Gasket for delaying flame burst during thermal runaway and battery pack equipped with same

Abstract

A gasket for retarding flame explosion according to an embodiment of the present invention is a gasket provided between an upper case and a lower case to seal a space between the upper case and the lower case, the gasket comprising: a gasket body provided between the upper case and the lower case; and a heat-resistant member provided inside the gasket body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gasket and a battery pack provided with the gasket, and more particularly to a gasket capable of delaying the development of external flames during thermal runaway and a battery pack provided with the gasket. Background Art

[0002] Unlike primary batteries that cannot be recharged, secondary batteries refer to batteries that can be charged and discharged, and are used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by an electric drive source.

[0003] The types of secondary batteries widely used at present include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of a unit secondary battery cell (i.e., a unit battery cell) is about 2.5V to 4.6V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack is formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, a battery pack can also be formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel according to the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be set in various ways according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0004] When a battery pack is formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a battery module including at least one battery cell (preferably, a plurality of battery cells) is generally first configured, and a battery pack is formed by using at least one such battery module and adding other components. In this case, a battery module refers to a component in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series or in parallel, and a battery pack refers to a component in which a plurality of battery modules are connected in series or in parallel to increase capacity and output.

[0005] Typically, a vehicle battery pack has a plurality of battery modules or battery module assemblies arranged on the same plane to maintain structural stability.

[0006] Figures 1 to 3 A conventional battery pack 1 is shown. As shown in the figure, the battery pack 1 includes an upper case 10, a lower case 20, a gasket 30 located between the upper case 10 and the lower case 20, and a battery module 40 disposed therein.

[0007] However, in such a battery pack 1, high energy may flow instantaneously in the case of overcharge or the like, and chemical activation of the anode material is greatly increased due to overcharge or short circuit, so the anode material may react quickly with the electrolyte to generate a large amount of gas and thermal runaway may occur. During such thermal runaway, the main gasket 30 may be damaged due to flame or short circuit, which may cause flame to escape from the battery pack 1. Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a gasket capable of delaying the development of flames to the outside of a battery pack during thermal runaway and a battery pack provided with the gasket.

[0010] Technical Solution

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a gasket for delaying flame development is provided, the gasket being arranged between an upper shell and a lower shell for sealing. The gasket comprises: a gasket body configured to be arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell; and a heat-resistant member arranged inside the gasket body.

[0012] Further, the gasket body is formed along edges of the upper shell and the lower shell.

[0013] Further, the heat-resistant member includes a heat-resistant portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the gasket body.

[0014] Further, the heat-resistant member further includes an inner coupling portion at one side of the heat-resistant portion, the inner coupling portion being coupled to the gasket body.

[0015] Further, the gasket body includes a groove on the inner peripheral surface, and the inner coupling portion is inserted into the groove.

[0016] Further, the inner coupling portion is formed integrally with the heat-resistant portion.

[0017] Further, the heat-resistant portion protrudes upward beyond the upper surface of the gasket body.

[0018] Further, the heat-resistant portion protrudes downward beyond the lower surface of the gasket body.

[0019] Further, an upper portion of the heat-resistant portion contacts the upper shell; and a lower portion of the heat-resistant portion contacts the lower shell.

[0020] Further, the upper portion and the lower portion of the heat-resistant portion have bent portions, and the bent portions are bent toward the upper shell and the lower shell, respectively.

[0021] Further, the heat-resistant part includes: an upper covering part, which covers the upper surface of the gasket body at the upper side of the heat-resistant part; and a lower covering part, which covers the lower surface of the gasket body at the lower side of the heat-resistant part.

