Power supply device

Abstract

In this power supply device, a plurality of core packs incorporating a plurality of battery cells are stored in the insertion position of an outer case with the ability to be pulled out easily. In the core pack, a cooling end surface of the battery cell is arranged in a thermal coupling state on a first surface of a core pack case, and an electrode end surface is arranged on a second surface of the core pack case. A first cooling duct and a second cooling duct for cooling the core pack are provided inside the outer case. The first cooling duct cools the battery cell via the first surface of the core pack case. A latch mechanism for latching the core pack to the insertion position of the outer case is partially arranged as a turbulent flow part of cooling air in the second cooling duct, and a cooling mechanism blows cooling air to the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct to cool the battery cell.

Description

power supply

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply device in which a plurality of core packs are housed in an outer case so as to be freely insertable and removable.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Power supply devices in which a battery core pack containing multiple battery cells is housed in an outer case are used in various fields, such as for power storage, to drive electrical devices using rechargeable secondary batteries such as lithium-ion secondary batteries (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] These power supply devices use a structure in which the battery core pack can be inserted and removed from the outer case. This structure requires a mechanism to hold the battery core pack in place inside the outer case. For example, a latch mechanism is used in which a protrusion on the side of the core pack engages with a hole in the outer case.

[0004] On the other hand, power supply devices use forced air cooling with a fan to cool the battery cells built into the core pack. In this configuration, a cooling duct for forced air blown by the fan is installed between the core pack and the outer case to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by each battery cell.

[0005] A power supply device that sets a core pack in an outer case so that the core pack can be inserted and removed is provided with a latch mechanism to set the core pack in the insertion position. The latch mechanism can be realized by providing a locking protrusion on the core pack and a through-hole in the outer case into which the locking protrusion is inserted. In this latch mechanism, the locking protrusion is inserted into the through-hole in the outer case and protrudes outside the outer case. The locking protrusion protruding outside the bottom case effectively increases the external size of the power supply device. Since power supplies are required to have a large charge / discharge capacity and a small external size, the issue of the locking protrusion protruding outside the outer case can be resolved by having the locking protrusion protrude into a cooling duct provided in the outer case.

[0006] International Publication No. 2012 / 132135

[0007] Cooling ducts with protruding locking protrusions disrupt the flow of cooling air, preventing uniform cooling of each battery cell. In core packs containing multiple battery cells, ensuring uniform cooling of each battery cell is an extremely important issue. This is because unbalanced cooling of each battery cell leads to unbalanced temperatures among the battery cells. Battery cells deteriorate faster as their temperature rises, so if a specific battery cell's temperature rises, that battery cell will deteriorate faster than the other battery cells. As battery cells deteriorate, their charge / discharge capacity decreases, and a decrease in charge / discharge capacity can limit the lifespan of a battery. A decrease in charge / discharge capacity due to the deterioration of a specific battery cell shortens the lifespan of the entire core pack. This is because core packs containing multiple battery cells connect the battery cells in series and set the output voltage optimal for the application. Therefore, the series-connected battery cells are charged and discharged at the same current, which causes the deteriorated battery cells with reduced charge / discharge capacity to be overcharged or overdischarged. A battery core pack stops charging when any battery cell is fully charged and stops discharging when it is fully discharged, so when a specific battery cell deteriorates and its charge / discharge capacity decreases, charging of the core pack must be stopped when the deteriorated battery cell is fully charged, and discharging stops when the deteriorated battery cell is fully discharged, so deterioration of a specific battery cell limits the charge / discharge capacity of the core pack and shortens the life of the core pack.

[0008] A power supply device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes multiple core packs, an outer case that accommodates the multiple core packs in multiple rows in a horizontal position so that they can be freely removed and inserted, a latch mechanism that latches the multiple core packs in an inserted position in the outer case, and a cooling mechanism. Each of the multiple core packs includes multiple battery cells and a core pack case that houses the multiple battery cells. The cooling mechanism blows cooling air into the outer case to cool the multiple battery cells of the multiple core packs. Each of the multiple battery cells includes a battery cell case that has one end surface serving as an electrode end surface with positive and negative electrodes and the other end surface serving as a planar cooling end surface. Each battery cell is accommodated in the core pack case in a vertical position with the cooling end surface facing a first surface of the core pack case, and is arranged inside the core pack case so that the cooling end surface of each battery cell is thermally coupled to the first surface of the core pack case. The core pack case has a latch mechanism on a second surface different from the first surface. The outer case has a first cooling duct on a first surface of the core pack case of each core pack in the insertion position. The outer case has a second cooling duct on a second surface of the core pack case of each core pack in the insertion position. The cooling mechanism includes a blower fan that forcibly blows cooling air into the first and second cooling ducts to cool each core pack. The latch mechanism includes a locking protrusion that positions each core pack in the insertion position of the outer case and a knob portion connected to the locking protrusion. The locking protrusion stops movement of each core pack in the extraction direction. The knob portion moves the locking protrusion between a latched position that stops movement of each core pack in the extraction direction and an unlatched position that allows each core pack to move freely in the extraction direction. The outer case includes a locking plate that locks the core pack case in the insertion position. The locking plate has locking openings into which locking projections are inserted to stop movement of each core pack in the extraction direction. A latch mechanism latches each core pack in the inserted position by turbulent cooling air, a portion of which is disposed within the second cooling duct.

[0009] The power supply device described above has the advantage of being able to evenly cool the battery cells of the core pack by latching the core pack in the inserted position with a latch mechanism while maintaining a compact outer case.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which one core pack has been pulled out from the outer case of the power supply device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an end of the core pack of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the outer case and the end of the core pack of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the power supply device. FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the power supply device. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a locking plate of the power supply device. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another example of a locking plate. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing another example of a locking plate. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing another example of a locking plate. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another example of a locking plate. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the locking plate of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of another example of a locking plate. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of another example of a latch mechanism of the power supply device. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a latch mechanism. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a latch mechanism. Fig. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing one example of a support portion of a power supply device. Fig. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a support portion. Fig. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a support portion. Fig. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a support portion. Fig. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a support portion. Fig. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a support portion. Fig. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a power supply device. Fig. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a power supply device.

[0011] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be specified by the following configurations and features.

[0012] A power supply device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of core packs, an outer case in which the core packs are arranged in multiple rows in a horizontal position and housed so as to be freely removable, a latch mechanism for latching the plurality of core packs in an inserted position in the outer case, and a cooling mechanism. Each of the plurality of core packs includes a plurality of battery cells and a core pack case housing the plurality of battery cells. The cooling mechanism blows cooling air into the outer case to cool the plurality of battery cells of the plurality of core packs. Each of the plurality of battery cells includes a battery cell case having one end surface as an electrode end surface provided with positive and negative electrodes and the other end surface as a planar cooling end surface. Each battery cell is housed in the core pack case in a vertical position with the cooling end surface facing a first surface of the core pack case, and is arranged inside the core pack case so that the cooling end surface of each battery cell is thermally coupled to the first surface of the core pack case. The core pack case has a latch mechanism on a second surface different from the first surface. The outer case has a first cooling duct on a first surface of the core pack case of each core pack in the insertion position. The outer case has a second cooling duct on a second surface of the core pack case of each core pack in the insertion position. The cooling mechanism includes a blower fan that forcibly blows cooling air into the first and second cooling ducts to cool each core pack. The latch mechanism includes a locking protrusion that positions each core pack in the insertion position of the outer case and a knob portion connected to the locking protrusion. The locking protrusion stops movement of each core pack in the extraction direction. The knob portion moves the locking protrusion between a latched position that stops movement of each core pack in the extraction direction and an unlatched position that allows each core pack to move freely in the extraction direction. The outer case includes a locking plate that locks the core pack case in the insertion position. The locking plate has locking openings into which locking projections are inserted to stop movement of each core pack in the extraction direction. A latch mechanism latches each core pack in the inserted position by turbulent cooling air, a portion of which is disposed within the second cooling duct.

