Battery

Abstract

This battery has a case (40) for accommodating battery cells (32). The case (40) is provided with a first chamber (44a) and a second chamber (44b), and a third chamber (45). The first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b) accomodate the battery cells (32), and are arranged in a first direction. The third chamber (45) forms a space between the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b). Components 51a, 51b electrically connected to the battery cells (32) are disposed inside the third chamber (45).

Description

Battery

[0001] The present invention relates to batteries.

[0002] In recent years, research and development has been conducted on batteries (secondary batteries) that contribute to energy efficiency in order to ensure that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art For batteries used in electric motorcycles and the like, techniques have been proposed to improve the cooling performance of battery cells housed in a case (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The battery described in Patent Document 1 includes a cooling plate that is cooled by airflow, battery cells mounted on the left and right sides of the cooling plate, and a pair of cooling half shells that cover the outside of the left and right battery cells. The pair of cooling half shells are connected to the central cooling plate. Components such as power distribution components electrically connected to the battery cells are located below the battery cells.

[0005] Patent No. 6617972

[0006] In the battery described in Patent Document 1, components such as power distribution components are arranged below the battery cells, which increases the overall size of the battery in one direction (the vertical direction), and this tends to restrict the shape and component layout of products equipped with the battery. For this reason, there is a demand for a smaller overall battery.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery that can be made smaller overall.

[0008] As a means for solving the above problems, an aspect of the present invention has the following configuration: A battery according to aspect 1 has a case (40) that houses battery cells (32) therein, the case (40) having a first chamber (44a) and a second chamber (44b) that are aligned in a first direction and that house the battery cells (32) therein, and a third chamber (45) that forms a space between the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b), and components (51a, 51b) that are electrically connected to the battery cells (32) are disposed inside the third chamber (45).

[0009] In the battery of this aspect 1, components can be arranged in the space of the third chamber between the first and second chambers, so the entire battery can be made smaller in size in the direction intersecting the first direction.

[0010] The battery of aspect 2 is the battery of aspect 1, wherein the first chamber (44a) is partitioned from the third chamber (45) by a first partition wall (43a), and a first side wall (46a) facing the first partition wall (43a) is disposed at a position spaced apart from the first partition wall (43a), and the second chamber (44b) is partitioned from the third chamber (45) by a second partition wall (43b), and a second side wall (46b) facing the second partition wall (43b) is disposed at a position spaced apart from the second partition wall (43b). At least one end of the battery cell (32) in the first chamber (44a) in the first direction contacts the first partition wall (43a) or the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d), and at least one end of the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) in the first direction contacts the second partition wall (43b) or the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d).

[0011] In the battery of this aspect 2, the third compartment ensures a space between the first compartment and the second compartment with a sufficient distance in the first direction. Therefore, heat from the battery cells housed in the first compartment or the second compartment is blocked by the space (air layer) inside the third compartment, making it difficult for the heat to be transferred to the other compartment. Furthermore, heat from the battery cells housed in the first compartment is dissipated to the outside through the first partition wall or the first side wall via the heat transfer member. Similarly, heat from the battery cells housed in the second compartment is dissipated to the outside through the second partition wall or the second side wall via the heat transfer member. Therefore, when the battery of this aspect 2 is adopted, it is possible to more efficiently cool the battery cells housed in the case.

[0012] The battery of Aspect 3 is the battery of Aspect 2, characterized in that one end of the battery cell (32) in the first chamber (44a) in the first direction contacts the first partition wall (43a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c) and the other end of the first direction contacts the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34d, 35d, 36d), and the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) in the first direction contacts the second partition wall (43b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c) and the other end of the first direction contacts the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34d, 35d, 36d).

[0013] In the battery of Aspect 3, heat from the battery cells in the first compartment is dissipated to the outside through the first partition wall and the first side wall at both ends of the battery cells in the first direction. Similarly, heat from the battery cells in the second compartment is dissipated to the outside through the second partition wall and the second side wall at both ends of the battery cells in the first direction. This allows the battery cells housed in the case to be cooled more efficiently.

[0014] A battery of aspect 4 is the battery of aspect 2, characterized in that each of the battery cells (32) has an electrode (80) at at least one of one end and the other end for extracting electric power to the outside, the electrode (80) of the battery cell (32) in the first chamber (44a) contacts the first partition wall (43a) or the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d), and the electrode (80) of the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) contacts the second partition wall (43b) or the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d).

