Battery pack and electrically powered vehicle including the battery pack

{
  "publication_number": "US2012082875A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Battery pack and electrically powered vehicle including the battery pack",
  "abstract": "Provided is a battery pack that can uniformly cool a plurality of electric cells, prevent a breakdown of the electric cells, and provide high performance of all electric cells. The battery pack includes a packaging case in which: each adjacent ones of a plurality of electric cells in the first direction define a ventilation space; first and second passages are defined that extend in the first direction and that are arranged to have the plurality of electric cells located between the first and second passages in a second direction intersecting the first direction, wherein gas supplied to the first passage flows through the ventilation spaces to the second passage; and a flow rate limitation device is provided that is arranged in an upstream area of the first passage and that limits a flow rate of the gas flowing through one of the plurality of ventilation spaces, which leads to the upstream area of the first passage, to a predetermined flow rate.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A battery pack comprising: a plurality of electric cells; and a packaging case that accommodates the plurality of electric cells to align the plurality of electric cells at least in a first direction, wherein each adjacent ones of the plurality of electric cells in the first direction defines a ventilation space, the packaging case defines first and second passages that extend in the first direction and that are arranged to have the plurality of electric cells located between the first and second passages in a second direction intersecting the first direction, wherein gas supplied to the first passage flows through the ventilation spaces to the second passage, and the packaging case includes a flow rate limitation member that is arranged in an upstream area of the first passage to limit a flow rate of the gas flowing into at least one of the ventilation spaces, which communicate with the upstream area of the first passage, to a predetermined flow rate. 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate limitation member comprises a plate material that includes at least one of ventilation sections, the plate material being arranged to cover the at least one of the ventilation spaces. 3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the ventilation section comprises a plurality of openings located along the first passage. 4. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the packaging case includes an inner wall surface, the first passage is defined between an alignment of the electric cells positioned at an outermost end in the second direction and the inner wall surface of the packaging case, and the flow rate limitation member is arranged to slope downward from the alignment of the electric cells to the inner wall surface of the packaging case. 5. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein the packaging case comprises a plurality of separation sections located at intervals in the first direction, the separation sections dividing an interior of the packaging case into a plurality of areas; the electric cells are arranged in the areas; and each of the separation sections has a through-hole at positions intersecting the first and second passages. 6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: a plurality of cell modules are provided, each of which is made up of a predetermined number of the electric cells aligned in the first direction, and the flow rate limitation member is provided corresponding to at least one of the plurality of cell modules, which are in contact with the upstream area of the first passage. 7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first passage is defined to have a cross-sectional area of the upstream area of the first passage being smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first passage in downstream. 8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the packaging case comprises a tray on which the plurality of electric cells are mounted and a cover that covers the plurality of electric cells on the tray, and a sealing member that blocks a space defined between the plurality of electric cells and the cover is provided between the plurality of electric cells and the cover. 9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the cover has an air intake opening at a position corresponding to the upstream area of the first passage, and an exhaust opening at a position corresponding to a downstream area of the second passage; and a suction blower is mounted around the exhaust opening. 10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the cover has an air intake opening at a position corresponding to the upstream area of the first passage, and an exhaust opening at a position corresponding to a downstream area of the second passage; and a blower is mounted around the intake opening. 11. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electric cells has a greater width in the second direction than in the first direction. 12. An electrically powered vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 1 as a power source."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a battery pack adopted as a power source of various devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a battery pack including a high-capacity assembled battery constituted by a plurality of electric cells and to an electrically powered vehicle including the battery pack.\n\nConventionally, there are various types of power sources for various devices that require a large amount of power. A battery pack that includes a plurality of electric cells and a packaging case accommodating the plurality of electric cells is known as an example of the power sources.\n\nIn recent years, hybrid electric vehicles that emit less CO 2 and electric vehicles that do not emit CO 2 (hereinafter, the vehicles will be collectively referred to as “electrically powered vehicles”) are widely used from the viewpoint of environmental protection. The battery packs are adopted as driving sources of the electrically powered vehicles and as power sources for supplying power to control systems.\n\nThis type of battery pack adopts a rechargeable secondary cell as an electric cell. However, the electric cell (secondary cell) tends to generate heat due to charge and discharge, and an excessive temperature rise of the electric cell causes a reduction in performance of the electric cell and a shortened life span.\n\nConsequently, a battery pack has been proposed in which a plurality of electric cells are aligned and accommodated in a packaging case, and first and second passages are arranged with the plurality of electric cells interposed therebetween.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01M 10/613",
    "H01M 10/625",
    "H01M 10/647",
    "H01M 10/6563",
    "H01M 10/6566",
    "H01M 50/209",
    "H01M 50/271",
    "Y02E 60/10"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H01M 10/00",
    "H01M 10/60",
    "H01M 10/613",
    "H01M 10/625",
    "H01M 10/647",
    "H01M 10/651",
    "H01M 10/6553",
    "H01M 10/6563",
    "H01M 10/6566",
    "H01M 50/209",
    "H01M 50/271",
    "H01M 50/77"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Lithium Energy Japan KK"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Minoru Watanabe",
    "Shingo Kawahara"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-09-23",
  "publication_date": "2012-04-05",
  "priority_date": "2010-09-30",
  "application_number": "US-201113200394-A",
  "family_id": "44719445",
  "cited_by_count": 70,
  "citations": [
    "US20020085355A1",
    "JP2004103364A",
    "US20090274952A1",
    "US20110020677A1",
    "US20100285347A1"
  ]
}