Battery module

Abstract

To provide a battery module capable of effectively holding and fixing without damaging a battery cell.SOLUTION: A battery module 1 includes a battery cell 30 and a fixing member 10. The fixing member 10 includes claw portions (first claw portion 11a and second claw portion 11b) for fixing the upper end portion or the lower end portion of the battery cell 30. The plurality of claw portions are arranged side by side with a gap in the width direction X of the battery cell 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module including a battery cell and a fixing member. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various batteries that utilize chemical reactions of electrode metals have been put to practical use, one example being the metal-air battery. Metal-air batteries are equipped with an air electrode (positive electrode) and a fuel electrode (negative electrode), and extract and utilize electrical energy obtained during an electrochemical reaction in which metals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, aluminum, sodium, calcium, and lithium are transformed into metal oxides. Metal-air batteries often require the positive and negative electrodes to be replaced depending on usage, and a structure that allows for easy replacement has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-176698 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The battery assembly described in Patent Document 1 includes a positive electrode structure with a space for storing an electrolyte formed between a pair of positive electrode plates, a negative electrode plate placed in the space for storing the electrolyte, and a negative electrode holder attached to the end of the negative electrode plate. The positive electrode structure has an attachment opening for inserting the negative electrode plate, and the negative electrode structure is detachable from the attachment opening. In the battery assembly, the air battery cells are housed in a housing, and are positioned by fitting their lower ends into recesses provided in the housing.

[0005] Recently, laminated batteries using film-based exterior bodies have been developed. Such laminated batteries may change in volume (expand) during charging and discharging. However, if the battery is designed to hold the battery without allowing room for expansion, as in the battery pack described above, there is no escape route, and the exterior body may be damaged, such as torn.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a battery module that can effectively hold and fix battery cells without damaging them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A battery module according to the present invention is a battery module including a battery cell and a fixing member, the battery cell is a metal-air battery cell, and has a film-like exterior body with an opening, and a water-repellent film disposed so as to cover and welded to the opening, and a water-repellent film welding portion where the water-repellent film and the exterior body are welded is provided along the periphery of the opening, The fixing member has a claw portion for fixing the upper end or the lower end of the battery cell, and the claw portion is arranged in a plurality of positions spaced apart in the width direction of the battery cell. the opening is provided along the surface, faces the water-repellent film welding portion, and extends to the boundary between the opening and the water-repellent film welding portion. It is characterized by:

[0010] In the battery module according to the present invention, the claw portion may have a lower claw portion connected to the base of the fixing member and an upper claw portion on the protruding tip side, and the upper claw portion may have a curved surface that abuts against the battery cell.

[0011] In the battery module according to the present invention, the battery cells may be configured such that an exterior welding portion to which the exterior body is welded is provided on the outer edge thereof, and a gap is provided between the lower portion of the claw and the exterior welding portion in the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0012] In the battery module of the present invention, the battery cells may be arranged in a row along their thickness direction, the claw portions may be arranged along each of the opposing surfaces of the battery cells in the thickness direction, and the claw portion provided on one surface of the battery cell and the claw portion provided on the other surface of the battery cell may be arranged in opposing positions across the battery cell.

[0013] In the battery module of the present invention, the battery cells may be arranged in a row along their thickness direction, the claw portions may be arranged along each of the opposing surfaces of the battery cells in the thickness direction, and the claw portions provided on one surface of the battery cells and the claw portions provided on the other surface of the battery cells may be arranged in alternating positions along the width direction.

[0014] In the battery module according to the present invention, the fixing member may have a side wall portion that holds the end portion of the battery cell in the width direction, and the claw portion provided at the end portion in the width direction may be connected to the side wall portion.