[0013] The above power supply device has the characteristic of being able to efficiently cool the core pack battery cells while minimizing the size of the outer case. Specifically, the second cooling duct is configured so that a portion of the latch mechanism that locks the core pack in the inserted position protrudes, thereby minimizing the size of the outer case. This configuration allows the space for the latch mechanism to be shared with the second cooling duct. On the other hand, if the space for the latch mechanism and the second cooling duct were shared, the portion of the latch mechanism that protrudes into the second cooling duct would create a turbulent flow that disrupts the cooling air, causing temperature differences on the second surface of the core pack case. However, the above power supply device, by including the first cooling duct in addition to the second cooling duct, can reduce the effects of the turbulent flow. In particular, by housing multiple battery cells in the core pack case with their cooling end surfaces facing the first surface of the core pack case where the first cooling duct is provided, the effects of temperature variations caused by the turbulent flow can be relatively reduced.

[0014] The above power supply device can cool each surface of the battery cells in the core pack using both the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct. In particular, by arranging the planar cooling end surface in thermal connection with the inside of the first surface of the core pack case, the cooling end surface of the battery cells can be efficiently and evenly cooled using the cooling air from the first cooling duct. For power supply devices equipped with multiple battery cells, it is extremely important to ensure that the temperature of each battery cell can be evenly distributed. This is because temperature variations among the individual battery cells affect the overall lifespan of the device. The first cooling duct, which efficiently cools the battery cells, does not disrupt the cooling air due to locking protrusions, allowing each battery cell to be efficiently and evenly cooled using the cooling air. In addition, the second cooling duct can efficiently cool the battery cells. Therefore, the above power supply device has the advantage of eliminating the problem of deterioration of specific battery cells shortening the overall lifespan.

[0015] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking plate can be disposed between the second surface of the core pack case and the second cooling duct. This power supply device has the advantage that the locking plate can stably support and lock the core pack in the inserted position. Furthermore, a metal locking plate with excellent thermal conductivity can improve the cooling efficiency of the second cooling duct, enabling efficient cooling of the battery cells.

[0016] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking plate can be the bottom plate of the outer case. In this power supply device, the bottom plate of the outer case also serves as the locking plate, which allows for lighter weight and lower costs, and also has the advantage of being able to efficiently cool the battery cells while latching and locking the core pack in the insertion position.

[0017] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom plate of the outer case has a protrusion protruding from the bottom plate, and the protrusion can define a second cooling duct between the second surface of each core pack case and the bottom plate of the outer case. The power supply device described above has the advantage that the protrusion can form and define the second cooling duct, as shown in Figures 10 and 11 , for example. The protrusion can also reinforce the outer case, improving its strength and providing stable support for the core packs.

[0018] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom plate and the protrusion of the outer case can be integrally formed. This power supply device has the advantage that the strength of the outer case can be improved from the bottom plate, and parts and assembly costs can be reduced, and the weight can be reduced.

[0019] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a latch stopper including a locking plate can be disposed in the second cooling duct. The power supply device described above has the advantage that the core pack can be securely latched and locked in the inserted position.

[0020] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the turbulence portion can be a locking protrusion that penetrates both the second surface of the core pack case and the locking plate and protrudes into the second cooling duct. This power supply device has the advantage of being able to reliably latch and lock the core pack in the inserted position.

[0021] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the turbulence portion can be an elastic arm disposed in the second cooling duct, and the locking protrusion can be inserted into the locking openings on both the second surface of the core pack case and the locking plate to push up the locking protrusion. The above power supply device has a simple structure and configuration, and is characterized by being able to reliably latch and lock the core pack in the inserted position.

[0022] In another embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, the surface of the core pack case facing the first surface is the second surface, and each battery cell is arranged with its electrode end surface facing the second surface of the core pack case, and a wiring gap can be formed between the electrode end surface of each core pack and the wall that forms the second surface of the core pack case. In this power supply device, the core pack can be efficiently cooled from both ends of the battery cells by both the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct that are provided in opposing positions on the outer case. Furthermore, by arranging the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct in opposing positions on the outer case and arranging part of the latch mechanism in the second cooling duct, this power supply device has the advantage that the core pack can be latched in the insertion position while narrowing the outer shape of the outer case, particularly the width in the direction perpendicular to the first and second surfaces.

[0023] The above power supply device has the advantage of helping to resolve the issue of deterioration of specific battery cells and shortening the overall lifespan. The second cooling duct cools the second surface of the core pack case with partially turbulent cooling air, but the second surface of the core pack case indirectly cools the electrode end surfaces via the wiring gaps without directly cooling the electrode end surfaces. The cooling air from the second cooling duct cools the second surface of the core pack case under a temperature difference, but the temperature difference on the second surface is suppressed by the wiring gaps, cooling the electrode end surfaces of the battery cells, allowing the electrode end surfaces of the battery cells to be cooled with a small temperature difference. Furthermore, metal lead plates are connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the electrode end surfaces, and these lead plates are made of electrically conductive metal plates with excellent thermal conductivity, i.e., metal plates with excellent thermal conductivity, so thermal energy is conducted in a direction that reduces the temperature difference between adjacent battery cells, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells and cooling them. As described above, even if the cooling effect of the second cooling duct on the battery cells is smaller than that of the first cooling duct, the temperature difference on the second surface of the core pack case caused by localized turbulence in the cooling air is suppressed by providing a wiring gap between the second surface and the electrode end surface, and is also suppressed by thermal conduction through the lead plates connected to adjacent battery cells. Therefore, both the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct can cool the battery cells while suppressing the temperature difference.

[0024] In another embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, the core pack case is a rectangular parallelepiped having a top plate, a bottom plate, and a pair of side plates formed by connecting both sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, and the top plate can be defined as the first surface and the bottom plate as the second surface. In this power supply device, the top plate of the core pack case is defined as the first surface and the bottom plate as the second surface, and the battery cells can be efficiently cooled by both a first cooling duct on the top plate side and a second cooling duct on the bottom plate side, both of which are provided in opposing positions on the outer case. Furthermore, by arranging the first and second cooling ducts in opposing positions on the outer case and arranging part of the latch mechanism in the second cooling duct, this power supply device has the advantage of being able to latch the core pack into the insertion position while narrowing the outer case's external dimensions, particularly its width.

