Voltage detection unit and energy storage device

Abstract

To provide a voltage detection unit that is excellent in workability for conductive connection with an object to be detected.SOLUTION: A voltage detection unit 805 includes: a voltage detection terminal 810 that has a first point 812a to be conductively connected to a detection target 804; a plate-shaped housing 840 that has a terminal accommodating recess portion 842 in which the voltage detection terminal 810 is accommodated; a cover 830 that can be engaged with the housing 840 at a first temporary locking position at which the first point 812a of the voltage detection terminal 810 accommodated in the terminal accommodating recess portion 842 is not covered and a full locking position at which the first point 812a is covered; and an electric wire 820 that is conductively connected to the voltage detection terminal 810 and drawn out to the outside of the housing 840. The housing 840 has: a guide portion 854 that guides the cover 830 toward the first temporary locking position; and a first wall portion 841b against which the cover 830 can abut when the cover 830 is located at the first temporary locking position in a moving direction in which the cover 830 is moved from the guide portion 854 toward the first temporary locking position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 50

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a voltage detection unit configured such that a voltage detection terminal to be conductively connected to a detection target is accommodated in a plate-shaped housing, and a power storage device using the voltage detection unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a stacked power storage device has been proposed, which is configured to connect a plurality of power storage modules in series via a conductive plate by alternately arranging and repeatedly stacking a charge-dischargeable thin plate-shaped power storage module and a conductive plate. A power storage module used in this type of power storage device generally has a structure in which a plurality of battery cells are built therein and functions as one charge-dischargeable battery. In one of the conventional power storage devices, in order to monitor the output state of each power storage module (that is, the potential of the output surface of each power storage module with respect to a reference zero potential; hereinafter, also simply referred to as "the voltage of the power storage module"), a detection terminal such as a bus bar is connected to the conductive plate in contact with the output surface of each power storage module, and the voltage of each power storage module is measured via this detection terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when actually connecting busbars, etc., to the conductive plates in an energy storage device having the structure described above, it is difficult to secure space for other connecting parts (for example, bolts for fastening) because the energy storage modules and conductive plates have a thin plate shape. Therefore, in the conventional energy storage device described above, insertion holes for inserting detection terminals are provided on the side edges of the conductive plates, and the detection terminals are connected to the conductive plates by inserting the detection terminals into the insertion holes of each conductive plate from the side of the laminate formed by stacking the energy storage modules and conductive plates. However, with this conventional connection method, it is difficult to improve the workability of the connection work because aligning the insertion holes of the conductive plates with the detection terminals is complicated when inserting the detection terminals.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a voltage detection unit that offers excellent workability in conductive connection with the object to be detected, and an energy storage device using the voltage detection unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the voltage detection unit and energy storage device according to the present invention are characterized by the following:

[0007] A voltage detection terminal having a first point that will be electrically connected to the object to be detected, A plate-shaped housing having a terminal housing recess in which the voltage detection terminal is housed, A cover that can be locked to the housing at a first temporary locking position that does not cover the first location of the voltage detection terminal housed in the terminal housing recess, and a permanent locking position that covers the first location, A wire is electrically connected to the second location of the voltage detection terminal and is drawn out toward the outside of the housing, A voltage detection unit comprising, The aforementioned housing is A guide portion that guides the cover from the outside toward the first temporary locking position, In the direction of movement when the cover is guided and moves toward the first temporary locking position, the cover has a first wall portion to which it can abut when the cover is in the first temporary locking position, It must be a voltage detection unit.

[0008] A plate-shaped conductive module having the voltage detection unit and a conductive plate as a detection target to which the voltage detection terminal is electrically connected, A rechargeable energy storage module on which the conductive modules are stacked, It is a power storage device equipped with the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the voltage detection unit of the present invention, the voltage detection terminal to which the electric wire is connected at a second location is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing, and the cover can be locked to the housing with the first location of the voltage detection terminal exposed. Therefore, when electrically connecting the voltage detection unit to a detection target (for example, a conductive plate used in a stacked energy storage device), for example, the voltage detection unit can be assembled to the detection target, and then the exposed first location of the voltage detection terminal can be fixed to the detection target using methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. This eliminates the need for other connecting parts compared to typical bolt fastening, and makes alignment between the two easier and reduces contact resistance at the contact point compared to the conventional connection method described above. Furthermore, after connecting the detection target and the voltage detection terminal, if the cover is placed in this locking position, the first location of the voltage detection terminal (i.e., the contact point between the two) can be covered and protected by the cover.

[0010] When attaching the cover to the housing, the voltage detection unit described above allows, for example, the cover to be moved from outside the housing via a guide towards a first temporary locking position and locked in that position. After connecting the detection target and the voltage detection terminal with the cover in the first temporary locking position, the cover can then be moved to the permanent locking position. Here, as the cover is guided by the guide towards the first temporary locking position, when the cover reaches the first temporary locking position, it will come into contact with the first wall. This contact between the cover and the first wall of the housing prevents the cover from moving excessively beyond the first temporary locking position. Therefore, for example, it is possible to avoid the cover obstructing the connection between the detection target and the voltage detection terminal by mistakenly moving the cover, which should be placed in the first temporary locking position, to another position (e.g., the permanent locking position).

[0011] Furthermore, by stacking a conductive module with a voltage detection unit attached to a conductive plate to be detected, and a rechargeable energy storage module, it becomes possible to manufacture the stacked type of energy storage device described above.

[0012] Thus, the voltage detection unit and energy storage device according to the present invention offer excellent workability in conductive connection with the object to be detected. Furthermore, compared to the conventional energy storage device described above, the voltage detection unit and energy storage device according to the present invention are less prone to variations in contact resistance at the contact points between the object to be detected and the voltage detection terminal due to manufacturing tolerances, and therefore offer superior voltage detection accuracy.

[0013] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by referring to the attached drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments," in particular the eighth embodiment described later). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the first embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1A-1A of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part 1B of Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a top view showing a housing in which a voltage detection terminal and a voltage wire are accommodated, and a cover. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part in a temperature detection unit, and is a figure corresponding to Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a top view showing a housing and a temperature detection sensor. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a temperature detection sensor. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1C-1C of Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a stacked power storage device including a voltage detection unit according to the second embodiment, with a part thereof disassembled. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2A-2A of Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an enlarged view of part 2B of Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a top view showing a housing in which a voltage detection terminal, a voltage wire, and a temperature detection sensor are accommodated, and a cover. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection sensor and is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2C-2C of Figure 12. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a figure corresponding to Figure 13 in a housing in which a temperature detection sensor is accommodated. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a figure showing a modified example of a temperature detection sensor and is a figure corresponding to Figure 13. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the temperature detection sensor shown in Figure 15 and is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2D-2D of Figure 12. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a figure showing a modified example of a routing method of a temperature wire and is a figure corresponding to Figure 12. [Figure 18]Figure 18 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the third embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3A-3A in Figure 18. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is an enlarged view of section 3B in Figure 19. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminal and voltage wires, and the cover. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the fourth embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4A-4A in Figure 22. [Figure 24] Figure 24 is an enlarged view of section 4B of Figure 23. [Figure 25A] Figure 25A is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminal, voltage wire, and temperature detection sensor, as well as the cover. [Figure 25B] Figure 25B is a top view showing a housing containing voltage detection terminals and voltage wires, and a temperature detection sensor. [Figure 26A] Figure 26A is a diagram corresponding to Figure 23 in a voltage detection unit having a temperature detection sensor. [Figure 26B] Figure 26B shows a modified example of the flange portion of a conductive plate and is an enlarged view of section 4C of Figure 26A. [Figure 27] Figure 27 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the fifth embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 28] Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of line 5A-5A in Figure 27. [Figure 29] Figure 29 is an enlarged view of section 5B in Figure 28. [Figure 30] Figure 30 is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage sensing terminals and the cover. [Figure 31] Figure 31 is a perspective view showing the conductive plate and the temperature sensing sensor. [Figure 32] Figure 32 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the sixth embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 33] Figure 33 is a perspective view showing the voltage sensing unit and the thermal conductive sheet. [Figure 34] Figure 34 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6A-6A in Figure 32. [Figure 35] Figure 35 is an enlarged view of section 6B of Figure 33. [Figure 36] Figure 36 is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminal and voltage wires, and the cover. [Figure 37] Figure 37 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the temperature sensing unit, and corresponds to Figure 34. [Figure 38] Figure 38 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the seventh embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 39] Figure 39 is a cross-sectional view of line 7A-7A in Figure 38. [Figure 40] Figure 40 is an enlarged view of section 7B of Figure 39. [Figure 41] Figure 41 is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminal and voltage wires, and the cover. [Figure 42] Figure 42 is a perspective view showing the housing and the temperature sensing sensor. [Figure 43] Figure 43 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure for holding temperature-sensitive wires in the housing. [Figure 44] Figure 44 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the eighth embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 45] Figure 45 is a cross-sectional view of line 8A-8A in Figure 44. [Figure 46] Figure 46 is an enlarged view of section 8B of Figure 45. [Figure 47] Figure 47 is an exploded perspective view of the voltage detection unit shown in Figure 44. [Figure 48]Figure 48 is a top view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminals and wires, and the cover. [Figure 49] Figure 49 is a bottom view showing the housing containing the voltage detection terminals and wires, and the cover. [Figure 50] Figure 50 is a bottom view showing the cover locked to the housing in the first temporary locking position. [Figure 51] Figure 51 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 50, taken along the line 8C-8C. [Figure 52] Figure 52 is a bottom view showing the cover locked to the housing in the second temporary locking position. [Figure 53] Figure 53 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8D-8D in Figure 52. [Figure 54] Figure 54 is a bottom view showing the cover locked to the housing in the locking position. [Figure 55] Figure 55 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8E-8E in Figure 54. [Figure 56] Figure 56 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the ninth embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 57] Figure 57 is a cross-sectional view of line 9A-9A in Figure 56. [Figure 58] Figure 58 is an enlarged view of section 9B in Figure 57. [Figure 59] Figure 59 is an exploded perspective view of the voltage detection unit shown in Figure 56. [Figure 60] Figure 60 is a perspective view of the cover from below. [Figure 61] Figure 61 is a perspective view showing the cover in a temporarily locked position to the housing. [Figure 62] Figure 62 is a top view showing the cover in a temporarily locked position to the housing. [Figure 63] Figure 63 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 62, taken at the 9C-9C line. [Figure 64] Figure 64 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9D-9D in Figure 62. [Figure 65]Figure 65 is a top view showing the cover locked to the housing in its final locking position. [Figure 66] Figure 66 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9E-9E in Figure 65. [Figure 67] Figure 67 is a perspective view showing a stacked energy storage device, including a voltage detection unit according to the 10th embodiment, with a portion of it disassembled. [Figure 68] Figure 68 is a cross-sectional view of line 10A-10A in Figure 67. [Figure 69] Figure 69 is an enlarged view of section 10B of Figure 68. [Figure 70] Figure 70 is an exploded perspective view of the voltage detection unit shown in Figure 67. [Figure 71] Figure 71 is a top view showing the entire cover in the open position. [Figure 72] Figure 72 is a perspective view showing the cover in a temporarily locked state. [Figure 73] Figure 73 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10C-10C in Figure 72. [Figure 74] Figure 74 is a perspective view showing the cover in its fully locked state. [Figure 75] Figure 75 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10D-10D in Figure 74. [Figure 76] Figure 76 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the battery stack according to the 11th embodiment. [Figure 77] Figure 77 is an exploded perspective view of the first plate-shaped member shown in Figure 76. [Figure 78] Figure 78 is an exploded perspective view of the second plate-shaped member shown in Figure 76. [Figure 79] Figure 79 is an exploded perspective view of a battery stack plate having the connection terminals shown in Figure 78. [Figure 80] Figure 80 is a plan view of the insulating housing shown in Figure 79. [Figure 81] Figure 81(a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state immediately before the insulating housing shown in Figure 80 is assembled to the conductive plate, and Figure 81(b) is a view of the cross section from 11A-11A in Figure 81(a). [Figure 82]Figure 82(a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the intermediate state of assembling the insulating housing shown in Figure 80 to the conductive plate, and Figure 82(b) is a view of the cross section from arrow 11B-11B in Figure 82(a). [Figure 83] Figure 83(a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the completed state in which the insulating housing shown in Figure 80 is assembled to the conductive plate, and Figure 83(b) is a view of the cross section from 11C-11C in Figure 83(a). [Figure 84] Figure 84 is a perspective view of a battery stack plate for reference purposes. [Figure 85] Figure 85 is a perspective view of the first plate-shaped member according to the twelfth embodiment. [Figure 86] Figure 86 is an exploded perspective view of the battery stack plate having the battery temperature sensor shown in Figure 85. [Figure 87] Figure 87 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view of a key part showing the intermediate stage of assembling the thermistor element into the insulating housing shown in Figure 86. [Figure 88] Figure 88 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the thermistor element potted in the sensor housing portion of the insulating housing shown in Figure 87. [Figure 89] Figure 89 is an exploded perspective view of a battery stack plate having a battery temperature sensor according to a reference example. [Figure 90] Figure 90 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the intermediate stage of assembling the thermistor element into the thermistor case of the battery temperature sensor shown in Figure 89. [Figure 91] Figure 91 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the thermistor element potted in the thermistor case shown in Figure 90. [Figure 92] Figure 92 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the completed state in which the battery temperature sensor shown in Figure 91 has been assembled into the sensor housing of the insulating housing. [Figure 93] Figure 93 is an exploded perspective view of a battery stack plate having connection terminals according to the 13th embodiment. [Figure 94] Figure 94 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the insulating housing shown in Figure 93. [Figure 95] Figure 95 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the insulating housing shown in Figure 94. [Figure 96] Figure 96 is an enlarged perspective view of the main parts showing the intermediate stage of assembling the connection terminals into the insulating housing shown in Figure 93. [Figure 97] Figure 97 is a view of the section 13A-13A in Figure 96. [Figure 98] Figure 98 is an enlarged perspective view of the main parts showing the completed state with the connection terminals assembled to the insulating housing shown in Figure 93. [Figure 99] Figure 99 is a view of the section 13B-13B in Figure 98. [Figure 100] Figure 100 is a perspective view of the second plate-shaped member according to the 14th embodiment. [Figure 101] Figure 101 is a perspective view showing the insulating housing of the dummy battery stack plate shown in Figure 100, formed by extrusion molding and cutting. [Figure 102] Figure 102 is a view of the section 14A-14A in Figure 101. [Figure 103] Figure 103 is a perspective view illustrating the packaging and transport state of a battery stack plate having connection terminals according to the 15th embodiment. [Figure 104] Figure 104 is a perspective view of the battery stack plate shown in Figure 103 with the wires and connectors removed from the insulating housing. [Figure 105] Figure 105 is a perspective view of the connector for the battery stack plate shown in Figure 104, viewed from below and opposite the insulating housing. [Figure 106] Figure 106 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the wires housed in the wire housing section of the battery stack plate shown in Figure 103. [Figure 107] Figure 107 is a view of the section 15A-15A in Figure 103. [Figure 108] Figure 108 is a view of the section 15B-15B in Figure 103. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] <First Embodiment> The invention embodied as the first embodiment relates to a temperature detection unit and an energy storage device equipped with the temperature detection unit. Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the temperature detection unit (i.e., the opposing unit 106) and the voltage detection unit 105 used together with the opposing unit 106 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8.

[0016] For the sake of clarity, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" are defined below, as shown in Figure 1, etc. The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The left-right direction corresponds to the "direction that the side surface of the housing faces." The front-back direction corresponds to the "crossing direction."

[0017] The voltage sensing unit 105 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 101, as shown in Figure 1. The energy storage device 101 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 102 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 103 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 102 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 101, multiple energy storage modules 102 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 103. Each energy storage module 102 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 102 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the conductive module 103 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 104 (the conductive plate 104 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 105 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 104, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 106 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 104. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conductive plate 104 and the voltage detection unit 105 are connected by fitting together a flange portion 104a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 104 and a recess 105a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 105. The conductive plate 104 and the opposing unit 106 are connected by fitting together a flange portion 104b extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the conductive plate 104 and a recess 106a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the opposing unit 106.

[0019] In each conductive module 103 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 102, the conductive plate 104 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 102, as shown in Figure 2. Therefore, the conductive plate 104 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 102 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 102, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 102 to the outside.

[0020] In each conductive module 103 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 102, the voltage detection unit 105 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 110 (see Figure 2, etc.) that contacts the conductive plate 104, as described later. The voltage detection unit 105 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 102 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 102 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 120 (see Figure 1, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 110. In Figures 1 to 3, the voltage detection unit 105 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 104, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 105 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 104. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 105 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 105) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 105.

[0021] In each conductive module 103 located between adjacent energy storage modules 102, the opposing unit 106 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 101.

[0022] If the opposing unit 106 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 106 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 105 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 105 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 105 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 104, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 105 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 104. The opposing unit 106 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 105) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 105.

[0023] If the opposing unit 106 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 106a extending in the front-to-back direction is used as the opposing unit 106, as shown in Figure 1. In this case, the opposing unit 106 only serves the function of filling the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 102.

[0024] If the opposing unit 106 is a temperature sensing unit, the opposing unit 106 will have a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor 107 (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit, as shown in Figure 1 (this will be described later). In this case, the opposing unit 106 will output a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 102 via a temperature wire 107b (see Figure 1) connected to the temperature sensing sensor 107.

[0025] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 105 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the voltage detection unit 105 comprises a housing 140, a voltage detection terminal 110 housed in the housing 140, a voltage wire 120 connected to the voltage detection terminal 110 and housed in the housing 140, and a cover 130 mounted on the housing 140.

[0026] The voltage detection terminal 110 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 140, the voltage wire 120 is housed in a wire housing recess 146 (see Figure 4), which will be described later, formed in the housing 140, and the cover 130 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 141 (see Figure 4), which will be described later, formed in the housing 140. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 105 will be described in order below.

[0027] First, the voltage detection terminal 110 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 110 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 110 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 140. As shown in Figure 4, the voltage detection terminal 110 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 111 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 112 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 111, and as a whole it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0028] One end of a voltage wire 120 is electrically connected to the underside of the tip 111a (i.e., the rear end) of the first part 111. The other end of the voltage wire 120 is connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 101. A portion of the flange 104a of the conductive plate 104 is fixed to the underside of the tip 112a (i.e., the right end) of the second part 112 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 3).

[0029] A projection 113 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 112, which protrudes forward. When the voltage detection terminal 110 is housed in the housing 140, the projection 113 is locked into a locking groove 145 (see Figure 4) formed in the housing 140.

[0030] Next, the cover 130 will be described. The cover 130 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left into the cover mounting recess 141 of the housing 140. The cover 130 consists of an opposing portion 131 and an extension portion 132 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 131. The opposing portion 131 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 110, and the extension portion 132 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 120.

[0031] The opposing section 131 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 133 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 134 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 133 that extend in the front-rear direction vertically over the entire front-rear direction. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 131 has a substantially U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 133 consists of a substantially square flat base section 133a connected to the connecting section 134, and a rectangular flat extension section 133b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 133a, and as a whole has a substantially L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 132 extends continuously and flush with the rear end edge of the upper flat plate section 133 (more specifically, the upper base section 133a) of the pair of flat plate sections 133 that constitute the opposing section 131, and has a substantially rectangular flat shape.

[0032] The extension portion 132 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 135 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 135 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 132 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 132. When the cover 130 is attached to the housing 140, the wire-holding pieces 135 serve to hold the voltage wires 120 housed in the housing 140.

[0033] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 133 (more specifically, the lower base portion 133a) of the pair of flat plate portions 133 that constitute the opposing portion 131, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 133. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 140, performs the function of locking the cover 130 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0034] Next, the housing 140 will be described. The housing 140 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 1, etc. A recess 105a is formed on the right end face of the housing 140, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104 will be fitted into the recess 105a (see Figures 2 and 3, etc.).

[0035] On the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 140, cover mounting recesses 141 are formed where the cover 130 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 130 (see Figure 4). The depth of the cover mounting recess 141 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 130 (opposing portion 131 + extension portion 132). Therefore, when the cover 130 is attached to the housing 140, the surface of the housing 140 and the surface of the cover 130 are flush (see Figure 1).

[0036] In the lower surface 141a of the cover mounting recess 141 on the upper side of the housing 140, a terminal housing recess is formed where the voltage detection terminal 110 is housed, having a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 110 and being further recessed. The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 110. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 110 is mounted on the housing 140, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 110 and the lower surface 141a of the cover mounting recess 141 are flush.

[0037] A notch 143 is formed on the right edge of the housing 140 at the front-to-back position where the tip 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 105a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 140 is divided by the notch 143. When the voltage detection terminal 110 is housed in the housing 140, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 are exposed by the notch 143.

[0038] A through-hole 144 is formed in the terminal housing recess where the tip 111a of the voltage detection terminal 110 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction. When the voltage detection terminal 110 is housed in the housing 140, one end (contact) of the voltage wire 120 connected to the voltage detection terminal 110 enters the through-hole 144. In other words, the through-hole 144 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface of the terminal housing recess and one end of the voltage wire 120.

[0039] In the terminal housing recess, a locking groove 145 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 113 (see Figure 4) of the voltage detection terminal 110 is positioned, corresponding to the projection 113 and being recessed forward and communicating with the recess 105a (see Figure 4).

