Battery module and method for manufacturing a battery module

Abstract

It suppresses the formation of wrinkles in the exterior body. [Solution] The battery module comprises an outer casing, a battery provided inside the outer casing, and a support member containing a magnet and shaped to conform to the shape of the outer casing. When the outer casing is sealed under reduced pressure, the support member is moved according to the magnetic force of the magnet provided on the outside of the outer casing and the magnet included in the support member, causing the support member to come into contact with the outer casing at locations where it was not previously in contact. This brings the support member closer to the inner wall of the outer casing, allowing the gap between the support member and the inner wall of the outer casing to be filled before performing the reduced pressure sealing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery module and a method for manufacturing a battery module. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, battery modules have been used in which a battery and a support member including a magnet shaped to conform to the embossed shape of the laminate are housed in an exterior body made of an embossed laminate film. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2023-14588 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a battery module packaged with a laminate film exterior body, if wrinkles occur in the exterior body, the wrinkles can become starting points for rupture of the exterior body and lead to deterioration in battery mountability, so there is a demand for suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles.

[0005] In particular, as a cause of wrinkles in an embossed exterior body, if there is a gap between the exterior body and an internal member, when the exterior body is sealed under reduced pressure, the exterior body contracts to fill the gap, thereby causing wrinkles. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles by reducing the gap, but it is difficult to arrange members without gaps on a sub-millimeter level in the embossed exterior body during the manufacturing process.

[0006] Furthermore, at a corner portion of the embossment, when wrinkles from two adjacent sides intersect, a wrinkle protrusion starting point is formed, which easily becomes a starting point for rupture.

[0007] In Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that the internal element has a groove structure, and a part of the outer casing is housed in the groove structure, thereby suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the outer casing. However, if there is a gap between the internal member and the outer casing, wrinkles may not be completely suppressed.

[0008] This disclosure provides a battery module and a method for manufacturing the battery module that suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the embossed outer casing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The battery module according to this disclosure comprises an outer casing, a battery provided inside the outer casing, and a support member provided inside the outer casing and having a shape that conforms to the shape of the outer casing, wherein when the outer casing is sealed under reduced pressure, the support member is moved according to the magnetic force of the magnet provided outside the outer casing and the magnet included in the support member, causing the support member to come into contact with the outer casing at a point where it was not previously in contact. This allows the support member to be placed close to the inner wall of the exterior body, and vacuum sealing can be performed while the gap between the support member and the inner wall of the exterior body is filled.

[0010] A method for manufacturing a battery module according to this disclosure involves placing a support member, which includes a magnet and is shaped to conform to the shape of an outer casing, and a battery inside the outer casing and packaging them, and moving the support member using a magnet provided on the outside of the outer casing and a magnet included in the support member, so that the support member comes into contact with the outer casing at a point where it was not previously in contact, thereby sealing the outer casing under reduced pressure. This allows the support member to be placed close to the inner wall of the exterior body, and vacuum sealing can be performed while the gap between the support member and the inner wall of the exterior body is filled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure provides a battery module that suppresses the occurrence of wrinkles in the outer casing and a method for manufacturing the battery module. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the battery module related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a battery module housed in a chamber according to this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the battery module related to this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a battery module having an exterior body provided with a recess according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a corner of the exterior body of a battery module, which is provided with the corner support member according to this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiment 1 The battery module according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the battery module. As shown in Figure 1, the battery module 1 comprises an outer casing 11, a battery 12, and a support member 13.

[0014] The outer casing 11 is an embossed laminate film outer casing, which is used to package the battery 12 and support member 13 inside. Here, as shown in Figure 1, the outer casing 11 is described as being formed in a shape that extends in the X direction.

[0015] The battery 12 is located inside the casing 11. Here, the battery 12 is assumed to be positioned at the center in the X direction inside the casing 11.

[0016] The support members 13 are provided inside the outer casing 11. The support members 13 are a pair of support members, and will be described as a first support member 13a and a second support member 13b.

[0017] Here, the battery 12 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first support member 13a and the second support member 13b in the X direction inside the exterior body 11. In other words, inside the exterior body 11, the battery 12 is disposed at the center in the X direction, and the pair of support members 13 are each disposed at an end in the X direction, that is, at a position closer to the outer side in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the following description is based on the assumption that the first support member 13a is disposed on the left side in the X direction, and the second support member 13b is disposed on the right side in the X direction.