[0025] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking projections are inserted by their own weight into locking openings formed in the bottom plate and locking plate of the core pack case, thereby stopping each core pack in the latched position. The above power supply device can reliably latch and lock the core packs in the inserted position with a simple structure and configuration.

[0026] The power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a resilient arm that moves the locking protrusion, and the resilient arm can be provided with a knob. The power supply device described above has a simple structure and configuration, and can reliably latch and lock the core pack in the insertion position.

[0027] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first surface of the core pack case can have an exposed surface that is exposed within the first cooling duct. In this power supply device, the first surface of the core pack case can be efficiently cooled by cooling air from the first cooling duct.

[0028] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking plate can be a horizontal plate on which each core pack is placed so that it can be freely inserted and removed. This power supply device has the advantages of making it easy to insert and remove the core packs, and the horizontal plate can stably support and lock the core packs.

[0029] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the width (H) of the first cooling duct can be set to be equal to or greater than the width (h) of the second cooling duct. This power supply device further improves the cooling efficiency of the first cooling duct, increasing its cooling contribution and improving overall cooling efficiency. The widths (H, h) are the widths in the short direction of the cross-sectional openings of the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct (e.g., the vertical width in FIG. 6 ).

[0030] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery cells can be lithium-ion secondary batteries.

[0031] In a power supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery cells can be cylindrical batteries.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples for embodying the technical concepts of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following. Furthermore, this specification in no way specifies the components set forth in the claims as components of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and are merely illustrative examples, unless otherwise specified. Note that the size and positional relationships of components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity. In particular, drawings showing the first and second cooling ducts, latch mechanisms, etc. are for explanatory purposes, and the scale, length, thickness, etc. of the drawings are not accurate.

[0033] In particular, in this specification, descriptions indicating directions, postures, positions, and positional relationships such as up-down, horizontal, vertical, bottom (bottom plate), top (top plate), side (side plate), upper, lower, and up-down are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure and are specified based on the drawings in Figures 1 to 21. For example, the power supply device can be used upside down, so that when the power supply device is used upside down, the up-down direction is reversed. Furthermore, the power supply device can also be used in a posture rotated 90 degrees to the right or left.

[0034] Furthermore, in the following description, the same names and symbols indicate the same or similar components, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the elements constituting the present disclosure may be configured with the same components so that multiple components are served by one component, or conversely, the function of one component may be shared by multiple components.

[0035] The power supply device 100 of the present disclosure can be used as a stationary power supply device, for example, a backup power supply for a server, a power storage device for storing power obtained from solar power generation or the like for home, business, or factory use, or a power supply for daytime peak cutting, etc. Below, an indoor power storage power supply device will be described as one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] [Embodiment 1] A power supply device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is shown in Figures 1 to 5. In these figures, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the power supply device 100 according to Embodiment 1, Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the end (rear end plate 27 side) of a battery core pack 20 pulled out of the outer case 10 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the outer case 10 of Figure 1 and the end (rear end plate 27 side) of the core pack 20 in the inserted position, Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the power supply device 100, and Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the power supply device 100 of Figure 1. The power supply device 100 shown in these figures has multiple core packs 20 inserted into the outer case 10 so that they can be freely inserted and removed. The battery core pack 20 houses multiple battery cells 1 in a vertical position in a core pack case 21. The outer case 10 houses multiple core packs 20 arranged in multiple rows in a horizontal position so that they can be freely inserted and removed. The power supply unit 100 includes a latch mechanism 30 that locks the core pack 20 in the insertion position of the outer case 10, and a cooling mechanism 40 that blows cooling air into a first cooling duct 11 and a second cooling duct 12 provided between the core pack 20 and the outer case 10 to dissipate the thermal energy of the battery cells 1.

[0037] (Battery Core Pack 20) ​​As shown in FIG. 4 , the core pack 20 houses multiple battery cells 1 in a vertical position in a core pack case 21. The core pack case 21 is a long, narrow rectangular parallelepiped that extends in the direction in which the core pack 20 is inserted. The core pack case 21 has a top plate 22a, a bottom plate 22b, and a pair of side plates 22c that connect the top plate 22a and the bottom plate 22b at both ends, and is tubular with a square or rectangular cross section. The core pack case 21 is a metal plate that can efficiently cool the battery cells 1, and the top plate 22a, bottom plate 22b, and side plates 22c are connected into an integral structure. In the core pack 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , the top plate 22a of the core pack case 21 is the first surface 22A, and the bottom plate 22b is the second surface 22B. 4, each battery cell 1 housed in a vertical position in the core pack 20 has its upper cooling end surface 2b thermally coupled to the inner surface of the top plate 22a (first surface 22A), and its lower electrode end surface 2a thermally coupled to the inner surface of the bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) with a wiring gap 25. The battery cell 1 can also be thermally coupled with its cooling end surface 2b in contact with the first surface 22A of the core pack case 21, with a thermally conductive material sandwiched between them.

[0038] The core pack 20 dissipates the thermal energy of the battery cells 1 to the outside through the core pack case 21. The battery cells 1 include a battery cell case with one end face serving as an electrode end face 2a, where positive and negative electrodes are provided, and the other end face serving as a planar cooling end face 2b. The battery cells 1 are arranged with the cooling end face 2b facing the first surface 22A of the core pack case 21, and this cooling end face 2b is thermally coupled to the inner surface of the first surface 22A. Multiple battery cells 1 arranged in this manner are housed in the core pack case 21 in the same orientation, with all of the cooling end faces 2b perpendicular to the first surface 22A. This core pack 20 efficiently cools the internal battery cells 1 by cooling the first surface 22A of the core pack case 21 with cooling air. The first surface 22A of the core pack case 21 is cooled by cooling air forced through a first cooling duct 11, which will be described later. The first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 cool both the cooling end surface 2b and the electrode end surface 2a of the battery cells 1, enabling more efficient cooling. The core pack 20 can be arranged in a desirable thermally coupled state with the first surface 22A (the underside of the top plate 22a in FIG. 4 ) by arranging the cooling end surfaces 2b of each battery cell 1 on the same plane. The electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1 cannot be arranged in a desirable thermally coupled state with the second surface 22B (the bottom plate 22b in FIG. 4 ) of the core pack case 21 because it is necessary to provide wiring gaps 25 for the lead plates 26 connected to the positive and negative electrodes. As a result, the core pack 20 can forcibly cool the first surface 22A (the top plate 22a in FIG. 4 ) of the core pack case 21, enabling efficient cooling of the built-in battery cells 1. To efficiently cool the battery cells 1, a first cooling duct 11 for blowing cooling air is provided on the first surface 22A side of each core pack 20 (top surface in FIG. 4).

[0039] The core pack 20 has lead plates 26 arranged in wiring gaps 25 provided between the electrode end surface 2a and the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b in Figure 4 ). The lead plates 26 are arranged so that the positive electrode lead plate 26 connected to the positive electrode of the electrode end surface 2a and the negative electrode lead plate 26 connected to the negative electrode are insulated from each other. The lead plates 26 are electrically connected to the electrodes of the battery cells 1 by methods such as spot welding or laser welding, and multiple battery cells 1 are connected in series or parallel. The positive electrode lead plate 26 and the negative electrode lead plate 26 connected to the battery cells 1 are connected to connectors 43 provided on the tip surface of the core pack 20 (the tip plate 28 side in Figure 4 ). When the core pack 20 is inserted into the outer case 10 at its insertion position, the connector 43 on the core pack 20 is connected to a connector 43 provided on the outer case 10 to output power to the outside.

