CN117813721A - Battery pack and vehicle including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a battery pack and a vehicle including the same. A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of soft-pack type battery cells; a battery pack case having an inner space accommodating a plurality of soft pack type battery cells; and a battery cell cover at least partially surrounding and supporting at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in the inner space of the battery pack case, wherein the battery cell cover includes a bent portion formed in a bent shape, and at least one exhaust hole for exhausting flame or gas is formed in the bent portion of the battery cell cover.

Description

Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Technical Field

The present application claims priority from korean patent application nos. 10-2022-0089867 and 10-2023-0055787, filed in korea on 7, 20, 2022 and 27, 4, 2023, respectively, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack manufactured in a cell-to-pack (cell-to-pack) method and a vehicle including the same.

Background

In general, a secondary battery refers to a battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, for example, a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or a nickel zinc battery. The output voltage of the battery cell corresponding to the basic unit of the secondary battery capable of charge and discharge is about 2.5V to about 4.2V.

Recently, as a secondary battery is applied to a device requiring high output voltage and large capacity, such as an electric vehicle or an Energy Storage System (ESS), a battery pack manufactured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series or in parallel to form a battery module and connecting the plurality of battery modules in series or in parallel is widely used.

However, according to the related art, since the battery pack is manufactured by accommodating battery cells in a metal case having the shape of a case to form a battery module and accommodating the battery module in the battery pack case, the overall weight and volume of the battery pack increases, and the energy density of the battery pack decreases.

In addition, when the existing moduleless method of directly mounting a plurality of battery cells on a battery pack case of a battery pack is applied to a pouch-type battery cell having a pouch case in order to increase the energy density of the battery pack, it is difficult to simultaneously process or stack the plurality of battery cells, and there is a risk of damaging the battery cells during the process of mounting the battery cells on the battery pack case.

Further, in the existing die-set-free method, since a plurality of battery cells are spatially densely arranged in one battery pack, it is difficult to exhaust gas or flame generated during thermal runaway in a desired direction, and when thermal runaway occurs in a part of the battery cells, chain thermal runaway of the remaining battery cells may occur.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is directed to solving the problems of the related art, and therefore, the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery pack that can reduce the overall weight and volume of the battery pack and can increase the energy density of the battery pack, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

Further, the present disclosure aims to provide a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery pack: in manufacturing a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, handling and mounting of the battery cells can be facilitated, damage to the battery cells can be prevented, and manufacturing costs can be reduced by simplifying and reducing the structure required for mounting the battery cells.

Further, the present disclosure aims to provide a battery pack that can prevent chain thermal runaway by exhausting gas or flame generated during thermal runaway of a battery cell in a desired direction, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

Technical proposal

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a plurality of soft-pack type battery cells; a battery pack case having an inner space accommodating a plurality of soft pack type battery cells; and a battery cell cover at least partially surrounding and supporting at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in the inner space of the battery pack case, wherein the battery cell cover includes a bent portion formed in a bent shape, and at least one exhaust hole for exhausting flame or gas is formed in the bent portion of the battery cell cover.

In one embodiment, a plurality of vent holes may be formed, wherein the plurality of vent holes formed in the bent portion are aligned.

In one embodiment, a plurality of vent holes may be formed, wherein the plurality of vent holes formed in the bent portion have a dotted line shape spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval.

In one embodiment, a plurality of vent holes may be arranged side by side.

In one embodiment, the plurality of exhaust holes may be arranged in a zigzag shape.

In one embodiment, the plurality of vent holes may be arranged such that the interval between the plurality of vent holes decreases from the central portion of the battery cell cover toward both ends.

In one embodiment, the plurality of vent holes may be arranged such that the interval between the plurality of vent holes increases from the central portion of the battery cell cover toward both ends.

In one embodiment, the vent hole may be a through hole penetrating a portion of the battery cell cover, or may be a slit hole formed in a slit shape by cutting a portion of the battery cell cover.

In one embodiment, the battery cell cover may include at least two curved portions, wherein the vent hole is formed in at least one of the at least two curved portions.

