Battery module device

Abstract

To reduce the difference in cell temperature inside a battery module in which a plurality of cells are arranged in parallel.SOLUTION: A battery module device 1 composed of a plurality of cells 3 arranged in parallel includes: an opening 9 formed in a case 7 that accommodates a plurality of cells; a plurality of opening / closing lids 11 provided in the opening and facing the plurality of cells 3; and an opening / closing control portion 13 that performs an opening / closing operation of the opening / closing lid by being displaced depending on the temperature of the cell. The opening / closing control portion controls opening / closing lids 11c to 11f for a high temperature side cell 3X where the preset temperature inside the module is high, to be opened wider than opening / closing lids 11a to 11b and 11g to 11h for cells other than the high temperature side cells.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery module apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Batteries generate heat when they are used (charged and discharged). In a module that consists of multiple single cells, the outside of the cells dissipate heat easily, but the inside has a harder time dissipating heat and tends to become hotter.

[0003] As the battery temperature rises, the battery deteriorates, causing a decrease in capacity (the driving distance of an EV (electric vehicle)) and an increase in resistance (decreased acceleration). In addition, a battery with a high temperature will experience a greater increase in resistance due to deterioration than a battery with a low temperature, and will generate more heat and deteriorate further.

[0004] In recent years, many electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles (HVs), and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) that can be charged or powered externally have adopted a method of cooling the battery by placing cooling plates on the bottom or between the cells. These modules are assembled into assembled batteries with no gaps between the cells. As a result, the cells in the center of the module have poorer heat dissipation properties than the outer cells, and the temperature becomes higher, making it difficult to maintain a uniform cell temperature.

[0005] The performance of a battery pack or battery module is determined by the lowest-performing cell, so it is important to keep the deterioration of the cells uniform, and to do so, it is necessary to minimize the temperature difference between the cells.

[0006] Meanwhile, various techniques have been proposed for opening and closing cooling lids and cooling passages using shape memory alloys to control the temperature of batteries and cells.For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a shape memory member is interposed between an exhaust pipe provided in a battery case that houses a group of electrodes of a sealed lead-acid battery and a valve body that is in close contact with the tip of the exhaust pipe, and the shape memory member deforms at high temperatures in a direction that moves the valve body away from the exhaust pipe.

[0007] Patent document 2 also discloses a technology in which a fuel cell stack is covered with a cover having multiple openings on the top and bottom, and the openings in the cover have a thermal control unit made of a shape memory alloy that is displaced by heat to perform opening and closing operations.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a technology in which an energy storage module is composed of a plurality of energy storage cells stacked at a predetermined interval, cooling passages are defined between the energy storage cells, and an opening / closing member formed using a shape memory alloy is provided to open the cooling passage when the cell temperature rises.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a technology in which a shape memory alloy is used to focus cooling air through partitioned cooling air passages within the case on the central battery cells, which are prone to heat accumulation, among multiple battery cells in a battery pack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-11315 [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-252785 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-300103 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2018-147808 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The aforementioned Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose technology for opening and closing cooling lids or cooling passages using shape memory alloys to control the temperature of batteries or cells, but they merely disclose that cooling (heat dissipation) begins when the shape recovery temperature of the shape memory alloy is reached.

[0012] Furthermore, in Patent Document 4, the central battery cells, where the temperature rises, are primarily cooled, but because the cooling air comes from cooling air passages partitioned within the case, it is difficult for heat to be dissipated outside the case, and heat tends to accumulate within the case. Also, a device for supplying cooling air into the case is required. Thus, further improvements are desired in the effective cooling structure for the battery cells, where the temperature rises within the battery module.

[0013] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a battery module device that reduces the difference in cell temperature inside a battery module in which a plurality of cells are arranged in parallel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] (1) In order to achieve the above object, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a battery module device configured by arranging a plurality of cells side by side, the battery module device comprising: an opening formed in a case that houses the plurality of cells; a plurality of opening / closing lids provided at the opening facing the plurality of cells; and an opening / closing control unit that is displaced in response to a temperature of the cells to open and close the opening / closing lids, the opening / closing control unit controlling the opening / closing lid for a high-temperature side cell, which has a predetermined high temperature inside the module, to open wider than the opening / closing lids for cells other than the high-temperature side cell.

