Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Abstract

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a plurality of battery cells; a pack case for accommodating the plurality of battery cells and provided with an exhaust unit for discharging gas generated in the battery cells to the outside; and protective covers each covering at least a portion of the exhaust unit.

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. 10-2023-0056233 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. 10-2023-0086025 filed in Korea on July 3, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] Secondary batteries are easy to apply depending on the product category and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, and are generally used in electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) driven by electric drive sources and portable devices. These secondary batteries have the main advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not producing byproducts generated during energy use, so they are attracting attention as a new energy source that improves eco-friendliness and energy efficiency.

[0005] Currently widely used secondary batteries 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, that is, the unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, if an output voltage higher than the operating voltage is required, a battery pack can be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, according to the required charge and 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 and discharge capacity.

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

[0007] If a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs inside a battery pack, gas may be ejected from the battery cells contained therein, and such gas may include flames, etc. In addition, generally speaking, when gas is ejected from the battery cells, high-temperature particles of the plates or active materials may be discharged from the battery cells to the outside, and these high-temperature particles may exist in the form of sparks.

[0008] In the case of a conventional battery pack, if an abnormality occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module, high-temperature gas is usually discharged through the exhaust portion provided in the battery pack housing to discharge the high-temperature gas, etc. to the outside of the battery pack housing. At this time, if a spark is exposed to the outside of the battery pack housing together with the gas, the spark may react with the oxygen outside the battery pack, thereby causing a flame or developing into a fire outside the battery pack. In addition, if a flame or fire occurs outside a specific battery pack, the fire may spread to other adjacent battery packs or devices equipped with the battery pack, causing greater problems.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for a technology that prevents sparks or flames from being exposed to the outside of the battery pack through the exhaust portion, thereby suppressing the occurrence or spread of flames or fire outside the battery pack. Summary of the invention

[0010] Technical issues

[0011] The present disclosure has been designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore, is intended to provide a battery pack capable of ensuring safety and reliability when an abnormality occurs in a battery cell or a battery module, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0012] However, the technical problems that the present disclosure seeks 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.

[0013] Technical Solution

[0014] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells and having a vent portion configured to discharge gases generated from the battery cells to the outside; and a protective cover configured to cover at least a portion of the vent portion.

[0015] The protection cover may be disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the vent portion.

[0016] The protective cover may be configured to cover an upper portion of the exhaust portion to block sparks exhausted from the battery cell.

[0017] The battery pack according to one aspect of the present disclosure may further include a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in an internal space and having a vent hole formed at a top thereof so as to communicate with the internal space.

[0018] The battery pack housing may include: a base frame on which the plurality of battery cells are placed; and a side frame extending upward from the base frame and having the exhaust portion formed thereon, and the protective cover may be configured to face the side frame on which the exhaust portion is formed.

[0019] The pack case may further include a pack cover coupled to a top of the side frame and configured to cover tops of the plurality of battery cells, and the protection cover may be coupled to the pack cover.

[0020] The protection cover may include: a main cover disposed to face the vent portion; and a cover coupling portion extending from the main cover to be bent toward the pack cover and coupled to the pack cover.

[0021] The protection cover may further include side covers configured to be bent from both sides of the main cover toward the side frames.

[0022] The side cover may be configured such that an end portion thereof contacts the side frame.

[0023] The protection cover may further include a support portion configured by bending the end portion of the side cover to be supported on the side frame.

[0024] The protection cover may further include a lower bent portion configured to be bent from a lower end of the main cover toward the base frame.

[0025] The protection cover may further include a protrusion configured to cause at least a portion of the main cover to protrude in a direction away from the side frame.

[0026] The protection cover may further include an inner bending portion configured to be bent from both sides of the main cover in a direction away from the side frame.

[0027] Furthermore, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery pack according to the present disclosure.

[0028] Beneficial Effects

[0029] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, sparks generated by a battery cell in an abnormal situation can be prevented from being exposed to the outside of a battery pack case, thereby ensuring safety and reliability.

[0030] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively ensure the performance of preventing heat propagation between battery packs by suppressing the development of flame outside the battery pack.

[0031] Therefore, 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 a device on which the battery pack is mounted.

[0032] Particularly, in the case of electric vehicles, by suppressing or delaying the propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells or battery modules, it is possible to ensure that occupants have sufficient time to escape or drive away.