[0040] A wire housing recess 146 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 140 where the voltage wires 120 are housed, having a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 120 when housed there (see Figure 4). The wire housing recess 146 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 147 that extend in a straight line in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a bent section 148 that connects the pair of straight sections 147 and extends while bending to the left. In the wire housing recess 146 (pair of straight sections 147 + bent section 148), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the wire housing recess 146 in the vertical direction.

[0041] The front end of the front straight section 147 of the pair of straight sections 147 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 147 of the pair of straight sections 147 constitutes a wire outlet 149 from which the voltage wire 120 extends from the rear edge of the housing 140. In this way, because the wire housing recess 146 has a bent section 148, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 120 drawn out from the housing 140, the friction between the bent section 148 and the voltage wire 120 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the wire housing recess 146 is composed only of straight sections 147. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 110 and the voltage wire 120.

[0042] Near the boundary between the straight section 147 and the bent section 148, a narrow recess 151 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 147. The width of the narrow recess 151 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 120. Therefore, it functions to clamp the voltage wire 120 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 120 in the pair of narrow recesses 151, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 120 drawn out from the housing 140, the friction between the narrow recess 151 and the voltage wire 120 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 110 and the voltage wire 120. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 120 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 148 and crosses over the bent section 148 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 148).

[0043] On the bottom surface 141a of the cover mounting recess 141 on the upper side of the housing 140, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 135 of the cover 130 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 152 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 135, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 4. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 152 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex 148a (see Figure 4) of the bent portion 148 of the wire housing recess 146 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 152 are located above the bottom surface of the wire housing recess 146.

[0044] Each wire-holding piece recess 152 extends from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 140, across the wire-receiving recess 146, to the right inner wall 141b of the cover mounting recess 141 (see Figure 4). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 152 connect in the right inner wall 141b of the cover mounting recess 141, a storage hole 153 is formed that is recessed to the right (see Figure 4). When the cover 130 is attached to the housing 140, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 135 of the cover 130 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 153.

[0045] On the bottom surface 141a of the cover mounting recess 141 on the lower side of the housing 140, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 130 is located, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order, from left to right with a gap between them. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 105 have now been described.

[0046] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 110 and cover 130 to the housing 140 will be described. First, the voltage detection terminal 110, to which the voltage wire 120 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 140. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 110 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 140 from above, such that the projection 113 enters the locking groove 145 and one end (contact) of the voltage wire 120 enters the through hole 144. When the housing of the voltage detection terminal 110 in the housing 140 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 are exposed by the notch 143.

[0047] Next, the voltage wire 120 extending from the voltage detection terminal 110 housed in the housing 140 is housed in the wire housing recess 146 (a pair of straight sections 147 + a bent section 148) of the housing 140. To do this, the voltage wire 120 is fitted from above along the wire housing recess 146, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 147 and a bent section 148. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 120 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 151, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 120 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 151. When the housing of the voltage wire 120 in the housing 140 is complete, the voltage wire 120 extends outwards from the wire outlet 149 toward the rear of the housing 140.

[0048] Next, the cover 130 is attached to the housing 140. To do this, the cover 130 is attached to the cover mounting recess 141 of the housing 140 from the left, such that the opposing portion 131 of the cover 130 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 141 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 140 from above, the extension portion 132 of the cover 130 covers the cover mounting recess 141 on the upper side of the housing 140, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 135 of the cover 130 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 152 of the housing 140.

[0049] During the process of mounting the cover 130 onto the housing 140, the locking portion of the cover 130 first slides against the housing 140, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 130 is locked to the housing 140 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 130 to the housing 140 and obtaining the voltage detection unit 105. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 105 obtained after the mounting of the cover 130 to the housing 140 (with the cover 130 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used to assemble the conductive module 103 (see Figure 1).

[0050] When the cover 130 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 131 of the cover 130 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 133b) does not cover the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 are still exposed by the notch 143.

[0051] Furthermore, a pair of wire-holding pieces 135 of the cover 130 are positioned on openings in the straight section 147 and part of the bent section 148 of the wire-receiving recess 146. This prevents the voltage wires 120 from coming out of the wire-receiving recess 146. In addition, the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 135 are received in a pair of storage holes 153. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire-holding pieces 135 and unintended deformation that would cause the pair of wire-holding pieces 135 to move away from the wire-receiving recess 146. Furthermore, an extended portion 132 of the cover 130 is positioned on the opening at the bend apex 148a of the bent section 148 of the wire-receiving recess 146. This strongly prevents the voltage wires 120 from coming out of the wire-receiving recess 146 and being routed over the bent section 148 (i.e., shortcutting the bent section 148). In this way, the possibility of a specific malfunction occurring due to the voltage wire 120 coming out of the bent portion 148 of the wire housing recess 146 can be reduced.

[0052] With the cover 130 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 130 further to the left relative to the housing 140 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 135 of the cover 130 to further enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 153, and the locking portion of the cover 130 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 130 is locked to the housing 140 in the permanent locking position.

[0053] When the cover 130 is locked in its locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 141 is covered by the cover 130, and the entire wire housing recess 146 is covered by the extension portion 132 of the cover 130. This prevents the voltage wire 120 from coming out of the wire housing recess 146. Furthermore, the opposing portion 131 of the cover 130 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 133b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 110 is covered by the opposing portion 131 of the cover 130, so that the voltage detection terminal 110 is reliably protected.

[0054] The following describes the specific configuration of the opposing unit 106 according to the first embodiment when it is a temperature detection unit. As shown in Figure 1, the opposing unit 106 comprises a housing 160, a temperature detection sensor 107 housed in the housing 160, and a temperature wire 107b connected to the temperature detection sensor 107. The temperature detection sensor 107 is housed in a sensor housing recess 161 (see Figures 5 and 6) formed in the housing 160, which will be described later. The following describes each component constituting the opposing unit 106, which is a temperature detection unit, in order.

[0055] First, let's describe the housing 160. The housing 160 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape that extends in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 1, etc. A recess 106a is formed on the left end face of the housing 160, which is recessed to the right and extends in the front-to-back direction. The flange portion 104b of the conductive plate 104 will be fitted into the recess 106a (see Figure 5).

[0056] A sensor housing recess 161 is formed in the left-right center of the rear end face of the housing 160, corresponding to the overall shape of the housing 170 of the temperature sensing sensor 107. It extends diagonally towards the front left (approaching the conductive plate 104 as it moves from rear to front) and forms a rectangular parallelepiped recess (see Figure 6). The sensor housing recess 161 penetrates vertically. Therefore, the sensor housing recess 161 has a first opening 161a that opens towards the rear and a second opening 161b that opens in both vertical directions (see Figure 6).

[0057] Multiple protrusions 162 (162a, 162b) are formed on a pair of opposing inner wall surfaces of the sensor housing recess 161, projecting inward in the left-right direction (towards each other) and extending in the front-rear direction (see Figure 6). These protrusions 162 will be inserted into a pair of grooves 171 (see Figure 5) of the temperature sensing sensor 107, which will be described later.

[0058] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 107 will be described. The temperature sensing sensor 107 is typically a thermistor. The temperature sensing sensor 107 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 170 that extends in the front-rear direction, and a sensor element 107a (see Figures 5 and 8) is housed in an element housing section 172 provided in the housing 170, and a temperature wire 107b connected to the sensor element 107a extends from the rear end of the housing 170 toward the rear. The temperature sensing sensor 107 is housed from the rear in a sensor housing recess 161 of the housing 160. The extended end of the temperature wire 107b will be connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 101.

[0059] A pair of grooves 171 (171a, 171b) are formed on the left and right end faces of the housing 170, extending in the front-rear direction, corresponding to a pair of protrusions 162 of the sensor housing recess 161 (see Figures 5 and 7-8). The left groove 171b is formed to communicate with the recess 106a in the front-rear direction, and the flange portion 104b of the conductive plate 104 is fitted into the left groove 171b (see Figure 5).

[0060] The vertical thickness of the housing 170 is equal to the thickness of the roughly rectangular thin plate housing 160. Therefore, when the temperature sensing sensor 107 is mounted on the housing 160, the surface of the housing 160 and the surface of the temperature sensing sensor 107 are flush (see Figure 5).

[0061] At the front end of the bottom surface of the groove 171b on the left side (i.e., the front left corner of the element housing 172), an inclined portion 170a (see Figure 8) is formed, which slopes to the right as it extends from the rear to the front. In other words, the inclined portion 170a has a chamfered (so-called C-chamfered) shape at the front left corner of the element housing 172. Therefore, when the temperature sensing sensor 107 is mounted in the sensor housing recess 161, the inclined portion 170a extends along the front-to-back direction. In addition, the sensor element 107a also has an inclined portion 107aa formed at its front left corner, corresponding to the inclined portion 170a (see Figure 8). The above describes each component constituting the opposing unit 106, which is a temperature sensing unit.

[0062] Next, the procedure for assembling the temperature sensing sensor 107 into the housing 160 will be described. In order to mount the temperature sensing sensor 107 into the housing 160, the temperature sensing sensor 107 is inserted from the rear into the sensor housing recess 161 of the housing 160 such that a pair of protrusions 162 provided in the sensor housing recess 161 are inserted into a pair of grooves 171 provided in the housing 170 of the temperature sensing sensor 107. When the mounting of the temperature sensing sensor 107 into the housing 160 is complete, the temperature wire 107b extends outwards from the first opening 161a of the sensor housing recess 161 toward the rear (see Figure 1). The upper and lower surfaces (planes) of the housing 170 are exposed to the outside through the upper and lower second openings 161b of the sensor housing recess 161 (see Figure 5). Furthermore, when the temperature sensing sensor 107 is installed in the housing 160, the recess 106a and the groove 171b on the left side are in communication in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 5).

[0063] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 103 and the energy storage device 101 (see Figure 1) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 105 obtained after the cover 130 has been attached to the housing 140 (with the cover 130 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 103 (see Figure 1). Specifically, first, the flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104 and the recess 105a of the voltage detection unit 105 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 105 to the left side of the conductive plate 104.

[0064] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 (see Figure 3), and due to the presence of the notch 143 of the housing 140, the upper surface of the tip portion 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104 is exposed downward.

[0065] Next, the upper surface of the tip 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 112a of the voltage detection terminal 110 and a portion of the flange portion 104a of the conductive plate 104 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 130 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 105 and the conductive plate 104 is completed.

[0066] Next, the flange portion 104b of the conductive plate 104, the recess 106a of the opposing unit 106, and the groove portion 171b of the temperature sensing sensor 107 are fitted together (see Figure 5), thereby connecting the opposing unit 106 to the right side of the conductive plate 104 on which the voltage sensing unit 105 is assembled (see Figure 2, etc.). This completes the assembly of the conductive module 103.

[0067] The conductive module 103 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 101 shown in Figure 1. Specifically, the energy storage module 102 and the conductive module 103 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 101 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0068] According to the first embodiment, the sensor housing recess 161 extends diagonally from the rear to the front so as to approach the conductive plate 104. As a result, the front end of the temperature sensing sensor 107 (i.e., the inclined portion 170a) is positioned closer to the conductive plate 104 than in the conventional design. In other words, according to the first embodiment, the temperature sensing sensor 107 is closer to the heat source (especially the central part of the energy storage module 102 (conductive plate 104)) than in the conventional design, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a groove 171b is provided in the housing 170 that communicates with the recess 106a of the housing 160 and fits into the flange portion 104b of the conductive plate 104. As a result, the conductive plate 104 (flange portion 104b) is directly laminated onto the temperature sensing sensor 107. In other words, according to the first embodiment, the heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor 107 is improved compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the housing 170 is provided with an inclined portion 170a and the sensor element 107a is provided with an inclined portion 107aa, and these inclined portions 170a and 107aa extend so as to be substantially parallel to the flange portion 104b when the opposing unit 106 (temperature detection unit) is connected to the conductive plate 104. As a result, the contact area between the sensor element 107a and the flange portion 104b is increased, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance compared to conventional designs.

[0071] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the first embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the first embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the first embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0072] Here, the features of the above-mentioned temperature detection unit and energy storage device embodiments are briefly summarized and listed below in [1-1] to [1-4].

[0073] [1-1] A plate-shaped housing (160) having recesses (106a) on the side surface (left end surface) of the conductive plates (104b) which are arranged between multiple stacked energy storage modules (102), and A temperature sensing sensor (107) is mounted on the housing (160) and measures the temperature of the energy storage module (102), A temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106) equipped with, The housing (160) is provided with a sensor housing recess (161) in which the temperature sensing sensor (107) is housed. On one end face of the housing (160) facing in the direction intersecting the direction (front-rear direction) with the direction facing the side surface of the plate (left-right direction), an opening (first opening 161a) is provided for extending a temperature wire (107b) connected to the temperature sensing sensor (107) outwards. The sensor housing recess (161) is Extending diagonally from one side (rear side) toward the other side (front side) in the aforementioned intersecting direction, approaching the conductive plate (104), Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106).

[0074] According to the configuration described in [1-1] above, the sensor housing recess in which the temperature sensing sensor is housed extends diagonally from one side in the intersecting direction towards the conductive plate. As a result, the other end of the temperature sensing sensor in the intersecting direction is positioned closer to the conductive plate than in the conventional configuration. In other words, according to the above configuration, the temperature sensing sensor is closer to the heat source (especially the center of the energy storage module (conductive plate)) than in the conventional configuration, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0075] [1-2] The temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106) described in [1-1] above, The temperature detection sensor (107) is The sensor element (107a) to which the temperature wire (107b) is connected, The housing (170) comprises an element housing (172) in which the sensor element (107a) is housed, and a groove (171b) that communicates with the recess (106a) and fits into the side edge (flange portion 104b), Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106).

[0076] According to the configuration described in [1-2] above, the housing, which contains an element housing section for housing the sensor element, is provided with a groove that communicates with a recess in the housing and fits into the side edge of the conductive plate. As a result, the conductive plate (side edge) is directly laminated onto the temperature sensing sensor. In other words, according to the above configuration, heat is transferred to the temperature sensing sensor more easily than in the conventional configuration, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0077] [1-3] The temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106) described in [1-2] above, At the other end of the bottom surface of the groove (171) and at the other corner of the element housing (172), a first inclined portion (inclined portion 170a) is provided that extends diagonally from one side to the other side away from the conductive plate (104). The first inclined portion (inclined portion 170a) is When the temperature sensing unit (opposing unit 106) is connected to the conductive plate (104), it extends so as to be substantially parallel to the side edge (flange portion 104b), A second inclined portion (inclined portion 107aa) is provided at the other corner of the sensor element (107a), corresponding to the first inclined portion (inclined portion 170a). Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 106).

[0078] According to the configuration described in [1-3] above, the housing is provided with a first inclined portion and the sensor element is provided with a second inclined portion, and the first and second inclined portions extend so as to be substantially parallel to the side edge when the temperature sensing unit is connected to the conductive plate. As a result, the area of ​​contact with the side edge of the sensor element is increased, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance compared to conventional designs.

[0079] [1-4] A power storage device (101) comprising a temperature sensing unit (opposing unit 106) and a conductive module (103) having the conductive plate (104) as described in any one of [1-1] to [1-3] above, and the power storage module (102).

[0080] The configuration described in [1-4] above produces the same effect as described in [1-1] above.

[0081] <Second Embodiment> The invention embodied as a second embodiment relates to a voltage detection unit. Hereinafter, the voltage detection unit 205 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 17, with reference to the drawings.

[0082] The voltage detection unit according to the second embodiment is characterized by the following: A plate-shaped housing having recesses on its side surface that fit into the side edges of conductive plates, which are placed between multiple stacked energy storage modules, A voltage detection terminal housed in the aforementioned housing and electrically connected to the energy storage module, A temperature sensing sensor mounted in the housing for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module, A voltage detection unit comprising, The housing is provided with a sensor assembly portion into which the temperature sensing sensor is mounted, and a terminal housing recess communicating with the sensor assembly portion and housing the voltage sensing terminal. The temperature detection sensor is Sensor element and A heat collecting plate connected to the aforementioned sensor element, In the state in which the voltage detection terminal is fully housed in the terminal housing recess, the device has a pressing portion that presses a part of the voltage detection terminal against the heat collecting plate. Voltage detection unit.

[0083] In the second embodiment, when the voltage detection terminal is fully housed in the terminal housing recess, a portion of the voltage detection terminal is pressed against the heat collecting plate connected to the sensor element by the pressing portion. As a result, heat generated from the energy storage module is transferred to the temperature detection sensor via the voltage detection terminal and the heat collecting plate. In other words, the second embodiment provides superior heat transfer to the temperature detection sensor compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0084] For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 9, we define "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0085] The voltage sensing unit 205 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 201, as shown in Figure 9. The energy storage device 201 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 202 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 203 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 202 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 201, multiple energy storage modules 202 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 203. Each energy storage module 202 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 202 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0086] As shown in Figure 9, the conductive module 203 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 204 (the conductive plate 204 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 205 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 204, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 206 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 204. As shown in Figures 9 to 10, the conductive plate 204 and the voltage detection unit 205 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 204a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 204 and a recess 205a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 205. The conductive plate 204 and the opposing unit 206 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 204b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 204, and a recess 206a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 206.

[0087] In each conductive module 203 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 202, the conductive plate 204 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 202, as shown in Figure 10. Therefore, the conductive plate 204 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 202 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 202, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 202 to the outside.

[0088] In each conductive module 203 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 202, the voltage detection unit 205 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 210 (see Figure 10, etc.) which will be described later and contacts the conductive plate 204. The voltage detection unit 205 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 202 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 202 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 220 (see Figure 9, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 210. In Figures 9 to 11, the voltage detection unit 205 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 204, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 205 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 204. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 205 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 205) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 205.

[0089] In each conductive module 203 located between adjacent energy storage modules 202, the opposing unit 206 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 201.

[0090] If the opposing unit 206 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 206 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 205 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 205 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 205 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 204, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 205 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 204. The opposing unit 206 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 205) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 205.

[0091] If the opposing unit 206 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 206a extending in the front-to-back direction is used as the opposing unit 206, as shown in Figure 9. In this case, the opposing unit 206 only serves the function of filling the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 202.

[0092] If the opposing unit 206 is a temperature sensing unit, then, as shown in Figure 9, the opposing unit 206 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit. In this case, the opposing unit 206 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 202 via a temperature wire connected to the temperature sensing sensor.

[0093] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 205 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 12, the voltage detection unit 205 comprises a housing 240, a voltage detection terminal 210 housed in the housing 240, a voltage wire 220 connected to the voltage detection terminal 210 and housed in the housing 240, a temperature detection sensor 207 assembled to the housing 240 and connected to the voltage detection terminal 210, a temperature wire 207b connected to the sensor element 207a of the temperature detection sensor 207 and housed in the housing 240, and a cover 230 mounted on the housing 240.

[0094] The voltage detection terminal 210 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 240, the voltage wire 220 is housed in a voltage wire housing recess 246 (see Figure 12), which will be described later, formed in the housing 240, the temperature detection sensor 207 is assembled to a sensor assembly section 256 (see Figure 12), which will be described later, formed in the housing 240, the temperature wire 207b is housed in a temperature wire housing recess 254 (see Figure 12), which will be described later, formed in the housing 240, and the cover 230 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 241 (see Figure 12), which will be described later, formed in the housing 240. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 205 will be described in order below.

[0095] First, the voltage detection terminal 210 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 210 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 210 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 240. As shown in Figure 12, the voltage detection terminal 210 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 211 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 212 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 211, and as a whole, it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0096] One end of a voltage wire 220 is electrically connected to the underside of the tip 211a (i.e., the rear end) of the first section 211. The other end of the voltage wire 220 is connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 201.

[0097] A projection 213 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 212, which protrudes forward. When the voltage detection terminal 210 is housed in the housing 240, the projection 213 is inserted into the second box portion 272 of the temperature detection sensor 207, which is assembled to the housing 240, and is press-fitted between the press-fit projection 274 and the heat collecting plate 207c (see Figure 14).

[0098] Next, the cover 230 will be described. The cover 230 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left into the cover mounting recess 241 of the housing 240. The cover 230 consists of an opposing portion 231 and an extension portion 232 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 231. The opposing portion 231 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 210, and the extension portion 232 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 220.

[0099] The opposing section 231 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 233 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 234 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 233 that extend in the front-rear direction vertically over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 231 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 233 consists of a roughly square flat base section 233a connected to the connecting section 234, and a rectangular flat extension section 233b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 233a, and as a whole has a roughly L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 232 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate section 233 (more specifically, the upper base section 233a) of the pair of flat plate sections 233 that constitute the opposing section 231, and has a roughly rectangular flat shape.

[0100] The extension portion 232 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 235 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 235 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 232 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 232. When the cover 230 is attached to the housing 240, the wire-holding pieces 235 serve to hold the voltage wire 220 and the temperature wire 207b housed in the housing 240.

[0101] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 233 (more specifically, the lower base portion 233a) of the pair of flat plate portions 233 that constitute the opposing portion 231, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 233. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 240, performs the function of locking the cover 230 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0102] Next, the housing 240 will be described. The housing 240 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 9, etc. A recess 205a is formed on the right end face of the housing 240, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204 will be fitted into the recess 205a (see Figure 10, etc.).