[0040] The core pack 20 shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4 has the rear end of the core pack case 21 closed by a rear end plate 27 and the front end closed by a front end plate 28. In the core pack 20 shown in this figure, the rear end plate 27 and the front end plate 28 are made of perforated metal plates, and an inner fan 42 is located at the front end of the core pack 20. This core pack 20 has the advantage of being able to cool the built-in battery cells 1 by blowing air into the core pack case 21 with the inner fan 42. In the core pack 20, adjacent battery cells 1 are positioned in fixed positions using battery holders 4, and gaps can be provided between adjacent battery cells 1 through which cooling air can be blown. For example, the upper and lower ends of the battery cells 1 can be held by battery holders 4, and a gap can be provided in the center of the battery cells 1 through which cooling air can be blown. The power supply device 100, which has an inner fan 42 provided in the core pack 20, has the advantage of being able to more efficiently cool the battery cells 1 by cooling the core pack 20 with both the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 using the cooling mechanism 40 described below, while blowing cooling air into the core pack case 21 to cool the battery cells 1. However, the power supply device 100 of the present invention does not have an inner fan 42, and can cool the built-in battery cells 1 by cooling the core pack 20 from the outside using the cooling mechanism 40 described below.

[0041] The core pack 20 in Figure 3 has a grip 29 on the rear end plate 27. This core pack 20 has the advantage that the user can grasp the grip 29 to smoothly insert or remove the core pack 20 into or from the outer case 10. Furthermore, the core pack 20 in Figure 4 has a connector 43 fixed to the front end plate 28. When this core pack 20 is pushed into the insertion position in the outer case 10, the connector 43 of the core pack 20 can be connected to the connector 43 of the outer case 10. The connectors 43 connect adjacent core packs 20 and output power as a power supply device.

[0042] (Outer Case 10) The outer case 10 in Figure 1 stores multiple core packs 20 in a removable manner. The outer case 10 in this figure has a top plate, a bottom plate 10b, and a pair of side plates formed by connecting both sides of the top plate and the bottom plate 10b. One end face (the end face on the front side in the figure) is open, and the other end face (the end face on the back side) is closed with a perforated plate that allows air to pass through. The outer case 10 in the figure has multiple storage spaces 16 that store multiple core packs 20 in horizontal rows and removable insertion / removal. The outer case 10 has partition walls 17 between adjacent storage spaces 16. The outer case 10 inserts the core packs 20 into each storage space 16 in a manner that allows them to be inserted and removed independently. Although not shown, slide rails may be provided between the core packs 20 and the storage spaces 16 to allow smooth insertion and removal of the core packs 20. 3 and 4 are provided with cooling ducts for blowing cooling air above and below the core pack 20. The cooling ducts include a first cooling duct 11 provided on the first surface 22A side of the core pack 20 (top in FIG. 4) and a second cooling duct 12 provided on the second surface 22B side of the core pack 20 (bottom in FIG. 4).

[0043] The locking plate 13 locks the inserted core pack 20 in the inserted position. In the cross-sectional views of Figures 6 to 9, the locking plate 13 is provided at the bottom of the outer case 10, and the second cooling duct 12 is provided below the locking plate 13. The locking plate 13 of the outer case 10 shown in the above figures is also used as a horizontal plate 18 on which the core pack 20 slides for easy insertion and removal. This locking plate 13 can easily determine the width (h, height in the figure) of the second cooling duct 12. In the outer case 10 of Figure 6, both side edges of the locking plate 13 (horizontal plate 18) are fixed and connected to the side surfaces of the outer case 10 and the partition wall 17. In the outer case 10 of Figure 7, a metal tube with a rectangular cross section is placed at the bottom, and the top plate of this metal tube serves as the locking plate 13. The outer case 10 in Fig. 8 has a groove-shaped metal plate with a U-shaped cross section that is inverted upside down and placed on the bottom, with the second surface 22B side (the lower side of the second surface 22B) serving as the locking plate 13. The outer case 10 in Fig. 9 has a groove-shaped metal plate placed on the bottom with its opening downward to provide the locking plate 13. The outer case 10 in Figs. 7 to 9 can provide a predetermined second cooling duct 12 by inserting a metal tube or metal plate into the bottom of the outer case 10 and placing the locking plate 13 in a fixed position, without fixing both side edges to the outer case 10 or the partition wall 17, as with the locking plate 13 in Fig. 6.

[0044] The outer case 10 can have a locking plate 13 inside, or the walls or inner surfaces that make up the outer case 10 can double as the locking plate 13. For example, in FIG. 10 , the bottom plate 10b of the outer case 10 is used as the locking plate 13. As shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 10 to 12 , the bottom plate 10b of the outer case 10 can have one or more protrusions 19 protruding from the bottom plate 10b. The protrusions 19 can be integral with the bottom plate 10b or can be separate components. For example, the bottom plate 10b can be partially formed into a convex shape by bending it, or a convex-shaped component can be provided on the bottom plate 10b. The protrusions 19 can reinforce the bottom plate 10b and the outer case 10 and support the core pack 20. The two protrusions 19 in FIG. 10 can be spaced apart to support the core pack 20 in a stable position. When the core pack 20 is placed on top of the protrusions 19, the width and thickness of the protrusions 19 are sufficient to support the core pack 20. The outer case 10 having the protrusion 19 can directly cool the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 with cooling air, improving cooling efficiency. This is because this outer case 10 does not require an intervening object, such as a partition-shaped locking plate 13 separating the storage space 16 shown in FIG. 6 or a metal tube with a rectangular cross section shown in FIG. 7, between the bottom plate 10b of the outer case 10 and the bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) of the core pack case 21. The protrusion 19 abutting the bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) of the core pack case 21 in the insertion position supports the core pack 20 for easy insertion and removal and determines the height of the second cooling duct 12. The protrusion 19 can substitute for the horizontal plate 18. The bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 slides and moves over the top of the protrusion 19, which extends in the insertion / removal direction of the core pack 20, allowing the core pack 20 to be inserted or removed.