In one embodiment, the battery cell cover may include a first cover part covering one side of at least one of the plurality of battery cells, a second cover part covering the other side of the at least one of the plurality of battery cells, and a third cover part connecting the first cover part and the second cover part and covering an upper end of the at least one battery cell, wherein the vent hole is formed between the first cover part or the second cover part and the third cover part.

In one embodiment, the curved portion may include a first curved portion formed between the first cover portion and the third cover portion, and a second curved portion formed between the second cover portion and the third cover portion, wherein the vent hole is formed in at least one of the first curved portion and the second curved portion.

In one embodiment, a plurality of vent holes may be formed, and the plurality of vent holes may be aligned in at least one of the first curved portion and the second portion.

In one embodiment, the plurality of exhaust holes may be formed in a dotted line shape and may be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the plurality of pouch type battery cells may be adhered and fixed to the inner surfaces of the first and second cover parts.

In one embodiment, the battery cell cover may be configured to support at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in an erect state.

In one embodiment, the battery cell cover may include an insulating coating layer on an inner surface thereof.

In one embodiment, the cell cover may be integrally formed.

In one embodiment, the battery cell cover may be formed of a material including stainless steel (SUS).

In one embodiment, a battery pack may include a battery assembly including a plurality of battery cells surrounded by a battery cell cover.

In one embodiment, a battery assembly may include: a battery cell unit in which a plurality of battery cells each surrounded by a battery cell cover are stacked; a pair of side plates positioned at both ends of the battery cell unit and supporting the battery cell unit; and a pair of one-to-one end caps located in a direction intersecting the pair of side plates and configured to support the battery cell units and integrally cover the terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells.

In one embodiment, the battery pack may further include a handle unit coupled to the pair of side plates.

In one embodiment, each of the pair of side plates may include: a support part contacting with the battery cell unit and supporting the battery cell unit; an end cap coupling portion coupled to the integrated end cap; and a handle coupling part coupled to the handle unit.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle including the battery pack is provided.

Advantageous effects

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the overall weight and volume of the battery pack may be reduced and the energy density of the battery pack may be increased.

In addition, in the process of manufacturing a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, handling and mounting of the battery cells can be facilitated, damage to the battery cells can be prevented, and manufacturing costs can be reduced by simplifying and reducing the structure required for mounting the battery cells.

Further, it is possible to prevent chain thermal runaway by exhausting gas or flame generated during thermal runaway of the battery cells in a desired direction.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion a of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell surrounded by a battery cell cover according to one embodiment in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery cell cover and the battery cell of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 to 8 are views illustrating battery cells surrounded by the battery cell cover of fig. 3 according to other embodiments.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating a modified embodiment of a battery cell surrounded by the battery cell cover of fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery cell cover and the battery cell of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view illustrating a battery pack mounted on a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery assembly of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view showing the bottom surface of the portion P1 of fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a view for describing a vehicle including a battery pack according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation. Accordingly, the description set forth herein is merely a preferred example for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, and it is therefore to be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

The dimensions of the various elements or particular portions of elements shown in the figures may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically drawn for purposes of convenience and clarity of illustration. Thus, the dimensions of the various elements may not substantially reflect their actual dimensions. In describing the present disclosure, a detailed description of related well-known functions or configurations that may obscure the inventive points of the present disclosure is omitted.

In addition, in this specification, it will be understood that when elements are "coupled" or "connected" to each other, the elements may be directly coupled or connected to each other or may be indirectly coupled or connected to each other through intervening elements therebetween.

Fig. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion a of fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell surrounded by a battery cell cover according to one embodiment in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery cell cover and the battery cell of fig. 3.

As described above, in general, a battery pack is manufactured by accommodating battery cells in a metal case having the shape of a case to form a battery module and accommodating the battery module in the battery pack. In this case, however, the overall weight and volume of the battery pack are increased and the energy density of the battery pack is reduced.

To solve this problem, the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to directly accommodate the battery cells 100 in the battery pack case 200 of the battery pack 10 by removing the module case of the battery module.