[0015] In the battery module according to the present invention, the claw portions may be configured to have an adhesive layer or a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a surface facing the battery cells. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, a plurality of claw portions are provided that are spaced apart, which suppresses expansion of the battery cell while allowing some expansion, thereby enabling the battery cell to be effectively held and fixed without causing damage to the battery cell. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a metal-air battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a metal-air battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing the positional relationship between the metal-air battery cell and the fixing member. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of a metal-air battery cell. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the metal-air battery cell shown in FIG. 4 taken along the arrow AA. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view of a metal-air battery cell. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the metal-air battery cell shown in FIG. 6 taken along the arrow BB. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an opening of a metal-air battery cell in Comparative Example 1. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an opening of a metal-air battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a metal-air battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing the positional relationship between the metal-air battery cell and the fixing member. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic enlarged view showing the vicinity of the lower end of a metal-air battery cell in a metal-air battery module according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic enlarged view showing the vicinity of the lower end of a metal-air battery cell in Comparative Example 2. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic enlarged view showing the vicinity of the lower end of a metal-air battery cell in Comparative Example 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (First embodiment) A metal-air battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a metal-air battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the metal-air battery module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing the positional relationship between the metal-air battery cell and a fixing member. Note that in FIG. 2, the fixing member 10 is hatched to make each component easier to see. Also, FIG. 3 shows the metal-air battery cell 30 and the fixing member 10 in a schematic manner, and only the fixing member 10 provided on the lower side is shown. Furthermore, in FIG. 3, the first claw portion 11a, the second claw portion 11b, and the side wall portion 12 of the fixing member 10 are hatched to make each component easier to see.

[0020] A metal-air battery module 1 (an example of a battery module) according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a metal-air battery cell 30 (an example of a battery cell) and a fixing member 10. In the metal-air battery module 1, the upper and lower ends of the metal-air battery cell 30 are fixed by a pair of fixing members 10. The pair of fixing members 10 are arranged opposite each other in the height direction Z of the metal-air battery module 1. In this embodiment, three metal-air battery cells 30 are arranged side by side in their thickness direction Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this; the number of metal-air battery cells 30 may be set as appropriate, and the size of the fixing member 10 may be adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, in FIG. 1 , in order to clearly show the relationship between the various components, only one metal-air battery cell 30 and the corresponding pair of fixing members 10 are schematically illustrated.

[0021] The metal-air battery cell 30 has a film-like exterior body 31 with an opening 311, and a water-repellent film 37 that is welded and disposed so as to cover the opening 311. The detailed structure of the metal-air battery cell 30 will be described later with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

[0022] A pillar member 13 is disposed between the upper fixing member 10 and the lower fixing member 10, and supports the pair of fixing members 10 with the pillar member 13 sandwiched therebetween. The pillar members 13 are provided at both ends of the metal-air battery module 1 in the width direction X, which is perpendicular to the thickness direction Y.

[0023] Beam members 14 extending in the width direction X are attached to the pillar members 13, and the pillar members 13 are connected to each other by the beam members 14. Note that multiple beam members 14 may be arranged at offset positions in the height direction Z; Fig. 2 shows a configuration with two beam members 14. Because the pair of fixing members 10 are connected by the pillar members 13, the metal-air battery cell 30 can be effectively held and fixed even when there is vertical vibration.

[0024] The side surfaces of the metal-air battery module 1 are open in the portions where the column members 13 and beam members 14 are not provided, and air can be supplied to the metal-air battery cells 30 arranged inside. Note that this is not limiting, and a housing or the like may be provided to cover the surface of the metal-air battery module 1, or openings may be provided on the side surfaces in the width direction X to allow air to enter the interior.

[0025] The fixing member 10 has a base portion located below (or above) the metal-air battery cell 30, claw portions (first claw portion 11a and second claw portion 11b) standing upright from the base portion, and a side wall portion 12.

[0026] The claws are spaced apart in a row in the width direction X along the surface where the opening 311 of the metal-air battery cell 30 is provided. The sidewalls 12 are provided at both ends of the base that face each other in the width direction X and hold the ends of the metal-air battery cell 30 in the width direction X. For ease of explanation, the claws provided at the ends in the width direction X are referred to as first claws 11a, and the other claws are referred to as second claws 11b. The first claws 11a are connected to the sidewalls 12. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, a first claw 11a is provided at each end in the width direction X, and two second claws 11b are provided with a gap between them. The sidewalls 12 can restrict movement of the metal-air battery cell 30 in the width direction X, and the first claws 11a, connected to the sidewalls 12, can increase mechanical strength.

[0027] The side wall portions 12 hold the ends of the metal-air battery cells 30 in the width direction X, and can effectively hold and fix the metal-air battery cells 30 even when there is vibration in the width direction X.