[0033] In addition, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, exhaust gas generated when an abnormality occurs in a battery cell can be effectively discharged to the outside of the battery pack case.

[0034] In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, when an abnormality occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module inside a battery pack, high-temperature gas or the like generated from the battery cell can be quickly discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing. Therefore, thermal damage to other battery cells or battery modules can be minimized to prevent further chain ignition.

[0035] Furthermore, the present disclosure may have various other effects, and these will be described in the respective 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, are used 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 one embodiment of the present disclosure.

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

[0039] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the direction of discharge sparks inside a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 4 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II' in FIG.

[0041] Figure 5 is a front view of a protection cover included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 6is a perspective view showing the bottom of a battery pack cover provided with a protection cover in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

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

[0044] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a protection cover included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig. 9 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0046] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig.10 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0047] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view 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.

[0049] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig.11 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0050] Fig.14 is a perspective view schematically showing a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] 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 being limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted according to the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure based on the principle of allowing the inventor to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation.

[0052] Therefore, the configurations proposed in the embodiments of this specification and the drawings only illustrate the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all technical concepts of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be made thereto when an application is filed.

[0053] In addition, the present disclosure also includes various embodiments. Redundant descriptions of substantially the same or similar elements will be omitted from the corresponding embodiments, and will be described based on the differences therebetween.

[0054] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, forward, and backward are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are merely for ease of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the target object or the position of the observer.

[0055] For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ±X-axis direction shown in the figure may represent the left-right direction, the ±Y-axis direction may represent the front-back direction perpendicular to the ±X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the ±Z-axis direction may represent the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to both the ±X-axis direction and the ±Y-axis direction.

[0056] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , a battery pack 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery cell 100 , a battery pack case 200 , and a protection cover 300 .

[0058] First, refer to Figure 2 , a plurality of battery cells 100 may be provided. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the plurality of battery cells 100 may include: an electrode assembly; a battery pack housing accommodating the electrode assembly; and an electrode lead connected to the electrode assembly and extending to the outside of the battery pack housing, the electrode lead serving as an electrode terminal. In this case, the plurality of battery cells 100 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0059] The battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type secondary battery, and a cell case of the 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.

[0060] like Figure 2As shown, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction (±Y axis direction) while being placed vertically (in the ±Z axis direction). In this case, the sealing portion of each battery cell 100 may be oriented in the left-right direction (±X axis direction) and the up-down direction (±Z axis direction), and the receiving portion thereof may be oriented in the front-to-back direction (±Y axis direction).

[0061] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type or form of battery cells 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 stacking as shown in the figure, a cylindrical or square secondary battery may also be applied to the battery cell 100.

[0062] The battery pack case 200 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells 100. That is, the battery pack case 200 may provide an accommodation space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells 100. The battery pack case 200 may be made of a material capable of ensuring mechanical rigidity, such as metal such as steel or SUS, or plastic, or may include such a material for safely protecting the battery cells 100 accommodated therein.

[0063] In addition, the pack case 200 may have a vent portion V. The vent portion V may be configured to discharge gas generated from the battery cells 100 accommodated in the pack case 200 to the outside of the pack case 200. The vent portion V may be configured in the form of a hole formed to communicate the inside and the outside of the pack case 200 with each other.

[0064] Alternatively, the exhaust portion V may be configured as an exhaust device that is installed in a hole of the pack case 200 and operates when exhaust gas is generated inside the pack case 200 .

[0065] For example, the exhaust portion V may be provided with an exhaust valve or may be implemented as such an exhaust valve. In this case, a mounting hole may be formed in the side frame 220 so that the exhaust portion V will be installed in the mounting hole. In the case where the exhaust portion V has an exhaust valve or is implemented in the form of an exhaust valve, if the internal pressure of the battery pack housing 200 increases, the exhaust valve may be opened to discharge the exhaust gas to the outside of the battery pack housing 200.

[0066] In addition, the battery pack 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a protection cover 300. The protection cover 300 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the vent portion V. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the protection cover 300 may be configured to completely block sparks from passing through the protection cover 300.

[0067] The protective cover 300 may be made of a material having low thermal conductivity and excellent heat resistance and / or fire resistance. For example, the protective cover 300 may be made of a flame retardant mica material. Alternatively, the protective cover 300 may be made of a metal material having rigidity and heat resistance.

