JP5114830B2 - Battery module and disassembling method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery module storing a plurality of battery cells connected in series and a method for disassembling the same.

  In recent years, a battery module including a plurality of flat secondary battery cells is known as a power source for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

  The plurality of battery cells are connected in series in an overlapped state and enclosed in a housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Since the charge capacity of the battery cell decreases due to repeated use, the battery cell is replaced with a new one after being used to some extent.

Old used battery modules must be disassembled and the battery cells containing the electrolyte must be recovered and properly disposed or reused. When disassembling the battery module, it is necessary to safely dispose of the residual voltage.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-67164 (FIG. 4)

  However, the battery modules as described above are not manufactured in consideration of the disposal of used battery modules. That is, the battery module has a sturdy structure in which a casing for storing the battery cells is caulked and fastened to prevent the battery cells from popping out. Therefore, when disassembling the battery module, it is necessary to open the housing and take out the battery cell. When prying open, tools or the like may come into contact with the battery cell terminals.

  Since the battery cells in the battery module are connected in series, the residual voltage of each battery cell may be summed up and the residual voltage as a whole may be high. Therefore, for safety, special equipment for disassembling the battery module is required, and it is necessary to pay close attention to disassembling work. This makes it difficult and complicated to disassemble the used battery module.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can be processed while avoiding a high residual voltage when disassembling, and a disassembling method thereof.

The battery module of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series, a housing that houses the battery cells, and a part of which is wound around an electrode terminal of the battery cell, and an action from outside the housing. And a break means for breaking the electrode terminal of the battery cell, and from the tab portion formed so as to be able to be caused outwardly at one end of the side surface of the housing, it is advanced to the other end along the side surface. by removing the by taking a side of the housing by way, with the housing is opened, it said breaking means attached to the side surface of the housing is pulled.

The method for disassembling a battery module according to the present invention is a method for disassembling a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells connected in series are housed in a housing, wherein a part of a string-like member is previously used as an electrode terminal of the battery cell. In the wound state, the string-like member is pulled out of the casing, and is advanced from the tab portion that can be raised outward at one end of the side surface of the casing to the other end along the side surface. by removing it a side of the casing in the, along with opening the casing, by pulling the string-like member attached to the side surface of the casing from the withdrawn portion to the outside of the housing, the electrode The part wound around the electrode terminal is moved so as to break the terminal.

  According to the battery module of the present invention, the electrode terminal of the battery cell can be broken by the action from the outside of the housing. Therefore, the residual voltage of each battery cell is not summed, and a used battery module can be disassembled while avoiding a high voltage.

  According to the battery module disassembling method of the present invention, the electrode terminal of the battery cell can be broken by pulling the string-like member from the outside of the housing. Therefore, the residual voltage of each battery cell is not summed, and a used battery module can be disassembled while avoiding a high voltage.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of the battery module of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a plurality of battery cells, and FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a plurality of battery cells housed in the battery module.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the battery module 10 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery cells 50 housed in a hollow housing 30.

  The battery cell 50 to be housed is formed by drawing out a positive electrode terminal 52 made of aluminum and a negative electrode terminal 54 made of copper from a flat main body including a power generation element. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of battery cells 50 are stacked such that the positive terminal 52 and the negative terminal 54 are alternated. A plurality of battery cells 50 are connected in series by ultrasonic connection or the like of the positive electrode terminal 52 and the negative electrode terminal 54 above and below the stack. Usually, in order to prevent a short circuit between the battery cells 50, an insulating separator (not shown) is disposed between the electrode terminals 52 and 54 that are not connected.

  The housing 30 that houses the battery cell 50 is formed by attaching a lid member 34 that closes the opening to a large opening container 32 and caulking and fixing the edge. When forming the battery module 10, a plurality of battery cells 50 are accommodated in the container 32 from the opening of the container 32, and then the lid member 34 is covered to crimp the edges. Thereby, the battery cell 50 is sealed in the housing 30. Further, the battery module 10 is bolted to the housing 30 and positioned.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 30 is formed with a plurality of small guide holes 36 and one large cutout 38 on the side wall. A tab portion 40 is provided adjacent to the notch portion 38. The tab portion 40 is formed on the side surface of the housing 30 in a trapezoidal shape whose width becomes narrower toward the notch portion 38. The tab portion 40 is provided as an opening start location when the battery module 10 described later is opened.

  A shallow groove portion 42 is formed from the tab portion 40 along the side surface of the housing 30. The shallow groove portion 42 is formed by thinning the side surface of the housing 30.

