CN117882238A - Battery pack and device comprising same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention encompasses a battery pack and an apparatus comprising a battery pack. A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of battery modules; a case cover covering the plurality of battery modules, and a case plate coupled to an edge of the case cover; and a gasket disposed in a groove of the case plate positioned to correspond to an edge of the case plate. The case plate includes a first side plate covering both side surfaces of the plurality of battery modules and a second side plate covering front and rear surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, and the gasket includes ribs.

Description

Battery pack and device comprising same

Technical Field

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefits of korean patent application No.10-2021-0167368 filed at the korean intellectual property office on 11 months 29 of 2021 and korean patent application No.10-2022-0147907 filed at the korean intellectual property office on 8 months of 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack with improved assembly characteristics and waterproof performance, and a device including the same.

Background

As technology advances and demands for mobile devices increase, demands for secondary batteries as energy sources have rapidly increased. Accordingly, various researches have been conducted on batteries capable of satisfying various demands.

In addition, secondary batteries have attracted considerable attention as power sources for Electric Vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (P-HEVs), and the like, which have been developed to solve air pollution and the like caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuel.

Accordingly, electric Vehicles (EVs) capable of operating solely by a battery, hybrid vehicles (HEVs) using a combination of a battery and an existing engine, and the like have been developed, and some vehicles have been commercialized. As a power source of EV, HEV, and the like, a secondary battery such as a nickel metal hybrid secondary battery is mainly used. Recently, however, research into lithium secondary batteries having high energy density, high discharge voltage and output stability is actively underway.

When such a secondary battery is used as a power source for a vehicle, the secondary battery is used in the form of a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules or battery module assemblies. The vehicle battery pack allows a gasket made of rubber to be positioned at the junction between the cases in order to seal the battery pack. However, depending on the shape of the housing, a step difference may be generated at a portion where the housings contact each other, and an assembly error may occur.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the shape of a gasket located in a conventional battery pack.

Referring to fig. 1, one surface of a battery case 13 constituting a conventional battery pack 10 includes a groove 14 in which a gasket 20 is located. The washer 20 corresponds to the shape of the recess 14 and the washer 20 may include a protrusion 22. The width of an area of the gasket 20 including the protrusion 22 may be greater than the width of the groove 14. Accordingly, the protrusion 22 and the groove 14 may partially overlap, and the gasket 20 including the protrusion 22 may be assembled while being forcibly fitted into the groove 14.

However, in this case, if the gasket 20 is not properly assembled to the groove 14, and some regions of the gasket 20 overlap each other or are separated from the groove 14, there is a problem in that waterproof performance cannot be properly ensured. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a gasket with improved assembly characteristics in an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack having improved assembly characteristics and waterproof performance, and a device including the battery pack.

However, the technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described problems, and various extensions may be made within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present disclosure.

Technical proposal

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a plurality of battery modules; a housing cover for covering the plurality of battery modules and a housing plate coupled to an edge of the housing cover; and a gasket disposed in the groove of the case plate positioned to correspond to the edge of the case plate, wherein the case plate includes a first side surface plate covering both side surfaces of the plurality of battery modules and a second side surface plate covering front and rear surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, and wherein the gasket includes ribs.

At least one rib may be provided spaced apart along the length of the gasket.

The rib may be provided while being in contact with one surface of the case plate.

The lower surface of the rib may be disposed while being in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the case plate.

The upper surface of the rib may be on the same line as the outer circumferential surface of the gasket.

The ribs are located in a second region, which is one region of the gasket corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate, and a third region, which is a region of the gasket corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate and having curvature, and the number of ribs per unit area in the third region is greater than the number of ribs per unit area in the second region.

The rib may be formed in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the gasket.

The rib may have a bar shape.

The height of the ribs may be less than the height of the gasket.

The ribs may be made of an elastic material.

The ribs may be made of rubber.

In a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the gasket further includes at least one protrusion disposed at intervals along a length of the gasket.

The protrusion may be located on an outer circumferential surface of the gasket.