[0015] In the battery of this aspect 4, the electrode portions of each battery cell that generate particularly large amounts of heat are in contact with the corresponding heat-dissipating walls via the heat transfer members, so each battery cell can be cooled even more efficiently.

[0016] A battery of aspect 5 is the battery of aspect 1, characterized in that the third chamber (45) is a space sealed from the outside of the case (40).

[0017] In the battery of this aspect 5, even if water, mud, dust, etc. hits the case from the outside, it is possible to prevent these from adhering to the components arranged inside the third compartment. Therefore, when the battery of this aspect 3 is adopted, it is possible to effectively protect the components arranged inside the third compartment.

[0018] A battery of a sixth aspect is the battery of the first aspect, characterized in that communication holes (65) are formed in the first partition wall (43a) and the second partition wall (43b) to respectively connect the third chamber (45) with the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b) adjacent to the third chamber (45), and bus bars (90a, 90b) are inserted into the communication holes (65) to electrically connect the battery cell (32) in one of the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b) to the components (51a, 51b) in the third chamber (45) or the battery cell (32) in the other chamber.

[0019] In the battery of this aspect 6, the bus bars connecting the battery cells in one room to components or the battery cells in another room can be routed between the rooms over the shortest distance or a distance close to the shortest distance. Therefore, when the battery of this aspect 6 is used, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the bus bars.

[0020] According to the present invention, the entire battery can be made smaller.

[0021] 5 is a left side view of a vehicle. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a battery in an embodiment. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a battery. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a cell module. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the battery taken along line V-V in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part VI in FIG. 5 of the battery. FIG. 11 is an inner side view of a battery module of the battery. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the battery taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 1.

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Directions such as front, rear, up, down, left, and right in the following description are the same as directions in a vehicle described below. In the drawings used in the following description, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, and an arrow UP indicating the top of the vehicle are shown at appropriate locations. A side closer to the center of the left-right direction (first direction) of the vehicle may be referred to as the inside in the left-right direction, and a side farther away from the center of the left-right direction of the vehicle may be referred to as the outside in the left-right direction. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute positions, such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial," not only mean the exact position but also include a state in which the positions are relatively displaced by a tolerance or an angle or distance that provides the same function.

[0023] 1 is a left side view of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is a scooter-type electric two-wheeled vehicle having a floor portion 14 (low-floor portion) on which a rider (driver) places his / her feet. The vehicle 1 includes a front wheel 2, a rear wheel 3, a body frame 5, a body cover 6, a swing unit 8, a battery 20, a seat 15, and a control device 9.

[0024] The front wheel 2 is supported by a front fork 4. The front wheel 2 can be steered by a handlebar 18. The rear wheel 3 is supported by the rear end of a swing unit 8. The rear wheel 3 can be driven by an electric motor 7 provided in the swing unit 8. The front end of the swing unit 8 is connected to the body frame 5.

[0025] The handlebars 18, the front forks 4, and the front wheel 2 constitute steering system components. The steering system components are steerably supported at the front end of the body frame 5. The swing unit 8 and the rear wheel 3 are supported at the bottom of the body frame 5 so as to be able to swing up and down. The body frame 5 is surrounded by a body cover 6.

[0026] The vehicle 1 includes a floor portion 14 that forms a footrest surface on which a driver seated in a seat 15 places his or her feet, a front body FB that is connected to the front of the floor portion 14, and a rear body RB that is connected to the rear of the floor portion 14. A straddling space K is formed above the floor portion 14 to make it easier for an occupant to straddle the vehicle body.

[0027] A seat 15 for a passenger to sit on is supported on the rear body RB. The lower front end of the seat 15 is connected to the vehicle body via a hinge shaft 16 that extends along the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). The seat 15 rotates up and down around the hinge shaft 16 to open and close the upper part of the rear body RB.

[0028] The body frame 5 is formed by joining multiple types of steel together by welding or the like. The body frame 5 includes a head pipe 10 located at the front end, a pair of left and right down frames 11 that branch off to the left and right from the head pipe 10, extend downward, and then extend rearward, and a pair of left and right rear frames 12 that extend upward and rearward from the rear portions of the left and right down frames 11. A battery 20 is disposed in an underfloor space surrounded by the lower portions of the left and right down frames 11 and the front portions of the left and right rear frames 12.

[0029] The control device 9 includes a PCU (Power Control Unit) that controls the electric motor 7. The PCU includes a PDU (Power Drive Unit) that is a motor driver, an ECU (Electric Control Unit) that controls the PDU, and the like. Cables extending from the positive and negative terminals of the battery 20 are connected to the PDU. Cables extending from the PDU are connected to the electric motor 7. The PDU includes, for example, an inverter. The inverter converts the current supplied from the battery 20 from direct current to alternating current, and then supplies the power to the electric motor 7.

