Abstract: Provided are a condensate drain apparatus highly adaptable to an increase and decrease in drain discharge rate while preventing clogging of orifice hole, and a condensate discharge method. A condensate drain apparatus 1 includes orifice units each having an orifice and a decompression chamber provided downstream of the orifice arranged in series and in multiple stages. Each orifice unit 10U includes an orifice plate 12P with an orifice hole 11h having a diameter of 1 mm or more and formed in a thin plate shape, and a decompression plate 14P having a thickness the same as the orifice plate 12P and having the decompression chamber 14S formed therein. The orifice holes 11h adjacent in an axial direction are formed and arranged shifted in a radial direction from each other.

Abstract: To provide a terminal-attached plate, which is capable of providing a connector fitting portion at only one end portion of a battery module, and is capable of preventing the battery module from being made thick, and to provide a plate assembly, and a battery module. A battery module includes a single-cell stack and a plate assembly including stacked plates turned back alternately and connected to an end of the stack, each plate including a joining portion, a plate supporting portion, a terminal including a connecting portion connected to a tab of the battery and a contact portion connected to a connector, and a hood member protecting the contact portion, wherein the hood member is disposed at a position offset to an end portion side of the plate from a center in a longitudinal direction of the plate.

Abstract: A high-reliability battery pack is described. A battery pack has a battery module unit that is formed from a plurality of arranged battery modules, each of which has a plurality of cells in a case, a cooling air flow passage where a cooling air flow flows, and a gas exhaust duct which forms a gas exhaust passage. The gas exhaust duct extends in an arrangement direction S of the plurality of the battery modules while being contiguous to the battery module unit, and takes in the gas released in the case from the cell, then exhausts the gas from the battery module. The gas exhaust duct is provided with a gas inlet for taking in the gas, which communicates with a gas emission hole formed on a surface of the case, and an air intake that serves to take in the cooling air flow.

Abstract: To provide a terminal-attached plate, which is capable of providing a connector fitting portion at only one end portion of a battery module, and is capable of preventing the battery module from being made thick, and to provide a plate assembly, and a battery module. A battery module includes a single-cell stack and a plate assembly including stacked plates turned back alternately and connected to an end of the stack, each plate including a joining portion, a plate supporting portion, a terminal including a connecting portion connected to a tab of the battery and a contact portion connected to a connector, and a hood member protecting the contact portion, wherein the hood member is disposed at a position offset to an end portion side of the plate from a center in a longitudinal direction of the plate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cell module formed by laminating a plurality of flat cells, each of which has electrode tabs, and a plurality of insulating members, which are disposed so as to eliminate a short circuit between the electrode tabs. The cell module has: a fitting portion 70 formed by lamination of the insulating members so as to be fitted with an external connector 80; and a second engaging portion formed in the insulating members 100 so as to be engaged with a first engaging portion of the external connector 80. It is possible to provide the cell module with a reduced number of component parts such that the connector can be inserted and engaged with the cell module.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a high-reliability battery pack that is capable of exhausting the gas even when the quantity of the gas released from the cell is small, and to provide a vehicle with the battery pack which can improve the reliability. A battery pack 10 has a battery module unit 50 that is formed from a plurality of arranged battery modules 40, each of which has a plurality of cells 30 in a case 41, a cooling air flow passage 20 where a cooling air flow 21 flows, and a gas exhaust duct 60 which forms a gas exhaust passage. The gas exhaust duct 60 extends in an arrangement direction S of the plurality of the battery modules 40 while being contiguous to the battery module unit 50, and takes in the gas 61 released in the case 41 from the cell 30, then exhausts the gas 61 from the battery module 40.

Abstract: A battery pack comprises a battery stack. The battery stack includes a plurality of battery modules that are arranged in parallel in side-by-side relationship; a plurality of couplers each being mounted on a given portion of the corresponding battery module thereby to constitute a coupler-mounted battery module. The couplers are detachably connected to one another to constitute an aligned unit of the couplers. Each of the couplers comprises a plurality of projected pawls provided by one side of the coupler and a plurality of catching recesses provided by the other side of the coupler. The catching recesses catch the projected pawls of an adjacent coupler for forming part of the aligned unit of the couplers.

