Battery pack and automobile including the same

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present application includes: a battery pack tray having a partitioned internal space; a plurality of battery modules accommodated in the battery pack tray; a BMS accommodated in the battery pack tray; a first cable assembly connecting the BMS and battery modules constituting a first module group among the plurality of battery modules, and the first cable assembly being disposed at an upper portion of the first module group; and a second cable assembly connecting the BMS and battery modules constituting a second module group among the plurality of battery modules, and the second cable assembly being disposed at an upper portion of the second module group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery pack, and more specifically, to a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery pack, wherein a plurality of battery modules are connected to a battery management system (BMS) by means of components such as large-area flexible printed circuits (FPCs) or large-area flexible flat cables (FFCs) instead of wiring harnesses. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, a battery pack includes battery modules (which consist of multiple battery cells) for storing electrical energy and a battery management system (BMS) for sensing and system control.

[0003] Typically, in a battery pack that includes multiple battery modules, the electrical connection between each battery module and the BMS is achieved through a path such as battery cell - printed circuit pattern - connector - wire harness - connector - BMS.

[0004] Voltage sensing is performed on a unit stack comprising multiple battery cells connected in parallel to each other using sensing lines connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery cells. In a battery module comprising multiple unit stacks connected in series to each other, the number of printed circuit patterns connected to connectors disposed in the battery module should be increased in order to sense the voltage of each unit stack individually.

[0005] Furthermore, when a battery pack is manufactured using multiple battery modules, the weight and thickness of the wiring harness used to connect the BMS to the connectors located in each battery module inevitably increase. As a result, the space occupied by wires in the battery pack increases, and the loss in terms of energy density inevitably increases.

[0006] In the case of battery packs used in vehicles, a crossbeam can be installed to ensure stiffness against collisions, and the wiring harnesses used to connect each battery module to the BMS can be located within the internal space of the crossbeam. Therefore, as the volume of the wiring harness increases, the internal space of the crossbeam used to house the wiring harness should also increase, which may lead to a loss of energy density and a deterioration in the stiffness of the crossbeam.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a method that simplifies the mounting structure of the sensing wire used for voltage measurement to improve energy density and increase rigidity against external shocks. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] This disclosure is designed to solve the problems of related technologies. Therefore, this disclosure aims to simplify the mounting structure of the sensing line used to sense the voltage of the cell stack that constitutes the battery pack in order to improve energy density and increase rigidity against external shocks.

[0010] However, the technical objectives to be addressed by this disclosure are not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the following disclosure other objectives not mentioned herein.

[0011] Technical solution

[0012] In one aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: a battery pack tray having an internal space; a plurality of battery modules housed in the battery pack tray; a battery management system (BMS) housed in the battery pack tray; a first cable assembly configured to connect the BMS to battery modules forming a first module group among the plurality of battery modules, the first cable assembly being positioned above the first module group; and a second cable assembly configured to connect the BMS to battery modules forming a second module group among the plurality of battery modules, the second cable assembly being positioned above the second module group.

[0013] The battery pack tray may include: a plurality of dividers extending in the width direction of the battery pack tray and dividing the internal space of the battery pack tray; and a crossbeam extending in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack tray and dividing the internal space of the battery pack tray.

[0014] The first module group may be located on one side of the crossbeam, and the second module group may be located on the other side of the crossbeam.

[0015] Each of the plurality of battery modules may include: a cell stack having a plurality of battery cells stacked therein; a module housing housing the cell stack; a sensing line electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; and a module connector connected to the sensing line.

[0016] The BMS may include a pair of BMS connectors, which are respectively located at positions corresponding to the first module group and the second module group.

[0017] Each of the first cable assembly and the second cable assembly may include: a sensing cable having a printed circuit pattern; a plurality of first cable connectors connected to the sensing cable and secured to the module connector; and a second cable connector connected to the sensing cable and secured to the BMS connector.

