JP6926668B2 - Power storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power storage device including a power storage element having an electrode terminal and a connecting member connected to the electrode terminal and connected to an external conductive member.

Conventionally, there is known a power storage device including a power storage element having an electrode terminal and a connection member connected to the electrode terminal and connected to an external conductive member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this power storage device, the electrode terminals of the power storage element are connected to each other by a bus bar, and an external terminal (connecting member) is connected to the electrode terminal of the power storage element at the end.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-082667

However, the conventional power storage device has a problem that the electrode terminals of the power storage element may be damaged when an external force is applied to the connecting member. That is, in the above-mentioned conventional power storage device, since the connection member is attached to the electrode terminal of the power storage element, when an external force is applied to the connection member, the force is transmitted to the electrode terminal of the power storage element to be transmitted to the electrode terminal. May be damaged. If the electrode terminals of the power storage element are damaged, problems such as airtight leakage of the container of the power storage element may occur.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power storage device capable of suppressing damage to the electrode terminals of a power storage element.

In order to achieve the above object, the power storage device according to one aspect of the present invention is connected to a plurality of power storage elements each having a container and an electrode terminal, and an electrode terminal of one of the plurality of power storage elements. At the same time, it includes a connecting member connected to an external conductive member, and a regulating unit that comes into contact with the container of the one power storage element and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member by an external force.

According to this, the power storage device includes a regulating unit that comes into contact with the container of the power storage element and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member by an external force. Here, in the configuration in which the connecting member is directly connected to the electrode terminal of the power storage element, when the connecting member tries to move by an external force, the force to move is directly applied to the electrode terminal, so that a very large force is applied to the electrode terminal. In addition, the electrode terminals may be damaged. For this reason, the regulating unit abuts on the container and restricts the movement of the connecting member, so that the force that the connecting member tries to move can be applied to the container, and the electrode terminal of the power storage element is suppressed from being damaged. be able to.

Further, the connecting member includes a bolt portion having a screw portion and a head portion, the regulation portion has an opening for accommodating at least a part of the head portion, and the opening portion is with the head portion. The contact may be made to restrict the rotation of the connecting member around the axis of the threaded portion.

According to this, the opening formed in the regulating portion abuts on the head of the bolt portion of the connecting member to regulate the rotation of the connecting member around the axis of the threaded portion of the bolt portion. That is, when the connecting member is provided with a bolt portion, the bolt is tightened when connecting the external conductive member to the connecting member, but at that time, the connecting member should rotate around the axis of the screw portion of the bolt portion. And. Therefore, the rotation of the connecting member can be regulated by bringing the head of the bolt portion into contact with the opening of the regulating portion. In this way, since the movement of the connecting member due to the external force is restricted, it is possible to suppress damage to the electrode terminals of the power storage element.

Further, the connecting member further includes a main body portion having a first surface that is in surface contact with the electrode terminal of the one power storage element and a second surface that is in surface contact with the conductive member. It may be formed separately from the bolt portion.

According to this, since the main body portion that conducts the electrode terminal of the power storage element and the external conductive member is formed separately from the bolt portion, the bolt tightening when connecting the external conductive member to the connecting member , It is possible to suppress the torque applied to the main body when tightening the bolts.

Further, the regulation unit is arranged between the metal member fixed to the container of the one power storage element and the metal member and the connection member, and comes into contact with the connection member to move the connection member. It may have an insulating member to regulate.

According to this, the regulating unit has a metal member fixed to the container of the power storage element and an insulating member that comes into contact with the connecting member between the metal member and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member. ing. That is, even when the regulating portion is fixed to the container with the metal member, the movement of the connecting member can be regulated while ensuring the insulation between the container and the metal member and the connecting member with the insulating member.

Further, at least one of the metal member and the connecting member may be integrated with the insulating member.

According to this, at least one of the metal member and the connecting member is integrated (integrally formed) with the insulating member by insert molding or the like, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing can be simplified.

Further, the electrode terminals included in the plurality of power storage elements may be welded terminals formed so as to be weldable to the bus bar.

According to this, by using the electrode terminal of the power storage element as a welded terminal, the electrode terminal other than the electrode terminal connected to the connecting member can be connected to the bus bar by welding, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the strength can be increased. Can be fixed.

Further, the power storage device may further include an exterior member arranged across the plurality of power storage elements, and at least a part of the regulation unit may be integrated with the exterior member.

According to this, at least a part of the regulation part is integrated (integrally formed) with an exterior member arranged across a plurality of power storage elements, so that the number of parts is reduced and manufacturing is simplified. be able to.

Further, the restricting portion may have a higher rigidity than the exterior member.