[0103] On the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 240, cover mounting recesses 241 are formed where the cover 230 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 230 (see Figure 12). The depth of the cover mounting recesses 241 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 230 (opposing portion 231 + extension portion 232). Therefore, when the cover 230 is attached to the housing 240, the surface of the housing 240 and the surface of the cover 230 are flush (see Figure 9).

[0104] A terminal housing recess is formed in the bottom surface 241a of the cover mounting recess 241 on the upper side of the housing 240, where the voltage detection terminal 210 is housed, and which has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 210 and is further recessed (see Figure 12). The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 210. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 210 is mounted on the housing 240, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 210 and the bottom surface 241a of the cover mounting recess 241 are flush.

[0105] A notch 243 is formed on the right edge of the housing 240 at the front-to-back position where the tip 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 205a extending in the front-to-back direction on the left end face of the housing 240 is divided by the notch 243. When the voltage detection terminal 210 is housed in the housing 240, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 are exposed by the notch 243.

[0106] A through-hole 244 is formed in the terminal housing recess where the tip 211a of the voltage detection terminal 210 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction. When the voltage detection terminal 210 is housed in the housing 240, one end (contact) of the voltage wire 220 connected to the voltage detection terminal 210 enters the through-hole 244. In other words, the through-hole 244 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface of the terminal housing recess and one end of the voltage wire 220.

[0107] At the front-to-back position of the temperature sensing sensor 207 on the left edge of the housing 240, a sensor assembly portion 256 is formed that has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the temperature sensing sensor 207 and is recessed to the right so as to be roughly rectangular when viewed from above (see Figure 12). The sensor assembly portion 256 is formed in communication with the recess 205a and the terminal housing recess.

[0108] A recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 220 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 240 where the voltage wires 220 are housed, and the recessed area has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 220 when they are housed (see Figure 12). The recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 246 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 247 that extend in a straight line in the front-rear direction and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and a bent section 248 that connects the pair of straight sections 247 and extends while bending to the left. In the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 246 (pair of straight sections 247 + bent section 248), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 246.

[0109] The front end of the front straight section 247 of the pair of straight sections 247 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 247 of the pair of straight sections 247 constitutes a wire outlet 249 from which the voltage wire 220 extends from the rear edge of the housing 240. In this way, because the voltage wire housing recess 246 has a bent section 248, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 220 drawn out from the housing 240, the friction between the bent section 248 and the voltage wire 220 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the voltage wire housing recess 246 is composed only of straight sections 247. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 210 and the voltage wire 220.

[0110] Near the boundary between the straight section 247 and the bent section 248, a narrow recess 251 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 247. The width of the narrow recess 251 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 220. Therefore, it functions to clamp the voltage wire 220 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 220 in the pair of narrow recesses 251, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 220 drawn out from the housing 240, the friction between the narrow recess 251 and the voltage wire 220 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 210 and the voltage wire 220. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 220 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 248 and crosses over the bent section 248 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 248).

[0111] In the region rearward from the sensor assembly portion 256, a temperature wire housing recess 254a is formed on the upper surface of the housing 240 where the temperature wire 207b is housed, having a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the temperature wire 207b when it is housed (see Figure 12). The temperature wire housing recess 254a is a groove located to the left of the voltage wire housing recess 246 and extending in the front-rear direction. In the temperature wire housing recess 254a, the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the temperature wire housing recess 254 in the vertical direction.

[0112] The temperature wire housing recess 254a is provided with a number of narrow recesses 255, which are narrower in width (spacing in the left-right direction) than the temperature wire housing recess 254a. The width of the narrow recesses 255 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the temperature wire 207b. Therefore, they serve the function of clamping the temperature wire 207b while pressing it in the left-right direction.

[0113] Furthermore, in the region in front of the sensor assembly portion 256, a temperature wire housing recess 254b is formed on the left end face of the housing 240, recessed to the right and extending in the front-rear direction (see Figures 12 and 17). Retaining ribs may be formed on a pair of vertically opposing inner wall surfaces of the temperature wire housing recess 254b, projecting inward in the vertical direction (towards each other) and extending in the front-rear direction.

[0114] As shown in Figure 12, at the bottom surface 241a of the cover mounting recess 241 on the upper side of the housing 240, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 of the cover 230 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 252 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 235, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 252 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex 248a (see Figure 12) of the bent portion 248 of the voltage wire housing recess 246 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 252 are located above the bottom surfaces of the voltage wire housing recess 246 and the temperature wire housing recess 254a.

[0115] Each wire retaining piece recess 252 extends horizontally from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 240, across the voltage wire housing recess 246 and the temperature wire housing recess 254a, to the right inner wall 241b of the cover mounting recess 241 (see Figure 12). At the point where the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 252 connect in the right inner wall 241b of the cover mounting recess 241, a recessed storage hole 253 is formed, which is recessed to the right (see Figure 12). When the cover 230 is mounted on the housing 240, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 of the cover 230 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 253.

[0116] On the bottom surface 241a of the cover mounting recess 241 on the lower side of the housing 240, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 230 is positioned, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order, from left to right, with a gap between them.

[0117] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 207 will be described. The temperature sensing sensor 207 is typically a thermistor. As shown in Figure 13, the temperature sensing sensor 207 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 270 that extends in the left-right direction. The housing 270 is integrally composed of a first box portion 271 in which the sensor element 207a is housed, and a second box portion 272 that protrudes to the right from the upper region of the right end wall of the first box portion 271. The second box portion 272 has a smaller vertical thickness than the first box portion 271 and is formed with an opening at the rear. A heat collecting plate 207c is placed on the lower inner wall of the second box portion 272 so as to contact (or connect to) the sensor element 207a, and a press-fit projection 274 that protrudes downward is formed on the upper inner wall 273 of the second box portion. A temperature wire insertion opening 275 is formed on the front and rear end faces of the left region of the housing 270 (specifically, the first box section 271), penetrating in the front-to-rear direction. A temperature wire 207b connected to the sensor element 207a extends from the temperature wire insertion opening 275 toward the front (see Figure 12) or rear (see Figure 17) (see Figure 12). The temperature detection sensor 207 is assembled from the left to the sensor assembly section 256 of the housing 240. The extended end of the temperature wire 207b is connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 201. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 205 have been described above.

[0118] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 210 and cover 230 to the housing 240 will be described. First, the temperature detection sensor 207 is assembled to the sensor assembly section 256 from the left. Then, the temperature wire 207b, which has been previously connected to the sensor element 207a by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is fitted into the temperature wire housing recess 254a or 254b (see Figures 12 and 17). Once the temperature wire 207b has been housed in the housing 240, the temperature wire 207b extends outwards from the housing 240 either forward or backward. The direction in which the temperature wire 207b is drawn out is determined as appropriate.

[0119] Subsequently, the voltage detection terminal 210, to which the voltage wire 220 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 240. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 210 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 240 from above, such that the projection 213 enters the second box portion 272 and one end (contact) of the voltage wire 220 enters the through hole 244. When the housing of the voltage detection terminal 210 in the housing 240 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 are exposed by the notch 243. In this state, the projection 213 is press-fitted between the press-fit projection 274 and the heat collecting plate 207c, and is in direct contact with the heat collecting plate 207c by the press-fit projection 274 (see Figure 14).

[0120] Next, the voltage wire 220 extending from the voltage detection terminal 210 housed in the housing 240 is housed in the voltage wire housing recess 246 (a pair of straight sections 247 + a bent section 248) of the housing 240. To do this, the voltage wire 220 is fitted from above along the voltage wire housing recess 246, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 247 and a bent section 248. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 220 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 251, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 220 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 251. When the housing of the voltage wire 220 in the housing 240 is complete, the voltage wire 220 extends outwards from the wire outlet 249 toward the rear of the housing 240.

[0121] Next, the cover 230 is attached to the housing 240. To do this, the cover 230 is attached to the cover mounting recess 241 of the housing 240 from the left, such that the opposing portion 231 of the cover 230 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 241 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 240 from above, the extension portion 232 of the cover 230 covers the cover mounting recess 241 on the upper side of the housing 240, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 of the cover 230 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 252 of the housing 240.

[0122] During the process of mounting the cover 230 onto the housing 240, the locking portion of the cover 230 first slides against the housing 240, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 230 is locked to the housing 240 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 230 to the housing 240 and obtaining the voltage detection unit 205. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 205 obtained after the mounting of the cover 230 to the housing 240 (with the cover 230 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used to assemble the conductive module 203 (see Figure 9).

[0123] When the cover 230 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 231 of the cover 230 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 233b) does not cover the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 are still exposed by the notch 243.

[0124] Furthermore, a pair of wire retaining pieces 235 of the cover 230 are positioned on the straight portion 247 and the bent portion 248 of the voltage wire housing recess 246, and on the opening of the temperature wire housing recess 254a. This prevents the voltage wire 220 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 246 (and the temperature wire 207b from coming out of the temperature wire housing recess 254). Furthermore, the extended ends of the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 are received in a pair of storage holes 253. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 and unintended deformation that causes the pair of wire retaining pieces 235 to separate from the voltage wire housing recess 246 and the temperature wire housing recess 254a. Furthermore, an extended portion 232 of the cover 230 is positioned on the opening of the bent apex 248a of the bent portion 248 of the voltage wire housing recess 246. This effectively prevents the voltage wire 220 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 246 and being routed across the bent portion 248 (i.e., shortcutting the bent portion 248). In this way, the possibility of specific problems occurring due to the voltage wire 220 coming out of the bent portion 248 of the voltage wire housing recess 246 can be reduced.

[0125] With the cover 230 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 230 further to the left relative to the housing 240 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 235 of the cover 230 to further enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 253, and the locking portion of the cover 230 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 230 is locked to the housing 240 in the permanent locking position.

[0126] When the cover 230 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 241 is covered by the cover 230, so that the entire voltage wire housing recess 246 and the temperature wire housing recess 254a are covered by the extension portion 232 of the cover 230. This prevents the voltage wire 220 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 246 (and the temperature wire 207b from coming out of the temperature wire housing recess 254). Furthermore, the opposing portion 231 of the cover 230 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 233b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 210 is covered by the opposing portion 231 of the cover 230, so that the voltage detection terminal 210 can be reliably protected.

[0127] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 203 and the energy storage device 201 (see Figure 9) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 205 obtained after the cover 230 has been attached to the housing 240 (with the cover 230 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 203 (see Figure 9). Specifically, first, the flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204 and the recess 205a of the voltage detection unit 205 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 205 to the left side of the conductive plate 204.

[0128] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 (see Figure 11), and due to the presence of the notch 243 of the housing 240, the upper surface of the tip portion 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204 is exposed downward.

[0129] Next, the upper surface of the tip 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 212a of the voltage detection terminal 210 and a portion of the flange portion 204a of the conductive plate 204 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 230 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 205 and the conductive plate 204 is completed.

[0130] Next, the flange portion 204b of the conductive plate 204 and the recess 206a of the opposing unit 206 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 206 to the right side of the conductive plate 204 on which the voltage detection unit 205 is assembled (see Figure 10, etc.). This completes the assembly of the conductive module 203.

[0131] The conductive module 203 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 201 shown in Figure 9. Specifically, the energy storage module 202 and the conductive module 203 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 201 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0132] (Example of a temperature detection sensor) The following describes a modified version of the temperature sensing sensor 207. In this modified version of the temperature sensing sensor 207, the vertical thickness of the second box portion 272 is made equivalent to that of the first box portion 271, and a spring portion 276 is provided instead of the press-fit projection 274 (see Figure 15). That is, when the voltage sensing terminal 210 is housed in the housing 240, the projection 213 is inserted between the spring portion 276 and the heat collecting plate 207c, and is in direct contact with the heat collecting plate 207c by the elastic force of the spring portion 276 (see Figure 16).

[0133] According to the second embodiment, when the voltage detection terminal 210 is fully housed in the terminal housing recess, the projection 213 is pressed against the heat collecting plate 207c connected to the sensor element 207a by the press-fit projection 274 (or spring portion 276). As a result, the heat emitted from the energy storage module 202 is transmitted to the temperature detection sensor 207 via the voltage detection terminal 210 and the heat collecting plate 207c. In other words, the second embodiment provides superior heat transfer to the temperature detection sensor 207 compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0134] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the provision of temperature wire housing recesses 254a and 254b allows the temperature wire 207b to be pulled out from both the front and rear directions.

[0135] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the second embodiment is not limited to the second embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the second embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the second embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0136] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the voltage detection unit are briefly summarized and listed below in [2-1].

[0137] [2-1] A plate-shaped housing (240) having recesses (205a) on the side surface of the conductive plates (204a) that are arranged between multiple stacked energy storage modules (202), which are fitted into the side edges (flange portions 204a) of the conductive plates (204), A voltage detection terminal (210) is housed in the housing (240) and is electrically connected to the energy storage module (202), A temperature sensing sensor (207) is mounted on the housing (240) and measures the temperature of the energy storage module (202), A voltage detection unit (205) equipped with, The housing (240) is provided with a sensor assembly portion (256) into which the temperature sensing sensor (207) is assembled, and a terminal housing recess that communicates with the sensor assembly portion (256) and houses the voltage sensing terminal (210). The temperature sensing sensor (207) is Sensor element (207a), A heat collector plate (207c) connected to the sensor element (207a), In the state in which the voltage detection terminal (210) is fully housed in the terminal housing recess, the device has a pressing portion (press-fitting projection 274, spring portion 276) that presses a part of the voltage detection terminal (210) (projection 213) against the heat collecting plate (207c), Voltage detection unit (205).

[0138] According to the configuration described in [2-1] above, when the voltage detection terminal is fully housed in the terminal housing recess, a portion of the voltage detection terminal is pressed against the heat collecting plate connected to the sensor element by the pressing portion. As a result, the heat generated from the energy storage module is transferred to the temperature detection sensor via the voltage detection terminal and the heat collecting plate. In other words, the above configuration provides superior heat transfer to the temperature detection sensor compared to conventional configurations, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0139] <Third Embodiment> The invention embodied as a third embodiment relates to a voltage detection unit. Hereinafter, the voltage detection unit 305 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 21.

[0140] The voltage detection unit according to the third embodiment is characterized by the following: A plate-shaped housing having a recess on one of its shorter sides that fits into the side edge of a conductive plate placed between multiple stacked energy storage modules, A voltage detection terminal housed in the housing and electrically connected to the energy storage module via the conductive plate, A voltage wire connected electrically to the voltage detection terminal, A voltage detection unit comprising, A temperature detection sensor is electrically connected to the aforementioned voltage detection terminal, The system further comprises a temperature wire electrically connected to the temperature sensing sensor, It must be a voltage detection unit.

[0141] In the third embodiment, a temperature detection sensor (including a temperature wire) is connected to a voltage detection terminal that is electrically connected to the energy storage module via a conductive plate. This allows the temperature detection sensor to measure temperature via the voltage detection terminal, which has high heat transfer properties. In other words, the third embodiment offers superior temperature measurement performance compared to the conventional method because it provides better heat transfer to the temperature detection sensor. Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, by connecting a temperature detection sensor to the voltage detection terminal, both voltage and temperature can be detected with a single module.

[0142] For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 18, we define "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0143] The voltage sensing unit 305 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 301, as shown in Figure 18. The energy storage device 301 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 302 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 303 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 302 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 301, multiple energy storage modules 302 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 303. Each energy storage module 302 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the entire energy storage module 302 functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0144] As shown in Figure 18, the conductive module 303 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 304 (the conductive plate 304 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 305 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 304, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 306 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 304. As shown in Figures 18 to 19, the conductive plate 304 and the voltage detection unit 305 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 304a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 304 and a recess 305a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 305. The conductive plate 304 and the opposing unit 306 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 304b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 304, and a recess 306a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 306.

[0145] In each conductive module 303 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 302, the conductive plate 304 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 302, as shown in Figure 19. Therefore, the conductive plate 304 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 302 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 302, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 302 to the outside.

[0146] In each conductive module 303 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 302, the voltage detection unit 305 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 310 (see Figure 19, etc.) that contacts the conductive plate 304, as described later. The voltage detection unit 305 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 302 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 302 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 320 (see Figure 18, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 310. In Figures 18 to 20, the voltage detection unit 305 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 304, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 305 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 304. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 305 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 305) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 305.

[0147] In each conductive module 303 located between adjacent energy storage modules 302, the opposing unit 306 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 301.

[0148] If the opposing unit 306 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 306 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 305 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 305 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 305 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 304, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 305 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 304. The opposing unit 306 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 305) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 305.

[0149] If the opposing unit 306 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 306a extending in the front-rear direction is used as the opposing unit 306, as shown in Figure 18. In this case, the opposing unit 306 serves only to fill the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 302.

[0150] If the opposing unit 306 is a temperature sensing unit, then, as shown in Figure 18, the opposing unit 306 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit. In this case, the opposing unit 306 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 302 via a temperature wire 307b (see Figure 18) connected to the temperature sensing sensor.

[0151] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 305 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 21, the voltage detection unit 305 comprises a housing 340, a voltage detection terminal 310 housed in the housing 340, a voltage wire 320 connected to the voltage detection terminal 310 and housed in the housing 340, a sensor element 307a (a temperature detection sensor, such as a thermistor) connected to the voltage detection terminal 310, a temperature wire 307b connected to the sensor element 307a and housed in the housing 340, and a cover 330 mounted on the housing 340.

[0152] The voltage detection terminal 310 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 340, the voltage wire 320 is housed in a voltage wire housing recess 346 (see Figure 21), which will be described later, formed in the housing 340, the sensor element 307a (see Figure 21) is connected to the tip 311a of the first portion 311 of the voltage detection terminal 310, which will be described later, the temperature wire 307b is housed in a temperature wire housing recess 354 (see Figure 21), which will be described later, formed in the housing 340, and the cover 330 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 341 (see Figure 21), which will be described later, formed in the housing 340. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 305 will be described in order below.

[0153] First, the voltage detection terminal 310 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 310 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 310 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 340. As shown in Figure 21, the voltage detection terminal 310 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 311 extending in the front-rear direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 312 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 311, and as a whole it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0154] A sensor element 307a, to which one end of a voltage wire 320 and one end of a temperature wire 307b are connected, is fixed to the upper surface of the tip portion 311a of the first portion 311 (i.e., the rear end), so as to be electrically connected, and the end of the voltage wire 320 and the sensor element 307a are integrally sealed by a sealing member 380. The other end of the voltage wire 320 will be connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 301. The other end of the temperature wire 307b will be connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 301. For the sealing member 380, for example, a resin mold or potting material may be used.

[0155] A portion of the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 will be fixed to the lower surface of the tip portion 312a of the second portion 312 (i.e., the rightmost end) by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 20). A projection 313 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 312, which protrudes forward. When the voltage sensing terminal 310 is housed in the housing 340, the projection 313 is locked into a locking groove 345 (see Figure 21) formed in the housing 340.

[0156] Next, the cover 330 will be described. The cover 330 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left in the cover mounting recess 341 of the housing 340. The cover 330 consists of an opposing portion 331 and an extension portion 332 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 331. The opposing portion 331 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 310, and the extension portion 332 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 320.

[0157] The opposing section 331 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 333 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 334 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 333 that extend in the front-rear direction in the vertical direction over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 331 has a substantially U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 333 consists of a substantially square flat base section 333a connected to the connecting section 334, and a rectangular flat extension section 333b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 333a, and as a whole has a substantially L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 332 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate section 333 (more specifically, the upper base section 333a) of the pair of flat plate sections 333 that constitute the opposing section 331, and has a substantially rectangular flat shape.

[0158] The extension portion 332 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 335 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 335 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 332 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 332. When the cover 330 is attached to the housing 340, the wire-holding pieces 335 serve to hold the voltage wire 320 and the temperature wire 307b housed in the housing 340.

[0159] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 333 (more specifically, the lower base portion 333a) of the pair of flat plate portions 333 that constitute the opposing portion 331, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 333. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 340, performs the function of locking the cover 330 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0160] Next, the housing 340 will be described. The housing 340 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 18, etc. A recess 305a is formed on the right end face of the housing 340, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 will be fitted into the recess 305a (see Figures 19 and 20, etc.).

[0161] Cover mounting recesses 341 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 340 where the cover 330 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 330 (see Figure 21). The depth of the cover mounting recesses 341 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 330 (opposing portion 331 + extension portion 332). Therefore, when the cover 330 is attached to the housing 340, the surface of the housing 340 and the surface of the cover 330 are flush (see Figure 18).

[0162] In the lower surface 341a of the cover mounting recess 341 on the upper side of the housing 340, a terminal housing recess is formed where the voltage detection terminal 310 is housed, having a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 310 and being further recessed. The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 310. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 310 is mounted to the housing 340, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 310 and the lower surface 341a of the cover mounting recess 341 are flush.

[0163] A notch 343 is formed on the right edge of the housing 340 at the front-to-back position where the tip 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 305a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 340 is divided by the notch 343. When the voltage detection terminal 310 is housed in the housing 340, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 are exposed by the notch 343.

[0164] In the terminal housing recess, a locking groove 345 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 313 of the voltage detection terminal 310 (see Figure 21) is positioned, corresponding to the projection 313, and recessing forward and communicating with the recess 305a (see Figure 21).