[0028] The claws are arranged along each of the opposing surfaces of the metal-air battery cell 30 in the thickness direction Y. That is, as shown in Fig. 3, the fixing member 10 is provided with multiple rows of claws, each row consisting of first claws 11a and second claws 11b, and the metal-air battery cell 30 is positioned so that it is sandwiched between the two rows of claws. With this configuration, the metal-air battery cell 30 can be effectively held and fixed even if the metal-air battery cell 30 vibrates in the thickness direction Y.

[0029] In the configuration shown in Fig. 3, a row of claws provided on one side of a metal-air battery cell 30 and a row of claws provided on the other side of the metal-air battery cell 30 are arranged at positions facing each other with the metal-air battery cell 30 sandwiched between them. In a metal-air battery module 1, the multiple metal-air battery cells 30 are fixed so that their positions in the width direction X are aligned, and the first claws 11a, second claws 11b, and side wall portions 12 are arranged accordingly. Therefore, the first claws 11a and second claws 11b provided for any one of the metal-air battery cells 30 (for example, the topmost metal-air battery cell 30 in Fig. 3) overlap in position in the width direction X with the first claws 11a and second claws 11b provided for an adjacent metal-air battery cell 30 (for example, the middle metal-air battery cell 30 in Fig. 3).

[0030] In laminate batteries using a film-type exterior body 31, the exterior body easily deforms, which can lead to expansion due to gas generation caused by side reactions in the battery. In particular, in metal-air battery cells 30 using a film-type exterior body, the density of the negative electrode active material changes significantly during charge / discharge reactions in the negative electrode, which can lead to greater battery expansion. In contrast, this embodiment provides multiple spaced-apart claws that suppress expansion of the metal-air battery cell 30 in areas facing the claws while allowing expansion partially in areas not facing the claws. This allows the metal-air battery cell 30 to be effectively held and fixed without damage. Furthermore, because the claws suppress expansion in some areas, they can prevent the areas between the metal-air battery cells 30 that function as air flow paths from being blocked.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a front view of the metal-air battery cell, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the metal-air battery cell shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line AA.

[0032] 4 and 5 show the configuration of a metal-air battery cell 30. The metal-air battery cell 30 has a battery case (exterior member) formed by bonding two resin films 31 (an example of an exterior body). A positive electrode 33, a negative electrode 34, and a separator 36 are housed within the resin film 31, and the resin film 31 is filled with an electrolyte (not shown). An opening 311 is provided in the resin film 31 facing the positive electrode 33, approximately in the center when viewed from the front, and a water-repellent film 37 is disposed to cover the opening 311. A water-repellent film welding portion 312 is provided in the resin film 31 along the periphery of the opening 311, and the outer periphery of the water-repellent film 37 is welded to the water-repellent film welding portion 312. The resin film 31 facing the negative electrode 34 does not have an opening 311.

[0033] Within the resin film 31, the positive electrode 33 and the negative electrode 34 are arranged in this order along the thickness direction Y. That is, the positive electrode 33 is arranged facing a water-repellent film 37 arranged so as to cover the opening 311 of one of the resin films 31, and the negative electrode 34 is arranged facing the other resin film 31. A separator 36 is arranged between the positive electrode 33 and the negative electrode 34. The peripheral edge of the separator 36 may be bonded together with the peripheral edges of the two resin films 31.

[0034] The positive electrode 33 is an air electrode and includes a current collector 331 and a catalyst layer 332 in contact with the current collector 331. A portion of the current collector 331 extends outside the exterior body to form a lead portion 333 of the metal-air battery cell 30. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the current collector 331 as long as it is a material commonly used in the field of metal-air batteries, and it is preferable that the thickness be 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0035] The catalyst layer 332 includes at least an air electrode catalyst. The air electrode catalyst is a catalyst that has at least oxygen reduction ability. Examples of the air electrode catalyst include conductive carbon such as ketjen black, acetylene black, denka black, carbon nanotubes, and fullerene, as well as metals, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and metal sulfides. One or more of these may be used.