According to this, the movement of the connecting member can be tightly regulated by increasing the rigidity of the regulating portion.

It should be noted that the present invention can be realized not only as such a power storage device but also as a regulation unit included in the power storage device.

According to the power storage device of the present invention, it is possible to suppress damage to the electrode terminals of the power storage element.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the power storage device which concerns on this embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view which shows each component when the power storage device which concerns on this Embodiment is disassembled. It is a perspective view and the cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the regulation part, the bolt part of an external terminal, and the external terminal body part which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows each component when the metal member, the insulating member and the bolt part of the regulation part which concerns on this Embodiment are separated. It is sectional drawing which shows the positional relationship between the regulation part, the bolt part and the external terminal main body part which concerns on this Embodiment, and a power storage element and an external conductive member. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the regulation part which concerns on the modification 1 of this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the regulation part which concerns on the modification 2 of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the regulation part which concerns on the modification 3 of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the power storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that all of the embodiments described below show a preferred specific example of the present invention. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions of components, connection forms, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Further, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims indicating the highest level concept are described as arbitrary components. Further, in each figure, the dimensions and the like are not exactly shown.

Further, in the following description and drawings, the arrangement direction of the power storage elements, the arrangement direction of the external terminals, the opposite direction of the long side surface of the container of the power storage element, or the thickness direction of the container is defined as the X-axis direction. Further, the direction in which the electrode terminals are arranged in one power storage element or the direction in which the short side surfaces of the container are opposed to each other is defined as the Y-axis direction. Further, the vertical direction of the power storage element (the direction in which gravity acts in the installed state) is defined as the Z-axis direction. These X-axis directions, Y-axis directions, and Z-axis directions are directions that intersect each other (orthogonally in the present embodiment). Depending on the mode of use, the Z-axis direction may not be the vertical direction, but for convenience of explanation, the Z-axis direction will be described below as the vertical direction.

(Embodiment)
First, the configuration of the power storage device 10 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the power storage device 10 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing each component when the power storage device 10 according to the present embodiment is disassembled. In these figures, the lid of the exterior body 100 is omitted for convenience of explanation.

The power storage device 10 is a device capable of charging electricity from the outside and discharging electricity to the outside. For example, the power storage device 10 is a battery module used for an automobile power source such as an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a power source for power storage, and the like. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power storage device 10 includes an exterior body 100, a power storage element 200 housed inside the exterior body 100, an exterior member 300, an external terminal 400, a bus bar 500, and the like.

The exterior body 100 is a rectangular (box-shaped) container (module case) that constitutes the exterior body of the power storage device 10. That is, the exterior body 100 is arranged outside the power storage element 200, the exterior member 300, and the like, and these power storage elements 200 and the like are arranged at predetermined positions to protect the power storage element 200 and the like from impacts and the like. The exterior body 100 is made of an insulating resin material such as polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or ABS resin. There is. As a result, the exterior body 100 prevents the power storage element 200 and the like from coming into contact with an external metal member or the like.

Specifically, the exterior body 100 has a plurality of partitions inside, and each of the power storage elements 200 is inserted and accommodated between the plurality of partitions. Further, a plurality of openings for releasing heat from the power storage element 200 are formed in the wall portion of the exterior body 100. The exterior body 100 also has a flat rectangular lid (not shown), but the description of the lid will be omitted. Further, an electric device such as a circuit board or a relay may be arranged inside the exterior body 100.

The power storage element 200 is a secondary battery (cell battery) capable of charging electricity and discharging electricity, and more specifically, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. .. The power storage element 200 has a flat square shape, and in the present embodiment, eight power storage elements 200 are arranged and housed in the exterior body 100 in the X-axis direction. The power storage element 200 is not limited to the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and may be a secondary battery other than the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, a capacitor, and further charged by the user. It may be a primary battery that can use the stored electricity without using the above. Further, the number of power storage elements 200 housed in the exterior body 100 is not limited.

Here, the power storage element 200 includes a container 210, a positive electrode terminal 220, and a negative electrode terminal 230, respectively. An electrode body (also referred to as a power storage element or a power generation element), a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode current collector, and the like are arranged inside the container 210, and an electrolytic solution (non-aqueous electrolyte) and the like are also enclosed. However, these are omitted and illustrated, and detailed description is also omitted.

The container 210 is a rectangular parallelepiped (square) case having a lid on the upper side (plus side in the Z-axis direction). The material of the container 210 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a weldable metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

The positive electrode terminal 220 is an electrode terminal on the positive electrode side of the power storage element 200, and the negative electrode terminal 230 is an electrode terminal on the negative electrode side of the power storage element 200, both of which are attached to the lid of the container 210. That is, the positive electrode terminal 220 and the negative electrode terminal 230 lead out the electricity stored in the electrode body to the external space of the power storage element 200, and also introduce electricity into the internal space of the power storage element 200 in order to store electricity in the electrode body. It is a metal electrode terminal for this purpose. In the present embodiment, the power storage element 200 is arranged with the positive electrode terminal 220 and the negative electrode terminal 230 facing upward.

