Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack tray having an open top to accommodate a plurality of battery cells; a pack cover for covering the open top of the pack tray; and a reinforcing member attached to the pack cover to prevent deformation of the pack cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0056234 filed in Korea on April 28, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0137151 filed in Korea on October 13, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] Secondary batteries, which are easy to apply according to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are generally used in electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) driven by electric drive sources and portable devices. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as new energy sources for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency because of the main advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not generating byproducts caused by energy use.

[0005] Currently widely used secondary battery packs include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, etc. The operating voltage of the unit secondary battery cell (i.e., unit battery cell) is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, if an output voltage higher than this is required, the battery pack can be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, depending on the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack, the battery pack can be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel. 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.

[0006] In addition, a common method of configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel is to configure a battery module including at least one battery cell first and then add other elements using at least one battery module, thereby configuring a battery pack or a battery rack. Alternatively, recently, a battery pack of a cell-to-battery pack type has also been manufactured in which a plurality of battery cells are directly stored in a battery pack case, etc., without modularizing the plurality of battery cells.

[0007] If a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs inside a battery pack, gas may be released from the battery cells contained therein, and such gas may include flames, etc. In addition, if a situation such as thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery module in a battery pack containing a plurality of battery modules, it may spread to other battery modules. If the heat propagation between battery modules cannot be properly controlled, it is very dangerous because it may cause a fire or explosion of the entire battery pack.

[0008] In addition, in a conventional battery pack, when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery pack, exhaust gas and the like move through the space between the battery pack cover provided on the top of the battery module and the battery module to be discharged to the outside. However, if a specific portion of the battery pack cover is deformed outward due to high-temperature exhaust gas or sparks, other surrounding portions are deformed inward, making it impossible to ensure an exhaust path. Therefore, exhaust gas, heat, sparks, etc. are more likely to be randomly transferred to adjacent battery cells or battery modules rather than being evenly dispersed.

[0009] Therefore, when a thermal event occurs in a battery module or a battery cell, a structure is required to prevent the battery pack cover from being thermally deformed due to high temperature exhaust gas or sparks, thereby minimizing heat propagation inside the battery pack.

[0010] In addition, for this reason, when a thermal event occurs in a battery module or a battery cell, a technology is required to ensure an exhaust path for effectively exhausting exhaust gas and the like to the outside of the battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] The present disclosure has been designed to solve the problems of the related art, and thus the present disclosure aims to provide a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery pack, which are capable of ensuring safety and reliability when a thermal event occurs in a battery cell or a battery module.

[0013] However, technical problems that the present disclosure is intended to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present invention described below.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack tray having an open top and configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells; a battery pack cover configured to cover the open top of the battery pack tray; and a reinforcing member connected to the battery pack cover and configured to suppress deformation of the battery pack cover.

[0016] An exhaust path may be formed between the battery pack cover and the battery cells to allow exhaust gas generated from the battery cells to flow therethrough, and the reinforcement member may be configured to maintain a height of the exhaust path.

[0017] The reinforcing member may be made of a material having a lower thermal expansion rate than the pack cover.

[0018] The reinforcing member may be configured to extend long in a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

[0019] The plurality of reinforcing members may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction.

[0020] The battery pack may further include a module case having an inner space accommodating the plurality of battery cells and having at least one vent hole formed on an upper portion of the module case to communicate with the inner space, and the vent hole may be provided between adjacent reinforcement members.

[0021] At least a portion of the reinforcement member may be configured to protrude from the battery pack cover toward the battery cell.

[0022] The reinforcement member may include a protrusion configured to protrude from the pack cover, and a support portion extending from the protrusion to both sides of the protrusion and supported on the pack cover.

[0023] The battery pack may further include an insulating coating formed on an outer surface of the reinforcement member.

[0024] The battery pack tray may include a vent portion configured to discharge exhaust gas to the outside of the battery pack tray, and the reinforcing member may be provided to extend longer toward the vent portion.

[0025] The gap between adjacent reinforcement members may be configured to decrease as they are closer to the exhaust portion.

