KR102054413B1 - Battery Pack - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery pack that can satisfactorily satisfy various requirements such as sealing, compactness, fixability, assembly and light weight. A battery pack according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cell assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries and a plurality of cartridges stacked on each other and surrounding the outer circumferential portion of the secondary battery to accommodate the secondary batteries; A lower housing having an empty space therein to receive the cell assembly in the inner space and having an open top; An upper housing coupled to an upper open end of the lower housing to cover an upper open end; A first fastening member formed in a shape extending in one direction and having a lower end coupled to the lower housing and having an upper end penetrating the upper housing; The upper housing is disposed above the upper housing, the lower portion is opened and the upper portion is formed in the form of a hollow, the upper end of the first fastening member exposed to the upper portion of the upper housing is inserted and coupled to the lower housing, A second fastening member configured to fix an engagement state of the upper housing; And a first sealing member configured to surround the first fastening member and interposed between a lower portion of the second fastening member and an upper portion of the upper housing.

Description

Battery Pack {Battery Pack}

The present invention relates to a battery including one or more secondary batteries, and more particularly, to a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, which are small in volume and ensure sealing property, and have a simple structure and assembly process.

Commercially available secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among them, lithium secondary batteries have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, and thus are free of charge and discharge. The self-discharge rate is very low and the energy density is high.

Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate coated with the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material are disposed with a separator interposed therebetween, and a packaging material that seals the electrode assembly together with the electrolyte solution, that is, a battery case.

In general, a lithium secondary battery may be classified into a can type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can and a pouch type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

Recently, secondary batteries are widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium and large devices such as automobiles and power storage devices. When used in such medium and large devices, a large number of secondary batteries are electrically connected to increase capacity and output. In particular, the pouch-type secondary battery is widely used in such a medium-large device because of its advantages such as easy lamination and light weight.

On the other hand, the battery pack has a pack housing, it is possible to receive and protect the components, such as secondary batteries in the internal space. In particular, the pack housing is composed of a lower housing and an upper housing, the secondary battery is mainly accommodated in the lower housing of the upper open form, the upper housing may be configured to be coupled to the upper open end of the lower housing. In such a configuration, the coupling between the upper housing and the lower housing needs to be stably maintained.

In such a battery pack configuration, securing the sealability of the pack housing may be a very important factor. For example, when external moisture or foreign matter penetrates into the pack housing, the battery pack may be broken or damaged. In addition, when gas is generated in the secondary battery inside the pack housing, when such gas is discharged through an undefined path, it may harm the human body of the battery pack user.

In addition, in the case of a conventional battery pack, a fastening member such as a bolt may be used to fasten the upper housing and the lower housing, and thus, a problem in which various materials flow in and out between the inside and the outside of the bolt and the like may occur. high.

On the other hand, for battery packs, there is a continuing demand for high energy density. In particular, in the case of a battery pack mounted in an automobile, a higher power and capacity than a mounting space are required. However, there is still no battery pack with a small volume and good performance. Moreover, in the case of the conventional battery pack, various fastening members are used for fastening the pack housing or fixing various components inside the battery pack. However, the volume of the battery pack is often increased by such a fastening member, which may lower the energy density of the battery pack.

In addition, many other characteristics are required for the battery pack, such as ease of assembly, fixing of components, and light weight. For example, when a specific component stored in the battery pack is not stably fixed, an internal component such as a secondary battery or a BMS may be damaged. However, in order to prevent such a problem, when the fastening parts are used a lot, the battery pack may increase the volume and weight of the battery pack, manufacturing cost and time, and deteriorate assembly.

Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same that can satisfactorily satisfy various requirements, such as sealing, compactness, fixing, assembly and lightweight It aims to provide.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. Also, it will be readily appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries, and a cell assembly including a plurality of cartridges stacked on each other and surrounding the outer circumferential portion of the secondary battery to accommodate the secondary batteries; A lower housing having an empty space therein to receive the cell assembly in the inner space and having an open top; An upper housing coupled to an upper open end of the lower housing to cover an upper open end; A first fastening member formed in a shape extending in one direction and having a lower end coupled to the lower housing and having an upper end penetrating the upper housing; The upper housing is disposed above the upper housing, the lower portion is opened and the upper portion is formed in the form of a hollow, the upper end of the first fastening member exposed to the upper portion of the upper housing is inserted and coupled to the lower housing, A second fastening member configured to fix an engagement state of the upper housing; And a first sealing member configured to surround the first fastening member and interposed between a lower portion of the second fastening member and an upper portion of the upper housing.

Here, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a second sealing member provided along the upper open end edge of the lower housing and interposed between the lower housing and the upper housing, wherein the first fastening member May be located inside the horizontal direction than the second sealing member.

In addition, the upper housing may have an upper groove concave downward in a ring shape at an upper portion thereof, and the lower portion of the first sealing member may be inserted into the upper groove.

In addition, the second fastening member may have a fastening groove having a concave shape in a lower direction at a lower portion thereof in a ring shape, and the first sealing member may have an upper end inserted into the fastening groove.

