Battery cushioning material

Abstract

To realize a cushioning material for battery to easily integrate a rigid body and a cushioning member, to facilitate handling, and to prevent displacement.SOLUTION: A cushioning material for battery includes a plate-like rigid body member 2 and a buffer part 3. The plate-like rigid body member 2 includes: a flat abutting surface 2a; and folding parts 2b folded toward a center side at both ends in a width direction to form a gap S which opens toward the center side of the width. The buffer part 3 has a configuration in which a plurality of elastic units each contacting a surface of the rigid body member 2 opposite the abutting surface 2a and the abutting part 30 and having an M-shaped cross section along a thickness direction and the width direction of the rigid body member 2 continue in the width direction, and includes an insertion part 3b inserted into the gap S of the folding part 2b at both ends of the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a buffer material for batteries. More specifically, it relates to a buffer material for batteries such as secondary batteries used in electric vehicles and the like.

Background Art

[0002] In batteries, battery buffer materials for elastically relaxing loads have been conventionally known. For example, in a battery (secondary battery) used in an electric vehicle or the like, a typical example is a battery buffer material disposed between laminates of battery cells serving as a power generation source or between a laminate of such a plurality of battery cells and a housing (constraint portion) that holds the laminate by sandwiching it (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By disposing such a buffer portion, it is possible to secure the load necessary for holding the laminate of battery cells while relaxing an excessive load.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of a buffer component that partially supports a load, since the surface pressure concentrates on the support portion, it is known to install a flat rigid body between the housing and the buffer member to equalize the surface pressure depending on the housing. However, the installation of the rigid body and the buffer member causes difficulties in handling during handling due to an increase in the number of parts and misalignment between the rigid body and the buffer member. Further, when integrating the rigid body and the buffer member, additional processes such as an adhesion process are required.

[0005] In light of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to realize a battery cushioning material that easily integrates a rigid body and a cushioning member, is easy to handle, and suppresses misalignment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following battery cushioning material.

[0007] [1] A battery cushioning material comprising a flat plate-shaped rigid member having a flat contact surface, and a cushioning portion made of an elastic material having a contact portion that contacts the surface of the rigid member opposite to the contact surface, wherein the rigid member has engaging portions at both ends in the width direction of the rigid member that engage with both ends of the cushioning portion in the width direction.

[0008] [2] The battery cushioning material according to [1], wherein the rigid member has folded portions at both ends of the rigid member so as to form a gap that opens toward the center of the width, and the cushioning portion has insertion portions at both ends of the cushioning portion that are inserted into the gap of the folded portion.

[0009] [3] The buffer portion has a configuration in which a plurality of structural units, each consisting of an elastic body having an M-shaped cross-section along the thickness direction and width direction of the rigid member, are connected in a continuous manner in the width direction, as described in [1] or [2].

[0010] [4] The battery cushioning material according to [2], wherein a plurality of sets of a rigid member and a cushioning portion in which the insertion portion is inserted into the gap of the folded portion of the rigid member are stacked in the thickness direction of the rigid member.

[0011] [5] The contact portion of the buffer is an opposing surface facing the opposite surface of the rigid member, and in the state before being subjected to a load, it has a U-shaped recess in the cross section along the thickness direction and the width direction of the rigid member, and when subjected to a load, it has an opposing surface that contacts the rigid member along the opposite surface [1] or [2].

[0012] [6] The battery cushioning material according to [1], wherein the rigid member has through-hole forming portions at both ends of the rigid member as engaging portions, and the cushioning portion has locking portions at both ends of the cushioning portion that are inserted into the through-holes and lock onto the rigid member on the side of the contact surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In this invention, the rigid member has engaging portions at both ends in the width direction that engage with both ends of the cushioning portion, allowing the rigid member and the cushioning portion to be easily integrated. As a result, the bonding process is unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced by integrating them into a single component, improving work efficiency.

[0014] Furthermore, in the case of a battery cushioning material in which the present invention consists of multiple sets of such integrated rigid members and cushioning parts laminated in the thickness direction of the rigid member, the integration of the rigid member and cushioning part suppresses misalignment, and the positioning of the rigid member and cushioning part in the thickness direction becomes easier. For this reason, the effect of improving workability is particularly high in the case of such a laminated battery cushioning material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the usage state of a battery cushioning material according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing other uses of the battery cushioning material. [Figure 3] Perspective views of the battery cushioning material in Figures 1 and 2. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer material for the battery in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer material for the battery according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of sets of the integrated combination of the rigid body member and the buffer part in FIG. 4 are laminated in the thickness direction of the rigid body member. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer material for the battery in a reference example, in which a plurality of sets of the combination of the completely plate-shaped rigid body member and the buffer part that are not integrated are laminated in the thickness direction of the rigid body member. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer material for the battery according to another embodiment of the present invention, which has an engaging part with a configuration different from that in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] It is a top view of the buffer part with a configuration different from that in FIG. 4. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer part having a cross-section with a shape different from that in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is a top view of the buffer part with a configuration further different from that in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer part having a cross-section with a shape different from that in FIG. 12.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and modifications and improvements in design can be appropriately made based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the usage state of the buffer material 1 for the battery according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another usage state of the buffer material 1 for the battery in FIG. 1.

