JP2015008091A - Battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the amount of use of an electrode while suppressing looseness of an electrode body in a battery case.SOLUTION: A battery includes: a battery case which includes a cylindrical part 13 having a housing space S in the inside thereof; an electrode body 23 which is housed in the housing space S, in which a positive electrode plate 24, a negative electrode plate 26 and a separator 25 arranged via them are arranged in a state of abutting on an inner surface 13A of the cylindrical part 13 along the inner surface 13A of the cylindrical part 13, and which has a cylindrical shaped hollow part HO; and a spacer 27 which is housed in the hollow part HO and abuts on the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for reducing the amount of electrodes used.

  In recent years, the need for low-cost batteries has increased. Therefore, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, in a battery including an electrode body including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator impregnated with an electrolytic solution inside the battery case, the electrode body is arranged in the axial direction of the battery case. However, a battery has been developed in which a filler is sealed in the remaining space of the battery case. As a result, the amount of electrode used is reduced compared to the case where the electrode body is formed over the entire length in the axial direction of the battery, the battery cost is reduced, and the electrode body in the battery case is reduced by the filler. The backlash is suppressed.

German patent application DE 200 16 231 U1

  By the way, in the above prior art, the electrode body is shortened in the axial direction of the battery case, and the filler is sealed in the surplus space in the battery case. There is a need to reduce it.

  In this specification, the technique which can reduce the usage-amount of an electrode is disclosed, suppressing the play of the electrode body in a battery case.

  The battery disclosed in the present specification includes a battery case having a cylindrical cylindrical portion having an accommodation space inside, a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a battery plate that are accommodated in the accommodation space. The separator is wound around the hollow portion, and the outer peripheral surface opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and is accommodated in the hollow portion. And a spacer in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body.

  It is possible to reduce the amount of the electrode used while suppressing the backlash of the electrode body in the battery case.

The perspective view showing the longitudinal section of the battery of Embodiment 1. Vertical section showing the battery Cross-sectional view showing a battery Battery exploded perspective view Cross-sectional view showing the battery of Embodiment 2. Cross-sectional view showing a battery of Embodiment 3 Cross-sectional view showing a battery of Embodiment 4

(Summary of Invention)
A battery disclosed in the present specification includes a battery case having a cylindrical portion having an accommodating space therein, a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator that is accommodated in the accommodating space. Is disposed in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical part along the inner surface of the cylindrical part and has a cylindrical hollow part, and is accommodated in the hollow part, A spacer that contacts the inner peripheral surface.

According to this structure, since the electrode body has a hollow part, the usage-amount of an electrode can be reduced compared with the case where an electrode body does not have a hollow part.
In addition, the spacer is accommodated in the hollow portion and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body, and the electrode body is disposed in a state of being in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion along the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. Since the electrode body can be supported by the spacer from the inside and supported by the cylindrical portion from the outside, the backlash of the electrode body in the battery case can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the electrode used while suppressing the backlash of the electrode body in the battery case.

In the battery, the spacer may be configured to press the electrode body toward the cylindrical portion.
If it does in this way, the force in which a spacer supports an electrode body in a cylindrical part can be strengthened. Further, since the distance between the electrodes can be reduced, the input / output resistance of the battery can be reduced.

In the battery, the spacer may be made of an elastic body.
In this way, the electrode body can be positioned by pressing the electrode body against the inner surface side of the cylindrical portion by the elastic force of the spacer.

In the battery, the spacer may be in contact with the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body.
In this way, it is possible to further suppress the backlash of the electrode body in the battery case.

In the battery, the battery case has conductivity, the negative electrode plate is disposed on at least a part of the outer surface of the electrode body, and the negative electrode plate on the outer surface is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion. You may make it.
In this way, the negative electrode plate of the electrode body and the battery case can be electrically connected.