In addition, a screw thread may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the first fastening member and the inner circumferential surface of the second fastening member to correspond to each other.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a lower end plate formed of a plate-shaped metal material, embedded in a bottom portion of the lower housing, and having a lower end of the first fastening member coupled thereto.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention further includes a third fastening member embedded in a bottom portion of the lower housing, positioned below the lower end plate, and formed with a hollow and coupled to a lower end of the first fastening member. It may include.

In addition, the first fastening member may penetrate the cell assembly in a vertical direction.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention further comprises an upper end plate made of a plate-shaped metal material, which is seated on an upper portion of the cell assembly to cover an upper portion of the cell assembly, and penetrated by the first fastening member. can do.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention has a plate shape, is provided on the upper part of the cell assembly, and at least one electrical component of a BMS, a current sensor, a relay, and a fuse is mounted on a surface thereof, It may further comprise a perforated electrical plate.

In addition, the vehicle according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a battery pack according to the present invention.

According to the present invention, the sealing property of the pack housing can be secured stably. In particular, according to an aspect of the present invention, the sealing property can be secured even in a portion provided with a fastening member for fastening the upper housing and the lower housing.

Therefore, according to this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the moisture, dust, and various foreign matters outside the battery pack from entering the battery pack. Therefore, due to such an external material, it is possible to prevent various components such as secondary batteries or BMS from failing or breaking.

In addition, according to this aspect of the present invention, when noxious gas is generated from the secondary battery inside the battery pack, the gas can be discharged only in a predetermined path such as a discharge duct, it is possible not to be discharged in an undefined path. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a battery pack user such as a motor vehicle driver from being exposed to harmful gas.

In addition, according to an aspect of the present invention, it can be advantageous to achieve the miniaturization of the battery pack. In particular, in one embodiment of the present invention, the fastening configuration of the upper housing and the lower housing may be located inside the outer housing and not outside the sealing line of the upper housing and the lower housing. Therefore, due to the fastening structure of the upper housing and the lower housing, it is possible to prevent the volume of the battery pack from increasing.

In addition, according to an aspect of the present invention, by using the fastening configuration of the upper housing and the lower housing, it is possible to fasten to the other various components such as the cell assembly, the end plate and the electrical plate. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a separate fastening member for fastening and fixing these components, the manufacturing cost of the battery pack can be reduced, the assemblability can be improved, and the weight and size can be more easily achieved.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, since the lower end plate to which the first fastening member is coupled is embedded in the lower housing, the first fastening member does not protrude below the lower housing, and the fastening structure of the lower housing and the upper housing is not included. This can be secured stably.

The following drawings attached to this specification are illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the invention to serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention, the present invention is a matter described in such drawings It should not be construed as limited to.
1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of FIG. 1 separately.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 'of FIG.
4 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a cartridge and a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion A2 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating some components of FIG. 5 separately.
7 is a perspective view schematically showing a separation configuration of a lower housing and a lower end plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to the common or dictionary meanings, and the inventors should properly explain the concept of terms in order to best explain their own invention. Based on the principle that can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a combined perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of Figure 1 separately. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 'of FIG.

1 to 3, the battery pack according to the present invention includes a cell assembly 100, a lower housing 200, an upper housing 300, a first fastening member 400, and a second fastening member 500. And a first sealing member 600.

The cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of secondary batteries 110 and a cartridge 120.

Here, the secondary battery 110 is a component that stores or emits electrical energy through charge and discharge, and in particular, may be a pouch type secondary battery. The secondary battery 110 may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a pouch packaging material. Furthermore, the secondary battery 110 according to the present invention may be a lithium secondary battery.

Here, the electrode assembly may be configured such that at least one positive electrode plate and at least one negative electrode plate are disposed with the separator interposed therebetween. More specifically, the electrode assembly may be classified into a winding type in which one positive electrode plate and one negative electrode plate are wound together with a separator, and a stack type in which a plurality of positive electrode plates and a plurality of negative electrode plates are alternately stacked with a separator interposed therebetween. .

In addition, the pouch sheathing material may be formed of a metal thin film, such as an aluminum thin film, to protect internal components such as the electrode assembly and the electrolyte, and to improve the electrochemical properties of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte and to improve heat dissipation. Can be. In addition, such an aluminum thin film is interposed on an insulating layer formed of an insulating material in order to secure electrical insulation between components inside the secondary battery 110 such as an electrode assembly and an electrolyte or other components outside the secondary battery 110. Can be. Therefore, the pouch case may be configured to include an outer insulating layer, a metal layer, and an inner adhesive layer.

The pouch sheath may be composed of two pouches, and at least one of the pouch sheaths may have a concave inner space. The electrode assembly may be accommodated in the inner space of the pouch. In addition, the outer peripheral surfaces of the two pouches are provided with a sealing portion such that the sealing portions are fused to each other, so that the inner space in which the electrode assembly is accommodated can be sealed.