Here, the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 is a weld terminal formed so as to be weldable to the bus bar 500. That is, the positive electrode terminal 220 and the negative electrode terminal 230 of the power storage element 200 are connected (bonded) to the bus bar 500 by welding such as laser welding, resistance welding, or ultrasonic welding. As a result, the positive electrode terminal 220 or the negative electrode terminal 230 of the power storage element 200 is electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal 220 or the negative electrode terminal 230 of the other power storage element 200 via the bus bar 500. Of the plurality of power storage elements 200 provided in the power storage device 10, the positive electrode terminal 220 of the power storage element 200 arranged on the external terminal 400 side of the positive electrode (plus side in the X-axis direction in FIG. 2) is the external terminal 400 of the positive electrode. Is connected with. Similarly, of the plurality of power storage elements 200, the negative electrode terminal 230 of the power storage element 200 arranged on the external terminal 400 side of the negative electrode (minus side in the X-axis direction in FIG. 2) is connected to the external terminal 400 of the negative electrode. ..

The exterior member 300 is an overall flat plate-shaped member that is arranged above the plurality of power storage elements 200 (plus side in the Z-axis direction) across the plurality of power storage elements 200 and is positioned with respect to the plurality of power storage elements 200. Is. The exterior member 300 holds the bus bar 500, the external terminal 400, other electrical components such as relays, wiring, etc. (not shown), position regulation of the bus bar 500, etc., and the bus bar 500, etc. and other members. Can be insulated from.

That is, the exterior member 300 functions as a bus bar frame for positioning the bus bar 500 and the external terminal 400 with respect to the electrode terminals of the power storage element 200, and an electrical component tray for holding the electric components. The exterior member 300 is made of an insulating resin material such as PC, PP, PE, PPS, PBT, or ABS resin, but any material is used as long as it is an insulating member. It doesn't matter.

Here, the exterior member 300 integrally includes the exterior member main body portion 310 and the regulation portion 320. The exterior member main body 310 is a portion that holds the bus bar 500 and electrical components described above, and a plurality of openings 330 are formed corresponding to the arrangement positions of the bus bar 500. Bus bars 500 are arranged in the openings 330, and each bus bar 500 is connected to an electrode terminal of the power storage element 200. Further, the regulating unit 320 is a portion that holds the external terminal 400, and abuts on the container 210 of the power storage element 200 and the external terminal 400 to regulate the movement of the external terminal 400 due to an external force (external force applied to the external terminal 400). regulate. The detailed configuration of the regulation unit 320 will be described later.

The external terminal 400 is connected to the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 and is also connected to the external conductive member (conductive member 600 in FIG. 5) of the power storage device 10 to charge electricity from the outside of the power storage device 10. It is also a conductive member such as a metal that discharges electricity to the outside. Specifically, the external terminal 400 of the positive electrode is arranged at the end (corner portion) of the exterior member 300 on the positive side in the X-axis direction and the negative side in the Y-axis direction, and the external terminal 400 of the positive electrode is arranged on the negative side in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the exterior member 300. The external terminal 400 of the negative electrode is arranged at the end (corner) on the minus side. Then, the external terminal 400 of the positive electrode is connected to the positive electrode terminal 220 of the power storage element 200 at the positive end in the X-axis direction, and is also connected to the external conductive member. Further, the external terminal 400 of the negative electrode is connected to the negative electrode terminal 230 of the power storage element 200 at the negative end in the X-axis direction, and is also connected to another external conductive member.

That is, the external terminal 400 is a connecting member that is connected to the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of power storage elements 200 (predetermined power storage element 200) and is also connected to an external conductive member. In other words, the external terminal 400 is a fixture that fixes an external conductive member to the electrode terminal of the one power storage element 200. As described above, the external terminal 400 as a connecting member is arranged only in the power storage element 200 (in the present embodiment, the power storage element 200 at the end) of the plurality of power storage elements 200, and the power storage element 400 is arranged. Such a connecting member is not arranged in the power storage element 200 other than the element 200.

Here, the external terminal 400 is a bolt terminal having a bolt portion 410 and an external terminal main body portion 420. The bolt portion 410 is a member for fixing the external conductive member to the external terminal 400, and the external terminal main body portion 420 comes into surface contact with the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 and the conductive member, and the electrode terminal and the said electrode terminal. It is a member that electrically connects to a conductive member. That is, the external terminal main body portion 420 that conducts the electrode terminal and the conductive member is formed separately from the bolt portion 410 that fixes the conductive member to the external terminal 400. The detailed configuration of the bolt portion 410 and the external terminal main body portion 420 will be described later.