Accordingly, since the battery cells 100 can be further accommodated in the space occupied by the module case of the battery modules in the battery pack 10, space efficiency can be improved and battery capacity can be improved. That is, in the present disclosure, the module case of the battery module may not be included in the configuration.

However, the embodiment using the module case is not completely excluded, and the pouch-type battery cell 100 of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured to be received in the module case provided in the battery module, if necessary.

That is, a battery module including the pouch-type battery cell 100 combined with the battery cell cover 300 in the respective embodiments also falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

Further, the battery pack 10 according to the present embodiment may include a control module configured to control charge and discharge of the pouch type battery cell 100. Referring to fig. 1, the control module may include a Battery Management System (BMS) 500 and a battery blocking unit 600, and may be accommodated in the battery pack case 200 together with the battery cells 100 and the battery cell cover 300.

Even when simply described as the battery cell 100 in the specification, the battery cell 100 refers to the pouch-type battery cell 100.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a battery pack 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pouch type battery cell 100, a module case 200, and a cell cover 300.

The battery cell 100, which is a pouch-type battery cell 100, may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a pouch case. That is, the battery cell 100 corresponds to a basic unit of charge and discharge, and may be manufactured by accommodating an electrode assembly and an electrolyte in a soft metal case and sealing the metal case. In this case, the electrode assembly may be manufactured by disposing a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

In addition, electrode leads 110 electrically connected to the electrode assembly may be disposed at the front and rear ends of the battery cell 100. The battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type battery cell. The battery pack 10 may include a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 therein. A plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be stacked in at least one direction.

The battery pack case 200 may have an empty inner space, and a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 may be accommodated in the inner space. In particular, in the present disclosure, the pouch-type battery cell 100 may be directly mounted on the battery pack case 200.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the battery pack case 200 may include a lower frame 210, side frames 220, and an upper cover 230. The battery pack case 200 may be formed of a plastic or metal material. Further, the battery pack housing 200 may include any of a variety of casing materials for the battery pack 10 known at the time of filing the present application.

A plurality of battery cells 100 are mounted on the lower frame 210. The reinforcement frame 240 may be formed on the lower frame 210. The side frames 220 may extend upward from edges of the lower frame 210 to form an inner space accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100. When the reinforcement frame 240 is formed on the lower frame 210, the battery cell 100 is received in the space formed by the side frames 220 and the reinforcement frame 240. The battery cell cover 300 is coupled to the battery cell 100. The upper cover 230 is coupled to the side frame 220 to cover the side frame 220 and the lower frame 210. A gas passage (not shown) through which gas can move may be formed in the upper cover 230.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the battery cell cover 300 may at least partially enclose at least a portion of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100. That is, the battery cell cover 300 may partially surround the pouch type battery cell 100 such that at least one side of the pouch type battery cell 100 surrounded by the battery cell cover 300 is exposed to the outside.

The battery cell cover 300 may be configured to support the pouch type battery cell 100 in an upright state. In general, it is not easy to stack the pouch type battery cells 100 in the vertical direction.

However, in the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose one or more pouch-type battery cells 100 and maintain the enclosed battery cells 100 in an upright state, i.e., an upright state.

In addition, the battery cell cover 300 may be integrally formed. In this case, the battery cell cover 300 may be formed by bending a metal plate having a plate structure. That is, the battery cell cover 300 may be formed by bending one plate. Accordingly, the bent portion 340 (see fig. 3) may be formed on the battery cell cover 300. In addition, at least one exhaust hole 350 for exhausting flame or gas may be formed in the bent portion 340 of the battery cell cover 300.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, for example, a plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be formed. Referring to fig. 3 and 4, in one embodiment, a plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be arranged in a row in the bent portion 340. For example, the plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be arranged in a line in at least one of the first bent portion 341 and the second bent portion 342. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plurality of exhaust holes may be formed in a curved shape or a shape including both a curved line and a straight line.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be formed in a dotted line shape on a straight line. In this case, the plurality of exhaust holes 350 formed on the bent portion 340 may be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the dotted line shape, and the predetermined intervals are not necessarily the same intervals. In this way, since bending becomes easier when the vent hole 350 is formed in a dotted line shape on a straight line, the battery cell cover 300 can be easily manufactured.