On the other hand, each electrode plate of the electrode assembly is provided with an electrode tab, one or more electrode tabs may be connected to the electrode lead. The electrode lead is interposed between the sealing portions of the two pouches and exposed to the outside of the pouch packaging material, thereby functioning as an electrode terminal of the secondary battery 110.

In the cell assembly 100 according to an aspect of the present invention, various types of pouch type secondary batteries known at the time of filing the present invention may be employed.

The secondary battery 110 may be included in a battery pack. In particular, the plurality of secondary batteries 110 may be arranged in a vertical direction in such a manner that their wide sides face down and face up.

The cartridge 120 may accommodate the secondary battery 110 in an internal space, and may be configured to surround the outer circumferential portion of the secondary battery 110 from the outside.

4 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a cartridge 120 and a secondary battery 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the cartridge 120 may include a main frame 121 formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape. In this case, the main frame 121 of the cartridge 120 may be composed of four unit frames connected at both ends. The cartridge 120 may be provided in a form in which each unit frame is separately manufactured and then assembled together, or may be molded into an integrated form from the beginning.

In particular, the pouch type secondary battery 110 may have a substantially rectangular shape when looking at a wide surface. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, when the main frame 121 is formed in a rectangular ring shape, the secondary battery 110 is located in an empty space at the center, and the edge of the secondary battery is wrapped from the outside by the cartridge 120. Can lose. Therefore, the cartridge 120 may accommodate the secondary battery 110 and protect the outside of the secondary battery 110.

In addition, the cartridge 120 may include a cooling plate 122 made of a thermally conductive material at a central portion thereof. For example, the cartridge 120 may include a cooling plate 122 made of aluminum at a central portion of the square ring defined by the main frame 121. At this time, the cooling plate 122 may be composed of two plates, that is, the upper plate and the lower plate spaced apart a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. In addition, a flow path P is formed between the two cooling plates 122 such that a refrigerant such as air may move. In the configuration of the cartridge 120, one secondary battery 110 may be accommodated in the upper portion of the upper plate and the lower portion of the lower plate, respectively. In this case, it can be said that two secondary batteries 110 are accommodated in one cartridge 120. In addition, heat generated from the secondary battery 110 may be transferred to the adjacent cooling plate 122 and discharged to the outside through the refrigerant flowing in the flow path between the cooling plates 122.

In addition, the cartridge 120 may be configured to be stacked on each other. In particular, the cartridge 120 may be included in a plurality of battery packs. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the cartridge 120 may be stacked in a vertical direction. In this case, the cartridge 120 may have a concave-convex structure in a shape corresponding to a surface stacked on each other, for example, an upper surface and a lower surface of the main frame 121. In this case, due to the concave-convex structure formed on the cartridge 120, the fastening property and fixing force between the cartridges 120 may be improved, and the concave-convex structure serves as a guide, thereby facilitating stacking of the cartridges.

As such, the cartridge 120 accommodates the pouch type secondary battery 110 in an internal space formed by stacking, thereby limiting external exposure of the pouch type secondary battery 110 to prevent the secondary battery from being externally physical or chemical. While protecting the 110 and guiding the mutual arrangement of the pouch-type secondary battery 110, it is possible to prevent the flow of the stacked assembly.

The lower housing 200 may have an empty space therein to accommodate the cell assembly 100 in the internal space. In addition, the lower housing 200 may be configured in an open top. Accordingly, the cell assembly 100 may be led into the inner space through the upper open end of the lower housing 200. That is, the lower housing 200 may form an inner space in a form in which a lower surface and a side surface are blocked and an upper surface is open. Therefore, the lower housing 200 may include a bottom part and a side wall part.

The lower housing 200 may be made of a plastic material. In the case of the plastic material, it is easy to mold, light in weight, and excellent in electrical insulation, and thus it may be easier to improve productivity of the battery pack, and to secure weight and insulation.

The upper housing 300 may be coupled to the upper open end of the lower housing 200 to cover the upper open end. And, through the combination of the upper housing 300, the inner space of the lower housing 200 can be sealed.

In particular, the upper housing 300 may be formed in a concave shape in an upward direction, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, the upper housing 300 may form an inner space in a form in which an upper surface and a side surface are blocked and an open lower surface. Therefore, the upper housing 300 may include a roof part and a side wall part. In addition, the upper housing 300 may allow at least a part of the cell assembly 100 or other components to be accommodated in the concave portion.

In addition, the upper housing 300 may be made of the same or similar material as the lower housing 200. For example, the upper housing 300 may be formed of a plastic material together with the lower housing 200.

The first fastening member 400 may be configured to extend in one direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the first fastening member 400 may be configured in the form of a rod extending in the vertical direction. In addition, the first fastening member 400 may be configured to stand vertically with respect to the bottom of the lower housing 200.

The first fastening member 400 may have a lower end coupled to the lower housing 200. In particular, the lower end of the first fastening member 400 may be fixedly coupled to the bottom of the lower housing 200. In addition, the first fastening member 400 may be configured to be accommodated in an inner space at the bottom of the lower housing 200 to stand.