  A string-like member (breaking means) 44 is attached to the inner surface side of the housing 30 of the tab portion 40 by the number of the guide holes 36. The string-like member 44 is made of an insulating material, or a metal wire covered with a resin. The string-like member 44 is preferably extremely fine with a diameter of 0.5 mm or less. The string-like member 44 is also attached to the electrode terminal of the battery cell 50 in the housing 30 through the guide hole 36 from the tab portion 40.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the string-like member 44 is attached to the electrode terminal of the battery cell 50 in the housing 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the portion of the casing 30 where the string-like member 44 is pulled out of the casing 30 is rounded, and the posture of the string-like member 44 is smoothly changed. .

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the string-like member 44 is wound around, for example, the electrode terminal of the battery cell 50. Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, the electrode terminal is formed with a semicircular cutout 53 that matches a part of the outer shape of the string-like member 44. When the string-like member 44 is hooked on the notch 53, the state where the string-like member 44 is hooked on the electrode terminal is maintained.

  In the present embodiment, the string-like member 44 is wound around the positive electrode terminal 52 among the positive and negative electrode terminals.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a portion around which the string-like member 44 is wound. A portion around which the string-like member 44 is wound is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the string-like member 44 is attached to each positive electrode terminal 52. For example, the string-like member 44 attached to the location shown on the left side in FIG. 5 extends from the side surface of the housing 30 on the near side in FIG. 1, and the string-like member 44 attached to the location shown on the right side in FIG. 1 extends from the inner side surface and is wound around the positive electrode terminal 52.

  Next, the operation when the battery module 10 is used and disassembled will be described.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the tab portion 40 of the housing 30. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a state before the tab portion 40 is wound, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state where the tab portion 40 is wound. FIG. 7 is a view showing the housing 30 in the middle of winding the tab portion 40, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a state where the tab portion 40 has been wound.

  When the battery module 10 is disassembled, a dedicated insulating tool 60 is used. The insulating tool 60 includes a holding portion 62 held by an operator and a shaft portion 64 for winding the tab portion 40 of the housing 30. The holding portion 62 may have any shape as long as it does not interfere with the operator rotating the insulating tool 60 along the side surface of the housing 30. As shown in FIG. 6A, the shaft portion 64 is a plate-like body having an open center. The width of the opening of the shaft portion 64 is wider than the narrowest width of the tab portion 40. Note that the shaft portion 64 may have a fork shape that is divided into two forks instead of being opened at the center of the plate-like body.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the insulating tool 60 is inserted from the cutout portion 38 of the housing 30 so that the tab portion 40 passes through the opening of the shaft portion 64. The tab portion 40 is raised outside the housing 30 by the insulating tool 60. The insulating tool 60 is rotated along the side surface of the housing 30 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6B with the tab portion 40 sandwiched between the shaft portions 64. Then, the tab portion 40 is wound around the shaft portion 64 of the insulating tool 60, and the shallow groove portion 42 having a low strength is broken, and the side surface of the housing 30 is wound.

  Since the string member 44 is attached to the tab portion 40, the string member 44 is also wound around the insulating tool 60 together with the tab portion 40. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, a part of the string-like member 44 wound around the positive electrode terminal 52 of the battery cell 50 is pulled in the width direction of the positive electrode terminal 52, and proceeds while breaking the positive electrode terminal 52.

  When the side surface of the housing 30 is wound up to the end by the insulating tool 60, one side surface of the housing 30 is opened as shown in FIG. At the same time, the positive terminal 52 of the battery cell 50 is completely broken.

  Similarly, the opposite side surface of the housing 30 can be wound from the tab portion 40 by the insulating tool 60. Thereby, the opposite side surfaces of the housing 30 are opened widely, and at the same time, the electrical connection of the battery cells 50 connected in series inside the housing 30 is cut.

  As described above, according to the battery module 10 of the present embodiment, the side surface of the housing 30 can be easily opened by passing the tab portion 40 through the insulating tool 60 and winding the tab portion 40 with the tool. . Therefore, the used battery module 10 can be easily disassembled.

  The string-like member 44 is pulled by the action of the insulating tool 60 outside the housing 30 to break the electrode terminal of the battery cell 50. Therefore, since the series connection of the battery cells 50 is cut, the residual voltages of the battery cells 50 are not summed, and the used battery module 10 can be disassembled while avoiding a high voltage.

  Since the string-like member 44 is wound around the electrode terminal of the battery cell 50, the electrode terminal can be broken without being detached from the electrode terminal by being pulled outward from the housing 30. In particular, since the electrode terminal is formed with a semicircular cutout 53 that matches a part of the cross-sectional shape of the string-like member 44, the battery module 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like and is subjected to vibration. The string-like member 44 does not come off from the electrode terminal.