[0165] A recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 320 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 340 where the voltage wires 320 are housed, and the recess has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 320 when they are housed (see Figure 21). The recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 346 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 347 that extend in a straight line in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a bent section 348 that connects the pair of straight sections 347 and extends while bending to protrude to the left. In the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 346 (pair of straight sections 347 + bent section 348), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 346.

[0166] The front end of the front straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347 constitutes a wire outlet 349 from which the voltage wire 320 extends from the rear edge of the housing 340. The front straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347 is wider in the left-right direction than the rear straight section 347. In this way, because the voltage wire housing recess 346 has a bent section 348, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 320 drawn out from the housing 340, the friction between the bent section 348 and the voltage wire 320 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the voltage wire housing recess 346 is composed only of straight sections 347. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 310 and the voltage wire 320.

[0167] Near the boundary between the straight section 347 and the bent section 348, a narrow recess 351 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 347. The width of the narrow recess 351 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 320. Therefore, it functions to clamp the voltage wire 320 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 320 in the pair of narrow recesses 351, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 320 drawn out from the housing 340, the friction between the narrow recess 351 and the voltage wire 320 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 310 and the voltage wire 320. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 320 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 348 and crosses over the bent section 348 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 348).

[0168] A temperature wire housing recess 354 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 340 where the temperature wire 307b is housed, and the recess has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the temperature wire 307b when it is housed (see Figure 21). The temperature wire housing recess 354 is a series of grooves consisting of the front straight section 347 of a pair of straight sections 347, which corresponds to the sensor element 307a, and a second straight section 355 which is located to the right of the voltage wire housing recess 346 and extends in a straight line in the front-rear direction from the rear side of the front straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347. In the temperature wire housing recess 354 (the front straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347 + the second straight section 355), the right groove side wall (the wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (the wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the temperature wire housing recess 354 in the vertical direction.

[0169] The front end of the second straight section 355 communicates with the front straight section 347 of the pair of straight sections 347, and the rear end of the second straight section 355 constitutes a wire outlet 356 from which the temperature wire 307b extends from the rear edge of the housing 340. The second straight section 355 is located to the right of the rear straight section 347 and the bent section 348 of the pair of straight sections 347 in the voltage wire housing recess 346, and is spaced apart from them in the left-right direction.

[0170] On the bottom surface 341a of the cover mounting recess 341 on the upper side of the housing 340, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 of the cover 330 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 352 extending in the left-right direction are formed corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 335, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 21. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 352 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex 348a (see Figure 21) of the bent portion 348 of the voltage wire housing recess 346 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 352 are located above the bottom surfaces of the voltage wire housing recess 346 and the temperature wire housing recess 354.

[0171] Each wire-holding piece recess 352 extends horizontally from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 340, across the voltage wire housing recess 346 and the temperature wire housing recess 354, to the right inner wall 341b of the cover mounting recess 341 (see Figure 21). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 352 connect in the right inner wall 341b of the cover mounting recess 341, a recessed storage hole 353 is formed, which is recessed to the right (see Figure 21). When the cover 330 is mounted on the housing 340, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 335 of the cover 330 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 353.

[0172] On the bottom surface 341a of the cover mounting recess 341 on the lower side of the housing 340, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 330 is located, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order from left to right with a gap between them. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 305 have now been described.

[0173] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 310 and cover 330 to the housing 340 will be described. First, the sensor element 307a, to which the voltage wire 320 and temperature wire 307b are connected, is connected to the voltage detection terminal 310 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, and then these are sealed together with the sealing member 380. Then, the voltage detection terminal 310 is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 340. For this purpose, the voltage detection terminal 310 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 340 from above so that the projection 313 enters the locking groove 345. When the housing of the voltage detection terminal 310 in the housing 340 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 are exposed by the notch 343.

[0174] Next, the voltage wire 320 extending from the voltage detection terminal 310 housed in the housing 340 is housed in the voltage wire housing recess 346 (a pair of straight sections 347 + a bent section 348) of the housing 340. To do this, the voltage wire 320 is fitted from above along the voltage wire housing recess 346, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 347 and a bent section 348. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 320 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 351, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 320 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 351. When the housing of the voltage wire 320 in the housing 340 is complete, the voltage wire 320 extends outwards from the wire outlet 349 toward the rear of the housing 340.

[0175] Similarly, the temperature wire 307b extending from the voltage detection terminal 310 (specifically, the sensor element 307a) housed in the housing 340 is housed in the temperature wire housing recess 354 of the housing 340 (the front straight section 347 and the second straight section 355 of the pair of straight sections 347). To this end, the temperature wire 307b is fitted from above along the temperature wire housing recess 354, which is composed of the front straight section 347 and the second straight section 355 of the pair of straight sections 347. Once the temperature wire 307b has been housed in the housing 340, it extends outwards from the wire outlet 356 toward the rear of the housing 340.

[0176] Next, the cover 330 is attached to the housing 340. To do this, the cover 330 is attached to the cover mounting recess 341 of the housing 340 from the left, such that the opposing portion 331 of the cover 330 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 341 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 340 from above, the extension portion 332 of the cover 330 covers the cover mounting recess 341 on the upper side of the housing 340, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 of the cover 330 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 352 of the housing 340.

[0177] During the process of mounting the cover 330 onto the housing 340, the locking portion of the cover 330 first slides against the housing 340, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 330 is locked to the housing 340 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 330 to the housing 340 and obtaining the voltage detection unit 305. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 305 obtained after the mounting of the cover 330 to the housing 340 (with the cover 330 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used for the assembly of the conductive module 303 (see Figure 18).

[0178] When the cover 330 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 331 of the cover 330 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 333b) does not cover the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 are still exposed by the notch 343.

[0179] Furthermore, the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 of the cover 330 are positioned on the openings of the straight portion 347 and the bent portion 348 of the voltage wire housing recess 346, and a portion of the second straight portion 355 of the temperature wire housing recess 354. This prevents the voltage wire 320 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 346, and the temperature wire 307b from coming out of the temperature wire housing recess 354. Furthermore, the extended ends of the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 are received in the pair of storage holes 353. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 and unintended deformation that causes the pair of wire retaining pieces 335 to separate from the voltage wire housing recess 346 and the temperature wire housing recess 354. Furthermore, the extended portion 332 of the cover 330 is positioned on the opening of the bent apex 348a of the bent portion 348 of the voltage wire housing recess 346. This effectively prevents the voltage wire 320 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 346 and being routed across the bent portion 348 (i.e., shortcutting the bent portion 348). In this way, the possibility of specific problems occurring due to the voltage wire 320 coming out of the bent portion 348 of the voltage wire housing recess 346 can be reduced.

[0180] With the cover 330 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 330 further to the left relative to the housing 340 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 335 of the cover 330 to enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 353, and the locking portion of the cover 330 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 330 is locked to the housing 340 in the permanent locking position.

[0181] When the cover 330 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 341 is covered by the cover 330, so that the entire voltage wire housing recess 346 and the temperature wire housing recess 354 are covered by the extension portion 332 of the cover 330. This prevents the voltage wire 320 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 346 and the temperature wire 307b from coming out of the temperature wire housing recess 354. Furthermore, the opposing portion 331 of the cover 330 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 333b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 310 is covered by the opposing portion 331 of the cover 330, so that the voltage detection terminal 310 is reliably protected.

[0182] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 303 and the energy storage device 301 (see Figure 18) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 305 obtained after the cover 330 has been attached to the housing 340 (with the cover 330 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 303 (see Figure 18). Specifically, first, the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 and the recess 305a of the voltage detection unit 305 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 305 to the left side of the conductive plate 304.

[0183] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 (see Figure 20), and due to the presence of the notch 343 of the housing 340, the upper surface of the tip portion 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 is exposed downward.

[0184] Next, the upper surface of the tip 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 312a of the voltage detection terminal 310 and a portion of the flange portion 304a of the conductive plate 304 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 330 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 305 and the conductive plate 304 is completed.

[0185] Next, the flange portion 304b of the conductive plate 304 and the recess 306a of the opposing unit 306 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 306 to the right side of the conductive plate 304 on which the voltage detection unit 305 is assembled (see Figure 19, etc.). This completes the assembly of the conductive module 303.

[0186] The conductive module 303 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 301 shown in Figure 18. Specifically, the energy storage module 302 and the conductive module 303 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 301 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0187] According to the third embodiment, a temperature sensing sensor element 307a (including a temperature wire 307b) is connected to a voltage sensing terminal 310, which is electrically connected to the energy storage module 302 via a conductive plate 304. This allows the sensor element 307a to measure temperature via the voltage sensing terminal 310, which has high heat transfer properties. In other words, the third embodiment provides superior heat transfer to the sensor element 307a (temperature sensing sensor) compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0188] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, by connecting the sensor element 307a to the voltage detection terminal 310, it becomes possible to detect both voltage and temperature with a single module.

[0189] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, the voltage wire 320 and the sensor element 307a, which are electrically connected to the voltage detection terminal 310, are integrally sealed by the sealing member 380, thereby integrating the voltage wire 320 and the temperature wire 307b. As a result, the tensile strength of both wires is superior compared to the case where these two wires are not integrated.

[0190] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the third embodiment is not limited to the third embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the third embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the third embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0191] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the voltage detection unit are briefly summarized and listed below in [3-1] to [3-2].

[0192] [3-1] A plate-shaped housing (340) having a recess (305a) on one side in the shorter direction that fits into the side edge (flange portion 304b) of a conductive plate (304) which is placed between multiple stacked energy storage modules (302), A voltage detection terminal (310) is housed in the housing (340) and is electrically connected to the energy storage module (302) via the conductive plate (304), A voltage wire (320) is electrically connected to the voltage detection terminal (310), A voltage detection unit (305) equipped with, A temperature detection sensor (sensor element 307a) is electrically connected to the voltage detection terminal (310), The system further comprises a temperature wire (307b) electrically connected to the temperature sensing sensor (sensor element 307a), Voltage detection unit (305).

[0193] According to the configuration of [3-1] above, a temperature detection sensor (including a temperature wire) is connected to a voltage detection terminal that will be conductively connected to the power storage module via a conductive plate. Thereby, the temperature detection sensor can measure the temperature via the voltage detection terminal having high heat conductivity. That is, according to the above configuration, compared with the conventional case, the heat transfer property to the temperature detection sensor is excellent, so the temperature measurement performance is excellent. Also, according to the above configuration, by connecting the temperature detection sensor to the voltage detection terminal, it becomes possible to detect the voltage and the temperature in one module.

[0194] [3-2] The voltage detection unit (305) described in [3-1] above, The voltage wire (320) and the temperature detection sensor (sensor element 307a) that are conductively connected to the voltage detection terminal are integrally sealed by a sealing member (380). Voltage detection unit (305).

[0195] According to the configuration of [3-2] above, the voltage wire and the temperature detection sensor that are conductively connected to the voltage detection terminal are integrally sealed by a sealing member, so that the voltage wire and the temperature wire are integrated. Thereby, compared with the case where these two wires are not integrated, the tensile strength of these two wires is excellent.

[0196] <Fourth Embodiment> The invention embodied as the fourth embodiment relates to a voltage detection unit and a conductive module. Hereinafter, the voltage detection unit 405 and the conductive module 403 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 to 26B.

[0197] The voltage detection unit according to the fourth embodiment is characterized by the following. A plate-shaped housing provided with a recess on the plate side surface that will fit into the side edge portion of a conductive plate respectively arranged between a plurality of stacked power storage modules, A voltage wire for voltage detection of the power storage module, A temperature detection sensor for measuring the temperature of the power storage module, A temperature wire connected to the temperature sensing sensor, A voltage detection unit comprising, The temperature detection sensor is A heat-conducting housing is assembled to the sensor assembly portion of the housing and has a recess that fits into the side edge, The housing includes a sensor element housed inside the housing and connected to the temperature wire, The housing is provided with an extended joint to which the voltage wires are connected. It must be a voltage detection unit.

[0198] Furthermore, the conductive module according to the fourth embodiment is characterized by the following: A conductive module comprising the above-mentioned voltage detection unit and the conductive plate, The side edge of the conductive plate is provided with a contact projection that contacts the inner wall of the recess in the housing. It must be a conductive module.

[0199] In the fourth embodiment, the side edge of the conductive plate is fitted into a recess provided in the housing of the temperature sensing sensor, thereby enabling temperature measurement through a heat-conducting housing. In other words, the fourth embodiment offers superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance. Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment, voltage wires are connected to the extended joints provided in the housing, enabling voltage and temperature detection with a single module.

[0200] For the sake of explanation, the terms "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down" are defined below, as shown in Figure 22, etc. The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0201] The voltage sensing unit 405 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 401, as shown in Figure 22. The energy storage device 401 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 402 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 403 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 402 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 401, multiple energy storage modules 402 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 403. Each energy storage module 402 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 402 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0202] As shown in Figure 22, the conductive module 403 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 404 (the conductive plate 404 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 405 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 404, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 406 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 404. As shown in Figures 22 to 23, the conductive plate 404 and the voltage detection unit 405 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 404a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 404 and a recess 405a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 405. The conductive plate 404 and the opposing unit 406 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 404b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 404, and a recess 406a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 406.

[0203] In each conductive module 403 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 402, the conductive plate 404 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 402, as shown in Figure 23. Therefore, the conductive plate 404 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 402 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 402, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 402 to the outside.

[0204] In each conductive module 403 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 402, the voltage detection unit 405 includes a housing 470 (see Figure 23, etc.) for a temperature detection sensor 407 that contacts the conductive plate 404. The voltage detection unit 405 outputs a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 402 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 402 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 420 (see Figure 22, etc.) connected to this housing 470. In Figures 22 to 24, the voltage detection unit 405 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 404, but a voltage detection unit with the same function as the voltage detection unit 405 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 404. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 405 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 405) is used as the voltage detection unit with the same function as the voltage detection unit 405.

[0205] In each conductive module 403 located between adjacent energy storage modules 402, the opposing unit 406 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 401.

[0206] If the opposing unit 406 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 406 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 405 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 405 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 405 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 404, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 405 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 404. The opposing unit 406 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 405) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 405.

[0207] If the opposing unit 406 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 406a extending in the front-to-back direction is used as the opposing unit 406, as shown in Figure 22. In this case, the opposing unit 406 only serves the function of filling the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 402.

[0208] If the opposing unit 406 is a temperature sensing unit, then, as shown in Figure 22, the opposing unit 406 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit. In this case, the opposing unit 406 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 402 via a temperature wire connected to the temperature sensing sensor.

[0209] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 405 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 25, the voltage detection unit 405 comprises a housing 440, a temperature detection sensor 407 assembled to the housing 440, a voltage wire 420 connected to the extended joint portion 476 of the housing 470 (described later) of the temperature detection sensor 407 and housed in the housing 440, a temperature wire 407b connected to the sensor element 407a of the temperature detection sensor 407 and housed in the housing 440, and a cover 430 mounted on the housing 440.

[0210] The temperature sensing sensor 407 is assembled to a sensor assembly portion 456 (see Figure 25B) formed in the housing 440, the voltage wire 420 is housed in a voltage wire housing recess 446 (see Figure 25) formed in the housing 440, the temperature wire 407b is housed in a temperature wire housing recess 454 (see Figure 25) formed in the housing 440, and the cover 430 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 441 (see Figure 25) formed in the housing 440. The components constituting the voltage sensing unit 405 will be described in order below.

[0211] First, the temperature detection sensor 407 will be described. The temperature detection sensor 407 is typically a thermistor. The temperature detection sensor 407 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 470 made of a material with high heat conductivity such as metal and extending in the front-rear direction. A sensor element 407a (see FIG. 25B) is housed inside the housing 470, and a temperature wire 407b connected to the sensor element 407a extends rearward from the rear end of the housing 470. The temperature detection sensor 407 is assembled to a sensor assembly portion 456 (see FIG. 25B) of the housing 440 described later. The extending end portion of the temperature wire 407b will be connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the power storage device 401.

[0212] On the right end face of the housing 470, a recess 471 that is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction is formed corresponding to a recess 405a of the housing 440 described later. The flange portion 404a of the conductive plate 404 will be fitted into the recess 471 (see FIG. 26A). On the front end face of the housing 470, a locking recess (not shown) that is recessed rearward is formed corresponding to a locking convex portion 457 of the housing 440 described later.

[0213] The temperature detection sensor 407 has an extending joint portion 476 that protrudes to the left from the left end face of the housing 470 (see FIG. 25B). The extending joint portion 476 is formed in a plate shape that extends in the front-rear direction corresponding to the housing 470, and one end portion of a voltage wire 420 is fixed to the extending joint portion 476 so as to be electrically connected. The other end portion of the voltage wire 420 will be connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the power storage device 401.

[0214] The thickness of the housing 470 in the vertical direction is equal to the plate thickness of the housing 440 in a substantially rectangular thin plate shape. Therefore, when the temperature detection sensor 407 is mounted on the housing 440, the surface of the housing 440 and the surface of the temperature detection sensor 407 are flush (see FIG. 26A).

[0215] Next, the cover 430 will be described. The cover 430 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left in the cover mounting recess 441 of the housing 440. The cover 430 consists of an opposing portion 431 and an extension portion 432 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 431. The opposing portion 431 mainly serves to cover and protect the extended joint portion 476 of the temperature sensing sensor 407, and the extension portion 432 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 420.

[0216] The opposing portion 431 consists of a pair of identical flat plate portions 433 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting portion 434 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate portions 433 that extend in the front-rear direction vertically over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing portion 431 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate portion 433 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape connected to the connecting portion 434. The extension portion 432 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate portion 433 of the pair of flat plate portions 433 that constitute the opposing portion 431, and has a roughly rectangular shape.

[0217] The extension portion 432 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 435 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 435 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 432 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 432. When the cover 430 is attached to the housing 440, the wire-holding pieces 435 serve to hold the voltage wire 420 and the temperature wire 407b housed in the housing 440.

[0218] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower of the pair of flat plate portions 433 that constitute the opposing portion 431, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 433. This locking portion, in cooperation with the main locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 440, performs the function of locking the cover 430 in the main locking position.

[0219] Next, the housing 440 will be described. The housing 440 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 22, etc. A recess 405a is formed on the right end face of the housing 440, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 404a of the conductive plate 404 will be fitted into the recess 405a (see Figures 23 and 24, etc.).

[0220] On the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 440, cover mounting recesses 441 are formed where the cover 430 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 430 (see Figure 25). The depth of the cover mounting recess 441 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 430 (opposing portion 431 + extension portion 432). Therefore, when the cover 430 is attached to the housing 440, the surface of the housing 440 and the surface of the cover 430 are flush (see Figures 22 and 26A).

[0221] At the front-to-back position of the temperature sensing sensor 407 on the right edge of the housing 440, a sensor mounting portion 456 is formed that has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the temperature sensing sensor 407 and is recessed to the left so as to be approximately rectangular when viewed from above (see Figure 25B). A locking projection 457 that protrudes rearward is formed on the front edge of the sensor mounting portion 456. The recess 405a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 440 is divided by the sensor mounting portion 456. When the temperature sensing sensor 407 is assembled to the housing 440, the recess 405a and the recess 471 are connected in the front-to-back direction.

[0222] A recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 420 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 440 where the voltage wires 420 are housed, and the recessed area has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 420 when they are housed (see Figure 25). The recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 446 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 447 that extend in a straight line in the front-rear direction and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and a bent section 448 that connects the pair of straight sections 447 and extends while bending to protrude to the left. In the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 446 (pair of straight sections 447 + bent section 448), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the recessed area for accommodating voltage wires 446.

[0223] The front end of the front straight section 447 of the pair of straight sections 447 communicates with the sensor assembly section 456, and the rear end of the rear straight section 447 of the pair of straight sections 447 constitutes a wire outlet 449 from which the voltage wire 420 extends from the rear edge of the housing 440. In this way, because the voltage wire housing recess 446 has a bent section 448, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 420 drawn out from the housing 440, the friction between the bent section 448 and the voltage wire 420 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the voltage wire housing recess 446 is composed only of straight sections 447. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the temperature sensing sensor 407 and the voltage wire 420.

[0224] Near the boundary between the straight section 447 and the bent section 448, a narrow recess 451 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 447. The width of the narrow recess 451 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 420. Therefore, it serves the function of clamping the voltage wire 420 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 420 in the pair of narrow recesses 451, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 420 drawn out from the housing 440, the friction between the narrow recess 451 and the voltage wire 420 can resist that external force. Therefore, a large external force is unlikely to be applied to the contact point between the extended joint 476 of the housing 470 and the voltage wire 420. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly prevent the voltage wire 420 from coming out of the bent portion 448 and being routed over the bent portion 448 (i.e., taking a shortcut over the bent portion 448).

[0225] A temperature wire housing recess 454 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 440 where the temperature wire 407b is housed, having a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the temperature wire 407b when it is housed (see Figure 25). The temperature wire housing recess 454 is a groove that extends in a straight line in the front-rear direction. The right groove side wall (the wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (the wall facing right) of the temperature wire housing recess 454 each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove in the vertical direction.

