JPH1167171A - battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a battery pack in which the arrangement of electrodes is reviewed, which can be easily mounted on a partner device, and which can be further reduced in size and improved in reliability. SOLUTION: A third terminal 8 is arranged on a same case surface as other terminals 6 and 7 and at a predetermined position facing a recessed portion between unit cells 2 so that the third terminal 8 is provided. It is not necessary to provide an extra space for the arrangement of the terminals, and by arranging the terminals 6, 7 on the same surface of the case, the wiring from the substrate to the terminals 6, 7, 8 can be shortened. Space can be reduced, compactness can be achieved,
The wiring structure can be simplified, and the assemblability is improved. In addition, only the mounting accuracy of the terminal arrangement surface of the case with respect to the counterpart device needs to be considered, so that the case can be easily mounted and the reliability of the electrical connection with the counterpart device can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery pack comprising a plurality of rechargeable cells connected to each other and housed in one case, and used as a detachable power source for portable small-sized equipment. In particular, the present invention relates to a battery pack having a third terminal in addition to first and second terminals serving as a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal of a battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a battery pack that can be repeatedly charged and discharged has a plurality of unit cells housed in a case and is connected to each other to form one battery. An example of such a battery pack is disclosed in
There is an example shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 65, which is shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional battery pack.

The conventional battery pack 1 shown in the previous figure
00 has a pair of plus and minus terminals used for charging / discharging on one side (not shown), while a recess is formed in the bottom surface of the case, and the recess has a third terminal as information. In this configuration, the output terminal 101 is provided. The information output terminal 101 is connected to a substrate (not shown) in the battery pack 100 including an ID signal generating circuit for generating a predetermined ID signal and the like, and electrically connected to a corresponding terminal on a device such as a mounted charger. And outputs an ID signal and the like.

[0004]

Since the conventional battery pack is configured as described above, the information output terminal 101 is provided on the bottom of the case separately from the terminal portion, and the layout of the electric wiring inside the case is provided. However, there is a problem that it becomes complicated and difficult to assemble, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the case because a wiring space is required. In addition, since the information output terminal 101 is separated from the other terminal portions, if the mounting accuracy with respect to the counterpart device to be mounted is not set quite strictly, the terminal portion and the terminal plug of the counterpart device must be connected, and the information output terminal There is a problem in that it is difficult to simultaneously make the terminal 101 and the corresponding terminal on the partner device side conductive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. A battery pack which has been redesigned so that the electrodes can be easily mounted on a counterpart device, and further reduced in size and improved in reliability. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a battery pack comprising a plurality of unit cells having a circular cross section arranged in parallel, and the unit cells and an electronic circuit board are electrically connected to each other to form a substantially box-shaped unit. In the battery pack integrally housed in the case, the first and second terminals are provided at both ends in the connecting direction of a predetermined case surface parallel to the unit cell connecting direction, and are connected and provided. A third terminal is provided at a predetermined position on the case surface facing a concave portion generated between the unit cells. As described above, according to the present invention, the third terminal is disposed on the same case surface as the other terminals and at a predetermined position facing the concave portion between the unit cells, so that the third terminal There is no need to provide extra space for installation, and by arranging each terminal on the same surface of the case, wiring from the board to each terminal can be shortened, wiring space can be reduced, and compactness can be achieved. In addition, the wiring structure can be simplified and the assemblability can be improved. In addition, only the mounting accuracy of the terminal arrangement surface of the case with respect to the counterpart device needs to be considered, so that the case can be easily mounted and the reliability of the electrical connection with the counterpart device can be improved.

In the battery pack according to the present invention, if necessary, the third terminal is connected to the electronic circuit board as a plate-like terminal, and is bent so as to protrude from the electronic circuit board, and is connected to the case surface. It is arranged with a part of the surface exposed at the top, and corresponds to the outer shape of the two cells facing each other across the recessed portion corresponding to the arrangement position of the third terminal,
A base portion arranged along a unit cell over a predetermined length;
A support member having a shape that can be abutted from the inside of the case to the back side of the exposed surface of the third terminal from the inside of the case, and having a terminal fixing piece disposed to protrude from the base in the unit cell longitudinal direction. It is provided with. Thus, according to the present invention, the support member is provided so as to be fitted between the opposed unit cells, and the support member and the unit cell mutually support each other, so that the third terminal supported by the support member is provided. To ensure the electrical connection with the counterpart device while maintaining the position securely, and prevent the misalignment of the opposing cells from each other, and secure the insulation and prevent disconnection to improve safety. Let me do. Further, the third terminal has a simple structure and is excellent in assemblability, and the support member is arranged between the unit cells, so that the case does not become thick and space can be saved.