[0022] Further, the heat-resistant member includes a heat-resistant material, and may include mica.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack capable of delaying flame development during thermal runaway includes: at least one battery module; a housing, the housing including an upper shell and a lower shell connected to the upper shell, and accommodating the battery module; and a gasket arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell, wherein the gasket includes: a gasket body, the gasket body is arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell; and a heat-resistant component, the heat-resistant component is arranged on the inner side of the gasket body.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack capable of delaying the development of flames during thermal runaway includes: at least one battery module; a housing, the housing including an upper shell and a lower shell connected to the upper shell, and accommodating the battery module; a gasket arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell, wherein the gasket includes: a gasket body, the gasket body is arranged between the upper shell and the lower shell; and a heat-resistant member surrounding the gasket body.

[0025] Further, the heat-resistant member covers all surfaces of the gasket body.

[0026] Technical Effects

[0027] The gasket and battery pack according to the present disclosure can prevent damage to the gasket during thermal runaway and delay the development of flames to the outside of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a conventional battery pack.

[0029] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of one side of a battery pack.

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Detailed view of the joint portion of the upper shell and the lower shell.

[0031] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of one side of the battery pack in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Detailed view of section A.

[0033] Figure 6 is a partial detailed view of a battery pack in a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 is a partial detailed view of a battery pack in a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8is a partial detailed view of a battery pack in a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] By referring to the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described in detail below, the advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for implementing the present disclosure will become apparent. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments of the present invention are provided only to complete the disclosure of the present disclosure and to fully inform the ordinary technicians in the field to which the present disclosure belongs, and the present disclosure may be limited by the scope of the claims. It should be noted that in some embodiments, known process steps, known device structures, and known technologies may not be specifically described to avoid ambiguous interpretations of the present disclosure. Throughout the specification, the same figure numerals may refer to the same parts.

[0037] In the accompanying drawings, in order to clearly represent multiple layers and regions, their thicknesses may be shown in proportion. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals may be given to the same components. When describing a part such as a layer, film, region, plate, etc. as being on another part, this includes not only the case where the part is directly on the other part, but also the case where there are other parts between them. On the contrary, when describing a part directly on another part, this means that there are no other parts between them. In addition, when describing a part such as a layer, film, region, plate, etc. as being below another part, this includes not only the case where the part is directly below the other part, but also the case where there are other parts between them. On the contrary, when describing a part directly below another part, this means that there are no other parts between them.

[0038] Hereinafter, a gasket 300 for delaying flame development during thermal runaway and a battery pack 1000 provided with the same according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing one side of the battery pack in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Detailed view of section A.

[0040] The gasket 300 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is provided for sealing between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. The gasket 300 includes a gasket body 310 provided between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 and a heat-resistant member 320 provided inside the gasket body 310.

[0041] In addition, the battery pack 1000 for delaying flame development during thermal runaway according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one battery module 400, a housing 50 accommodating the battery module 400, and a gasket 300. The housing 50 includes an upper case 100 and a lower case 200.

[0042] Hereinafter, the gasket 300 according to the present disclosure will be described by taking a gasket applied to the battery pack 1000 as an example.

[0043] The battery module 400 accommodated in the battery pack 1000 includes a plurality of battery cells (not shown), and each of the battery cells may be, for example, a pouch-type battery cell.

[0044] As an example, the battery module 400 may include a plurality of battery cells stacked on each other, and each battery cell may be provided with an electrode lead at each of a front end and a rear end, wherein a positive electrode lead is at the front end and a negative electrode lead is at the rear end. The plurality of battery cells in the battery module 400 may be stacked to be electrically connected to each other.

[0045] The battery cell is not limited to the pouch type battery cell, and may be other types of battery cells such as a prismatic battery cell, and a plurality of battery cells may be accommodated in the housing of the battery module 400 .

[0046] The housing 50 is used to accommodate the plurality of battery modules 400 . The housing 50 may include an upper housing 100 and a lower housing 200 , and may further include a gasket 300 disposed between the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 .

[0047] A plurality of battery modules 400 may be accommodated in the lower case 200 , and the upper case 100 is coupled to an upper side of the lower case 200 to form an inner space for accommodating the battery modules 400 inside the housing 50 .

