US 12,230,827 B2
Load applicator and power storage apparatus
Shotaro Ishikawa, Miyoshi (JP); Tatsuhiko Sasaki, Anjo (JP); Koichiro Kishi, Toyota (JP); and Kenta Watanabe, Toyota (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-Ken (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Aichi-ken (JP)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/389,777.
Application 18/389,777 is a continuation of application No. 17/579,601, filed on Jan. 20, 2022, granted, now 11,894,570.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-010990 (JP), filed on Jan. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0128578 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 50/269 (2021.01); H01M 50/209 (2021.01); H01M 50/242 (2021.01); H01M 50/289 (2021.01); H01M 50/291 (2021.01); H01M 50/293 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 50/269 (2021.01) [H01M 50/209 (2021.01); H01M 50/242 (2021.01); H01M 50/289 (2021.01); H01M 50/291 (2021.01); H01M 50/293 (2021.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A load applicator for applying a restraint load to a power storage module including a plurality of power storage cells, the load applicator comprising:
an elastic mechanism that includes elastic bodies;
a first member placed between the elastic mechanism and the power storage module in one direction, the first member being configured to move along the one direction along with contraction of the plurality of power storage cells;
a second member provided on a side in the one direction, the side being opposite to a side where the first member is placed, across the elastic mechanism;
a switching device; and
a restriction member, wherein:
the elastic mechanism contracts so as to correspond to a distance between the first member and the second member in the one direction;
the elastic mechanism applies the restraint load to the power storage module via the first member in accordance with a contraction amount of the elastic mechanism;
the elastic mechanism has
a first form in which a first restraint load is applied to the power storage module when the power storage module expands by a first dimension, and
a second form in which a second restraint load larger than the first restraint load is applied to the power storage module when the power storage module expands by the first dimension;
the switching device is configured to perform an operation to switch from the first form to the second form in a case where the restraint load smaller than the first restraint load is applied to the power storage module when the power storage module expands by the first dimension; and
the restriction member is configured to maintain at least one elastic body, but not all, of the elastic bodies to be shorter than a natural length in the first form, with a space between the at least one elastic body and the first member.