[0018] The battery cushioning material 1 of this embodiment can be placed between adjacent battery cells 210, as in the battery 200 shown in Figure 1, or between a laminate 220 consisting of multiple battery cells 210 and a restraining portion 230, as in the battery 201 shown in Figure 2. Note that multiple battery cushioning materials 1 can be used, not just one. In this case, multiple battery cushioning materials 1 may be used in a laminated manner, arranged in multiples on a plane, or combined. The battery is not limited to a solid-state battery; it may also be a battery with a liquid electrolyte.

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the battery cushioning material 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery cushioning material 1 shown in Figure 3.

[0020] The battery cushioning material 1 comprises a rigid member 2 and a cushioning portion 3.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the rigid member 2 is a member consisting of a flat plate-shaped rigid body having a flat contact surface 2a. This contact surface 2a is the surface that contacts a flat plate-shaped member (hereinafter simply referred to as the load member) that applies a load to the rigid member 2 from the outside. As the material of the rigid member 2, a material with high hardness and resistance to deformation can be used. For example, a metal with relatively high hardness, hard plastic, or hardened resin can be used. Here, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the battery cushioning material 1 in cross-section along the thickness direction (vertical direction in Figure 4) and width direction (horizontal direction in Figure 4) of the flat plate-shaped rigid member 2.

[0022] The cushioning portion 3 is a member made of an elastic material and has a contact portion 30 that contacts the surface of the rigid member 2 opposite to the contact surface 2a. Examples of elastic materials that can be used for the cushioning portion 3 include rubber and elastomer.

[0023] Here, the rigid member 2 has engaging portions at both ends in the width direction that engage with both ends of the buffer portion 3. In Figure 4, as an example of such an engaging portion, a folded portion 2b is shown that is folded back toward the center of its width to form a gap S that opens toward the center of its width. Correspondingly, the buffer portion 3 has insertion portions 3b at both ends in the width direction of the rigid member 2 that are inserted into the gap S of the folded portion 2b of the rigid member 2. The following description will use such an embodiment with engaging portions as an example, but in the present invention, embodiments with engaging portions of different configurations may be adopted. Such embodiments will be described later.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the buffer portion 3 has a structure in which multiple M-shaped elastic units are connected in a continuous manner in the width direction of the rigid member 2. It has elastic force in the width direction of the rigid member 2. Due to this elastic force in the width direction, the insertion portions 3b at both ends of the buffer portion 3 are strongly pushed into the gap S of the folded portion 2b of the rigid member 2, thereby stabilizing the unity of the buffer portion 3 and the rigid member 2. However, this configuration of the buffer portion 3 is merely an example, and the present invention may employ a buffer portion with a different configuration. Such embodiments will be described later.

[0025] In the battery cushioning material 1, the cushioning section 3 has a structure in which multiple structural units made of elastic bodies with an M-shaped cross-section are connected in a continuous manner, creating a hollow space in the gap of this M-shape. When a load is applied from a load member, this hollow space collapses, and the displacement is sufficiently absorbed. In addition, a flat plate-shaped rigid member 2 having a flat contact surface 2a that abuts against the load member is interposed between the cushioning section 3 and the load member, so that the surface pressure when in contact with the load member is uniform. As a result, the battery cushioning material 1 is a battery cushioning material that sufficiently absorbs displacement and has uniform surface pressure when in contact with the load member.

[0026] To adequately absorb displacement and ensure uniform surface pressure when in contact with the load member, one might consider simply overlapping a completely plate-shaped rigid member with a buffer portion that partially contacts the rigid member and compresses under load, reducing its thickness. However, such overlapping of a rigid member and a buffer portion requires an adhesive bonding process, and the number of parts required before bonding increases, resulting in poor workability.

[0027] On the other hand, the battery cushioning material 1 has a configuration in which the insertion part 3b of the cushioning part 3 is inserted into the gap S of the folded part 2b of the rigid member 2, so that the rigid member 2 and the cushioning part 3 can be easily integrated. As a result, the bonding process is not required, and the number of parts can be reduced by integrating them into a single part, improving workability.

