Battery pack

Abstract

A battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells, and a case providing an accommodation space configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells, and including side walls and a bottom wall contacting each other at a corner position facing a corner position of each battery cell, the case having a spaced portion recessed at the bottom wall to space the corner position of the battery cell from the corner position of the case.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more aspects of the implementation relate to a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, a secondary battery is a battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery, which is typically not rechargeable after being discharged. Secondary batteries can be used as an energy source for devices such as mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, electric bicycles, and uninterruptible power supplies. Furthermore, depending on the type of external device used, secondary batteries can be used as a single battery or in a group, where multiple batteries are connected and bundled into a single unit.

[0003] Small mobile devices such as cell phones can operate for a specific period of time using the output and capacity of a single battery, but large mobile devices (such as power-consuming laptops or electric and hybrid vehicles) require long-term operation and high-power operation. In the latter case, due to limitations in output and capacity, a battery pack type comprising multiple batteries is preferred, and the output voltage or output current can be increased depending on the number of built-in batteries.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background art, and therefore the information discussed in this background section does not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One or more embodiments include a battery pack that can prevent or reduce electrical and physical interference between the battery cells and the housing housing the battery cells at corner locations that are relatively vulnerable to external impacts, thereby ensuring insulation between the battery cells and the housing and protecting the battery cells.

[0006] Other aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the embodiments presented in this disclosure.

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells; and a housing providing a receiving space configured to receive the plurality of battery cells, and including sidewalls and bottom walls that contact each other at corner locations facing corner locations of each battery cell, the housing having recessed spacing portions formed in the bottom wall to space the corner locations of the battery cells from the corner locations of the housing.

[0008] According to some implementations, the spacer portion may be formed on the inner surface of the housing facing the battery cell.

[0009] According to some implementations, the spacer portion can extend from the bottom wall of the housing to the side wall of the housing.

[0010] According to some implementations, the spacer portion may include: a first portion formed on the bottom wall of the housing; and a second portion formed on the side wall of the housing.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the first portion of the spacer can be formed such that the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing is recessed toward the outer surface of the bottom wall of the housing.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the bottom wall of the housing may include: a first portion of the spacer portion, recessed inward; and a support formed outside the first portion of the spacer portion and having a flat shape to support the bottom surface of the battery cell.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the support may include an inner surface and an outer surface of the housing that extend parallel to each other and have a flat shape with a constant wall thickness, and a first portion may be recessed from the inner surface of the housing toward the outer surface of the housing and have a wall thickness smaller than that of the support.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the second portion of the spacer can be formed on the entire sidewall of the housing, and the sidewall of the housing on which the second portion of the spacer is formed can have a uniform wall thickness.

[0015] According to some embodiments, a first portion of the spacer portion may form a first gap that separates the bottom surface of the battery cell from the bottom wall of the housing, and a second portion of the spacer portion may form a second gap that separates the side surface of the battery cell from the side wall of the housing.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the first gap and the second gap can be connected to each other at the corner of the housing and together surround the corner of the battery cell.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the first gap may be formed locally in a portion of the bottom wall of the housing, and the second gap may be formed on the entire side wall of the housing.

[0018] According to some implementations, the side bar can be located together with the spacer portion between the corner of the battery cell and the corner of the housing.

[0019] According to some implementations, the side bar can surround the bottom and side surfaces of the battery cell.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the side bar may include: a first part, facing the first part of the spacer portion and forming the width of the side bar; and a second part, facing the second part of the spacer portion and forming the height of the side bar.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the spacer and side bar can be provided at a corner position of the housing, where the spacer and side bar overlap each other.

[0022] According to some implementations, the spacer portion and the side bar may overlap each other, but not completely overlap each other.

[0023] According to some implementations, the side bar may extend beyond the first portion of the spacer.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the first portion of the side rod may include: a receiving portion located within a first gap formed by the first portion of the spacer portion; and a position fixing portion located outside the first portion of the spacer portion and on a support member of the bottom wall.

[0025] According to some implementations, the receiving portion can be supported while floating within a first gap formed by the first portion of the spacer portion.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the position-fixing portion can be supported between the support member of the bottom wall formed outside the first portion of the spacer portion and the bottom surface of the battery cell, while contacting the support member of the bottom wall and the bottom surface of the battery cell. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The above and other aspects, features, and characteristics of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a battery pack according to some implementation methods;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the battery pack shown;

[0030] Figure 3 It is used for explanation Figure 2 Views of the housing and the corresponding surfaces of the battery cells housed within the housing;

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the shell shown; and

[0032] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4 A perspective view showing the arrangement of the side bars and insulating sheets. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals always denote the same elements. In this respect, the present embodiments may take different forms and should not be construed as limited to the description set forth herein. Therefore, the embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings only to explain various aspects of this specification. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. When following a list of elements, expressions such as “…at least one of…” modify the entire list of elements, rather than individual elements of the list.

[0034] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a battery pack according to some implementation methods.

[0036] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the battery pack shown.

[0037] Figure 3 It is used for explanation Figure 2 Views of the housing and the corresponding surfaces of the battery cells housed within the housing.

[0038] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the casing shown.

[0039] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4 A perspective view showing the arrangement of the side bars and insulating sheets.