  Since the string-like member 44 breaks the electrode terminal from the end while proceeding in the width direction of the electrode terminal, the electrode terminal can be broken without bending the electrode terminal. Particularly, since the string-like member 44 is extremely thin with a diameter of about 0.5 mm, stress is applied to a part of the electrode terminal, and it is easy to break.

  Since the string-like member 44 is formed of an insulating material or is a metal wire coated with a resin, no current flows through the string-like member 44 when the battery module 10 is disassembled.

  In addition, the string member 44 is pulled and the electrode terminal is broken in conjunction with passing the tab portion 40 through the insulating tool 60 and winding the tab portion 40 with the tool. And electrical decomposition can be performed simultaneously.

  Since the casing 30 is rounded in the vicinity of the guide hole 36, the friction between the string-like member 44 and the casing 30 can be reduced.

  Since the tab portion 40 is connected to the shallow groove portion 42 provided along the side surface of the housing 30, the side surface of the housing 30 is easily broken along the shallow groove portion 42 when the tab portion 40 is wound up. it can.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, since the aluminum positive electrode terminal is fractured | ruptured by the string-like member 44, it can fracture | rupture more easily than a copper negative electrode terminal. However, the string-like member 44 can be wound around the negative electrode terminal.

It is an external view of the battery module of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a some battery cell. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the some battery cell accommodated in the battery module. It is a figure which shows a mode that the string-like member is attached to the electrode terminal of the battery cell in the housing | casing. It is the schematic which shows the location where a string-like member is wound. It is an enlarged view of the tab part of a housing | casing. It is a figure which shows the housing | casing in the middle of winding up a tab part. It is a figure which shows a mode that winding up of the tab part was completed.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Battery module,
30 ... Case,
32 ... container,
34 ... lid member,
36 ... Guide hole,
38 ... Notch,
40 ... Tab part,
42 ... Shallow groove,
44 ... a string-like member,
50 ... Battery cell,
52 ... Positive terminal,
54 ... negative electrode terminal,
60. Insulating tool,
62 ... holding part,
64: Shaft part.

Claims (12)

A plurality of battery cells connected in series;
A housing for storing the battery cells;
A part of which is wound around the electrode terminal of the battery cell, and by an action from the outside of the housing, a breaking means for breaking the electrode terminal of the battery cell;
Have
From the housing tab portion which is formed so as to be able to cause outward at one end side of the, by which so as to proceed to the other end along the side disengage take the sides of the housing, the housing is opened And a battery module in which the breaking means attached to the side surface of the casing is pulled. A plurality of battery cells connected in series;
A housing for storing the battery cells;
A rupture means that is formed from a string-like member, a part of which is wound around the electrode terminal of the battery cell, and that breaks the electrode terminal of the battery cell by an action from the outside of the housing;
Have
From the housing tab portion which is formed so as to be able to cause outward at one end side of the, by which so as to proceed to the other end along the side disengage take the sides of the housing, the housing is opened A battery module in which the string-like member of the breaking means attached to the side surface of the casing is pulled.   The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the string member breaks the electrode terminal from an end while proceeding in the width direction of the electrode terminal.   4. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the string-like member is formed of an insulating material, or a metal wire coated with a resin.   5. The electrode terminal is formed with a semicircular cutout that matches a part of the cross-sectional shape of the string-like member, and the string-like member is hooked in advance into the cutout. The battery module according to any one of the above.   The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the breaking means breaks the electrode terminal in conjunction with opening of the housing.   The battery module according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a portion of the casing where the string-like member is pulled out of the casing is rounded. The housing has a tab portion formed by cutting off a part of the side surface as an opening start location,
The battery module according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the string-like member is attached to the tab portion and moves while breaking the electrode terminal as the casing is opened from the tab portion. . The tab portion is connected to a shallow groove portion provided along a side surface of the housing,
The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the casing is broken along the shallow groove portion when the casing is opened from the tab.   The tab portion is formed adjacent to a cutout portion formed on a side surface of the housing, and is caused to be outward of the housing by an insulating tool inserted from the cutout portion. The battery module according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the battery module is wound by the step.   The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the breaking means breaks a positive electrode terminal among the electrode terminals. A method for disassembling a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells connected in series are housed in a housing,
In a state in which a part of the string-like member is wound around the electrode terminal of the battery cell in advance, the string-like member is pulled out of the casing,
Wherein at one end of the side surface of the housing from the outside to cause possible-formed tab portion, by removing it a side face of the casing so as to proceed to the other end along the side, opening the casing And a battery module that moves the portion wound around the electrode terminal so as to break the electrode terminal by pulling the string-like member attached to the side surface of the housing from the portion pulled out of the housing. Disassembly method.

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