[0028] In this invention, as shown in Figure 4, the contact portion 30 of the buffer portion 3 is an opposing surface 3a that faces the surface of the rigid member 2 opposite to the contact surface 2a, and in the state before it is subjected to a load from the load member, it has a U-shaped recessed cross-sectional shape and when subjected to a load, it has an opposing surface 3a that contacts the rigid member 2 along the opposite surface as described above. Here, in this application, "the state before it is subjected to a load from the load member" refers to the state in which the buffer portion 3 has never been subjected to a load from the load member and the shape of the buffer portion 3 as a single unit at the time of manufacture is maintained, that is, the state before the buffer portion 3 is used.

[0029] With this configuration, when a load is applied from the load member, the opposing surface 3a of the contact portion 30 can easily adhere tightly to the rigid member 2, stabilizing the compressed state of the battery cushioning material 1.

[0030] Herein, the battery cushioning material of the present invention may be made up of multiple sets of a rigid member 2 and a cushioning part 3 in which an insertion part 3b is inserted into the gap S of the folded portion 2b of the rigid member 2, stacked in the thickness direction of the rigid member 2. The following will describe a battery cushioning material in which multiple sets of the integrated rigid member 2 and cushioning part 3 shown in Figure 4 are stacked.

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a battery buffer material 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which multiple sets of integrated rigid member 2 and buffer portion 3 from Figure 4 are laminated in the thickness direction of the rigid member 2. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a reference example of a battery buffer material 1' in which multiple sets of non-integrated, completely plate-shaped rigid member 2' and buffer portion 3 are laminated in the thickness direction of the rigid member 2'.

[0032] In Figures 5 and 6, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4, and their redundant explanations are omitted.

[0033] Unlike the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4, the battery cushioning material 1A in Figure 5 comprises multiple sets of the rigid member 2 and cushioning part 3 shown in Figure 4. Aside from this difference, the battery cushioning material 1A in Figure 5 is identical to the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4. Similar to the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4, it adequately absorbs displacement and provides uniform surface pressure when in contact with the load member. Furthermore, like the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4, it eliminates the need for an adhesive process and has a low number of parts, resulting in improved workability.

[0034] On the other hand, the battery cushioning material 1' in Figure 6 has a completely plate-shaped rigid member 2' that lacks any mechanism for integrating it with the cushioning part 3, such as the folded portion 2b of the rigid member 2 in Figure 4. Therefore, unlike the battery cushioning material 1A in Figure 5, the battery cushioning material 1' in Figure 6 requires bonding between the rigid member 2' and the cushioning part 3, and the number of parts required for bonding is also large, resulting in poor workability.

[0035] In the case of laminated battery cushioning materials as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is necessary to position the constituent members in the stacking direction during the stacking process. For example, in the battery cushioning material 1' of Figure 6, it is necessary to position each individual rigid member 2' and cushioning part 3. In contrast, in the battery cushioning material 1A of Figure 5, the rigid member 2 and cushioning part 3 are integrated, so it is only necessary to position the set of rigid member 2 and cushioning part 3 together, making positioning easy. Thus, in the case of laminated battery cushioning materials, the effect of improving workability due to the integration of the rigid member 2 and cushioning part 3 is particularly high.

[0036] Next, we will describe another embodiment having an engaging portion with a different configuration from that shown in Figure 4.

[0037] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a battery cushioning material 1B, which is another embodiment of the present invention having an engagement portion with a different configuration than that shown in Figure 4.

[0038] In Figure 7, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the battery cushioning material 1 in Figure 4, and their redundant explanations are omitted. In the battery cushioning material 1B of Figure 7, the rigid member 21 has through-hole forming portions 21b at both ends of the rigid member 21, forming through-holes that penetrate in the thickness direction of the rigid member 21 as engaging portions. Correspondingly, the cushioning portion 31 has locking portions 31b at both ends of the cushioning portion 31 that are inserted into the above-mentioned through-holes and engage with the rigid member 21 on the side of the contact surface 2a. With this configuration, the rigid member 21 and the cushioning portion 31 are firmly integrated, and this integration improves workability. The locking portion 31b will be explained in more detail below. The locking portion 31b is formed as a projection on a part of the cushioning portion 31, and the projection has a columnar shape rising from the cushioning portion 31 side, and a wedge-shaped portion with an enlarged diameter at its tip. In the locking portion 31b, the outer diameter of the columnar portion is made smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole forming portion 21b of the rigid member 21, and the outer diameter of the wedge-shaped portion is made larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole forming portion 21b of the rigid member 21. This prevents the locking portion 31b inserted into the through-hole forming portion 21b of the rigid member from coming loose, and the buffer portion 31 is fixed to the rigid member 21. Alternatively, the locking portion 31b may be a columnar projection with a partially constricted portion (the outer diameter of the constricted portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole forming portion 21b, and the outer diameter of the medium-shaped portion is larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole forming portion 21b).