An upper end portion of the first fastening member 400 may penetrate the upper housing 300. That is, the first fastening member 400 extends from the bottom of the lower housing 200 to the upper housing 300 via the inner space of the lower housing 200, and at least a part of the upper end of the upper housing 300. It may be formed in a form through which it is exposed to the outside. In this case, the upper housing 300, as indicated by H3 in FIG. 2, may be formed with a through-hole penetrating in the vertical direction, such that the first fastening member 400 may pass through the through-hole.

The second fastening member 500 may be disposed above the upper housing 300 and may be coupled to an upper end of the first fastening member 400. The configuration of the second fastening member 500 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion A2 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a view illustrating some components of FIG. 5 separately.

5 and 6, the second fastening member 500 may have a hollow M formed in the vertical direction. At this time, the hollow M of the second fastening member 500 is open at the bottom, and the upper end of the first fastening member 400 is inserted into the hollow of the second fastening member 500 through the open portion of the bottom. Can be combined.

In this case, a screw thread may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the first fastening member 400 and the inner circumferential surface of the second fastening member 500 to correspond to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a thread is formed on the top outer surface of the first fastening member 400 and the hollow M surface of the second fastening member 500, so that a second fastening is performed along the thread. The member 500 may be rotationally coupled to the first fastening member 400. In particular, the second fastening member 500 may be rotatably coupled with the first fastening member 400 until it contacts the upper surface of the upper housing 300.

As such, when the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 are fastened to each other, a coupling state of the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300 may be fixed. For example, the upper housing 300 may be seated on the upper opening of the lower housing 200 to close the inner space of the lower housing 200. At this time, when the lower end of the first fastening member 400 is coupled to the lower housing 200, and the upper end is fastened and fixed by the second fastening member 500 while penetrating the upper housing 300, the first fastening is performed. Through the fastening between the member 400 and the second fastening member 500, the coupling state of the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300 may be stably maintained.

In particular, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the second fastening member 500 may be configured to have a hollow upper portion closed. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hollow M of the second fastening member 500 may be configured in a blocked shape while the upper portion of the hollow M is open.

According to this configuration of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sealing property between the inside and the outside of the battery pack from being weakened by the first fastening member 400. Although the first fastening member 400 is configured to penetrate the through hole H3 of the upper housing 300, the hollow upper portion of the second fastening member 500 fastened to the upper end of the first fastening member 400. Consists of a blocked form. Therefore, it is possible to prevent external moisture, foreign matter, internal gas, and the like from penetrating the through hole H3 of the upper housing 300 along the periphery of the first fastening member 400. For example, in the direction indicated by arrow A3 in FIG. 5, moisture or foreign matter outside the battery pack may be prevented from penetrating into the battery pack. That is, since external moisture or foreign matter located on the upper part of the first fastening member 400 is blocked by the second fastening member, the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 as indicated by A3 '. It may not flow into the gap between). Further, according to this configuration of the present invention, in the opposite direction of arrow A3, the harmful gas inside the battery pack can be prevented from being discharged to the outside. Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the sealing property of the battery pack can be improved.

The first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 may be made of a metal material. In the case of such a metal material, the rigidity of the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 can be easily ensured. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this specific material, and the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 may be made of various other materials.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first sealing member 600 may be disposed between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300. That is, the first sealing member 600 is located below the second fastening member 500 at the upper portion of the upper housing 300, and has an upper surface contacting the lower surface of the second fastening member 500. It may be in contact with the upper surface of the upper housing 300.

In addition, when viewed from the top, the first sealing member 600 may be configured to surround the first fastening member 400. In particular, the first sealing member 600 is formed in a ring shape, for example, a circular ring shape, and may be configured to surround a portion of the upper end of the first fastening member 400. In this case, the first sealing member 600 does not directly contact the surface of the first fastening member 400, and is arranged to be spaced apart from the first fastening member 400 by a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction as illustrated in FIG. 5. Can be.

In the case of the battery pack according to the present invention, due to the first sealing member 600, the sealing property can be further enhanced. In particular, the first sealing member 600, along the contact portion between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300 in the direction of arrow A4 of FIG. 5, allows moisture or foreign matter from outside the battery pack to penetrate inside. Can be prevented. That is, when water or foreign matter, etc., outside the second fastening member is to be introduced into the battery pack along the gap between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300, the first sealing member 600 is disposed in the path. Is located. Therefore, it is difficult for external moisture, foreign matters, etc. to be blocked by the first sealing member and introduced into the fastening hole through the gap between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300, as indicated by A4 '. Can lose. In addition, the first sealing member 600 may prevent the harmful gas inside the battery pack from being discharged to the outside in the direction opposite to the arrow A4 of FIG. 5. Furthermore, when the first sealing member 600 is formed in a ring shape, the first sealing member 600 may be always located in a path between the outside of the battery pack and the first fastening member 400 in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the sealing property of the battery pack may be more stably ensured by the first sealing member 600.

