KR20230050881A - Battery pack capable of uniform cooling - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack which comprises: an inner case having a plurality of battery cells mounted on a pack case to uniformly cool the battery cells therein, wherein the inner case is rotatable; an outer case located on the outside of the plurality of battery cells mounted on the inner case to protect the plurality of battery cells; and a plurality of driving means for rotating the inner case.

Description

Battery pack capable of uniform cooling

The present invention relates to a battery pack capable of uniformly cooling battery cells therein, including a rotatable inner case and a driving means for rotating the inner case, in which battery cells are seated.

As technology development and demand for mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, and digital cameras increase, technologies related to secondary batteries capable of charging and discharging are becoming more active. In addition, secondary batteries are an alternative energy source for fossil fuels that cause air pollutants, and are used in electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) and energy storage devices (ESSs). etc. are applied.

Types of secondary batteries that are currently widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and the like. The unit secondary battery cell, that is, the operating voltage of the unit battery cell is about 2.0V to 5.0V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells are connected in series to form a cell module assembly, and cell module assemblies are connected in series or parallel according to the required output voltage or charge/discharge capacity. A battery module may be configured, and it is common to manufacture a battery pack by adding additional components using at least one battery module.

Such a battery pack generates a lot of heat during charging and discharging, and a cooling system capable of properly cooling this heat is generally provided.

If the heat generated during the charge/discharge process is not effectively removed, performance degradation may occur due to deterioration of the battery cell, or in some cases, it may cause ignition or explosion, so it is important to effectively remove the heat.

In particular, in the case of high-output and large-capacity battery packs, such as battery packs for electric vehicles, which are rapidly increasing in recent years, it is very important to effectively cool heat generated from each battery cell because a plurality of battery cells are manufactured in a dense form.

Devices for cooling such a battery pack are used in various ways and forms.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a battery module having cooling fins between pouch-type battery cells for cooling and a heat sink at the bottom.

In this way, when a battery module or pack is cooled by providing a cooling fin and a heat sink, the battery cell can be cooled, but since a plurality of battery cells are stacked, temperature deviation may occur depending on the position of the battery cell. , When a temperature deviation occurs between battery cells, a deviation in performance or lifespan occurs between battery cells, and accordingly, the performance of the entire battery pack may be deteriorated and the lifespan may be shortened.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2019-0053574

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is to provide a battery pack capable of uniformly cooling the battery cells therein, including a rotatable inner case and a driving means for rotating the inner case in which the battery cells are seated. The purpose.

A battery pack according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a plurality of battery cells having electrode leads, a pack case accommodating the plurality of battery cells, and a plurality of driving means, the pack case comprising the plurality of battery cells. wherein the battery cells are seated, and includes a rotatable inner case and an outer case positioned outside the plurality of battery cells seated on the inner case to protect the plurality of battery cells, and the driving means is coupled to the inner case And characterized in that to rotate the inner case.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the inner case includes first and second chain parts on both sides of the outer periphery and a plurality of cell seating parts positioned in the form of thin plates between the first and second chain parts. do.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the inner case further includes connection tabs electrically connected to the electrode leads by being bonded to the first and second chain parts.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the outer case includes rims on both sides of the periphery and a plurality of bearings spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the outer case further includes a cover portion coupled to the edge portion and the bearing portion to protect the plurality of battery cells therein.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the cover part is formed by combining a plurality of insulating covers with the bearing part or the rim part.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the bearing part has a plurality of bearing balls mounted therein.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the driving means is coupled to two driving gears engaged with the first and second chain parts and the driving gear inside the first and second chain parts, and rotates the driving gear. It is characterized in that it comprises a drive shaft to do.

In addition, a method for manufacturing a battery pack according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a battery pack including a rotatable inner case in which a plurality of battery cells are seated, a driving means for rotating the inner case, and an outer case for protecting the battery cells. A) coupling the driving means and the inner case b) seating the battery cell on the cell seating part of the inner case c) bonding the electrode lead of the battery cell and the connection tab of the inner case and d) coupling the outer case.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a battery pack according to the present invention includes the step of forming a cover portion by combining a plurality of insulating covers with the rim portion and the bearing portion after the step d) combines the rim portion and the bearing portion of the outer case. It is characterized by doing.

In addition, the device according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes a battery pack according to the present invention.

In addition, the device according to the present invention is characterized in that it is any one of an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (P-HEV).