Referring to fig. 3, a plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be arranged side by side. For example, the vent hole 350 formed in the first bent portion 341 and the vent hole 350 formed in the second bent portion 342 may be located on one dotted line of fig. 3 and face each other. The first bent portion 341 and the second bent portion 342 will be described below.

Fig. 5 to 8 are views illustrating battery cells surrounded by the battery cell cover of fig. 3 according to other embodiments.

Referring to fig. 5, the plurality of exhaust holes 350 may be arranged in a zigzag shape. For example, the vent hole 350 formed in the first bent portion 341 and the vent hole 350 formed in the second bent portion 342 may be located at different dotted lines of fig. 5, and may be alternately formed not to face each other.

In this way, when the plurality of vent holes 350 are arranged in a zigzag shape and a thermal event occurs in one pouch type battery cell 100, it is possible to fundamentally block flame or gas from the pouch type battery cell 100 from moving to other adjacent pouch type battery cells 100. However, depending on the position of the injection molded product, the plurality of vent holes 350 may be arranged side by side to face each other as shown in fig. 3, and in this case, a heat insulating material may be appropriately provided to prevent flame or gas from moving from one pouch type battery cell 100 to other adjacent pouch type battery cells 100.

In addition, in another embodiment, referring to fig. 6, the plurality of vent holes 350 may be arranged such that the intervals between the plurality of vent holes 350 decrease from the central portion of the battery cell cover 300 toward both ends, i.e., toward the portion where the electrode leads 110 (see fig. 4) of the battery cell 100 are located. That is, more vent holes 350 may be formed at both ends than at the central portion of the battery cell cover 300. This embodiment is advantageously configured to side vent (side venting) of more gas through the side.

In another embodiment, referring to fig. 7, the plurality of vent holes 350 may be arranged such that the interval between the plurality of vent holes 350 increases from the central portion of the battery cell cover 300 toward both ends. That is, more vent holes 350 may be formed at the central portion than at both ends of the battery cell cover 300. This embodiment facilitates a central exhaust configured to exhaust more gas through the central portion.

In another embodiment, referring to fig. 8, the vent hole 350 may include a slit hole 350 formed in a slit shape by cutting a portion of the battery cell cover 300. This is another embodiment in which vent 350 in fig. 3 is a through hole through a portion of cell cover 300.

The battery cell cover 300 may be formed of a material including stainless steel (SUS) that is easy to process and has high corrosion resistance. The battery cell cover 300 may be formed of any of various materials other than SUS to ensure rigidity. In particular, the battery cell cover 300 may be formed of a metal material. For example, the battery cell cover 300 may be formed of a chromium (Cr) -based metal material. When the battery cell cover 300 is formed of a metal material, the battery cell cover 300 may more stably maintain the stacked state of the battery cells 100 and more safely protect the battery cells 100 from external impacts. In addition, as an example, when the battery cell cover 300 is formed of a steel material such as SUS, the overall structure may be stably maintained when flame is generated from the battery cell 100 due to a high melting point. In particular, since the steel material has a higher melting point than the aluminum material, the battery cell cover 300 may not be melted by the flame sprayed from the battery cell 100, and the shape of the battery cell cover 300 may be stably maintained. Therefore, an effect of preventing or delaying flame propagation between the battery cells 100, an exhaust gas control effect, and the like may be excellent.

The battery cell cover 300 may include an insulating coating layer (not shown) on an inner surface thereof. An insulating coating layer (not shown) may be obtained by coating, or attaching any one of insulating materials (e.g., silicone, polyamide, or rubber). According to the insulating coating layer of the battery cell cover 300 of the present embodiment, the insulating coating effect can be maximized with the minimum coating amount. In addition, since an insulating coating layer (not shown) is applied to the inner surface of the battery cell cover 300, insulation between the battery cell 100 and the battery cell cover 300 may be enhanced.