[0026] Among the plurality of reinforcement members, a width of at least a portion of a reinforcement member coupled to a central portion of the pack cover may be configured to be greater than a width of a reinforcement member coupled to an edge of the pack cover.

[0027] In addition, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include the battery pack according to the present disclosure.

[0028] Beneficial Effects

[0029] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, safety and reliability may be ensured by preventing thermal deformation of a battery pack cover due to high-temperature exhaust gas or sparks generated when a thermal event occurs in a battery cell or a battery module.

[0030] In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, if a thermal event occurs in a battery cell or a battery module, thermal damage to other battery modules can be minimized in the process of discharging high-temperature gases generated from the battery module to the outside of the battery pack housing, thereby preventing further chain fires.

[0031] In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gas exhaust path between a battery module and a pack cover may be stably ensured so that exhaust gas generated when an abnormality of the battery module occurs may be smoothly exhausted to the outside of the pack case.

[0032] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively ensure the performance of preventing heat propagation between battery packs.

[0033] As a result, it is possible to prevent or delay an event such as a fire or explosion due to thermal runaway of a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules or devices to which they are mounted.

[0034] Particularly, in the case of an electric vehicle, sufficient time may be gained for passengers to escape or drive by suppressing or delaying the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells or battery modules.

[0035] In addition, the present disclosure may have various other effects, and these effects will be described in the corresponding embodiments, or descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present invention, serve to provide further understanding of the technical concept of the present disclosure, and therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the direction in which exhaust gas is discharged when a reinforcing member is provided in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 4 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II' in FIG.

[0041] Figure 5is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of a direction in which exhaust gas is discharged when a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not include a reinforcing member. For example, Figure 5 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II' in FIG.

[0042] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the interior of a battery pack when viewed from above according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which shows a direction in which exhaust gas moves when a thermal event occurs in a battery module.

[0043] Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 8 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig. 9 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0046] Fig.10 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Fig.11 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig.12 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0049] Fig.13 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical solutions of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation.

[0051] Therefore, the embodiments of this specification and the configurations proposed in the drawings only indicate the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts of the present disclosure, and therefore it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be made thereto when an application is filed.

[0052] In addition, the present disclosure includes various embodiments. Redundant descriptions of substantially the same or similar elements will be omitted from the various embodiments, and will be described based on the differences between them.

[0053] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are merely for convenience of interpretation and may vary depending on the position of the target object or the position of the observer.

[0054] For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ±X-axis direction shown in the figure may indicate the left-right direction, the ±Y-axis direction may indicate the front-back direction perpendicular to the ±X-axis direction on the horizontal plane (XY plane), and the ±Z-axis direction may indicate the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to both the ±X-axis direction and the ±Y-axis direction.

[0055] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the direction in which exhaust gas is discharged when a reinforcing member is provided in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 4 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of a direction in which exhaust gas is discharged when a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not include a reinforcing member. For example, Figure 5 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II' in FIG.

[0056] Reference Figures 1 to 4 , a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery cell 100 , a pack tray 200 , a pack cover 300 , and a reinforcement member 400 .

[0057] First, refer to Figure 3, may include a plurality of battery cells 100. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the plurality of battery cells 100 may include an electrode group, a battery case accommodating the electrode group, and an electrode lead connected to the electrode group and extending to the outside of the battery case and serving as an electrode terminal. In this case, the plurality of battery cells 100 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0058] The battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type secondary battery. A battery case of such a pouch-type secondary battery may be configured in the form of a pouch in which a metal layer made of aluminum is interposed between polymer layers.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction (±Y axis direction) while standing vertically (in the ±Z axis direction). In this case, the sealing portion of each battery cell 100 may point to the left-right direction (±X axis direction) and the up-down direction (±Z axis direction), and its receiving portion may point to the front-to-back direction (±Y axis direction).

[0060] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type or form of the battery cell 100, and various battery cells 100 known at the time of filing the present disclosure may be used to constitute the battery pack 1 of the present disclosure. Although the present embodiment describes a pouch-type secondary battery having high energy density and easy to stack as shown in the figure, a cylindrical secondary battery or a square secondary battery may also be applied to the battery cell 100.

