring portion 6 is pressed by the side surface 4b of the elastic body 4 and bends in the gap 10, cushioning the load received from the object 2. As a result, when the cushioning structure 1 supports and cushions the object 2, it exhibits elasticity that follows the local pressing force of the object 2 and can maintain a high pressing force on the object 2.
[0044] Furthermore, the thickness t1 of the elastic body 4 in the vertical direction Y relative to the contact surface 4a is greater than the second thickness t2 of the leaf spring portion 6 and the outer frame portion 8 in the vertical direction Y, respectively. This allows at least a portion of the elastic body 4 in the vertical direction Y to protrude from the housing portion 14 of the buffer structure 1. Therefore, when the object 2 comes into contact with the contact surface 4a of the elastic body 4, the load received from the object 2 can be reliably received on the contact surface 4a without the object 2 coming into contact with the leaf spring portion 6 or the outer frame portion 8.
[0045] Furthermore, since the outer frame portion 8 has a regular polygonal shape in plan view, when connecting multiple buffer structures 1 on the side surface 8a of the outer frame portion 8, it is possible to connect them with as little gap as possible. This further enhances the buffering performance of the buffer structure 1 as described above. The outer frame portion 8 can be any one of the following shapes in plan view: triangle, quadrilateral, hexagon, or octagon, as shown in Examples 1-7.
[0046] Furthermore, by constructing a buffer sheet 16 in which multiple buffer structures 1 are connected on the side surface 8a of the outer frame 8, the buffer performance of the buffer structure 1 described above can be extended over a wide area of the buffer sheet 16. More specifically, as described above, the object 2 is a battery cell 20, and the buffer sheet 16 is used as a separator 24 placed in contact with the battery cell 20 when forming a battery pack 18 that is a module formed by stacking multiple battery cells 20. This makes it possible to realize a battery pack 18 that is an all-solid-state battery that can follow the local expansion of the battery cell 20 and maintain an appropriate close contact state between the solid electrolyte constituting the battery cell 20 and each electrode layer.
[0047] This concludes the description of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the elastic body 4, leaf spring portion 6, outer frame portion 8, and gap 10 are not strictly limited to the above-described shapes, materials, contact patterns between parts, and formation patterns, as long as they can achieve the cushioning performance of the cushioning structure 1. Furthermore, the above-described cushioning structure 1 and cushioning sheet 16 can be widely used to cushion loads involving expansion and compression applied from the object 2.
[0048] For example, the buffer structure 1 and buffer sheet 16 may be used in lithium-ion batteries or fuel cells other than the all-solid-state batteries mentioned above, and they can also be used not only in batteries but also in building floors or pillars, as well as in household goods (chairs, sofas, or beds). [Explanation of Symbols]
[0049] 1. Buffer structure of Example 1 2. Object 4. Elastic body 4a Contact surface 4b side 6. Leaf spring section 8 Outer frame 8a side 10 gap 12 Support members 14. Detention Unit 16 cushioning sheets 18 Battery Packs 20 battery cells 22 Battery Case 24 Separators 26 Inner frame 28 Elastic body 30. Bending section 32 Buffer structure of Comparative Example 1 34 Buffer structure of Comparative Example 2 Y: Vertical direction (orthogonal direction) t1 Thickness of the elastic body (first thickness) t2 Thickness of the leaf spring section and outer frame section (second thickness)
Claims
1. A buffer structure that supports and cushions an object, An elastic body having a contact surface that the object comes into contact with, and a side surface that is connected to the outer edge of the contact surface, A leaf spring portion that contacts at least a part of the side surface of the elastic body, An outer frame portion is formed on the outer circumference of the leaf spring portion, with at least a portion of it separated from the leaf spring portion and having a gap between them. A buffer structure comprising the above.
2. The cushioning structure according to claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the elastic body in the direction perpendicular to the contact surface is greater than the second thickness of the leaf spring portion and the outer frame portion in the direction perpendicular to each other.
3. The buffer structure according to claim 2, wherein the outer frame portion has a regular polygonal shape in plan view.
4. The buffer structure according to claim 3, wherein the outer frame portion has a plan view shape that is one of a triangle, a square, a hexagon, or an octagon.
5. The cushioning structure according to claim 4, wherein a cushioning sheet is formed by connecting a plurality of the cushioning structures on the side surface of the outer frame.
6. The aforementioned object is a battery cell, The buffer structure according to claim 5, wherein the buffer sheet is a separator that comes into contact with the battery cells when a battery pack is formed by stacking a plurality of the battery cells to form a modular battery pack.