In the battery pack according to the present invention, if necessary, the first and second terminals are connected to the electronic circuit board as plate-like terminals, and are protruded from the electronic circuit board and bent. A part of the base member is exposed on the case surface, and the support member extends and extends the base portion to both ends where the first and second terminals are provided. The uneven portions corresponding to the external shapes of the plurality of unit cells that are provided are formed on the unit cell side surface of the base unit, and project in the unit cell longitudinal direction from both ends of the base unit in the connecting direction. A terminal fixing piece is provided on the back side of the exposed surface of each of the first and second terminals so as to be abuttable from the inside of the case. As described above, according to the present invention, uneven portions are formed on the support member, and the support member abuts on the peripheral side surface of each unit cell, thereby suppressing the movement of the unit cells in the continuous direction. In the unit cell, misalignment is less likely to occur, and insulation can be ensured, disconnection can be prevented more reliably, and safety can be greatly improved. In addition, since the first, second, and third terminals are supported by the terminal fixing pieces and can reliably maintain their positions, the reliability of the electrical connection with the counterpart device is further improved.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a battery pack according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the battery pack according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a separator and a support member of the battery pack according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory views of the battery pack assembling process according to the present embodiment, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the next assembling process of the battery pack according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is the final assembling process of the battery pack according to the present embodiment. FIG.

In each of the drawings, a battery pack 1 according to the present embodiment has a case 3 in which two cylindrical unit cells 2 are stored in parallel, and a unit cell 2 sandwiched between adjacent unit cells 2. A separator 4 positioned in the installation direction, and a printed circuit board 5 of an electronic circuit disposed on the end face side of the unit cell 2
A first terminal portion 6 and a second terminal portion 7 forming plus and minus electrodes disposed on one side of the case 3, a third terminal portion 8 as an information output terminal, This is a configuration including a support member 9 that supports the first, second, and third terminal portions 6, 7, 8.

The case 3 engages an upper case 3a and a lower case 3b, each of which is a box-shaped plastic molded body divided into two parts in the thickness direction, at respective open end faces provided with concave and convex portions for engaging each other. -The structure is formed integrally by bonding. In the case 3, two columnar cells 2 are housed in parallel and adjacent to each other with a separator 4 interposed therebetween, and a printed board 5 and respective lead terminals are arranged.

The separator 4 is a molded plastic body, and a plurality of ribs 4a each having a curved surface adapted to the peripheral side surface of the adjacent unit cell 2 are provided on both sides, and the separator 4 is located between the upper edge and the lower edge. This is a configuration in which a minimum thickness portion that is the closest position of the matching unit cell is formed. In addition, a step 4b is formed on the separator 4 to abut on the support member 9 and suppress the movement of the support member 9 in the axial direction of the unit cell (see FIG. 3A).

The unit cells 2 in the case 3 are arranged in parallel with a positive electrode and a negative electrode opposite to each other with a separator 4 interposed therebetween, and lead terminals 2a and 2b are welded to one adjacent positive electrode and negative electrode, respectively. (See FIG. 2B), and the tips of these lead terminals 2a and 2b are connected to the printed circuit board 5. The printed circuit board 5 is disposed so as to be folded on the connected lead terminals 2a, 2b side via an insulating sheet 2c so as to be folded, and is placed over the end face of the unit cells 2 (FIG. 2). (A)).

The other positive electrode and the negative electrode of the unit cell 2 are welded to the lead terminals 2d and PTC 2e for the middle point, respectively. The lead terminals 2d and PTC 2e for the middle point are further welded to each other so that the positive electrode and the PTC 2e are welded to each other. The negative electrode is electrically connected (see FIG. 2C). The midpoint lead terminal 2d has one end connected to the printed circuit board 5 and the other positive electrode and negative electrode, that is, a midpoint between the two cells 2 and a predetermined circuit on the printed circuit board 5 connected to each other. And the like can be detected.

The printed circuit board 5 has a function of preventing overcharging and overdischarging of the unit cells 2 and an overvoltage / current, a function of detecting and controlling a charge / discharge balance of the unit cells, and a predetermined ID signal. And various circuits having a function of generating various internal information signals and the like.

