Battery pack, device including the battery pack, and battery module

Abstract

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a battery module frame that accommodates a battery cell stack; and a battery pack frame to which the battery module frame is mounted, wherein the battery module frame includes a protrusion having a protruding shape that protrudes from a lower portion of the battery module frame toward the battery pack frame and is connected to the battery pack frame, and a side of the battery pack frame facing the battery module frame is formed to be flat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery pack including a battery pack frame having a simplified shape and a device including the same. Background Art

[0002] Rechargeable batteries are attracting widespread attention as energy sources for a wide range of products, including mobile devices and electric vehicles. These batteries are a powerful energy resource that can replace existing products using fossil fuels, and because they produce no byproducts, they are attracting attention as an environmentally friendly energy source.

[0003] Recently, as demand for large-capacity rechargeable battery structures (including use of rechargeable batteries as energy storage sources) increases, demand for battery packs having a multi-module structure gathering battery modules in which a plurality of rechargeable batteries are assembled in series / parallel is increasing.

[0004] On the other hand, when a battery pack is configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a method of configuring the battery pack by configuring a battery module composed of at least one battery cell using such a plurality of battery cells and adding other constituent elements is common.

[0005] A battery module constituting a battery pack includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked and a battery module frame that accommodates the battery cell stack and is coupled to a battery pack frame.

[0006] Conventional battery pack frames feature four protrusions per module for connection at the module frame mounting portion. This allows the module frame to be connected to these protrusions. This increases assembly tolerances due to the need to align the module frame's coupling portion with these protrusions, as their left and right positions and heights must be aligned. Furthermore, the multiple protrusions increase the overall weight and complexity of the battery pack frame. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can be assembled more easily by simplifying the shape of a pack frame to reduce the weight of the battery pack and reduce assembly tolerance.

[0009] The objectives to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above objectives, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other unmentioned objectives from the following description.

[0010] Technical Solution

[0011] According to a battery pack of an embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack includes: a battery module frame that accommodates a battery cell stack; and a battery pack frame to which the battery module frame is mounted, wherein the battery module frame includes a protrusion having a shape that protrudes from a lower portion of the battery module frame toward the battery pack frame and is combined with the battery pack frame, and a side of the battery pack frame facing the battery module frame is formed to be flat.

[0012] The pack frame may include a coupling hole in a position corresponding to the protrusion.

[0013] The protrusion and the coupling hole may be coupled to each other via a mounting member.

[0014] The battery module frame may include end plates covering front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, and the protrusions may protrude from bottoms of the end plates.

[0015] Through holes formed through the protrusions at both ends of the end plate may be included, and the mounting member may be inserted through the through holes and the coupling hole to be coupled together.

[0016] A thermally conductive resin layer may be further included between the battery module frame and the battery pack frame.

[0017] The thickness of the thermally conductive resin layer may be the same as the thickness of the protrusion protruding from the bottom of the battery module frame.

[0018] The battery module frame may further include an insulating member attached to an end portion of the protrusion.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a battery module includes: a battery cell stack; and a battery module frame that accommodates the battery cell stack, wherein the battery module frame includes a module frame covering four surfaces of the battery cell stack and includes openings exposing the ends of the battery cell stack on both sides in the length direction; and end plates connected to the openings on both sides of the module frame, and the end plates include protrusions protruding below the end plates.

[0020] The end plate may include through portions formed through the protrusion at both sides.

[0021] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the above-mentioned battery packs.

[0022] Technical Effects

[0023] The battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the weight of the battery pack by simplifying the shape of the pack frame, can be assembled more easily by reducing assembly tolerance, and can prevent waste of thermally conductive resin provided in the battery pack.

[0024] The above effects expected to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned effects, and other effects not described above will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Magnified view of part A.

[0027] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a battery pack before assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the appearance of a battery pack after assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 is a side view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 Schematic diagram illustrating the effects of the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 is a side view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Description of Reference Signs

[0033] 100: Battery module frame

[0034] 110: End plate

[0035] 120: Module Framework

[0036] 111: Through hole

[0037] 112: Protrusion

[0038] 200: Battery pack frame

[0039] 210: Connecting hole

[0040] 300: Thermal conductive resin layer

[0041] 400: Installation component DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] It should be understood that the embodiments described below are illustrative examples to aid understanding of the present invention, and that the present invention can be implemented with various modifications different from the embodiments described herein. However, when it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or components may unnecessarily obscure the key points of the present invention when describing the present invention, such detailed descriptions and detailed illustrations will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are not drawn to scale, but may exaggerate the dimensions of some components to aid understanding of the present invention.