[0045] The bottom plate 10b of the outer case 10 may have a locking opening 14, or the bottom plate 10b may have a member with the locking opening 14. For example, a plate material with a tube, rib, protrusion, step, unevenness, or opening into which the locking protrusion 31 can be inserted and locked may be provided. For example, the bottom plate 10b of the outer case 10 shown in Figures 10 to 12 has a latch stopper 51. Any latch stopper that can lock and latch the core pack 20 can be used as the latch stopper 51, and the configuration and structure are not specified. For example, the locking protrusion 31 can be inserted into a locking opening 54 provided in the latch stopper 51 to latch and lock the core pack 20. The locking opening 54 may be configured to lock into a groove or protrusion of the locking protrusion 31. The latch stopper 51 may be, for example, an elastically deformable bent metal fitting 51a. 11 and 12, the core pack 20 can be inserted while pressing down on the bending fitting 51a, and when removed, the bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) or the bottom plate extension 23 (the base of the bottom plate extension 23 in FIG. 11) of the core pack 20 comes into contact with the bending fitting 51a, which triggers the core pack 20 to be pressed down and removed. The bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) or the bottom plate extension 23, and / or the bending fitting 51a, can be provided with push-down guide portions 52a, 52b having a shape or structure that guides the bending fitting 51a in the downward direction by contacting the contact surface, for example, an inclined, curved surface, a curved portion, a step, a recessed portion, a protruding portion (FIG. 12), or the like. By providing a separate latch stopper 51 on the bottom plate 10b or the like in the outer case 10 having the protrusion 19, it is possible to eliminate the need for a member (for example, the partition-shaped locking plate 13 in Figure 6) that separates the second cooling duct 12 from the storage space 16 for the core pack 20.

[0046] (First cooling duct 11, second cooling duct 12) The first cooling duct 11 is provided on the first surface 22A of the core pack 20 (the side where the cooling end surfaces 2b of the battery cells 1 are located), and the second cooling duct 12 is provided on the second surface 22B of the core pack 20 (the side where the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1 are located). The first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 cool the core pack 20 from both the first surface 22A and the second surface 22B. In the power supply device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the top plate 22a (first surface 22A) of the core pack 20 is exposed to the first cooling duct 11. In a power supply device 100 with this exposed surface, the top plate 22a (first surface 22A) of the core pack case 21 can be directly and efficiently cooled by cooling air inserted into the first cooling duct 11. However, in the power supply unit 100, a thermally conductive material with excellent thermal conductivity can be disposed between the first cooling duct 11 and the top plate 22a (first surface 22A) of the core pack case 21 without exposing the top plate 22a (first surface 22A) of the core pack case 21 to the first cooling duct 11. In the power supply unit 100 with this structure, the cooling air blown into the first cooling duct 11 cools the core pack 20 via the thermally conductive material.

[0047] The second cooling duct 12 is provided on a second surface 22B of the core pack case 21, which is different from the first surface 22A. The second cooling duct 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is provided at the bottom of the storage space 16, below the core pack 20. The outer case 10 shown in the figures has a locking plate 13 on the second surface 22B, i.e., the bottom of the storage space 16, and the second cooling duct 12 is provided below the locking plate 13. The locking plate 13 can also be used as part of a latch mechanism 30 that latches the core pack 20 in the insertion position. The locking plate 13 shown in the figures places the core pack 20 in a fixed position within the outer case 10, and defines the second cooling duct 12 below the core pack 20 (on the second surface 22B) at the bottom of the storage space 16. 1 to 4, in the power supply unit 100 shown in FIG. 6, which has the second cooling duct 12 provided on the second surface 22B side (lower in the figure) of the locking plate 13, the width (h, vertical width in the figure) of the second cooling duct 12 can be determined by the position (vertical position in the figure) of the locking plate 13. Furthermore, in the outer case 10 shown in FIG. 6, in which the core pack 20 is placed on the locking plate 13 and the position (vertical position in the figure) of the core pack 20 is determined, the width (H, vertical width in the figure) of the first cooling duct 11 can also be determined by the arrangement and vertical position of the locking plate 13. This is because the arrangement and vertical position of the core pack 20 determined by the locking plate 13 determine the width and vertical width (H) of the first cooling duct 11.

[0048] An outer case 10 with a first cooling duct 11 and a second cooling duct 12 inside can send cooling air through both cooling ducts to cool the core pack 20 from both sides (for example, the top and bottom end faces in FIG. 6 ), but in the power supply unit 100, the width of the first cooling duct 11 (H, the vertical width in FIG. 6 ) is preferably made wider than the width of the second cooling duct 12 (h, the vertical width in FIG. 6 ) so that the first cooling duct 11 can more efficiently and evenly cool the battery cells 1, thereby effectively cooling the core pack 20. This is because the first surface 22A (top plate 22a in FIG. 6 ) of the core pack 20, which is cooled by the first cooling duct 11, is thermally coupled to the cooling end surface 2b of the battery cell 1. Therefore, in the power supply unit 100, the first cooling duct 11 is preferably set to a width (H, vertical width in Figure 6) that can efficiently cool the core pack 20, and the second cooling duct 12 is preferably set to a width (h, vertical width in Figure 6) that can realize a latch mechanism 30 that latches the core pack 20 in the insertion position as it is inserted or removed.

[0049] The width (H, vertical width in FIG. 6 ) of the first cooling duct 11 is widened to reduce pressure loss of the cooling air and allow the cooling air to be blown smoothly. Therefore, the width (H, vertical width in FIG. 6 ) of the first cooling duct 11 is set to, for example, 3 mm or more, preferably 5 mm or more, and more preferably 7 mm or more. However, if the width (H, vertical width in FIG. 6 ) of the first cooling duct 11 is widened, the dimension (vertical dimension in FIG. 6 ) of the outer case 10 increases. Therefore, the width (H, vertical width in FIG. 6 ) of the first cooling duct 11 is set to an appropriate value taking into account the dimension (vertical dimension in FIG. 6 ) of the outer case 10.

[0050] In order to make the outer case 10 compact in size, i.e., to prevent the locking protrusions 31 from protruding outside the outer case 10 and substantially increasing the outer size, the power supply unit 100 utilizes the gap in the second cooling duct 12 as a space for the locking protrusions 31 of the latch mechanism 30 to protrude. The second cooling duct 12 is a gap provided inside the outer case 10, and the structure in which the locking protrusions 31 protrude into this gap prevents the locking protrusions 31 from protruding outside the outer case 10 and substantially increasing the outer size. However, the locking protrusions 31 protruding into the second cooling duct 12 create turbulent flow sections 33 that disrupt the flow of air blown through the second cooling duct 12 to cool the core pack 20. The cooling air in the second cooling duct 12, whose flow is disrupted by the turbulent flow sections 33, inhibits uniform cooling of the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack 20. A core pack 20 in which the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) is not evenly cooled by cooling air causes temperature differences to occur among the built-in battery cells 1. As mentioned above, temperature differences among the battery cells 1 can accelerate the deterioration of specific battery cells 1, shortening the lifespan of the core pack 20 as a whole.

[0051] In order to solve the above problems, the power supply unit 100 is configured such that a first cooling duct 11 and a second cooling duct 12 are provided on the first surface 22A and the second surface 22B (top and bottom in FIG. 6 ) of the core pack 20, and the first cooling duct 11 cools the first surface 22A (top plate 22a) of the core pack case 21, which is arranged in thermal contact with the cooling end surfaces 2b of the battery cells 1 in order to efficiently cool the battery cells 1, and a turbulent flow section 33 is provided in the second cooling duct 12, which cools the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) inside which the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1 are arranged with a gap.