The battery pack of the present invention has an advantage in that the battery cells can be uniformly cooled by rotating the inner case in which the battery cells are seated.

In addition, the battery pack of the present invention has the advantage of suppressing the risk of performance degradation and ignition or explosion of the battery pack by uniformly cooling the internal battery cells.

1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view schematically showing a form in which a driving means is coupled to an inner case according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view schematically showing a form in which a battery cell is seated in an inner case according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an outer case according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this application, terms such as "comprise", "have" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other It should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of addition or existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, the same reference numerals are used for parts having similar functions and actions throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only the case where it is directly connected, but also the case where it is indirectly connected with another element interposed therebetween. In addition, including a certain component does not exclude other components unless otherwise stated, but means that other components may be further included.

Hereinafter, a battery pack according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a form in which a driving means is coupled to an inner case according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a perspective view schematically showing a form in which a battery cell is seated in an inner case according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an outer case according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Looking at the battery pack 1000 of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the battery pack 1000 includes a plurality of battery cells 100, a pack case 200, and a plurality of driving means 300. .

First, the battery cell 100 may be a variety of well-known battery cells, but preferably a pouch-type battery cell 100 in which two electrode leads 110 of a positive electrode and a negative electrode protrude and extend in opposite directions.

The pouch type battery cell 100 generally means a battery cell 100 in which a battery case accommodating an electrode assembly is a pouch case.

Here, the pouch case is typically composed of a laminated sheet structure of inner layer/metal layer/outer layer. Since the inner layer is in direct contact with the electrode assembly, it must have insulation properties and electrolyte resistance, and sealing properties, that is, the sealing portion where the inner layers are thermally bonded to each other, must have excellent thermal bonding strength for sealing with the outside.

Materials for the inner layer may be selected from polyolefin resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene acrylic acid, and polybutylene, polyurethane resins, and polyimide resins, which have excellent chemical resistance and good sealing properties, but are not limited thereto.

The metal layer in contact with the inner layer corresponds to a barrier layer that prevents moisture or various gases from penetrating into the battery from the outside, and a lightweight aluminum thin film having excellent formability can be used as a preferable material for the metal layer.

In addition, an outer layer is provided on the other side of the metal layer, and the outer layer can use a heat-resistant polymer having excellent tensile strength, moisture permeability and air permeability to secure heat resistance and chemical resistance while protecting the electrode assembly, For example, nylon or polyethylene terephthalate may be used, but is not limited thereto.

Next, the pack case 200 is rotatable and includes an inner case 210 in which the plurality of battery cells 100 are seated and an outer case 220 protecting the battery cells 100 .

The inner case 210 includes first and second chain parts 211 and 212 on both sides of the outer periphery, and a plurality of cell seating parts in the form of thin plates connected between the first chain part 211 and the second chain part 212 ( 213) and a connection tab 214 that is bonded to and electrically connected to the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100.

The first and second chain parts 211 and 212 are formed with grooves engaged with gears so that the inner case 210 can be rotated by a driving means, and the cell seating part 213 and the connection are formed on the outside. A dragon tab 214 may be coupled.

The material of the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 is preferably a metal having good electrical conductivity.

The reason for this is that it has excellent processability and mechanical properties, and the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 seated in the inner case 210 is electrically connected to the connection tab 214, and the connection tab 214 ) is a structure electrically connected to the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 and electrically connected to the outside of the battery pack 1000 .

Therefore, when the battery cell 100 is seated on the cell seating part 213, the positive lead among the electrode leads 110 of the battery cell 100 is positioned in the direction of the first chain part 211, and the second chain part ( 212), each of the electrode leads may be electrically connected to the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 since the cathode lead is positioned in the direction.

When the direction of the electrode lead 110 is opposite to the above example, that is, it is also possible that the negative lead is positioned in the direction of the first chain part 211 and the positive lead is positioned in the direction of the second chain part 212.

Subsequently, the cell seating portion 213 is a place where the battery cell 100 is seated, and is preferably formed in a thin plate shape to be rotatably connected to the first and second chain portions 211 and 212 .

Of course, the shape of the cell seating portion 213 is not limited thereto, and various shapes are possible within a range in which the battery cell 100 can be seated without interfering with the rotation of the inner case 210 .