The first sealing member 600 may be made of a variety of materials that can ensure the sealability. For example, the first sealing member 600 may be made of rubber, silicon, polyurethane, or the like. In particular, the first sealing member 600 may be formed of an elastic material. In the case of such a material, since the molding is easy and the adhesion between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300 is good, flow and inflow of moisture, gas, or the like is prevented between the second fastening member 500 and the upper housing 300. Can be blocked more efficiently.

In addition, a plurality of first fastening members 400 and second fastening members 500 may be included in one battery pack. For example, the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 may be six, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, six first sealing members 600 may be included in the same number as the number of the first fastening members 400 and the second fastening members 500.

According to this configuration of the present invention, due to the plurality of fastening configurations of the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500, the coupling between the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300 with respect to the whole portion. It can be made stable. In addition, as described below, various components including the cell assembly 100 may be fixed to the first fastening member 400. In this case, due to the plurality of first fastening members 400, The fixation can be kept more stable. In addition, when a plurality of first fastening members 400 and second fastening members 500 are present, when shocks or vibrations are applied to the battery packs, the shocks or vibrations are prevented from being concentrated on a specific portion, and thus Failure or damage can be prevented.

Preferably, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a second sealing member 700.

The second sealing member 700 may be provided along an upper open end edge of the lower housing 200. For example, the second sealing member 700 may be provided at an upper end of the side wall portion of the lower housing 200, as indicated by E in FIG. 2, and may be configured in a ring shape, particularly in a rectangular ring shape. In addition, since the lower end of the side wall portion of the upper housing 300 is seated on the upper side wall portion of the lower housing 200, the second sealing member 700 may be interposed between the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300. have. That is, the second sealing member 700 may be interposed in the contact portion between the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300.

In this configuration, the first fastening member 400 may be located inside the second sealing member 700. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the first fastening member 400 may be located on the right side of the battery module, which is inward of the battery module, than the second sealing member 700. In particular, the second sealing member 700 may be provided along the edge portion of the pack housing to form a sealing line, but the first fastening member 400 is a sealing formed by the second sealing member 700. It can be said inside the line.

According to this configuration of the present invention, unnecessary space expansion of the battery pack can be prevented, which can contribute to miniaturization of the battery pack and improvement of energy density. If the first fastening member 400 is located outside the sealing line of the second sealing member 700, to secure a space in which the first fastening member 400 and the second fastening member 500 can be positioned. For example, the size of the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300 may be substantially longer than the sealing line of the second sealing member 700. However, since the outside portion of the sealing line is not directly related to the output or capacity improvement of the battery pack, it may be a factor of lowering the energy density of the battery pack. However, according to the above configuration of the present invention, since the first fastening member 400 is located inside the sealing line of the second sealing member 700, it is possible to prevent the volume of the battery pack from being unnecessarily expanded without improving performance. have.

However, when the first fastening member 400 is located inside the sealing line of the second sealing member 700 as described above, there is a possibility that the sealing property of the battery pack is weakened due to the first fastening member 400. However, in the case of the battery pack according to an aspect of the present invention, as described above, due to the second fastening member 500 and the first sealing member 600, such a problem can be prevented.

Also preferably, the upper housing 300 may be formed with an upper groove, and at least a portion of the first sealing member 600 may be inserted into the upper groove.

For example, referring to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the upper housing 300 may be formed with upper grooves formed in a concave downward direction on an upper surface thereof, as indicated by G3. In addition, the first sealing member 600 may be inserted into the upper groove G3 of the upper housing 300. Here, the upper groove G3 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the first sealing member 600. In particular, since the first sealing member 600 may be formed in a circular ring shape to surround the periphery of the first fastening member 400, the upper groove G3 may also be inserted into the first sealing member 600. When viewed from the top, it may be configured to have a circular ring shape.

According to this configuration of the present invention, the process of assembling the first sealing member 600 to the battery pack can be easily performed. That is, when assembling the first sealing member 600 to the battery pack, since the upper groove is provided in the upper housing 300, the position of the first sealing member 600 may be guided through the upper groove.

In addition, in a state where the first sealing member 600 is fitted into the upper groove, not only the lower surface of the first sealing member 600 contacts the upper housing 300 but also the side surface of the first sealing member 600 also includes the upper housing ( 300). Therefore, according to the above configuration, the contact area between the first sealing member 600 and the upper housing 300 is increased, and the adhesion therebetween can be improved. In addition, according to the above configuration, a path between the first sealing member 600 and the upper housing 300 may be complicated. Therefore, in such a configuration, the horizontal sealing property by the first sealing member 600 can be further improved.

Also preferably, a fastening groove may be formed in the second fastening member 500, and at least a part of the first sealing member 600 may be inserted into the fastening groove.

For example, referring to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the second fastening member 500 may have a fastening groove formed in a concave upward direction on a lower surface thereof, as indicated by G5. In addition, at least a portion of the first sealing member 600 may be inserted into the fastening groove G5 of the second fastening member 500. In particular, since the first sealing member 600 may be formed in a circular ring shape, the fastening groove G5 may also be formed in a circular ring shape so as to correspond to the shape of the first sealing member 600.