[0036] On the air catalyst, a three-phase interface where oxygen gas, water, and electrons coexist can be formed, allowing the discharge reaction to proceed. When the metal-air battery cell 30 is a primary battery, the catalyst layer 332 may contain a catalyst such as manganese dioxide. When the metal-air battery cell 30 is a secondary battery, the catalyst layer 332 may contain not only a catalyst with oxygen reduction ability but also a catalyst with oxygen generation ability, or may contain a catalyst with both oxygen reduction ability and oxygen generation ability. The thickness of the catalyst layer 332 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less.

[0037] The negative electrode 34 is formed by laminating an active material layer 342 on a current collector 341. However, without being limited to this, the current collector 341 and particulate negative electrode active material (e.g., zinc or zinc oxide) may be separately added and laminated. Alternatively, the negative electrode 34 may include the current collector 341 and a colloidal slurry in which particles of the negative electrode active material and an electrolyte are mixed. In the slurry, the ratio of the weight of the electrolyte to the weight of the negative electrode active material is preferably 0.3 to 2.0.

[0038] The negative electrode active material is appropriately selected from materials commonly used in the field of metal-air batteries, and metal species such as cadmium, lithium, sodium, magnesium, lead, zinc, tin, aluminum, and iron can be used. The negative electrode active material is reduced upon charging, so it may be in the form of a metal oxide. The negative electrode active material has an average particle size of 1 nm to 300 μm, more preferably 100 nm to 250 μm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 200 μm.

[0039] In the negative electrode 34 as well, a portion of the current collector 341 extends to the outside of the exterior body, forming a lead portion 343 of the metal-air battery cell 30 .

[0040] The metal-air battery cell 30 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the configurations shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may also be used.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a front view of the metal-air battery cell, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the metal-air battery cell shown in FIG. 6 taken along the arrow BB.

[0042] 6 and 7 show the configuration of a metal-air battery cell 30. The metal-air battery cell 30 has a battery case (exterior member) formed by bonding two resin films 31 (an example of an exterior body). A first positive electrode 33, a negative electrode 34, a second positive electrode 35, and two separators 36 are housed within the resin film 31, and the resin film 31 is filled with an electrolyte (not shown). An opening 311 is provided in the resin film 31 at approximately the center when viewed from the front, and a water-repellent film 37 is disposed to cover the opening 311. A water-repellent film welding portion 312 is provided in the resin film 31 along the periphery of the opening 311, and the outer periphery of the water-repellent film 37 is welded to the water-repellent film welding portion 312.

[0043] Within the resin film 31, the first positive electrode 33, the negative electrode 34, and the second positive electrode 35 are arranged in this order along the thickness direction Y. That is, the first positive electrode 33 is arranged facing one of the resin films 31, and the second positive electrode 35 is arranged facing a water-repellent film 37 that is arranged so as to cover the opening 311 of the other resin film 31. Separators 36 are arranged between the first positive electrode 33 and the negative electrode 34, and between the negative electrode 34 and the second positive electrode 35, respectively. The peripheral edges of the two separators 36 may be bonded together with the peripheral edges of the two resin films 31.

[0044] The negative electrode 34 has substantially the same configuration as that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with a portion of the current collector 341 extending outside the exterior body to form a lead portion 343 of the metal-air battery cell 30.

[0045] The first positive electrode 33 and the second positive electrode 35 may have substantially the same configuration as the positive electrode 33 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The second positive electrode 35 is composed of a current collector 351 and a catalyst layer 352, similar to the first positive electrode 33. A portion of the current collector 331 of the first positive electrode 33 extends outside the exterior body to form a lead portion 333 of the metal-air battery cell 30, and a portion of the current collector 351 of the second positive electrode 35 extends outside the exterior body to form a lead portion 353 of the metal-air battery cell 30.

[0046] When the metal-air battery cell 30 is a primary battery, the catalyst layer 332 and the catalyst layer 352 contain a catalyst having oxygen reduction ability, and when the metal-air battery cell 30 is a secondary battery, the catalyst layer 332 and the catalyst layer 352 may contain not only a catalyst having oxygen reduction ability but also a catalyst having oxygen generation ability, or may contain a catalyst having both oxygen reduction ability and oxygen generation ability.

