Holder for cells, hold assembly, and battery pack

The present invention supplies electric power to, for example, electronic devices such as notebook personal computers, mobile phones, portable terminals, digital cameras and video cameras, electric devices such as motors and tools, communication devices, and various devices such as measuring devices. Regarding the cell holder, holder assembly and battery pack used in the power supply device, the cell holder for holding the cell, the holder assembly formed by assembling the cell holder, the cell holder or the holder assembly are provided. Regarding the battery pack.

In general, a battery pack supplies power to various devices such as notebook personal computers, mobile phones, portable terminals, electronic devices such as digital cameras and video cameras, electric devices such as motors and tools, communication devices, and measuring devices. It is used as a power supply device.

The battery pack has, for example, a plurality of cells which are internal batteries and a case for accommodating the cells.

The case of the conventional battery pack has a role of protecting the cell from an external impact and a role of holding the cell, and is manufactured to a desired shape by custom-made (hereinafter, this technology is referred to as Conventional Example 1). ).

Further, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique of connecting and modularizing cell holders (cassette holders) that hold a plurality of linearly arranged cells in a power supply device for driving an electric device such as a vehicle. (Hereinafter, this technique is referred to as Conventional Example 2).<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-285458</text></patcit>

<p> In Conventional Example 1, since a case having a desired shape is manufactured to order, there is a problem that the design cost of a mold or the like increases and the manufacturing cost increases.</p><p> In addition, when connecting a plurality of cells by welding them with a connecting member such as a metal plate, it is troublesome because the cells are fixed and welded using a dedicated jig, and there is a problem that the work efficiency is poor. there were.</p><p> In the conventional example 2, the cell holders held by arranging the cells vertically are connected in the horizontal direction to form a module, but the cells are not configured to be connected in the vertical direction. Therefore, there is a problem that it cannot be modularized into a three-dimensional structure, and the types of structures that can be modularized are limited.</p><p> The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a cell holder, holder assembly, and battery pack capable of reducing manufacturing costs, improving work efficiency, and modularizing various types of structures. The purpose is to provide.</p>

<p> The cell holder of the present invention is a cell holder that holds a cell. A main body having an opening fitted to the end of the cell, A contact portion provided on the main body, extending inside the opening, and abutting on the end face of the cell. A first connecting portion provided on the side surface of the main body and connecting to the side surface of the main body of another cell holder, A second connecting portion provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body and connecting to the lower surface and the upper surface of the main body of another cell holder. It is characterized by having.</p><p> The first connecting portion includes a first connecting hole formed on one side surface of the main body and a protrusion provided on the other side surface, and the first connecting hole is filled with a holder for another cell. The protrusion may be fitted, and the protrusion may be horizontally connected to the other cell holder by being fitted into the first connecting hole of the other cell holder.</p><p> The second connecting portion is formed with a second connecting hole into which the connecting pin is fitted, and the connecting pin is fitted into the second connecting hole and the second connecting hole of another cell holder. By doing so, it may be connected vertically to other cell holders. A plurality of the openings may be formed in the main body, and the adjacent openings may be spaced apart from each other so that the adjacent cells to be held do not come into contact with each other.</p><p> The holder assembly of the present invention has a plurality of holders for the cells, and has a plurality of holders for the cells. It is characterized in that a plurality of cell holders are connected in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction by the first connecting portion and / or the second connecting portion of the cell holder.</p><p> The first battery pack of the present invention is characterized by having a cell, the cell holder or holder assembly for holding the cell, and a case for accommodating the cell, the cell holder or holder assembly. Is to be.</p><p> The second battery pack of the present invention is made of a heat-shrinkable material, which is covered with a cell, the cell holder or holder assembly that holds the cell, and the cell, the cell holder or holder assembly. With the tube made It is characterized by having.</p>

<p> According to the invention of claim 1, since the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion can be connected in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the number of cells can be increased according to various specifications, purposes of use, and the like. Even when it is necessary to change the arrangement or arrangement, by assembling the cell holder, it can be easily dealt with in a semi-order manner, the design cost of the mold and the like is not required, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.</p><p> Further, when connecting a plurality of cells by welding them with a connecting member, the welding work can be performed while the cells are held by the cell holder without using a special jig, so that the work can be performed smoothly. And work efficiency can be improved.</p><p> According to the invention of claim 2, the cell holders can be more reliably connected to each other in the horizontal direction.</p><p> According to the invention of claim 3, the cell holders can be more reliably connected in the vertical direction. According to the invention of claim 4, since adjacent cells are arranged so as not to come into contact with each other, the heat dissipation effect is enhanced, and even if one cell generates heat due to a short circuit or the like, the other normal cell is ignited. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a large fire.</p><p> According to the invention of claim 5, since the cell holders are connected in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction to be modularized, it is possible to realize modularization of various structures including a three-dimensional structure. it can.</p><p> According to the inventions of claims 6 and 7, a battery pack that exerts the effect of the cell holder or holder assembly can be provided, and the cell holder or holder assembly is protected from an external impact. can do.</p>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the cell holder according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 (A) is a perspective view showing a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a front view thereof, (C) is a rear view thereof, (D) is a plan view thereof, and (E). Is one side view, (F) is the other side view, FIG. 2 (A) is a front sectional view for explaining the state before connecting the two cell holders in the horizontal direction, (B). Is a front sectional view for explaining the state after being connected, FIG. 3 (A) is a front sectional view for explaining the state before connecting the two cell holders in the vertical direction, and (B) is a front sectional view for explaining the state after being connected. A front sectional view for explaining the state after the operation, (C) is a side sectional view showing a state in which the upper and lower projectiles are overlapped with each other, and FIG. 4 (A) shows a state in which the cell is held in the cell holder. The side sectional view (B) is a rear view showing a state in which the terminals of the cell are connected to each other via a connecting member.