[0061] Reference Figure 2 The battery pack tray 200 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells 100. That is, the battery pack tray 200 may provide an accommodation space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells 100. The battery pack tray 200 may be configured to have an open top.

[0062] The battery pack tray 200 may be made of a material capable of ensuring mechanical rigidity, such as metal (eg, steel or SUS) or plastic, or may include such a material in order to safely protect the battery cells 100 accommodated therein.

[0063] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the battery pack cover 300 may be configured to cover the top of the plurality of battery cells 100. The battery pack cover 300 may be configured to cover the open top of the battery pack tray 200. The battery pack cover 300 may be coupled to the top of the battery pack tray 200 to constitute the upper surface of the battery pack tray 200. The battery pack cover 300 may protect elements stored therein such as the battery cells 100, and prevent exhaust gas and / or sparks emitted from the battery cells 100 from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack tray 200, particularly, to the upper side of the battery pack tray 200.

[0064] In addition, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , the battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a reinforcement member 400. The reinforcement member 400 may be located above the battery cell 100. The reinforcement member 400 may be coupled to the battery pack cover 300. In particular, the reinforcement member 400 may be coupled to a lower portion of the battery pack cover 300.

[0065] The reinforcing member 400 may be configured to suppress deformation of the battery pack cover 300. In particular, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to prevent the battery pack cover 300 from being deformed due to heat or pressure such as high-temperature exhaust gas or sparks generated from the battery cells 100 when a thermal event occurs. That is, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to prevent thermal deformation of the battery pack cover 300. In addition, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to suppress partial deformation of the battery pack cover 300.

[0066] As in Figure 5 In the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 , if the reinforcing member 400 is not provided, when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell 100, pressure and / or high heat such as exhaust gas or sparks discharged from the battery cell 100 may deform the shape of the battery pack cover 220. For example, a portion of the battery pack cover 300 located at a position where the exhaust gas or sparks are discharged may expand upward (see FIG. 4 ). Figure 5 The A part in the figure) and the part adjacent to it can sink downward (see Figure 5 As a result, at a position where the pack cover 300 sinks downward, a gap between the pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 may be reduced, and thus a venting path may not be ensured, thereby preventing exhaust gas from being discharged to the outside of the pack tray 200.

[0067] However, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the battery pack cover 300 is provided with the reinforcing member 400, if high-temperature exhaust gas or the like is applied to the battery pack cover 300, the battery pack cover 300 can be prevented from being bent upward or downward in a specific portion thereof. That is, according to the above-mentioned implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the reinforcing member 400 can prevent or suppress the formation of a bend in a specific portion of the battery pack cover 300.

[0068] As a result, in the event of an abnormality in the battery cell 100, a path can be ensured through which the high-temperature exhaust gas generated from the battery cell 100 is discharged to the outside of the battery pack 1. Therefore, according to the above-described aspects of the present disclosure, the propagation of thermal runaway inside the battery pack 1 can be effectively prevented or delayed, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery pack 1.

[0069] Specifically, refer to Figure 4, the battery pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 or the battery module 10 may be spaced a predetermined distance from each other so that exhaust gas or sparks can move through the space. That is, an exhaust path S may be formed between the battery pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 to allow exhaust gas to flow. Here, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to maintain a height h of the exhaust path S. The height h of the exhaust path S indicates the length in the vertical direction (±Z-axis direction), and may indicate the vertical distance from the upper surface of the battery cell 100 or the battery module 10 to the lower surface of the battery pack cover 300.

[0070] Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment configuration of the present disclosure, since the gap h between the battery pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 is kept constant by the reinforcing member 400, the volume of the exhaust path S can be ensured. As a result, exhaust gas or heat can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery pack 1 through the exhaust path S, thereby effectively suppressing or delaying thermal runaway between the battery cells 100. In addition, exhaust gas or sparks discharged upward from the battery cell 100 can be prevented from being reflected on the battery pack cover 300 and flowing back into the adjacent battery cell 100 or the battery module 10. Therefore, the safety and reliability of the battery pack 1 can be ensured.