[0030] <Battery> The battery 20 of this embodiment will be described in detail. Note that a first direction, which is the arrangement direction of a first chamber 44a and a second chamber 44b (described later), corresponds to the left-right direction in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery 20 of this embodiment. The battery 20 is L-shaped in a side view. The battery 20 has an elongated portion 21 and an upright portion 22. The elongated portion 21 extends longitudinally in the front-rear direction. The upright portion 22 stands upright from the rear of the elongated portion 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the elongated portion 21 is disposed below the floor portion 14. The upright portion 22 is disposed below the seat 15.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the battery 20 is covered by a case 40. The case 40 has a first case 40a and a second case 40b adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The case 40 has a plurality of mounting portions 40f. The plurality of mounting portions 40f are used to mount the battery 20 to the body frame 5. The case 40 has an opening 48 above the upright portion 22. The opening 48 is covered by the lid portion 24.

[0032] The battery 20 is formed by combining a first battery module 20a on the left side and a second battery module 20b on the right side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery 20. The protrusions and the multiple mounting portions 40f on the top surface of the cover 24 are not shown in FIG. 3. A negative terminal 56a (first electrode terminal) and a positive terminal 56b (second electrode terminal) are provided in front of the upright portion 22 of the battery 20. The negative terminal 56a is provided on the first battery module 20a, and the positive terminal 56b is provided on the second battery module 20b. As shown in FIG. 2, a charging terminal 57 and a low-voltage signal terminal 58 are provided in the rear of the upright portion 22 of the battery 20. The charging terminal 57 is provided on the second battery module 20b. The low-voltage signal terminal 58 is provided on the first battery module 20a.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the first battery module 20a includes a cell module 30, a first case 40a, and a first power distribution unit 51a (component). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cell module 30. The protrusions and mounting portions 40f on the top surface of the lid 24 shown in FIG. 2 are omitted from FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery 20 taken along line V-V in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of portion VI in FIG. 5. The cell module 30 includes battery cells 32, cell holders 34c and 34d, bus bars 35c and 35d, insulating sheets 36c and 36d, and a sensor unit 60. Note that the aforementioned components of the cell module 30 may be omitted as appropriate depending on the required specifications. For example, if the battery cells 32 are fixed to the first case 40a and the second case 40b with adhesive, the cell holders 34c and 34d may be omitted.

[0034] The battery cells 32 are rechargeable secondary batteries. The battery cells 32 are generally cylindrical in shape. The central axes of the battery cells 32 are arranged parallel to the left-right direction. The battery cells 32 are provided with electrodes 80 at one end and the other end in the left-right direction. The multiple battery cells 32 are arranged side by side in the front-rear and up-down directions. Note that the electrodes 80 may be provided only at one end or the other end in the left-right direction of the battery cells 32.

[0035] The cell holders 34c, 34d are formed in a flat plate shape using a resin material or the like. The cell holders 34c, 34d include an inner cell holder 34c and an outer cell holder 34d. The inner cell holder 34c is positioned inside the battery cells 32 in the left-right direction. The inner cell holder 34c has a protrusion (not shown) on its periphery (end surface) that extends toward the outer cell holder 34d. The outer cell holder 34d has an insertion portion (not shown) on its periphery (end surface) into which the protrusion of the inner cell holder 34c is inserted. The relative positions of the inner cell holder 34c and the outer cell holder 34d are determined by inserting the protrusion into the insertion portion. The outer cell holder 34d is positioned outside the battery cells 32 in the left-right direction. The cell holders 34c, 34d have multiple through holes that pass through the cell holders 34c, 34d in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of the battery cells 32 are inserted into the through-holes. The cell holders 34c, 34d cover the periphery of the battery cells 32. The cell holders 34c, 34d support the battery cells 32. Second through-holes (not shown) that penetrate the cell holders 34c, 34d in the left and right direction are formed around (on the end faces of) the inner cell holder 34c and the outer cell holder 34d. Fastening members (bolts, etc., not shown) are inserted into the second through-holes and screwed into fixing portions (not shown) provided on the first partition wall 43a, thereby fixing the cell module 30 to the first case 40a and the second case 40b, respectively. Note that the method of fixing the cell module 30 to the first case 40a and the second case 40b is not limited to the above-mentioned fastening members. For example, the cell module 30 may be fixed to the first case 40a and the second case 40b with an adhesive.