According to this configuration of the present invention, when the upper housing 300 is seated on the upper portion of the lower housing 200, since the first sealing member 600 is seated in the fastening groove of the upper housing 300, the lower housing 200 The fastening position of the upper housing 300 may be guided. In addition, since the contact area between the first sealing member 600 and the upper housing 300 is increased and the path therebetween becomes complicated, the sealing property of the battery pack can be improved.

Also preferably, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a lower end plate 810, as shown in FIG. 3.

The lower end plate 810 may have a plate shape, that is, a wide plate shape. The lower end plate 810 may be made of a metal material to ensure rigidity. For example, the lower end plate 810 may be formed of a plate having a substantially rectangular shape made of steel.

The lower end plate 810 may be located under the cell assembly 100. Therefore, the lower end plate 810 may protect the cell assembly 100 from the lower side, and improve the fixing force of the cell assembly 100.

In particular, the lower end plate 810 may be embedded in the lower housing 200. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7.

7 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a separation configuration of the lower housing 200 and the lower end plate 810 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the lower housing 200 includes a housing main body 210 having an inner space formed in a form in which a lower part and a side part are blocked, and an upper part thereof is opened, and a lower cover which is coupled to a lower part of the housing main body 210 and formed in a plate shape. 220 may be provided. In this case, the lower end plate 810 may be interposed between the housing body 210 and the lower cover 220. Therefore, when the housing main body 210 and the lower cover 220 are combined to form the lower housing 200, the lower end plate 810 may be embedded in the bottom of the lower housing 200.

In particular, the lower cover 220 may be fixedly coupled to the housing body 210 by laser welding. In this case, the lower cover 220 may be a transmission material for laser welding, and the housing body 210 may be an absorption material for laser welding. For example, the lower cover 220 may be fused to each other by the housing body 210 and the laser welding method at the edge portion. In this case, the lower cover 220 and the housing body 210 may be made of the same polymer material so that laser welding is performed well.

In addition, the lower end plate 810 may be embedded in the lower housing 200 in various ways. For example, the lower cover 220 may be molded by insert injection method with the housing main body 210 with the lower end plate 810 interposed therebetween. Alternatively, the lower cover 220 may be formed by a molding method.

In addition, a lower end of the first fastening member 400 may be coupled to the lower end plate 810. That is, the first fastening member 400 is configured to be erected in the vertical direction in the inner space of the lower housing 200, but penetrates the bottom of the housing body 210 to the lower end plate 810. Can be fixed.

According to this configuration of the present invention, the lower end plate 810 embedded therein can be reinforced with the rigidity and sealing properties of the lower housing 200. In particular, the lower housing 200 may be made of a polymer material to secure electrical insulation, light weight, formability, and the like. The lower end plate 810 is embedded in the lower housing 200 as described above. According to an embodiment, the lower end plate 810 made of a metal material may reinforce the rigidity of the lower housing 200. In addition, even if a part of the lower cover 220 is damaged due to the impact, the lower end plate 810 may prevent the external moisture or foreign matter from being introduced into the battery pack through the damaged part.

In addition, according to this configuration of the present invention, since the lower end plate 810 does not move, the first fastening member 400 coupled to the lower end plate 810 may also be strongly fixed. Therefore, the configuration coupled by the first fastening member 400, for example, the coupling state of the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300 may be stably maintained.

In addition, according to this configuration of the present invention, since the lower end plate 810, which may be made of a metal material, is not exposed to the outside of the battery pack, it may be easier to maintain electrical insulation of the battery pack.

More preferably, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a third fastening member 900, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7.

The third fastening member 900 may be positioned below the lower end plate 810 and may be coupled to a lower end of the first fastening member 400. Most of the first fastening member 400 is positioned above the lower end plate 810, and the lower end of the first fastening member 400 penetrates through the lower end plate 810 to be below the lower end plate 810. Can be located. As the third fastening member 900 is coupled to the lower end of the first fastening member 400 penetrated in this way, the first fastening member 400 may be firmly fixed to the lower end plate 810.

Here, the third fastening member 900 may be hollow, and the lower end of the first fastening member 400 may be inserted into the hollow of the third fastening member 900. In this case, a screw thread may be formed on the hollow inner surface of the third fastening member 900 and the lower outer surface of the first fastening member 400 to correspond to each other. Therefore, the third fastening member 900 may be coupled to rotate while the lower end of the first fastening member 400 is fitted in the hollow.

In particular, the third fastening member 900 may be buried in the bottom of the lower housing 200 together with the lower end plate 810.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the third fastening member 900 may be located between the housing body 210 and the lower cover 220. In addition, when the housing main body 210 and the lower cover 220 are combined by laser welding to form the lower housing 200, the third fastening member 900 may be embedded in the lower housing 200.

