Battery pack and method for making same

Abstract

A battery pack includes: a battery having a main surface; and a resin layer capable of being integrated with an armor member armoring the battery so that at least a part of the main surface of the battery is exposed and covering the main surface of the battery, wherein the resin layer is formed by curing a reaction curable resin having a viscosity of not less than 80 mPa·second to less than 1000 mPa·second and a thickness of the resin layer on the main surface of the battery ranges from 0.05 mm to smaller than 0.4 mm.

The application is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A battery pack, comprising:
 a battery having a main surface and side surfaces;   a circuit board connected to the battery;   an armoring member for armoring the battery in such a way as to expose at least a part of the main surface of the battery;   a resin layer by which the battery, the circuit board, and the armoring member are integrated into one, the main surface and the side surfaces of the battery being covered by said resin layer,   wherein the battery includes a battery element packed with a packaging material,   wherein both of the side surfaces of the battery are covered by the armoring member, with the resin layer interposed therebetween,   wherein the resin layer is formed by curing reaction curable resin that has a viscosity falling within a range from 80 mPa·second inclusive to 1,000 mPa·second exclusive, and   wherein a thickness of the resin layer on the main surface of the battery is within a range from 0.05 mm inclusive to 0.4 mm exclusive.   
     
     
         2 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a control member, which is provided at a boundary between a side surface of the battery covered with the resin layer and the main surface of the battery, and has a control form.   
     
     
         3 . The battery pack according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control form is a zigzag form, a wave form, or an indented form.   
     
     
         4 . The battery pack according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the armoring member has a charge port, through which the reaction curable resin is charged, and a discharge port facing the charge port, the reaction curable resin being discharged through said discharge port, and   wherein the control member is located between the charge port and the discharge port.   
     
     
         5 . The battery pack according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein an armored portion covering a side surface of the battery and including the resin layer is 1.2 times to 6 times as thick as the resin layer covering the main surface of the battery.   
     
     
         6 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the armoring member is made of a resin molding member that contains at least one type of thermoplastic resin selected from a group consisting of polycarbonate, polypropylene and polyamide.   
     
     
         7 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the armoring member is a metal member made of aluminum or stainless steel.   
     
     
         8 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the metal member is made of a metal sheet that has a U shape in cross section and includes a main surface sheet portion and two side surface sheet portions projecting from the main surface sheet portion at respective two ends thereof;   wherein the battery is accommodated in a space formed by the main surface sheet portion and the two side surface sheet portions; and   wherein both of the side surfaces of the battery and the main surface of the battery are covered by the armoring member, with the resin layer interposed therebetween.   
     
     
         9 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuit board is accommodated in the armoring member serving as a housing.   
     
     
         10 . The battery pack according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the circuit board is fixed to the armoring member by riveting.   
     
     
         11 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin is at least one type of resin selected from a group consisting of urethane resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin and acrylic resin.   
     
     
         12 . The battery pack according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin has a glass transition point falling within a range from 60° C. inclusive to 150° C. inclusive, has a melting point falling within a range from 200° C. inclusive to 400° C. inclusive, and an impact strength of not less than 6 kJ/m 2 .   
     
     
         13 . The battery pack according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin is urethane resin, and   wherein the urethane resin contains polyol serving as a base component and isocyanate serving as a curing agent at a mixing ratio (base component/curing agent) by weight of not greater than 1.   
     
     
         14 . The battery pack according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the isocyanate curing agent contains 20 wt % or greater of a molecular chain made of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) relative to total amount of the base component and the curing agent.   
     
     
         15 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the packaging material is made of a laminate film.   
     
     
         16 . The battery pack according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the laminate film is an aluminum laminate film.   
     
     
         17 . The battery pack according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the laminate film is a single-layer or double-layer film including a polyolefin film.   
     
     
         18 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an aluminum-deposited layer is formed on a surface of the packaging material.   
     