[0048] The gasket 300 disposed between the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 is used to seal between the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200, and the gasket 300 can be disposed on the entire portion where the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200 are joined, and can be in the form of a closed ring on a plane.

[0049] The gasket 300 is disposed between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 to seal between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. In the present disclosure, the gasket 300 includes a gasket body 310 and a heat-resistant member 320 disposed inside the gasket body 310.

[0050] The gasket body 310 is disposed between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 for sealing, and may be disposed on the entire portion where the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 are connected.

[0051] Therefore, the gasket body 310 may be formed along the edges of the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. When the portion where the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 are connected is formed on the entire edge of the housing 50, the gasket body 310 may have a ring or closed ring shape in a plane.

[0052] A groove 311 may be formed on the inner surface (inner peripheral surface) 312a of the gasket body 310 located inside the housing 50, and the inner connecting portion 322 of the heat-resistant member 320 is connected to the groove 311. According to the formation of the inner connecting portion 322, the groove 311 may be formed on all or part of the inner peripheral surface of the gasket body 310 (the reference numeral 312d refers to the outer surface (outer peripheral surface) of the gasket body 310).

[0053] The gasket body 310 may be made of rubber, a synthetic resin such as polyurethane, metal, or other materials.

[0054] The heat-resistant member 320 is used to prevent or delay damage to the gasket 300 (or the gasket body 310) during a thermal explosion. The heat-resistant member 320 is disposed inside the gasket body 310 in the housing 50, and includes a heat-resistant portion 321 and an inner coupling portion 322 coupled to the gasket body 310. The heat-resistant member 320 may be made of or may include a heat-resistant material, and may be made of, for example, mica, a composite material including mica, or other materials.

[0055] The heat-resistant portion 321 is disposed inside the gasket body 310 to prevent damage to the gasket body 310 during thermal runaway, and is formed along the inner circumferential surface of the gasket body 310 while contacting the inner surface 312 a of the gasket body 310 .

[0056] The heat-resistant portion 321 may be formed along the entire inner circumferential surface of the gasket body 310 inside the housing 50, and the upper and lower lengths (widths) of the heat-resistant portion 321 may be formed to be equal to or greater than the thickness of the gasket body 310. Therefore, the heat-resistant portion 321 may be formed to cover the entire thickness of the gasket body 310.

[0057] The heat-resistant portion 321 may extend in the thickness direction of the gasket body 310, and as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the heat-resistant portion 321 may protrude upward from the upper surface 312b of the gasket body 310 by an amount equal to or greater than the thickness of the gasket body 310, and may protrude downward from the lower surface 312c of the gasket body 310 by an amount equal to or greater than the thickness of the gasket body 310. Therefore, the width of the heat-resistant portion 321 may be three times or more than the thickness of the gasket body 310.

[0058] The heat-resistant portion 321 having the above-described configuration may be disposed inside the gasket body 310 to prevent damage to the gasket body 310 during thermal runaway.

[0059] The material of the heat-resistant portion 321 may be the same as that of the above-described heat-resistant member 320 .

[0060] The inner connecting portion 322 is arranged on the side surface of the heat-resistant portion 321 to connect the heat-resistant component 320 to the gasket body 310, and the inner connecting portion 322 is formed to protrude from the side surface of the heat-resistant portion 321 to contact the inner surface 312a (inner circumferential surface) of the gasket body 310 and be inserted into and connected to the groove 311 of the gasket body 310.

[0061] The inner coupling portion 322 may be made of the same material as that of the above-described heat-resistant portion 321 or the heat-resistant member 320 , and may be integrally formed with the heat-resistant portion 321 .

[0062] The heat-resistant member 320 may be manufactured, for example, by injection molding. In one embodiment, the heat-resistant member 320 may be manufactured together with the gasket body 310 by injection molding, thus omitting the assembly process and improving the bonding strength.