[0015] According to this configuration (1), the open / close lids are provided facing the multiple cells, so that heat dissipation from the cells can be effectively achieved by opening the open / close lids. Also, the open / close control unit controls the open / close lid for the high-temperature side cell, which has a high temperature inside the module, to open wider than the open / close lids for the other cells. Therefore, when the open / close lid for the high-temperature side cell starts to open, the opening degree is large, so that the heat dissipation effect is greater than that for the other cells. Therefore, the high-temperature side cell is quickly cooled, and the difference in cell temperature inside the module can be minimized.

[0016] (2) In some embodiments, the opening / closing control unit is made of a shape memory alloy member and is installed corresponding to the multiple opening / closing covers, and the shape memory alloy member of the opening / closing control unit for the high-temperature cell is larger than the shape memory alloy members of the opening / closing control units for the other cells.

[0017] According to this configuration (2), the opening / closing control section is made of a shape memory alloy member, and the shape memory alloy member for the high-temperature cell is larger than the shape memory alloy members of the opening / closing control sections for the other cells, so that the opening and closing amount of the opening / closing lid can be increased.

[0018] (3) In some embodiments, the shape memory alloy member deforms so as to push up one end of the opening and closing lid when the temperature of the cell increases, and the shape memory alloy member for the high temperature cell deforms so as to push up one end of the opening and closing lid by a greater amount than the shape memory alloy members for the other cells.

[0019] According to this configuration (3), when the temperature of the cell rises, the shape memory alloy member deforms so as to push up one end of the opening / closing lid, so that the opening / closing of the opening / closing lid and the amount of opening / closing can be adjusted by a simple mechanism. Also, pushing up one end of the opening / closing lid provides more stability against vibrations caused by traveling after it is pushed up than pushing up both ends.

[0020] (4) In some embodiments, a groove is formed on the rear surface of the opening / closing cover, into which the end portion on the deformed side of the shape memory alloy member slides and is detachably fitted.

[0021] According to this configuration (4), when the shape memory alloy member is deformed so as to extend in a straight line, the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member slides along the back surface of one end of the opening / closing lid and removably fits into a groove formed on the back surface, thereby preventing the opening / closing lid from falling off when in the open state due to vibrations during driving, etc.

[0022] (5) In some embodiments, the switching control unit is disposed on the positive terminal side of the cell.

[0023] According to this configuration (5), since the cell temperature is generally higher on the positive terminal side than on the negative terminal side, by installing the opening / closing control unit on the positive terminal side of the cell, an increase in the cell temperature can be detected quickly and the heat can be dissipated.

[0024] (6) In some embodiments, the multiple cells are arranged in series such that positive and negative terminals are alternately positioned at one end and the other end of the cells in an alignment direction of the cells, and the opening / closing lids are provided opposite each cell.

[0025] According to this configuration (6), since an openable / closable lid is provided for each cell, it is possible to obtain a heat dissipation effect according to the cell temperature with high accuracy.

[0026] In addition, since the cells are arranged in series such that the positive and negative terminals are alternately located at one end and the other end of the cells in the direction in which the cells are aligned, the opening / closing control units are also alternately located in the direction in which the cells are aligned. Therefore, the opening / closing covers are opened alternately at one end and the other end to dissipate heat, so that heat is dissipated evenly within the case.

[0027] (7) In some embodiments, in the high temperature side cells, one opening / closing lid is installed for each cell, and in the cell area other than the high temperature side cells, one opening / closing lid is installed for multiple cells.

[0028] According to this configuration (7), one opening / closing cover is provided for each high-temperature cell, which can improve the heat dissipation effect in the cell region of the high-temperature cell. Furthermore, in the cell region other than the high-temperature cell, one opening / closing cover is provided for multiple cells, which can reduce the number of opening / closing covers and opening / closing control units, thereby simplifying the device configuration.