[0226] The front end of the temperature wire housing recess 454 communicates with the sensor assembly portion 456, and the rear end of the temperature wire housing recess 454 constitutes a wire outlet 455 from which the temperature wire 407b extends from the rear edge of the housing 440. The temperature wire housing recess 454 is spaced to the right of the voltage wire housing recess 446 and is arranged substantially parallel to the pair of straight portions 447 in the left-right direction.

[0227] As shown in Figure 25, at the bottom surface 441a of the cover mounting recess 441 on the upper side of the housing 440, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 435 of the cover 430 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 452 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 435, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 452 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex 448a (see Figure 25) of the bent portion 448 of the voltage wire housing recess 446 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 452 are located above the bottom surfaces of the voltage wire housing recess 446 and the temperature wire housing recess 454.

[0228] Each wire retaining piece recess 452 extends horizontally from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 440, across the voltage wire housing recess 446 and the temperature wire housing recess 454, to the right inner wall 441b of the cover mounting recess 441 (see Figure 25). At the point where the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 452 connect in the right inner wall 441b of the cover mounting recess 441, a recessed storage hole 453 is formed, which is recessed to the right (see Figure 26). When the cover 430 is mounted on the housing 440, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire retaining pieces 435 of the cover 430 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 453.

[0229] On the bottom surface 441a of the cover mounting recess 441 on the lower side of the housing 440, at the same front-to-back position as the location where the locking portion of the cover 430 is positioned, a recessed portion that is recessed upward is formed. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 405 have now been described.

[0230] Next, the procedure for assembling the temperature sensor 407 and cover 430 to the housing 440 will be described. First, the voltage wire 420 is connected to the extended joint portion 476 of the temperature sensor 407 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, and then the temperature sensor 407 is assembled to the sensor assembly portion 456 of the housing 440. For this purpose, the temperature sensor 407 is assembled to the sensor assembly portion 456 of the housing 440 so that the locking recess (not shown) of the temperature sensor 407 locks into the locking projection 457 of the housing 440. When the assembly of the temperature sensor 407 to the housing 440 is complete, the recess 471 of the temperature sensor 407 communicates with the recess 405a in the front-rear direction.

[0231] Next, the voltage wire 420 extending from the temperature sensing sensor 407 assembled to the housing 440 is housed in the voltage wire housing recess 446 (a pair of straight sections 447 + a bent section 448) of the housing 440. To do this, the voltage wire 420 is fitted from above along the voltage wire housing recess 446, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 447 and a bent section 448. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 420 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 451, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 420 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 451. When the housing of the voltage wire 420 in the housing 440 is complete, the voltage wire 420 extends outwards from the wire outlet 449 toward the rear.

[0232] Similarly, the temperature wire 407b extending from the temperature sensing sensor 407 (specifically, the sensor element 407a) assembled in the housing 440 is housed in the temperature wire housing recess 454 of the housing 440. For this purpose, the temperature wire 407b is fitted in from above along the temperature wire housing recess 454. Once the temperature wire 407b has been housed in the housing 440, the temperature wire 407b extends outwards from the wire outlet 455 toward the rear of the housing 440.

[0233] Next, the cover 430 is attached to the housing 440. To do this, the cover 430 is attached to the cover mounting recess 441 of the housing 440 from the left, such that the opposing portion 431 of the cover 430 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 441 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 440 from above, the extension portion 432 of the cover 430 covers the cover mounting recess 441 on the upper side of the housing 440, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 435 of the cover 430 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 452 of the housing 440.

[0234] During the process of mounting the cover 430 onto the housing 440, the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 435 of the cover 430 further enter and are stored in the pair of storage holes 453, and the locking portion of the cover 430 first slides into the housing 440, enters the interior of the locking portion, engages with the locking portion, and is pressed against the right side of the locking portion. As a result, the cover 430 is locked to the housing 440 in the locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 430 onto the housing 440, and the voltage detection unit 405 is obtained. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 405 obtained after the mounting of the cover 430 onto the housing 440 will be used to assemble the conductive module 403 (see Figure 22).

[0235] When the cover 430 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 441 is covered by the cover 430, and the entire voltage wire housing recess 446 and temperature wire housing recess 454 are covered by the extension portion 432 of the cover 430. This prevents the voltage wire 420 from coming out of the voltage wire housing recess 446 and the temperature wire 407b from coming out of the temperature wire housing recess 454. Furthermore, the opposing portion 431 of the cover 430 covers the upper surface of the extended joint portion 476 of the temperature sensing sensor 407 (see Figure 26A). This ensures that the voltage wire 420 is securely covered by the opposing portion 431 of the cover 430. In this state, the temperature sensing sensor 407 is exposed to the outside except for the extended joint portion 476.

[0236] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 403 and the energy storage device 401 (see Figure 22) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 405 obtained after the cover 430 has been attached to the housing 440 is used for the assembly of the conductive module 403 (see Figure 22). Specifically, first, the flange portion 404a of the conductive plate 404 and the recess 405a of the voltage detection unit 405 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 405 to the left side of the conductive plate 404, and completing the assembly of the voltage detection unit 405 and the conductive plate 404. In this state, the flange portion 404a of the conductive plate 404 and the recess 471 of the temperature detection sensor 407 are fitted together.

[0237] Next, the flange portion 404b of the conductive plate 404 and the recess 406a of the opposing unit 406 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 406 to the right side of the conductive plate 404 on which the voltage detection unit 405 is assembled (see Figure 23, etc.). This completes the assembly of the conductive module 403.

[0238] The conductive module 403 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 401 shown in Figure 22. Specifically, the energy storage module 402 and the conductive module 403 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 401 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0239] According to the fourth embodiment, the flange portion 404b of the conductive plate 404 is fitted into a recess 471 provided in the housing 470 of the temperature sensing sensor 407, thereby enabling temperature measurement via the heat-conducting housing 470. In other words, the fourth embodiment offers superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor 407 compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0240] Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment, by connecting the voltage wire 420 to the extended joint 476 provided on the housing 470, it becomes possible to detect both voltage and temperature with a single module.

[0241] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the fourth embodiment is not limited to the fourth embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the fourth embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the fourth embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0242] (modified version) In the fourth embodiment, the flange portion 404b of the conductive plate 404 is press-fitted into the recess 471 of the housing 470. However, as shown in Figure 26B, a contact projection 404aa may be provided on the flange portion 404b, and the fitting may be achieved by the contact projection 404aa contacting the inner wall of the recess 471.

[0243] Here, the features of the above-mentioned voltage detection unit and conductive module embodiments are briefly summarized and listed below in [4-1] and [4-2], respectively.

[0244] [4-1] A plate-shaped housing (440) having recesses (405a) on the side surface of the conductive plates (404b) that are arranged between multiple stacked energy storage modules (402), and The voltage wire (420) for voltage detection of the energy storage module (402), A temperature sensing sensor (407) for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module (402), A temperature wire (407b) connected to the temperature sensing sensor (407), A voltage detection unit (405) equipped with, The temperature sensing sensor (407) is A heat-conducting housing (470) is provided with a recess (471) that is assembled to the sensor assembly portion (456) of the housing (440) and fits into the side edge portion (flange portion 404b), The housing (470) has a sensor element (407a) housed inside it and to which the temperature wire (407b) is connected, The housing (470) is provided with an extended joint (476) to which the voltage wire (420) is connected. Voltage detection unit (405).

[0245] According to the configuration described in [4-1] above, the side edge of the conductive plate is fitted into a recess provided in the housing of the temperature sensing sensor, thereby enabling temperature measurement through the heat-conducting housing. In other words, the above configuration provides superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor compared to conventional methods, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance. Furthermore, with the above configuration, voltage wires are connected to the extended joints provided in the housing, enabling voltage and temperature detection with a single module.

[0246] [4-2] A conductive module (403) comprising the voltage detection unit (405) described in [4-1] above and the conductive plate (404), The side edge portion (flange portion 404b) of the conductive plate (404) is provided with a contact projection (404aa) that contacts the inner wall of the recess (471) in the housing (470). Conductive module (403).

[0247] The configuration described in [4-2] above can produce the same effect as described in [4-1] above.

[0248] <Fifth Embodiment> The invention embodied as the fifth embodiment relates to a conductive module. Hereinafter, the conductive module 503 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 31.

[0249] The conductive module according to the fifth embodiment is characterized by the following: A plate-shaped conductive plate is placed between each of the multiple stacked energy storage modules, A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the aforementioned energy storage module, A temperature wire electrically connected to the temperature detection sensor, A conductive module comprising, At least one side surface of the conductive plate in a first direction intersecting the thickness direction is provided with a plurality of sensor housings capable of housing the temperature sensing sensor, The aforementioned plurality of sensor housings are, Each extends in the first direction and is arranged in parallel in the thickness direction and in a second direction intersecting the first direction, It must be a conductive module.

[0250] In the fifth embodiment, the temperature sensing sensor is configured to be housed in a plurality of sensor housings provided on the conductive plate. This allows the temperature sensing sensor to directly measure the heat transmitted from the energy storage module to the conductive plate. In other words, the fifth embodiment offers superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor compared to the conventional method, and also provides superior temperature measurement performance because the temperature sensing sensor is closer to the center of the energy storage module (conductive plate) which is the heat source.

[0251] For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 27, we define "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction corresponds to the "plate thickness direction." The front-back direction also corresponds to the "first direction." The left-right direction also corresponds to the "second direction."

[0252] The voltage sensing unit 505 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 501, as shown in Figure 27. The energy storage device 501 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 502 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 503 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 502 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 501, multiple energy storage modules 502 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 503. Each energy storage module 502 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 502 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0253] As shown in Figure 27, the conductive module 503 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 504 (the conductive plate 504 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 505 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 504, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 506 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 504. As shown in Figures 27 and 28, the conductive plate 504 and the voltage detection unit 505 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 504a extending in the front-rear direction provided on the left end face of the conductive plate 504 and a recess 505a extending in the front-rear direction provided on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 505. The conductive plate 504 and the opposing unit 506 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 504b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 504, and a recess 506a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 506.

[0254] In each conductive module 503 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 502, the conductive plate 504 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 502, as shown in Figure 28. Therefore, the conductive plate 504 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 502 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 502, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 502 to the outside.

[0255] In each conductive module 503 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 502, the voltage detection unit 505 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 510 (see Figure 28, etc.) which will be described later and contacts the conductive plate 504. The voltage detection unit 505 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 502 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 502 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 520 (see Figure 28, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 510. In Figures 27 and 28, the voltage detection unit 505 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 504, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 505 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 504. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 505 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 505) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 505.

[0256] In each conductive module 503 located between adjacent energy storage modules 502, the opposing unit 506 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 501.

[0257] If the opposing unit 506 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 506 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 505 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 505 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 505 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 504, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 505 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 504. The opposing unit 506 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 505) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 505.

[0258] If the opposing unit 506 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 506a extending in the front-to-back direction is used as the opposing unit 506, as shown in Figure 27. In this case, the opposing unit 506 only serves the function of filling the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 502.

[0259] If the opposing unit 506 is a temperature sensing unit, the opposing unit 506 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor (not shown, e.g., a thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit, as shown in Figure 27. In this case, the opposing unit 506 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 502 via a temperature wire connected to the temperature sensing sensor.

[0260] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 505 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 29, the voltage detection unit 505 comprises a housing 540, a voltage detection terminal 510 housed in the housing 540, a voltage wire 520 connected to the voltage detection terminal 510 and housed in the housing 540, and a cover 530 mounted on the housing 540.

[0261] The voltage detection terminal 510 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 540, the voltage wire 520 is housed in a wire housing recess 546 (see Figure 30), which will be described later, formed in the housing 540, and the cover 530 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 541 (see Figure 30), which will be described later, formed in the housing 540. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 505 will be described in order below.

[0262] First, the voltage detection terminal 510 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 510 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 510 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 540. As shown in Figure 30, the voltage detection terminal 510 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 511 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 512 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 511, and as a whole, it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0263] One end of a voltage wire 520 is electrically connected to the underside of the tip 511a (i.e., the rear end) of the first part 511. The other end of the voltage wire 520 is connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 501. A portion of the flange 504a of the conductive plate 504 is fixed to the underside of the tip 512a (i.e., the right end) of the second part 512 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 29).

[0264] A projection 513 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 512, which protrudes forward. When the voltage sensing terminal 510 is housed in the housing 540, the projection 513 is locked into a locking groove 545 (see Figure 30) formed in the housing 540.

[0265] Next, the cover 530 will be described. The cover 530 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left in the cover mounting recess 541 of the housing 540. The cover 530 consists of an opposing portion 531 and an extension portion 532 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 531. The opposing portion 531 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 510, and the extension portion 532 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 520.

[0266] The opposing section 531 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 533 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 534 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 533 that extend in the front-rear direction vertically over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 531 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 533 consists of a roughly square flat base section 533a connected to the connecting section 534, and a rectangular flat extension section 533b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 533a, and as a whole has a roughly L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 532 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate section 533 (more specifically, the upper base section 533a) of the pair of flat plate sections 533 that constitute the opposing section 531, and has a roughly rectangular flat shape.

[0267] The extension portion 532 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 535 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 535 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 532 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 532. When the cover 530 is attached to the housing 540, the wire-holding pieces 535 serve to hold the voltage wires 520 housed in the housing 540.

[0268] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 533 (more specifically, the lower base portion 533a) of the pair of flat plate portions 533 that constitute the opposing portion 531, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 533. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 540, performs the function of locking the cover 530 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0269] Next, the housing 540 will be described. The housing 540 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 27, etc. A recess 505a is formed on the right end face of the housing 540, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504 will be fitted into the recess 505a (see Figure 29, etc.).

[0270] Cover mounting recesses 541 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 540 where the cover 530 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 530 (see Figure 30). The depth of the cover mounting recess 541 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 530 (opposing portion 531 + extension portion 532). Therefore, when the cover 530 is attached to the housing 540, the surface of the housing 540 and the surface of the cover 530 are flush (see Figure 27).

[0271] A terminal housing recess is formed in the bottom surface 541a of the cover mounting recess 541 on the upper side of the housing 540, where the voltage detection terminal 510 is housed, and which has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 510 and is further recessed (see Figure 30). The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 510. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 510 is mounted on the housing 540, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 510 and the bottom surface 541a of the cover mounting recess 541 are flush.

[0272] A notch 543 is formed on the right edge of the housing 540 at the front-to-back position where the tip 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 505a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 540 is divided by the notch 543. When the voltage detection terminal 510 is housed in the housing 540, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 are exposed by the notch 543.

[0273] A through-hole 544 is formed in the terminal housing recess where the tip 511a of the voltage detection terminal 510 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction. When the voltage detection terminal 510 is housed in the housing 540, one end (contact) of the voltage wire 520 connected to the voltage detection terminal 510 enters the through-hole 544. In other words, the through-hole 544 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface of the terminal housing recess and one end of the voltage wire 520.

[0274] In the terminal housing recess, a locking groove 545 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 513 (see Figure 30) of the voltage detection terminal 510 is positioned, corresponding to the projection 513, and recessing forward and communicating with the recess 505a (see Figure 30).

[0275] A wire housing recess 546 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 540 where the voltage wires 520 are housed, and the recess has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 520 when housed therein (see Figure 30). The wire housing recess 546 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 547 that extend in a straight line in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a bent section 548 that connects the pair of straight sections 547 and extends while bending to the left. In the wire housing recess 546 (pair of straight sections 547 + bent section 548), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the wire housing recess 546 in the vertical direction.

[0276] The front end of the front straight section 547 of the pair of straight sections 547 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 547 of the pair of straight sections 547 constitutes a wire outlet 549 from which the voltage wire 520 extends from the rear edge of the housing 540. In this way, because the wire housing recess 546 has a bent section 548, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 520 drawn out from the housing 540, the friction between the bent section 548 and the voltage wire 520 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the wire housing recess 546 is composed only of straight sections 547. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 510 and the voltage wire 520.

[0277] Near the boundary between the straight section 547 and the bent section 548, a narrow recess 551 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 547. The width of the narrow recess 551 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 520. Therefore, it functions to clamp the voltage wire 520 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 520 in the pair of narrow recesses 551, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 520 drawn out from the housing 540, the friction between the narrow recess 551 and the voltage wire 520 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 510 and the voltage wire 520. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 520 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 548 and crosses over the bent section 548 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 548).

[0278] On the bottom surface 541a of the cover mounting recess 541 on the upper side of the housing 540, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 535 of the cover 530 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 552 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 535, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 30. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 552 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex 548a (see Figure 30) of the bent portion 548 of the wire housing recess 546 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 552 are located above the bottom surface of the wire housing recess 546.

[0279] Each wire-holding piece recess 552 extends from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 540, across the wire-receiving recess 546, to the right inner wall 541b of the cover mounting recess 541 (see Figure 30). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 552 connect in the right inner wall 541b of the cover mounting recess 541, a recessed storage hole 553 is formed, which is recessed to the right (see Figure 30). When the cover 530 is mounted on the housing 540, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 535 of the cover 530 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 553.

[0280] On the bottom surface 541a of the cover mounting recess 541 on the lower side of the housing 540, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 530 is located, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order from left to right with a gap between them. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 505 have now been described.

[0281] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 510 and cover 530 to the housing 540 will be described. First, the voltage detection terminal 510, to which the voltage wire 520 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 540. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 510 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 540 from above, such that the projection 513 enters the locking groove 545 and one end (contact) of the voltage wire 520 enters the through hole 544. Once the housing of the voltage detection terminal 510 in the housing 540 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 are exposed by the notch 543.

[0282] Next, the voltage wire 520 extending from the voltage detection terminal 510 housed in the housing 540 is housed in the wire housing recess 546 (a pair of straight sections 547 + a bent section 548) of the housing 540. To do this, the voltage wire 520 is fitted from above along the wire housing recess 546, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 547 and a bent section 548. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 520 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 551, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 520 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 551. When the housing of the voltage wire 520 in the housing 540 is complete, the voltage wire 520 extends outwards from the wire outlet 549 toward the rear of the housing 540.

[0283] Next, the cover 530 is attached to the housing 540. To do this, the cover 530 is attached to the cover mounting recess 541 of the housing 540 from the left, such that the opposing portion 531 of the cover 530 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 541 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 540 from above, the extension portion 532 of the cover 530 covers the cover mounting recess 541 on the upper side of the housing 540, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 535 of the cover 530 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 552 of the housing 540.

[0284] During the process of mounting the cover 530 onto the housing 540, the locking portion of the cover 530 first slides against the housing 540, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 530 is locked to the housing 540 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 530 to the housing 540 and obtaining the voltage detection unit 505. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 505 obtained after the mounting of the cover 530 to the housing 540 (with the cover 530 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used to assemble the conductive module 503 (see Figure 28).

[0285] When the cover 530 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 531 of the cover 530 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 533b) does not cover the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510. Therefore, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 are still exposed by the notch 543.

[0286] Furthermore, a pair of wire-holding pieces 535 of the cover 530 are positioned on openings in the straight section 547 and part of the bent section 548 of the wire-receiving recess 546. This prevents the voltage wire 520 from coming out of the wire-receiving recess 546. In addition, the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 535 are received in a pair of storage holes 553. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire-holding pieces 535 and unintended deformation that would cause the pair of wire-holding pieces 535 to move away from the wire-receiving recess 546. Furthermore, an extended portion 532 of the cover 530 is positioned on the opening at the bend apex 548a of the bent section 548 of the wire-receiving recess 546. This strongly prevents the voltage wire 520 from coming out of the wire-receiving recess 546 and being routed over the bent section 548 (i.e., shortcutting the bent section 548). In this way, the possibility of a specific malfunction occurring due to the voltage wire 520 coming out of the bent portion 548 of the wire housing recess 546 can be reduced.

[0287] With the cover 530 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 530 further to the left relative to the housing 540 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 535 of the cover 530 to further enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 553, and the locking portion of the cover 530 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 530 is locked to the housing 540 in the permanent locking position.

[0288] When the cover 530 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 541 is covered by the cover 530, and the entire wire housing recess 546 is covered by the extension portion 532 of the cover 530. This prevents the voltage wire 520 from coming out of the wire housing recess 546. Furthermore, the opposing portion 531 of the cover 530 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 533b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 510 is covered by the opposing portion 531 of the cover 530, so that the voltage detection terminal 510 is reliably protected.

[0289] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 507 housed in the conductive plate 504 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. First, the sensor housing portion 504c of the conductive plate 504 will be described. The rear end surface of the conductive plate 504 is provided with a plurality of sensor housing portions 504c capable of housing the temperature sensing sensor 507 (see Figure 31). The plurality of sensor housing portions 504c each extend linearly in the front-rear direction and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The plurality of sensor housing portions 504c may be formed as through holes extending from the rear end surface to the front end surface of the conductive plate 504, or they may be formed as grooves recessed forward from the rear end surface of the conductive plate 504. The inner circumferential shape of the plurality of sensor housing portions 504c is formed to correspond to the outer circumferential shape of the housing 570 of the temperature sensing sensor 507.

[0290] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 507 will be described. The temperature sensing sensor 507 is typically a thermistor. The temperature sensing sensor 507 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 570 that extends in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 31), and a sensor element 507a is housed inside the housing 570. A temperature wire 507b connected to the sensor element 507a extends from the rear end of the housing 570 toward the rear. The temperature sensing sensor 507 is housed from the rear in the sensor housing portion 504c of the conductive plate 504. The extended end of the temperature wire 507b is connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 501. The temperature sensing sensor 507 has now been described.