By arranging the bus bar 500 in the opening 330 of the exterior member 300, the bus bar 500 is arranged above the electrode terminals of the plurality of power storage elements 200, and is a conductive plate such as metal that electrically connects the electrode terminals to each other. It is a shaped member. Specifically, the bus bar 500 connects the positive electrode terminal 220 or the negative electrode terminal 230 of one power storage element 200 to the negative electrode terminal 230 or the positive electrode terminal 220 of the other power storage element 200 in the adjacent power storage element 200. In the present embodiment, seven bus bars 500 connect eight power storage elements 200 in series. The bus bar 500 may be configured to connect several power storage elements 200 in parallel.

The bus bar 500 is made of, for example, aluminum as a conductive member, but the material of the bus bar 500 is not particularly limited. Further, all seven bus bars 500 may be made of members made of the same material, or any of the bus bars may be made of members made of different materials.

Next, the configurations of the regulation unit 320, the bolt portion 410 of the external terminal 400, and the external terminal main body portion 420 will be described in detail. In the following, the configuration of the regulation unit 320 and the external terminal 400 on the positive electrode side (plus side in the X-axis direction) will be described, but the configuration of the regulation unit 320 and the external terminal 400 on the negative electrode side (minus side in the X-axis direction) is also the same. Is.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing the configurations of the regulation portion 320, the bolt portion 410 of the external terminal 400, and the external terminal main body portion 420 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing each component when the metal member 321 and the insulating member 322 and the bolt portion 410 of the regulation portion 320 according to the present embodiment are separated. Further, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the regulation portion 320, the bolt portion 410, and the external terminal main body portion 420 according to the present embodiment, and the power storage element 200 and the external conductive member 600. Note that FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a cross section of the power storage device 10 shown in FIG. 1 when the power storage device 10 is cut along a plane parallel to the YZ plane including the central axis of the bolt portion 410.

As shown in these figures, the regulating unit 320 has a metal member 321 and an insulating member 322. The metal member 321 is a metal portion fixed to the container 210 of the one power storage element 200 among the plurality of power storage elements 200. Further, the insulating member 322 is an insulating portion in which at least a part thereof is arranged between the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400 and insulates between the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400. The material of the metal member 321 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a weldable metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. The material of the insulating member 322 is also not particularly limited, but as described above, for example, PC, PP, PE, PPS, PBT, ABS resin, or the like. That is, the metal member 321 has a higher rigidity than the insulating member 322. In the exterior member 300, the insulating member 322 and the exterior member main body 310 may be made of different materials.

Here, the metal member 321 has a fixing portion 321a fixed to the container 210 of the power storage element 200, and a reinforcing portion 321b for reinforcing the insulating member 322. Further, the insulating member 322 has a reinforced portion 322a reinforced by the reinforcing portion 321b and a rectangular opening 322b in which a part of the bolt portion 410 of the external terminal 400 is housed. Further, the bolt portion 410 has a shaft-shaped threaded portion 411 in which a threaded groove is formed, and a rectangular and flat head portion 412 continuous with the threaded portion 411.

Specifically, the fixing portion 321a of the metal member 321 is placed on the lid of the container 210 of the power storage element 200 and around the electrode terminal (positive electrode terminal 220), and is, for example, laser welding, resistance welding, or ultrasonic welding. It is a flat plate-shaped part that is fixed (joined) to the lid by welding such as. Further, the reinforcing portion 321b of the metal member 321 is a plate that is erected from the fixed portion 321a and is inserted (embedded) inside the reinforced portion 322a of the insulating member 322 to increase the rigidity of the reinforced portion 322a. It is a shaped part. Specifically, the reinforcing portion 321b is arranged inside the reinforced portion 322a around the head 412 of the bolt portion 410. In particular, the reinforcing portions 321b arranged on both sides of the head 412 in the X-axis direction have the tip portions curved toward the head 412 to further increase the rigidity of the reinforced portion 322a.

Further, the reinforced portion 322a of the insulating member 322 is an annular portion surrounding the circumference of the head 412 of the bolt portion 410, and the rigidity is enhanced by embedding the reinforcing portion 321b inside as described above. .. Specifically, the head 412 has a rectangular and flat plate-shaped head main body 412a and a head protruding portion 412b protruding outward from the periphery of the end of the head main body 412a on the negative side in the Z-axis direction. And have. Then, the head portion 412 is housed in the opening portion 322b of the insulating member 322, so that the bolt portion 410 is fixed to the insulating member 322. Since the opening 322b has a step shape (step) corresponding to the head protruding portion 412b, the head protruding portion 412b allows the bolt portion 410 to come out from the insulating member 322 to the plus side in the Z-axis direction. Is suppressed. As described above, the regulation unit 320 has an opening 322b that accommodates at least a part of the head 412.