[0029] (8) In some embodiments, the plurality of cells are arranged in parallel such that the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals are located on the same side as one end side and the other end side of the cells in the alignment direction of the cells to form one cell group, the plurality of cell groups are arranged in series such that the positive electrode terminal groups and the negative electrode terminal groups are alternately located on one end side and the other end side of the cell group in the alignment direction of the cell groups, and one opening / closing lid is provided for each cell group.

[0030] According to this configuration (8), multiple cell groups each consisting of multiple parallel-arranged cells are arranged in series, and one opening / closing lid is installed for each of the multiple cell groups. Therefore, one end and the other end of the opening / closing lid open alternately for each of the multiple cell groups arranged in series. This allows heat to be dissipated evenly within the case, and makes it possible to reduce the number of opening / closing lids and opening / closing control units installed. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the difference in cell temperature inside a battery module in which a plurality of cells are arranged in parallel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a battery module device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the temperature of a battery cell has increased in the battery module device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 2A] 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the battery module device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] 2B is a long side cross-sectional view that illustrates a state in which the temperature of a battery cell in the battery module apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2A has increased. FIG. [Figure 3A] 2 is a short side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the battery module device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3B]3B is a short side cross-sectional view that illustrates a state in which the temperature of a battery cell in the battery module apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3A is increased. FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 3B is an enlarged detailed view of part A in FIG. 3A. [Figure 4B] FIG. 3C is an enlarged detailed view of part C in FIG. 3B. [Figure 5A] FIG. 3B is an enlarged detailed view of part B in FIG. 3A. [Figure 5B] FIG. 3C is an enlarged detailed view of part D in FIG. 3B. [Figure 6] 11 is a rear perspective view showing the shape of a groove formed on the rear side of the opening / closing cover. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a top plan view that illustrates the battery cell arrangement, the shape memory alloy member placement, and the installation state of the opening and closing lid in the battery module device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing another embodiment corresponding to FIG. 7, and is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of battery cells, the placement of shape memory alloy members, and the installation state of the opening and closing lid. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing another embodiment corresponding to FIG. 7, and is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of battery cells, the placement of shape memory alloy members, and the installation state of the opening and closing lid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, a battery module device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment shows one aspect of the present disclosure, and is not limited to this disclosure. Any modification can be made within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure.

[0034] (One embodiment) A battery module device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 7. The battery module device 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle such as an EV (electric vehicle) that is driven by a motor using only battery power, an HV (hybrid vehicle) that is equipped with two power sources, an engine and a motor, and efficiently switches between them, or a PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) that is capable of supplying power from both the outside and the outside and that is equipped with two power sources, an engine and a motor, and efficiently switches between them.

[0035] Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a battery module device 1. As shown in Fig. 1A, a battery module 5 is configured by arranging a plurality of (e.g., eight) battery cells 3 (3a to 3h) in a row.

[0036] The battery cells 3, which are single batteries, have the same shape and size, and furthermore, each battery cell 3 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The battery cells 3 (3a to 3h) are arranged so that the long sides of the rectangular shape when viewed from above are adjacent to each other, and in this aligned state, the multiple battery cells 3 (3a to 3h) are housed in a case 7.

[0037] The case 7 is formed in a rectangular box shape so that it can house multiple aligned battery cells 3, and the top of the box shape is open to form an opening 9. Multiple opening / closing lids 11 (11a to 11h) are installed in the opening 9 so as to face the top surfaces of the multiple battery cells 3, and when the opening / closing lids 11 are opened, the air inside the case 7, which has risen in temperature, is released from the top surfaces of the battery cells 3 facing the opening / closing lids 11 to the outside of the case 7, thereby dissipating heat (cooling) the battery cells 3.

[0038] The multiple opening / closing lids 11 (11a to 11h) are the same size and are placed so as to face the upper surfaces of the multiple battery cells 3 (3a to 3h) and are placed close together so that the long sides of their rectangular shapes are in contact. Therefore, when all the multiple opening / closing lids 11a to 11h are closed, they become a cover 12 that covers the opening 9 of the case 7. In other words, the opening / closing lids 11a to 11h are formed by dividing the cover 12 of the case 7 into multiple parts.