The cell holder H according to the embodiment of the present invention is made of a material such as synthetic resin, and holds the end of the cell S which is an internal battery of various shapes (cylindrical in the embodiment). It is a thing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cell holder H includes a main body 2 having a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) openings 1 fitted to the ends of the cell S, and the main body 2. A plurality of contact portions 3 (four in the present embodiment) that extend inward of the opening 1 on the back surface side and abut on the end face of the cell, and other cells provided on the side surface of the main body 2 A first connecting portion 4 that connects to the side surface of the main body 2 of the holder for a cell, and a second connecting portion 5 that is provided on the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body 2 and connects to the lower surface and the upper surface of the main body 2 of another cell holder. Have.

The first connecting portion 4 is provided on one side surface of the main body 2 with a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) first connecting holes 4a (see FIG. 1 (E)) and on the other side surface. It consists of a plurality of (four in this embodiment) protrusions 4b (see FIG. 1 (F)).

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the protrusion 4b of the other cell holder H2 is fitted into the first connecting hole 4a of the one cell holder H1. As a result, the cell holders H1 and H2 can be connected to each other in the horizontal direction.

The second connecting portion 5 is formed by arranging a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) second connecting holes 5a in the central portion of the main body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, one side of the connecting pin 6 is fitted into the second connecting hole 5a of one cell holder H1 and the second connecting hole of the other cell holder H2. By fitting the other side of the connecting pin 6 into 5a, the cell holders H1 and H2 can be connected to each other in the vertical direction.

On the back side of the abutting portion 3, a projecting piece 7 bent in a substantially L-shaped cross section is provided so that wiring (not shown) such as a cable can pass through. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 (C), by connecting the two cell holders H1 and H2 in the vertical direction, the upper and lower projecting pieces 7 overlap to form a space portion 7a, and a cable is formed in the space portion 7a. Etc. pass.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the cell S is fitted into the opening 1 of the cell holder H, and the end face of the cell S is brought into contact with the contact portion 3 extending inward of the opening 1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 (B), a connecting member 8 made of a metal plate such as nickel is used to connect the electrode terminals on the end faces of the plurality of cells S fitted in the opening 1. It is arranged in a linear space formed between the upper and lower projecting pieces 7 and connected by welding or the like. Further, the adjacent openings 1 are formed at intervals so that the adjacent cells S to be held do not come into contact with each other (see FIGS. 1 (A) and 4 (B)).

According to the cell holder H according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cell holder H can be connected in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by the first connecting portion 4 and the second connecting portion 5, so that various specifications and purposes of use can be obtained. Even if it is necessary to change the number and arrangement of cells according to the above, by assembling the cell holder H, it can be easily handled in a semi-order manner, and there is no design cost such as a mold. The manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, when a plurality of cells S are welded and connected by the connecting member 8, the welding work can be performed while the cell S is held by the cell holder H without using a dedicated jig. It can be performed smoothly and work efficiency can be improved. Further, since the adjacent cells S are arranged so as not to come into contact with each other, the heat dissipation effect is enhanced, and even if one cell S generates heat due to a short circuit or the like, the other normal cell S does not jump to fire. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a large fire.

Next, the holder assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a holder assembly in which cell holders are connected in the horizontal direction, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a holder assembly in which cell holders are connected in the horizontal and vertical directions, FIG. 7 (A). ~ (C) is a perspective view schematically showing another example of the holder assembly.

The holder assembly K according to the embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of cell holders H described above, and a plurality of cell holders H are formed by the first connecting portion 4 and / or the second connecting portion 5. The cell holder H is connected in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction to be modularized.

For example, in the holder assembly K1 shown in FIG. 5, the four cell holders H1 to H4 holding both ends of the four cells S are horizontally connected by the first connecting portion 4 to be modularized. ..

A protection circuit unit 9 for electrically protecting the cell S from over-discharging, over-charging, etc. is attached to the holder assembly K1.

Further, in the holder assembly K2 shown in FIG. 6, the four cell holders H1 to H4 holding both ends of the four cells S are horizontally connected by the first connecting portion 4, and the other four cells are connected. The four cell holders H5 to H8 that hold both ends of S are connected in the horizontal direction, and the four cell holders H1 to H1 to are further connected by the second connecting portion 5 using the connecting pin 6 shown in FIG. H4 and four cell holders H5 to H8 are connected in the vertical direction and modularized in two stages.