The first and second terminals 6 and 7 are plate-shaped terminals which are protruded from the connected printed circuit board 5 and are bent to be exposed on the surface of the case 3. And a configuration used as a negative electrode terminal.

The third terminal 8 is a plate-like terminal that is bent so as to protrude from the connected printed circuit board 5 and is exposed on the surface of the case 3.
This configuration is used as various control terminals for signal transmission and the like.

The support member 9 is disposed along a unit cell over a predetermined length between both ends in the connecting direction in which the first and second terminals 6 and 7 are disposed, and is provided continuously. A base portion 9a formed on the unit cell side surface with an uneven portion corresponding to the peripheral side surface shape of the plurality of unit cells, and a back side of the exposed surface portions of the first, second and third terminals 6, 7, 8; And a terminal fixing piece 9b that is provided to protrude from the inside of the case 3 along the bent shape and protrude from the base 9a in the longitudinal direction of the unit cell. This support member 9
Supports the first, second and third terminals 6, 7, 8 while engaging each terminal fixing piece 9b with the printed circuit board 5 to prevent unnecessary movement such as lateral displacement of the printed circuit board 5. (See FIG. 2A).

Next, a process of assembling the battery pack based on the above configuration will be described. First, the PTC 2e and the midpoint lead terminal 2d are integrated by spot welding, and the integrated midpoint lead terminal 2d and other lead terminals 2a and 2b are connected to the printed circuit board 5 by soldering (FIG. 4 (A)). The integrated printed circuit board 5 and each lead terminal are assembled to two unit cells 2 arranged with the separator 4 interposed therebetween. At this time, the lead terminals 2a, 2b are attached to the electrodes of each unit cell 2 by spot welding in a state where the lead terminals 2a, 2b are bent by about 90 °, and an insulating sheet for preventing short circuit with the printed circuit board 5 on the surfaces of these lead terminals 2a, 2b. 2c is attached (see FIG. 4B). Next, the first, second and third terminals 6, 7, 8 which have been bent in advance on the printed circuit board 5 are connected by soldering, and a support member 9 supporting these terminals is provided on the back side of each terminal. It is mounted (see FIG. 5).

The assembled portion of the integrated printed circuit board 5, each terminal, and the support member 9 is further folded at about 90 ° at the lead terminals 2a and 2b, and is brought into close contact with the unit cell 2 to form a compact body. Can be Also, the lead terminal 2d for the middle point and the PTC 2e on the other end are bent toward the unit cell 2 and spot-welded to the respective poles of the unit cell 2. The assembled cell part is composed of the upper case 3a and the lower case 3
When the upper case 3a and the lower case 3b are integrated by bonding, they are completed (see FIG. 7). Here, the first, second, and third terminals 6, 7, 8 appear on the surface of the side of the lower case 3b.

As described above, in the battery pack 1 of the present embodiment, the unit cells 2 are disposed in parallel and close to each other in the case 3.
Since the separator 4 is interposed between the unit cells 2 and the supporting members 9 that are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of each unit cell 2 are disposed, the positional relationship between the unit cells 2 can be accurately set, and As a result, it is possible to prevent the unit cells 2 from being displaced from each other and from being displaced from each other by the lead terminals connecting them and the printed circuit board 5. And a highly reliable and safe configuration can be obtained. Also, the separator 4
Is provided with a stepped portion 4b serving as a stopper for the support member 9, so that the movement of the support member 9 is reliably prevented, and even when an external force is applied to each terminal, no displacement or deformation occurs, and conduction can be reliably maintained. In addition, since each terminal is present on one side of the case 3 as an exposed surface, reliable electric connection can be performed only by placing the battery pack 1 at a predetermined position of each partner device, Installation of battery pack 1,
Fixing work can be performed easily.

In the battery pack of the embodiment, a printed board 5 is provided, and a circuit for generating a predetermined ID signal on a part of the board, a circuit for generating various internal information signals, and the like are provided. However, in this case, corresponding to the signal processing system in the partner device,
It is also possible to superimpose the internal information signal on the ID signal and output it in a multiplexed manner as an analog signal, a digital signal, or a mixed signal form. In addition, examples of the internal information output from the third terminal in this way include remaining capacity (time) until full charge, remaining capacity (time) until discharge, and rating information of the unit cell.