[0071] In addition, the reinforcing member 400 may be made of a material having a lower thermal expansion rate than the battery pack cover 300. The reinforcing member 400 may be made of only a material having a lower thermal expansion rate than the battery pack cover 300. However, the difference in thermal expansion rate between the reinforcing member 400 and the battery pack cover 300 may be configured to such an extent that the reinforcing member 400 is not separated from the battery pack cover 300 when a thermal event occurs. According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, in the event of an abnormality of the battery module 10 or the battery cell 100, thermal deformation of the battery pack cover 300 due to high temperature exhaust gas or sparks may be prevented, thereby minimizing heat propagation inside the battery pack 1.

[0072] The reinforcing member 400 may be made of a material having fire resistance. As a result, even if a thermal event occurs inside, the reinforcing member 400 may be prevented from melting or disappearing due to high temperature heat such as flame. Therefore, even if a flame occurs, the function of preventing deformation of the battery pack cover 300 and maintaining the gap between the battery pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 is ensured by the reinforcing member 400.

[0073] The reinforcing member 400 may be provided as a rigid body. The reinforcing member 400 may be made of a material having a higher strength than the pack cover 300. Here, a rigid body is opposite to an elastic body, and for example, the reinforcing member 400 may be made of a material such as metal such as SUS or reinforced fiber plastic.

[0074] This can increase the mechanical rigidity of the reinforcing member 400 and prevent the pack cover 300 from being thermally deformed due to high-temperature exhaust gas therein, thereby preventing elastic deformation of the pack cover 300 even if an impact is applied from the outside.

[0075] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the interior of a battery pack when viewed from above according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which shows the direction in which exhaust gas moves when a thermal event occurs in a battery module. In addition, Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] As described above, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be stacked side by side in the front-to-back direction (±Y-axis direction). Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to extend longer in the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 100. That is, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to extend longer in the front-rear direction of the battery pack 1. The length of the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to be substantially the same as the length of the battery pack cover 300 in the front-rear direction.

[0077] According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the reinforcing member 400 can keep both ends of the pack cover 300 long in the longitudinal direction, thereby more effectively preventing the pack cover 300 from being deformed in the height direction due to heat.

[0078] In addition, a plurality of reinforcing members 400 may be provided. The plurality of reinforcing members 400 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction. In this case, an exhaust path S may be formed between adjacent reinforcing members 400. That is, the exhaust path S may be formed between the battery pack cover 300 and the battery cell 100 or between the reinforcing member 400 and the battery cell 100 so that when a thermal event occurs in any battery cell 100, exhaust gas or the like may flow therethrough. The exhaust path S may also be configured to extend longer in the front-to-rear direction in which the reinforcing member 400 extends.

[0079] As a result, the reinforcement member 400 may guide the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust path S to be smoothly discharged to the outside in the front-rear direction of the battery pack tray 200 .

[0080] In addition, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be modularized into one or more battery modules 10. That is, the battery pack 1 according to the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules 10. In addition, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be included as elements of one or more battery modules 10. In this case, the plurality of battery cells 100 included inside the battery module 10 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0081] In addition, a plurality of battery modules 10 may be disposed inside the battery pack tray 200 . That is, the battery pack 1 according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery modules 10 , and a plurality of battery cells 100 included in the battery pack 1 may be divided and included in the plurality of battery modules 10 .

[0082] In particular, the battery pack 1 according to the present disclosure may include a module housing 11. The module housing 11 may be configured to have an internal space formed therein to accommodate at least some of the plurality of battery cells 100. In particular, the module housing 11 may be included in each battery module 10, and may group the plurality of battery cells 100 into a plurality of battery modules 10 and serve as a boundary that physically defines the internal space of each battery module 10.

[0083] In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the battery module 10 may include a bus bar assembly and / or a module terminal electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 100 accommodated therein.

[0084] The battery module 10 may include a vent hole H. The vent hole H may be configured to discharge gas generated from the battery cells 100 stored inside the module case 11 to the outside of the module case 11 .