Abstract: A battery is provided with a battery stack body including a plurality of stacks of secondary batteries in each of which electrode plates, stacked via a separator, are accommodated and sealed in an outer sheath member, with electrode terminals correspondingly connected to the electrode plates and extracted from an outer peripheral edge of the outer sheath member, a pair of plate-like members, stacked as outermost layers of the battery stack body, respectively, so as to be opposed to each other, and a pressing mechanism pressing the plurality of secondary batteries via the pair of plate-like members. At least one of the pair of plate-like members having a characteristic exhibiting a maximum rigidity at a pressing center determined based on a plurality of pressing points of the at least one of the pair of plate-like members that are pressed by the pressing mechanism.

Abstract: A duct structure, includes: a vessel forming therein a chamber, the vessel including: an inlet port, an outlet port, wherein the vessel is configured such that a fluid flows into the chamber through the inlet port and flows out of the chamber through the outlet port, and a swirling flow suppressing member disposed in a position inside the chamber adjacent to the outlet port, wherein the swirling flow suppressing member is configured to suppress a swirling flow from occurring to or adjacent to the outlet port.

Abstract: A battery including unit-cell layers stacked on one another. Each of the unit-cell layers comprises: an array of unit cells; and a frame member which holds the array of unit cells therein. At least one of the frame members is formed to have an inlet for introducing a coolant into the inside of the battery and an outlet for discharging the coolant which has flown through the inside of the battery.

Abstract: A battery which includes: a plurality of cell stacks arrayed in a plane, each of which includes a plurality of flat cells stacked on one another; and a planar holding member to be pressed against the plurality of cell stacks for holding the plurality of cell stacks together. Heights of the respective cell stacks are adjusted for deflection of the holding member.

Abstract: A duct structure, includes: a vessel forming therein a chamber, the vessel including: an inlet port, an outlet port, wherein the vessel is configured such that a fluid flows into the chamber through the inlet port and flows out of the chamber through the outlet port, and a swirling flow suppressing member disposed in a position inside the chamber adjacent to the outlet port, wherein the swirling flow suppressing member is configured to suppress a swirling flow from occurring to or adjacent to the outlet port.

Abstract: A plurality of cell units 10a made of stacked cells 10 are stacked. Pressing mechanisms 30 and 31, which apply a pressing force between a pair of pressuring members 20 arranged in a stack direction where the cell units 10a are stacked, are provided, and the cell units 10a are pressured in the stack direction. A state in which the cell units 10a are pressed by the pressing mechanisms 30 and 31 is managed by a managing member 32. Thus, a state where electrode plates of power generation elements 11 are pressed is maintained, and the pressed state of the power generation elements 11 can be precisely managed by the managing member 32.

Abstract: A battery including unit-cell layers stacked on one another. Each of the unit-cell layers comprises: an array of unit cells; and a frame member which holds the array of unit cells therein. At least one of the frame members is formed to have an inlet for introducing a coolant into the inside of the battery and an outlet for discharging the coolant which has flown through the inside of the battery.

Abstract: A battery is provided with a battery stack body including a plurality of stacks of secondary batteries in each of which electrode plates, stacked via a separator, are accommodated and sealed in an outer sheath member, with electrode terminals correspondingly connected to the electrode plates and extracted from an outer peripheral edge of the outer sheath member, a pair of plate-like members, stacked as outermost layers of the battery stack body, respectively, so as to be opposed to each other, and a pressing mechanism pressing the plurality of secondary batteries via the pair of plate-like members. At least one of the pair of plate-like members having a characteristic exhibiting a maximum rigidity at a pressing center determined based on a plurality of pressing points of the at least one of the pair of plate-like members that are pressed by the pressing mechanism.

Abstract: A battery which includes: a plurality of cell stacks arrayed in a plane, each of which includes a plurality of flat cells stacked on one another; and a planar holding member to be pressed against the plurality of cell stacks for holding the plurality of cell stacks together. Heights of the respective cell stacks are adjusted for deflection of the holding member.

Abstract: A plurality of cell units 10a made of stacked cells 10 are stacked. Pressing mechanisms 30 and 31, which apply a pressing force between a pair of pressuring members 20 arranged in a stack direction where the cell units 10a are stacked, are provided, and the cell units 10a are pressured in the stack direction. A state in which the cell units 10a are pressed by the pressing mechanisms 30 and 31 is managed by a managing member 32. Thus, a state where electrode plates of power generation elements 11 are pressed is maintained, and the pressed state of the power generation elements 11 can be precisely managed by the managing member 32.