[0039] In addition, this opening / closing lid 11 may not only be configured so that the cover 12 for one opening 9 is divided into multiple parts, but may also be configured so that multiple openings are formed in the cover 12 and an opening / closing lid is provided for each of the multiple openings.

[0040] Further, each of the multiple opening / closing lids 11a-11h is provided with an opening / closing control section 13a-13h that is displaced according to the temperature of the battery cells 3 to open and close the opening / closing lid 11a-11h facing the top surface of each of the battery cells 3a-3h.

[0041] This opening / closing control unit 13 predetermines a high-temperature cell 3X among the battery cells 3 that make up the battery module 5, which is likely to become hot inside the module, and controls the opening / closing lid 11 for that high-temperature cell 3X to open and close at a greater opening than the opening / closing lid 11 for the medium-temperature cell 3Y other than the high-temperature cell 3X.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when multiple battery cells 3a to 3h are aligned adjacent to each other, the central battery cells 3c to 3f have poor heat dissipation properties and are more likely to become hot than the other battery cells 3a to 3b and 3g to 3h.

[0043] Therefore, the central battery cells 3c-3f are set in advance as high temperature cells 3X, and the other battery cells 3a-3b, 3g-3h are set as medium temperature cells 3Y. Then, opening / closing control units 13a-13h installed corresponding to the opening / closing lids 11a-11h respectively control the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing lids 11c-11f corresponding to the high temperature cells 3X to a greater opening degree than the opening / closing lids 11a-11b, 11g-11h corresponding to the medium temperature cells 3Y.

[0044] According to the configuration of the embodiment described above, the multiple opening / closing lids 11 (11a to 11h) are installed so as to face the upper surfaces of the multiple battery cells 3 (3a to 3h), so that heat dissipation from the battery cells 3 is effectively achieved by opening the opening / closing lids 11.

[0045] In addition, the opening / closing control unit 13 controls the opening / closing covers 11c-11f for the high temperature cells 3X, which have a higher temperature inside the battery module 5, to open wider than the opening / closing covers 11a-11b, 11g-11h for the medium temperature cells 3Y, so that when the opening / closing covers 11c-11f start to open for the high temperature cells 3X, the opening degree is larger, and therefore the heat dissipation effect is greater than that for the other cells. Therefore, the high temperature cells 3X are cooled more quickly than the medium temperature cells 3Y, and the difference in cell temperature inside the battery module 5 can be minimized.

[0046] 1 to 7, in some embodiments, the opening / closing control section 13 is made of a shape memory alloy member 15 and is installed on each of the multiple opening / closing covers 11a to 11h. The shape memory alloy members 15c to 15f which are the opening / closing control sections 13c to 13f for the high temperature side cell 3X are formed larger than the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h which are the opening / closing control sections 13a to 13b, 13g to 13h for the medium temperature side cell 3Y.

[0047] In other words, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 increases, the shape memory alloy member 15 deforms so as to push up one end side of the rectangular shape of the opening / closing lid 11 when viewed in a plane, and the shape memory alloy members 15c to 15f for the high temperature side cell 3X deform so as to push up one end side of the opening / closing lid 11 by a greater amount than the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h for the medium temperature side cell 3Y.

[0048] In order to prevent deterioration of the battery cells 3, it is desirable to use a nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) alloy or a nickel-titanium-copper (Ni-Ti-Cu) alloy for the shape memory alloy member 15, which has a shape recovery temperature of approximately 30 to 40°C, so that the battery cells 3 can begin to open and dissipate heat at approximately 30°C.

[0049] The shape memory alloy member 15 has a rectangular flat plate shape and its cross-sectional shape is an "L" shape consisting of a vertical portion 151 and a horizontal portion 152. As shown in Figures 3A to 4B, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 rises, the shape changes from the "L" shape to a "<" shape or a linear "I" shape, and pushes up one end of the opening / closing lid 11.