[0068] Sparks or flames having a strong tendency to propagate in a straight line may be discharged from the battery cell 100 and may collide with the internal structure of the battery pack housing 200 to move to the exhaust portion V. According to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 may prevent the sparks from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of flames due to the reaction of sparks and oxygen outside the battery pack housing 200. Therefore, according to the above-described aspects of the present disclosure, the safety and reliability of the battery pack 1 may be ensured.

[0069] In addition, according to the implementation configuration of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 can be configured to cover a portion of the exhaust portion V, such as Figure 3 etc. That is, the protective cover 300 may be located inside the vent portion V so as to cover only a portion of the inside of the vent portion V, rather than the entire portion thereof. In this case, sparks generated in the battery cell 100 may be blocked by the protective cover 300, and at the same time, the exhaust gas may be smoothly discharged through the exposed portion of the vent portion V. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the battery cell 100, the exhaust gas may be quickly discharged to the outside of the battery pack case 200 through the vent portion V, thereby preventing an increase in the internal pressure of the battery pack case 200 and additional chain ignition of other battery cells 100.

[0070] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the direction of discharge sparks inside a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 4 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II' in FIG. Figure 5 is a front view of a protection cover included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] Further references Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the protective cover 300 may be disposed between the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust portion V. That is, the protective cover 300 may be disposed on the inner side of the battery pack housing 200, in particular, on the inner side of the exhaust portion V. Specifically, the exhaust gas and / or sparks generated in the battery cells 100 may move to the exhaust portion V. That is, an exhaust path through which the exhaust gas and / or sparks flow may be formed between the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust portion. In this case, the protective cover 300 may be disposed to pass through the exhaust path. In other words, the protective cover 300 may be disposed on the exhaust path to suppress the movement of sparks, etc.

[0072] According to the above-described configuration implemented in the present disclosure, sparks ejected from the battery cell 100 can be blocked in advance before reaching the exhaust portion V of the battery pack housing 200 to prevent the sparks from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200, thereby more effectively suppressing the generation of flames outside the battery pack housing 200.

[0073] In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 As shown, the protection cover 300 may be configured to cover an upper portion of the exhaust portion V.

[0074] Specifically, the exhaust gas or sparks discharged from the battery cell 100 are at high temperature and may have a strong tendency to travel upward. Therefore, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, if the protective cover 300 is configured to cover the upper portion of the exhaust portion V, the sparks having a strong tendency to propagate in a straight line will surely collide with the protective cover 300, thereby surely preventing the sparks from being discharged to the outside. At the same time, the exhaust gas can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200 by the internal pressure through the lower portion of the exhaust portion V that is exposed when not covered by the protective cover 300.

[0075] In addition, the high-temperature exhaust gas may move toward the exhaust portion V along the inner upper surface of the battery pack housing 200 and then be discharged to the outside. At this time, according to the configuration implemented above, since the upper portion of the exhaust portion V is covered by the protective cover 300, the protective cover 300 may change the flow direction of the exhaust gas before the exhaust gas is discharged through the exhaust portion V. In addition, in this process, sparks and the like moving with the exhaust gas toward the exhaust portion V may be suppressed from being discharged to the outside by the protective cover 300.

[0076] In addition, according to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, if high-temperature gas or the like is discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200 in a situation such as thermal runaway, the discharged gas may not flow to the upper side. In particular, in a situation where an occupant is located above the battery pack 10, such as in an electric vehicle, the upward discharge of gas or flame can be suppressed, thereby further improving the safety of the occupant. That is, according to the configuration of the implementation of the present disclosure, the battery pack 10 can be vented in a downward direction, thereby improving the safety of users such as occupants located on the upper side.

[0077] In addition, refer to Figure 2 , 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 in one or more battery modules 10. In this case, several battery cells 100 included in the battery module 10 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0078] In addition, a plurality of battery modules 10 may be provided inside the pack case 200 . In other words, 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 .

[0079] 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 a portion of the plurality of battery cells 100. Specifically, the module housing 11 may be included in each battery module 10, and may group the plurality of battery cells 100 into several battery modules 10, and serve as a boundary for physically defining the internal space of each battery module 10.

[0080] Furthermore, 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.

[0081] The battery module 10 may include a vent hole H. The vent hole H may be configured to discharge gas generated in the battery cells 100 accommodated inside the module case 11 to the outside of the module case 11 .