  In the battery, the positive electrode plate may use nickel hydroxide as an active material, and the negative electrode plate may use a hydrogen storage alloy as an active material.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The battery 10 of the present embodiment is an alkaline storage battery such as a nickel / hydrogen storage battery. For example, the battery 10 has a capacity of AA type (“R6” in IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), “AA” in the United States ”) of 1800 mAh or less, or AA type (“ R03 ”in IEC,“ AAA ") has a capacity of 650 mAh or less. Below, it demonstrates on the basis of the direction of FIG. 2 about the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the battery 10 includes a metal battery case 11, an electrode body 23 accommodated in the battery case 11, and a spacer 27 fitted inside the electrode body 23 in the battery case 11. I have. The size of the battery case 11 is determined according to the standard, has a shape that is long in the vertical direction, has an accommodation space S inside, and has a surface plated with nickel. The battery case 11 has an opening 12A that is open at one end and a bottomed cylindrical battery case 12 that is closed at the other end, and a lid 15 that seals the opening 12A of the battery case 12. Is provided.

The battery case main body 12 serves as a negative electrode terminal of the battery 10 by contacting a negative electrode plate 26 described later, and includes a cylindrical portion 13 and a closing portion 14 that closes the lower end side of the cylindrical portion 13.
The cylindrical portion 13 has a cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIG. 2, the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 13 have a perfect circular shape with a constant diameter from the axis A passing through the center of the cylindrical portion 13. It has become. The inside of the cylindrical portion 13 is an accommodation space S that can accommodate an electrode body 23 to be described later. The inner diameter B2 of the cylindrical portion 13 (the diameter in the left-right direction of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 13) is the outer diameter of the electrode body 23. It is substantially the same as (the diameter of the outer surface of the electrode body 23 in the left-right direction).
A reduced diameter portion 12 </ b> B that projects inward of the cylindrical portion 13 to reduce the inner diameter is connected to the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 13. The reduced diameter portion 12B partitions the upper end of the accommodation space S. On the reduced diameter portion 12B, a fitting portion 12C into which the peripheral edge portion of the lid portion 15 is fitted through the insulator 22 is formed.
The closing portion 14 is made of a circular plate material and is formed integrally with the cylindrical portion 13.

The lid portion 15 is connected to a positive electrode plate 24 described later via an elastic connection terminal 21 and serves as a positive electrode terminal of the battery 10. The lid portion 15 includes a flat lid body 16, a discharge valve 18 placed on the lid body 16, and a terminal plate 19 that is superimposed on the lid body 16.
The lid body 16 is made of a conductive material and is connected to the positive electrode plate 24 via the connection terminal 21. A through hole 17 is formed at the center of the lid body 16.

The discharge valve 18 is in close contact with the upper surface of the lid body 16 so as to close the through hole 17. The discharge valve 18 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is elastically deformed according to an external force.
The terminal plate 19 is a conductive plate that covers the discharge valve 18.

Specifically, the terminal plate 19 is connected to the lid body 16 by pressing the discharge valve 18 downward. The terminal plate 19 is provided with a discharge hole 20 for discharging the gas in the battery case 11. The discharge hole 20 discharges the gas in the battery case 11 when the pressure in the battery case 11 becomes a predetermined value or more. The discharge valve 18 is elastically deformed and discharges gas from the discharge hole 20 to the outside of the battery 10 when it receives an internal pressure of a certain level or more from the through hole 17.
An elastically deformable insulator 22 is sandwiched and sealed between the opening 12A of the battery case body 12 and the lid 15. The battery case body 12 and the lid 15 are insulated by the insulator 22.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the electrode body 23 is a cylindrical member housed in the housing space S of the battery case body 12, and includes a positive electrode plate 24, a negative electrode plate 26, and a separator 25 disposed therebetween. In a state where these are stacked, a spiral is formed around the hollow portion HO which is a hollow space (columnar space) within a predetermined length from the axis A (the axis of the cylindrical portion 13 and the electrode body 23). It is wound in a shape.

