Sealed battery to withstand internal pressures and battery module using same

A battery module comprising:

• a cell stacked body of a substantially rectangular configuration formed by stacking a plurality of unitary cells, each being in the form of the sealed rectangular battery that includes,
• an electrode group having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and
• a cell casing for accommodating the electrode group and an electrolyte solution, made up of rectangular frame member and first and second lid members,
• the first lid member including a body portion for covering one of openings of the frame member, and side portions protruding from the body portion substantially along at least one pair of sides of the frame member opposite to each other;
• the second lid member including a body portion for covering the other of the openings of the frame member, and side portions protruding from the body portion substantially along at least one pair of side of the frame member opposite to each other, and
• the first lid member being secured to the frame member with the side portions of the first lid member and the frame member being urged to each other by an internal pressure developed inside the cell casing, and the second lid member being secured to the frame member with the side portions of the second lid member and the frame member being urged to each other by an internal pressure developed inside the cell casing,
• the unitary cells being stacked together in a direction in which the first lid member of one of the neighboring unitary cells and the second lid member of the other of the neighboring unitary cells are opposed to each other;
• a pair of side face reinforcing members extending along opposite side faces of the cell stacked body in the direction of stacking;
• plate-shaped compressing members secured respectively to a front end portion and a rear end portion of the pair of the side face reinforcing members in the direction of stacking of the cell stacked body so as to cover front and rear regions of the cell stacked body;
• and
• clamping members supported by the front and rear plate-shaped compressing members for clamping the cell stacked body from a front side and a rear side, respectively, in the direction of the stacking of the cell stacked body;
• and
• a casing made of an insulating material for covering a module body including the cell stacked body and electroconductive component parts fitted therearound,
• wherein the casing is fitted to the module body by means of a first casing fitting member, which is a screw member and extends through the compressing member to fasten the cell stacked body, and a second casing fitting member, which is a screw member and is threadingly engaged with the first casing fitting member so as to extend through the casing.