[0082] Specifically, an exhaust hole H may be provided in the module housing 11 to perform directional exhaust in a specific direction. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the exhaust hole H may be provided at the top of the module housing 11. According to the configuration of this implementation, the exhaust gas and / or sparks may be guided to be discharged to the upper side of the battery module.

[0083] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, as Figure 4 As shown by the dotted arrows in , the exhaust gas or sparks can be guided to the upper part of the battery pack housing 200. Therefore, when the exhaust gas or sparks move toward the exhaust portion V along the upper inner surface of the battery pack housing 200, the flow can be more completely blocked by the protective cover 300 covering the upper part of the exhaust portion V. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the sparks from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200.

[0084] In addition, refer to Figure 2 , the battery pack case 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a base frame 210 and a side frame 220 .

[0085] The base frame 210 may constitute the lower surface of the battery pack housing 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 located 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 module housings 11 may be stably placed thereon.

[0086] The side frames 220 may extend upward from respective 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 located at an end of the base frame 210 in the +Y axis direction, a right wall located at an end of the base frame 210 in the +X axis direction, a front wall located at an end of the base frame 210 in the -Y axis direction, and a left wall located at an end of the base frame 210 in the -X axis direction, thereby constituting a side surface of the battery pack housing 200.

[0087] The vent portion V may be provided on the side of the pack case 200, that is, on the side frame 220. In this case, the protection cover 300 may be located on the side frame 220 to cover at least a portion of the vent portion V.

[0088] A plurality of exhaust portions V and a plurality of protective covers 300 may be provided. In particular, the exhaust portion V may be located on at least a portion of several cell walls of the side frame 220. In addition, the exhaust portion V may be formed separately on two or more cell walls, or two or more exhaust portions V may be formed on one cell wall. For example, referring to Figure 2 , a plurality of exhaust parts V may be provided on the front wall and the rear wall respectively.

[0089] In this case, a protective cover 300 may be installed on each exhaust portion V to correspond thereto. Figure 2 In the configuration shown in the implementation, four exhaust portions V may be formed on the front wall and the rear wall, respectively, and a protective cover 300 may be provided separately for each exhaust portion V, so that a total of eight protective covers 300 may be included in the battery pack. The plurality of exhaust portions V and the protective cover 300 may be provided symmetrically with respect to the center of the side frame 220.

[0090] In addition, based on Figure 2 The number and position of the exhaust part V and the protective cover 300 described in the embodiment are only examples, and different numbers and positions of the exhaust part V and the protective cover 300 may also be configured. For example, although the exhaust part V and the protective cover 300 are arranged on the wall of the side frame 220 along the ±X axis direction, that is, arranged Figure 2 The front wall and the rear wall are shown in the figure, but they can also be set on the walls in the ±Y axis direction, that is, on the left wall and the right wall. In addition, according to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, since high-temperature gas and the like can be discharged in two directions of the battery pack housing 200 in the event of an abnormality in the battery cell 100, the gas can be discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200 more quickly and easily.

[0091] The protective cover 300 may be configured to face the side frame 220 on which the exhaust portion V is formed. In this case, at least a portion of the protective cover 300 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the side frame 220 by a predetermined distance. According to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, the exhaust gas may move through the gap between the protective cover 300 and the side frame 220, and may be effectively discharged to the outside through the exposed portion of the exhaust portion V not covered by the protective cover 300.

[0092] The protective cover 300 may be provided in a plate shape. Since the protective cover 300 is manufactured in a plate shape, the protective cover 300 may be configured to face the exhaust portion V or the side frame 220 in parallel. According to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 may more easily cover a portion of the exhaust portion V. In addition, according to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, it is easy to assemble the battery pack 1, thereby reducing time and cost. In addition, since the volume and weight of the protective cover 300 are reduced, the energy density of the battery pack 1 may be increased.

[0093] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the bottom of a battery pack cover provided with a protection cover in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a protection cover included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a battery pack cover 230. The battery pack cover 230 may be configured to cover the tops of the plurality of battery cells 100. To this end, the battery pack cover 230 may be coupled to the tops of the side frames 220 to constitute the upper surface of the battery pack housing 200. The battery pack cover 230 may protect the elements contained therein, such as the battery cells 100, and may prevent exhaust gas and / or sparks discharged from the battery cells 100 from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200, particularly to the upper portion thereof. In particular, the battery pack cover 230 may guide the exhaust gas and sparks toward the exhaust portion V in the internal space of the battery pack housing 200.

