Battery module, method of fabricating the same, and vehicle having battery module

Abstract

Each of battery cells ( 12 ) that constitute a battery module includes a flat-shaped rolled electrode body ( 30 ) formed by rolling a sheet-like anode collector ( 32 ) and a sheet-like cathode collector ( 34 ) along with a sheet-like separator, and a trailing edge ( 32 E) of the sheet-like anode collector ( 32 ) and a trailing edge ( 34 E) of the sheet-like cathode collector ( 34 ) are located at a position ( 30 B) outside a portion of the rolled electrode body ( 30 ) which substantially receives a restraining load. The battery module, in which the restraining load is applied to the cells, achieves long service life while maintaining good output characteristics.

1 . A vehicle battery module including a plurality of cells capable of charging and discharging, wherein:
 each of the cells includes a flat-shaped rolled electrode body formed by rolling a sheet-like anode collector and a sheet-like cathode collector along with a sheet-like separator;   at least two of the cells that are adjacent to each other are arranged such that flat faces of the rolled electrode bodies included in the respective cells are opposed to each other;   a space holding plate is disposed between adjacent ones of said at least two cells and at each outer side in a direction of arrangement of cells;   a pair of restraining plates are disposed on outer sides of the outermost space holding plates disposed on the opposite outer sides in the direction of arrangement of the cells;   the plurality of cells are held in a restrained condition in which a restraining load is applied to the rolled electrode bodies in the direction of arrangement of the cells via the space holding plates; and   in the rolled electrode body included in each of said at least two cells, a trailing edge of the sheet-like anode collector located at the outside of the rolled electrode body and a trailing edge of the sheet-like cathode collector located at the outside of the rolled electrode body are both positioned outside a portion of the rolled electrode body which substantially receives the restraining load.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein
 neither the trailing edge of the sheet-like anode collector nor the trailing edge of the sheet-like cathode collector is positioned at a portion of the rolled electrode body which can be pressed by the space holding plate.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 in the rolled electrode body included in each of said at least two cells, a trailing edge of the sheet-like separator located at the outside of the rolled electrode body is positioned outside a portion of the rolled electrode body which substantially receives the restraining load.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 in the rolled electrode body included in each of said at least two cells, a tape that fixes at least one of the trailing edge of the sheet-like anode collector, the trailing edge of the sheet-like cathode collector and the trailing edge of the sheet-like separator to an outer surface of the rolled electrode body is positioned outside a portion of the rolled electrode body which substantially receives the restraining load.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 in the rolled electrode body included in each of said at least two cells, a leading edge of the sheet-like anode collector located on the center side of the rolled electrode body and a leading edge of the sheet-like cathode collector located on the center side of the rolled electrode body are both positioned outside a portion of the rolled electrode body which substantially receives the restraining load.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of cells are lithium-ion batteries.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the space holding plate is made of a metal and is shaped so that a cooling fluid can be introduced into space between adjacent cells.   
     
     
         8 - 9 . (canceled)