The battery cell cover 300 may be configured such that at least one side of the enclosed pouch-type battery cell 100 is exposed toward the bottom surface of the battery pack 10. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a battery cell cover 300 configured to enclose at least a portion of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be accommodated in the inner space of the battery pack case 200.

The cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose various numbers of the pouch-type battery cells 100 together. For example, one cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose one pouch cell 100 together. Alternatively, one cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose two pouch-type cells 100 together. Alternatively, one cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose three pouch-type cells 100 together. Alternatively, one cell cover 300 may be configured to enclose a greater number of pouch cells 100 together.

The battery cell cover 300 may include at least two bent parts 340, and the exhaust hole 350 may be formed in at least one of the two bent parts 340. Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the battery cell cover 300 may include a first cover part 310, a second cover part 320, and a third cover part 330.

The first cover part 310 may be configured to cover one side of at least one of the plurality of battery cells 100. The first cover part 310 may extend downward from one end of the third cover part 330. For example, the first cover part 310 may extend downward longer from the left end of the third cover part 330. The first cover part 310 may cover the wide surface of the battery cell 100 received therein.

The second cover 320 may be configured to cover the other side of at least one of the plurality of battery cells 100. The second cover part 320 may be spaced apart from the first cover part 310 in a horizontal direction. The second cover part 320 may extend downward from the other end of the third cover part 330. For example, the second cover part 320 may extend downward longer from the right end of the third cover part 330. The second cover 320 may cover the wide surface of the battery cell 100 received therein.

The third cover 330 connects the first cover 310 and the second cover 320 and covers the upper end of at least one battery cell 100.

As described above, the bent portion 340 may be formed on the battery cell cover 300. The bent portion 340 may include a first bent portion 341 and a second bent portion 342. The first bent portion 341 may be formed between the first cover portion 310 and the third cover portion 330. For example, the first cover part 310 may be formed by bending at a right angle downward from one side of the third cover part 330, and the first bent part 341 may be formed in a portion bent from the third cover part 330. In addition, a second curved portion 342 may be formed between the second cover portion 320 and the third cover portion 330. For example, the second cover part 320 may be formed by bending downward at a right angle from the other side of the third cover part 330, and the second bending part 342 may be formed in a portion bent from the third cover part 330. However, the bending from the third cover part 330 is not necessarily a right angle, and a right angle bending is only an example, and various bending angles are possible.

An exhaust hole 350 for exhausting gas or flame may be formed between the first cover part 310 or the second cover part 320 and the third cover part 330. In detail, for example, the vent hole 350 may be formed in at least one of the first bent portion 341 and the second bent portion 342. That is, the vent hole 350 may be formed only in the first bent portion 341, may be formed only in the second bent portion 342, or may be formed in both the first bent portion 341 and the second bent portion 342.

At least a portion of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be adhered and fixed to the inner surfaces of the first and second cover parts 310 and 320. The means for adhering may be thermally conductive. The battery cell cover 300 may be firmly coupled to the battery cell 100 by adhesion, and may help to discharge heat generated in the battery cell 100 to the outside of the battery cell 100.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating a modified embodiment of a battery cell surrounded by the battery cell cover of fig. 3. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery cell cover and the battery cell of fig. 9.

The vent hole 350 may be formed at any of various positions of the battery cell cover 300 according to a desired venting direction. For example, referring to fig. 9 and 10, the exhaust hole 350 may be formed in a central portion of the third cover part 330. The vent 350 may be formed by forming a recess in a portion of the battery cell cover 300. One or more vent holes 350 may be formed. In this way, when the exhaust hole 350 is formed at the central portion of the third cover 330, gas or the like may be exhausted upward. Accordingly, since gas or flame generated during thermal runaway of the battery cells is discharged in a desired direction (e.g., toward an upper side where no other battery cells or other battery modules are provided), chained thermal runaway can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the inner space may be defined by the first, second, and third cover parts 310, 320, and 330 of the battery cell cover 300. One or more battery cells 100 may be accommodated in a limited inner space of the battery cell cover 300.