[0043] The terms first and second used in this application can be used to describe various configuration elements, but the constituent elements should not be limited by these terms. The above terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from other constituent elements.

[0044] In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope. When describing the singular, unless there is a clear description to the contrary, it can be interpreted as having a plural meaning. In this application, terms such as "including", "consisting of..." or "comprising" are intended to indicate that there is one or another of the features, quantities, steps, operations, constituent elements, parts or combinations thereof described in the specification. It should be understood that the presence or addition of other features, quantities, steps, operations, constituent elements, parts or combinations thereof are not precluded.

[0045] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 6 A battery module and a battery pack according to embodiments of the present invention are described.

[0046] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of part A of Figure 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of a battery pack before assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the appearance of an assembled battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a side view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 Schematic diagram illustrating the effects of the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery module frame 100 that accommodates a battery cell stack. At this time, the battery module frame 100 includes: a module frame 120, which covers the four surfaces of the battery cell stack and includes openings exposing both ends of the battery cell stack in the length direction; and an end plate 110, which is connected to the openings on both sides of the module frame 120, and the end plate 110 includes a protrusion 112 protruding downward.

[0048] The battery is a rechargeable battery and can be configured as a pouch-type rechargeable battery. Such a battery unit can be composed of a plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of battery cells can be stacked on each other so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack. Each of these plurality of battery cells can include an electrode assembly, a battery case, and an electrode lead protruding from the electrode assembly.

[0049] The battery module frame 100 accommodates a battery cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells and physically protects the battery cell stack. The battery module frame 100 may include end plates 110 formed to cover the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, and a module frame 120 formed to cover the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of the battery cell stack. The module frame 120 may be in the form of a square tube with the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces integrally formed, or may be formed of a U-shaped frame integrally covering any one of the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces, and a plate coupled to the open surface of the U-shaped frame.

[0050] The end plate 110 may be connected to the module frame 120 by welding, and the bus bar frame and the battery cell laminate formed between the end plate 110 and the battery cell laminate may be physically protected.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the end plate 110 includes a protrusion 112 protruding downward at the bottom. The protrusion 112 is a configuration for coupling with a battery pack frame described later, and a detailed configuration will be described later.

[0052] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, a battery pack 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery module frame 100 for accommodating a battery cell stack and a battery pack frame 200 on which the battery module frame 100 is mounted, the battery module frame 100 includes a protrusion 112 having a protruding shape toward the battery pack frame 200 and combined with the battery pack frame 200, and a side of the battery pack frame 200 facing the battery module frame 100 is formed to be flat.

[0053] The battery pack frame 200 is formed to accommodate the battery module frame 100. The battery pack frame 200 can physically protect the plurality of battery cells accommodated in the battery module frame 100, be mounted on various devices requiring power, and can supply power generated from the battery modules formed inside the battery module frame 100 to these devices.

[0054] In addition, a thermally conductive resin layer 300 may be positioned between the pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100. The thermally conductive resin layer 300 may be made of a thermally conductive resin for heat dissipation, and heat generated from the battery module 10 may be dissipated to the pack frame 200 side.

[0055] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the battery module frame 100 may be mounted on an upper side of the battery pack frame 200. More specifically, the upper surface of the battery pack frame 200 includes a coupling hole 210 for coupling with the battery module frame 100, and may be coupled to the battery pack frame 200 in such a manner that the protrusion 112 of the battery module frame 100 is mounted in the coupling hole 210.

[0056] The mounting member 400 can couple the battery pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 together. More specifically, through-holes 111 formed through protrusions 112 are formed at both ends of the end plates 110 formed at the front and rear of the battery module frame 100. A coupling hole 210 for coupling thereto is formed at the top of the battery pack frame 200. The mounting member 400 integrally penetrates the through-holes 111 formed at both ends of the end plates 110 and the coupling hole 210 formed at the top of the battery pack frame 200, thereby combining the end plates 110 and the battery pack frame 200. The mounting member 400 can be inserted into the interior of the battery pack frame 200 through the coupling hole 210.

[0057] The mounting member 400 may be formed as a bolt. However, the mounting member is not limited to the bolt, and the battery module frame and the battery pack frame may be combined by utilizing various embodiments.