[0050] 3A, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 has not yet reached the shape recovery temperature, the shape memory alloy member 15 is in an upside-down "L" state, with the vertical portion 151 fixed to the side and / or top surface of the battery cell 3 with an adhesive, and one end of the opening / closing lid 11 placed on the top surface of the horizontal portion 152. The top surface of this horizontal portion 152 is not fixed to the opening / closing lid 11. In this state, the shape memory alloy member 15 is attached to each battery cell 3.

[0051] The shape memory alloy members 15c to 15f of the high temperature side cell 3X are formed so that the length of the above-mentioned "L" shaped horizontal portion 152 is longer than the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h of the intermediate temperature side cell 3Y.

[0052] According to this configuration of the embodiment, the shape memory alloy members 15c to 15f for the high temperature side cell 3X are larger than the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h for the medium temperature side cell 3Y. In other words, the length of the "L"-shaped horizontal portion 152 is formed to be longer than that of the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h for the medium temperature side cell 3Y. Therefore, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 rises above the shape recovery temperature and the shape memory alloy members 15c to 15f for the high temperature side cell 3X deform from an "L" shape to a "U" shape and then to a straight shape, one end of the opening / closing lid 11 resting on the upper surface of the "L"-shaped horizontal portion 152 is pushed up to a larger opening degree than the shape memory alloy members 15a to 15b, 15g to 15h of the medium temperature side cell 3Y by the deformed side end of the shape memory alloy member 15.

[0053] Therefore, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 rises, the shape memory alloy member 15 deforms so as to push up one end of the opening / closing lid 11, making it possible to open and close the opening / closing lid 11 with a simple mechanism. Also, with a simple configuration, that is, by adjusting the length of the "L"-shaped horizontal portion 152, the opening degree of the opening / closing lid 11 can be easily adjusted. Also, pushing up one end of the opening / closing lid 11 provides more stability against vibrations caused by running after it has been pushed up than pushing up both ends of the opening / closing lid 11.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 4A, 4B, and 6, a groove 17 is formed on the back surface of the opening / closing lid 11 into which the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member 15 slides and fits freely, and when the shape memory alloy member 15 is deformed into a straight shape, the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member 15 abuts against the back surface of one end of the opening / closing lid 11 and slides to fit into the groove 17, and when it is deformed back to an L-shape, it can come out of the groove 17.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 6, the groove 17 formed on the back surface of the opening / closing lid 11 has a groove width that is approximately the same as the width of the shape memory alloy member 15, and is formed in a rectangular shape with the groove width as the short side. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, an inclined surface 19 is formed inside the groove 17 so that the end of the deformed side of the shape memory alloy member 15 slides on the back surface of the opening / closing lid 11 and can easily fit into and be removed from the groove 17. Fig. 4A is an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 3A, showing a state in which the shape memory alloy member 15 has not yet reached its shape recovery temperature, and Fig. 4B is an enlarged view of part C in Fig. 3B, showing a state in which the shape memory alloy member 15 has risen to or above its shape recovery temperature.

[0056] 5A and 5B, the other end of the opening / closing lid 11 is supported by a support shelf 21 that protrudes horizontally from the case 7. A recess 23 is formed at the corner of the connection between the support shelf 21 and the case 7, so that when one end of the opening / closing lid 11 is pushed up by the shape memory alloy member 15, the other end fits into the recess 23. Note that FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 3A, showing a state in which the shape memory alloy member 15 has not yet reached its shape recovery temperature, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 3B, showing a state in which the shape memory alloy member 15 has risen to or above its shape recovery temperature.

[0057] According to the configuration of this embodiment, when the shape memory alloy member 15 is deformed, the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member 15 slides along the back surface of one end of the opening / closing lid 11 and fits removably into the groove 17 formed on the back surface, thereby preventing the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member 15 from falling off when the opening / closing lid 11 is in the open state due to vibrations during driving, etc.