[0063] The gasket 300 having the above-described configuration is disposed between the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 , and is coupled with the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 by means of the bolt 150 , the washer 151 , and the nut 152 .

[0064] In the present disclosure, as described above, the heat-resistant member 320 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the gasket body 310 to prevent or delay damage to the gasket body 310 during thermal runaway and delay flame development outside the battery pack 1000 .

[0065] Next, a gasket 300 for delaying flame development during thermal runaway and a battery pack 1000 provided with the gasket according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 6 1 is a detailed view of a portion where an upper case 100 and a lower case 200 are joined in the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 of the heat-resistant member 320 of the gasket 300 are bent. That is, in this embodiment, the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 may have bent portions 321a and 321b, respectively. In addition, the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 may be formed to contact the upper shell 100 and the lower shell 200, respectively.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the bent portion 321 a located at the upper side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is formed to be bent toward the upper case 100 , and the bent portion 321 b located at the lower side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is formed to be bent toward the lower case 200 .

[0068] The bent portion 321a located on the upper side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is arc-shaped so that the end of the bent portion 321a can contact the upper shell 100, and the bent portion 321b located on the lower side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is arc-shaped so that the end of the bent portion 321b can contact the lower shell 200.

[0069] In the second embodiment, as described above, the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 are bent like an arc, which may make it possible to effectively block heat from being applied to the gasket body 310 and delay the development of flames outside the battery pack 1000 during thermal runaway.

[0070] Other configurations and effects may be the same as those of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted here.

[0071] Next, a gasket 300 for delaying flame development during thermal runaway and a battery pack 1000 provided with the gasket according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 7 1 is a detailed view of a portion where an upper case 100 and a lower case 200 are joined in the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] The third embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in that the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 of the heat-resistant member 320 of the gasket 300 are formed to cover the gasket body 310 in the housing 50. That is, in this embodiment, the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 may have an upper covering portion 321c and a lower covering portion 321d, respectively.

[0073] like Figure 7 As shown, in the present embodiment, the upper cover portion 321c located on the upper side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is formed to cover the upper surface 312b of the gasket body 310 in the housing 50, and the lower cover portion 321d located on the lower side of the heat-resistant portion 321 is formed to cover the lower surface 312c of the gasket body 310 in the housing 50. In addition, the end of the upper cover portion 321c may extend to the upper housing 100 to contact the inner surface of the upper housing 100, and the lower cover portion 321d may extend to the lower housing 200 to contact the inner surface of the lower housing 200.

[0074] In the third embodiment, as described above, the upper and lower portions of the heat-resistant portion 321 have the upper cover portion 321 c and the lower cover portion 321 d , respectively, and can effectively block heat and / or flame from being applied to the gasket body 310 during thermal runaway.

[0075] At the same time, Figure 7, the inner coupling portion 322 is shown to be inside the heat-resistant portion 321, but the heat-resistant portion 321 may be formed without the inner coupling portion 322. For example, the heat-resistant portion 321 may be fixed to the gasket body 310 using an adhesive, or may be integrally manufactured together.

[0076] Other configurations and effects may be the same as those in the aforementioned embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted here.

[0077] Next, a gasket 300 for delaying flame development during thermal runaway and a battery pack 1000 provided with the gasket according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 8 1 is a detailed view of a portion where an upper case 100 and a lower case 200 are joined in a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] The fourth embodiment is different from the previous embodiments in that the heat-resistant member 320 of the gasket 300 is formed to cover the entire surface of the gasket body 310. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat-resistant member 320 is formed to surround the entire gasket body 310.

[0079] like Figure 8 As shown, in the present embodiment, the heat-resistant member 320 can be formed to surround all surfaces of the inner surface 312a of the gasket body 310 located inside the outer shell 50, the upper surface 312b of the gasket body 310, the lower surface 312c of the gasket body 310, and the outer surface 312d of the gasket body 310 located outside the outer shell 50.