[0085] Specifically, the exhaust hole H may be provided in the module housing 11 to achieve directional exhaust in a specific direction. Figure 7 As shown, the exhaust hole H may be provided at the top of the module housing 11. According to this implementation configuration, exhaust gas and / or sparks may be guided to be discharged to the upper side of the battery module 10.

[0086] A plurality of exhaust holes H may be provided. The exhaust holes H may be arranged in a row in the front-to-back direction or in the left-to-right direction. Figure 7 As shown, the exhaust holes H may be arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the battery cell 100 to form a row. The plurality of rows may be arranged in the stacking direction (front-back direction) of the battery cell 100.

[0087] In addition, the exhaust holes H may be provided between adjacent reinforcing members 400 among the plurality of reinforcing members 400. All of the plurality of exhaust holes H may be provided between adjacent reinforcing members 400, or, as Figure 7As shown, some of the plurality of vent holes H may be disposed between adjacent reinforcing members 400. That is, when the battery pack 1 is viewed from above, it may be configured such that a portion where the reinforcing member 400 overlaps the vent hole H is minimized.

[0088] According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the flow of exhaust gas discharged upward can be prevented from being interrupted by the reinforcing member 400. As a result, exhaust gas and the like can smoothly flow into the exhaust path S and then be discharged to the outside of the battery pack 1.

[0089] In addition, the reinforcing member 400 may be disposed to be spaced apart a predetermined distance in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the battery cell 100 or the battery module 10. As a result, even if the reinforcing member 400 overlaps the exhaust hole H, exhaust gas or the like may be smoothly discharged to the upper side through the exhaust hole H and then flow into the exhaust path S.

[0090] The position or shape of the reinforcing member 400 may be differently configured depending on the position where the exhaust hole H is formed, and the area or number of the reinforcing member 400 may be adjusted depending on the area or number of the exhaust hole H.

[0091] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 8 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0092] Reference Figure 8 , at least a portion of the reinforcement member 400 may be configured to protrude from the pack cover 300 toward the battery cell 100. That is, at least a portion of the reinforcement member 400 may be configured to protrude downward from the pack cover 300.

[0093] Specifically, the reinforcement member 400 may include a protrusion 410 and a support portion 420. The protrusion 410 may be configured to protrude from the pack cover 300. The protrusion 410 may be provided in a central portion of the reinforcement member 400. In this case, a lower surface of the protrusion 410 may be configured to be flat.

[0094] According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, when the battery pack cover 300 is about to be deformed due to heat caused by a thermal event, the lower surface of the protrusion 410 can press the upper surface of the battery cell 100 or the module housing 11 to prevent a portion of the battery pack cover 300 from moving downward. In addition, even if an impact is applied from the outside, the lower surface of the protrusion 410 can be supported on the upper surface of the battery cell 100 or the module housing 11. As a result, according to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the battery pack cover 300 can be reliably prevented from being deformed, thereby ensuring the exhaust path S.

[0095] The support portion 420 may be configured to extend from the protrusion 410 to both sides of the protrusion 410. The support portion 420 may be configured by bending both ends of the reinforcing member 400. The support portion 420 may be arranged to be supported in contact with the battery pack cover 300. The support portion 420 may be in surface contact with the lower surface of the battery pack cover 300. To this end, the support portion 420 may have an outer surface parallel to the lower surface of the battery pack cover 300. In this case, it is desirable to ensure the contact area between the battery pack cover 300 and the support portion 420. According to the above-mentioned implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the support portion 420 may stably fix the battery pack cover 300 and the reinforcing member 400. Therefore, the battery pack cover 300 may not be deformed by external vibration, impact, heat, etc., and remain in a stable shape and position.

[0096] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig. 9 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0097] In addition, refer to Fig. 9 , a battery pack 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a reinforcement member 400 on which an insulating coating 500 is formed. The insulating coating 500 may be formed on an outer surface of the reinforcement member 400. The insulating coating 500 may be formed on an exposed portion of the reinforcement member 400 in the battery pack cover 300. That is, the insulating coating 500 may be formed on the remaining surface of the reinforcement member 400 except for the surface where the reinforcement member 400 contacts the battery pack cover 300. For example, the insulating coating 500 may be provided to surround the lower surface of the protrusion 410 and the support portion 420.