[0058] Furthermore, the other end of the opening / closing lid 11 fits into a recess 23 formed at the corner of the connection between the support shelf 21 and the case 7, preventing the opening / closing lid 11 from falling off the case 7. Note that the other end of the opening / closing lid 11 may be supported on the case 7 by a rotating hinge structure, instead of a structure in which it is placed on the support shelf 21, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0059] 1A, 1B, and 7, the shape memory alloy member 15, which is the opening / closing control unit 13, is installed on the positive terminal 25 side of the battery cell 3. In other words, the opening / closing lid 11 is pushed up by the shape memory alloy member 15 toward the positive terminal 25 side of the battery cell 3.

[0060] The battery cells 3a-3h are arranged in series such that the positive and negative terminals 25 and 27 are alternately positioned at one end and the other end of the battery cells 3 in the alignment direction of the battery cells 3. In the case of this series arrangement, one shape memory alloy member 15 is provided for each battery cell 3a-3h, and is alternately positioned at one end and the other end of each battery cell 3a-3h in the alignment direction of the battery cells 3.

[0061] According to the configuration of this embodiment, the temperature of the battery cell 3 is generally higher on the positive terminal 25 side than on the negative terminal 27 side. Therefore, by arranging the shape memory alloy member 15 on the positive terminal 25 side of the battery cell 3, when the temperature of the battery cell 3 becomes high, the temperature change can be detected quickly and the opening / closing lid 11 can be opened to dissipate heat.

[0062] Furthermore, the ends of the opening and closing covers 11a to 11h that are pushed up and opened by the shape memory alloy members 15 are positioned alternately in the arrangement direction of the battery cells 3, so that heat within the case 7 is dissipated evenly within the case 7.

[0063] Furthermore, since one opening / closing lid 11 is provided for each battery cell 3, heat can be dissipated according to the temperature of each battery cell 3a to 3h, and the inside of the case 7 can be cooled with high precision.

[0064] (Other embodiments) Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the other embodiment, the arrangement of the multiple battery cells 3a-3h is the same as in the first embodiment, but the installation configuration of the opening / closing lid 31 is different. In the other embodiment, the same components as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] Fig. 8 is a top plan view showing the arrangement of battery cells 3a-3h in another embodiment, the placement of shape memory alloy members 15, and the installation state of the opening / closing lid 31. As shown in Fig. 8, the arrangement of the multiple battery cells 3a-3h is a series arrangement in which the positive electrode terminals 25 and the negative electrode terminals 27 are alternately arranged in the horizontal direction of Fig. 8, i.e., in the arrangement direction of the battery cells 3, similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7.

[0066] Of the multiple battery cells 3a-3h, the high temperature cells 3d, 3e which are more likely to rise in temperature are each provided with one opening / closing lid 31b, 31c, and for the other battery cells 3a-3c, 3f-3h, one opening / closing lid 31a is provided for each of the three battery cells 3a-3c, and one opening / closing lid 31d is provided for each of the three battery cells 3f-3h.

[0067] According to the configuration of this other embodiment, in the cell area set for the high temperature side cells 3d, 3e, one opening / closing lid 31b, 31c is provided for each battery cell, so that the heat dissipation effect in the cell area of ​​the high temperature side cells 3d, 3e can be improved. Furthermore, for cells other than the high temperature side cells 3d, 3e, the temperature does not rise as much as the high temperature side cells 3d, 3e, so one opening / closing lid 31a, 31d is provided for each of the three battery cells 3a-3c, 3f-3h, so that the number of opening / closing lids 31 provided can be reduced and the device configuration can be simplified.

[0068] (Another embodiment) Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the battery cells 3a-3h and in the placement of the opening / closing lid 41. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0069] Figure 9 is a top plan view showing the arrangement of battery cells 3a-3h, the placement of shape memory alloy members 15, and the installation state of an opening / closing lid 41 in another embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the arrangement of multiple battery cells 3a-3h has a parallel arrangement in which multiple positive terminals 25 and negative terminals 27 are lined up in the horizontal direction of Figure 9, and one opening / closing lid 41a-41d is installed for each group of parallel battery cells 3Z.