[0040] Referring to the accompanying drawings, a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of battery cells 10; and a housing 50, providing a receiving space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 10, and including sidewalls 55 and bottom walls 52 that contact each other at corner positions 50c facing each battery cell 10c. The housing 50 includes a spacer portion 60 that is recessed at least from the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 to space the corner positions 10c of the battery cells 10 and the corner positions 50c of the housing 50 from each other.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the battery cell 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 10. For example, the battery cell 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 10 arranged in a first direction z1. Throughout this specification, the first direction z1 may represent the direction in which the plurality of battery cells 10 are arranged. According to some embodiments, the plurality of battery cells 10 may include battery cells 10 arranged in a row in the first direction z1. In various embodiments, the battery cell 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 10, wherein the battery cells 10 arranged in a row in the first direction z1 are arranged in multiple rows in a second direction z2 that intersects the first direction z1. According to some embodiments, the second direction z2 is a direction that intersects the first direction z1 and may correspond to a direction that intersects the first direction z1 perpendicularly.

[0042] The battery cell 10 may include: a terminal surface 13 on which electrode terminals 10a are formed; a bottom surface 12 on the opposite side of the terminal surface 13; a first side surface 11 that connects the terminal surface 13 to the bottom surface 12 and has a relatively large area; and a second side surface 15 that connects the terminal surface 13 to the bottom surface 12 and has a relatively small area.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the battery cell 10 may include a casing and an electrode assembly housed within the casing, with the electrolyte housed together with the electrode assembly within the casing 50. According to some embodiments, the electrode assembly may include a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate with different polarities, and a separator inserted between the first and second electrode plates. The electrode assembly may be formed in a wound configuration, wherein a stack having a separator inserted between the first and second electrode plates is wound into a roll, or in a stacked configuration, wherein a plurality of first electrode plates and a plurality of second electrode plates are stacked such that the separator is inserted therebetween. The first and second electrode plates of the electrode assembly may be respectively connected to electrode terminals 10a of different polarities formed on the terminal surface 13 of the battery cell 10. Through the electrode terminals 10a, the discharge power of the electrode assembly may be output, or the charging power may be input to the electrode assembly.

[0044] The electrode assembly can be housed within the casing of the battery pack 10. According to some embodiments, the casing forms the outer surface of the battery cell 10. For example, the terminal surface 13, bottom surface 12, first side surface 11, and second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 can correspond to the terminal surface 13, bottom surface 12, first side surface 11, and second side surface 15 of the casing forming the outer surface of the battery cell 10. For example, the terminal surface 13, bottom surface 12, first side surface 11, and second side surface 15 can represent the terminal surface 13, bottom surface 12, first side surface 11, and second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, or they can represent the terminal surface 13, bottom surface 12, first side surface 11, and second side surface 15 of the casing forming the outer surface of the battery cell 10.

[0045] The electrode terminals 10a of the battery cell 10 can be formed on the terminal surface 13, and the terminal surface 13 and the bottom surface 12 facing the terminal surface 13 can face each other in a third direction z3. Throughout this specification, the third direction z3 can correspond to the direction intersecting the first direction z1 and the second direction z2, and can also correspond to the direction perpendicularly intersecting the first direction z1 and the second direction z2. The third direction z3 can correspond to the direction of the terminal surface 13 facing the bottom surface 12, or it can correspond to the direction of the electrode terminal 10a protruding from the terminal surface 13. The bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 can face the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 that houses the plurality of battery cells 10, and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 can face each other in a third direction z3, and the plurality of battery cells 10 can be maintained and supported by the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50. As will be described later, a recessed spacer portion 60 in the third direction z3 may be formed in the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, and the spacer portion 60 may have a shape that is at least recessed downward, such that the bottom surfaces 12 of the battery cells 10 facing each other and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 are spaced apart from each other at the corner positions 10c of the battery cells 10 and 50c of the housing 50.

[0046] The first side surface 11 connects the terminal surface 13 of the battery cell 10 to the bottom surface 12 and can have a relatively large area. According to some embodiments, battery cells 10 adjacent to each other in the first direction z1 can be arranged such that the first side surfaces 11 face each other in the first direction z1. Since the battery cells 10 with relatively large first side surfaces 11 face each other, the plurality of battery cells 10 arranged in the first direction z1 can stably support each other. According to some embodiments, the first side surfaces 11 can include a pair of first side surfaces 11 facing each other along the first direction z1 in which the battery cells 10 are arranged. The second side surface 15 connects the terminal surface 13 of the battery cell 10 to the bottom surface 12 and can have a relatively small area. According to some embodiments, the second side surfaces 15 can include a pair of second side surfaces 15 facing each other in the second direction z2.

[0047] The plurality of battery cells 10 can be housed in a housing 50 that provides housing space for the plurality of battery cells 10. The housing 50 may include a sidewall 55 facing a second side surface 15 of the battery cells 10 and a bottom wall 52 facing a bottom surface 12 of the battery cells 10, and an opening forming an open housing space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 10 may be formed at a position facing the bottom wall 52 along a third direction z3. The plurality of battery cells 10 can be accommodated in the housing space of the housing 50 through this opening.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The housing 50, which provides a receiving space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 10, may include a bottom wall 52 having a long side 52a and a short side 52b extending in a first direction z1 and a second direction z2, respectively. The plurality of battery cells 10 may be held and supported by the bottom wall 52. A spacer portion 60 is recessed downward along the long side 52a of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, such that the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cells 10 are spaced apart from each other in a third direction z3 intersecting the first direction z1 and the second direction z2.

