DE-102025143958-A1 - ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE

Abstract

An energy storage device comprises a first energy storage cell, a second energy storage cell, a first conductor element, and a second conductor element. The first and second energy storage cells are electrically connected to each other via the first and second conductor elements. The energy storage device further comprises one or more resin elements (projections of a resin plate) that connect the first and second conductor elements.

Inventors

• Kunihiro TSUNEKAWA
• Koki Nakada
• Shinya Takeshita
• Naoyuki Takahashi
• Ryo Kimura
• Kazuhito Kato
• Toshihiro Shimonaka
• Kota ICHISAWA
• Kenta Miyahara

Assignees

• TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20251028

Priority Date

20241113

Claims (5)

1. Energy storage device comprising a first energy storage cell, a second energy storage cell, a first conductor element and a second conductor element, wherein the first energy storage cell and the second energy storage cell are electrically connected to each other via the first conductor element and the second conductor element; and the energy storage device further comprising one or more resin elements connecting the first conductor element and the second conductor element.
2. Energy storage device according to Claim 1 , wherein the first conductor element and the second conductor element each have a rectangular, planar shape; the first conductor element and the second conductor element are arranged such that an entire area of the first conductor element and an entire area of the second conductor element overlap; the one or more resin elements comprise a resin element that secures an overlapping section of the first conductor element and the second conductor element; and the first conductor element and the second conductor element, when connected to each other, comprise a first section connected to an electrode terminal of the first energy storage cell and a second section connected to an electrode terminal of the second energy storage cell.
3. Energy storage device according to Claim 1 , wherein: the one or more resin elements comprise a resin plate with a plurality of projections; and each of the projections passes through the first conductor element and the second conductor element and connects the first conductor element and the second conductor element.
4. Energy storage device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein one or more resin elements consist of a thermoplastic resin in which a variety of metal filler particles are dispersed.
5. Energy storage device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , further comprising: a top cover; a bottom housing; a common plate; a wiring board; and a cooler, wherein: the first energy storage cell, the second energy storage cell, and the wiring board are arranged between the bottom housing and the top cover; the wiring board comprises a wiring pattern provided by a plurality of conductor elements, including the first conductor element and the second conductor element; the cooler is arranged between the first energy storage cell and the second energy storage cell; the first energy storage cell and the second energy storage cell each have an electrode terminal and an outlet valve on a surface that points downwards in a vertical direction; and an outlet channel is provided between the bottom housing and the common plate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The present disclosure relates to energy storage devices. 2. Description of the state of the art Chinese unpublished patent application No. 116686151 discloses an energy storage device with a plurality of energy storage cells mounted in a housing (housing cavity). The electrode terminals of each energy storage cell are arranged so that they face the bottom wall of the housing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the energy storage device described in the aforementioned unpublished Chinese patent application No. 116686151, maintaining the connections between the energy storage cells and the conductor elements (e.g., busbars) is not necessarily straightforward. For example, if the conductor elements vibrate, connection failures (e.g., loosening of fastening connections) frequently occur at the connections between the energy storage cells and the conductor elements. The present disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its aim is to facilitate the maintenance of connections between energy storage cells and conductor elements. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an energy storage device. The energy storage device comprises a first energy storage cell, a second energy storage cell, a first conductor element, and a second conductor element. The first energy storage cell and the second energy storage cell are electrically connected to each other via the first conductor element and the second conductor element. The energy storage device further comprises one or more resin elements connecting the first conductor element and the second conductor element. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to maintain the connections between energy storage cells and conductor elements in a simple manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same symbols denote the same elements, and wherein: 1 an overview of an energy storage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 2 the interior of the energy storage device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure shows; 3 an end view of the energy storage device along line III-III in 2 shows; 4 the structure of each in 2 shown conductor element; 5 a conductor element according to a first modification; and 6 a conductor element according to a second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXECUTION FORMS One embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the drawings. Identical or corresponding parts are identified in the drawings by the same symbols, and their description is not repeated. In the drawings referenced in the following description, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis denote three axes that are perpendicular to each other. Hereinafter, the directions indicated by the arrows of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are indicated by a plus sign “+”, and the opposite directions by a minus sign “-”. 1 shows an overview of an energy storage device according to the present embodiment. With reference to 1 An energy storage device B according to the present embodiment comprises a lower housing 100 (first housing part), an upper cover 110 (second housing part), and a common plate 120 (third housing part), these components serving as a housing for the energy storage device B. The lower housing 100 is open at the top (on the +Z side) and contains a plurality of energy storage cells and various components connected to these energy storage cells. As will be described in detail later. The lower housing 100 contains the energy storage cells, a cooler, a junction box (hereinafter referred to as "J/B"), etc. (see 2 The upper cover 110 and the common plate 120 are each attached to the lower housing 100. The upper cover 110 is positioned above the lower housing 100 and serves as a lid for the lower housing 100. The common plate 120 is positioned below (on the -Z side) the lower housing 100 and serves to reduce impacts on the lower housing 100 caused by disturbances from the road surface. An outlet channel is formed between the lower housing 100 and the common plate 120. For example, when the energy storage device B is attached to a vehicle, the -Z side faces downwards (vertically downwards), the +Z side faces upwards (vertically upwards), the -X side faces the front of the vehicle, and the +X side faces the rear of the vehicle. The energy storage device B can serve as a traction energy storage device, commonly referred to as a "battery pack." The vehicle can be a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or another type of electrified electric vehicle (xEV). The lower part of 1 Figure 1 shows the lower housing 100 in an empty state (a state in which nothing is housed), viewed from above (+Z-side). The lower housing 100 comprises a bottom wall 101 (base) and a perimeter wall 102 (circumference