[0098] The insulating coating 500 may be configured to prevent heat conduction of the reinforcing member 400 while electrically insulating it. To this end, the insulating coating 500 may be made of a material such as polyurethane or silicone. According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the insulating coating 500 may ensure insulation and / or heat conduction prevention effects in an area where the reinforcing member 400 is exposed to exhaust gas or sparks.

[0099] The insulating coating 500 may be a coating formed by directly applying a foaming material to the outer surface of the reinforcing member 400 after assembling the reinforcing member 400 to the battery pack cover 300. According to the above-described embodiment configuration of the present disclosure, the outer surface of the reinforcing member 400 can be easily covered compared to a separate insulating sheet to be attached thereto. In addition, a process of separately manufacturing an insulating member according to the size or shape of the outer surface of the reinforcing member 400 can be omitted, thereby reducing the cost and time for manufacturing the battery pack 1.

[0100] Fig.10 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] In addition, refer to Fig.10 , the battery pack tray 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a base frame 210 and a side frame 220 .

[0102] The base frame 210 may constitute the lower surface of the battery pack tray 200 and may be provided in the form of a square plate. In addition, the base frame 210 may be configured so that a plurality of battery cells 100 are placed on its upper surface. In addition, the base frame 210 may have a flat upper surface so that a plurality of battery cells 100 or a module housing 11 may be stably placed on the base frame 210.

[0103] The side frames 220 may extend upward from the corresponding edges of the base frame 210. The side frames 220 may be configured to have a plurality of unit walls to surround a plurality of battery cells 100 or battery modules 10. More specifically, the side frames 220 may include a rear wall at an end of the base frame 210 in the +Y-axis direction, a right wall at an end of the base frame 210 in the +X-axis direction, a front wall at an end of the base frame 210 in the -Y-axis direction, and a left wall at an end of the base frame 210 in the X-axis direction, thereby constituting a side of the battery pack tray 200.

[0104] In addition, the battery pack tray 200 may be provided with a venting portion 230. The venting portion 230 may be configured to discharge gas generated from the battery cells 100 stored therein to the outside of the battery pack tray 200. The venting portion 230 may be provided in the form of a hole that communicates the inside and the outside of the battery pack tray 200 with each other. Alternatively, the venting portion 230 may be provided as an exhaust device that is configured to be installed in the hole of the battery pack tray 200 and to operate when exhaust gas is generated inside the battery pack tray 200.

[0105] The exhaust portion 230 may be provided on the side of the battery pack tray 200 (i.e., on the side frame 220). A plurality of exhaust portions 230 may be provided. The exhaust portion 230 may be located on at least some of the cell walls of the side frame 220. In addition, the exhaust portion 230 may be formed individually on two or more cell walls, or two or more exhaust portions 230 may be formed on one cell wall. For example, referring to Fig.10 , a plurality of exhaust parts 230 may be respectively disposed on the front wall and the rear wall. In addition, a plurality of exhaust parts 230 may be disposed symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the side frame 220 .

[0106] According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, since high temperature gas or the like can be discharged in both directions of the pack tray 200 in the case of an abnormality of the battery cell 100 , the gas can be discharged to the outside of the pack tray 200 more quickly and easily.

[0107] In addition, refer to Fig.10 The installation number or position of the exhaust portion 230 described in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the installation number or position thereof may vary.

[0108] In addition, the battery pack tray 200 may further include a center beam 240 and a cross beam 250. The center beam 240 and the cross beam 250 may be provided to separate a plurality of battery cells 100 or battery modules 10. The center beam 240 and the cross beam 250 may be provided between a plurality of battery cells 100 and a side frame 220 provided with a vent portion 230. For example, the center beam 240 may be configured in the form of a partition extending long in the front-to-rear direction and inserted between battery modules 10 arranged adjacently in the left-to-right direction. In addition, the cross beam 250 may be configured in the form of a partition extending long in the left-to-right direction and inserted between battery modules 10 arranged adjacently in the front-to-rear direction.