[0049] For example, according to some embodiments, a spacer portion 60 recessed downward in the third direction z3 may be formed in the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 accommodating the plurality of battery cells 10. The spacer portion 60 faces the corner position 10c (where the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 contacts the second side surface 15) and may surround the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 that are in contact with each other. For example, according to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 may be formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50, thus facing the corner position 10c (where the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 contacts the second side surface 15). According to some embodiments, the corner position 10c (where the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 contacts the second side surface 15) may face the corner position 50c (where the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 contacts the side wall 55). The spacer portion 60 may be formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50 (which faces the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10).

[0050] According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 facing the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 can mean that the spacer portion 60 is formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50 (the corner position 10c facing the battery cell 10). A portion of the spacer portion 60 can be formed at the position facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, and another portion of the spacer portion 60 can be formed at the position facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. That is, according to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 can be formed at both the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 facing the battery cell 10, in other words, formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 may include a first portion 61 formed at a position facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and a second portion 62 formed at a position facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10.

[0052] The first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed at a location facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, for example, it may be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 (which faces the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10). According to some embodiments, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may correspond to a wall of the housing 50 that surrounds the receiving space to form a receiving space for receiving the plurality of battery cells 10, and may be, for example, a wall of the housing 50 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. That is, according to some embodiments, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 refers to the wall of the housing 50, rather than its surface. For example, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may include both an inner surface and an outer surface, including an inner surface facing the battery cell 10 and an outer surface on the opposite side of the battery cell 10, and the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 facing the battery cell 10. For example, according to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, and may be formed on a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 or on the entire inner surface of the bottom wall 52. According to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 may be formed on a limited portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, for example, on a limited portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 adjacent to the corner position 50c of the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the formation of the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 on the bottom wall 52 may indicate that the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 forms part of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52. That is, according to some embodiments, the formation of the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 on a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 may indicate that the first portion 61 of the spacer 60 forms part of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 and continuously connects to another portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, thus forming the entire inner surface of the bottom wall 52. Here, according to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may form a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, having a shape that is recessed downward from another portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52. According to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may be distinct from the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50. The bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may refer to the wall of the housing 50 surrounding the receiving space, but the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 (which forms the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50) is recessed downward and forms a first gap g1 with the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 to provide cushioning for the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. In this functional respect, even though the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 forms the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 can be understood as distinct from the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50.

[0053] The second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed at a location facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, for example, it may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50 (which faces the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10). According to some embodiments, the side wall 55 of the housing 50 may correspond to a wall of the housing 50 surrounding a receiving space to form a receiving space for receiving the plurality of battery cells 10, and may, for example, be the wall of the housing 50 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. That is, according to some embodiments, the side wall 55 of the housing 50 refers to the wall of the housing 50, rather than its surface. For example, the side wall 55 of the housing 50 may include both an inner surface and an outer surface, including an inner surface facing the battery cell 10 and an outer surface on the opposite side of the battery cell 10, and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the side wall 55 facing the battery cell 10. For example, according to some embodiments, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the sidewall 55, and may be formed on a portion of the inner surface of the sidewall 55 or on the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55. According to some embodiments, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55, for example, it may be formed from the inner surface of the sidewall 55 adjacent to the corner position 50c of the housing 50 on the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55. According to some embodiments, the formation of the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 on the sidewall 55 indicates that the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 forms the inner surface of the sidewall 55. That is, according to some embodiments, the formation of the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 on the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55 indicates that the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 forms the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55, and therefore, the inner surface of the sidewall 55 is completely spaced apart from the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. According to some embodiments, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the entire inner surface of the sidewall 55, while continuously extending from the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 may represent the wall of the housing 50 surrounding the receiving space, but the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 forming the inner surface of the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 forms a second gap g2 with the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 to provide cushioning to the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. In this functional aspect, even though the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 forms the inner surface of the sidewall 55, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 can be understood as different from the sidewall 55 of the housing 50.

[0054] The spacer portion 60 can extend from a position facing one of the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 to a position facing the other. Here, the extension of the spacer portion 60 from one side to the other can mean, according to some embodiments, that the spacer portion 60 extends from a first portion 61 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 to a second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 extends from the first portion 61 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 to the second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 can extend completely across the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. For example, according to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 can extend from the first portion 61 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 toward the second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, and here, the second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 can be completely formed on the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50 (the corner position 10c facing the battery cell 10) may include a first portion 61 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and a second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. Here, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may form the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and form a first gap g1 from the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 to the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may form the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and form a second gap g2 from the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 to the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50. Furthermore, the first gap g1 and the second gap g2 may be connected to each other to surround the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10.

[0056] According to some embodiments, the gap g allows the edges of the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 (which are formed at corner positions 10c and 50c of the battery cell 10 and the housing 50, for example, at corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 and corner position 50c of the housing 50) to be spaced apart from each other, and can provide cushioning between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 to protect the battery cell 10 from external impacts. More specifically, the first gap g1 can cushion the battery cell 10 from falling impacts, and the second gap g2 can cushion the battery cell 10 from lateral external impacts. According to some embodiments, the first gap g1 can be provided from the first portion 61 of the gap portion 60 and formed between the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, which face each other, and the second gap g2 can be provided from the second portion 62 of the gap portion 60 and formed between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50, which face each other.