With such a configuration, the insulating member 322 comes into contact with the external terminal 400 and restricts the movement of the external terminal 400 due to rotation or the like. That is, the opening 322b comes into contact with the head 412 to regulate the rotation of the external terminal 400 around the axis of the threaded portion 411. More specifically, the metal member 321 is fixed to the container 210 of the power storage element 200, and the insulating member 322 abuts on the head 412 around the axis of the screw portion 411 at the opening 322b, whereby the external terminal 400 is said to be the same. Regulate rotation. In this way, the regulating unit 320 comes into contact with the container 210 and the external terminal 400 to regulate the rotation of the external terminal 400 with respect to the container 210. That is, the regulation unit 320 comes into contact with the container 210 and the external terminal 400 of the one power storage element 200 (the predetermined power storage element 200) among the plurality of power storage elements 200, and the external terminal 400 is moved by an external force. To regulate. As described above, among the plurality of power storage elements 200, the regulation unit 320 is arranged only in the power storage element 200 having the electrode terminal to which the external terminal 400 is connected.

Here, the insulating member 322 and the exterior member main body 310 are integrally molded products that are continuously formed. That is, by pouring the resin into the mold in which the insulating member 322 and the exterior member main body 310 are integrated, the exterior member 300 in which the insulating member 322 and the exterior member main body 310 are integrated is manufactured. In this way, at least a part of the regulation portion 320 is integrated with the exterior member main body portion 310 of the exterior member 300.

Further, the insulating member 322 has a higher rigidity than the exterior member main body 310. Specifically, the insulating member 322 is formed to be thicker (thickness in the Z-axis direction) than the exterior member main body 310. In the present embodiment, the maximum thickness of the insulating member 322 is formed to be larger than the maximum thickness of the exterior member main body 310. The minimum value of the thickness of the insulating member 322 may be formed to be larger than the maximum value of the thickness of the exterior member main body 310, and the average value of the thickness of the insulating member 322 is the thickness of the exterior member main body 310. It may be formed larger than the average value. Further, since the metal member 321 is arranged inside the insulating member 322, the insulating member 322 (that is, the regulating portion 320) in which the metal member 321 is built has higher rigidity than the exterior member main body portion 310. The insulating member 322 may be made of a material having a higher rigidity than the exterior member main body 310.

Further, at least one of the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400 is integrated with the insulating member 322. In the present embodiment, both the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 of the external terminal 400 are integrated with the insulating member 322. That is, for example, the insulating member 322 is integrally formed with the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 by insert molding. Specifically, the resin is injected into the mold in which the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 are arranged to form an integrally molded product including the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 and the insulating member 322. As described above, the insulating member 322 is a resin member formed of a resin that can be insert-molded.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the external terminal main body portion 420 of the external terminal 400 has an external member connecting portion 421, an electrode terminal connecting portion 422, and an external terminal protruding portion 423.

The external member connecting portion 421 is a rectangular and flat plate-shaped portion connected to the external conductive member 600 as shown in FIG. 5, and is placed on the restricting portion 320 of the exterior member 300. Specifically, the external member connecting portion 421 has an upper surface 421a that is in surface contact with the conductive member 600 and a lower surface 421b that is in surface contact with the upper surface of the head body portion 412a of the bolt portion 410, and is in the central portion. , A circular opening 421c is formed. Then, the screw portion 411 of the bolt portion 410 is inserted into the opening 421c, and the external terminal main body portion 420 is positioned with respect to the bolt portion 410 and the regulation portion 320. Further, the threaded portion 411 of the bolt portion 410 is also inserted into the conductive member 600 and fastened with a nut (not shown) to fix the conductive member 600 to the external terminal 400.

The electrode terminal connecting portion 422 is a rectangular and flat plate-shaped portion connected to the electrode terminal (positive electrode terminal 220) of the power storage element 200, and is arranged at a position one step lower than the external member connecting portion 421. Specifically, the electrode terminal connection portion 422 has an upper surface 422a and a lower surface 422b that is in surface contact with the positive electrode terminal 220. That is, the electrode terminal connection portion 422 is placed on the upper surface of the positive electrode terminal 220 and fixed to the positive electrode terminal 220 by welding or the like.