[0039] Next, we will describe several other embodiments having a buffer section with a different configuration than that shown in Figure 4. In these other embodiments, the rigid members are the same as the rigid member 2 in Figure 4, and only the configuration of the buffer section differs. Therefore, the following description will focus on the buffer section. In the following figures, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the buffer section 3 of Figure 4, and their redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0040] Figure 8 is a top view of the buffer section 32 with a different configuration than that shown in Figure 4, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA' in Figure 8.

[0041] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the buffer portion 32 has a configuration in which a plurality of cylindrical contact portions 320 (in Figures 8 and 9, as an example, there are nine cylindrical contact portions 320) are arranged in a row, and these plurality of cylindrical contact portions 320 come into contact with the surface of the rigid member 2 on the opposite side of the contact surface 2a, similar to the contact portion 30 in Figure 4.

[0042] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the buffer portion 33, which has a different cross-sectional shape from that shown in Figure 9.

[0043] The present invention can also adopt a configuration in which multiple dome-shaped contact portions 330 are arranged in a row, as shown in Figure 10. Note that the top view in the embodiment of Figure 10 is the same as in Figure 8, and is therefore omitted from this illustration.

[0044] Figure 11 is a top view of the buffer section 34, which has a different configuration from that of Figure 9, and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along the BB' line in Figure 11.

[0045] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the buffer portion 34 has a configuration in which multiple protruding contact portions 340 with a rectangular cross-section (in Figures 11 and 12, as an example, three protruding contact portions 340 with a rectangular cross-section) are arranged in a row, and these multiple protruding contact portions 340 come into contact with the surface of the rigid member 2 on the opposite side of the contact surface 2a, similar to the contact portion 30 in Figure 4.

[0046] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the buffer portion 35, which has a different cross-sectional shape from that shown in Figure 12.

[0047] The present invention can also adopt a configuration in which multiple dome-shaped contact portions 350 are arranged in a row, as shown in Figure 13. Note that the top view in the embodiment of Figure 13 is the same as that in Figure 11, and is therefore omitted from this illustration.

[0048] In addition, although the locking parts 3b in Figures 9, 10, 12, and 13 have the same shape as the locking part 3b in Figure 4, they may be replaced with the locking part 31b in Figure 7.

[0049] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention.

[0050] The above description has described a battery cushioning material comprising a set of one rigid member 2 and one cushioning part 3 as a constituent unit. However, the present invention may also be applied to a battery cushioning material comprising a set of two rigid members 2 and one cushioning part 3 sandwiched between them as a constituent unit. [Industrial applicability]

[0051] This invention is useful for realizing a battery cushioning material that sufficiently absorbs displacement and has a uniform surface pressure when in contact with a load member. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1,1',1A,1B: Cushioning material for batteries, 2,2',21: Rigid member, 2a: Contact surface, 2b; Folded section, 3,31,32,33,34,35: buffer section, 3a: Opposite surface, 3b: insertion part, 21b: Through-hole forming part, 30,320,330,340,350: Contact part, 31b: Locking part, 200,201: Battery, 210: Battery cell, 220: Laminate, 230: Restraint Department, S: Gap.

Claims

1. A flat plate-shaped rigid member having a flat contact surface, The system comprises a buffer made of an elastic material having a contact portion that contacts the surface of the rigid member opposite to the contact surface, The rigid member has engaging portions at both ends in the width direction of the rigid member that engage with both ends of the buffer portion in the width direction, and the engaging portions at both ends of the rigid member have folded portions that are folded back toward the center so as to form a gap that opens toward the center of the width, The buffer portion is a battery buffer material having insertion portions at both ends of the buffer portion that are inserted into the gap of the folded portion.

2. The buffer material for a battery according to claim 1, wherein the buffer portion has a configuration in which a plurality of structural units, each consisting of an elastic body with an M-shaped cross-section along the thickness direction and width direction of the rigid member, are connected continuously in the width direction.

3. The battery cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the battery cushioning material comprises a plurality of sets of a rigid member and a cushioning portion in which the insertion portion is inserted into the gap of the folded portion of the rigid member, stacked in the thickness direction of the rigid member.

4. The battery cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the cushioning portion is an opposing surface facing the opposite surface of the rigid member, and in the state before being subjected to a load, has a U-shaped recess in the cross-section along the thickness direction and the width direction of the rigid member, and has an opposing surface that contacts the rigid member along the opposite surface when subjected to a load.

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