The cell cover 300 may be in an "n" shape, "u" shape, or a "n" shape surrounding three surfaces of at least one cell 100And (5) arranging in a shape. Referring to fig. 1, the battery cell cover 300 may be configured such that a plurality of battery cells 100 are stacked in a horizontal direction while being erected in a vertical direction.

For example, referring to fig. 1, each cell cover 300 may enclose one or more cells 100, and a plurality of cells 100 enclosed by each cell cover 300 may be stacked in the Y-axis direction of fig. 2. In this case, the structure in which the plurality of battery cells 100 are stacked side by side in the Y-axis direction in the upright state may be stably maintained by the battery cell cover 300.

In addition, since the cell covers 300 surround three surfaces of at least one of the battery cells 100, the bus bars or terminals of each unit can be easily located on the sides not surrounded by the respective cell covers 300.

The battery cell 100, for example, the pouch-type battery cell 100 may be formed in a substantially hexahedral shape. The electrode leads 110 (see fig. 4), i.e., the negative electrode lead and the positive electrode lead, may be formed on two surfaces among the six surfaces, respectively. The battery cell cover 300 is provided to surround at least a portion of at least three surfaces of the four surfaces of the battery cell 100 having six surfaces, except for the two surfaces on which the electrode leads are formed.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the bus bar frame 120 may be coupled to the battery cell cover 300. The bus bar frame may be configured to support bus bars electrically connected to the electrode leads 110 of at least one battery cell 100 covered by the cell cover 300. In this case, the bus bar frame 120 may include terminals electrically connected to the bus bars.

Fig. 11 is a view illustrating a battery pack mounted on a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the battery assembly of fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view showing the bottom surface of the portion P1 of fig. 11. Fig. 11 to 13 are views illustrating modified embodiments of the battery cell of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 11 to 13, the battery pack 10 may include a battery assembly 400, and the battery assembly 400 includes a plurality of battery cells 100 surrounded by a cell cover 300.

The battery assembly 400 may include a battery cell unit 410, a pair of side plates 420, and a pair of one-to-one end caps 430, and may further include a handle unit 440 coupled to the pair of side plates 420 according to an embodiment.

A plurality of battery cells 100, each surrounded by a battery cell cover 300, are stacked in the battery cell unit 410. The battery cell cover 300 and the battery cell 100 are the same as described above, and thus, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, the pair of side plates 420 may be located at both ends of the plurality of battery cell units 410 in the width direction (Y-axis direction of fig. 11) and support the plurality of battery cell units 410. For this, at least one of the pair of side plates 420 may include a supporting portion 421, an end cap coupling portion 422, and a handle coupling portion 423.

The supporting part 421 may contact one side or the other side of the plurality of battery cell units 410 in the width direction and support the plurality of battery cell units 410. In this case, the supporting portion 421 may have a plate structure.

The end cover coupling part 422 may extend laterally (X-axis direction of fig. 11) from both ends of the supporting part 421 to be coupled to one end of the integrated end cover 430 in the lateral direction.

For example, the handle coupling portion 423 may extend upward (Z-axis direction of fig. 11) from an upper end of the supporting portion 421 to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of handle units 440. The handle coupling portion 423 may be configured to be coupled to the at least one handle unit 440 and to be separated from the at least one handle unit 440.

The pair of side plates 420 may block the plurality of battery cells 410 or group the plurality of battery cells 410 together with the integrated end cap 430 to uniformly distribute the pressure applied to the plurality of battery cells 410 to the entire battery cells 410. In addition, the pair of side plates 420 may be formed of a metal material including aluminum, or may be formed of a material obtained by combining aluminum with a polymer synthetic resin by insert molding.

The pair of one-to-one end caps 430 are positioned in a direction intersecting the pair of side plates 420 and support the battery cell units 410. For example, the pair of one-to-one end caps 430 are respectively positioned at both ends of the plurality of battery cell units 410 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction of fig. 11) and support the plurality of battery cell units 410. The pair of one-to-one coupling end caps 430 may be configured to integrally cover the terminal parts of the battery cells 100 included in the plurality of battery cell units 410.