As described above, the external terminal 400 has a lower surface 422b as a first surface that is in surface contact with the electrode terminal (positive electrode terminal 220) of the one power storage element 200 among the plurality of power storage elements 200, and an external conductive member. By having the upper surface 421a as the second surface that comes into surface contact with the 600, the electrode terminal and the conductive member 600 are electrically connected. In the present embodiment, since the lower surface of the bolt portion 410 (the lower surface of the head 412) is exposed from the opening 322b of the insulating member 322, the lower surface of the bolt portion 410 also comes into contact with the upper surface of the positive electrode terminal 220 (the lower surface of the bolt portion 410 is also in contact with the upper surface of the positive electrode terminal 220. It is configured to be conductive). However, since the lower surface of the bolt portion 410 does not have to contact (conduct) with the upper surface of the positive electrode terminal 220, the opening 322b of the insulating member 322 is the bolt portion 410 in order to prevent the bolt portion 410 from coming off from below. It may be a recess that covers the lower surface.

The external terminal projecting portion 423 is a rectangular and flat plate-shaped portion projecting from the electrode terminal connecting portion 422 to the plus side in the Y-axis direction, and is arranged at a position one step higher than the electrode terminal connecting portion 422. The external terminal protrusion 423 is a portion for measuring the voltage or the like of the external terminal 400, and a cable is connected to the external terminal protrusion 423 to measure the voltage or the like.

As described above, according to the power storage device 10 according to the present embodiment, the regulation unit that abuts the container 210 of the power storage element 200 and the external terminal 400 (connecting member) to regulate the movement of the external terminal 400 by an external force. It is equipped with 320. Here, in a configuration in which the external terminal 400 is directly connected to the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200, when the external terminal 400 tries to move (for example, rotate) by an external force, the force to move (for example, torque of rotation) is the electrode terminal. Since it is directly applied to the electrode terminals, a very large force is applied to the electrode terminals, which may damage the electrode terminals. Therefore, the regulating unit 320 abuts on the container 210 to regulate the movement (for example, rotation) of the external terminal 400, so that a force (for example, rotational torque) that the external terminal 400 tries to move is applied to the container 210. It is possible to prevent the electrode terminals of the power storage element 200 from being damaged.

Further, the opening 322b formed in the regulating portion 320 abuts on the head 412 of the bolt portion 410 of the external terminal 400 to restrict the rotation of the external terminal 400 around the axis of the screw portion 411 of the bolt portion 410. That is, when the external terminal 400 includes the bolt portion 410, bolt tightening is performed when connecting the external conductive member 600 to the external terminal 400, but at that time, the external terminal 400 is the screw portion of the bolt portion 410. Attempts to rotate around the axis of 411. Therefore, the rotation of the external terminal 400 can be regulated by bringing the head 412 of the bolt portion 410 into contact with the opening 322b of the regulating portion 320. In this way, since the movement of the external terminal 400 by an external force is restricted, it is possible to prevent the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 from being damaged.

Further, since the external terminal main body 420 that conducts the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 and the external conductive member 600 is formed separately from the bolt portion 410, when the conductive member 600 is connected to the external terminal 400, When tightening the bolts, it is possible to suppress the torque applied to the external terminal body 420 when the bolts are tightened.

Further, the regulating unit 320 is an insulating member that regulates the movement of the external terminal 400 by contacting the metal member 321 fixed to the container 210 of the power storage element 200 with the external terminal 400 between the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400. It has 322 and. That is, even when the restricting portion 320 is fixed to the container 210 by the metal member 321, the insulating member 322 regulates the movement of the external terminal 400 while ensuring the insulation between the container 210 and the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400. can do.

Further, the movement of the external terminal 400 is strongly regulated by increasing the rigidity of the regulating portion 320 by reinforcing the insulating member 322 with the metal member 321 or forming the insulating member 322 thicker. Can be done.

Further, since at least a part (insulating member 322) of the regulating portion 320 is continuously connected and integrally formed with the exterior member main body portion 310 arranged so as to straddle the plurality of power storage elements 200, the number of parts is increased. Can be reduced to simplify manufacturing.

Further, by integrating (integrating) the metal member 321 and the external terminal 400 with the insulating member 322 by insert molding or the like, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing can be simplified.

Further, by using the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 as a welded terminal, the electrode terminal other than the electrode terminal connected to the external terminal 400 can be connected to the bus bar 500 by welding, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the strength can be increased. Can be fixed. Further, the electrode terminal connected to the external terminal 400 is also a welded terminal, and when a bolt is directly attached to the welded terminal, the welded terminal is not supposed to be attached with a bolt. It is weak and may damage the welded terminals. Therefore, by applying a force (that is, rotational torque) that the external terminal 400 tends to move to the container 210 of the power storage element 200, it is possible to prevent the welded terminal from being damaged.