[0052] In the power supply device 100 described above, the cooling air from the first cooling duct 11 efficiently and evenly cools the cooling end surfaces 2b of the battery cells 1, and the cooling air from the second cooling duct 12 further cools the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1, but the electrode end surfaces 2a are cooled via the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack case 21 through the wiring gaps 25. The first cooling duct 11 does not cause turbulence in the cooling air due to the locking protrusions 31, and the cooling air cools the first surface 22A (top plate 22a) of the core pack case 21, thereby evenly and efficiently cooling the cooling end surfaces 2b of each battery cell 1 thermally coupled to the first surface 22A (top plate 22a). The second cooling duct 12 cools the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack case 21 with turbulent cooling air, but the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack case 21 does not directly cool the electrode end surfaces 2a, but indirectly cools the electrode end surfaces 2a via the wiring gaps 25, thereby cooling the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1 with a small temperature difference. Therefore, while the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 both cool the battery cells 1 by radiating thermal energy, the thermal energy absorbed from the battery cells 1 and radiated by the first cooling duct 11 is significantly greater than the thermal energy absorbed from the battery cells 1 and directed toward them by the second cooling duct 12.

[0053] As described above, the cooling air from the second cooling duct 12 cools the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack case 21 with a temperature difference. However, the temperature difference on the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) is suppressed by the wiring gap 25, cooling the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1, allowing the electrode end surfaces 2a of the battery cells 1 to be cooled with a small temperature difference. Furthermore, metal lead plates 26 are connected to the positive and negative terminals of the electrode end surfaces 2a. These lead plates 26 connect the electrodes of each battery cell 1 to connect adjacent battery cells 1 in series or parallel. These lead plates 26 are electrically conductive metal plates, i.e., metal plates with excellent thermal conductivity, and conduct thermal energy in a direction that reduces the temperature difference between the connected battery cells 1, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells 1. The second cooling duct 12 uses less cooling energy to cool the battery cells 1 than the first cooling duct 11, and furthermore, the temperature difference on the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) of the core pack case 21 caused by local turbulence of the cooling air by the turbulence section 33 is suppressed by providing a wiring gap 25 between the second surface 22B (bottom plate 22b) and the electrode end surface 2a, and is also suppressed by thermal conduction of the lead plates 26 connected to adjacent battery cells 1. As a result, the battery cells 1 are cooled by both the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12, while the temperature difference between the battery cells 1 is reduced, eliminating the problem of deterioration of specific battery cells 1 and a shortened overall lifespan.

[0054] (Cooling mechanism 40) The cooling mechanism 40 can be realized by a blower fan 41 that forcibly blows cooling air into the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12. As shown in the cross-sectional views of Figures 4 and 5, the blower fan 41 forcibly blows cooling air into the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 provided in the outer case 10 to cool the battery cells 1 in the core pack 20. In the power supply unit 100 shown in the figures, the blower fan 41 is located on the tip (tip plate 28) side of the core pack 20. The illustrated blower fan 41 draws in cooling air from the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 and expels it to the outside of the outer case 10, cooling the battery cells 1 via the core pack 20. The blower fan 41 can also draw in air from within the core pack case 21 to cool the battery cells 1. As shown in FIG. 4 , the power supply device 100 has an inner fan 42 inside the core pack case 21, and both the inner fan 42 and the blower fan 41 forcibly blow cooling air in the same direction, allowing the battery cells 1 to be cooled efficiently.

[0055] (Latch mechanism 30) The latch mechanism 30 is a mechanism that prevents the core pack 20, which is placed at the insertion position in the outer case 10, from moving in the removal direction. The latch mechanism 30 includes a locking protrusion 31 and a knob portion 32. The locking protrusion 31 stops the movement of the core pack 20 in the removal direction at the latched position, and the knob portion 32 moves the locking protrusion 31 between a latched position that stops the movement of the core pack 20 in the removal direction and an unlatched position that allows the core pack 20 to move freely in the removal direction. The latch mechanism 30 moves the locking protrusion 31 between a latched position and an unlatched position (for example, moving up and down in FIG. 4 ), and at the latched position, the locking protrusion 31 is inserted into the locking openings 24, 14 of the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21 and the locking plate 13 to latch the core pack 20. However, the present invention does not specify the mechanism by which the locking protrusion 31 moves between the latched position and the unlatched position (for example, moving up and down) or the shape of the locking protrusion 31 to the mechanism described below, nor does it specify other mechanisms that can move the locking protrusion 31 (for example, moving up and down), or the shape of the locking protrusion 31 to the shape described below. The locking protrusion 31 or the locking plate 13 may have a stopper or locking portion to prevent the locking protrusion 31 from coming off.

[0056] The latch mechanism 30 shown in Figures 1 to 4 includes a locking protrusion 31 that moves vertically to be connected to, inserted into, and locked to the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 to latch the core pack 20 in the inserted position, and a knob 32 that moves the locking protrusion 31 vertically to move the core pack 20 between the latched position and the non-latched position (movable position). The locking protrusion 31 is inserted into the locking opening 14 provided in the locking plate 13 of the outer case 10 to latch the core pack 20 in the inserted position. The locking protrusion 31 shown in Figures 3 and 6 moves vertically to be inserted into the locking openings 24, 14 provided in the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 and the locking plate 13 to latch the core pack 20 in the inserted position. The locking protrusion 31 shown in Figures 3 and 6 has a flange provided at the upper end of a cylindrical portion that is smaller than the inner dimensions of the locking openings 24, 14. The flange is a knob 32 that the user grasps with their hand to move the locking protrusion 31 up and down. As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, it is larger than the inner shape of the locking opening 24 of the bottom plate extension 23 and abuts against the surface of the bottom plate extension 23 to determine the latch position of the locking protrusion 31.

[0057] 2 and 3 are inserted into locking openings 24, 14 provided in the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 and the locking plate 13 of the outer case 10, as shown in the cross-sectional views of Figures 6 to 9, to latch the core pack 20 in the inserted position. The locking projections 31 may have shapes other than a cylinder, such as a polygonal prism, a cylinder, or a rectangular tube.

[0058] Furthermore, the locking protrusions 31 may be plate-shaped as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 . The plate-shaped locking protrusions 31 may also be arranged in multiple rows parallel to each other. The plate-shaped locking protrusions 31 that protrude into the second cooling duct 12 and latch the core pack 20 create a turbulent flow section 33 that disturbs the cooling air. However, by arranging the plate-shaped locking protrusions 31 parallel to the blowing direction A of the cooling air, the core pack 20 can be latched with reduced turbulence. Furthermore, the plate-shaped locking protrusions 31 facing the blowing direction have the advantage of increasing bending strength against a force in the pull-out direction of the core pack 20, thereby enabling stable latching of the core pack 20. In the latch mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 13 , the upper ends of the multiple rows (two rows in the figure) of plate-shaped locking protrusions 31 are connected to a flat plate 35. The locking protrusions 31 can identify the latch position by abutting the flat plate 35 against the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21. Furthermore, by providing an upwardly protruding knob 32 at the end of the flat plate 35, it is possible to realize the feature that the locking projection 31 in the latched position can be easily raised to release the latch. The locking projection 31 of the latch mechanism 30 penetrates both the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 and the locking plate 13, and protrudes into the second cooling duct 12 to form a turbulent flow section 33.

