# US 2020/0403200 A1 · Battery module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0403200 A1 - Document ID: US20200403200A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/970,128 - Filed: 2019-01-23 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-27 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki - Inventors: Kojiro TAMARU; Taku INOUE; Hiroki MAEDA; Tsuyoshi MARIYA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403200A1 ## CPC - H01M 50/202: Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery - H01M 50/317: Re-sealable arrangements - H01M 50/103: prismatic or rectangular (H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) - H01M 50/186: characterised by the disposition of the sealing members - H01M 50/193: Organic material - H01M 50/209: adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) - H01M 50/291: characterised by their shape - H01M 50/627: Filling ports - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery module includes an electrode laminate including a plurality of electrodes that are laminated, and a sealing body sealing a side surface of the electrode laminate. The sealing body is provided with a communication hole communicating an internal space between the electrodes adjacent in a laminating direction in the electrode laminate. The communication hole includes an opening end on an outer surface of the sealing body. A length of the opening end in the laminating direction is longer than a length of the internal space in the laminating direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery module comprising: an electrode laminate including a plurality of electrodes that are laminated; and a sealing body sealing a side surface of the electrode laminate, wherein the sealing body is provided with a communication hole communicating an internal space between the electrodes adjacent in a laminating direction in the electrode laminate, the communication hole includes an opening end on an outer surface of the sealing body, and a length of the opening end in the laminating direction is longer than a length of the internal space in the laminating direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the communication hole includes a tapered portion in which the length of the communication hole in the laminating direction becomes longer toward the opening end. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the sealing body includes a plurality of primary seals respectively provided in edge portions of the electrodes, and a secondary seal provided around the plurality of primary seals, and the tapered portion is provided in the secondary seal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: a first protrusion provided on the outer surface along the opening end. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: a second protrusion spaced apart from the opening end and protruding from the outer surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing body is provided with a recess that is spaced apart from the opening end and is recessed from the outer surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The battery module according to claim 2, further comprising: a first protrusion provided on the outer surface along the opening end. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The battery module according to claim 3, further comprising: a first protrusion provided on the outer surface along the opening end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The battery module according to claim 2, further comprising: a second protrusion spaced apart from the opening end and protruding from the outer surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The battery module according to claim 3, further comprising: a second protrusion spaced apart from the opening end and protruding from the outer surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The battery module according to claim 4, further comprising: a second protrusion spaced apart from the opening end and protruding from the outer surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the sealing body is provided with a recess that is spaced apart from the opening end and is recessed from the outer surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the sealing body is provided with a recess that is spaced apart from the opening end and is recessed from the outer surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the sealing body is provided with a recess that is spaced apart from the opening end and is recessed from the outer surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other. ### Claim 20 (depends on 6) The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the sealing body is provided with a plurality of the communication holes communicating with a plurality of the internal spaces different from each other in a manner of dividing into a plurality of sets, in the sealing body, regions in which the sets of the communication holes are provided are aligned along edge portions of the electrodes, and in the regions, arrangements of a plurality of the opening ends of the communication holes constituting the sets match each other.