[0018] Further, each of the pair of support members 13 is provided with a magnet. Here, it is assumed that the first support member 13a is fixed in a state where the magnet 14a is included therein, and the second support member 13b is fixed in a state where the magnet 14b is included therein.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a battery module housed in a chamber 20. As shown in FIG. 2, in the manufacturing process, the entire exterior body 11 of the battery module 1 is housed in the chamber 20. At this time, due to the magnetic force between each of the first magnet 14a and the second magnet 14b and magnets 21a and 21b provided inside the chamber and outside the exterior body 11, a force that moves each of the first support member 13a and the second support member 13b outward in the X direction is generated.

[0020] In other words, in FIG. 2, the first magnet 14a generates a force that moves the first support member 13a leftward by the magnetic force between it and the magnet 21a provided outside the exterior body 11 and on the left side of the exterior body 11. Similarly, the second magnet 14b generates a force that moves the second support member 13b rightward by the magnetic force between it and the magnet 21b provided outside the exterior body 11 and on the right side of the exterior body 11.

[0021] Thereby, the magnets 14a, 14b, 21a, 21b pull the support members 13a, 13b toward the inner wall of the exterior body 11, resulting in a state where the gap between the support members 13a, 13b and the embossed inner wall of the exterior body 11 is filled.

[0022] The pair of support members 13 are shaped to conform to the shape of the embossed inner wall of the outer casing 11. For example, the outer casing 11 in Figure 1 has a shape in which the central part in the Z direction extends in the X direction compared to the ends in the Z direction. Each of the pair of support members 13 is formed to conform to the shape of the inner wall near the ends in the X direction of this outer casing 11.

[0023] Chamber 20 allows for the reduction of pressure inside the chamber from atmospheric pressure to atmospheric pressure, and from reduced pressure back to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, chamber 20 can be used to perform vacuum sealing of the outer casing 11.

[0024] Next, the procedure for manufacturing a laminated battery will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for manufacturing a laminated battery.

[0025] First, as shown in Figure 1, the battery 12 and the support members 13a and 13b with magnets 14a and 14b are packaged in the outer casing 11 (Step S1).

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, by bringing magnets 21a and 21b close to the outside of the outer casing 11, the support members 13a and 13b with magnets 14a and 14b attached are attracted to the inner wall on the outer side of the outer casing 11 in the X direction (step S2). That is, the support members 13a and 13b move in accordance with the magnetic force between the magnets 21a and 21b provided on the outside of the outer casing 11 and the magnets 14a and 14b contained in the support members 13a and 13b, and the support members 13a and 13b come into contact with the outer casing 11 at a point where they were not previously in contact.

[0027] As a result, the first support member 13a is pulled to the left, filling the gap between it and the inner wall of the exterior body 11. Similarly, the second support member 13b is pulled to the right, filling the gap between it and the inner wall of the exterior body 11.

[0028] In other words, the first support member 13a operates in such a way that the space between the first support member 13a and the battery 12 widens. The same applies to the second support member 13b.

[0029] In chamber 20, the outer casing 11 is sealed under reduced pressure by reducing the pressure inside chamber 20 (step S3). At this time, the pressure inside the outer casing 11 is reduced to a level lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0030] The pressure inside the chamber 20 is returned to atmospheric pressure (step S4). As a result, the inside of the outer casing 11 becomes negative pressure, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside causes the outer casing 11 to clamp and fix the support member 13 in place.

[0031] This allows the outer casing 11 to be sealed under reduced pressure while the gap between the outer casing 11 and the support member 13 is filled, and enables the manufacture of the battery module while suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in the outer casing 11.

[0032] Embodiment 2. Next, we will describe a battery module 2 that further securely fixes each of the pair of support members 13 within the outer casing by pre-forming a concave shape at a predetermined position on the outer casing.

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a battery module having an outer casing with a recess. As shown in Figure 4, the battery module 2 comprises an outer casing 31, a battery 12, and a support member 13. Components that perform the same function as those in the battery module 1 shown in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0034] Here, within the battery module 2, the space between the first support member 13a and the battery 12 is defined as space 15a, and the space between the second support member 13b and the battery is defined as space 15b.

[0035] The outer casing 31 has concave shapes 31a and 31b formed such that a portion of the outer casing 31 fits into the spaces 15a and 15b.

[0036] When vacuum sealing is performed, the concave shapes 31a and 31b of the outer casing 31 act as stoppers, and the first support member 13a and the second support member 13b are firmly fixed to the outer casing 31.

