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

Claim 9:
10. 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 second side in the one direction, the second side being opposite to a first side, where the first member is placed, with respect to the elastic mechanism; and
a switching device, wherein:
the elastic mechanism is configured to contract so as to correspond to a distance between the first member and the second member in the one direction;
the elastic mechanism is configured to apply 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 in response to the power storage module expanding 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 in response to the power storage module expanding by the first dimension;

the switching device is configured to, in response to the restraint load smaller than the first restraint load being applied to the power storage module when the power storage module expands by the first dimension, perform an operation to switch from the first form to the second form;
the first member includes
a first part, and
a second part having a thickness thicker than a thickness of the first part in the one direction;

the elastic mechanism is configured to,
in a state where the elastic mechanism is in the first form, apply the first restraint load to the power storage module via the first part of the first member; and
in a state where the elastic mechanism is in the second form, apply the second restraint load to the power storage module via the second part of the first member,

a movable block is arranged on the first member, urged toward the second part in a direction crossing the one direction, and configured to, in response to a frictional force decreasing between the movable block and the first member, move toward the second part, and
a pedestal is connected to the movable block through the elastic mechanism and configured to move along a surface of the second member with the movable block.