The protrusions may be positioned to simultaneously contact one surface of the groove.

The protrusion may have a shape protruding in a width direction of the gasket.

The width of a region of the gasket including the protrusion may be greater than the width of the gasket.

A region of the gasket including the protrusion may be forcibly fitted while overlapping the groove.

The protrusion may be located on an outer circumferential surface of an area of the gasket where the rib is located.

The protrusions may be located on both surfaces of the gasket connected to one surface of the gasket where the ribs are located.

The height of the gasket may be greater than the height of the groove.

The width of the gasket may be smaller than the width of the groove.

Advantageous effects

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a visually distinguishable rib is added to a gasket, so that assembly characteristics and cooling performance can be improved.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the appended claims.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the shape of a gasket located in a conventional battery pack;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first side surface plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a state in which the gasket is assembled in the area A1 of fig. 4;

fig. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing a state in which the gasket is not properly assembled in the area A1 of fig. 4; and

fig. 9 is a view showing a protrusion of the gasket in the area A1 of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily perform the embodiments. The present disclosure may be modified in various different ways and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Portions irrelevant to the specification will be omitted to clearly describe the present disclosure, and the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

Further, in the drawings, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, the thickness of portions and regions are exaggerated for convenience of description.

Furthermore, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or plate is referred to as being "on" or "over" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, it means that there are no other intervening elements present. Further, the particular portion being located "above" or "on" the reference portion means that the particular portion is located above or below the reference portion, and does not particularly mean that the particular portion is located "above" or "on" toward the opposite direction of gravity.

Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as "comprising" or "including" a certain component, it means that the portion can further include other components without excluding other components, unless otherwise specified.

Further, in the entire specification, when referred to as a "plane", it means when the target portion is viewed from the upper side, and when referred to as a "cross section", it means when the target portion is viewed from one side of a vertically cut cross section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, a battery pack 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a case cover 1200 for covering a plurality of battery modules 100 and case plates 1300 and 1400 coupled to edges of the case cover 1200.

Specifically, the battery pack 1000 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a lower plate 1100 on which a plurality of battery modules 100 are mounted; a case cover 1200 provided while covering the upper surfaces (z-axis direction) of the plurality of battery modules 100; and first and second side surface plates 1300 and 1400 coupled to edges of the case cover 1200. The first side surface plate 1300 is disposed while covering the side surfaces (y-axis direction) of the plurality of battery modules 100, and the second side surface plate 1400 is disposed while covering the front and rear surfaces (x-axis direction and-x-axis direction) of the battery modules 100. The gasket 2000 may be disposed in grooves of the first and second side surface plates 1300 and 1400 corresponding to edges of the case cover 1200.

The battery module 100 may include a battery cell stack and a module frame in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked in a preset direction. The module frame may include an upper frame and a lower frame, and the battery cell stack may be mounted between the upper frame and the lower frame to form the battery module 100. However, the module frame is not limited to the above, and may be a single frame in the form of a metal plate material in which the upper and lower surfaces and the two side surfaces are integral.

Here, the type of the battery cell is not particularly limited, and thus it may be a pouch-type secondary battery or a prismatic secondary battery, but a pouch-type secondary battery is preferable.

A heat sink may be provided on the lower plate 1100, and at least one battery module 100 may be mounted on the heat sink. The heat sink may have a size corresponding to that of the battery module 100, or may be larger than that of the battery module 100.

The case cover 1200 may be a plate covering the upper portions of the plurality of battery modules 100. The housing cover 1200 may have a size corresponding to that of the lower plate 1100.

The first side surface plate 1300 may be a plate covering both side surfaces of the plurality of battery modules 100. One facing edge of the first side surface plate 1300 may be fastened using a fastening member or coupled by welding or the like corresponding to one edge of the lower plate 1100 and one edge of the case cover 1200.

First side surface plate 1300 includes a groove 1310 in which gasket 2000 is mounted. Groove 1310 may be an area excavated to a depth along an edge of first side surface plate 1300. The groove 1310 may be an area where edges of the first side surface plate 1300 facing the plurality of battery modules 100 are excavated to a certain depth. The gasket 2000 may be located in the groove 1310.