[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the battery pack frame 200 is formed to be flat without a protruding shape, and only the coupling hole 210 is formed. By simplifying the configuration of the battery pack frame 200 in this manner, the weight of the entire battery pack frame 200 can be reduced. In addition, as described above, the combination of the battery pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 can be achieved by aligning only the protrusion 112 protruding toward the lower portion of the battery module frame 100 (that is, the lower portion of the end plate 110) in the left-right direction to coaxially position the through hole 111 of the protrusion 112 and the coupling hole 210 of the battery pack frame 200, and then inserting the mounting member 400. Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, the battery pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 may be combined by aligning only the left and right directions, thereby reducing assembly tolerance.

[0059] That is to say, Figure 6(a) in the figure shows alignment with a conventional protruding battery pack frame 200. In this case, both vertical and horizontal alignment are required, increasing assembly tolerances. Specifically, when the distance between the battery pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 increases due to incorrect vertical alignment, the thermally conductive resin used to form the thermally conductive resin layer 300 located therebetween is injected in excess, resulting in a problem of wasted material such as the thermally conductive resin.

[0060] However, if Figure 6 As shown in (b) of FIG. , according to the present invention, the through-hole 111 of the protrusion 112 and the coupling hole 210 of the battery pack frame 200 can be aligned simply by aligning them side-to-side, thereby preventing this problem. That is, by designing the protrusion 112 to have the same thickness as the thermally conductive resin layer 300, simply by aligning the through-hole 111 of the protrusion 112 with the coupling hole 210 of the battery pack frame 200, a gap of the same design amount exists between the battery pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100, allowing a certain amount of thermally conductive resin to be applied to the corresponding space. Consequently, unnecessary waste of thermally conductive resin used to form the thermally conductive resin layer 300 can be prevented.

[0061] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, weight can be reduced by simplifying the structure of the battery pack frame 200, and when assembling the battery module frame 100 and the battery pack frame 200, the assembly tolerance is reduced, thereby not only simplifying the assembly process but also preventing unnecessary waste of materials such as thermally conductive resin.

[0062] Figure 7 is a side view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] like Figure 7 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention has the same structure as the previous embodiment, except that an insulating member 113 is further formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 112 of the battery module frame 100 that contacts the pack frame 200 .

[0064] The insulating member 113 is formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 112 of the battery module frame 100 and may be located between the battery module frame 100 and the pack frame 200. In this way, heat transfer to the pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 connected thereto may be blocked.

[0065] When both the pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100 are made of metal, conventionally, heat transfer occurs between the battery module frame 100 and the pack frame 200, and heat transfer occurs between the pack frame 200 and the battery module frame 100, which is affected by the outside and has a temperature gradient, so that the plurality of battery cells accommodated in the battery module frame 100 may be directly affected by the temperature of the pack frame 200. However, as Figure 7 As shown, since the insulating member 113 is formed between the battery module frame 100 and the battery pack frame 200 , heat transfer due to metal contact can be prevented in advance and the influence of external temperature on the battery cells can be minimized.

[0066] The battery pack may have a structure in which a battery management system (BMS) that manages the temperature or voltage of the battery and a cooling device are added and packaged.

[0067] The battery pack can be applied to various devices. The device can be applied to vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, or hybrid vehicles, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various devices that can use battery modules, and this is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0068] Although specific embodiments have been described and illustrated above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and that the modified examples should not be understood in isolation based on the technical spirit or viewpoint of the present invention.

[0069] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0070] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0142734, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 8, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: A battery module, a battery cell stack of the battery module, and a battery module frame accommodating the battery cell stack; a battery pack frame to which the battery module frame is mounted; as well as a thermally conductive resin layer located between the battery module frame and the battery pack frame, Wherein, the battery module frame includes: a module frame covering the upper, lower, left, and right surfaces of the battery cell stack and including an opening exposing both ends of the battery cell stack in the length direction; and two end plates coupled to the openings on both sides of the module frame and covering the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, respectively; and Each of the two end plates includes a protrusion protruding below the end plate, The protrusion has a shape that protrudes from the bottom of each end plate toward the pack frame and is combined with the pack frame. One side of the pack frame facing the battery module frame is formed to be flat, and coupling holes are formed in the pack frame only in positions corresponding to the protrusions. wherein each end plate includes through holes formed through the protrusions at both ends of each end plate, wherein the through hole of the protrusion and the coupling hole of the battery pack frame are aligned only by left-right alignment, and, wherein the thickness of the thermally conductive resin layer is the same as the thickness of the protrusion protruding from the bottom of the battery module frame to prevent waste of the thermally conductive resin used to form the thermally conductive resin layer, and Wherein, a mounting member integrally passes through the through hole and the coupling hole to combine each end plate and the battery pack frame together.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The battery module frame further includes an insulating member attached to an end portion of the protrusion.

3. A device comprising the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

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