[0095] In addition, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4, the battery pack housing 200 may further include a crossbeam 240. The crossbeam 240 may be provided to separate a plurality of battery cells 100 or battery modules 10 from each other. The crossbeam 240 may be provided between a plurality of battery cells 100 and a side frame 220 provided with a vent portion V. For example, the crossbeam 240 may be configured in the form of a partition extending longer in the left-right direction, and may be inserted between the battery modules 10 arranged adjacent to each other in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the crossbeam 240 may be configured in the form of a partition extending longer in the front-to-back direction, and may be inserted between the battery modules 10 arranged adjacent to each other in the left-to-right direction.

[0096] In addition, the beam 240 may be disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the pack cover 230. That is, the beam 240 may be configured such that at least a portion of its upper end is spaced a predetermined distance from the lower surface of the pack cover 230, rather than being in contact therewith.

[0097] According to this implemented configuration, heat or flame can be prevented from being directly transferred between the battery cell assemblies or battery modules 10 separated in different accommodation spaces by the crossbar 240. In addition, according to the above-described implemented configuration, gas or sparks generated in the battery cell 100 can be further guided to the upper portion in the inner space of the battery pack case through the space between the crossbar 240 and the battery pack cover 230. For example, Figure 4 As shown in the area indicated by the dotted arrow, the gas or spark may move through the space between the crossbeam 240 and the battery pack cover 230 and may be reflected by the battery pack cover 230, or may flow toward the exhaust portion V along the lower surface of the battery pack cover 230 to reach the protective cover 300 covering the upper portion of the exhaust portion V. According to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 may more completely block the sparks discharged from the battery cell 100.

[0098] As in Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the illustrated implementation configuration, the protective cover 300 may be coupled to the battery pack cover 230. In particular, the protective cover 300 may be configured to be coupled to the lower surface of the battery pack cover 230. In this case, the protective cover 300 may be fixed to the battery pack cover 230 by bolts. Alternatively, the protective cover 300 may be manufactured integrally with the battery pack cover 230.

[0099] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, since the protection cover 300 is manufactured by being pre-coupled with the battery pack cover 230, if the battery pack cover 230 is coupled to the side frame 220, the protection cover 300 can be automatically mounted on the side of the vent portion V of the side frame 220. Therefore, a process of separately coupling the protection cover 300 to the side frame 220 can be omitted. Therefore, the time and cost of manufacturing the battery pack 1 can be reduced, thereby improving productivity.

[0100] Apart from Figure 7 and Figure 8 In addition, reference will be made to Fig. 9 The detailed structure of the protection cover 300 will be described. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig. 9 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0101] The protection cover 300 may include a main cover 310 and a cover coupling portion 320 .

[0102] The main cover 310 may be disposed to face the exhaust portion V. The main cover 310 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the exhaust portion V. The main cover 310 may be configured in the form of vertically standing plates and disposed to face the side frames 220 in parallel with each other.

[0103] The cover coupling portion 320 may be provided to extend from the main cover 310. Specifically, the cover coupling portion 320 may be configured to bend and extend in a horizontal direction from the upper end of the main cover 310 so as to make surface contact with the battery pack cover 230. That is, the cover coupling portion 320 may be configured to form a right angle with the main cover 310. In this case, the cover coupling portion 320 may be configured in the form of a plate to be coupled to the battery pack cover 230. For example, the cover coupling portion 320 may be bolted to the battery pack cover 230.

[0104] According to the configuration implemented as described above in the present disclosure, the coupling and fixing configuration between the protective cover 300 and the battery pack cover 230 can be realized by a simple structure. In addition, in this case, the assembly of the battery pack can be made easier, and the internal space of the battery pack housing occupied by the protective cover 300 can be minimized, and the effect of blocking sparks and the like from reaching the exhaust portion V can be more reliably obtained.

[0105] Reference Figures 7 to 9 , the protective cover 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a side cover 330. The side cover 330 may be configured to extend from at least one side of the main cover 310. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side cover 330 may extend to bend from both sides of the main cover 310 toward the side frame 220. For example, the side cover 330 may be configured to bend in the left direction (-X axis direction) from both ends of the main cover 310 along the front-rear direction (X axis direction). The side cover 330 may be configured to block the side surface of the exhaust portion V.