That is, referring to fig. 12, each of the integrated end caps 430 may include one end coupled to a first side plate 420a, which is one of the pair of side plates 420, and the other end connected to a second side plate 420b, which is the other of the pair of side plates 420, in the lateral direction, to integrally cover the terminal parts of the battery cells 100 included in the plurality of battery cell units 410. In this case, the integrated end cap 430 may include a vent hole 434 at a position corresponding to each of the plurality of battery cell units 410. The integrated end cap 430 may be formed of a metal material or a polymer synthetic resin including aluminum, or may be formed of a material obtained by combining aluminum with a polymer synthetic resin by insert molding.

In the battery pack 400, since the integral end caps 430 are applied, separate end caps, which are respectively applied to the battery cell units 410 and cover the terminals or bus bar portions of the battery cells 100 included in the battery cell units 410, may be omitted, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.

The handle unit 440 may be configured to be held by an operator carrying the battery assembly 400 or be connected to a specific transporting device for lifting or transporting the battery assembly 400.

The handle unit 440 may be configured to be detachably coupled to the pair of side plates 420. In addition, the handle unit 440 may be formed of a metal material having a certain strength, a polymer synthetic resin, or a combination thereof.

The capacity of the battery assembly may be increased by increasing the number of stacked battery cell units 410.

As shown in detail in fig. 12, a pair of side plates 420 and a pair of one-to-one end caps 430 of the battery assembly 400 may be coupled to each other to block the plurality of battery cells 410 or group the plurality of battery cells 410. For this, the integrated end cap 430 may include a terminal cap portion 431, a first coupling portion 432, and a second coupling portion 433.

The terminal cover part 431 may be configured to integrally cover terminal parts (electrode lead parts) of the battery cells 100 included in the plurality of battery cell units 410. The terminal cover portion 431 may include vent holes 434 at positions corresponding to the respective battery cell units 410.

The first coupling portion 432 may extend from the terminal cover portion 431 toward the first side plate 420a to be coupled to the end cap coupling portion 422 of the first side plate 420 a. In this case, the first coupling portion 432 and the end cover coupling portion 422 may be coupled to each other by fastening members such as bolts or rivets.

The second coupling portion 433 may extend from the terminal cover portion 431 toward the second side plate 420b to be coupled to the end cap coupling portion 422 of the second side plate 420 b. In this case, the second coupling portion 433 and the end cover coupling portion 422 may be coupled to each other by fastening members such as bolts or rivets.

The handle unit 440 may be coupled to the handle coupling portion 423 of the corresponding side plate 420 in various manners to be coupled and decoupled.

As shown in fig. 13, the first coupling portion 432 of the integrated end cap 430 may be coupled to the end cap coupling portion 422 of the first side plate 420a by a fastening member 700.

In addition, the integrated end cap 430 may include a battery cell support 435. The battery cell supporting part 435 may extend from the terminal cover part 431 including the vent 434 toward the bottom surfaces of the plurality of battery cell units 410 and support the plurality of battery cell units 410. In this case, the battery cell supporting part 435 may be configured to support the lower ends of the bus bar frames 120 provided in the plurality of battery cells 410.

In this way, since the battery cell units 410 each including at least one battery cell 100 are blocked and fixed to the pair of side plates 420 and the integrated end cap 430, handling and installation of the battery cell 100 mounted on the battery pack 10 can be facilitated, the structure required for installing the battery cell 100 can be simplified and reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to the present disclosure, since the plurality of battery cells 100 are partially covered by the battery cell cover 300 having a simplified structure and are directly mounted on the battery pack case 200 instead of being received in a separate module case and mounted on the battery pack case 200 of the battery pack 10, the overall weight and volume of the battery pack 10 may be reduced, the energy density of the battery pack 10 may be increased, damage to the battery cells 100 occurring during the process of directly mounting the plurality of battery cells 100 on the case and using the battery cells may be prevented, and expansion control of the battery cells 100 and design of an exhaust path may be facilitated.