The gasket 2000 is a member further positioned on the first side surface plate 1300, and when the first side surface plate 1300 is coupled with other components constituting the battery pack 1000, it may improve the degree of sealing, thereby improving the waterproof and dustproof properties of the battery pack 1000.

The second side surface plate 1400 may be a plate covering the front and rear surfaces of the plurality of battery modules 100. The upper edge of the second side surface plate 1400 corresponds to one edge of the case cover 1200, the lower edge of the second side surface plate 1400 corresponds to one edge of the lower plate 1100, and both side edges of the second side surface plate 1400 correspond to one edge of the two first side surface plates 1400, respectively, which thus may be fastened using fastening members or coupled by a method such as welding.

In this drawing, the gasket 2000 is shown as being mounted in the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate 1300, but is not limited thereto, and the gasket 2000 may be mounted in the groove of the second side surface plate 1400.

The lower plate 1100, the housing cover 1200, the first side surface plate 1300, and the second side surface plate 1400 may be made of a material having rigidity. Therefore, the plurality of battery modules 100 and the electrical components connected thereto can be protected from external physical impact.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first side surface plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 4, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a gasket 2000 may be installed in a groove of the first side surface plate 1300.

Gasket 2000 may be positioned along an edge of first side surface plate 1300. Washer 2000 may be located in a groove excavated to a depth along an edge of first side surface plate 1300. The gasket 2000 may be fitted into the groove.

The shape of the gasket 2000 may correspond to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate 1300. The shape of the gasket 2000 may correspond to the shape of the groove of the first side surface plate 1300. The width of the gasket 2000 may be smaller than the width of the groove, or the height of the gasket 2000 may be higher than the height of the groove.

The gasket 2000 may be made of an elastic material. For example, the gasket 2000 may be made of rubber. Thus, when pressure is applied to the gasket 2000, the shape of the gasket 2000 may change as pressure is applied. For example, when pressure is applied to the gasket 2000, the shape of the gasket 2000 mounted on the groove may be changed such that no empty space may be formed in the groove. Accordingly, moisture or dust can be prevented from entering the battery pack from the outside.

The gasket 2000 prevents separation from the groove 1310 during assembly or overlapping of some regions of the gasket 2000 with each other, and may include a visually discernable rib (described later) in order to improve assembly characteristics. In addition, the gasket 2000 may include protrusions (described later) that may be forcibly fitted such that some areas overlap the grooves in order to improve the fixing force when fitted with the grooves. The ribs and protrusions will be described in detail below.

Fig. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a state in which the gasket is assembled in the area A1 of fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, a gasket 2000 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a visually discernable rib 2100.

The rib 2100 is located in one region of the gasket 2000, and can confirm whether the gasket 2000 is properly fitted into the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate 1300. In particular, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the rib 2100 is located outside the groove 1310 so that if the shape of the rib 2100 can be visually recognized, it can be correctly coupled.

At least one rib 2100 may be disposed spaced apart along the length of the gasket 2000. The number of ribs 2100 per unit area may vary in a region where the gasket 2000 extends along one edge of the first side surface plate 1300 and in a region constituting a corner portion as an edge of the first side surface plate 1300.

Specifically, the rib 2100 may be located in the second and third areas A2 and A3 of fig. 4. More ribs 2100 may be located in the third region A3 than in the second region A2 of fig. 4. That is, the number of ribs 2100 per unit area of the gasket 2000 in the third region A3 may be greater than that in the second region A2 of fig. 4.

The second region A2 may be a region where the gasket 2000 does not have curvature. That is, the second area A2 may be one area of the gasket 2000 corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate 1300.

The third region A3 may be a region where the gasket 2000 has a curvature corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate 1300. That is, the third area A3 may be one area of the gasket 2000 located at the edge of the first side surface plate 1300.