[0047] Alternatively, the catalyst layer 332 of the first positive electrode 33 may contain a catalyst with oxygen reduction ability, and the catalyst layer 352 of the second positive electrode 35 may contain a catalyst with oxygen generation ability. The catalyst layer 352 may include, for example, a conductive porous support and a charging electrode catalyst supported on the porous support. The charging electrode catalyst is a catalyst (such as nickel) with oxygen generation ability, and promotes a charging reaction when the metal-air battery cell 30 is charged. The catalyst layer 352 may be formed of, for example, foamed nickel.

[0048] When the metal-air battery cell 30 expands internally due to charge / discharge reactions, an expansion pressure is applied from the inside to the exterior body 31. The welding interface between the water-repellent film 37 and the exterior body 31 also comes into contact with the edge of the catalyst layer 332, etc., making it a location that is prone to peeling. Therefore, it is preferable to suppress expansion in locations that are prone to peeling.

[0049] 8 and 9, the relationship between the height of the claws and the water-repellent film welded portion 312 will be described. In FIGS. 8 and 9, a cross section around the opening 311 is shown schematically, with the lower claws 120, first claws 11a, and second claws 11b hatched for easy viewing of each component. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower claws 120 are set to a height that does not reach the water-repellent film welded portion 312. In the structure shown in FIG. 8, the water-repellent film 37 and the positive electrode 33 may peel off near the water-repellent film welded portion 312 due to internal expansion of the metal-air battery cell 30, for example.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , the height of the claws extending from the base is set so that they do not reach the opening 311 from the edge of the metal-air battery cell 30, and they face the water-repellent film weld 312. That is, it is desirable that the claws be positioned so that they face at least the water-repellent film weld 312. On the other hand, if the claws are extended and positioned so that they face the opening 311, there is a risk that the air supply to the opening 311 may be obstructed. Therefore, it is desirable that the claws are positioned so that they do not face the opening 311. More preferably, it is desirable that the claws be extended to the boundary between the opening 311 and the water-repellent film weld 312. Therefore, the portion of the metal-air battery cell 30 facing the claws can reliably suppress deformation at the water-repellent film weld 312. Furthermore, it is desirable that the side wall 12 be the same height as the claws so as not to obstruct the air supply path to the metal-air battery cell 30.

[0051] 2 shows a configuration in which claws are provided on both the fixing member 10 that fixes the upper end and the fixing member 10 that fixes the lower end, but this is not limited to this, and claws may be provided on only one of the fixing members 10. In the metal-air battery cell 30, electrolyte and the like tend to accumulate at the bottom due to its own weight and expand, so it is more preferable that claws be provided on the fixing member 10 that fixes the lower end.

[0052] In the first embodiment, a metal-air battery cell 30 in which an oxygen reduction reaction occurs in the positive electrode 33 or the first positive electrode 33 is illustrated. However, the present invention can also be applied to a battery cell in which the positive electrode reaction does not involve an oxygen reduction reaction. In this case, a battery case (exterior member) is formed by laminating two resin films 31 (an example of an exterior body), neither of which has an opening. At least one set of a positive electrode 33, a separator 36, and a negative electrode 34 is stacked in this order and housed within the resin film 31, and an electrolyte (not shown) is filled. The negative electrode 34 has a configuration substantially similar to that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with portions of the current collector 331 and the current collector 341 extending outside the exterior body to form the lead portions 333 and 343 of the battery cell. The positive electrode 33 is formed by stacking a positive electrode active material layer on the current collector 331. In the positive electrode 33 as well, a portion of the current collector 331 extends outside the packaging material to form a lead portion 333 of the battery cell.

[0053] However, the present invention is particularly effective when applied to metal-air battery cells, which have a large volume expansion rate due to charge / discharge reactions and require suppression of deformation of the water-repellent film welded portion 312 without interfering with the supply of air to the positive electrode.

[0054] (Second embodiment) Next, a metal-air battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9, so a description of the metal-air battery cells 30 will be omitted and only the fixing member 10 will be described.

[0055] Fig. 10 is a front view showing a metal-air battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 11 is a schematic top view showing the positional relationship between the metal-air battery cells and the fixing members. Note that Fig. 11 shows the metal-air battery cells 30 and fixing members 10 in a schematic manner, and only the fixing member 10 provided on the lower side is shown.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the arrangement of the claw portions is different from that in the first embodiment. Specifically, in the first embodiment, first claw portions 11a are provided at both ends in the width direction X, whereas in the second embodiment, first claw portions 11a are provided only at one end in the width direction X. Then, at the other end, second claw portions 11b are arranged with a gap in the width direction X from the side wall portion 12.