[0036] The bus bars 35c, 35d are formed in the shape of thin plates from a metal material. The bus bars 35c, 35d include an inner bus bar 35c and an outer bus bar 35d. The inner bus bar 35c is arranged inside the inner cell holder 34c in the left-right direction. The outer bus bar 35d is arranged outside the outer cell holder 34d in the left-right direction. The bus bars 35c, 35d contact electrodes 80 at the ends of the multiple battery cells 32. The bus bars 35c, 35d electrically connect the multiple battery cells 32. Note that if the electrodes 80 are provided at either one end or the other end of the battery cell 32 in the left-right direction, the bus bars 35c, 35d are arranged on the side of the battery cell 32 where the electrodes 80 are formed.

[0037] The insulating sheets 36c, 36d are formed in a sheet shape using a resin material or the like. The insulating sheets 36c, 36d include an inner insulating sheet 36c and an outer insulating sheet 36d. The inner insulating sheet 36c is arranged inside the inner cell holder 34c and the inner bus bar 35c in the left-right direction. The outer insulating sheet 36d is arranged outside the outer cell holder 34d and the outer bus bar 35d in the left-right direction. The insulating sheets 36c, 36d electrically insulate the bus bars 35c, 35d from the case 40.

[0038] At one left-right end of each battery cell 32 of the cell module 30, the electrode 80 portion contacts the first partition wall 43a of the first case 40a via the bus bar 35c, insulating sheet 36c, and heat transfer paste (not shown). In this embodiment, the cell holder 34c, bus bar 35c, insulating sheet 36c, heat transfer paste, etc. constitute a heat transfer member that transfers heat from the battery cell 32 to the first partition wall 43a of the first case 40a. When the cell module 30 is fixed to the first case 40a and the second case 40b with adhesive, the adhesive also constitutes a heat transfer member.

[0039] The sensor unit 60 has a sensor 61, a sensor wire 62, and an output section 63. The sensor 61 acquires information about the battery cells 32. The information about the battery cells 32 includes voltage and temperature. Multiple sensors 61 are attached to corresponding battery cells 32. The sensor wire 62 connects the sensor 61 to the output section 63. The multiple sensor wires 62 extend from the corresponding sensors 61 to the common output section 63. The sensor wires 62 are attached mainly to the upper surfaces of the cell holders 34c, 34d (see FIG. 3).

[0040] The output part 63 is one side of a connector (a socket or a plug). As shown in FIG. 3, the output part 63 is fixed to the upper surface of the inner cell holder 34c. The output part 63 is arranged facing inward in the left-right direction. The output part 63 is connected to a sensor connection part 73 of the harness unit 70. The sensor connection part 73 is the other side of the connector (a plug or a socket).

[0041] The first case 40a is formed of a metal material such as aluminum. The first case 40a includes a case main body 41 and a cover 47. The case main body 41 has a peripheral wall that covers the front-rear and up-down directions. The peripheral wall is oriented in the front-rear and up-down directions, which intersect the left-right direction. The case main body 41 has an inner opening that opens to the inside in the left-right direction and an outer opening that opens to the outside in the left-right direction. The case main body 41 has a partition wall inside the peripheral wall, midway between the left and right directions. The partition wall extends perpendicular to the left-right direction. The partition wall separates the inner opening and the outer opening in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the peripheral wall of the first case 40a forms a first peripheral wall 42a, and the inner opening of the first case 40a forms a first opening 45a. The first opening 45a opens to the second case 40b.

[0042] The cover 47 is disposed on the outside of the case body 41 in the left-right direction. The cover 47 covers the outer opening of the case body 41. The cover 47 has side walls that are perpendicular to the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the side walls of the first case 40a form the first side walls 46a. The space surrounded by the first partition wall 43a, the first side walls 46a, and the first peripheral wall 42a forms a first chamber 44a, which is a first storage section. The cell module 30 is stored inside the first chamber 44a.

[0043] At the other left-right end of each battery cell 32 of the cell module 30, the electrode 80 portion contacts the first side wall 46a of the cover 47 via the bus bar 35d, the insulating sheet 36d, and heat transfer paste (not shown). In this embodiment, the cell holder 34d, the bus bar 35d, the insulating sheet 36d, the heat transfer paste, etc. constitute a heat transfer member that transfers heat from the battery cell 32 to the first side wall 46a of the first case 40a.