[0037] Therefore, by providing concave shapes 31a and 31b in the exterior body 31, the support member 13 can be fixed more firmly than if the concave shapes 31a and 31b were not provided.

[0038] Embodiment 3. Next, we will describe a battery module 3 that has a corner support member 16, which is separate from the support member 13 and supports only the corners of the outer casing 11.

[0039] The battery module 3 comprises an outer casing 11, a battery 12, a support member 13, and a corner support member 16. Components that perform the same function as those in the battery module 1 shown in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0040] The corner support member 16 is shaped to conform to the shape of the corner of the outer casing 11 and is smaller than the support member 13.

[0041] Here, the corner support member 16 positioned close to the first support member 13a is referred to as the first corner support member 16a, and the corner support member 16 positioned close to the second support member 13b is referred to as the second corner support member 16b. In the following description, the first corner support member 16a will be explained, but the same applies to the second corner support member 16b, which is positioned close to the second support member 13b.

[0042] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are enlarged views of the vicinity of the left corner of the battery module 3. As shown in Figure 5(a), a magnet 17a is provided and fixed to the first corner support member 16a.

[0043] Here, as shown in Figure 5(b), typically, with the battery module 3 housed in the chamber 20, the magnet 21a is brought closer to the outside and left side of the outer casing 11, which generates a force that moves the magnet 17a to the left.

[0044] Here, since the magnet 17a is fixed within the first corner support member 16a, the first corner support member 16a moves to the left as if being attracted to the inner wall of the corner of the outer casing 11 by the leftward force generated on the magnet 17a, thereby supporting the corner of the outer casing 11.

[0045] Furthermore, since the first corner support member 16a is smaller than the first support member 13a, it is in a state where it can easily conform to the shape of the corner of the outer casing 11.

[0046] Therefore, in the battery module 3, the inner wall of the corner of the outer casing 11 is easily supported by using the first corner support member 16a. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles at the corner of the outer casing 11 is suppressed in the battery module 3.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above description has been omitted and simplified as appropriate for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art can easily change, add, and modify each element of the embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0048] For example, in Embodiment 1, it was described that a pair of support members 13 are arranged to sandwich the battery 12, but the invention is not limited to this. The battery module 1 only needs to be provided with at least one support member 13.

[0049] For example, in Embodiment 3, the battery module 3 was described as having only one first corner support member 16a provided inside the outer casing 11, but a configuration with multiple first corner support members 16a is also possible.

[0050] Furthermore, the corner support member 16 can be shaped by cutting out a portion of the support member 13 that is close to the corner of the outer casing 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Battery Module 2 Battery Modules 3 Battery Modules 11 Exterior 12 batteries 13 Support Member 13a First support member 13b Second support member 14 Magnets 14a First Magnet 14b The second magnet 15a Space 15b Space 16 Corner support member 16a First corner support member 16b Second corner support member 17a Magnet 20 chambers 21 Magnets 21a Magnet 21b Magnet 31 Exterior 31a,31b Concave shape

Claims

1. Exterior body and A battery provided inside the aforementioned outer casing, It comprises a support member that includes a magnet, is provided inside the outer casing, and has a shape that conforms to the shape of the outer casing, When sealing the outer casing under reduced pressure, the support member is moved according to the magnetic force of the magnet provided on the outside of the outer casing and the magnet included in the support member, so that the support member comes into contact with the outer casing at a point where it was not previously in contact. Battery module.

2. The aforementioned support member is A pair of support members are arranged to sandwich the battery, and when the outer casing is sealed under reduced pressure, they move in a direction that widens the gap between the support members and the battery, thereby filling the gap between the support members and the inner wall of the outer casing. The battery module according to claim 1.

3. The outer casing has a concave shape that partially fits into the space between the support member and the battery. The battery module according to claim 2.

4. The system further comprises a corner support member that is smaller than the aforementioned support member, includes a magnet, and has a shape that conforms to the shape of the corner of the exterior body. The battery module according to claim 3.

5. A support member containing a magnet and shaped to conform to the shape of the outer casing, along with a battery, are placed inside the outer casing and packaged. The magnet provided on the outside of the outer casing and the magnet included in the support member move the support member so that the support member comes into contact with the outer casing at a point where it was not previously in contact. The aforementioned outer casing is sealed under reduced pressure. A method for manufacturing battery modules.

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