The third region A3, which is a region of the gasket 2000 having a curvature, may not be easily assembled due to assembly tolerances or the like, as compared to the second region A2 of the gasket 2000 having no curvature. Accordingly, more ribs 2100 are arranged in the third region, so that the assembly efficiency of the battery can be improved.

The rib 2100 may have a bar shape formed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gasket 2000. However, the shape of the rib 2100 is not limited thereto, and any shape is possible as long as the shape of the rib 2100 can be visually distinguished.

One surface of the rib 2100 may be positioned to simultaneously contact one surface of the first side surface plate 1300. Specifically, the lower surface of the rib 2100 may be positioned to simultaneously contact the outer circumferential surface of the first side surface plate 1300. That is, the lower surface of the rib 2100 may be positioned to simultaneously contact the upper surface of the first side surface plate 1300.

The upper surface of the rib 2100 may be placed on the same plane as the outer circumferential surface of the gasket 2000. The rib 2100 may be a portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gasket 2000.

The width of the rib 2100 may correspond to the width of the gasket 2000, or may be wider or narrower than the width of the gasket 2000. The height of the rib 2100 may be lower than the height of the gasket 2000. For example, the height of the rib 2100 may be 2mm to 3mm. The height of the rib 2100 may be a degree that does not affect the waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack when pressure is applied in the height direction.

The rib 2100 may be made of the same material as the gasket 2000. The rib 2100 may be made of an elastic material. For example, the rib 2100 may be made of rubber. Accordingly, when pressure is applied to the rib 2100, the shape of the rib 2100 may change as pressure is applied.

The gasket 2000 may be smaller than the width (x-axis direction or y-axis direction) of the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate 1300. However, the height of the gasket 2000 is higher than the height of the groove 1310, and thus, if pressure is applied in the height direction of the gasket 2000 when the first side surface plate 1300 is in contact with the lower plate, the case cover, the second side surface plate, etc., the shape of the gasket 2000 may be changed while being spread in the width direction. Accordingly, the space between the groove 1310 and the gasket 2000 is filled such that moisture or dust from the outside does not enter the battery pack. In this case, if pressure is also applied in the height direction of the rib 2100, the rib 2100 may be changed to a flatter shape such that the lowered height of the rib 2100 does not affect the waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack.

Fig. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing a state in which the gasket is not properly assembled in the area A1 of fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 7, if the gasket 2000 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is not properly fitted into the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate 1300, the rib 2100 may be separated without contacting the first side surface plate 1300.

In this case, it can be visually recognized that the gasket 2000 in the region adjacent to the separated rib 2100 is not properly fitted into the groove 1310. Therefore, deterioration of waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack due to incorrect assembly of the gasket 2000 can be prevented.

Referring to fig. 8, when the gasket 2000 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is not properly fitted into the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate 1300, a portion of the rib 2100 enters the groove 1310 such that the entire shape of the rib 2100 may not be visually recognized.

In this case, it can be visually recognized that the gasket 2000 in the region adjacent to the region where a portion of the rib 2100 is inserted into the groove 1310 is not properly fitted into the groove 1310. Therefore, deterioration of waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack due to incorrect assembly of the gasket 2000 can be prevented.

Accordingly, the shape of the rib 2100 and whether the position of the rib 2100 is in contact with one surface of the first side surface plate 1300 can be visually recognized, and thus, whether the assembly of the gasket 2000 is defective can be intuitively known. Therefore, not only the waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack can be improved, but also the assembly characteristics can be improved.

Further, the gasket 2000 may include a protrusion (described later) that may be forcibly fitted to overlap a portion of the groove in order to improve a fixing force when fitted with the groove.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a protrusion of the gasket in the area A1 of fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 9, a gasket 2000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a protrusion 2200.

At least one projection 2200 may be disposed spaced apart along the length of the gasket 2000. The protrusion 2200 may be located on an outer circumferential surface of the gasket 2000. The protrusions 2200 may be located on both surfaces of the outer circumferential surface of the gasket 2000. The protrusions 2200 may be located on two opposite sides of the gasket 2000. The protrusion 2200 may be positioned to simultaneously contact one surface of the recess 1310.