  The electrode body 23 includes an inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A on the hollow portion HO side and an outer peripheral surface 23 </ b> B opposite to the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A, and the outer peripheral surface 23 </ b> B is in contact with the inner surface 13 </ b> A of the tubular portion 13. A positive electrode plate 24 is disposed on the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23, and a negative electrode plate 26 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 23 </ b> B of the electrode body 23. The electrode body 23 is formed by overlapping the positive electrode plate 24, the negative electrode plate 26, and the separator 25 and winding them in a roll shape. The winding end 23D on the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23 and the winding end 23E on the outer peripheral surface 23B of the electrode body 23 have an inner diameter of a thickness corresponding to one layer of the positive electrode plate 24, the negative electrode plate 26 and the separator 25. There is a step due to the difference.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode body 23 accommodated in the battery case body 12 has a gap between the lid portion 15 and the electrode body 23.
The outer diameter of the electrode body 23 is substantially the same as the inner diameter B2 of the cylindrical portion 13 over the entire vertical direction.
The length of the electrode body 23 in the vertical direction is a length that extends over substantially the entire length of the accommodation space S in the vertical direction. A gap is formed between the upper end 23 </ b> C of the electrode body 23 and the reduced diameter portion 12 </ b> B of the battery case 11, and the lower end of the electrode body 23 is in contact with the closing portion 14.

  The positive electrode plate 24 is obtained by filling a hollow of a positive electrode substrate made of foamed nickel with a mixture of a nickel hydroxide active material and a cobalt compound of a conductive material. The nickel hydroxide active material is, for example, nickel hydroxide in the case of a nickel / cadmium storage battery, and nickel hydroxide to which calcium hydroxide is added in the case of a nickel / hydrogen storage battery.

The negative electrode plate 26 is made of, for example, a negative electrode current collector made of a flat perforated steel plate plated with nickel, and a negative electrode active material coated on the negative electrode current collector. Note The negative electrode active material, in the case of nickel-cadmium battery is a mixture of e.g. cadmium oxide powder and metallic cadmium powder, in the case of nickel-hydrogen storage battery, for example, predominantly AB ₅ type (rare earth -Ni Type), AB _3.0-3.8 type (rare earth- _Mg -Ni type) or AB ₂ type (Laves phase) hydrogen storage alloy powder.

  The separator 25 is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of polyolefin, and the separator 25 is impregnated with an electrolytic solution mainly composed of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The separator 25 is not provided on the outer peripheral surface 23 </ b> B of the electrode body 23.

The spacer 27 has a circular cylindrical shape in cross section, and is made of an elastic body such as rubber. Specifically, for example, a material such as an acrylic resin, a polypropylene resin, or a nylon resin that does not react with the electrolytic solution can be used. Moreover, what is a material which absorbs electrolyte solution and swells can be used preferably.
The spacer 27 is accommodated in the hollow portion HO partitioned by the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23, and the outer diameter B1 (diameter in the left-right direction) is substantially equal to the inner diameter (diameter in the left-right direction) of the electrode body 23. The same. The spacer 27 is slightly larger than the inner diameter (the diameter in the left-right direction) of the electrode body 23 in a natural state (before elastic deformation) before being accommodated in the hollow portion HO. As a result, if the spacer 27 is accommodated in the hollow portion HO as an elastic body in an elastically contracted state, the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23 is pressed toward the cylindrical portion 13 over almost the entire circumference by an elastic repulsive force. be able to.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the electrode body 23 is not constant depending on the thickness of the end 23D of the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23. The portion is not in contact with the circular outer peripheral surface 27 </ b> C of the spacer 27. Therefore, as another embodiment, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the spacer 27 is changed according to the inner diameter difference of the electrode body 23 (protrusions that enter the recesses of the electrode body 23 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the spacer). Also, the outer peripheral surface of the spacer 27 may be brought into contact with portions having different inner diameter differences to further suppress the play of the electrode body 23.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the length of the spacer 27 in the vertical direction is a length that covers almost the entire length of the accommodation space S in the vertical direction. Thereby, the vertical length of the spacer 27 is substantially the same as the vertical length of the electrode body 23. A gap is formed between the upper end 27 </ b> A of the spacer 27 and the reduced diameter portion 12 </ b> B of the battery case 11, and the lower end 27 </ b> B of the spacer 27 is in contact with the closing portion 14.