[0018] The sensing line may include: a front sensing line located on one side of the unit stack in the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; a rear sensing line located on the other side of the unit stack in the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; and a connecting sensing line configured to connect the front sensing line to the rear sensing line, wherein the module connector is connected to the front sensing line.

[0019] The sensing line may include: a front sensing line located on one side of the unit stack along the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; and a rear sensing line located on the other side of the unit stack along the longitudinal direction of the unit stack, wherein the module connector includes: a front module connector connected to the front sensing line; and a rear module connector connected to the rear sensing line.

[0020] The first cable connector may include: a front cable connector, which is fastened to the front module connector; and a rear cable connector, which is fastened to the rear module connector.

[0021] In another aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle including a battery pack is also provided.

[0022] Beneficial effects

[0023] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the mounting structure of the sensing line used to sense the voltage of the cell stacks constituting a battery pack can be simplified, thereby increasing energy density and stiffness against external impacts. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, are intended to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 and Figure 4This is a view showing a battery module according to this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a view showing a cable assembly according to this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the crossbeam of the battery pack tray according to the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a view showing a battery module according to the present disclosure, which is Figure 4 A variant of the battery module.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a view showing a cable assembly according to the present disclosure, which has corresponding Figure 7 The structure of the battery module.

[0031] Figures 9 to 11 This is a view illustrating a method for manufacturing a cable assembly according to this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] In the following, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terminology used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to its general or dictionary meaning, but rather interpreted based on its meaning and concept corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure, on the basis of allowing the inventors to appropriately define the terms to obtain the best interpretation. Therefore, the description presented herein is merely a preferred example, for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that other equivalent substitutions and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery pack includes a battery pack tray 100, a plurality of battery modules 200, a battery management system (BMS) 300, and a cable assembly 400.

[0034] The battery pack tray 100 includes a plurality of dividers 110 extending in the width direction (parallel to the Y-axis) of the battery pack tray 100 and dividing the internal space of the battery pack tray 100, and a crossbeam 120 extending in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack tray 100 and dividing the internal space of the battery pack tray 100 (parallel to the X-axis).

[0035] Multiple dividers 110 are spaced apart from each other at regular intervals between the sidewalls of one side of the battery pack tray 100 and the sidewalls of the other side of the battery pack tray 100 in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack tray 100. A crossbeam 120 crosses the center of the battery pack tray 100 in the width direction of the battery pack tray 100.

[0036] Each of the multiple battery modules 200 is housed in the battery pack tray 100. Each of the multiple battery modules 200 is located in a storage space divided by the divider 110 and the beam 120.

[0037] Among the multiple battery modules 200, the battery module 200 constituting the first module group G1 is located on one side of the crossbeam 120 in the width direction of the battery pack tray 100, and the battery module 200 constituting the second module group G2 is located on the other side of the crossbeam 120 in the width direction of the battery pack tray 100.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 4 Each of the plurality of battery modules 200 includes a unit stack in which a plurality of battery cells 210 are stacked, a module housing 220 in which the unit stack is housed, a sensing line 240 electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 210, and a module connector 250 connected to the sensing line 240. The electrical connection between the sensing line 240 and the plurality of battery cells 210 can be achieved by a direct connection between the two components or by a busbar 230.

[0039] Battery cell 210 can be, for example, a pouch-type battery cell. Module housing 220 has openings on both sides in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the Y-axis) of module housing 220. Battery cell 210 has a shape in which electrode leads 211 are led out in opposite directions in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the Y-axis) of battery cell 210.

[0040] Sensing line 240 includes a front sensing line 241 located on one side of the cell stack in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the Y-axis), a rear sensing line 242 located on the other side of the cell stack in the longitudinal direction, and a connecting sensing line 243 configured to connect the front sensing line 241 to the rear sensing line 242. Sensing line 240 can be implemented as, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC). Alternatively, sensing line 240 can have a structure where the connection between the front sensing line 241 and the connecting sensing line 243, and the connection between the rear sensing line 242 and the connecting sensing line 243, are made via connectors. Even in this case, each of the front sensing line 241, the rear sensing line 242, and the connecting sensing line 243 can be implemented as, for example, an FPC or an FFC.