     
         19 . A battery pack manufacturing method, comprising:
 a step of assembling a battery, a circuit board, and an armoring member, said battery having a main surface and side surfaces, said circuit board connected to the battery, said armoring member armoring the battery in such a way as to expose at least a part of the main surface of the battery;   a step of placing an assembly made up of the battery, the circuit board, and the armoring member in a molding space inside a mold;   a step of injecting a reaction curable resin that has a viscosity falling within a range from 80 mPa·second inclusive to 1,000 mPa·second exclusive into the mold; and   a step of forming a resin layer by which the battery, the circuit board, and the armoring member are integrated into one, the main surface and the side surfaces of the battery being covered by said resin layer;   wherein the battery includes a battery element packed with a packaging material,   wherein both of the side surfaces of the battery are covered by the armoring member, with the resin layer interposed therebetween, and   wherein a thickness of the resin layer on the main surface of the battery is within a range from 0.05 mm inclusive to 0.4 mm exclusive.   
     
     
         20 . A battery pack, comprising:
 a battery having a main surface and side surfaces, said battery packed with a packaging material;   a circuit board connected to the battery;   a resin layer by which the main surface and the side surfaces of the battery are covered; and   a control member that has a control form for controlling a fluid resistance of a flow of reaction curable resin, which cures to form into the resin layer.   
     
     
         21 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the control form is formed at a boundary between a side surface of the battery and the main surface of the battery.   
     
     
         22 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 , further comprising:
 an armoring member for armoring the battery in such a way as to expose at least a part of the main surface of the battery,   wherein the armoring member, the battery, and the circuit board are integrated into one by the resin layer; and   wherein both of the side surfaces of the battery are covered by the armoring member, with the resin layer interposed therebetween.   
     
     
         23 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the channel control form is a zigzag form, a wave form, or an indented form.   
     
     
         24 . The battery pack according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the armoring member has a charge port, through which the reaction curable resin is charged, and a discharge port facing the charge port, the reaction curable resin being discharged through said discharge port, and   wherein the control member is located between the charge port and the discharge port.   
     
     
         25 . The battery pack according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein an armored portion covering a side surface of the battery and including the resin layer is 1.2 times to 6 times as thick as the resin layer covering the main surface of the battery.   
     
     
         26 . The battery pack according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the armoring member is made of a resin molding member that contains at least one type of thermoplastic resin selected from a group consisting of polycarbonate, polypropylene and polyamide.   
     
     
         27 . The battery pack according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the armoring member is a metal member made of aluminum or stainless steel.   
     
     
         28 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the circuit board is accommodated in the armoring member serving as a housing.   
     
     
         29 . The battery pack according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein the circuit board is fixed to the armoring member by riveting.   
     
     
         30 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin is at least one type of resin selected from a group consisting of urethane resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin and acrylic resin.   
     
     
         31 . The battery pack according to  claim 30 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin has a glass transition point falling within a range from 60° C. inclusive to 150° C. inclusive, has a melting point falling within a range from 200° C. inclusive to 400° C. inclusive, and an impact strength of not less than 6 kJ/m2.   
     
     
         32 . The battery pack according to  claim 30 ,
 wherein the reaction curable resin is urethane resin, and   wherein the urethane resin contains polyol serving as a base component and isocyanate serving as a curing agent at a mixing ratio (base component/curing agent) by weight of not greater than 1.   
     
     
         33 . The battery pack according to  claim 32 ,
 wherein the isocyanate curing agent contains 20 wt % or greater of a molecular chain made of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) relative to total amount of the base component and the curing agent.   
     
     
         34 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein the packaging material is made of a laminate film.   
     
     
         35 . The battery pack according to  claim 34 ,
 wherein the laminate film is an aluminum laminate film.   
     
     
         36 . The battery pack according to  claim 34 ,
 wherein the laminate film is a single-layer or double-layer film including a polyolefin film.   
     
     
         37 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 ,
 wherein an aluminum-deposited layer is formed on a surface of the packaging material.   
     
     
         38 . A battery pack manufacturing method, comprising:
 a step of assembling a battery, a circuit board, and a control member, said battery having a main surface and side surfaces, said circuit board connected to the battery, said control member having a control form for controlling a fluid resistance of a flow of reaction curable resin, which cures to form into the resin layer;   a step of placing an assembly made up of the battery, the circuit board, and the control member in a molding space inside a mold;   a step of injecting a reaction curable resin into the mold; and   a step of forming a resin layer by causing the reaction curable resin to cure, the main surface and the side surfaces of the battery being covered by said resin layer;   wherein, in the step of injecting the reaction curable resin, the fluid resistance of the flow of the reaction curable resin is controlled by the control form.