With the above configuration, the electrode terminals of the power storage element 200 inside the power storage device 10 are firmly connected by welding, and the connection between the external terminal 400 of the power storage device 10 and the external conductive member 600 is established. It can be done with a removable bolt connection.

(Modification example 1)
Next, a modification 1 of the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the regulation unit 320a according to the first modification of the present embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the insulating member 322 of the regulating portion 320 is formed by being continuously connected to and integrally formed with the exterior member main body portion 310. However, as shown in the figure, in this modified example, the regulating portion 320a has an insulating member 323 that is separate from the exterior member main body portion 310. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the power storage device 10 according to the first modification of the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in this modification, since the insulating member 323 is formed separately from the exterior member main body 310, a small mold can be used when molding the insulating member 323 by insert molding, which makes it easy. The insert molding can be performed.

(Modification 2)
Next, a modification 2 of the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the regulation unit 320b according to the second modification of the present embodiment. Specifically, (a) in the figure is a perspective view showing a state in which the bolt portion 410, the metal member 324 of the regulation portion 320b, and the insulating member 325 are assembled, and (b) in the figure is a perspective view showing a state in which the bolt portion 410, the metal member 324 of the regulation portion 320b, and the insulating member 325 are assembled. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the part 410, the metal member 324, and the insulating member 325 are separated.

In the above embodiment and the first modification thereof, the bolt portion 410, the metal member 321 and the insulating member 322 are integrated by insert molding. However, as shown in the figure, in this modified example, the regulating portion 320b has a bolt portion 410, a separate metal member 324, and an insulating member 325.

Specifically, the metal member 324 is two plate-shaped members extending in the Y-axis direction, and the ends 324a of each plate-shaped member on both sides in the Y-axis direction are fixed to the container 210 of the power storage element 200 by welding or the like. Will be done. The insulating member 325 has protruding portions 325a protruding from both sides in the X-axis direction, and the protruding portions 325a are pressed from above by the metal member 324 and fixed to the container 210. Further, the head 412 of the bolt portion 410 is housed in the opening 325b of the insulating member 325. Since other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment and its modified examples, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the power storage device 10 according to the modified example 2 of the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment and the modified example can be obtained. In particular, in this modification, the bolt portion 410, the metal member 321 and the insulating member 322 are simply arranged without performing insert molding.

(Modification example 3)
Next, a modification 3 of the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the regulation unit 320c according to the third modification of the present embodiment. Specifically, (a) in the figure is a perspective view showing a state in which the bolt portion 410 and the regulation portion 320c are assembled, and (b) in the figure is a perspective view showing the bolt portion 410 and the regulation portion 320c. It is a perspective view which shows the state which was attached to the container 210 and the positive electrode terminal 220 of the power storage element 200 together with the external terminal main body 420.

In the above-described embodiment and the modified examples 1 and 2, the regulating portion is determined to have a metal member and an insulating member. However, as shown in the figure, in this modification, the regulating portion 320c is formed of an insulating member without having a metal member. Specifically, the regulation unit 320c is fixed to the container 210 by arranging a stainless steel ball in the circular through hole 326 and welding the stainless steel ball to the container 210 of the power storage element 200. Since other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment and its modified examples, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the power storage device 10 according to the modified example 3 of the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment and the modified example can be obtained. In particular, in this modification, since the regulating portion 320c does not have a metal member, it can have a simple configuration.

Although the power storage device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention and its modified example has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and its modified example. That is, it should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time and examples thereof are examples in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims are included.