The protrusion 2200 may have a semicircular shape protruding in the width direction of the gasket 2000. However, the protrusion 2200 may have any shape as long as it protrudes from the gasket 2000, and is not limited to the shape shown in the drawings.

The width of one region of the gasket 2000 including the protrusion 2200 may be greater than the width of one region of the gasket 2000 excluding the protrusion 2200. In addition, a width of one region of the gasket 2000 including the protrusion 2200 may be greater than a width of the groove 1310. Accordingly, one region of the gasket 2000 where the protrusion 2200 is provided may be forcibly fitted into the groove 1310. In this case, the shape of the protrusion 2200 may be partially deformed so that it may be forcibly fitted while overlapping the groove 1310. Accordingly, the gasket 2000 may not be separated from the groove 1310, thereby improving waterproof and dustproof properties, and also improving assembly characteristics.

Although not shown in the drawings, the protrusion 2200 may be located in the same area as one area where the rib of the gasket 2000 is located. In particular, the protrusion 2200 may be located on one surface of the rib of the gasket 2000 and on both surfaces of the gasket 2000 connected thereto. That is, when the rib is located on the upper surface of the outer circumferential surface of the gasket 2000, the protrusions 2200 may be located on both side surfaces of the outer circumferential surface of the gasket 2000.

Although the above-described gasket 2000 has been described as being mounted in the groove 1310 of the first side surface plate, it is not limited thereto, and the gasket 2000 may be mounted in the groove of the second side surface plate.

The above battery pack may be applied to various devices. Such a device may be applied to a vehicle device such as an electric bicycle, an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be applied to various devices that may use a battery module or a battery pack including the battery module, which also falls within the scope of the present disclosure.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements may be made by those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims, which also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Description of the reference numerals

1000: battery pack

1100: lower plate

1200: shell cover

1300: first side surface plate

1310: groove

1400: second side surface plate

2000: gasket ring

2100: ribs

2200: protrusions

Claims (21)

1. A battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery modules;

a housing cover for covering the plurality of battery modules and a housing plate coupled to an edge of the housing cover; and

a gasket disposed in a groove of the housing plate positioned to correspond to an edge of the housing plate,

wherein the case plate includes a first side surface plate covering both side surfaces of the plurality of battery modules and a second side surface plate covering front and rear surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, and

wherein the gasket comprises ribs.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

at least one rib is disposed spaced apart along the length of the gasket.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the rib is provided while being in contact with one surface of the housing plate.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein:

the lower surface of the rib is disposed while being in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the housing plate.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the upper surface of the rib is on the same line as the outer circumferential surface of the gasket.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the rib is located in a second region corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate and a third region corresponding to the shape of the edge of the first side surface plate and having curvature, and

the number of ribs per unit area in the third region is greater than the number of ribs per unit area in the second region.

7. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the rib is formed in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the gasket.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein:

the rib has a strip shape.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the height of the ribs is less than the height of the gasket.

10. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the ribs are made of an elastic material.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein:

the ribs are made of rubber.

12. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the gasket further includes at least one protrusion disposed at intervals along a length of the gasket.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein:

the protrusion is located on an outer peripheral surface of the gasket.

14. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein:

the protrusions are positioned to simultaneously contact one surface of the groove.

15. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein:

the protrusion has a shape protruding in a width direction of the gasket.

16. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein:

a width of a region of the gasket including the protrusion is greater than a width of the gasket.

17. The battery pack of claim 16, wherein:

a region of the gasket including the protrusion is forcibly fitted while overlapping the groove.

18. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein:

the protrusion is located on an outer peripheral surface of an area of the gasket where the rib is located.

19. The battery pack of claim 18, wherein:

the protrusions are located on both surfaces of the gasket connected to one surface of the gasket where the ribs are located.

20. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the height of the gasket is greater than the height of the groove.

21. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein:

the gasket has a width less than the width of the groove.