In addition, since the plurality of vent holes 350 are formed along the bent portions of the battery cell cover 300, a metal plate process of manufacturing the battery cell cover 300 and an assembly process of inserting the battery cell 100 into the battery cell cover 300 may be facilitated, and a vent passage of gas discharged from the battery cell 100 may be ensured.

In addition, since the battery cell units 410 each including at least one battery cell 100 are blocked and fixed to the pair of side plates 420 and the integrated end cap 430, the handling and installation of the battery cell 100 mounted on the battery pack 10 can be facilitated, the structure required for installing the battery cell 100 can be simplified and reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, as will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description, various embodiments of the present disclosure may also be used to solve various technical problems not mentioned above.

Fig. 14 is a view for describing a vehicle including a battery pack according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

A vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery packs 10 according to each of the above-described embodiments. The vehicle 20 includes any one of various vehicles 20 configured to use electric power, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that when terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, and right are used, these terms are merely for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, and the like.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Various modified embodiments may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in an illustrative sense only and not for the purpose of limitation. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined only by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, and in particular, to an industry related to a secondary battery.

Claims (21)

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of soft-pack type battery cells;

a battery pack case having an inner space accommodating the plurality of soft pack type battery cells; and

a battery cell cover at least partially surrounding and supporting at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in the inner space of the battery pack case,

wherein the battery cell cover includes a bent portion formed in a bent shape, and at least one exhaust hole for exhausting flame or gas is formed in the bent portion of the battery cell cover.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of vent holes are formed,

wherein the plurality of exhaust holes formed in the bent portion are aligned.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of vent holes are formed,

wherein the plurality of exhaust holes formed in the bent portion have a dotted line shape spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the plurality of vent holes are arranged side-by-side.

5. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of vent holes are arranged in a zigzag shape.

6. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of vent holes are arranged such that intervals between the plurality of vent holes decrease from a central portion of the battery cell cover toward both ends.

7. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of vent holes are arranged such that intervals between the plurality of vent holes increase from a central portion of the battery cell cover toward both ends.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the vent hole is a through hole penetrating a portion of the battery cell cover, or a slit hole formed in a slit shape by cutting a portion of the battery cell cover.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover comprises at least two curved portions,

wherein the vent hole is formed in at least one of the at least two curved portions.

10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the cell cover comprises:

a first cover part covering one side surface of at least one of the plurality of battery cells;

a second cover part covering the other side surface of at least one of the plurality of battery cells; and

a third cover part connecting the first cover part and the second cover part and covering an upper end of the at least one battery cell,

wherein the vent hole is formed between the first cover part or the second cover part and the third cover part.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein the bent portion includes:

a first curved portion formed between the first cover portion and the third cover portion; and

a second bending portion formed between the second cover portion and the third cover portion,

wherein the vent hole is formed in at least one of the first curved portion and the second curved portion.

12. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of pouch cells are adhered and secured to the inner surfaces of the first and second cover portions.

13. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover is configured to support at least a portion of the plurality of pouch cells in an erect state.

14. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover comprises an insulating coating on an inner surface thereof.

15. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell covers are integrally formed.

16. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover is formed of a material comprising stainless steel.

17. The battery pack of claim 1, comprising a battery assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells surrounded by the cell cover.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the battery assembly comprises:

a battery cell unit in which a plurality of battery cells each surrounded by the battery cell cover are stacked;

a pair of side plates positioned at both ends of the battery cell unit and supporting the battery cell unit; and

a pair of integrated end caps located in a direction intersecting the pair of side plates and configured to support the battery cell units and integrally cover terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells.

19. The battery pack according to claim 18, further comprising a handle unit coupled to the pair of side plates.

20. The battery pack of claim 19, wherein each of the pair of side plates comprises:

a support part contacting with the battery cell unit and supporting the battery cell unit;

an end cap combining part combined with the integrated end cap; and

and a handle coupling part coupled with the handle unit.

21. A vehicle comprising the battery pack of any one of claims 1 to 20.