In addition, since the cell seating part 213 is spaced apart from the neighboring cell seating part 213 by a certain distance, not only the rotation of the inner case 210 but also the heat dissipation of the battery cell 100 can be more smoothly performed. there is

Meanwhile, as described above, the material of the cell seating part 213 is electrically insulating to prevent a short circuit since the first chain part 211 and the second chain part 212 are electrically connected to electrode leads of different polarities. It is desirable to be

Of course, the entire cell seating portion 213 may be formed of an electrically insulative material, or a portion thereof may be formed of an electrically insulating material to prevent a short circuit through the cell seating portion 213 .

Next, as described above, the connection tab 214 is electrically connected to the first and second chain parts 211 and 212, and is bonded to the electrode lead 110 after the battery cell 100 is seated. .

As a method of bonding the electrode lead 110 and the connection tab 214, various known methods may be used.

On the other hand, the outer case 220 serves to protect the battery cells 100 seated on the inner case 210, and includes the rim portion 221, the bearing portion 222, the cover portion 223, and the fastening portion ( 224), and the shape of the outer case 220 is preferably manufactured in a shape similar to that of the inner case in terms of suppressing an increase in volume and increasing energy density, but is not limited thereto, and the battery cell 100 Various shapes are possible within the range that can protect them.

The rim part 221 is located at the outermost part of both sides of the outer case, maintains the shape of the outer case, and the cover part 223 is fastened.

Subsequently, a plurality of bearing parts 222 are provided between the outermost rim parts 221 on both sides, and the outer diameter is the same as the rim part 221, but a plurality of bearing balls are provided on the inside, so that the rim part ( 221), the inner diameter is smaller.

The role of the bearing part 222 is to contact the battery cells 100 seated on the inner case 210 to support the outer case 22 and the inner case 210, and the rotation of the battery cells 100 is smooth. is to make it possible.

Therefore, the outer case 220 and the inner case 210 come into contact with only the plurality of bearing parts 222 without any connection structure so that the battery cells 100 seated on the inner case 210 can smoothly rotate.

The number of bearing parts 222 is preferably two or more to safely support the battery cells 100 seated on the inner case 210, and can be appropriately selected according to the size of the battery pack 1000. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover part 223 is formed by attaching a plurality of insulating covers to all parts of the outer case 220 except for the front part and the rear part into which the driving unit 300 is inserted.

Each insulating cover is provided with a fastening part 224 for fastening with the edge part 221 and the bearing part 222, and is formed of a material such as electrically insulating plastic molded to correspond to the shape of the outer case 220. do.

The number or shape of the insulating covers constituting the cover unit 223 may be appropriately selected depending on the size and shape of the battery pack and ease of molding.

For the fastening part 224, various known fastening methods may be used as well as general mechanical fastening such as screw fastening.

On the other hand, the drive means 300 is coupled to the inner case 210 to transmit a driving force for rotating the inner case 210 and the battery cells 100 seated on the inner case 210, the drive gear 310 and A drive shaft 320 is included.

First, the drive gear 310 is positioned inside the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 of the inner case 210 and rotates, thereby rotating the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 that are engaged with each other. .

The driving shaft 320 is an axis that transmits rotational force to the driving gear 310, and the number of driving gears 310 corresponds to each of the first chain part 211 and the second chain part 212, and one driving shaft 320 ) is provided with two.

That is, one driving means 300 is formed by including one driving shaft 320 and two driving gears 310 .

It is preferable that at least two or more such driving means 300 are provided in the inner case 210 .

As described above, the inner case 210 has first and second chain parts 211 and 212 located on both sides, and the cell seating part 213 is coupled between them, and the inner case 210 itself has a shape. It is a structure that is difficult to maintain.

Accordingly, it is necessary that at least two driving means 300 be provided to maintain the tension of the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 .

Such a driving means 300 is connected to the first chain part 211 and the second chain part 212 through the driving shaft 320, and as described above, the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 Since each is electrically connected to the electrode lead 110, it is necessary to be configured in a form capable of preventing a short circuit between the first chain part 211 and the second chain part 212.

For example, a part of the driving shaft 320 between the first chain unit 211 and the second chain unit 212 is formed of an electrically insulating material, or the entire driving shaft 320 is formed of an electrically insulating material to prevent a short circuit. can also be prevented.

Alternatively, a short circuit may be prevented by making the driving gear 310 made of an electrically insulating material.

However, structures for preventing such a short circuit need to be applied in consideration of electrical connection between the battery pack 1000 and the outside.