[0059] In FIG. 13 , multiple locking projections 31 arranged in parallel are connected to a knob portion 32 via a flat plate 35. The knob portion 32 in the figure comprises raised portions 36 formed by bending upward both ends of the flat plate 35, which connects the multiple locking projections 31 so that they project downward from its underside, and horizontal portions 37 formed by bending the ends of the raised portions 36 horizontally. The locking projections 31 are inserted by their own weight into the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21 and the locking openings 24, 14 of the locking plate 13, thereby latching the core pack 20. The user can release the latched state by lifting the horizontal portion 37 (knob portion 32) and pulling the locking projections 31 out of the locking openings 24, 14. This latch mechanism 30 latches the core pack 20 by projecting the locking projections 31 into the second cooling duct 12, so that the locking projections 31 form a turbulent portion 33 that disturbs the cooling air in the second cooling duct 12.

[0060] The latch mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 14 connects a locking protrusion 31 to a resilient arm 34. The resilient arm 34 is an elastically deformable metal plate, with its leading end fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 22b of the core pack case 21 and its rear end or central underside fixed in a vertical position with a knob 32 at its rear end. When the resilient arm 34 is not deformed, it assumes a horizontal position, allowing the locking protrusion 31 to be inserted into the locking openings 24 and 14. A user can lift the knob 32, elastically deform the resilient arm 34 as shown by the dashed lines, and pull the locking protrusion 31 out of the locking openings 24 and 14 to release the latched state. In this latch mechanism 30, the locking protrusion 31 forms a turbulent flow portion 33 that protrudes into the second cooling duct 12, creating turbulence in the cooling air being inserted into the second cooling duct 12.

[0061] Similar to the latch mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 14 , the latch mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 15 also connects the locking projection 31 to a resilient arm 34, but the latch mechanism 30 secures the resilient arm 34 to the outer case 10 (the locking plate 13 in the figure). The resilient arm 34, like the one shown in FIG. 14 , is also made of a resiliently deformable metal plate, with its leading end secured to the underside of the locking plate 13 of the outer case 10, the locking projection 31 secured in a vertical position to the upper surface of the rear end or central portion, and a knob 32 provided at the rear end. The knob 32 can be horizontal (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15 ), or it can be raised or stepped (e.g., as shown in FIG. 14 ). When the resilient arm 34 is in a horizontal position without deformation, the locking projection 31 is inserted into the locking openings 24, 14 provided in the locking plate 13 and the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21. The user can release the latched state by pressing down on the knob portion 32 to elastically deform the elastic arm 34 as shown by the chain line and pull the locking protrusion 31 out of the locking openings 24, 14. This latch mechanism 30 is disposed within the second cooling duct 12, and the elastic arm 34 that inserts the locking protrusion 31 into the locking openings 24, 14 on both the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21 and the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack case 21 forms a turbulent flow portion 33 that disturbs the cooling air in the second cooling duct 12. Because the elastic arm 34 in a horizontal position forms the turbulent flow portion 33, this latch mechanism 30 has the advantage of being able to reduce turbulence in the cooling air in the second cooling duct 12 while disposing part of the latch mechanism 30 in the second cooling duct 12.

[0062] The power supply unit 100 may further include one or more support members 38 that limit movement or displacement of the core pack 20 (e.g., vertical displacement in FIG. 16 ). The support members 38 may be disposed in the first cooling duct 11. The support members 38 limit movement or displacement of the core pack 20 in a predetermined direction, preventing the core pack 20 from being displaced or moved due to vibration, impact, or the like, causing the locking protrusions 31 of the latch mechanism 30 to come out of the locking openings 24, 14 and enter an unlocked state. The support members 38 hold the core pack 20 in a predetermined position and posture, limiting displacement and reducing the connection load on the connector 43. The support members 38 may be connected to and fixed to the outer case 10 and / or the core pack 20. The shape, size, configuration, and location of the support members 38 are not specified, but examples are shown in FIGS. 16 to 21 . The support portion 38a in FIG. 16 is a protrusion that protrudes inward from one or both (FIG. 16) partition walls 17 or the side surface of the outer case 10 and limits the vertical displacement of the core pack 20. The support portion 38b can have, for example, a first portion in a vertical position and a second portion in a horizontal position. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the support portion 38 can limit the vertical displacement of the core pack 20 by contacting and bracing the upper surface of the first cooling duct 11 (the inner surface of the top plate of the outer case 10) and the top plate 22a of the core pack case 21. For example, the support portion 38b in FIG. 17 is a grooved metal plate with a U-shaped cross section that is provided on both partition walls 17 and opens horizontally. The support portion 38b has a first portion 39a1 parallel to the partition wall 17, and second portions 39b and 39c extending inward are connected to the upper and lower ends of the first portion 39a1. The support portion 38c in Figure 18 is a groove-shaped metal plate with a U-shaped cross section, arranged with its opening facing upward. The support portion 38c has two vertically oriented first portions 39a2, a lower (top plate 22a) second portion 39d that connects the two first portions 39a2 at their lower ends, and an upper (top surface side of the first cooling duct 11) second portion 39e that extends left and right and connects to the upper portions of each first portion 39a2. The support portion 38d in Figure 19 is groove-shaped (solid lines) or duct-shaped (dotted lines). The support portion 38d in Figure 19 can be formed into a complete hollow duct shape by connecting the dotted line portions, or it can be formed into a U-shaped or groove-shaped (solid lines) that opens downward (toward the top plate 22a).The support portions 38 can be configured not to cover the top plate 22a or to cover a small area. For example, the support portions 38 shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 16, and 17 allow cooling air to directly cool the top plate 22a, improving the cooling efficiency of the battery cells 1. The support portions 38 can be provided on the partition wall 17, the upper surface of the first cooling duct 11, the top plate 22a, or the inner periphery of the first cooling duct 11. They can be plate-shaped and parallel to the cooling air flow direction A. They can have a thin width and thickness that prevents the core pack 20 from displacing upward, minimizing interference with the flow of cooling air and the occurrence of turbulence. One or more support portions 38 can be provided over part or the entire area of ​​the first cooling duct 11. For example, the support portion 38 in Figure 20 is provided on the front plate 28 side and the rear end plate 27 side of the core pack 20, and the support portion 38 in Figure 21 is provided from the front plate 28 side to the rear end plate 27 side of the core pack 20.

[0063] (Other Embodiments) The power supply unit 100 shown in Figures 1 to 21 can be used upside down or rotated 90 degrees to the right or left. In the power supply unit 200 used upside down shown in Figure 22, the first cooling duct 11 is located below the core pack 20 and the second cooling duct 12 is located above the core pack 20. The power supply unit 200 used in this state can be provided with a positioning plate 15 on which the bottom plate 22b (second surface 22B) of the core pack 20 is placed to position the core pack 20 in a fixed position within the outer case 10, as shown in Figure 22. In this power supply unit 200, the core pack 20 can be placed on the positioning plate 15 and moved in and out of the outer case 10, providing the first cooling duct 11 between the core pack 20 and the outer case 10. The positioning plate 15 allows the core pack 20 to be in surface contact with the positioning plate 15 under its own weight, resulting in a favorable thermal coupling state. Therefore, the cooling air in the first cooling duct 11 can efficiently cool the core pack 20 through the positioning plate 15 .