[0057] 11, in this embodiment, the row of claws provided on one side of the metal-air battery cell 30 and the row of claws provided on the other side of the metal-air battery cell 30 are arranged in alternating positions along the width direction X. For example, in FIG. 11, focusing on the topmost metal-air battery cell 30, the row of claws provided along the upper surface of the metal-air battery cell 30 (hereinafter referred to as the upper claw row) has first claws 11a that connect to the right side wall 12. Furthermore, in the row of claws provided along the lower surface of the metal-air battery cell 30 (hereinafter referred to as the lower claw row), the gap between the right side wall 12 and second claws 11b faces the first claws 11a. Similarly, the lower row of claws has a first claw 11a connected to the left side wall 12, and the gap between the left side wall 12 and the second claw 11b faces the first claw 11a in the upper row of claws. Also, the gap between the second claws 11b in the lower row of claws faces the second claws 11b in the upper row of claws. In this way, the claws in the upper row of claws are arranged so that the gaps between the claws face the locations where the claws are provided.

[0058] The same claw arrangement as described above is also applied to the other metal-air battery cells 30. Specifically, in Fig. 11, the lower row of claws for the topmost metal-air battery cell 30 and the upper row of claws for the middle metal-air battery cell 30 are arranged so that the gaps between the claws face the locations where the claws are provided. This positional relationship also applies to the other metal-air battery cells 30.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, a portion with claws and a portion without claws are adjacent between adjacent metal-air battery cells 30. Therefore, even if one metal-air battery cell expands, the expansion of the other metal-air battery cell is suppressed by the claws, and the flow of air between the adjacent metal-air battery cells 30 is not obstructed.

[0060] 11, there are no portions where the claws of the upper row of claws and the lower row of claws face each other, but this is not limiting, and the lengths of the claws in the width direction X may be adjusted so that only the ends of the claws face each other partially. This allows the portions where expansion is suppressed to face each other, making it possible to more reliably achieve a structure that does not obstruct the flow of air.

[0061] (Third embodiment) Next, a metal-air battery module according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the first and second embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 11, so a description of the metal-air battery cells 30 and fixing members 10 will be omitted, and only the main parts of the metal-air battery cells 30 and fixing members 10 will be described.

[0062] FIG. 12 is a schematic enlarged view showing the vicinity of the lower end of a metal-air battery cell in a metal-air battery module according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the claw member (first claw portion 11a or second claw portion 11b) facing the lower end of the metal-air battery cell 30, extracted from the vicinity thereof, and omits the base of the fixing member 10 and other parts for ease of viewing the drawing.

[0064] The metal-air battery cell 30 has an exterior welded portion 313 at its outer edge, where the exterior body 31 is welded. The exterior welded portion 313 corresponds to the end along the outer edge of the metal-air battery cell 30, and is made up of only a part of the separator 36 and the exterior body 31. As a result of the heat applied during welding, this portion is much thinner than the center of the metal-air battery cell 30.

[0065] Looking at the bottom end of the metal-air battery cell 30, the exterior weld 313 provided on the outer edge protrudes downward. Therefore, if the metal-air battery cell 30 were simply supported by a recess 111 that was designed to fit the thickness of the metal-air battery cell 30, as shown in Figure 13, the exterior weld 313 would be bent, and strong stress would be applied to the boundary between the exterior weld 313 and the top of the exterior weld 313, potentially causing it to break.

[0066] In this embodiment, the claws have a two-stage structure with a lower claw portion 11d connected to the base of the fixing member 10 and an upper claw portion 11c on the protruding tip side. The thickness of the lower claw portion 11d is adjusted to provide a gap 10a between the lower claw portion 11d and the exterior weld portion 313 in the thickness direction Y. This allows the metal-air battery cell 30 to abut against the upper claw portion 11c above the exterior weld portion 313, and the exterior weld portion 313 is inserted into the gap 10a below it so as not to come into contact with the lower claw portion 11d. By providing the lower claw portion 11d and holding the metal-air battery cell 30 so as not to come into contact with the exterior weld portion 313, stress applied to the weak exterior weld portion 313 can be prevented from breaking.