[0041] The front sensing line 241 is electrically connected to the electrode lead 211, which is exposed through an opening formed on one side of the module housing 220 along the longitudinal direction of the module housing 220. The rear sensing line 242 is electrically connected to the electrode lead 211, which is exposed through an opening formed on the other side of the module housing 220 along the longitudinal direction of the module housing 220.

[0042] Module connector 250 is electrically connected to battery cell 210 via sensing line 240. Module connector 250 is connected to front sensing line 241. Module connector 250 disposed in battery module 200 constituting first module group G1 and module connector 250 disposed in battery module 200 constituting second module group G2 face each other, with crossbeam 120 located between them.

[0043] When the electrical connection between the electrode leads 211 and the sensing lines 240 of the battery cell 210 is made through busbars 230, multiple busbars 230 can be provided. The unit stack can include multiple unit stacks, and the unit stacks can be connected in parallel via busbars 230. In this case, the front sensing line 241 is connected to multiple busbars 230 located on one side of the battery module 200 along its longitudinal direction (parallel to the Y-axis). The rear sensing line 242 is connected to multiple busbars 230 located on the other side of the battery module 200 along its longitudinal direction.

[0044] The BMS 300 is housed within the internal space of the battery pack tray 100. The BMS 300 is located on one side of the battery pack tray 100 in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the X-axis). The BMS 300 is located in the storage space formed between adjacent partitions 110, or in the storage space between one partition 110 and a sidewall formed on one side of the battery pack tray 100 in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] BMS 300 includes a pair of BMS connectors 310, which are respectively formed at positions corresponding to a first module group G1 and a second module group G2. The pair of BMS connectors 310 includes a first BMS connector 310A formed at the position corresponding to the first module group G1 and a second BMS connector 310B formed at the position corresponding to the second module group G2.

[0046] Reference Figures 1 to 5The cable assembly 400 includes a first cable assembly 400A and a second cable assembly 400B. The first cable assembly 400A connects the battery module 200 constituting the first module group G1 to the BMS 300 and is located above the first module group G1. The second cable assembly 400B connects the battery module 200 constituting the second module group G2 to the BMS 300 and is located above the second module group G2.

[0047] Each of the first cable assembly 400A and the second cable assembly 400B includes a sensing cable 410 containing a printed circuit board, a plurality of first cable connectors 420 connected to the sensing cable 410 and fastened to the module connector 250, and a second cable connector 430 connected to the sensing cable 410 and fastened to the BMS connector 310.

[0048] The first cable connector 420 of the first cable assembly 400A is configured such that the number of first cable connectors 420 in the first cable assembly 400A is the same as the number of battery modules 200 constituting the first module group G1. The first cable connector 420 of the second cable assembly 400B is configured such that the number of first cable connectors 420 in the second cable assembly 400B is the same as the number of battery modules 200 constituting the second module group G2.

[0049] The second cable connector 430 of the first cable assembly 400A is fastened to the first BMS connector 310A, and the second cable connector 430 of the second cable assembly 400B is fastened to the second BMS connector 310B.

[0050] As described above, the battery pack according to embodiments of the present disclosure is configured such that the electrical connection between the battery module 200 and the BMS 300 is made via an FPC (or FFC) and a connector. According to the battery pack according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensing line does not need to be located within the internal space of the beam 120 spanning the internal space of the battery pack tray 100. Therefore, the width occupied by the beam 120 can be reduced, thereby increasing energy density. Furthermore, if necessary, the rigidity of the beam 120 can be further increased by completely removing the internal space of the beam 120, thereby further improving the safety of the battery pack in use.

[0051] Now refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 A battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is described. Compared to the battery pack according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the battery pack according to another embodiment differs in the structure of the battery module 200 and the cable assembly 400, but the remaining components are substantially the same. Therefore, in describing the battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the differences will be mainly described, and descriptions identical to those in the above embodiments will not be repeated.