  As for the assembly of the battery 10, for example, the electrode body 23 is spirally wound around the spacer 27, and the outer peripheral surface 23 </ b> B of the electrode body 23 is pressed with a plurality of pressure rollers while maintaining the shape of the electrode body 23. The battery 10 can be formed by housing the spacer 27 and the electrode body 23 in the battery case body 12 and covering the lid portion 15.

According to this embodiment, the following operations and effects are achieved.
The battery 10 according to the present embodiment includes a battery case 11 including a cylindrical portion 13 having an accommodation space S therein, and is accommodated in the accommodation space S. The positive electrode plate 24, the negative electrode plate 26, and these are arranged therebetween. The separator 25 is disposed along the inner surface 13A of the cylindrical portion 13 in contact with the inner surface 13A of the cylindrical portion 13, and the electrode body 23 having the cylindrical hollow portion HO, and the hollow portion HO And a spacer 27 that comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23.
In this way, since the electrode body 23 has the hollow portion HO, the amount of the electrode used can be reduced as compared with the case where the electrode body 23 does not have the hollow portion HO.
The spacer 27 is accommodated in the hollow portion HO and contacts the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23, and the electrode body 23 contacts the inner surface 13A of the cylindrical portion 13 along the inner surface 13A of the cylindrical portion 13. In this state, the electrode body 23 can be supported by the spacer 27 from the inside and supported by the cylindrical portion 13 from the outside, so that the backlash of the electrode body 23 in the battery case 11 is suppressed. be able to.
Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the usage amount of the electrode while suppressing the backlash of the electrode body 23 in the battery case 11.

The spacer 27 presses the electrode body 23 toward the cylindrical portion 13 side.
In this way, the force with which the spacer 27 supports the electrode body 23 in the cylindrical portion 13 can be increased. In addition, since the distance between the electrode plates constituting the electrode body 23 can be reduced, the input / output resistance of the battery 10 can be reduced.

Further, the spacer 27 is made of an elastic body.
In this case, the electrode body 23 can be positioned by pressing the electrode body 23 toward the inner surface 13 </ b> A of the cylindrical portion 13 by the elastic force of the spacer 27.

The spacer 27 is in contact with the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23.
In this way, it is possible to further suppress the backlash of the electrode body 23 in the battery case 11.

Further, the battery case 11 has conductivity, a negative electrode plate 26 is disposed on at least a part of the outer surface of the electrode body 23, and the outer negative electrode plate 26 is in contact with the inner surface 13 </ b> A of the cylindrical portion 13.
In this way, the negative electrode plate 26 of the electrode body 23 and the battery case 11 can be electrically connected.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The battery 28 according to the second embodiment uses the cylindrical spacer 27 according to the first embodiment, which has a cylindrical shape with a hollow hole 29 </ b> A passing through. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The battery case 11 and the electrode body 23 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The spacer 29 is formed with a circular hollow hole 29A penetrating in the vertical direction. The vertical length, outer diameter, and material of the spacer 29 can be the same as those in the first embodiment.
In addition, it is possible to store the electrolyte solution that has leached from the separator 25 in the space in the lightening hole 29A.
As described above, according to the second embodiment, the material used for the spacer 29 can be reduced because the hole 29 </ b> A is formed in the spacer 29.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The battery 30 according to the third embodiment uses a square cylindrical spacer 31 and is in partial contact with the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The battery case 11 and the electrode body 23 are the same as in the above embodiment.
The spacer 31 has a rectangular tube shape in which a rectangular hollow hole 32 penetrates in the vertical direction, and has the same cross section in the entire vertical direction. The length and material of the spacer 31 in the vertical direction can be the same as in the first embodiment.
The four corners 31 </ b> A to 31 </ b> D of the spacer 31 are in contact with different locations on the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23. All the corners 31 </ b> A to 31 </ b> D of the spacer 31 may not be in contact with the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23. For example, one or a plurality of corners of the spacer 31 may be in contact with the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23, and the other one or more corners may not be in contact with the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23. . Further, the spacer is not limited to a rectangular prismatic shape, but may be other polygonal (triangular, pentagonal, etc.) rectangular tubes. Moreover, it is good also as a square with which the inside of a spacer is filled (filled), not only what forms the lightening hole 32. FIG.