[0291] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 503 and the energy storage device 501 (see Figure 27) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 505 obtained after the cover 530 has been attached to the housing 540 (with the cover 530 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 503 (see Figure 27). Specifically, first, the flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504 and the recess 505a of the voltage detection unit 505 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 505 to the left side of the conductive plate 504.

[0292] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 (see Figure 29), and due to the presence of the notch 543 of the housing 540, the upper surface of the tip portion 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504 is exposed downward.

[0293] Next, the upper surface of the tip 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 512a of the voltage detection terminal 510 and a portion of the flange portion 504a of the conductive plate 504 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 530 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 505 and the conductive plate 504 is completed.

[0294] Next, the flange portion 504b of the conductive plate 504 and the recess 506a of the opposing unit 506 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 506 to the right side of the conductive plate 504 on which the voltage detection unit 505 is assembled (see Figure 27, etc.).

[0295] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 507 is press-fitted into the sensor housing portion 504c of the conductive plate 504 from the rear, thereby housing the temperature sensing sensor 507 in the sensor housing portion 504c. The number of temperature sensing sensors 507 is determined as appropriate, as is the location of the sensor housing portion 504c in which the temperature sensing sensors 507 are housed.

[0296] The conductive module 503 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 501 shown in Figure 27. Specifically, the energy storage module 502 and the conductive module 503 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 501 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0297] According to the fifth embodiment, the temperature sensing sensor 507 is configured to be housed in a plurality of sensor housing sections 504c provided on the conductive plate 504. This allows the temperature sensing sensor 507 to directly measure the heat transmitted from the energy storage module 502 to the conductive plate 504. In other words, the fifth embodiment offers superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor 507 compared to the conventional method, and also provides superior temperature measurement performance because the temperature sensing sensor 507 is closer to the center of the energy storage module 502 (conductive plate 504) which is the heat source.

[0298] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the fifth embodiment is not limited to the fifth embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the fifth embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the fifth embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0299] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the conductive module are briefly summarized and listed below in [5-1] to [5-2].

[0300] [5-1] A plate-shaped conductive plate (504) is placed between each of the multiple stacked energy storage modules (502), A temperature sensor (507) for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module (502), A temperature wire (507b) is electrically connected to the temperature sensing sensor (507), A conductive module (503) equipped with, On at least one side surface of the conductive plate (504) in a first direction intersecting the thickness direction, a plurality of sensor housing portions (504c) capable of housing the temperature sensing sensor (507) are provided. The aforementioned plurality of sensor housings (504c) Each extends in the first direction and is arranged in parallel in the thickness direction and in a second direction intersecting the first direction, Conductive module (503).

[0301] According to the configuration described in [5-1] above, the temperature sensing sensor is configured to be housed in a plurality of sensor housings provided on the conductive plate. This allows the temperature sensing sensor to directly measure the heat transmitted from the energy storage module to the conductive plate. In other words, the above configuration provides superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor compared to conventional methods, and also provides superior temperature measurement performance because the temperature sensing sensor is closer to the center of the energy storage module (conductive plate) which is the heat source.

[0302] [5-2] The conductive module (503) described in [5-1] above, At least one side edge of the conductive plate (504) in the second direction is provided with flange portions (504a, 504b) that can be fitted with the mating unit. Conductive module (503).

[0303] According to the configuration described in [5-2] above, a flange portion is formed on the conductive plate, which allows a mating unit such as a voltage detection unit or a temperature detection unit to be connected to the conductive plate.

[0304] <Sixth Embodiment> The invention embodied as the sixth embodiment relates to a conductive module. Hereinafter, the conductive module 603 according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 32 to 37.

[0305] The conductive module according to the sixth embodiment is characterized by the following: A plate-shaped conductive plate is placed between each of the multiple stacked energy storage modules, A plate-shaped temperature detection unit connected to the side edge of the conductive plate has a temperature detection sensor for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module, A heat conductive sheet is located between the conductive plate, the temperature sensing unit, and the energy storage module. A conductive module comprising, The aforementioned heat conductive sheet is The conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit are attached to the surface of the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit so as to straddle each other. It must be a conductive module.

[0306] In the sixth embodiment, the thermal conductive sheet is positioned between the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit and the energy storage module, and is attached to the surface of the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit so as to straddle the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit. As a result, the heat emitted from the energy storage module is transferred to the temperature sensing sensor of the temperature sensing unit via the thermal conductive sheet. In other words, the sixth embodiment has superior heat transfer performance to the temperature sensing sensor compared to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0307] For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 32, we define "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0308] The voltage sensing unit 605 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 601, as shown in Figure 32. The energy storage device 601 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 602 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 603 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 602 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 601, multiple energy storage modules 602 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 603. Each energy storage module 602 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 602 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0309] As shown in Figure 32, the conductive module 603 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 604 (the conductive plate 604 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 605 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 604, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 606 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 604. As shown in Figures 32 and 34, the conductive plate 604 and the voltage detection unit 605 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 604a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 604 and a recess 605a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 605. The conductive plate 604 and the opposing unit 606 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 604b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 604, and a recess 606a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 606.

[0310] In each conductive module 603 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 602, the conductive plate 604 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 602, as shown in Figure 34. Therefore, the conductive plate 604 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 602 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 602, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 602 to the outside.

[0311] In each conductive module 603 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 602, the voltage detection unit 605 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 610 (see Figure 33, etc.) which will be described later and contacts the conductive plate 604. The voltage detection unit 605 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 602 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 602 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 620 (see Figure 32, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 610. In Figures 32 to 34, the voltage detection unit 605 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 604, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 605 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 604. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 605 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 605) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 605.

[0312] In each conductive module 603 located between adjacent energy storage modules 602, the opposing unit 606 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 601.

[0313] If the opposing unit 606 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 606 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 605 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 605 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 605 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 604, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 605 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 604. The opposing unit 606 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 605) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 605.

[0314] If the opposing unit 606 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 606a extending in the front-rear direction is used as the opposing unit 606, as shown in Figure 32. In this case, the opposing unit 606 only serves the function of filling the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 602.

[0315] If the opposing unit 606 is a temperature sensing unit, the opposing unit 606 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor 607 (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit, as shown in Figure 32 (this will be described later). In this case, the opposing unit 606 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 602 via a temperature wire 607b (see Figure 32) connected to the temperature sensing sensor 607.

[0316] In individual conductive modules 603 located between vertically adjacent energy storage modules 602, if the opposing unit 606 is a temperature sensing unit, the conductive module 603 includes a thermal conductive sheet 608 located between the conductive plate 604, the opposing unit 606, and the energy storage module 602, as shown in Figure 33. The thermal conductive sheet 608 is a known thermal conductive sheet made of a resin such as silicone or acrylic with metal fillers, and is attached to the lower end surfaces of the conductive plate 604 and the opposing unit 606 so as to straddle them. In other words, the thermal conductive sheet 608 is positioned to fill the gap between the conductive plate 604, the opposing unit 606, and the energy storage module 602. For this reason, it is preferable that the thermal conductive sheet 608 is in close contact with the conductive plate 604, the opposing unit 606, and the energy storage module 602, and furthermore, it is preferable that it is formed to conform to the surface shape (such as minute irregularities) of these surfaces.

[0317] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 605 according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in Figure 36, the voltage detection unit 605 comprises a housing 640, a voltage detection terminal 610 housed in the housing 640, a voltage wire 620 connected to the voltage detection terminal 610 and housed in the housing 640, and a cover 630 mounted on the housing 640.

[0318] The voltage detection terminal 610 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 640, the voltage wire 620 is housed in a wire housing recess 646 (see Figure 36), which will be described later, formed in the housing 640, and the cover 630 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 641 (see Figure 36), which will be described later, formed in the housing 640. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 605 will be described in order below.

[0319] First, the voltage detection terminal 610 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 610 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 610 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 640. As shown in Figure 36, the voltage detection terminal 610 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 611 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 612 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 611, and as a whole it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0320] One end of a voltage wire 620 is electrically connected to the underside of the tip 611a (i.e., the rear end) of the first section 611. The other end of the voltage wire 620 is connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 601. A portion of the flange 604a of the conductive plate 604 is fixed to the underside of the tip 612a (i.e., the right end) of the second section 612 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 34).

[0321] A projection 613 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 612, which protrudes forward. When the voltage sensing terminal 610 is housed in the housing 640, the projection 613 is locked into a locking groove 645 (see Figure 35) formed in the housing 640.

[0322] Next, the cover 630 will be described. The cover 630 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left in the cover mounting recess 641 of the housing 640. The cover 630 consists of an opposing portion 631 and an extension portion 632 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 631. The opposing portion 631 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 610, and the extension portion 632 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 620.

[0323] The opposing section 631 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 633 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 634 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 633 that extend in the front-rear direction vertically over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 631 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 633 consists of a roughly square flat base section 633a connected to the connecting section 634, and a rectangular flat extension section 633b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 633a, and as a whole has a roughly L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 632 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate section 633 (more specifically, the upper base section 633a) of the pair of flat plate sections 633 that constitute the opposing section 631, and has a roughly rectangular flat shape.

[0324] The extension portion 632 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 635 that extend in the left-right direction, integrally formed with the extension portion 632 so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 635 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 632 and extends in the left-right direction, further projecting to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 632. When the cover 630 is attached to the housing 640, the wire-holding pieces 635 serve to hold the voltage wires 620 housed in the housing 640.

[0325] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 633 (more specifically, the lower base portion 633a) of the pair of flat plate portions 633 that constitute the opposing portion 631, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 633. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 640, performs the function of locking the cover 630 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0326] Next, the housing 640 will be described. The housing 640 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 32, etc. A recess 605a is formed on the right end face of the housing 640, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604 will be fitted into the recess 605a (see Figures 34 and 35, etc.).

[0327] Cover mounting recesses 641 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 640 where the cover 630 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 630 (see Figure 36). The depth of the cover mounting recesses 641 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 630 (opposing portion 631 + extension portion 632). Therefore, when the cover 630 is attached to the housing 640, the surface of the housing 640 and the surface of the cover 630 are flush (see Figure 32).

[0328] A terminal housing recess is formed in the bottom surface 641a of the cover mounting recess 641 on the upper side of the housing 640, where the voltage detection terminal 610 is housed, and which has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 610 and is further recessed (see Figure 36). The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 610. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 610 is mounted on the housing 640, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 610 and the bottom surface 641a of the cover mounting recess 641 are flush.

[0329] A notch 643 is formed on the right edge of the housing 640 at the front-to-back position where the tip 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 605a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 640 is divided by the notch 643. When the voltage detection terminal 610 is housed in the housing 640, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 are exposed by the notch 643.

[0330] A through-hole 644 is formed in the terminal housing recess where the tip 611a of the voltage detection terminal 610 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction. When the voltage detection terminal 610 is housed in the housing 640, one end (contact) of the voltage wire 620 connected to the voltage detection terminal 610 enters the through-hole 644. In other words, the through-hole 644 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface of the terminal housing recess and one end of the voltage wire 620.

[0331] In the terminal housing recess, a locking groove 645 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 613 of the voltage detection terminal 610 (see Figure 36) is positioned, corresponding to the projection 613, and recessing forward and communicating with the recess 605a (see Figure 35).

[0332] A wire housing recess 646 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 640 where the voltage wires 620 are housed, and the recess has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 620 when they are housed there (see Figure 36). The wire housing recess 646 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 647 that extend in a straight line in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a bent section 648 that connects the pair of straight sections 647 and extends while bending to protrude to the left. In the wire housing recess 646 (pair of straight sections 647 + bent section 648), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the wire housing recess 646 in the vertical direction.

[0333] The front end of the front straight section 647 of the pair of straight sections 647 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 647 of the pair of straight sections 647 constitutes a wire outlet 649 from which the voltage wire 620 extends from the rear edge of the housing 640. In this way, because the wire housing recess 646 has a bent section 648, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 620 drawn out from the housing 640, the friction between the bent section 648 and the voltage wire 620 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the wire housing recess 646 is composed only of straight sections 647. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 610 and the voltage wire 620.

[0334] Near the boundary between the straight section 647 and the bent section 648, a narrow recess 651 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 647. The width of the narrow recess 651 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 620. Therefore, it serves the function of clamping the voltage wire 620 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 620 in the pair of narrow recesses 651, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 620 drawn out from the housing 640, the friction between the narrow recess 651 and the voltage wire 620 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 610 and the voltage wire 620. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 620 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 648 and crosses over the bent section 648 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 648).

[0335] As shown in Figure 35, at the bottom surface 641a of the cover mounting recess 641 on the upper side of the housing 640, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 635 of the cover 630 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 652 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 635, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 652 are positioned so as to sandwich the bending apex 648a (see Figure 36) of the bent portion 648 of the wire housing recess 646 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 652 are located above the bottom surface of the wire housing recess 646.

[0336] Each wire-holding piece recess 652 extends horizontally from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 640, across the wire-receiving recess 646, to the right inner wall 641b of the cover mounting recess 641 (see Figure 36). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 652 connect in the right inner wall 641b of the cover mounting recess 641, a storage hole 653 is formed that is recessed to the right (see Figure 36). When the cover 630 is mounted on the housing 640, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 635 of the cover 630 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 653.

[0337] On the bottom surface 641a of the cover mounting recess 641 on the lower side of the housing 640, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 630 is located, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order from left to right with a gap between them. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 605 have now been described.

[0338] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 610 and cover 630 into the housing 640 will be described. First, the voltage detection terminal 610, to which the voltage wire 620 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 640. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 610 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 640 from above, such that the projection 613 enters the locking groove 645 and one end (contact) of the voltage wire 620 enters the through hole 644. Once the voltage detection terminal 610 has been housed in the housing 640, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 are exposed by the notch 643.

[0339] Next, the voltage wire 620 extending from the voltage detection terminal 610 housed in the housing 640 is housed in the wire housing recess 646 (a pair of straight sections 647 + a bent section 648) of the housing 640. To do this, the voltage wire 620 is fitted from above along the wire housing recess 646, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 647 and a bent section 648. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 620 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 651, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 620 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 651. When the housing of the voltage wire 620 in the housing 640 is complete, the voltage wire 620 extends outwards from the wire outlet 649 toward the rear of the housing 640.

[0340] Next, the cover 630 is attached to the housing 640. To do this, the cover 630 is attached to the cover mounting recess 641 of the housing 640 from the left, such that the opposing portion 631 of the cover 630 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 641 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 640 from above, the extension portion 632 of the cover 630 covers the cover mounting recess 641 on the upper side of the housing 640, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 635 of the cover 630 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 652 of the housing 640.

[0341] During the process of mounting the cover 630 onto the housing 640, the locking portion of the cover 630 first slides against the housing 640, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 630 is locked to the housing 640 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 630 to the housing 640 and obtaining the voltage detection unit 605. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 605 obtained after the mounting of the cover 630 to the housing 640 (with the cover 630 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used to assemble the conductive module 603 (see Figure 32).

[0342] When the cover 630 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 631 of the cover 630 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 633b) does not cover the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 are still exposed by the notch 643.

[0343] Furthermore, a pair of wire-holding pieces 635 of the cover 630 are positioned on openings in the straight section 647 and part of the bent section 648 of the wire-retaining recess 646. This prevents the voltage wire 620 from coming out of the wire-retaining recess 646. In addition, the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 635 are received in a pair of storage holes 653. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire-holding pieces 635 and unintended deformation that would cause the pair of wire-holding pieces 635 to move away from the wire-retaining recess 646. Furthermore, an extended portion 632 of the cover 630 is positioned on the opening at the bend apex 648a of the bent section 648 of the wire-retaining recess 646. This strongly prevents the voltage wire 620 from coming out of the wire-retaining recess 646 and being routed over the bent section 648 (i.e., shortcutting the bent section 648). In this way, the possibility of a specific malfunction occurring due to the voltage wire 620 coming out of the bent portion 648 of the wire housing recess 646 can be reduced.

[0344] With the cover 630 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 630 further to the left relative to the housing 640 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 635 of the cover 630 to enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 653, and the locking portion of the cover 630 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 630 is locked to the housing 640 in the permanent locking position.

[0345] When the cover 630 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 641 is covered by the cover 630, and the entire wire housing recess 646 is covered by the extension portion 632 of the cover 630. This prevents the voltage wire 620 from coming out of the wire housing recess 646. Furthermore, the opposing portion 631 of the cover 630 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 633b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 610 is covered by the opposing portion 631 of the cover 630, so the voltage detection terminal 610 can be reliably protected.

[0346] The following describes the specific configuration when the opposing unit 606 according to the sixth embodiment is a temperature sensing unit. As shown in Figure 32, the opposing unit 606 comprises a housing 660, a temperature sensing sensor 607 housed in the housing 660, and a temperature wire 607b connected to the temperature sensing sensor 607. The temperature sensing sensor 607 is housed in a sensor housing recess 661 (see Figure 37), which will be described later, formed in the housing 660. The following describes each component constituting the opposing unit 606, which is a temperature sensing unit, in order.

[0347] First, let's describe the housing 660. The housing 660 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape that extends in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 32, etc. At the center of the rear end face of the housing 660 in the left-to-right direction, a sensor housing recess 661 is formed, which is a rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the front-to-back direction and is recessed toward the front, corresponding to the overall shape of the housing of the temperature sensing sensor 607.

[0348] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 607 will be described. The temperature sensing sensor 607 is typically a thermistor. The temperature sensing sensor 607 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing that extends in the front-to-back direction, and a sensor element 607a (see Figure 37) is housed inside the housing. A temperature wire 607b connected to the sensor element 607a extends from the rear end of the housing toward the rear. The temperature sensing sensor 607 is housed from the rear in the sensor housing recess 661 of the housing 660. The extended end of the temperature wire 607b is connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 601. The components constituting the opposing unit 606, which is the temperature sensing unit, have now been described.

[0349] Next, the procedure for assembling the temperature sensor 607 into the housing 660 will be described. In order to mount the temperature sensor 607 into the housing 660, the temperature sensor 607 is inserted from the rear into the sensor housing recess 661 of the housing 660.

[0350] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 603 and the energy storage device 601 (see Figure 32) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 605 obtained after the cover 630 has been attached to the housing 640 (with the cover 630 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 603 (see Figure 32). Specifically, first, the flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604 and the recess 605a of the voltage detection unit 605 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 605 to the left side of the conductive plate 604.

[0351] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 (see Figure 35), and due to the presence of the notch 643 of the housing 640, the upper surface of the tip portion 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604 is exposed downward.

[0352] Next, the upper surface of the tip 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 612a of the voltage detection terminal 610 and a portion of the flange portion 604a of the conductive plate 604 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 630 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 605 and the conductive plate 604 is completed.

[0353] Next, the flange portion 604b of the conductive plate 604 and the recess 606a of the opposing unit 606 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 606 to the right side of the conductive plate 604 on which the voltage detection unit 605 is assembled (see Figure 34, etc.).

[0354] Next, a thermal conductive sheet 608 is attached to the lower end surfaces of the conductive plate 604 and the opposing unit 606, which is a temperature sensing unit, so as to span across them. This completes the assembly of the conductive module 603.

[0355] The conductive module 603 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 601 shown in Figure 32. Specifically, the energy storage module 602 and the conductive module 603 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 601 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0356] In this state, the thermal conductive sheet 608 is positioned between the conductive plate 604, the opposing unit 606 which is a temperature sensing unit, and the energy storage module 602, and the heat emitted from the energy storage module 602 is transmitted to the temperature sensing sensor 607.

[0357] According to the sixth embodiment, the thermal conductive sheet 608 is positioned between the conductive plate 604, the opposing unit 606 which is a temperature sensing unit, and the energy storage module 602, and is attached to the surface of these plates so as to straddle the conductive plate 604 and the opposing unit 606 which is a temperature sensing unit. As a result, the heat emitted from the energy storage module 602 is transmitted to the temperature sensing sensor 607 of the opposing unit 606 via the conductive plate 604 and the thermal conductive sheet 608. In other words, with the above configuration, the heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor 607 is superior to the conventional method, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0358] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the sixth embodiment is not limited to the sixth embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the sixth embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the sixth embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0359] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the conductive module are briefly summarized and listed below in [6-1] to [6-2].

[0360] [6-1] A plate-shaped conductive plate (604) is placed between each of the multiple stacked energy storage modules (602), A plate-shaped temperature detection unit (opposing unit 606) is connected to the side edge (flange portion 604b) of the conductive plate (604), and has a temperature detection sensor (607) for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module (602), A heat conductive sheet (608) is located between the conductive plate (604), the temperature sensing unit (opposing unit 606), and the energy storage module (602), A conductive module (603) equipped with, The aforementioned heat conductive sheet (608) is The conductive plate (604) and the temperature sensing unit (opposing unit 606) are attached to the plate surfaces of the conductive plate (604) and the temperature sensing unit (opposing unit 606) so as to straddle each other. Conductive module (603).