[0052] In a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensing line 240 disposed in the battery module 200 includes a front sensing line 241 and a rear sensing line 242, but does not include a connecting sensing line 243. Additionally, the module connector 250 includes a front module connector 250A connected to the front sensing line 241 and a rear module connector 250B connected to the rear sensing line 242.

[0053] The first cable connector 420 of the cable assembly 400 includes a front cable connector 420A fastened to the front module connector 250A and a rear cable connector 420B fastened to the rear module connector 250B. Therefore, the electrical connection between the front sensing line 241 and the rear sensing line 242 is made directly by the first cable connector 420.

[0054] Reference Figures 9 to 11 The cable assembly 400 can be manufactured by cutting a portion of the sensing cable 410 to form the necessary number of branch lines 411 and connecting the first cable connector 420 to each branch line 411.

[0055] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery pack as described above. That is, a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery pack according to the present disclosure and a drive device, such as an electric motor, driven by receiving power from the battery pack according to the present disclosure.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Various modified embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims.

[0057] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0148930, filed in Korea on November 9, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A battery pack, the battery pack comprising: Battery pack tray, which has internal space; Multiple battery modules are housed in the battery pack tray; A battery management system (BMS) is housed in a battery pack tray; A first cable assembly is configured to connect the BMS to a battery module forming a first module group among the plurality of battery modules, and the first cable assembly is located above the first module group. as well as A second cable assembly, configured to connect the BMS to a battery module forming a second module group among the plurality of battery modules, is located above the second module group. Each of the plurality of battery modules includes: A unit stack, wherein multiple battery units are stacked in the unit stack; A module housing, in which the unit stack is housed; Sensing lines, the sensing lines being electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; and Module connector, which is connected to the sensing line. Each of the first cable assembly and the second cable assembly includes: A sensing cable having a printed circuit pattern; A plurality of first cable connectors, the plurality of first cable connectors being connected to the sensing cable and secured to the module connector of each battery module; and The second cable connector is connected to the sensing cable and secured to the BMS.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The battery pack tray includes: Multiple partitions, extending in the width direction of the battery pack tray and dividing the internal space of the battery pack tray; and A crossbeam extends in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack tray and divides the internal space of the battery pack tray.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, The first module group is located on one side of the crossbeam, and The second module group is located on the other side of the crossbeam.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein, The first module group is located on one side of the crossbeam along the width direction of the battery pack tray, and the second module group is located on the other side of the crossbeam along the width direction of the battery pack tray.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The BMS includes a pair of BMS connectors, which are respectively located at positions corresponding to the first module group and the second module group.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The second cable connector is fastened to the BMS connector.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein, The number of first cable connectors in the first cable assembly is the same as the number of battery modules constituting the first module group, and the number of first cable connectors in the second cable assembly is the same as the number of battery modules constituting the second module group.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein, The pair of BMS connectors includes a first BMS connector formed at a position corresponding to the first module group and a second BMS connector formed at a position corresponding to the second module group, wherein the second cable connector of the first cable assembly is fastened to the first BMS connector, and the second cable connector of the second cable assembly is fastened to the second BMS connector.

9. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein, The sensing line includes: A front sensing line, the front sensing line being located on one side of the unit stack in the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; A rear sensing line, the rear sensing line being located on the other side of the unit stack in the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; and A connecting sensing line is configured to connect the front sensing line to the rear sensing line. The module connector is connected to the front sensing line.

10. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein, The sensing line includes: A front sensing line, the front sensing line being located on one side of the unit stack along the longitudinal direction of the unit stack; and The rear sensing line is located on the other side of the unit stack along the longitudinal direction of the unit stack. The module connector includes: Front module connector, the front module connector being coupled to the front sensing line; and A rear module connector, which is connected to the rear sensing line.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein, The first cable connector includes: Front cable connector, the front cable connector being fastened to the front module connector; and A rear cable connector, which is fastened to the rear module connector.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein, The electrical connection between the front sensing line and the rear sensing line is made directly by the first cable connector.

13. A vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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