According to this configuration of the present invention, since the movement of the third fastening member 900 is limited, the third fastening member 900 may not be separated from the first fastening member 400. Therefore, the coupling state between the third fastening member 900 and the first fastening member 400 is stably maintained, so that the first fastening member 400 can be stably fixed to the lower end plate 810.

In addition, according to this configuration of the present invention, since the external exposure of the third fastening member 900 is prevented, even if the third fastening member 900 is made of a metal material, it may be advantageous to secure the electrical insulation of the battery pack.

In particular, the third fastening member 900 may be fixed to the lower end plate 810. For example, the third fastening member 900 may be welded to at least a portion of the lower end plate 810. In this case, the first fastening member 400 may be coupled to the lower end plate 810 by being coupled to the third fastening member 900.

According to this configuration of the present invention, the coupling state of the first fastening member 400 to the lower end plate 810 can be stably maintained. In addition, the first fastening member 400 is preferably perpendicular to the plane of the lower end plate 810. As described above, the third fastening member 900 is welded to the lower end plate 810. In this case, compared to the configuration in which the first fastening member 400 is welded, a right angle configuration of the first fastening member 400 may be more easily achieved.

Preferably, the first fastening member 400 may penetrate the cell assembly 100 in the vertical direction.

In particular, the secondary battery 110 and the cartridge 120 may be stacked in the cell assembly 100 in the vertical direction. The first fastening member 400 may be coupled to the cell assembly 100 through the cartridge 120. Can be. For example, each cartridge 120 included in the cell assembly 100 may have a fastening hole formed in a form penetrating the main frame 121 in the vertical direction as indicated by H1 in FIG. 4. In addition, the fastening holes H1 may communicate with each other in the vertical direction when the cartridge 120 is stacked. Accordingly, the first fastening member 400 may penetrate the cell assembly 100 in a form of being inserted into the fastening holes H1 of the plurality of cartridges 120.

According to this configuration of the present invention, the cartridge assembly 100 as well as the entire cell assembly 100 is fixed by the first fastening member 400 which couples and fixes the lower housing 200 and the upper housing 300. You can do that. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a fastening member for maintaining the stacked state of the various cartridges 120 or a fastening member for fixing the cell assembly 100 inside the battery pack. Therefore, according to this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the fastening parts and processes, to simplify the internal structure of the battery pack, to facilitate the assembly process, to reduce the manufacturing cost and time, the weight of the battery pack and the like.

Also preferably, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include an upper end plate 820, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The upper end plate 820 is formed in a plate shape, and may be made of a metal material, for example, a steel material. The upper end plate 820 may be seated on an upper portion of the cell assembly 100 to cover an upper portion of the cell assembly 100. Accordingly, the upper end plate 820 may maintain the stacked state of the secondary battery 110 and the cartridge 120, reinforce rigidity, maintain surface pressure, and protect them from external impact.

In particular, the upper end plate 820 may be penetrated by the first fastening member 400. That is, the first fastening member 400 may be configured to penetrate the upper end plate 820 together with the fastening hole H1 of the cartridge 120.

According to this configuration of the present invention, since the upper end plate 820 may be fixed by the first fastening member 400, a separate fastening member for fixing the upper end plate 820 is not included in the battery pack. can do. Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the structure of the battery pack can be simplified, the process can be facilitated, and manufacturing cost, time, weight, etc. can be reduced.

Also preferably, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include an electric plate 830, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The electric plate 830 is formed in a plate shape, and at least one electric component of a BMS, a current sensor, a relay, and a fuse may be mounted on a surface thereof, and may be electrically connected to the secondary battery 110.

Here, the battery management system (BMS) refers to a battery management device that generally controls the charge / discharge operation of the battery pack, and such a BMS is a component that is typically included in the battery pack. In addition, the current sensor is a component for sensing the charge and discharge current of the battery pack, the relay is a switching component for selectively opening and closing the charge and discharge path through which the charge and discharge current of the battery pack flows. In addition, the fuse is a component that is provided on the charge / discharge path of the battery pack and is melted when an abnormal situation occurs in the battery pack to block the flow of charge / discharge current. These current sensors, relays and fuses can exchange information with the BMS and can be controlled by the BMS.

The electrical plate 830 may be provided on the cell assembly 100. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment in which the upper end plate 820 is provided on the cell assembly 100, the electrical plate 830 may be located on the upper end plate 820. According to this configuration of the present invention, mounting, assembly, replacement, etc. of the electrical equipment can be facilitated.

In addition, the electric plate 830 may be penetrated by the first fastening member 400. That is, the first fastening member 400 may be configured to penetrate the electric plate 830 together with the fastening hole H1 of the cartridge 120, the upper end plate 820, and the like.

According to this configuration of the present invention, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the separate fastening parts and space for fixing the electric plate 830 inside the pack housing. In this case, therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified, manufacturing cost and time can be reduced, and space utilization inside the battery pack can be improved.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include a duct (D) for flowing in and out of the refrigerant, such as air into the cell assembly 100. In particular, the duct D may include an inlet duct for introducing the refrigerant from the outside of the cell assembly 100 to the inside, and an outlet duct for flowing out the refrigerant from the inside of the cell assembly 100 to the outside. In addition, the inlet duct and the outlet duct may be disposed on opposite sides of each other for smooth flow of the refrigerant.