[0057] In the following text, see reference Figure 4 The interval portion 60 and the interval gap g provided by the interval portion 60 will be described in more detail.

[0058] A spacer portion 60 facing the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 can be formed at the corner position 50c, where the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 contacts the side wall 55. More specifically, the spacer portion 60 can be formed at the corner position 50c, where the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 contacts the side wall 55, and the spacer portion 60 formed at the corner position 50c can face the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 (in other words, at the corner position 10c where the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 contacts the bottom surface 12).

[0059] According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60 may include a first portion 61 facing the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and a second portion 62 facing the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, and the first portion 61 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be connected to each other. That is, according to some embodiments, the first portion 61 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be connected to each other and surround the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10.

[0060] A first portion 61 of the spacer 60 may be formed on the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, allowing the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, which face each other in a third direction z3, to be spaced apart from each other, forming a first spacer gap g1 between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. The first spacer gap g1 allows the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, which face each other, to be spaced apart, thereby absorbing undesirable interactions between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. For example, the first spacer gap g1 can prevent or reduce physical interference between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, thereby protecting the battery cell 10 from external impacts and cushioning external impacts transmitted from the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 to the battery cell 10. Furthermore, the first spacer gap g1 can prevent or reduce, for example, insulation damage, such as tearing of the insulating coating formed on the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. Here, the tear is caused by physical disturbance due to an external impact between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. Furthermore, the first gap g1 ensures electrical insulation between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10.

[0061] In other words, the first gap g1 can prevent or reduce physical and electrical interference between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. Therefore, the battery cell 10 can be protected from external environmental influences by preventing or reducing electrical and physical interference. More specifically, by eliminating electrical or physical interference from the outside, the normal operation of the battery cell 10 can be ensured, and physical damage to the battery cell 10 can be prevented or reduced.

[0062] According to some embodiments, a first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may form a first gap g1 between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, which face each other along a third direction z3. According to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 facing the battery cell 10, and may have a shape recessed toward the outer surface of the bottom wall 52, that is, a shape that recesses downward from the inner surface of the housing 50 facing the battery cell 10 toward the outer surface of the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may have a substantially constant thickness, comprising an inner surface and an outer surface extending parallel to each other. The bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may have a substantially constant thickness. The inner surface of the bottom wall 52 is recessed toward the outer surface in the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, and a bottom wall 52 with a relatively small thickness may be formed in the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60. Therefore, the first gap g1 can be formed in a recessed shape on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52, and the first portion 61 of the gap portion 60 is formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52.

[0063] Therefore, according to some embodiments, the bottom wall 52 can be formed in a flat shape, wherein its inner and outer surfaces are parallel to each other, and can have a substantially constant wall thickness. Furthermore, the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 is recessed toward the outer surface of the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, thus allowing for a relatively small wall thickness. A first spacer gap g1 with a recessed shape can be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 corresponding to the first portion 61, and the outer surface of the bottom wall 52 can be formed completely flat at both the inner and outer positions corresponding to the first portion 61. That is, according to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 and the first spacer gap g1 provided by the first portion 61 can be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 facing the battery cell 10, and the outer surface of the bottom wall 52 can be formed completely flat. The first portion 61 is used to provide the first spacer gap g1 between the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, and the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 can be formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 facing the battery cell 10.

[0064] The spacer portion 60 can extend from the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 toward the side wall 55, and can extend continuously from the first portion 61 formed on the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 toward the second portion 62 formed on the side wall 55. Here, the spacer portion 60 may include the first portion 61 formed on the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the second portion 62 formed on the side wall 55 of the housing 50. The first portion 61 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 can be formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50, and can contact and connect with each other at the corner position 50c of the housing 50, and can together surround the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 at the corner position 50c of the housing 50.

[0065] According to some embodiments, a second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the sidewall 55 of the housing 50, allowing the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, which face each other in the second direction z2, to be spaced apart from each other, and forming a second spacer gap g2 between the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. The second spacer gap g2 allows the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, which face each other, to be spaced apart from each other, thereby absorbing undesirable interactions between the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. For example, the second spacer gap g2 can prevent or reduce physical interference between the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 due to external impacts, and prevent or reduce insulation damage, such as tearing of the insulating coating formed on the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. Here, tearing is caused by physical interference between the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 due to external impacts. Furthermore, the second gap g2 ensures electrical insulation between them. That is, the second gap g2 prevents or reduces physical interference between the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, thereby protecting the battery cell 10 from external impacts and buffering external impacts transmitted from the side wall 55 of the housing 50 to the battery cell 10. In other words, the second gap g2 prevents or reduces both physical and electrical interference between the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, thus protecting the battery cell 10 from the influence of the external environment by preventing or reducing physical and electrical interference. More specifically, by eliminating physical or electrical interference, normal operation of the battery cell 10 can be ensured, and physical damage to the battery cell 10 can be prevented or reduced.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may form a second gap g2 between the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, which face each other along the second direction z2. For this purpose, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed on the inner surface of the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 facing the battery cell 10.