For example, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the external terminal 400 is exemplified as a connecting member connected to the electrode terminal of the power storage element 200 and connected to the external conductive member 600. However, the connecting member is not limited to the external terminal 400 exemplified above as long as it is connected to the electrode terminal and the conductive member 600, and the member may have any shape and size. good.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the regulating unit (insulating member) mainly regulates the rotation of the external terminal 400 as an example of restricting the movement of the external terminal 400 by an external force. However, the regulating unit (insulating member) is not limited to restricting the rotation of the external terminal 400, and restricts the linear movement of the external terminal 400 in any direction of the external terminal 400. You may decide to regulate it.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the regulating portion is fixed to the lid portion of the container 210 of the power storage element 200. However, the regulating portion may be fixed to a portion (side surface portion, bottom surface portion, etc.) other than the lid portion of the container 210. Further, the regulating unit is not limited to being fixed to the container 210 as long as it can regulate the movement of the external terminal 400, and is simply abutted, engaged, or fitted to the container 210. But it doesn't matter. For example, the regulating portion may be configured to restrict the movement of the external terminal 400 by sandwiching both side surface portions of the container 210 and contacting the both side surface portions.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the first modification thereof, it is determined that the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 are integrated with the insulating member by insert molding. However, one of the metal member 321 and the bolt portion 410 may be integrated with the insulating member by insert molding, and the other may not be insert molded. Alternatively, the external terminal body 420 may also be integrated with the insulating member by insert molding. The integration method is not limited to insert molding, and a conventional method can be appropriately adopted.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the modified examples 1 and 2, the regulating portion is determined to have a metal member and an insulating member. However, the regulating unit may have a member made of a material other than metal, such as a resin, which has higher rigidity than the insulating member, instead of the metal member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the regulating unit is provided with an insulating member, and the insulating member ensures the insulating property between the external terminal 400 and the container 210. However, it is not necessary to ensure the insulation between the external terminal 400 and the container 210 by insulating the external terminal 400 and the container 210 with another gasket or the like, or dropping the container 210 to the positive electrode potential. In some cases, the regulating unit may use a conductive member such as metal instead of the insulating member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the bolt portion 410 and the external terminal main body portion 420 are formed as separate bodies. However, the bolt portion 410 and the external terminal main body portion 420 may be integrally formed as one member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the electrode terminals of all the power storage elements 200 are welded terminals, but any of the electrode terminals may be bolt terminals.

Further, in the above embodiment, the insulating member 322 of the regulating portion 320 is continuously connected and integrated with the exterior member main body portion 310. However, the insulating member 322 may be integrated with a member other than the exterior member main body 310, such as the exterior body 100 and its lid.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the regulating portion has a higher rigidity than the exterior member main body portion 310, but the regulating portion has a rigidity capable of restricting the movement of the external terminal 400. , The rigidity may be lower than that of the exterior member main body 310.

Further, a form constructed by arbitrarily combining the components included in the above-described embodiment and its modifications is also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the insulating member 325 of the regulation portion 320b of the modification 2 or the regulation portion 320c of the modification 3 may be integrated with the exterior member main body 310, or the regulation portion 320c of the modification 3 may be insert-molded with the bolt portion 410. May be integrated by.

Further, the present invention can be realized not only as such a power storage device 10, but also as a regulation unit included in the power storage device 10.

The present invention can be applied to a power storage device including a power storage element such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

10 Power storage device 200 Power storage element 210 Container 220 Positive electrode terminal 230 Negative electrode terminal 300 Exterior member 310 Exterior member Main body 320, 320a, 320b, 320c Restriction section 321, 324 Metal member 322, 323, 325 Insulation member 322b Opening 400 External terminal 410 Bolt part 411 Thread part 412 Head 420 External terminal body part 421a Top surface (second surface)
422b lower surface (first surface)
500 Busbar 600 Conductive member

Claims (8)

A plurality of power storage elements each having a container and an electrode terminal,
A connecting member that is connected to the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of power storage elements and is connected to an external conductive member.
It is provided with a regulating unit that comes into contact with the container of the one power storage element and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member by an external force.
The connecting member is connected to the electrode terminal in a state of being in contact with the outer end surface of the electrode terminal of the one power storage element from the outside.
A charge reservoir. A plurality of power storage elements each having a container and an electrode terminal,
A connecting member that is connected to the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of power storage elements and is connected to an external conductive member.
It is provided with a regulating unit that comes into contact with the container of the one power storage element and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member by an external force.
The regulatory department
The metal member fixed to the container of the one power storage element and
It has an insulating member that is arranged between the metal member and the connecting member and that comes into contact with the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member.
A charge reservoir. The power storage device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the metal member and the connecting member is integrated with the insulating member. A plurality of power storage elements each having a container and an electrode terminal,
A connecting member that is connected to the electrode terminal of one of the plurality of power storage elements and is connected to an external conductive member.
A regulating unit that comes into contact with the container of the one power storage element and the connecting member to regulate the movement of the connecting member by an external force .
The exterior member is provided so as to straddle the plurality of power storage elements.
At least a part of the regulation part is integrated with the exterior member.
A charge reservoir. The power storage device according to claim 4 , wherein the regulating unit has a higher rigidity than the exterior member. The connecting member includes a bolt portion having a screw portion and a head portion, and the connecting member includes a bolt portion.
The regulatory section has an opening that accommodates at least a portion of the head.
The power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening abuts on the head and regulates the rotation of the connecting member around the axis of the screw portion. The connecting member further includes a main body having a first surface that is in surface contact with the electrode terminal of the one power storage element and a second surface that is in surface contact with the conductive member.
The power storage device according to claim 6 , wherein the main body portion is formed separately from the bolt portion. The power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the electrode terminals included in the plurality of power storage elements are welded terminals formed so as to be weldable to the bus bar.

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