[0044] FIG. 7 is an inner side view (side view seen from the inside in the left-right direction) of the first battery module 20a, and FIG. 8 is an inner side view (side view seen from the inside in the left-right direction) of the second battery module 20b. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the battery 20 taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 1. The first power distribution unit 51a is a circuit board on which electronic components such as relays and fuses are mounted. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 , the first power distribution unit 51a is fixed to the inside in the left-right direction of the first partition wall 43a of the first case 40a. One end of the first power distribution unit 51a is connected to the cell module 30 housed in the first chamber 44a via a bus bar 90a. The first partition wall 43a of the first case 40a has a communication hole 65 (see FIG. 7 ) formed therein, penetrating the first partition wall 43a in the thickness direction. The bus bar 90a is inserted through the communication hole 65 and connected to the cell module 30 in the first chamber 44a. The other end of the first power distribution section 51a is connected to the negative electrode terminal 56a installed in the first case 40a via the bus bar 91a. In this embodiment, the bus bar 91a constitutes the first conductive member.

[0045] The second battery module 20b includes a cell module 30, a second case 40b, and a second power distribution section 51b (component). The second battery module 20b is formed in the same manner as the first battery module 20a.

[0046] The peripheral wall of the second case 40b constitutes a second peripheral wall 42b. The inner opening of the second case 40b constitutes a second opening 45b. The second opening 45b opens to the first case 40a side. The partition wall of the second case 40b constitutes a second partition wall 43b. The side wall of the second case 40b constitutes a second side wall 46b. The space surrounded by the second partition wall 43b, the second side wall 46b, and the second peripheral wall 42b constitutes a second chamber 44b, which is a second storage section. The cell module 30 is stored inside the second chamber 44b.

[0047] At one left-right end of each battery cell 32 of the cell module 30, the electrode 80 portion contacts the second partition wall 43b of the second case 40b via the bus bar 35c, insulating sheet 36c, and heat transfer paste (not shown). In this embodiment, the cell holder 34c, bus bar 35c, insulating sheet 36c, heat transfer paste, etc. constitute a heat transfer member that transfers heat from the battery cell 32 to the second partition wall 43b of the second case 40b. At the other left-right end of each battery cell 32, the electrode 80 portion contacts the second side wall 46b of the cover 47 via the bus bar 35d, insulating sheet 36d, and heat transfer paste (not shown). In this embodiment, the cell holder 34d, bus bar 35d, insulating sheet 36d, heat transfer paste, etc. constitute a heat transfer member that transfers heat from the battery cell 32 to the second side wall 46b of the second case 40b.

[0048] The second power distribution unit 51b is a substrate similar to the first power distribution unit 51a. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the second power distribution unit 51b is fixed to the inner side of the second partition wall 43b of the second case 40b in the left-right direction. One end of the second power distribution unit 51b is connected to the cell module 30 housed in the second chamber 44b via a bus bar 90b. The second partition wall 43b of the second case 40b has a communication hole 65 (see FIG. 8 ) that penetrates the second partition wall 43b in the plate thickness direction. The bus bar 90b is inserted through the communication hole 65 and connected to the cell module 30 in the second chamber 44b. The other end of the second power distribution unit 51b is connected to the positive terminal 56b installed in the second case 40b via the bus bar 91b. In this embodiment, the bus bar 91b constitutes a second conductive member.

[0049] The case 40 is formed by joining the first opening 45a of the first case 40a and the second opening 45b of the second case 40b. Specifically, the first case 40a and the second case 40b are butted against each other in the left-right direction (first direction) with the first opening 45a and the second opening 45b, and then joined by bolting or the like after a gasket is interposed (applied) between them. The space enclosed by the first partition wall 43a and the first peripheral wall 42a of the first case 40a and the second partition wall 43b and the second peripheral wall 42b of the second case 40b forms a third chamber 45. The third chamber 45 is formed between the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b in the left-right direction. The third chamber 45 is a space sealed from the outside of the case 40. The first partition wall 43a divides the first chamber 44a from the third chamber 45, which is the space on the first opening 45a side, in the left-right direction. The second partition wall 43b divides the second chamber 44b into a second chamber 44b and a third chamber 45, which is a space on the second opening 45b side. The first power distribution unit 51a and the second power distribution unit 51b are housed inside the third chamber 45.

