Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Other

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Yoshiaki Ogata

Shinji Hamada

Noriyuki Fujioka

Munehisa Ikoma

Hiroshi Inoue

Toyohiko Eto

Nobuyasu Morishita

Akihiro Taniguchi

Tadao Kimura

Toshiyuki Sekimori

Tomokazu Yamauchi

Katsunori Komori

Atsushi Adachi

Joji Kasugai

Shuhei Marukawa

Shinsuke Fukuda

Yasuhiro Takahashi

Mitsugu Takaki

Katsunori Maegawa

Yasunori Uchida

Keiji Shukuya

Haruyoshi Yamashita

Izumi Yamamura

Katsunori Maekawa

Kejii Shukuya

Noriyuki Ip Development Center Fujioka

An alkaline storage battery of the present invention includes a battery case and a group of electrodes. The battery case is provided with a resin case and a coating layer made of a resin formed on at least one surface selected from an inner surface and an outer surface of the resin case. The hydrogen permeability coefficient of the resin that is the material of the coating layer is 1&#xd7;10mol&#xb7;m/m&#xb7;sec&#xb7;Pa or less.

Enclosed nickel-metal hydride storage battery

A battery packhas plural battery moduleseach of which constituted with plural unit cellsarranged in a row. Furthermore, a spacerintervenes between adjoining battery modulesto constitute a cooling passagewhich makes cooling medium flow and cools down the unit cells. The spaceris designed to flow the cooling medium in a row direction of unit cell casesintegrated in a battery module. The spaceris structured such that touch area of the cooling medium and the unit cell casesbecomes lager as going from inlet side to outlet side of the cooling passagewith respect to each of the plural battery modules

Battery pack

A nickel metal hydride storage battery included a battery case, and a group of electrode plates arranged in the battery case, wherein the battery case includes a battery case main body having a hole and a lid for closing the hole. The battery case includes a first portion made of a metal or a laminate of a metal and a resin, and a second portion made of a resin; and an area of the first portion is 20% or more and 90% or less with respect to the entire battery case. Thus, a nickel metal hydride storage battery is capable of controlling the amount of hydrogen permeating the battery case and capable of suppressing the long-term deterioration.

Nickel metal hydride storage battery

A battery module is constructed of an integral battery case which is constituted by forming a plurality of prismatic cell cases into a unitized body, wherein positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates laminated alternately upon one another with intervening separators are respectively accommodated in each of the cell cases, thereby constituting a plurality of cells, these cells being electrically connected in series. A plurality of such battery modules are arranged in a direction in which the electrode plates within each cell are laminated in a condition with coolant passages formed between the battery modules, and bound tightly together with end plates arranged at both ends in the direction of adjacent arrangement of the battery modules.

A group of electrodes are accommodated in a prismatic cell case of a rechargeable battery. Intervening separators are provided between positive and negative electrode plates arranged alternately in parallel to long lateral walls of the cell case. The positive electrode plates each include a lead portion having a surface on which at least one lead plate is attached. Lateral edges of the positive electrode plates protrude beyond the negative electrode plates on one side, and lateral edges of the negative electrode plates protrude beyond the group of positive electrode plates on the opposite side. The protruding portions form the lead portions. Upper open ends of the cell cases are closed by an integral lid member.

Battery module, and rechargeable battery for constituting the battery module

On the opposite end walls of a flat, prismatic battery case of a battery module where electrode terminals are attached, protruding components are formed such as to protrude further than the electrode terminals. Terminal holes are formed in the end walls in which the electrode terminals are fitted, and the thickness of the end walls of the integral battery case in the vicinity of the terminal holes is not the same on both sides of each of the terminal holes. Also, one or a plurality of vertical and horizontal ribs are formed on the end walls between the electrode terminals and the protruding components. Further, a sealing structure is included for a battery.

Structure for electrode terminals of battery module

In each of the cells that constitute an battery module, a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are layered parallel to the long lateral walls of prismatic cell cases with intervening separators therebetween, wherein lateral edge portions of the positive electrode plates protrude beyond the negative electrode plates on one side, and lateral edge portions of the negative electrode plates protrude beyond the group of positive electrode plates on the opposite side, the protruding portions forming lead portions.

A battery module is provided which includes multiple rechargeable batteries coupled together. The battery module includes multiple prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls arranged side by side. Adjacent short lateral walls are integral with each other. The battery module includes holes extending through the short lateral walls of the cell cases at upper edge portions. The battery module also includes a pair of frame fittings that have base ends and protruding portions in each of the cell cases for connecting two adjacent cell cases. The protruding portions of the pair of frame fittings extend into the through holes in the upper edge portions of the short lateral walls of the cell cases from both sides and are welded together. Positive and negative electrode collector plates in the cell cases are respectively attached to the base ends of the frame fittings. End frame fittings that have base ends and protruding portions for cell cases are located at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery for connecting the cell cases to outside terminals. Connection terminals that have protruding portions are connected to the end frame fittings at both outer ends of the rechargeable battery.

In a battery pack wherein prismatic battery modules are arranged parallel with each other, cooling passages are formed by interposing spacers made of metallic material between mutually facing long side faces of the battery modules

Battery pack cooling structure

In a sealed battery pack comprising a plurality of serially disposed cells in which power generating elements are housed in prismatic cell cases and the openings thereof are sealed, the plurality of serially disposed cells are housed in a cooling box, and the top openings in the cooling box and the openings in the various cell cases of the cells are sealed by integrating lids. Coolant passages on both sides between the side surfaces of the cells and the side walls on both sides of the cooling box in the cell arrangement direction, and coolant passages between the cases of the cells are formed so as to communicate with each other, so that all of the side surfaces of the cells are forcibly cooled by a coolant.

Sealed battery pack

A plurality of cells each encased in prismatic cell cases having short lateral walls and long lateral walls are arranged side by side, with adjacent short lateral walls being integral with each other, thereby constituting an integral battery case. The upper open ends of the plurality of prismatic cell cases are integrally closed by a single lid member. Each of the cells accommodates therein a group of electrodes stacked alternately upon one another parallel to the long lateral walls of the cell cases with intervening separators therebetween. Neighboring cells are connected in series at their abutting lateral opposite ends with each other.

Growing community of inventors

Toyohashi, Japan

Yoshiaki Ogata