[0361] According to the configuration described in [6-1] above, the thermal conductive sheet is positioned between the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit and the energy storage module, and is attached to the surface of the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit so as to straddle the conductive plate and the temperature sensing unit. As a result, the heat emitted from the energy storage module is transferred to the temperature sensing sensor of the temperature sensing unit via the thermal conductive sheet. In other words, the above configuration provides superior heat transfer to the temperature sensing sensor compared to conventional configurations, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0362] [6-2] The conductive module (603) described in [6-1] above, The system further comprises a voltage detection unit (605) having a voltage detection terminal (610) that is electrically connected to the energy storage module (602) via the conductive plate (604), Conductive module (603).

[0363] According to the configuration described in [6-2] above, the conductive module can further include a voltage detection unit to detect abnormal voltages in the energy storage module.

[0364] <Seventh Embodiment> The invention embodied as the seventh embodiment relates to a temperature detection unit. Hereinafter, the temperature detection unit according to the seventh embodiment (for example, the opposing unit 706) will be described with reference to Figures 38 to 43.

[0365] The temperature detection unit according to the seventh embodiment is characterized by the following: A long plate-shaped housing having a recess on one of its shorter sides that fits into the side edge of a conductive plate that is placed between multiple stacked energy storage modules, A temperature sensing sensor mounted in the housing for measuring the temperature of the energy storage module, A temperature detection unit equipped with, A sensor housing recess for housing the temperature sensing sensor is provided approximately in the center of the housing in the longitudinal direction. It must be a temperature detection unit.

[0366] In the seventh embodiment, a sensor housing recess is provided approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of the housing, where the temperature sensing sensor is housed. As a result, the temperature sensing sensor is positioned closer to the conductive plate than in the conventional configuration. In other words, with the above configuration, the temperature sensing sensor is closer to the center of the energy storage module (conductive plate) which is the heat source, compared to the conventional configuration, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0367] For the sake of explanation, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" are defined below, as shown in Figure 38, etc. The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction corresponds to the "longitudinal direction" of the invention embodied as the seventh embodiment. The left-right direction corresponds to the "short direction" of the invention embodied as the seventh embodiment.

[0368] The voltage sensing unit 705 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 701, as shown in Figure 38. The energy storage device 701 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 702 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 703 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 702 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 701, multiple energy storage modules 702 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 703. Each energy storage module 702 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 702 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0369] As shown in Figure 38, the conductive module 703 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 704 (the conductive plate 704 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 705 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 704, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 706 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 704. As shown in Figures 38 to 39, the conductive plate 704 and the voltage detection unit 705 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 704a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 704 and a recess 705a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 705. The conductive plate 704 and the opposing unit 706 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 704b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 704, and a recess 706a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 706.

[0370] In each conductive module 703 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 702, the conductive plate 704 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 702, as shown in Figure 39. Therefore, the conductive plate 704 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 702 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 702, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 702 to the outside.

[0371] In each conductive module 703 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 702, the voltage detection unit 705 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 710 (see Figure 39, etc.) which will be described later and contacts the conductive plate 704. The voltage detection unit 705 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 702 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 702 relative to a reference zero potential) via a voltage wire 720 (see Figure 38, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 710. In Figures 38 to 40, the voltage detection unit 705 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 704, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 705 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 704. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 705 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 705) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 705.

[0372] In each conductive module 703 located between adjacent energy storage modules 702, the opposing unit 706 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 701.

[0373] If the opposing unit 706 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 706 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 705 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 705 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 705 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 704, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 705 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 704. The opposing unit 706 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 705) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 705.

[0374] If the opposing unit 706 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 706a extending in the front-to-back direction is used as the opposing unit 706, as shown in Figure 38. In this case, the opposing unit 706 serves only to fill the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 702.

[0375] If the opposing unit 706 is a temperature sensing unit, the opposing unit 706 is a structure in which a temperature sensing sensor 707 (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit, as shown in Figure 38 (this will be described later). In this case, the opposing unit 706 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 702 via a temperature wire 707b (see Figure 38) connected to the temperature sensing sensor 707.

[0376] The following describes the specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 705 according to the seventh embodiment. As shown in Figure 41, the voltage detection unit 705 comprises a housing 740, a voltage detection terminal 710 housed in the housing 740, a voltage wire 720 connected to the voltage detection terminal 710 and housed in the housing 740, and a cover 730 mounted on the housing 740.

[0377] The voltage detection terminal 710 is housed in a terminal housing recess (not shown) formed in the housing 740, the voltage wire 720 is housed in a wire housing recess 746 (see Figure 41), which will be described later, formed in the housing 740, and the cover 730 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 741 (see Figure 41), which will be described later, formed in the housing 740. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 705 will be described in order below.

[0378] First, the voltage detection terminal 710 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 710 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 710 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess of the housing 740. As shown in Figure 41, the voltage detection terminal 710 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 711 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 712 extending to the right from the front end of the first portion 711, and as a whole, it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from above.

[0379] One end of a voltage wire 720 is electrically connected to the underside of the tip 711a (i.e., the rear end) of the first part 711. The other end of the voltage wire 720 is connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 701. A portion of the flange 704a of the conductive plate 704 is fixed to the underside of the tip 712a (i.e., the right end) of the second part 712 by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 40).

[0380] A projection 713 is formed on the front edge of the second portion 712, which protrudes forward. When the voltage sensing terminal 710 is housed in the housing 740, the projection 713 is locked into a locking groove 745 (see Figure 41) formed in the housing 740.

[0381] Next, the cover 730 will be described. The cover 730 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left into the cover mounting recess 741 of the housing 740. The cover 730 consists of an opposing portion 731 and an extension portion 732 that extends rearward from the opposing portion 731. The opposing portion 731 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 710, and the extension portion 732 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage wire 720.

[0382] The opposing section 731 consists of a pair of identical flat plate sections 733 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting section 734 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate sections 733 that extend in the front-rear direction in the vertical direction over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing section 731 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. Each flat plate section 733 consists of a roughly square flat base section 733a connected to the connecting section 734, and a rectangular flat extension section 733b that extends to the right from the front end of the base section 733a, and as a whole has a roughly L-shape when viewed from the top-down direction. The extension section 732 extends continuously and flush with the rear edge of the upper flat plate section 733 (more specifically, the upper base section 733a) of the pair of flat plate sections 733 that constitute the opposing section 731, and has a roughly rectangular flat shape.

[0383] The extension portion 732 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 735 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each wire-holding piece 735 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 732 and extends in the left-right direction, protruding further to the right from the left end edge of the extension portion 732. When the cover 730 is attached to the housing 740, the wire-holding pieces 735 serve to hold the voltage wires 720 housed in the housing 740.

[0384] A locking portion (not shown) is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 733 (more specifically, the lower base portion 733a) of the pair of flat plate portions 733 that constitute the opposing portion 731, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 733. This locking portion, in cooperation with a temporary locking portion (not shown) and a permanent locking portion (not shown) provided on the housing 740, performs the function of locking the cover 730 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position.

[0385] Next, the housing 740 will be described. The housing 740 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 38, etc. A recess 705a is formed on the right end face of the housing 740, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704 will be fitted into the recess 705a (see Figures 39 and 40, etc.).

[0386] Cover mounting recesses 741 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 740 where the cover 730 is attached, with a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 730 (see Figure 41). The depth of the cover mounting recess 741 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 730 (opposing portion 731 + extension portion 732). Therefore, when the cover 730 is attached to the housing 740, the surface of the housing 740 and the surface of the cover 730 are flush (see Figure 38).

[0387] A terminal housing recess is formed in the bottom surface 741a of the cover mounting recess 741 on the upper side of the housing 740, where the voltage detection terminal 710 is housed, and which has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 710 and is further recessed (see Figure 41). The depth of the terminal housing recess (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 710. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 710 is mounted on the housing 740, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 710 and the bottom surface 741a of the cover mounting recess 741 are flush.

[0388] A notch 743 is formed on the right edge of the housing 740 at the front-to-back position where the tip 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. The recess 705a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 740 is divided by the notch 743. When the voltage detection terminal 710 is housed in the housing 740, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 are exposed by the notch 743.

[0389] A through-hole 744 is formed in the terminal housing recess where the tip 711a of the voltage detection terminal 710 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction. When the voltage detection terminal 710 is housed in the housing 740, one end (contact) of the voltage wire 720 connected to the voltage detection terminal 710 enters the through-hole 744. In other words, the through-hole 744 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface of the terminal housing recess and one end of the voltage wire 720.

[0390] In the terminal housing recess, a locking groove 745 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 713 of the voltage detection terminal 710 (see Figure 41) is positioned, corresponding to the projection 713, and recessing forward and communicating with the recess 705a (see Figure 41).

[0391] A wire housing recess 746 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 740 where the voltage wires 720 are housed, and the recess has a shape corresponding to the routing configuration of the voltage wires 720 when housed therein (see Figure 41). The wire housing recess 746 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 747 that extend in a straight line in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a bent section 748 that connects the pair of straight sections 747 and extends while bending to the left. In the wire housing recess 746 (pair of straight sections 747 + bent section 748), the right groove side wall (wall facing left) and the left groove side wall (wall facing right) each extend upward parallel to the bottom wall of the groove of the wire housing recess 746 in the vertical direction.

[0392] The front end of the front straight section 747 of the pair of straight sections 747 communicates with the terminal housing recess, and the rear end of the rear straight section 747 of the pair of straight sections 747 constitutes a wire outlet 749 from which the voltage wire 720 extends from the rear edge of the housing 740. In this way, because the wire housing recess 746 has a bent section 748, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 720 drawn out from the housing 740, the friction between the bent section 748 and the voltage wire 720 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the wire housing recess 746 is composed only of straight sections 747. For this reason, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 710 and the voltage wire 720.

[0393] Near the boundary between the straight section 747 and the bent section 748, a narrow recess 751 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 747. The width of the narrow recess 751 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the voltage wire 720. Therefore, it functions to clamp the voltage wire 720 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the voltage wire 720 in the pair of narrow recesses 751, even if an unintended external force is applied to the voltage wire 720 drawn out from the housing 740, the friction between the narrow recess 751 and the voltage wire 720 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 710 and the voltage wire 720. Furthermore, it is possible to strongly suppress the voltage wire 720 from being routed in a way that it slips out of the bent section 748 and crosses over the bent section 748 (i.e., shortcuts the bent section 748).

[0394] On the bottom surface 741a of the cover mounting recess 741 on the upper side of the housing 740, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 735 of the cover 730 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 752 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 735, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 41. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 752 are positioned so as to sandwich the bending apex 748a (see Figure 41) of the bent portion 748 of the wire housing recess 746 in the front-rear direction. The bottom surfaces of the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 752 are located above the bottom surface of the wire housing recess 746.

[0395] Each wire-holding piece recess 752 extends from the right edge of the upper surface of the housing 740, across the wire-receiving recess 746, to the right inner wall 741b of the cover mounting recess 741 (see Figure 41). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 752 connect in the right inner wall 741b of the cover mounting recess 741, a storage hole 753 is formed that is recessed to the right (see Figure 41). When the cover 730 is mounted on the housing 740, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 735 of the cover 730 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 753.

[0396] On the bottom surface 741a of the cover mounting recess 741 on the lower side of the housing 740, at the same front-to-back position as where the locking portion of the cover 730 is located, a temporary locking portion and a permanent locking portion, which are recesses that curve upward, are formed in this order from left to right with a gap between them. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 705 have now been described.

[0397] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 710 and cover 730 to the housing 740 will be described. First, the voltage detection terminal 710, to which the voltage wire 720 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess of the housing 740. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 710 is fitted into the terminal housing recess of the housing 740 from above, such that the projection 713 enters the locking groove 745 and one end (contact) of the voltage wire 720 enters the through hole 744. When the housing of the voltage detection terminal 710 in the housing 740 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 are exposed by the notch 743.

[0398] Next, the voltage wire 720 extending from the voltage detection terminal 710 housed in the housing 740 is housed in the wire housing recess 746 (a pair of straight sections 747 + a bent section 748) of the housing 740. To do this, the voltage wire 720 is fitted from above along the wire housing recess 746, which is composed of a pair of straight sections 747 and a bent section 748. At this time, by pushing downwards the pair of portions of the voltage wire 720 located at the top of the pair of narrow recesses 751, the pair of portions of the voltage wire 720 are housed inside the pair of narrow recesses 751. When the housing of the voltage wire 720 in the housing 740 is complete, the voltage wire 720 extends outwards from the wire outlet 749 toward the rear of the housing 740.

[0399] Next, the cover 730 is attached to the housing 740. To do this, the cover 730 is attached to the cover mounting recess 741 of the housing 740 from the left, such that the opposing portion 731 of the cover 730 sandwiches the cover mounting recess 741 on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 740 from above, the extension portion 732 of the cover 730 covers the cover mounting recess 741 on the upper side of the housing 740, and the pair of wire retaining pieces 735 of the cover 730 are accommodated in the pair of wire retaining piece recesses 752 of the housing 740.

[0400] During the process of mounting the cover 730 onto the housing 740, the locking portion of the cover 730 first slides into the housing 740, enters the interior of the temporary locking portion, engages with it, and is pressed against the right side of the temporary locking portion. As a result, the cover 730 is locked to the housing 740 in the temporary locking position, completing the mounting of the cover 730 to the housing 740, and the voltage detection unit 705 is obtained. As will be described later, the voltage detection unit 705 obtained after the mounting of the cover 730 to the housing 740 (with the cover 730 locked in the temporary locking position) will be used for the assembly of the conductive module 703 (see Figure 38).

[0401] When the cover 730 is locked in the temporary locking position, the opposing portion 731 of the cover 730 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extensions 733b) does not cover the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 are still exposed by the notch 743.

[0402] Furthermore, a pair of wire-holding pieces 735 of the cover 730 are positioned on openings in the straight section 747 and part of the bent section 748 of the wire-retaining recess 746. This prevents the voltage wire 720 from coming out of the wire-retaining recess 746. In addition, the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 735 are received in a pair of storage holes 753. This prevents misalignment of the pair of wire-holding pieces 735 and unintended deformation that would cause the pair of wire-holding pieces 735 to move away from the wire-retaining recess 746. Furthermore, an extended portion 732 of the cover 730 is positioned on the opening at the bend apex 748a of the bent section 748 of the wire-retaining recess 746. This strongly prevents the voltage wire 720 from coming out of the wire-retaining recess 746 and being routed over the bent section 748 (i.e., shortcutting the bent section 748). In this way, the possibility of a specific malfunction occurring due to the voltage wire 720 coming out of the bent portion 748 of the wire housing recess 746 can be reduced.

[0403] With the cover 730 locked in the temporary locking position, pushing the cover 730 further to the left relative to the housing 740 causes the extended ends of the pair of wire-holding pieces 735 of the cover 730 to further enter and be stored in the pair of storage holes 753, and the locking portion of the cover 730 to move over the temporary locking portion and then enter the interior of the permanent locking portion and engage with the permanent locking portion. As a result, the cover 730 is locked to the housing 740 in the permanent locking position.

[0404] When the cover 730 is locked in this locking position, the entire area of ​​the cover mounting recess 741 is covered by the cover 730, and the entire wire housing recess 746 is covered by the extension portion 732 of the cover 730. This prevents the voltage wire 720 from coming out of the wire housing recess 746. Furthermore, the opposing portion 731 of the cover 730 (more specifically, the pair of upper and lower extension portions 733b) covers the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710. As a result, the entire voltage detection terminal 710 is covered by the opposing portion 731 of the cover 730, so the voltage detection terminal 710 can be reliably protected.

[0405] The following describes the specific configuration when the opposing unit 706 according to the seventh embodiment is a temperature detection unit. As shown in Figure 38, the opposing unit 706 comprises a housing 760, a temperature detection sensor 707 housed in the housing 760, and a temperature wire 707b connected to the temperature detection sensor 707. The temperature detection sensor 707 is housed in a sensor housing recess 761 (see Figure 42), which will be described later, formed in the housing 760. The following describes each component constituting the opposing unit 706, which is a temperature detection unit, in order.

[0406] First, let's describe the housing 760. The housing 760 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape that extends in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 38, etc. A recess 706a is formed on the left end face of the housing 760, which is recessed to the right and extends in the front-to-back direction. The flange portion 704b of the conductive plate 704 will be fitted into the recess 706a (see Figure 39).

[0407] On the left end face of the housing 760, in the center in the front-to-back direction, a sensor housing recess 761 is formed, which is a rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends across the entire left-to-right area of ​​the housing 760 and is recessed to the right, corresponding to the overall shape of the housing 770 of the temperature sensing sensor 707 (see Figure 42). The sensor housing recess 761 is penetrating in the vertical direction. Therefore, the sensor housing recess 761 has an opening 761b that opens in both the vertical and horizontal directions (see Figure 42).

[0408] Furthermore, the housing 760 is provided with a connecting portion 763 in the lower right portion of the sensor housing recess 761, which connects the housing 760 that is divided front to back by the sensor housing recess 761. In other words, the housing 760, which is divided front to back by the sensor housing recess 761, is integrated by the connecting portion 763 (i.e., the housing 760 is not actually divided front to back).

[0409] Multiple protrusions 762 are formed on a pair of inner wall surfaces facing each other in the left-right direction of the sensor housing recess 761, projecting inward in the front-rear direction (towards each other) and extending in the left-right direction (see Figure 42). These protrusions 762 are inserted into grooves (not shown) of the temperature sensing sensor 707.

[0410] On the right end face of the housing 760, behind the sensor housing recess 761, a wire housing recess 764 is formed, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction (see Figures 42 and 43). On a pair of vertically opposing inner wall surfaces of the wire housing recess 764, retaining ribs 765 are formed, which protrude inward in the vertical direction (towards each other) and extend in the front-rear direction (see Figure 43).

[0411] Next, the temperature sensing sensor 707 will be described. The temperature sensing sensor 707 is typically a thermistor. The temperature sensing sensor 707 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 770 that extends in the left-right direction, and a sensor element (not shown) is housed inside the housing 770. A temperature wire 707b connected to the sensor element extends from the right end of the housing 770 toward the rear. The temperature sensing sensor 707 is housed from the left in a sensor housing recess 761 of the housing 760. The extended end of the temperature wire 707b is connected to a temperature measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 701.

[0412] The lower wall portion 770b of the housing 770 is shorter in the left-right direction than the upper wall portion 770a, corresponding to the connecting portion 763. When the temperature sensing sensor 707 is mounted in the sensor housing recess 761, the right end surface of the lower wall portion 770b and the left end surface of the connecting portion 763 come into contact with each other.

[0413] A pair of grooves 771 that penetrate in the left-right direction are formed on the front and rear end faces of the housing 770, corresponding to the pair of protrusions 762 of the sensor housing recess 761 (see Figure 42).

[0414] The vertical thickness of the housing 770 is equal to the thickness of the roughly rectangular thin plate housing 760. Therefore, when the temperature sensing sensor 707 is mounted on the housing 760, the surface of the housing 760 and the surface of the temperature sensing sensor 707 are flush (see Figure 38). The components constituting the opposing unit 706, which is the temperature sensing unit, have been described above.

[0415] Next, the procedure for assembling the temperature sensing sensor 707 into the housing 760 will be described. In order to mount the temperature sensing sensor 707 into the housing 760, first, the temperature sensing wire 707b is routed into the wire housing recess 764 of the housing 760. Then, the temperature sensing sensor 707 is inserted into the sensor housing recess 761 of the housing 760 from the left, such that the pair of protrusions 762 provided in the sensor housing recess 761 are inserted into the pair of grooves provided in the housing 770 of the temperature sensing sensor 707.

[0416] When the temperature sensing sensor 707 is installed in the housing 760, the temperature wire 707b is prevented from protruding to the right by the retaining rib 765 of the wire housing recess 764. The upper and lower surfaces (flat surfaces) of the housing 770 are exposed to the outside through the upper and lower openings 761b of the sensor housing recess 761 (see Figure 38).

[0417] Next, the assembly of the conductive module 703 and the energy storage device 701 (see Figure 38) will be described. As described above, the voltage detection unit 705 obtained after the cover 730 has been attached to the housing 740 (with the cover 730 locked in a temporary locking position) is used for the assembly of the conductive module 703 (see Figure 38). Specifically, first, the flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704 and the recess 705a of the voltage detection unit 705 are fitted together, thereby connecting the voltage detection unit 705 to the left side of the conductive plate 704.

[0418] In this state, a portion of the flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 (see Figure 40), and due to the presence of the notch 743 of the housing 740, the upper surface of the tip portion 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 is exposed upward, and a portion of the lower surface of the flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704 is exposed downward.

[0419] Next, the upper surface of the tip 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710, which is exposed upward, and the lower surface of a portion of the flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704, which is exposed downward, are used to fix the tip 712a of the voltage detection terminal 710 and a portion of the flange portion 704a of the conductive plate 704 together by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding. After that, the cover 730 is moved from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, and the assembly of the voltage detection unit 705 and the conductive plate 704 is completed.

[0420] Next, the flange portion 704b of the conductive plate 704, the recess 706a of the opposing unit 706, and the left end recess (notation omitted) of the temperature sensing sensor 707 are fitted together, thereby connecting the opposing unit 706 to the right side of the conductive plate 704 on which the voltage sensing unit 705 is assembled (see Figure 39, etc.). This completes the assembly of the conductive module 703.