<Embodiment 4>
Next, Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIG. In the battery 33 of the fourth embodiment, the spacer 34 has a cross shape. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The battery case 11 and the electrode body 23 are the same as in the above embodiment.
The length, outer diameter, and material of the spacer 34 in the vertical direction can be the same as those in the first embodiment. The spacer 34 has a cross shape with the same cross section in the entire vertical direction, and the four plate-like protrusions 34A to 34D are centered on the axis A of the cylindrical portion 13 at an equal angle (90 degrees). Has been placed.

The tip portions 35 </ b> A to 35 </ b> D of the plate-like protrusions 34 </ b> A to 34 </ b> D are in contact with the inner peripheral surface 23 </ b> A of the electrode body 23. Although the plate-like protrusions 34A to 34D may have the same protrusion size, the protrusion dimensions of the plate-like protrusions 34A to 34D are made different according to the inner diameter difference due to the end 23D of the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23. Thus, the backlash of the electrode body 23 may be further suppressed by eliminating a gap between the spacer 34 and the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23.
In addition, in the space between the spacer 34 and the electrode body 23, the electrolyte solution that has leached from the separator 25 can be stored.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The spacers 27, 29, 31, and 34 are not limited to the materials of the above-described embodiment, and various materials can be used. For example, not only an insulating material but also a metal such as stainless steel or a conductive resin can be used.

(2) The shape of the spacers 27, 29, 31, and 34 is not limited to the shape of the above embodiment, and can be a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body 23. For example, when the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body is elliptical or elliptical, the outer peripheral surface of the spacer may be elliptical or elliptical. In this case, the internal space may be filled (filled) or cylindrical.
(3) In the above embodiment, the negative electrode plate 26 is disposed on the entire outer surface of the electrode body 23, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the negative electrode plate 26 may be disposed on a part of the outer surface of the electrode body 23, and the negative electrode plate 26 on the outer surface may be in contact with the inner surface 13 </ b> A of the cylindrical portion 13.
(4) The spacer may be made of an elastic body other than rubber. For example, it may be made of a spring. Specifically, for example, a plate spring may be wound to press the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23 with an elastic force.
(5) The spacer is not limited to an elastic body, and a plastic body (inelastic body) may be used. In this case, for example, the outer diameter B1 (the diameter in the left-right direction) of the spacer is approximately the same as the inner diameter (the diameter in the left-right direction) of the electrode body 23 or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the electrode body 23. it can. Even in this manner, the outer peripheral surface 27C of the spacer 27 abuts on the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23 or presses the inner peripheral surface 23A of the electrode body 23 while the spacer 27 is accommodated in the hollow portion HO. Is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 28, 30, 33: Battery 11: Battery case 12: Battery case main body 13: Cylindrical part 23: Electrode body 23A: Inner peripheral surface 24: Positive electrode plate 25: Separator 26: Negative electrode plate 27, 29, 31, 34 : Spacer S: Accommodating space A: Shaft of electrode body and cylindrical part B1: Outer diameter of spacer B2: Inner diameter of cylindrical part

Claims (6)

A battery case provided with a cylindrical portion having an accommodating space inside,
The positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator disposed through the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator are disposed in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion along the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, And an electrode body having a cylindrical hollow portion;
And a spacer that is accommodated in the hollow portion and abuts against an inner peripheral surface of the electrode body.   The battery according to claim 1, wherein the spacer presses the electrode body toward the cylindrical portion.   The battery according to claim 2, wherein the spacer is made of an elastic body.   The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the spacer is in contact with the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the electrode body.   The battery case has conductivity, the negative electrode plate is disposed on at least a part of an outer surface of the electrode body, and the negative electrode plate on the outer surface is in contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical portion. The battery according to any one of claims 4 to 4.   The battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the positive electrode plate uses nickel hydroxide as an active material, and the negative electrode plate uses a hydrogen storage alloy as an active material.

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