Further, in the battery pack of the above embodiment, the support member 9 is configured to be restrained from moving in the unit cell longitudinal direction by the separator 4. The terminal fixing piece 9b may be enlarged so as to be in contact with the end face of the unit cell 2, and similarly to the case of contact with the separator 4, the support member 9 is prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction of the unit cell 2, Each terminal can be reliably supported. Further, the support member 9 may be formed integrally with the separator 4 and disposed, so that each terminal and the unit cell 2 can be more firmly supported, and the reliability is further improved.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the third terminal is disposed on the same case surface as the other terminals and at a predetermined position facing the concave portion between the unit cells.
There is no need to provide extra space for arranging the third terminal, and by arranging each terminal on the same surface of the case, the wiring from the board to each terminal can be made shorter and the wiring space can be reduced. And can be made more compact,
This has the effect of simplifying the wiring structure and improving the assemblability. In addition, it is sufficient to consider only the mounting accuracy of the terminal arrangement surface of the case with respect to the counterpart device, which is advantageous in that it is easy to mount and that the reliability of electrical connection with the counterpart device can be improved. Further, in the present invention, the support member is provided so as to fit between the opposed unit cells, and the support member and the unit cells mutually support each other, so that the third terminal supported by the support member can be reliably formed. In addition to ensuring the electrical connection with the counterpart device by maintaining the position, the unit cells facing each other are less likely to be misaligned, and the safety is further improved by ensuring insulation and preventing disconnection. It has the effect of. In addition, the third terminal has a simple structure and is excellent in assemblability, and the arrangement of the supporting member between the unit cells does not increase the thickness of the case, thereby achieving an effect of saving space. Further, in the present invention, the support member has an uneven portion, and the support member abuts on the peripheral side surface of each unit cell, so that the movement of the unit cells in the direction of continuous connection is suppressed. Is less likely to be misaligned at
There is an effect that the safety can be greatly improved by ensuring the insulation and preventing the disconnection more. Also, first,
Since the second and third terminals are supported by the terminal fixing pieces and can be reliably maintained in position, there is an effect that the reliability of the electrical connection with the counterpart device is further enhanced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a schematic configuration bottom view of the battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1A.
(B) is a BB cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 (A). FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a battery pack separator according to one embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a perspective view of a support member of the battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a process of connecting lead terminals of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
(B) is an explanatory view of a printed board and a unit cell assembling process of the battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a terminal connecting step of the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention. (B) is an explanatory view of a support member attaching step of the battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. (C) is an explanatory view of a step of bending each terminal of the battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a case assembly process of the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a schematic configuration perspective view of a conventional battery pack. (B) is a schematic configuration bottom view of a conventional battery pack.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 100 Battery pack 2 Unit cell 2a, 2b Lead terminal 2c Insulating sheet 2d Lead terminal for midpoint 2e PTC 3, 101 Case 3a Upper case 3b Lower case 4 Separator 4a Rib 4b Step 5 Printed circuit board 6 First terminal 7 Second terminal 8 Third terminal 9 Support member 9a Base 9b Terminal fixing piece 101 Information output terminal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A battery in which a plurality of unit cells having a circular cross section are arranged in parallel, and the unit cells are electrically connected to each other and an electronic circuit board, and are integrally housed in a substantially box-shaped case. In the pack, the first case and the second terminal are arranged at both ends of a predetermined case surface parallel to the unit cell connection direction in the connection direction, and the case facing a recess formed between the unit cells connected in series. A battery pack comprising a third terminal disposed at a predetermined position on a surface. 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the third terminal is connected to an electronic circuit board as a plate-like terminal, is bent so as to protrude from the electronic circuit board, and is formed on the case surface. A part of the surface is exposed to the outside, and corresponding to the external shape of the two cells facing each other across the recessed portion corresponding to the position of the third terminal, to a predetermined length along the cell. A base portion disposed over the base portion, and having a shape capable of abutting from the inside of the case to the back side of the surface exposed portion of the third terminal, and protruding from the base portion in the unit cell longitudinal direction. A battery pack comprising a support member having a terminal fixing piece provided. 3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the first and second terminals are connected to an electronic circuit board as plate terminals, and are bent so as to protrude from the electronic circuit board. The support member is disposed so as to partially expose the surface on the case surface, and the support member is disposed so as to extend in the connecting direction to the both ends where the first and second terminals are disposed. The uneven portion corresponding to the outer shape of the plurality of unit cells to be connected is formed on the surface of the base unit on the unit cell side, and protrudes in the unit cell longitudinal direction from both ends in the connecting direction of the base unit. A battery pack, comprising: a terminal fixing piece disposed in a shape that can be abutted from the inside of the case on a back side of a surface exposed portion of each of the first and second terminals.