[0067] Unlike the first portion 61, the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 can form a completely flat inner surface of the sidewall 55. According to some embodiments, the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 can have a completely uniform wall thickness, including inner and outer surfaces extending parallel to each other. As described above, unlike the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 (which includes inner and outer surfaces extending completely parallel to each other and has a completely uniform wall thickness), the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 has a shape in which the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 facing the battery cell 10 is recessed towards the outer surface; therefore, a portion of the bottom wall 52 can have a locally small wall thickness. That is, the sidewall 55 of the housing 50 (on which the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60, different from the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, is formed) can have a completely uniform wall thickness. Since the sidewall 55 has a completely uniform wall thickness, its inner surface can be completely spaced apart from the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. A second gap g2 can be formed between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50, which face each other via a second portion 62 formed on the entire inner surface of the side wall 55. That is, according to some embodiments, a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 can be partially recessed into the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60. The inner surface of the bottom wall 52 is not formed flat, but a portion of the inner surface is partially recessed towards the flat outer surface. Therefore, a first gap g1 can be formed on a limited portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 corresponding to the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60. In the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60, unlike the first portion 61, the entire inner surface of the side wall 55 is formed flat. Therefore, the second gap g2 can be completely formed on the side wall 55 corresponding to the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60. According to some embodiments, the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may be partially formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 facing the battery cell 10, adjacent to the corner position 50c of the housing 50. The second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may be formed entirely on the side wall 55 facing the battery cell 10. According to some embodiments, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may have a non-uniform wall thickness on the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60; in other words, it may have a non-uniform wall thickness at the inner location where the first portion 61 is formed and at the outer location outside the first portion 61. The side wall 55 of the housing 50 may have a uniform wall thickness on the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60; in other words, it may have a uniform wall thickness over the entire side wall 55.

[0068] According to some embodiments, a spacer 60 may be formed at a corner position 50c on the inner surface of the housing 50, facing the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10, where the side wall 55 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 are in contact with each other. A first gap g1 and a second gap g2 are provided between the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, thereby preventing or reducing physical or electrical interference with respect to the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the spacer portion 60, designed to prevent or reduce physical and electrical interference relative to the bottom surface 12 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, and the gap g formed by the spacer portion 60, can be provided at the corner positions 10c and 50c of the battery cell 10 and the housing 50, where the possibility of physical and electrical interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 is high. For example, the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 are likely to be in physical contact with each other at the corner positions 10c and 50c, while forming protruding edges relative to each other. For example, the corner positions 10c of the battery cell 10 and 50c of the housing 50, which face each other, may come into contact with each other due to external impact, and physical and electrical interference may occur between them. For example, the corner positions 50c of the housing 50 and 10c of the battery cell 10 may form local stress concentrations due to external impact, while receiving impact through relatively narrow edges, and there is a possibility of strong interaction between them. For example, compared to when a falling impact is applied to the bottom wall 52 or side wall 55 of the housing 50, which has a relatively large area, the falling impact is concentrated on a small area when the impact is applied to the corner position 50c of the housing 50, which forms the edge. Therefore, due to the falling impact, the corner positions 50c of the housing 50 and 10c of the battery cell 10, which face each other, are more likely to exchange strong interactions. That is, compared to other locations of the housing 50 forming the outer surface of the battery pack, the corner position 50c, where stress concentration is relatively high, is more likely to force the housing 50 and battery cell 10 into close contact with each other. For example, when the housing 50 and battery cell 10 are forced into close contact at the corner position 50c, the possibility of physical and electrical interference increases, as stress concentration is relatively high at this corner position 50c for the same external impact. As a result, this may mean that physical collisions and electrical short circuits are more likely to occur between the housing 50 and battery cell 10. As described above, according to some embodiments, a spacer portion 60 for preventing or reducing physical and electrical interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 is formed at corner positions 10c and 50c where stress concentration is relatively high. Therefore, interference between them is prevented or reduced at corner positions 10c and 50c where they might be forced into close contact. Thus, damage and malfunction of the battery cell 10 due to physical and electrical interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 can be prevented or reduced.

[0070] The first gap g1 and the second gap g2 provided by the first portion 61 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 can be connected to each other at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. For example, the first gap g1 and the second gap g2 are formed on the bottom wall 52 and the side wall 55 adjacent to the corner position 50c of the housing 50, and can extend parallel to the bottom wall 52 in a second direction z2 and parallel to the side wall 55 in a third direction z3, respectively, while contacting each other at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. The first gap g1 can be limited to the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 corresponding to a portion of the bottom wall 52, rather than being formed on the entire bottom wall 52. Unlike the first gap g1, the second gap g2 can be formed on the entire side wall 55. For example, the first gap g1 and the second gap g2 can be connected to each other. The second gap g2 can extend from the first gap g1 formed on the bottom wall 52 toward the side wall 55, and can be formed in the third direction z3 along the entire height of the side wall 55 between the side wall 55 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. The second gap g2 can have a uniform width in the third direction z3. By means of the first gap g1 partially formed on the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, the battery cell 10 and the bottom wall 52 can be spaced apart from each other at the corner position 50c where stress concentration is high, and interference between them can be prevented or reduced. In addition, the weight of the battery cell 10 can be maintained and supported by the support member 52s of the bottom wall 52, in which the first gap g1 is not included. Here, the support 52s of the bottom wall 52 can refer to the portion of the bottom wall 52 that maintains and supports the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 while in contact with it, and for example, can refer to the flat portion other than the first portion 61, which has a first gap g1 and is recessed into the bottom wall 52. According to some embodiments, the support 52s can be flattened to have a constant wall thickness, including the inner and outer surfaces of the housing 50 that extend parallel to each other. The first portion 61 forming the first gap g1 can be recessed from the inner surface of the housing 50 toward the outer surface, and therefore can have a wall thickness smaller than that of the support 52s.