[0080] In the fourth embodiment, as described above, the heat-resistant member 320 is formed to surround the entire gasket body 310 , and can effectively block heat and / or flame from being applied to the gasket body 310 during thermal runaway.

[0081] In the present embodiment, the heat-resistant member 320 may be formed without the above-mentioned inner coupling portion 322 .

[0082] Other configurations and effects may be the same as those in the aforementioned embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted here.

[0083] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments as described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs without departing from the concept of the present disclosure.

[0084] Industrial Applicability

[0085] The present disclosure may provide a gasket and a battery pack that can prevent damage to the gasket during thermal runaway and retard the development of flames outside the battery pack.

Claims

1. A gasket for delaying flame development, the gasket being configured to be disposed between an upper shell and a lower shell, the gasket comprising: a gasket body configured to be disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell; as well as A heat-resistant member is provided inside the gasket body.

2. The gasket according to claim 1, wherein: The heat-resistant member includes a heat-resistant portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the gasket body.

3. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein: The heat-resistant member includes an inner coupling portion at one side of the heat-resistant portion, the inner coupling portion being coupled to the gasket body.

4. The gasket according to claim 3, wherein: The gasket body includes a groove on the inner peripheral surface, and the inner coupling portion is inserted into the groove.

5. The gasket according to claim 3, wherein: The inner coupling portion is formed integrally with the heat-resistant portion.

6. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein: The heat-resistant portion protrudes upward beyond an upper surface of the gasket body.

7. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein: The heat-resistant portion protrudes downward beyond a lower surface of the gasket body.

8. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein an upper portion of the heat-resistant portion is configured to contact the upper shell; and A lower portion of the heat-resistant portion is configured to be in contact with the lower case.

9. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein: An upper portion of the heat-resistant portion and a lower portion of the heat-resistant portion have bent portions configured to be bent toward the upper case and the lower case, respectively.

10. The gasket according to claim 2, wherein: The heat-resistant part includes: an upper covering portion covering an upper surface of the gasket body on an upper side of the heat-resistant portion; and A lower covering portion covers a lower surface of the gasket body at a lower side of the heat-resistant portion.

11. The gasket according to claim 1, wherein: The heat-resistant member includes a heat-resistant material.

12. A gasket for delaying flame development, the gasket being configured to be disposed between an upper shell and a lower shell, the gasket comprising: a gasket body configured to be disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell; as well as A heat-resistant member surrounds the gasket body.

13. The gasket according to claim 12, wherein: The heat-resistant member covers all surfaces of the gasket body.

14. A battery pack capable of delaying flame development during thermal runaway, the battery pack comprising: at least one battery module; a housing including an upper housing and a lower housing coupled to the upper housing and accommodating the battery module; as well as a gasket disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell, Wherein, the gasket comprises: a gasket body disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell; and A heat-resistant member is provided inside the gasket body.

15. The battery pack according to claim 14, wherein: The heat-resistant member includes a heat-resistant portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the gasket body.

16. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein: The heat-resistant member includes an inner coupling portion at one side of the heat-resistant portion, the inner coupling portion being coupled to the gasket body.

17. The battery pack according to claim 16, wherein: The gasket body includes a groove on the inner peripheral surface, and the inner coupling portion is inserted into the groove.

18. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein: The heat-resistant portion protrudes upward beyond an upper surface of the gasket body, and protrudes downward beyond a lower surface of the gasket body.

19. A battery pack capable of delaying flame development during thermal runaway, the battery pack comprising: at least one battery module; a housing including an upper housing and a lower housing coupled to the upper housing and accommodating the battery module; as well as A gasket is provided between the upper shell and the lower shell, Wherein, the gasket comprises: a gasket body disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell; and A heat-resistant member surrounds the gasket body.

20. The battery pack according to claim 19, wherein: The heat-resistant member covers all surfaces of the gasket body.

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