[0067] The metal-air battery cell 30 is covered with a film-like exterior body 31 and has a welded outer edge, so the thickness gradually decreases toward the outer edge, with the upper part of the exterior welded part 313 having a curved surface. If such a metal-air battery cell 30 were supported by a support part 112 with an angular upper end, as shown in Figure 14, the contact area of ​​the metal-air battery cell 30 with the support part 112 would be small, resulting in the application of strong localized stress.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, the surface of the claw upper part 11c that comes into contact with the metal-air battery cell 30 is curved. By making the claw upper part 11c a curved surface in this way, there are no sharp corners that could damage the exterior body 31 of the metal-air battery cell 30, and the claw upper part 11c comes into contact with the metal-air battery cell 30, preventing damage to the exterior body.

[0069] Furthermore, an adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may be provided on the surface of the claw portion (particularly the claw upper portion 11c) that faces the metal-air battery cell 30. By adhering / sticking the metal-air battery cell 30 to the claw portion in this way, movement of the metal-air battery cell 30 can be further suppressed.

[0070] The adhesive layer is preferably an adhesive layer made of a solvent-free adhesive material such as an epoxy resin, acrylic resin, or silicone rubber, which is unlikely to deteriorate the resin film 31 during the bonding process. The adhesive layer is preferably an adhesive layer made of an acrylic adhesive, silicone adhesive, urethane adhesive, or rubber adhesive. Among these examples, it is desirable to use an acrylic adhesive, which can achieve strong adhesion, or butyl rubber, which has excellent water resistance. Because it takes time to bond the metal-air battery cell 30 and the exterior body 31, it is preferable to provide an adhesive layer.

[0071] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims. Furthermore, all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Metal-air battery module (an example of a battery module) 10 Fixing member 11a First claw portion (example of claw portion) 11b Second claw portion (an example of a claw portion) 11c Top of the nail 11d Undernail 12 Side wall 13 Column members 14 Beam member 30 Metal-air battery cell (example of a battery cell) 31 Resin film (an example of an exterior body) 311 Aperture 312 Water-repellent film welding part 313 Exterior welded part 37 Water-repellent film X Width direction Y thickness direction Z height direction

Claims

1. A battery module including a battery cell and a fixing member, the battery cell is a metal-air battery cell, and has a film-like exterior body with an opening, and a water-repellent film disposed so as to cover and welded to the opening, and a water-repellent film welding portion where the water-repellent film and the exterior body are welded is provided along the periphery of the opening, the fixing member has a claw portion that fixes an upper end or a lower end of the battery cell, The claws are arranged in a row at intervals in the width direction of the battery cell, are provided along the surface on which the opening is provided, face the water-repellent film welding portion, and extend to the boundary between the opening and the water-repellent film welding portion. A battery module comprising:

2. The battery module according to claim 1, The claw portion has a lower claw portion connected to a base portion of the fixing member and an upper claw portion on a protruding tip side, The upper part of the claw has a curved surface that comes into contact with the battery cell. A battery module comprising:

3. The battery module according to claim 2, The battery cell has an exterior welding portion at its outer edge, to which the exterior body is welded; A gap is provided between the lower part of the claw and the exterior welded part in the thickness direction of the battery cell. A battery module comprising:

4. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The battery cells are arranged in a plurality of rows along their thickness direction, the claw portions are arranged along opposing surfaces of the battery cell in the thickness direction, The claw portion provided on one side of the battery cell and the claw portion provided on the other side of the battery cell are arranged at positions facing each other with the battery cell in between. A battery module comprising:

5. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The battery cells are arranged in a plurality of rows along their thickness direction, the claw portions are arranged along opposing surfaces of the battery cell in the thickness direction, The claws provided on one side of the battery cell and the claws provided on the other side of the battery cell are arranged at positions that are staggered along the width direction. A battery module comprising:

6. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the fixing member has a side wall portion that holds an end portion of the battery cell in the width direction, The claws provided at the ends in the width direction are connected to the side wall portions. A battery module comprising:

7. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The claw portion has an adhesive layer or a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the surface facing the battery cell. A battery module comprising:

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