[0050] 9 , first power distribution section 51a fixed to first partition wall 43a on the first case 40a side is disposed in a rear region within third chamber 45. In contrast, second power distribution section 51b fixed to second partition wall 43b on the second case 40b side is disposed in a front region within third chamber 45. First power distribution section 51a and second power distribution section 51b are disposed so as to be offset from each other in the front-rear direction (a direction perpendicular to the first direction) and to overlap at least partially with each other in the left-right direction (the first direction).

[0051] As described above, the case 40 has the opening 48 above the upright portion 22. The opening 48 opens upward and is covered by the lid portion 24 of the case 40. The opening 48 communicates with the third chamber 45, and allows the third chamber 45 to be exposed to the outside (above) of the battery 20.

[0052] The battery 20 further includes a bus bar 28, a battery management system (BMS) 25, and a harness unit 70. The bus bar 28 is formed of a metal material or the like. The bus bar 28 is housed in the third chamber 45. One end of the bus bar 28 is connected to the cell module 30 of the first battery module 20a. The other end of the bus bar 28 is connected to the cell module 30 of the second battery module 20b. The first partition wall 43a of the first case 40a and the second partition wall 43b of the second case 40b each have a communication portion 66 (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ) that penetrates the upper portion of each partition wall in the thickness direction. Each end of the bus bar 28 is inserted into the communication portion 66 and connected to the cell module 30 in the first chamber 44a and the cell module 30 in the second chamber 44b, respectively. The electrical connections of the battery 20 are in the order of negative terminal 56a, first power distribution section 51a, cell module 30 of the first battery module 20a, bus bar 28, cell module 30 of the second battery module 20b, second power distribution section 51b, and positive terminal 56b.

[0053] The BMS (component) 25 is a circuit that manages the state of the battery 20. The BMS 25 is housed in the opening 48. The BMS 25 has an input unit 26 at the front. The input unit 26 is one side of a connector (socket or plug). A pair of input units 26 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The input unit 26 is connected to a BMS connection unit 76 of the harness unit 70. The BMS connection unit 76 is the other side of the connector (plug or socket). A signal acquired by the sensor 61 is input to the input unit 26.

[0054] The harness unit 70 is housed in the third chamber 45 and the opening 48. The harness unit 70 includes a low-voltage signal terminal 58, a pair of sensor connectors 73, a pair of BMS connectors 76, and a wire harness (wiring) 71. The pair of sensor connectors 73 are connected to the output section 63 of the sensor unit 60 of the first battery module 20a and the output section 63 of the sensor unit 60 of the second battery module 20b. The pair of BMS connectors 76 are connected to the pair of input sections 26 of the BMS 25. The wire harness 71 connects the corresponding sensor connectors 73 and BMS connectors 76. As a result, the wire harness 71 connects the corresponding output section 63 of the sensor unit 60 and the input section 26 of the BMS 25.

[0055] The method of assembling the battery 20 will now be described. As shown in Figure 4, the left and right ends of the battery cells 32 are inserted into the cell holders 34c, 34d. Bus bars 35c, 35d are joined to the inside and outside of the cell holders 34c, 34d in the left and right direction. A sensor unit 60 is attached to the battery cells 32 and the cell holders 34c, 34d. Insulating sheets 36c, 36d are attached to the inside and outside of the cell holders 34c, 34d in the left and right direction. With the above steps, the cell module 30 is completed.

[0056] Heat transfer paste is applied to the outer surfaces of the partition walls 43a, 43b in the left-right direction of the case body 41 shown in Figure 3. The cell module 30 is installed in the case body 41 with the cell module 30 abutting against the partition walls 43a, 43b of the case body 41. The above work is performed for the first battery module 20a and the second battery module 20b. The sensor unit 60 is provided in each of the first case 40a and the second case 40b.

[0057] The following work is performed on the second battery module 20b. A second power distribution section 51b and a positive terminal 56b are installed in the case body 41. A bus bar 90b connects the second power distribution section 51b to the cell module 30. A bus bar 91b connects the second power distribution section 51b to the positive terminal 56b. A gasket is applied to the contact area of ​​the case body 41 with the cover 47. A heat transfer paste is applied to the inner surfaces of the left and right sides of the side walls 46b of the cover 47. With the cell module 30 contacting the side walls 46b of the cover 47, the cover 47 is joined to the case body 41. A charging terminal 57 (see FIG. 2) is installed and connected to the second power distribution section 51b.