[0106] According to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, the protection cover 300 can block sparks toward the side surface of the exhaust portion V, as well as sparks toward the front surface of the exhaust portion V, thereby more effectively blocking the sparks from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack case 200. In addition, according to the configuration of the above-described implementation of the present disclosure, sparks that are not blocked by the protection cover 300 can be prevented from flowing back into the battery pack case 200. For example, sparks introduced in the downward direction of the main cover 310 can be prevented from re-entering through the side surface.

[0107] In addition, refer to Fig. 9 , the side cover 330 may be disposed such that its end is in contact with the side frame 220. That is, the gap between the main cover 310 and the inner surface of the side frame 220 may be equal to the length of the side cover 330 extending from the main cover 310.

[0108] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, it is possible to completely block the sparks from being discharged through the gap between the main cover 310 and the side frame 220. In addition, according to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, since the protective cover 300 is firmly supported on the side frame 220 through the side cover 330, rigidity can be ensured when an impact is applied to the battery pack housing 200. In addition, the space between the main cover 310 and the inner surface of the side frame 220 can be maintained. In addition, in this case, the angle between the main cover 310 and the side frame 220 can be kept constant without changing. Therefore, the exhaust gas can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200 through the exhaust portion V, and the effect of the protective cover 300 in blocking sparks, etc. can be stably ensured.

[0109] In addition, refer to Figure 7 and Fig. 9 , a step A may be formed between the exhaust portion V and the inner surface of the side frame 220. That is, at least a portion of the exhaust portion V may be disposed at a position where the inner surface of the side frame 220 is recessed inwardly.

[0110] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, a separation distance between the main cover 310 and the side frame 220 and / or the exhaust portion V can be ensured in the upper portion of the exhaust portion V, thereby providing a space through which the exhaust gas can flow. In addition, in this case, the exhaust gas can also be discharged through the portion of the exhaust portion V covered by the protective cover 300. Therefore, even if the exhaust gas is trapped in the space between the protective cover 300 and the exhaust portion V, it can be more easily discharged into the exhaust portion V through the separation space.

[0111] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig.10 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0112] Reference Fig.10 , the protective cover 300 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a support portion 340. The support portion 340 may be configured by bending the end of the side cover 330. The support portion 340 may be provided to be supported on the side frame 220. That is, a plurality of support portions 340 may be provided by bending from the side covers 330 provided on both sides of the main cover 310.

[0113] For example, in Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, the support portions 340 may be provided at the front end of the front side frame 220 and the rear end of the rear side frame 220 , respectively.

[0114] In particular, the support portion 340 may come into surface contact with the inner surface of the side frame 220. To this end, the support portion 340 may have an outer surface parallel to the inner surface of the side frame 220. For example, the support portion 340 may be configured in the form of a plate standing vertically and parallel to the XZ plane, and may come into contact with the inner surface of the left or right frame 220.

[0115] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 can be more reliably supported on the side frame 220. Therefore, its shape and position can be kept stable without deformation such as bending due to external vibration or impact, internal spark or gas pressure.

[0116] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] Reference Fig.11 , the protection cover 300 may further include a lower bent portion 350 .

[0118] The lower curved portion 350 may be configured to extend inward from the lower end of the main cover 310 while being bent at a predetermined angle. In addition, the lower curved portion 350 may be configured to bend so that when it is further inward (at Fig.12 When the lower curved portion 350 extends in the -Y-axis direction of the main cover 310, it approaches the base frame 210. Here, the lower curved portion 350 may be configured in a diagonal shape. That is, the lower curved portion 350 may be disposed to form an obtuse angle with the main cover 310.

[0119] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, the sparks that collide with the main cover 310 and reflect downward can be guided to the inside of the battery pack case 200. Therefore, the sparks can be more completely prevented from returning to the exhaust portion V, thereby more effectively suppressing the sparks from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack case 200.

[0120] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] like Fig.12 As shown, the protection cover 300 may further include a protrusion P.

[0122] The protrusion P may be configured to protrude at least a portion of the main cover 310. The protrusion P may be configured to protrude from the inner surface of the main cover 310 in a direction away from the side frame 220, that is, toward the inside of the battery pack case 200. For example, referring to Fig.12 In the implementation configuration, the protrusion P can be configured to protrude inward (in the -Y axis direction) from the inner surface of the main cover.