[0070] That is, the battery cells 3a-3h are arranged in parallel such that, for example, two battery cells 3a and 3b, 3c and 3d, 3e and 3f, or 3g and 3h have their positive and negative terminals located on the same side of one end and the other end of the battery cells 3 in the alignment direction of the battery cells 3, and one battery cell group 3Z is formed for every two battery cells arranged in parallel. Furthermore, the multiple battery cell groups 3Z are arranged in series such that the positive and negative terminal groups of the battery cell groups 3Z are alternately located on one end and the other end of the battery cell groups 3Z in the alignment direction of the battery cell groups 3Z. One opening / closing lid 41a-41d is provided for each battery cell group 3Z.

[0071] According to the configuration of this other embodiment, one opening / closing lid 41a-41d is provided for each of the four battery cell groups 3Z consisting of a plurality of battery cells arranged in parallel, so the number of opening / closing lids 41 provided is reduced and the device configuration is simplified, and the opening / closing lids 41a-41d are pushed open alternately at one end and the other end of the battery cell groups 3Z in the arrangement direction of the battery cell groups 3Z, so heat can be dissipated evenly inside the case 7. The number of battery cells arranged in parallel is set appropriately depending on the size of the case 7 and the number of battery cells 3 that make up the battery module 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Battery module device 3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h) battery cell (cell) 5 Battery module (module) 7 Cases 9 Openings 11(11a, 111b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, 11h), 31(31a, 31b, 31c, 31d), 41(41a, 41b, 41c, 41d) Opening cover 12 Cover 13 (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g, 13h) Opening / closing control unit 15 (15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e, 15f, 15g, 15h) Shape memory alloy member 151 Vertical section 152 Side 17 Groove 19 Slope 21 Support shelf 23 Recess 3X hot cell 3Y Medium temperature cell 3Z battery cell group

Claims

1. A battery module device configured by arranging a plurality of cells in parallel, an opening formed in a case that houses the plurality of cells; A plurality of opening / closing covers are provided at the opening portion so as to face the plurality of cells; an opening / closing control unit that is displaced depending on the temperature of the cell to perform an opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover, The opening / closing control unit controls the opening / closing lid for a high-temperature cell, which has a preset internal temperature inside the module, to open wider than the opening / closing lids for cells other than the high-temperature cell.

2. The battery module device described in claim 1, characterized in that the opening / closing control unit is made of a shape memory alloy member and is installed corresponding to a plurality of the opening / closing covers, and the shape memory alloy member of the opening / closing control unit for the high-temperature side cell is larger than the shape memory alloy members of the opening / closing control unit for other cells.

3. The battery module device described in claim 2, characterized in that when the temperature of the cell increases, the shape memory alloy member deforms so as to push up one end of the opening and closing lid, and the shape memory alloy member for the high temperature cell deforms so as to push up one end of the opening and closing lid by a greater amount than the shape memory alloy members for the other cells.

4. 4. The battery module device according to claim 3, wherein a groove is formed on the rear surface of the opening / closing cover into which the deformed end of the shape memory alloy member slides and is detachably fitted.

5. The battery module device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing control unit is disposed on a positive terminal side of the cell.

6. 6. The battery module device according to claim 5, wherein the cells are arranged in series such that positive and negative terminals are alternately positioned at one end and the other end of the cells in an alignment direction of the cells, and the opening / closing lid is provided opposite each cell.

7. 7. The battery module device according to claim 6, wherein in the high temperature side cells, one opening / closing lid is provided for each cell, and in a cell area other than the high temperature side cells, one opening / closing lid is provided for multiple cells.

8. 6. The battery module device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in parallel such that a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal are located on the same side as one end side and the other end side of the cells in a cell alignment direction to form one cell group, the plurality of cell groups are arranged in series such that a group of positive electrode terminals and a group of negative electrode terminals are alternately located on one end side and the other end side of the cell group in the cell group arrangement direction, and one opening / closing lid is provided for each of the cell groups.

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