[0058] The following work is performed on the first battery module 20a. The first power distribution section 51a and the negative terminal 56a are installed in the case body 41. The first power distribution section 51a and the cell module 30 are connected by a bus bar 90a. The first power distribution section 51a and the negative terminal 56a are connected by a bus bar 91a. A gasket is applied to the contact area of ​​the case body 41 with the cover 47. A heat transfer paste is applied to the inner lateral surfaces of the side walls 46a of the cover 47. With the cell module 30 contacting the side walls 46a of the cover 47, the cover 47 is joined to the case body 41. A harness unit 70 including a low-voltage signal terminal 58 is installed in the first battery module 20a and connected to the first power distribution section 51a. The sensor connection section 73 of the harness unit 70 is connected to the output section 63 of the sensor unit 60 of the first battery module 20a.

[0059] A gasket is applied to the abutting portion between the first case 40a of the first battery module 20a and the second case 40b of the second battery module 20b. The first battery module 20a and the second battery module 20b are joined. The bus bar 28 is inserted into the third chamber 45 through the opening 48. The bus bar 28 is connected to the cell modules 30 of the first battery module 20a and the cell modules 30 of the second battery module 20b.

[0060] The sensor connection portion 73 of the harness unit 70 installed in the first battery module 20a is connected to the output portion 63 of the sensor unit 60 in the second battery module 20b. The BMS 25 is inserted into the opening 48. The pair of BMS connection portions 76 of the harness unit 70 are connected to the pair of input portions 26 of the BMS 25.

[0061] A gasket is applied to the contact portion of the opening 48 with the lid 24. The lid 24 is joined to the opening 48. In this manner, the battery 20 is completed.

[0062] As described above in detail, battery 20 of the present embodiment has cover 44 including first chamber 44a, second chamber 44b, and third chamber 45 that forms a space between these chambers, and first power distribution unit 51a and second power distribution unit 51b (components) are disposed within third chamber 45. In battery 20 of the present embodiment, first power distribution unit 51a and second power distribution unit 51b (components) can be disposed in the space of third chamber 45 between first chamber 44a and second chamber 44b, and therefore battery 20 as a whole can be made smaller in the direction intersecting with the left-right direction (first direction).

[0063] In the battery 20 of this embodiment, the first chamber 44a and the third chamber 45 are separated by a first partition wall 43a, and the second chamber 44b and the third chamber 45 are separated by a second partition wall 43b. A first side wall 46a is disposed in the first chamber 44a at a position spaced apart from the first partition wall 43a, and a second side wall 46b is disposed in the second chamber 44b at a position spaced apart from the second partition wall 43b. One end in the left-right direction (first direction) of each battery cell 32 inside the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b contacts the first partition wall 43a or the second partition wall 43b via heat transfer members such as the cell holder 34c, the bus bar 35c, and the insulating sheet 36c, and the other end in the left-right direction (first direction) contacts the first side wall 46a or the second side wall 46b via heat transfer members such as the cell holder 34d, the bus bar 35d, and the insulating sheet 36d. Therefore, in the battery 20 of this embodiment, a space with a sufficient left-right separation distance is secured between the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b by the third chamber 45, and heat from the battery cells 32 inside each chamber is blocked by the space (air layer) inside the third chamber 45, making it difficult for the heat to be transferred to the other chamber. Furthermore, heat from each battery cell 32 housed in the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b is dissipated to the outside through the partition wall and side wall via the heat transfer member. As a result, the battery cells 32 housed in the case 40 are efficiently cooled. Therefore, when the battery 20 of this embodiment is used, the battery cells 32 housed in the case 40 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0064] In the battery 20 of this embodiment, one and the other ends of the battery cells 32 in the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b in the left-right direction (first direction) contact the partition walls and side walls on both sides via a heat transfer member. However, only one end of the battery cells 32 may contact the partition walls or side walls via a heat transfer member. However, when one and the other ends of the battery cells 32 in the left-right direction (first direction) contact the partition walls and side walls on both sides via a heat transfer member as in this embodiment, heat can be dissipated to the outside more efficiently from the left and the other ends of the battery cells 32 compared to when only one or the other ends of the battery cells 32 in the left-right direction (first direction) contact the partition walls or side walls via a heat transfer member. Therefore, when the battery 20 of this embodiment is used, the battery cells 32 housed in the case 40 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0065] In the battery 20 of this embodiment, the electrode 80 portions of the battery cells 32 inside each of the first and second chambers 44a and 44b at one and the other ends in the left-right direction (first direction) contact the partition walls or side walls on both sides via the heat transfer member. That is, in this configuration, the electrode 80 portion of each battery cell 32 that generates particularly large amounts of heat contacts the corresponding heat dissipation wall via the heat transfer member. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, each battery cell 32 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0066] Furthermore, in the battery 20 of this embodiment, the third chamber 45 disposed between the first chamber 44a and the second chamber 44b is sealed from the outside of the case 40. Therefore, even if water, mud, dust, or the like hits the case 40 from the outside, it is possible to prevent these from adhering to the components inside the third chamber 45. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to effectively protect the components disposed in the third chamber 45.