A protection circuit unit 9 for electrically protecting the cell S from over-discharging, over-charging, etc. is attached to the holder assembly K2.

The holder assembly K is not limited to the above example, and can be modularized into various structures. For example, the holder assembly K3 shown in FIG. 7A has a structure similar to that of a building atrium by providing a space 10 extending vertically in the middle portion. In the holder assembly K3 having such a structure, air passes through the space 10 in the intermediate portion, so that the cooling effect is improved.

Further, the holder assembly K4 shown in FIG. 7B has a substantially convex structure, and the holder assembly K5 shown in FIG. 7C has a substantially cross-shaped structure.

The structure of the holder assembly K is an example, and is not limited thereto.

According to the holder assembly K according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the cell holder H is connected in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction to be modularized, it has various structures including a three-dimensional structure. Modularization can be realized.

Next, the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the first battery pack, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the first battery pack.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first battery pack P1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a holder assembly K in which a plurality of cells S and a plurality of cell holders H for holding the cells S are assembled. It has a protection circuit unit 9 attached to the holder assembly K to electrically protect the cell S, and a case 11 for accommodating the cell S, the holder assembly K, and the protection circuit unit 9.

The case 11 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 9, a hollow case body 11a having an opening front and a rear surface, a front panel 11b mounted on the front surface of the case body 11a, and a case body The rear panel 11c attached to the rear surface of 11a, the front label 11e attached to the front panel 11b by screws 11d, the rear label 11g attached to the rear panel 11c by screws 11f, and attached to the upper surface of the case body 11a by screws 11h. Has a top label 11i and is attached.

It should be noted that the case 11 may independently accommodate only one or more cell holders H that hold the cell S, instead of the holder assembly K.

Further, a plurality of separate holder assemblies K may be housed in the case 11. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a second battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. The second battery pack P2 according to the embodiment of the present invention is housed inside various devices such as a cordless phone slave unit, and the circumference of the holder assembly K is covered with a tube 12 as shown in FIG. 10, for example. ing. As a result, the holder assembly K can be protected from an external impact or the like. The tube 12 is made of a thermosetting resin such as polyvinyl chloride. After the tube 12 is attached to the holder assembly K, the tube 12 is held by applying heat with a dryer or the like to shrink the tube 12. The assembly K can be tightly coated.

According to the battery packs P1 and P2 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack that exhibits the effect of the cell holder H or the holder assembly K, and the cell holder H or the holder assembly. K can be protected from external impact.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical matters described in the claims.

For example, the cell S held by the cell holder H can be applied to various shapes such as a cylindrical shape and a square shape. Further, the whole and partial shapes, structures, materials, etc. of the cell holder H, the holder assembly K, and the battery pack P are examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can also be applied to secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries, and primary batteries such as dry batteries.

Further, the protection circuit unit 9 may or may not be used depending on the type of battery or the like.

The present invention supplies power to, for example, electronic devices such as notebook personal computers, mobile phones, portable terminals, digital cameras and video cameras, electric devices such as motors and tools, communication devices, and various devices such as measuring devices. Used for

<figref num="1">(A) is a perspective view showing a cell holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a front view thereof, (C) is a rear view thereof, (D) is a plan view thereof, and (E) is a plan view thereof. One side view, (F) is the other side view.</figref><figref num="2">(A) is a front sectional view for explaining the state before connecting the two cell holders in the horizontal direction, and (B) is a front sectional view for explaining the state after connecting the two cell holders.</figref><figref num="3">(A) is a front sectional view for explaining the state before connecting the two cell holders in the vertical direction, (B) is a front sectional view for explaining the state after connecting, and (C) is. It is a side sectional view which shows the state which the upper and lower projecting pieces overlap each other.</figref><figref num="4">(A) is a side sectional view showing a state in which the cell is held in the cell holder, and (B) is a rear view showing a state in which the terminals of the cell are connected to each other via a connecting member.</figref><figref num="5">It is a perspective view which shows the holder assembly which connected the cell holder in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="6">It is a perspective view which shows the holder assembly which connected the holder for a cell in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.</figref><figref num="7">(A) to (C) are perspective views schematically showing other examples of the holder assembly.</figref><figref num="8">It is a perspective view which shows the 1st battery pack.</figref><figref num="9">It is an exploded perspective view which shows the internal structure of the 1st battery pack.</figref><figref num="10">It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd battery pack.</figref>

Code description

S: Cell H: Cell holder K: Holder assembly P1, P2: Battery pack 1: Opening 2: Body 3: Contact part 4: First connection 4a: 1st connecting hole 4b: protrusion 5: Second connection 5a: Second connecting hole 6: Connecting pin 7: Piece 8: Connecting member 9: Protection circuit section 10: Space 11: Case 12: Tube