Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Panasonic Corporation

Yoshitaka Sunagawa

Shinji Hamada

Toyohiko Eto

Takashi Asahina

An inexpensive battery pack including a battery module wherein a safety valve is provided for each cell in which battery pack gas leakage can be prevented. A battery packhas a plurality of battery moduleseach including a plurality of cellsrespectively provided with a safety valve. The plurality of cellsincluded in each battery moduleare arranged such that safety-valve mounting wallsare oriented in the same direction. Each battery modulecomprises a gas duct membercovering all the safety valvesof the cellsincluded therein and forming a gas discharge pathbetween the gas duct memberand the safety-valve mounting walls, and a sealing memberfor hermetically sealing the gaps between each cell caseand the gas duct member

Battery module, battery pack, and method for producing the battery module

The battery pack uses a restraining tool capable of secure restraint despite relatively low rigidity to achieve weight and cost reductions. The battery pack is formed of a plurality of parallel arranged battery modules (), each consisting of a plurality of cells () electrically connected in series and coupled together in one piece with gaps () formed therebetween (), each cell being formed of elements for electromotive force encased in a prismatic case. The restraining tool includes connecting members () extending through the gaps () at both ends of the parallel arranged battery modules () and between two given cells ().

Growing community of inventors

Toyohashi, Japan

Yoshitaka Sunagawa