[0109] According to this implementation configuration, it is possible to prevent heat or flame from being directly transferred between the battery cell assemblies or battery modules 10 stored in different spaces partitioned by the center beam 240 and the cross beam 250 .

[0110] In addition, the center beam 240 and the cross beam 250 may be disposed a predetermined distance apart from the pack cover 300. That is, the center beam 240 and the cross beam 250 may be configured such that at least a portion of their upper ends are spaced a predetermined distance apart from the lower surface of the pack cover 300, rather than contacting it.

[0111] In addition, the plurality of reinforcing members 400 may be disposed symmetrically about the center beam 240. The plurality of reinforcing members 400 may be disposed between the center beam 240 and the side frames 220. For example, as in Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, two reinforcement members 400 may be respectively disposed between the center beam 240 and the two side frames 220. The two reinforcement members 400 may be arranged to be spaced apart by a distance D, and an exhaust path S may be formed between the two reinforcement members 400.

[0112] The reinforcing member 400 may be provided to extend longer toward the exhaust portion 230. Therefore, exhaust gas moving through the exhaust path S between the two reinforcing members 400 may flow toward the exhaust portion 230. In this case, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the two reinforcing members 400 are provided in parallel with each other so that the distance D between the reinforcing members 400 may be maintained constant.

[0113] According to the above-described implementation configuration of the present disclosure, when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell 100, the reinforcing member 400 can guide the exhaust gas toward the exhaust portion 230 to quickly exhaust the exhaust gas to the outside of the battery pack tray 200. As a result, the internal pressure inside the battery pack tray 200 can be prevented from increasing, and further chain fires of other battery cells 100 can be prevented.

[0114] A plurality of reinforcing members 400 may be provided at a central portion of the battery pack cover 300 and at an edge of the battery pack cover 300. Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, two reinforcement members 400 may be disposed on both sides of the central beam 240 of the pack cover 300. In addition, two reinforcement members 400 may be disposed on both edges of the pack cover 300, respectively.

[0115] In this case, a gap d between two reinforcement members 400 coupled to the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 may be smaller than a gap D between one of the reinforcement members 400 and a reinforcement member 400 coupled to the edge of the battery pack cover 300. That is, the density of the reinforcement members 400 provided in the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 may be higher than the density of the reinforcement members 400 in the edge of the battery pack cover 300.

[0116] The central portion of the battery pack cover 300 is more likely to be thermally deformed than the edge of the battery pack cover 300, and according to the above-described embodiment configuration of the present disclosure, the reinforcing member 400 arranged at a narrow interval in the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 can more stably fix the battery pack cover 300. As a result, the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 can be prevented from being lifted off from the battery pack tray 200.

[0117] In addition, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Fig.10 , the reinforcing member 400 may be coupled to the battery pack cover 300. In particular, the reinforcing member 400 may be provided to be coupled to the lower surface of the battery pack cover 300. The reinforcing member 400 may be coupled and fixed to the battery pack cover 300 by a coupling member 600 such as a bolt. In this case, Fig.10 As shown, the reinforcing member 400 may be configured to be placed on the cross beam 250 extending longer in the left-right direction. Specifically, the reinforcing member 400 may be placed on the cross beam 250, and the battery pack cover 300 may be placed on the reinforcing member 400, so that the battery pack cover 300, the reinforcing member 400 and the cross beam 250 may be coupled to each other by a coupling member 600 such as a bolt at the top of the battery pack cover 300.

[0118] According to the above-mentioned implementation configuration of the present invention, the connection and fixing configuration between the reinforcing member 400 and the battery pack cover 300 can be obtained with a simple structure. In addition, according to the above-mentioned implementation configuration of the present disclosure, since the reinforcing member 400 is prefabricated to be placed on the crossbeam 250, if the battery pack cover 300 is coupled to the top of the battery pack tray 200, the reinforcing member 400 can be automatically installed on the crossbeam 250. Therefore, the time and cost of manufacturing the battery pack 1 can be reduced, thereby improving productivity. In addition, since the reinforcing member 400 is stably fixed to the crossbeam 250, the rigidity of the reinforcing member 400 can be further ensured.