[0067] Furthermore, in the battery 20 of this embodiment, communication holes 65 are formed in the partition walls 43a, 43b of the first case 40a and the second case 40b, and bus bars 90a, 90b that connect the battery cells 32 in a room to the power distribution units 51a, 51b outside the room and other battery cells 32 are inserted through these communication holes 65. This makes it possible to pass the bus bars 90a, 90b that connect the battery cells 32 in one room to the power distribution units 51a, 51b and the battery cells 32 in other rooms between the rooms over the shortest distance or a distance close to the shortest distance. Therefore, when the battery 20 of this embodiment is used, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the bus bars 90a, 90b.

[0068] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the configurations of the embodiments may be applied not only to scooter-type motorcycles but also to various saddle-ride vehicles. Saddle-ride vehicles include all vehicles on which a rider straddles the body, and include not only motorcycles (including motorized bicycles and scooter-type vehicles), but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel) or four-wheeled vehicles (such as four-wheeled buggies).

[0069] The configuration of the above embodiment is one example of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiment with well-known components. For example, in the above embodiment, the negative terminal 56a and the positive terminal 56b are disposed in front of the upright portion 22 of the battery 20. However, the negative terminal 56a and the positive terminal 56b may be disposed behind the upright portion 22 of the battery 20.

[0070] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Battery 32 Battery cell 34c, 34d Cell holder (heat transfer member) 35c, 35d Bus bar (heat transfer member) 36c, 36d Insulating sheet (heat transfer member) 40 Case 43a First partition wall 43b Second partition wall 44a First compartment 44b Second compartment 45 Third compartment 46a First side wall 46b Second side wall 51a First power distribution section (component) 51b Second power distribution section (component) 65 Communication hole 80 Electrode 90a, 90b Bus bar

Claims

1. A battery having a case (40) that houses battery cells (32) therein, wherein the case (40) houses the battery cells (32) therein and comprises a first chamber (44a) and a second chamber (44b) that are aligned in a first direction, and a third chamber (45) that forms a space between the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b), and wherein components (51a, 51b) that are electrically connected to the battery cells (32) are disposed inside the third chamber (45).

2. In the battery of claim 1, the first compartment (44a) is separated from the third compartment (45) by a first partition (43a), and a first side wall (46a) facing the first partition (43a) is disposed at a position spaced apart from the first partition (43a); the second compartment (44b) is separated from the third compartment (45) by a second partition (43b), and a second side wall (46b) facing the second partition (43b) is disposed at a position spaced apart from the second partition (43b); at least one end of the battery cell (32) in the first compartment (44a) contacts the first partition (43a) or the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d); the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) has at least one end in the first direction in contact with the second partition wall (43b) or the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d).

3. A battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein one end of the battery cell (32) in the first chamber (44a) in the first direction contacts the first partition wall (43a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c) and the other end of the battery cell in the first direction contacts the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34d, 35d, 36d); and one end of the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) in the first direction contacts the second partition wall (43b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c) and the other end of the battery cell in the first direction contacts the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34d, 35d, 36d).

4. A battery (20) according to claim 2, wherein each of the battery cells (32) is provided with an electrode (80) at at least one of one end and the other end for extracting electric power to the outside, the electrode (80) of the battery cell (32) in the first chamber (44a) contacts the first partition wall (43a) or the first side wall (46a) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d), and the electrode (80) of the battery cell (32) in the second chamber (44b) contacts the second partition wall (43b) or the second side wall (46b) via a heat transfer member (34c, 35c, 36c, 34d, 35d, 36d).

5. A battery according to claim 1, wherein the third chamber (45) is a space sealed from the outside of the case (40).

6. A battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first partition wall (43a) and the second partition wall (43b) are formed with communication holes (65) that respectively connect the third chamber (45) with the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b) adjacent to the third chamber (45), and bus bars (90a, 90b) are inserted into the communication holes (65) to electrically connect the battery cell (32) in one of the first chamber (44a) and the second chamber (44b) with the component (51a, 51b) in the third chamber (45) or the battery cell (32) in the other chamber.

Images