[0421] The conductive module 703 obtained in this way is used to assemble the energy storage device 701 shown in Figure 38. Specifically, the energy storage module 702 and the conductive module 703 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction, and the energy storage device 701 is obtained by fixing these stacks with predetermined metal fittings or the like.

[0422] According to the seventh embodiment, a sensor housing recess 761 is provided in the housing 760 approximately in the center in the front-rear direction, which houses the temperature sensing sensor 707. As a result, the temperature sensing sensor 707 is positioned closer to the conductive plate 704 than in the conventional design. In other words, according to the seventh embodiment, the temperature sensing sensor 707 is closer to the center of the energy storage module 702 (conductive plate 704), which is a heat source, compared to the conventional design, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0423] Furthermore, according to the seventh embodiment, a wire housing recess 764 is provided on the right end face of the housing 760 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. This suppresses the increase in size of the opposing unit 706, and consequently the energy storage device 701, in the left-right direction compared to the case where the temperature wire 707b is extended outward from the left-right direction.

[0424] Furthermore, the invention embodied in the seventh embodiment is not limited to the seventh embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of this invention. For example, this invention is not limited to the seventh embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the seventh embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve this invention.

[0425] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the temperature sensing unit are briefly summarized and listed below in [7-1] to [7-3].

[0426] [7-1] A long plate-shaped housing (760) having recesses (706a) on one side in the shorter direction that fit into the side edges (flange portions 704b) of conductive plates (704) which are each placed between multiple stacked energy storage modules (702), A temperature sensing sensor (707) is mounted on the housing (760) and measures the temperature of the energy storage module (702), A temperature detection unit (opposite unit 706) equipped with, A sensor housing recess (761) is provided in the approximate center of the longitudinal direction of the housing (760) in which the temperature sensing sensor (707) is housed. Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 706).

[0427] According to the configuration described in [7-1] above, a sensor housing recess is provided in the approximate center of the longitudinal direction of the housing, where the temperature sensing sensor is housed. As a result, the temperature sensing sensor is positioned closer to the conductive plate than in conventional designs. In other words, according to the above configuration, the temperature sensing sensor is closer to the center of the energy storage module (conductive plate) which is the heat source, compared to conventional designs, resulting in superior temperature measurement performance.

[0428] [7-2] The temperature detection unit (opposing unit 706) described in [7-1] above, On the other side of the housing (760) in the shorter direction, there is a wire housing recess (764) for extending a temperature wire (707b) that extends in the longitudinal direction and is connected to the temperature sensing sensor (707) toward the outside. Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 706).

[0429] According to the configuration described in [7-2] above, a wire housing recess is provided on the other side of the housing in the short direction for extending a temperature wire that extends in the longitudinal direction and is connected to the temperature sensing sensor outwards. This makes it possible to suppress the increase in the size of the temperature sensing unit in the short direction compared to when the temperature wire is extended outwards from the short direction.

[0430] [7-3] The temperature detection unit (opposing unit 706) described in [7-2] above, The wire housing recess (764) is provided with a retaining rib (765) for holding the temperature wire (707b). Temperature detection unit (opposing unit 706).

[0431] According to the configuration described in [7-3] above, the retention ribs provided in the wire housing recess can prevent the temperature control wire from protruding from the wire housing recess.

[0432] <Eighth Embodiment> The invention embodied as the eighth embodiment relates to a voltage detection unit and an energy storage device configured such that a voltage detection terminal, which will be electrically connected to the object to be detected, is housed in a plate-shaped housing. Hereinafter, the voltage detection unit 805 and the energy storage device 801 according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 44 to 55. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, as shown in Figure 44, the terms "front-back direction," "left-right direction," "up-down direction," "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down" will be defined. The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0433] The voltage sensing unit 805 is typically used in a stacked energy storage device 801, as shown in Figure 44. The energy storage device 801 is constructed by alternately stacking rectangular plate-shaped rechargeable energy storage modules 802 and rectangular plate-shaped conductive modules 803 that can electrically connect adjacent energy storage modules 802 in the vertical direction. In the energy storage device 801, multiple energy storage modules 802 are electrically connected in series via the conductive modules 803. Each energy storage module 802 has a structure in which multiple battery cells (not shown) are built inside, and the energy storage module 802 as a whole functions as a single rechargeable battery.

[0434] As shown in Figure 44, the conductive module 803 is configured to have an overall rectangular plate shape, consisting of a rectangular thin conductive plate 804 (the conductive plate 804 also functions as a heat sink, as will be described later), a rectangular thin voltage detection unit 805 connected to the left side of the conductive plate 804, and a rectangular thin opposing unit 806 connected to the right side of the conductive plate 804. As shown in Figures 44 to 46 (see Figure 45 in particular), the conductive plate 804 and the voltage detection unit 805 are connected to each other by fitting together a flange portion 804a extending in the front-rear direction on the left end face of the conductive plate 804 and a recess 805a extending in the front-rear direction on the right end face of the voltage detection unit 805. The conductive plate 804 and the opposing unit 806 are connected to each other by the fitting of a flange portion 804b extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the right end face of the conductive plate 804, and a recess 806a extending in the front-rear direction, provided on the left end face of the opposing unit 806.

[0435] In each conductive module 803 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 802, the conductive plate 804 is in direct contact with the upper and lower energy storage modules 802, as shown in Figure 45. Therefore, the conductive plate 804 serves to provide electrical conductivity between the lower surface of the upper energy storage module 802 and the upper surface of the lower energy storage module 802, as well as to function as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the upper and lower energy storage modules 802 to the outside.

[0436] In each conductive module 803 located between two adjacent energy storage modules 802, the voltage detection unit 805 is equipped with a voltage detection terminal 810 (see Figure 45), which will be described later and contacts the conductive plate 804. The voltage detection unit 805 functions to output a signal indicating the voltage between the upper and lower energy storage modules 802 (specifically, the potential of the upper surface (output surface) of the lower energy storage module 802 relative to a reference zero potential) via a wire 820 (see Figure 44, etc.) connected to this voltage detection terminal 810. In Figures 44 to 46, the voltage detection unit 805 is located on the left side of the conductive plate 804, but a voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 805 may be located on the right side of the conductive plate 804. In this case, a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 805 (i.e., a mirror image of the voltage detection unit 805) is used as the voltage detection unit having the same function as the voltage detection unit 805.

[0437] In each conductive module 803 located between adjacent energy storage modules 802, the opposing unit 806 is one of a voltage detection unit, a dummy unit, or a temperature detection unit, depending on the specifications of the energy storage device 801.

[0438] If the opposing unit 806 is a voltage detection unit, then the opposing unit 806 is a voltage detection unit obtained by reversing the overall configuration of the voltage detection unit 805 (i.e., a mirror version of the voltage detection unit 805 described above). In this case, the voltage detection unit 805 is positioned on the left side of the conductive plate 804, and the mirror version of the voltage detection unit 805 is positioned on the right side of the conductive plate 804. The opposing unit 806 (mirror version of the voltage detection unit 805) performs the same function as the voltage detection unit 805.

[0439] If the opposing unit 806 is a dummy unit, a simple resin plate having a recess 806a (see Figure 45) extending in the front-rear direction is used as the opposing unit 806. In this case, the opposing unit 806 serves only to fill the gap between the upper and lower energy storage modules 802.

[0440] If the opposing unit 806 is a temperature sensing unit, the opposing unit 806 is a structure in which a temperature sensor 807 (thermistor) is incorporated into a resin plate used as a dummy unit, as shown in Figure 44. In this case, the opposing unit 806 performs the function of outputting a signal indicating the temperature of the upper and lower energy storage modules 802 via the wire 807a (see Figure 44) connected to the temperature sensor 807.

[0441] The specific configuration of the voltage detection unit 805 according to the eighth embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 47 to 55. As shown in Figure 47, the voltage detection unit 805 comprises a housing 840, a voltage detection terminal 810 housed in the housing 840, an electric wire 820 connected to the voltage detection terminal 810 and housed in the housing 840, and a cover 830 mounted on the housing 840.

[0442] The voltage detection terminal 810 is housed in a terminal housing recess 842 (see Figure 47) formed in the housing 840, the electric wire 820 is housed in a wire housing recess 846 (see Figure 47) formed in the housing 840, and the cover 830 is mounted in a cover mounting recess 841 (see Figure 47) formed in the housing 840. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 805 will be described in order below.

[0443] First, the voltage detection terminal 810 will be described. The metal voltage detection terminal 810 is formed by processing a single metal plate, such as by press working. The voltage detection terminal 810 is housed from above in the terminal housing recess 842 of the housing 840. As shown in Figure 47, the voltage detection terminal 810 has a rectangular flat plate-shaped first portion 811 extending in the front-rear direction, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped second portion 812 extending to the right from the rear end of the first portion 811, and as a whole it has a flat plate shape that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the top and bottom.

[0444] One end of the electric wire 820 is fixed to the underside of the tip 811a (i.e., the front end) of the first part 811 so as to be electrically connected (see also Figure 49). The other end of the electric wire 820 will be connected to a voltage measuring device (not shown) outside the energy storage device 801. A part of the flange portion 804a of the conductive plate 804 will be fixed to the underside of the tip 812a (i.e., the right end) of the second part 812 by a method such as ultrasonic bonding or welding (see Figure 46).

[0445] A projection 813 is formed on the rear edge of the second portion 812, which protrudes to the rear. When the voltage sensing terminal 810 is housed in the housing 840, the projection 813 is locked into a locking groove 845 (see Figure 48) formed in the housing 840.

[0446] Next, the cover 830 will be described. The cover 830 is a resin molded product and is mounted from the left into the cover mounting recess 841 of the housing 840. The cover 830 consists of an opposing portion 831 and an extension portion 832 that extends forward from the opposing portion 831. The opposing portion 831 mainly serves to cover and protect the voltage detection terminal 810, and the extension portion 832 mainly serves to cover and protect the electric wire 820.

[0447] The opposing portion 831 consists of a pair of flat plate portions 833 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting portion 834 that connects the left edges of the pair of flat plate portions 833 that extend in the front-rear direction in the vertical direction over the entire front-rear area. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the opposing portion 831 has a roughly U-shape that opens to the right. The right edge of each flat plate portion 833 has a stepped shape that slopes in a direction that moves to the left as it moves forward. The extension portion 832 extends forward flush with the front edge of the upper of the pair of flat plate portions 833 that make up the opposing portion 831, and has a roughly rectangular flat plate shape. In this example, the right edge (upper right edge 830b of the cover 830), which is composed of the upper flat portion 833 and the extension portion 832, has four end faces a1 to a4 that face to the right (extending in the front-to-back direction) and are positioned differently in the left-to-right direction (see Figure 48), and the right edge (lower right edge 830b of the cover 830), which is composed of the lower flat portion 833, has five end faces b1 to b5 that face to the right (extending in the front-to-back direction) and are positioned differently in the left-to-right direction (see Figure 49).

[0448] The extension portion 832 has a pair of wire-holding pieces 835 that extend in the left-right direction and are integrally formed on it, spaced apart in the front-rear direction. As can be seen from Figure 49, each wire-holding piece 835 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the extension portion 832 and extends in the left-right direction, projecting further to the right from the right edge of the extension portion 832. When the cover 830 is attached to the housing 840, the wire-holding pieces 835 serve to hold the wires 820 housed in the housing 840. Furthermore, a wall-shaped push wall 858 is formed at the front end of the extension portion 832, extending downward from the front edge of the extension portion 832 and extending in the left-right direction.

[0449] A locking portion 836 is formed at a predetermined location on the lower flat plate portion 833 of the pair of flat plate portions 833 that constitute the opposing portion 831, projecting upward toward the upper flat plate portion 833 (see Figures 50 to 55). The locking portion 836 works in cooperation with the first temporary locking portion 855, the second temporary locking portion 856, and the main locking portion 857, which are provided on the housing 840 and will be described later, to lock the cover 830 to the first temporary locking position (see Figure 50), the second temporary locking position (see Figure 52), and the main locking position (see Figure 54).

[0450] Next, the housing 840 will be described. The housing 840 is a resin molded product and has a roughly rectangular, thin plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 44, etc. A recess 805a is formed on the right end face of the housing 840, which is recessed to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The flange portion 804a of the conductive plate 804 will be fitted into the recess 805a (see Figure 45).

[0451] At the locations on the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 840 where the cover 830 is attached, cover mounting recesses 841 are formed that have a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the cover 830 (see Figures 47 to 49). Of the right end inner walls 841b that define the right ends of the pair of upper and lower cover mounting recesses 841, the upper right end inner wall 841b has three end faces c2 to c4 that face to the left (extending in the front-to-back direction) and are at different positions in the left-to-right direction, corresponding to the three end faces a2 to a4 of the upper right end edge 830b of the cover 830 (see Figure 48), and the lower right end inner wall 841b has four end faces d2 to d5 that face to the left (extending in the front-to-back direction) and are at different positions in the left-to-right direction, corresponding to the four end faces b2 to b5 of the lower right end edge 830b of the cover 830 (see Figure 49). The depth of the cover mounting recess 841 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the thickness of the resin material that makes up the cover 830 (opposing portion 831 + extension portion 832). Therefore, when the cover 830 is mounted on the housing 840, the surface of the housing 840 and the surface of the cover 830 are flush (see Figures 44 and 54).

[0452] A terminal housing recess 842 is formed in the bottom surface 841a of the upper cover mounting recess 841 of the housing 840, where the voltage detection terminal 810 is housed, and which has a shape corresponding to the overall shape of the voltage detection terminal 810 and is further recessed (see Figure 47). The depth of the terminal housing recess 842 (depth in the vertical direction) is equal to the plate thickness of the voltage detection terminal 810. Therefore, when the voltage detection terminal 810 is mounted in the housing 840, the upper surface of the voltage detection terminal 810 and the bottom surface 841a of the cover mounting recess 841 are flush (see Figures 51, 53, and 55).

[0453] A notch 843 is formed on the right edge of the housing 840 at the front-to-back position where the tip 812a of the voltage detection terminal 810 is located, recessed to the left in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the top and bottom. The recess 805a extending in the front-to-back direction on the right end face of the housing 840 is divided by the notch 843. When the voltage detection terminal 810 is housed in the housing 840, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip 812a of the voltage detection terminal 810 are exposed by the notch 843 (see Figure 53).

[0454] A through-hole 844 is formed in the terminal housing recess 842 where the tip 811a of the voltage detection terminal 810 is positioned, extending in the front-to-back direction and penetrating in the up-to-down direction (see Figure 47, etc.). When the voltage detection terminal 810 is housed in the housing 840, one end (contact) of the electric wire 820 connected to the voltage detection terminal 810 enters the through-hole 844 (see Figure 49). In other words, the through-hole 844 functions as a clearance to avoid interference between the bottom surface 842a of the terminal housing recess 842 and one end of the electric wire 820.

[0455] In the terminal housing recess 842, a locking groove 845 is formed on the inner wall surface of the location where the projection 813 of the voltage detection terminal 810 (see Figure 47) is positioned, corresponding to the projection 813, and recessing backward and communicating with the recess 805a (see Figure 48).

[0456] At the bottom surface 841a of the upper cover mounting recess 841 of the housing 840, where the electric wire 820 is housed, a wire housing recess 846 is formed, which has a shape corresponding to the wiring configuration of the electric wire 820 when it is housed (see Figure 47). The wire housing recess 846 is a series of grooves consisting of a pair of straight sections 847 that extend in a straight line in the front-rear direction and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and a bent section 848 that connects the pair of straight sections 847 and extends while bending to the left. The rear end of the rear straight section 847 of the pair of straight sections 847 communicates with the terminal housing recess 842, and the front end of the front straight section 847 of the pair of straight sections 847 constitutes a wire outlet 849 from which the electric wire 820 extends from the front edge of the housing 840. Thus, because the wire housing recess 846 has a bent portion 848, even if an unintended external force is applied to the wire 820 drawn out from the housing 840, the friction between the bent portion 848 and the wire 820 can resist that external force, compared to the case where the wire housing recess 846 is composed only of a straight portion 847. For this reason, a large external force is less likely to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 810 and the wire 820.

[0457] Near the boundary between the straight section 847 and the bent section 848, a narrow recess 851 is provided, which is a recess narrower in width (distance in the left-right direction) than the straight section 847. The width of the narrow recess 851 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 820. Therefore, it functions to clamp the electric wire 820 while pressing it in the left-right direction. By clamping the electric wire 820 in the pair of narrow recesses 851, even if an unintended external force is applied to the electric wire 820 drawn out from the housing 840, the friction between the narrow recess 851 and the electric wire 820 can resist that external force. Therefore, it is difficult for a large external force to be applied to the contact point between the voltage detection terminal 810 and the electric wire 820.

[0458] As shown in Figure 47, at the bottom surface 841a of the upper cover mounting recess 841 of the housing 840, where the pair of wire retaining pieces 835 of the cover 830 are positioned, a pair of wire retaining piece recesses 852 extending in the left-right direction are formed, corresponding to the pair of wire retaining pieces 835, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The pair of wire retaining piece recesses 852 are positioned so as to sandwich the bent apex of the bent portion 848 of the wire housing recess 846 in the front-rear direction.

[0459] Each wire-holding piece recess 852 extends from the left edge of the upper surface of the housing 840, across the wire-receiving recess 846, to the right inner wall 841b of the upper cover mounting recess 841 (see Figure 47). At the point where the pair of wire-holding piece recesses 852 connect in the right inner wall 841b of the upper cover mounting recess 841, a storage hole 853 is formed that is recessed to the right (see Figure 47). When the cover 830 is attached to the housing 840, the extended ends (i.e., the right ends) of the pair of wire-holding pieces 835 of the cover 830 are inserted into and stored in the pair of storage holes 853.

[0460] As shown in Figure 49, the bottom surface 841a of the cover mounting recess 841 on the lower side of the housing 840 has a guide portion 854, a first temporary locking portion 855, a second temporary locking portion 856, and a permanent locking portion 857 formed therein, which are recesses that curve upward (see also Figures 51, 53, and 55). The first temporary locking portion 855, the second temporary locking portion 856, and the permanent locking portion 857 are provided at the locations where the locking portion 836 of the cover 830 is located at the first temporary locking position (see Figure 50), the second temporary locking position (see Figure 52), and the permanent locking position (see Figure 54), respectively. Specifically, the first temporary locking portion 855 and the second temporary locking portion 856 are arranged so that the second temporary locking portion 856 is located behind the first temporary locking portion 855 and they are aligned in the front-to-back direction, and the second temporary locking portion 856 and the main locking portion 857 are arranged so that the main locking portion 857 is located to the right of the second temporary locking portion 856 and they are aligned in the left-to-right direction. The guide portion 854 is provided at the same front-to-back position as the first temporary locking portion 855 at the left end of the housing 840. As shown in Figure 51, the guide portion 854 is a recess that is continuous with the left end edge of the housing 840. The components constituting the voltage detection unit 805 have been described above.

[0461] Next, the procedure for assembling the voltage detection terminal 810 and cover 830 to the housing 840 will be described. First, the voltage detection terminal 810, to which the electric wire 820 has been pre-connected by methods such as ultrasonic bonding or welding, is housed in the terminal housing recess 842 of the housing 840. To this end, the voltage detection terminal 810 is fitted into the terminal housing recess 842 of the housing 840 from above, such that the projection 813 enters the locking groove 845 and one end (contact) of the electric wire 820 enters the through hole 844. When the housing of the voltage detection terminal 810 in the housing 840 is complete, the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion 812a of the voltage detection terminal 810 are exposed by the notch 843 (see Figure 53).

[0462] Next, the electric wire 820 extending from the voltage detection terminal 810 housed in the housing 840 is housed in the electric wire housin...

Claims

1. A voltage detection terminal having a first location that will be electrically connected to the object to be detected, A plate-shaped housing having a terminal housing recess in which the voltage detection terminal is housed, A cover that can be locked to the housing at a first temporary locking position that does not cover the first location of the voltage detection terminal housed in the terminal housing recess, and a permanent locking position that covers the first location, A wire is electrically connected to the second location of the voltage detection terminal and is drawn out toward the outside of the housing, A voltage detection unit comprising, The aforementioned housing is A guide portion that guides the cover from the outside toward the first temporary locking position, In the direction of movement when the cover is guided and moves toward the first temporary locking position, the cover has a first wall portion to which it can abut when the cover is in the first temporary locking position, Voltage detection unit.

2. In the voltage detection unit according to claim 1, The aforementioned cover is It is possible to lock it to the housing at a second temporary locking position that is different from the first temporary locking position and does not cover the first location. The aforementioned housing is In the direction of movement when the cover is moved from the first temporary locking position toward the second temporary locking position, the cover has a second wall portion to which it can abut when the cover is in the second temporary locking position. Voltage detection unit.

3. In the voltage detection unit according to claim 2, The aforementioned housing is In the direction of movement when the cover is moved from the second temporary locking position toward the permanent locking position, when the cover is in the permanent locking position, the cover is able to abut against the first wall portion. Voltage detection unit.

4. A plate-shaped conductive module having a voltage detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and a conductive plate as a detection target to which the voltage detection terminal is electrically connected, A rechargeable energy storage module on which the conductive modules are stacked, A power storage device equipped with the following features.

Images