That is, when the first and second chain parts 211 and 212 of the battery pack 1000 are directly electrically connected to the outside, the drive shaft 320 or the entire drive gear 310 is formed of an electrically insulating material, However, if the driving gear 310 and the driving shaft 320 are used as passages for electrical connection between the battery pack 1000 and the outside, the first chain part 211 and the second chain part ( A method of forming a part of the driving shaft 320 between 212 with an electrically insulating material may be appropriate.

In addition, a separate cooling means may be further provided in the battery pack 1000 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, since the battery pack 1000 of the present invention has a structure in which an empty space is formed inside the inner case 210, there is an effect of natural cooling to some extent without a separate cooling means, but more effective cooling It is preferable to provide a separate cooling means for this.

As the cooling means, various well-known means such as air-cooling and water-cooling may be applied, but an air-cooling that circulates air through an empty space inside the inner case 210 is preferable.

The battery pack 1000 of the present invention can be used as a power supply source for various devices.

Such devices include electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs).

If the battery pack 1000 is used for a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, the power for rotating the driving shaft 320 may be used by connecting it to a driving device of the vehicle.

Looking at the method of manufacturing the battery pack 1000 described above, first, the step of preparing the inner case 210, the outer case 220 and the driving means 300, the driving means 300 and the inner case 210 , seating the battery cell 100 on the cell seat 213 of the inner case 210, connecting the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 and the inner case 210 with a tab ( 214) and coupling the outer case 220.

The step of coupling the outer case 220 is to combine the rim portion 221 and the bearing portion 222 of the outer case 220 and then combine a plurality of insulating covers to the rim portion 221 and the bearing portion 222. Forming the cover part 223 is included.

In addition, the step of coupling the driving means 300 and the inner case 210 is performed by inserting the two driving means 300 into the first and second chain parts 211 and 212, and then the first and second chain parts. (211, 212) to maintain the desired shape.

A battery management system (BMS) for controlling the battery pack 1000 may be added to the battery pack 1000 manufactured in this way.

As above, specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail, to those skilled in the art, these specific descriptions are only preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby, and the scope of the present invention It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope and scope of the technical idea, and it goes without saying that these changes and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1000: battery pack
100: battery cell
110: electrode lead
200: pack case
210: inner case
211: first chain part
212: second chain part
213: cell seating part
214: tab for connection
220: outer case
221: border
222: bearing part
223: cover part
224: fastening part
300: driving means
310: drive gear
320: drive shaft

Claims (12)

a plurality of battery cells having electrode leads;
a pack case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and
including a plurality of driving means;
The pack case includes a rotatable inner case in which the plurality of battery cells are seated; and
An outer case positioned outside the plurality of battery cells seated in the inner case to protect the plurality of battery cells,
The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit is engaged with the inner case to rotate the inner case.
The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the inner case includes first and second chain parts on both sides of the outer periphery and a plurality of cell seating parts positioned in the form of thin plates between the first and second chain parts. .
3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the inner case further comprises connection tabs bonded to the electrode leads and electrically connected to the first and second chain parts.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the outer case includes rims on both sides of the periphery and a plurality of bearings spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.
5 . The battery pack of claim 4 , wherein the outer case further comprises a cover portion coupled to the edge portion and the bearing portion to protect the plurality of battery cells therein.
The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein the cover part is formed by combining a plurality of insulating covers with the bearing part or the edge part.
The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein the bearing part has a plurality of bearing balls mounted therein.
The method of claim 2, wherein the driving means comprises two driving gears engaged with the first and second chain parts inside the first and second chain parts and a driving shaft coupled to the driving gear and rotating the driving gear. A battery pack comprising:
A method of manufacturing a battery pack including a rotatable inner case in which a plurality of battery cells are seated, a driving means for rotating the inner case, and an outer case protecting the battery cells,
a) coupling the driving means and the inner case;
b) seating the battery cell on a cell seating portion of the inner case;
c) bonding an electrode lead of the battery cell to a tab for connection of the inner case; and
d) coupling the outer case; a battery pack manufacturing method including.
10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein the step d) comprises forming a cover portion by coupling a plurality of insulating covers to the rim portion and the bearing portion after coupling the rim portion and the bearing portion of the outer case. manufacturing method.
A device comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is any one of an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (P-HEV).

Images