[0119] Fig.11 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a reinforcing member 400' located in the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 may be configured to bend its central portion. The reinforcing member 400' may be configured in a diagonal shape. Specifically, the gap D' between two adjacent reinforcing members 400 and 400' may be configured to decrease as it is closer to the exhaust portion 230. Here, the reinforcing members 400 and 400' may indicate the reinforcing members 400 and 400' disposed between the center beam 240 and the side frame 220. That is, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the width D' of the exhaust path S may decrease as it is closer to the exhaust portion 230.

[0121] According to the above-described embodiment configuration of the present disclosure, the reinforcing members 400 and 400 ′ can guide exhaust gas and the like in the exhaust path S toward the exhaust portion 230 . Therefore, exhaust gas or sparks can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery pack 1 , thereby suppressing or preventing thermal runaway between the battery modules 10 .

[0122] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Fig.12 It can be exemplified along the lines of Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0123] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, among the plurality of reinforcing members 400, a width W of at least a portion of the reinforcing member 400 coupled to the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 may be configured to be greater than a width w of the reinforcing member 400 coupled to the edge of the battery pack cover 300. In particular, the width of the central portion of the reinforcing member 400 coupled to the central portion of the battery pack cover 300 may be greater than the widths of the other portions. In this case, since the support portion 420 of the reinforcing member 400 is wider, upward deformation of the battery pack cover 300 may be prevented.

[0124] Alternatively, unlike the present embodiment, the height of at least a portion of the reinforcement member 400 coupled to the central portion of the pack cover 300 may be configured to be greater than the height of the reinforcement member 400 coupled to the edge of the pack cover 300 .

[0125] According to the above-described embodiment of the present disclosure, the reinforcing member 400 disposed in the central portion of the pack cover 300 and having a greater width can more stably fix the central portion of the pack cover 300. As a result, the central portion of the pack cover 300 can be more effectively prevented from being lifted off from the pack tray 200.

[0126] Fig.13 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] Reference Fig.13 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle 3 may include one or more battery packs 1 according to the above-described embodiments. According to the present disclosure, the vehicle 3 may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The vehicle 3 includes a four-wheel vehicle and a two-wheel vehicle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle 3 may be driven by receiving power from the battery pack 1 or the battery module 10.

[0128] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and it should be noted that various modifications may be made by technicians in the field to which the present disclosure belongs without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and these modifications should not be understood separately from the technical concepts or viewpoints of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: Multiple battery cells; a battery pack tray having an open top and configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells; a battery pack cover configured to cover the open top of the battery pack tray; as well as A reinforcing member is coupled to the pack cover and is configured to suppress deformation of the pack cover.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, forming an exhaust path between the battery pack cover and the battery cell to allow exhaust gas generated from the battery cell to flow through the exhaust path, and Wherein, the reinforcing member is configured to maintain the height of the exhaust path.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The reinforcing member is made of a material having a lower thermal expansion rate than the pack cover.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The reinforcing member is arranged to extend long in a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The plurality of reinforcing members are disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a horizontal direction.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, The battery pack further includes a module case having an inner space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells and having at least one exhaust hole formed on an upper portion of the module case to communicate with the inner space, in, The exhaust holes are provided between adjacent reinforcing members.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, At least a portion of the reinforcement member is configured to protrude from the battery pack cover toward the battery cell.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, in, The reinforcing member comprises: a protrusion configured to protrude from the battery pack cover; and A supporting portion extends from the protrusion to both sides of the protrusion and is supported on the battery pack cover.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, The battery pack further includes an insulating coating formed on an outer surface of the reinforcement member.

10. The battery pack according to claim 5, in, The battery pack tray comprises: an exhaust portion configured to exhaust exhaust gas to the outside of the battery pack tray, and The reinforcing member is configured to extend longer toward the exhaust portion.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, in, The gap between the adjacent reinforcing members is configured to decrease as the gap gets closer to the exhaust portion.

12. The battery pack according to claim 5, in, Among the plurality of reinforcement members, a width of at least a portion of a reinforcement member coupled to a central portion of the pack cover is configured to be greater than a width of a reinforcement member coupled to an edge of the pack cover.

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

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