[0123] In addition, the protrusion P may be configured to point to the battery pack cover 230 in a diagonal shape on the inner surface of the main cover 310. That is, the protrusion P may be disposed to form an acute angle with the main cover 310. For example, at least a portion of the protrusion P may be configured to protrude inwardly from the inner surface of the main cover 310 and point in an upward direction as it extends further inwardly. The length of the protrusion P protruding from the main cover 310 may vary.

[0124] Furthermore, a plurality of protrusions P may be provided. The plurality of protrusions P may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction (±Z axis direction). Alternatively, the plurality of protrusions P may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction (±X axis direction).

[0125] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, sparks or flames discharged from the battery cell 100 can be reflected by the protrusions P, thereby further suppressing the flow of sparks or flames having a strong tendency to propagate in a straight line. In addition, in this case, particles such as sparks can be collected by the grooves formed between the protrusions P. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent sparks and flames from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200.

[0126] Fig.13 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from above. For example, Fig.13 Can be shown along Figure 1 A diagram of a cross section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0127] Reference Fig.13 , the protection cover 300 may further include an inner bending portion 360 .

[0128] The inner curved portion 360 may be configured to extend from at least one side of the main cover 310. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner curved portion 360 may extend to bend from both sides of the main cover 310 in a direction away from the side frame 220 (i.e., toward the inside of the battery pack housing 200). The inner curved portion 360 may be configured to prevent sparks from moving toward one side of the exhaust portion V. In addition, the inner curved portion 360 may be configured to guide sparks that move in an outward direction of the battery pack housing 200 to the exhaust portion V in an inward direction of the battery pack housing 200, etc. For example, in Fig.13 In the illustrated embodiment, the inner curved portion 360 may deflect or change the spark flow moving in the +Y-axis direction toward the exhaust portion V to the opposite direction, ie, the −Y-axis direction.

[0129] According to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, the protective cover 300 can switch the direction of the spark flow toward the exhaust portion V in the battery pack housing 200 to its inward direction, thereby more effectively preventing the spark or flame from being discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200. In addition, according to the configuration of the above implementation of the present disclosure, the side of the protective cover 300 is spaced apart from the side frame 220 so that the exhaust gas can be discharged through the space. Therefore, the exhaust gas can be effectively discharged through the exhaust portion V while blocking the spark or flame.

[0130] Fig.14 is a perspective view schematically showing a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] Reference Fig.14 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.

[0132] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, 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 ideas or viewpoints of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: Multiple battery cells; a battery pack case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells and having a vent portion configured to discharge gas generated from the battery cells to the outside; as well as A protective cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the exhaust portion.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The protection cover is disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the vent portion.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The protective cover is configured to cover an upper portion of the exhaust portion to block sparks exhausted from the battery cell.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, further comprising: A module case is configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in an internal space and has a vent hole formed at a top of the module case so as to communicate with the internal space.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The battery pack housing comprises: a base frame on which the plurality of battery cells are mounted; and a side frame extending upward from the base frame and having the exhaust portion formed on the side frame, and The protection cover is configured to face the side frame where the exhaust portion is formed.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, in, The battery pack housing further comprises: a battery pack cover coupled to a top of the side frame and configured to cover tops of the plurality of battery cells, and Wherein, the protection cover is coupled to the battery pack cover.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, in, The protective cover comprises: a main cover disposed to face the exhaust portion; and A cover coupling portion extends from the main cover to be bent toward the pack cover and coupled to the pack cover.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, in, The protective cover also includes: The side covers are configured to be bent from both sides of the main cover toward the side frame.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, in, The side cover is configured such that an end portion of the side cover contacts the side frame.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, in, The protective cover also includes: A support portion is configured by bending the end portion of the side cover to be supported on the side frame.

11. The battery pack according to claim 8, in, The protective cover also includes: A lower bent portion is configured to be bent from a lower end of the main cover toward the base frame.

12. The battery pack according to claim 8, in, The protective cover also includes: A protrusion is configured to cause at least a portion of the main cover to protrude in a direction away from the side frame.

13. The battery pack according to claim 7, in, The protective cover also includes: An inner curved portion is configured to bend from both sides of the main cover in a direction away from the side frame.

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

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