[0071] Unlike the bottom wall 52 on which the first gap g1 is formed as described above, the side wall 55 on which the second gap g2 is formed does not need to maintain and support the weight of the battery cell 10. Therefore, the second gap g2 can be formed entirely between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50. The second gap g2 can space the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 apart to prevent or reduce interference between them, and also provides space for accommodating the second portion 72 of the side rod 70. According to some embodiments, the insulating sheet 80 can be accommodated together with the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 in the second gap g2.

[0072] According to some embodiments, a spacer 60 is formed at a corner position 50c where stress concentration is relatively high, and a side rod 70 is inserted between the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 and the corner position 50c of the housing 50. Therefore, interference between the corner positions 10c and 50c, where the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 are forced into close contact with each other, can be prevented or reduced. That is, according to some embodiments, a spacer 60 and a gap g formed by the spacer 60 are provided to space the corner positions 10c and 50c of the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 apart (the corner positions 10c and 50c have relatively high stress concentration and are therefore forced into close contact). Furthermore, the side rod 70 is inserted between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 for the purpose of preventing or reducing close contact with each other. Therefore, physical and electrical interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 at the corner positions 10c and 50c can be eliminated by the spacer 60 and the side rod 70. According to some embodiments, a spacer portion 60 and a side bar 70, used to prevent or reduce interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 in different ways (such as ensuring spacing and preventing or reducing contact), can be formed between the corner positions 10c and 50c of the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. Here, the spacer portion 60 and the side bar 70 can be formed at positions corresponding to each other; in other words, they are formed correspondingly at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. However, as will be described later, even if the spacer portion 60 and the side bar 70 are formed correspondingly at the corner position 50c of the housing 50, the spacer portion 60 and the side bar 70 may not be formed at positions that completely overlap each other.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the side rod 70 and the spacer portion 60 may be formed overlapping each other at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the side rod 70 may include a first portion 71 facing the bottom wall 52 and a second portion 72 facing the side wall 55. The first portion 71 faces the bottom wall 52 and forms the width of the side rod 70, and may have a wider width than the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 formed on the bottom wall 52. The second portion 72 faces the side wall 55 and forms the height of the side rod 70, and may have a smaller height than the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 formed on the side wall 55. For example, the side rod 70 may have a smaller height than the height of the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 formed across the entire side wall; in other words, it may be formed partially on a portion of the height of the side wall 55, and may have a smaller height including the corner position 50c of the side wall 55. Throughout this specification, the width of the side rod 70 can be limited in a second direction z2 parallel to the bottom wall 52, and the height of the side rod 70 can be limited in a third direction z3 parallel to the side wall 55.

[0074] The side rod 70 may include a first portion 71 facing the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and a second portion 72 facing the side wall 55 of the housing 50. The first portion 71 and the second portion 72 are in contact with each other in a curved shape and may extend in a vertically curved shape to face the bottom wall 52 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50, respectively. According to some embodiments, the first portion 71 and the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may face the bottom wall 52 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50, respectively; more specifically, they may face the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 formed on the bottom wall 52 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 formed on the side wall 55, respectively. Here, the first portion 71 of the side rod 70 and the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 may not be formed in a position where they completely overlap each other. Similarly, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 and the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60 may also be formed in a position where they do not completely overlap each other.

[0075] The first portion 71 of the side rod 70 may have a width extending beyond the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60. For example, the first portion 71 of the side rod 70 may include a receiving portion 71a formed at a location overlapping with the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 and a positioning portion 71b formed at a location outside the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60. For example, the first portion 71 of the side rod 70 may include: a receiving portion 71a formed at a location overlapping with the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60; and a positioning portion 71b formed at a location outside the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, in other words, formed on the support members 52s of the bottom wall 52. According to some embodiments, the side rod 70 may include a stepped portion 71c that connects different thicknesses between the receiving portion 71a and the positioning portion 71b. The stepped portion 71c may provide a positioning alignment structure for aligning the position of the side rod 70 between the receiving portion 71a and the positioning portion 71b.

[0076] The receiving portion 71a, the position fixing portion 71b, and the step portion 71c will be described in more detail below. That is, the receiving portion 71a can have a relatively large thickness in the third direction z3. On the support member 52s located outside the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, the position fixing portion 71b can be inserted between the battery cell 10 and the support member 52s of the bottom wall 52 and fix the position of the side rod 70. According to some embodiments, depending on the position in the second direction z2, the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 may include: a first portion 61 formed in a recessed shape and a support member 52s formed flatly outside the first portion 61; in other words, the support member 52s is formed flatly and corresponds to the remaining portion of the bottom wall 52 excluding the first portion 61. Here, in the second direction z2, the receiving portion 71a and the position fixing portion 71b of the side rod 70 can be formed respectively at positions corresponding to the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 and the support member 52s. For example, in the second direction z2, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be formed at a position relatively adjacent to the corner position 50c, and the positioning fixing portion 71b can be formed at a position relatively far from the corner position 50c. As will be described later, the receiving portion 71a formed at the corner position 50c, which has a relatively high stress concentration, is used to prevent or reduce interference between the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 and the corner position 50c of the housing 50. In order to prevent or reduce interference between the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 and the corner position 50c of the housing 50, the receiving portion 71a can have a relatively large thickness. The positioning fixing portion 71b formed at a position relatively far from the corner positions 10c and 50c is configured to completely fix the position of the side rod 70, rather than being configured to prevent or reduce interference between the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 and the corner position 50c of the housing 50, and therefore can have a relatively small thickness within the limits required to fix the position of the side rod 70. Throughout this specification, the thickness direction of the side rod 70 may refer to a third direction z3. The side rod 70 may include a receiving portion 71a with a relatively large thickness in the third direction z3 and a position fixing portion 71b with a relatively small thickness.