In addition, the refrigerant introduced through the inlet duct may flow between the secondary batteries 110. In particular, each cartridge 120 may include two cooling plates 122 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and refrigerant may be introduced into spaced spaces of the cooling plates 122. In addition, the refrigerant flowing between the spaced spaces of the cooling plate 122 of the cartridge 120 may be discharged to the outside through the outflow duct.

The battery pack according to the present invention may further include other various components in addition to the above configuration. For example, the battery pack according to the present invention further includes a bus bar for transferring charge / discharge power of the cell assembly 100, a cable for transmitting electrical signals, a power supply terminal for connecting with an external charge / discharge device, and the like. can do.

The battery pack according to the present invention can be applied to an automobile such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. That is, the vehicle according to the present invention may include a battery pack according to the present invention. In particular, in the case of a vehicle that obtains driving power from a battery such as an electric vehicle, the energy density of the battery pack is improved by improving space utilization, simplification of the process, securing durability against shock and vibration, weight reduction, and miniaturization are very important factors. have. Therefore, when the battery pack according to the present invention is applied to such a vehicle, a battery pack that satisfies such various factors may be provided.

As described above, although the present invention has been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and is intended by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of the claims to be described.

Meanwhile, when terms indicating directions such as up and down are used in the present specification, these terms indicate relative positions, and are merely for convenience of description and may vary depending on the location of the object or the location of the observer. It is apparent to those skilled in the art.

100: cell assembly
110: secondary battery, 120: cartridge
200: lower housing
300: upper housing
400: first fastening member
500: second fastening member
600: first sealing member
700: second sealing member
810: lower end plate
820: upper end plate
830: battlefield plate
900: third fastening member

Claims (11)

A cell assembly including a plurality of secondary batteries, and a plurality of cartridges stacked on each other and enclosing an outer circumferential portion of the secondary battery from the outside;
A lower housing formed of an inner space having a bottom portion and a side wall portion to receive the cell assembly in the inner space, and having an upper portion open to allow the cell assembly to be drawn into the inner space;
An upper housing coupled to an upper open end of the lower housing and configured to seal an inner space of the lower housing in which the cell assembly is accommodated by covering the upper open end;
It is formed in a shape extending in one direction, the lower end is coupled to the bottom of the lower housing, is configured to be accommodated in the inner space of the lower housing to stand up to penetrate the cartridge of the cell assembly in the vertical direction, A first fastening member having an upper end penetrating the upper housing and exposed to an upper portion of the upper housing;
The upper housing is disposed above the upper housing, the lower portion is open and the upper portion is formed in the form of a hollow, the upper end of the first fastening member exposed to the upper portion of the upper housing is inserted and coupled to the lower housing, A second fastening member configured to fix an engagement state of the upper housing; And
The first fastening member surrounds the first fastening member, and is interposed between a lower portion of the second fastening member and an upper portion of the upper housing to be positioned in a path between the outer side of the upper housing and the inner space of the lower housing. A first sealing member configured to block movement of water, gas or foreign matter between the outer of the upper housing and the inner space of the lower housing;
Battery pack comprising a. The method of claim 1,
A second sealing member provided along an upper open end edge of the lower housing and interposed between the lower housing and the upper housing;
The first fastening member is a battery pack, characterized in that located in the horizontal direction than the second sealing member. The method of claim 1,
The upper housing is formed in the upper groove of the concave shape in the lower direction in the upper ring shape,
The first sealing member is a battery pack, characterized in that the lower portion is inserted into the upper groove. The method of claim 3,
The second fastening member has a concave fastening groove formed in a ring shape in an upper direction at a lower portion thereof,
The first sealing member is a battery pack, characterized in that the upper end is inserted into the fastening groove. The method of claim 1,
The battery pack, characterized in that the thread formed in the form corresponding to each other on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the first fastening member and the inner peripheral surface of the second fastening member. The method of claim 1,
The battery pack further comprises a lower end plate made of a plate-shaped metal material, embedded in a bottom portion of the lower housing, and having a lower end of the first fastening member coupled thereto. The method of claim 6,
And a third fastening member embedded in a bottom of the lower housing, positioned below the lower end plate, and formed with a hollow and coupled to a lower end of the first fastening member. delete The method of claim 1,
The battery pack further comprises an upper end plate formed of a plate-shaped metal material, mounted on an upper portion of the cell assembly to cover an upper portion of the cell assembly, and penetrated by the first fastening member. The method of claim 1,
It is formed in a plate shape, and is provided on the upper part of the cell assembly, at least one of the electrical equipment is mounted on the surface of the BMS, the current sensor, the relay and the fuse, characterized in that it further comprises an electrical plate is penetrated by the first fastening member Battery pack. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 7, 9 and 10.

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