Patent ID: 11894570
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 0:
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;
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; and
a switching device, 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;
an elastic modulus of the elastic mechanism in a case where the second form is formed is larger than an elastic modulus of the elastic mechanism in a case where the first form is formed;
the elastic mechanism forming the first form includes a predetermined number of elastic bodies configured to apply the first restraint load to the power storage module; and
the elastic mechanism forming the second form includes elastic bodies the number of which is greater than the predetermined number to apply the second restraint load to the power storage module.