[0077] A stepped portion 71c for connecting portions of different thicknesses can be formed between a receiving portion 71a and a positioning portion 71b, which are connected to each other in a second direction z2 and have different thicknesses in a third direction z3. The stepped portion 71c can provide positional alignment between the side rod 70 and the bottom wall 52. For example, according to some embodiments, the stepped portion 71c of the side rod 70 and the boundary portion 52c of the housing 50 include complementary stepped claws, so that their positions can engage with each other. More specifically, in order to position the stepped portion 71c of the side rod 70 on the boundary portion 52c between the flatly formed support 52s and the recessed spacer portion 60 of the bottom wall 52, the stepped portion 71c of the side rod 70 and the boundary portion 52c of the housing 50 can include complementary stepped claws, whose positions can engage with each other and whose positions can be aligned with each other. For example, aligning the side rod 70 and the bottom wall 52 with each other indicates that the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 is located at the spacer portion 60 corresponding to the bottom wall 52, while the positioning portion 71b of the side rod 70 is located at the support member 52s corresponding to the bottom wall 52. That is, depending on the distance relative to the corner position 50c of the housing 50, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be located at the spacer portion 60 adjacent to the corner position 50c, and the positioning portion 71b of the side rod 70 can be located at the support member 52s relatively far away from the corner position 50c.

[0078] The receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be floatingly positioned relative to the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, corresponding to the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60, and can be located between the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 while floating a certain height from the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50. The receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 is configured to prevent or reduce interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50, and can be spaced apart from at least one of the battery cell 10 or the housing 50, thereby preventing or reducing interaction between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be selectively spaced apart from the housing 50 and the housing 50 of the battery cell 10, and can be spaced apart from or in contact with the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10. For example, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can extend from one end supported by the position fixing portion 71b of the side rod 70 toward the corner position 50c of the housing 50 in the second direction z2, and can be inserted between the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50 and the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, corresponding to the first portion 61 of the spacer portion 60 formed at the corner position 50c of the housing 50. Here, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be supported while floating at a certain height from the inner surface of the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, and can have a fixing structure, such as a cantilever beam extending from the end supported by the position fixing portion 71b.

[0079] If the side rod 70, which provides insulation between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50, is located between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 and is in close contact with each other, the interaction between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 is not suppressed, but the interaction between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 can be regulated. Therefore, the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70 can be positioned spaced apart from the housing 50.

[0080] Unlike the receiving portion 71a of the side rod 70, the positioning portion 71b of the side rod 70 can be located between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 and in close contact with each other. For example, the positioning portion 71b can include an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other in a third direction z3. The upper surface of the positioning portion 71b can contact the bottom surface 12 of the battery cell 10, and the lower surface of the positioning portion 71b can contact the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50. As described above, the positioning portion 71b is inserted between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 and in contact with each other, thus its position is firmly fixed between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. Furthermore, the position of the side rod 70 can be completely and firmly fixed by the positioning portion 71b. For example, the positioning portion 71b can be pressed by the weight of the battery cell 10, and its position can be fixed between the battery cell 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50. That is, the position fixing part 71b is pressed by the weight of the battery unit 10 between the battery unit 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50, and its position can be firmly fixed between the battery unit 10 and the bottom wall 52 of the housing 50.

[0081] The side rod 70 may include a second portion 72 inserted between the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. Here, when checking the fixation of the position of the side rod 70, the position of the side rod 70 can be fixed by the position fixing portion 71b formed in the first portion 71 facing the bottom wall 52. However, the position of the side rod 70 may not be fixed by the second portion 72 facing the side wall 55.

[0082] According to some embodiments, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may be formed between the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. However, even if the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 is formed between the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, the second portion 72 may not be in close contact with the side wall 55 of the housing 50 and the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10. Therefore, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may not provide a positional fixing force. According to some embodiments, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 is used to prevent or reduce interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. When the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 is fixed in close contact with the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 (e.g., squeezed between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50), the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 modulates the interaction between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50, rather than inhibiting the interaction between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. Therefore, according to some embodiments, the position of the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may not be securely fixed between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. For example, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may be slightly loosely located between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. For example, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may be spaced apart from at least one of the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 or the side wall 55 of the housing 50. According to some embodiments, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 contacts the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10, but may be spaced apart from the side wall 55 of the housing 50. However, in various embodiments, the second portion 72 of the side rod 70 may be pressed between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 and provide a complete positional fixing force to the side rod 70.