[0064] The power supply unit 100 in Figures 1 to 21 can be used upside down or rotated 90 degrees to the right or left. Furthermore, the arrangement of the first cooling duct 11 and the second cooling duct 12 can also be changed. For example, in the power supply unit 300 shown in Figure 23 , which is used rotated 90 degrees to the right, the first cooling duct 11 is arranged on the right side (first surface 22A) of the core pack 20, and the second cooling duct 12 is arranged below (second surface 22B) the core pack 20. In the power supply unit 300 in Figure 23 , the core pack 20 houses multiple battery cells 1 in a horizontal position in the core pack case 21. In the power supply unit 300 shown in the figure, the first cooling duct 11 is arranged with a vertically elongated cross section on the right side of the core pack 20, which is the cooling end surface 2b on the heat dissipation side of the battery cells 1 with one-sided current collection. The latch mechanism 30 can be provided on a side other than the first cooling duct 11, such as below ( FIG. 23 ) or above (not shown) the core pack 20. In FIG. 23 , the latch mechanism 30 is provided in the second cooling duct 12 disposed below the core pack 20. The power supply unit 300 in FIG. 23 includes a positioning plate 15 on which the bottom plate 22 b of the core pack 20 is placed to position the core pack 20 in a fixed position within the outer case 10, and the positioning plate 15 serves as the locking plate 13. In this power supply unit 300, the core pack 20 can be inserted or removed from the outer case 10 by placing it on the positioning plate 15 and locked in the inserted position. The positioning plate 15 is in surface contact with the core pack 20 due to its own weight, providing a favorable thermal coupling state. Therefore, the cooling air in the second cooling duct 12 below the positioning plate 15 can efficiently cool the core pack 20 via the positioning plate 15.

[0065] The present disclosure can be effectively used as a power supply device that has a compact outer case, latches the core pack in the inserted position with a latch mechanism, and evenly cools the battery cells of the core pack.

[0066] 100, 200, 300 Power supply device 1 Battery cell 2a Electrode end surface 2b Cooling end surface 4 Battery holder 10 Outer case 10b Bottom plate 11 First cooling duct 12 Second cooling duct 13 Locking plate 14 Locking opening 15 Positioning plate 16 Storage space 17 Partition wall 18 Horizontal plate 19 Convex portion 20 (Battery) core pack 21 Core pack case 22A First surface 22B Second surface 22a Top plate 22b Bottom plate 22c Side plate 23 Bottom plate extension 24 Locking opening 25 Wiring gap 26 Lead plate 27 Rear end plate 28 Front end plate 29 Grip 30 Latch mechanism 31 Locking protrusion 32 Knob portion 33 Turbulence portion 34 Elastic arm 35 Flat plate 36 Rising portion 37 Horizontal portion 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d Support portion 39a1, 39a2 First portion 39b, 39c, 39d, 39e Second portion 40 Cooling mechanism 41 Blower fan 42 Inner fan 43 Connector 51 Latch stopper 51a Bending metal fitting 52a, 52b Push-down guide portion 54 Locking opening

Claims

1. A power supply device comprising: a plurality of core packs; an outer case in which the plurality of core packs are arranged in multiple rows in a horizontal position and stored so as to be freely removable; a latch mechanism for latching the plurality of core packs at an insertion position of the outer case; and a cooling mechanism, wherein each of the plurality of core packs has a plurality of battery cells and a core pack case in which the plurality of battery cells are built in, and the cooling mechanism blows cooling air into the outer case to cool the plurality of battery cells of each of the core packs, and each of the plurality of battery cells has a battery cell case having one end face serving as an electrode end face formed with positive and negative electrodes and the other end face serving as a planar cooling end face, and each of the battery cells is stored within the core pack case in a vertical position with the cooling end face facing a first surface of the core pack case, and is arranged inside the core pack case such that the cooling end face of each of the battery cells is thermally coupled to the first surface of the core pack case, the core pack case has the latch mechanism on a second surface different from the first surface, the outer case is provided with a first cooling duct on the first surface side of the core pack case of each of the core packs in the insertion position, and the outer case is provided with a second cooling duct on the second surface side of the core pack case of each of the core packs in the insertion position, the cooling mechanism comprises a blower fan that forcibly blows cooling air into the first cooling duct and the second cooling duct to cool each of the core packs, the latch mechanism comprises: a locking protrusion that places each of the core packs in the insertion position of the outer case and stops movement of each of the core packs in the extraction direction, and a knob portion that is connected to the locking protrusion and moves the locking protrusion between a latched position that stops movement of each of the core packs in the extraction direction and an unlatched position that allows each of the core packs to move freely in the extraction direction, and the outer case is provided with a locking plate that locks the core pack case in the insertion position, the locking plate has locking openings into which the locking projections are inserted to stop the movement of each of the core packs in the extraction direction;The latch mechanism latches each of the core packs into an inserted position with a portion of the latch mechanism being a turbulent portion of the cooling air disposed within the second cooling duct.

2. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said locking plate is disposed between said second surface of said core pack case and said second cooling duct.

3. A power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the locking plate is a bottom plate of the outer case.

4. A power supply unit as described in claim 3, wherein the bottom plate of the outer case has a convex portion protruding from the bottom plate, and the convex portion defines the second cooling duct between the second surface of the core pack case and the bottom plate of the outer case.

5. A power supply device according to claim 4, wherein the bottom plate and the protruding portion of the outer case are of integral structure.

6. A power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a latch stopper including said locking plate is arranged in said second cooling duct.

7. A power supply unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said turbulent portion is said locking projection which penetrates both said second surface of said core pack case and said locking plate and protrudes into said second cooling duct.

8. A power supply unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbulent portion is an elastic arm disposed within the second cooling duct and inserts and pushes up the locking projection into the locking openings of both the second face of the core pack case and the locking plate.

9. A power supply device as described in claim 1, wherein the core pack case has a second surface opposite the first surface, each of the battery cells is arranged with its electrode end surface facing the second surface of the core pack case, and each of the core packs forms a wiring gap between the electrode end surface and a wall constituting the second surface of the core pack case.

10. A power supply device as described in claim 9, wherein the core pack case is a rectangular parallelepiped having a top plate, a bottom plate, and a pair of side plates connecting both sides of the top plate and the bottom plate, the top plate being the first surface and the bottom plate being the second surface.

11. A power supply device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the locking projections are inserted by their own weight into the locking openings provided in the bottom plate and the locking plate of the core pack case, thereby stopping each of the core packs in a latched position.

12. A power supply device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an elastic arm which moves said locking projection, said knob portion being provided on said elastic arm.

13. A power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first surface of the core pack case is an exposed surface exposed within the first cooling duct.

14. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein said locking plate is a horizontal plate on which each of said core packs is placed so as to be freely removable.

15. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the width (H) of said first cooling duct is equal to or greater than the width (h) of said second cooling duct.

16. A power supply device according to claim 1, wherein each of said battery cells is a lithium ion secondary battery.

17. The power supply of claim 1, wherein each of said battery cells is a cylindrical battery.

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