[0083] The side rod 70 can be located at the corner position 50c of the housing 50 (facing the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10), thereby protecting the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10. Therefore, the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 can be protected from external impacts. For example, the side rod 70 can be made of a metallic material. The side rod 70 can be made of a metallic material such as SUS and protects the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 where external impacts may be concentrated, even over a small area and forming an edge. However, in various embodiments, the side rod 70 can be made of a metallic material, or it can have an insulating coating formed on the metallic material to prevent or reduce interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50. For example, a side rod 70 may be formed at the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 (where external impacts may be concentrated), thereby mitigating external impacts toward the battery cell 10 and preventing or reducing interference between the battery cell 10 and the housing 50 at the corner position 10c, while protecting the corner position 10c of the battery cell 10 from external impacts. As described above, the side rod 70 can protect the battery cell 10 from external physical impacts and electrical interference, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the battery cell 10. Due to the functions of the side rod 70 as described above, the side rod 70 can be made of an impact-resistant metal material and can have a structure in which an insulating coating is formed on the metal material frame. However, in various embodiments, the side rod 70 can be made of a metal material on which no insulating coating is formed.

[0084] The side rod 70 can be located between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50, for example, it can be located between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50, which corresponds to the second portion 62 of the spacer portion 60. Here, the insulating sheet 80, together with the side rod 70, can be located between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the inner surface of the side wall 55 of the housing 50. Here, unlike the side rod 70, the insulating sheet 80 does not include a reinforcing structure such as a metallic material and can be provided, for example, in the form of a sheet of electrically insulating polymer resin material. For the purpose of eliminating electrical interference, the insulating sheet 80 can be provided in the form of an insulating sheet. The insulating sheet 80 can be formed along the second direction z2 between the second side surface 15 of the battery cell 10 and the side wall 55 of the housing 50 over the entire height, and the side rod 70 can be formed along a portion of the height at a position adjacent to the corner position 50c of the housing 50.

[0085] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery pack can prevent or reduce electrical and physical interference between the battery cells and the housing containing the battery cells at corner locations that are relatively susceptible to external impacts, thereby ensuring or improving insulation between the battery cells and the housing and protecting the battery cells.

[0086] This disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but these embodiments are merely illustrative. Therefore, those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible.

[0087] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are for descriptive purposes only and not for limiting purposes. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. Although one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: Multiple battery cells; as well as A housing provides a receiving space configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells, and includes sidewalls and a bottom wall that contact each other at corner locations facing the corner locations of each of the battery cells. The housing has recessed spacing portions in the bottom wall to space the corner locations of the battery cells from the corner locations of the housing. The side rod, together with the spacer portion, lies between the corner position of the battery cell and the corner position of the housing. The side bar includes: The first part, facing the first part of the interval portion and forming the width of the side rod; and The second part, facing the second part of the interval portion and forming the height of the side rod. The first portion of the side bar includes: The receiving portion is formed at a position overlapping with the first portion of the spacer portion; A positioning fixing portion, formed at a location outside the first portion of the interval portion, is inserted between the battery cell and the bottom wall to fix the position of the side rod; the positioning fixing portion has a smaller thickness than the receiving portion; and The stepped portion, connecting the receiving portion and the position fixing portion, is used to align the position of the side rod. The first portion of the spacer is on the bottom wall of the housing, and the second portion of the spacer is on the side wall of the housing.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the spacer portion is located on the inner surface of the housing, the inner surface facing the battery cells among the plurality of battery cells.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the spacer portion extends from the bottom wall of the housing to the side wall of the housing.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the spacer portion is formed such that the inner surface of the bottom wall of the housing is recessed toward the outer surface of the bottom wall of the housing.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the housing comprises: The first portion of the recessed portion formed by the recess; as well as A support member is formed at a location outside the first portion of the spacer portion and has a flat shape to support the bottom surface of the battery cell among the plurality of battery cells.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, The support member includes inner and outer surfaces of the housing extending parallel to each other, and has a flat shape with a constant wall thickness. The first portion is recessed from the inner surface of the housing toward the outer surface of the housing and has a wall thickness smaller than that of the support member.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, The second portion of the spacer is formed on the entire sidewall of the housing, and The sidewall of the housing, on which the second portion of the spacer is formed, has a uniform wall thickness.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, The first portion of the spacer forms a first gap, which separates the bottom surface of one of the plurality of battery cells from the bottom wall of the housing. The second portion of the spacer forms a second spacer gap, which separates the side surface of the battery cell from the side wall of the housing.

9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein the first gap and the second gap are connected to each other at the corner position of the housing and together surround the corner position of the battery cell.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, The first gap is partially formed in a portion of the bottom wall of the housing, and The second gap is formed on the entire sidewall of the housing.

11. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the side bar surrounds the bottom surface and side surface of one of the plurality of battery cells.

12. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the spacer portion and the side rod are located at the corner position of the housing, where the spacer portion and the side rod overlap each other.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein the spacer portion and the side rod overlap each other, but do not completely overlap each other.

14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the side rod extends beyond the first portion of the spacer portion.

15. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The receiving portion is within a first gap formed by the first portion of the spacer portion; and The position fixing part is on the support of the bottom wall outside the first part of the interval portion.

16. The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the receiving portion is supported while floating within the first gap formed by the first portion of the spacer portion.

17. The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the position fixing portion is supported between the support formed on the bottom wall at a location outside the first portion of the spacer portion and the bottom surface of the battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, and simultaneously contacts the support on the bottom wall and the bottom surface of the battery cell.

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