Battery pack for vehicle

Abstract

A battery pack for a vehicle includes: a lower case in which a terminal portion of one battery module and a terminal portion of another battery module adjacent to each other in a width direction face each other, and a plurality of battery modules are sequentially placed in a length direction; a first cross member passing through the lower case in the width direction and inserted between the battery modules placed adjacent to each other in the length direction among the plurality of battery modules; and a second cross member passing through the lower case in the length direction, fastened to an upper end of the first cross member so as to be disposed between battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction among the plurality of battery modules, and electrically connected to terminal portions of the battery modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure of a battery pack mounted to a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] An electric vehicle or the like is equipped with an electric motor to generate driving force of the vehicle, and a battery pack is mounted on the vehicle to supply electric power to the electric motor.

[0003] The battery pack may be composed of a plurality of battery modules mounted thereon, and each battery module may be composed of a plurality of battery cells stacked on one another.

[0004] The main factor affecting the driving range of a vehicle equipped with a battery pack is the volume ratio of the battery cells installed in the vehicle. In other words, if as many battery cells or battery modules as possible are installed in the space forming the battery pack, the vehicle's cruising range can be increased.

[0005] Currently, since battery cells, battery modules, and battery packs are each modular and provided with covers and housings, the area ratio of auxiliary parts (such as mechanical components for mechanical rigidity, heat dissipation / cooling components for battery cooling, and components for insulation from the outside) is larger than the volume ratio of the battery cells, thereby causing problems that are not conducive to ensuring the vehicle's cruising range.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the overlap of mechanical rigidity functions between battery cells, battery modules and battery packs, and to maximize the volume ratio of battery cells by applying integrated components with multiple functions such as cooling function, cell housing function and mechanical rigidity function, while maintaining the same cooling performance, insulation performance and durability performance as before.

[0007] The above description provided as a related art of the present disclosure is only for helping understanding the background art of the present disclosure and should not be construed as being included in the related art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a battery pack for a vehicle having a structure capable of maximizing the number of battery cells mounted to the battery pack and sufficiently ensuring structural rigidity of the battery pack.

[0009] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0010] In order to achieve the purpose of the present disclosure, a battery pack for a vehicle according to the present disclosure includes: a lower shell, in which the terminal portion of a battery module and the terminal portion of another battery module adjacent to each other in the width direction can face each other, and a plurality of battery modules can be placed sequentially in the length direction; a first cross member, which passes through the lower shell in the width direction and is inserted between the battery modules placed adjacent to each other in the length direction; and a second cross member, which passes through the lower shell in the length direction, is fastened to the upper end of the first cross member so as to be arranged between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction, and is electrically connected to the terminal portions of the battery modules.

[0011] The battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a gap space, and the second cross member may be arranged to be inserted into an upper portion of the gap space.

[0012] An upper end of the first cross member may include a recessed portion having a recessed form, and the recessed portion may be formed at a position corresponding to the second cross member, and the second cross member may be placed in the recessed portion and fastened to the first cross member.

[0013] The second cross member may cover a gap space formed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0014] The battery module may include a sensing connector and a terminal portion located at an upper portion of a side surface facing the second cross member, the second cross member may include a sensing device for monitoring the battery module and a high-voltage busbar connecting one battery module adjacent to each other among a plurality of battery modules to another battery module, and when the first cross member and the second cross member may be fastened to each other, the sensing device and the sensing connector may be connected to each other, and the high-voltage busbar and the terminal portion may be connected to each other.

[0015] The front and rear portions of the side surface of the battery module may include corresponding terminal portions, and the sensing connector may be arranged between the front terminal portion and the rear terminal portion, and the front and rear portions of the second cross member may include corresponding high-voltage busbars corresponding to the terminal portions of the battery module, and the sensing device may be arranged between the front high-voltage busbar and the rear high-voltage busbar.

[0016] The battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction may be arranged so that their corresponding terminal portions may be adjacent to the first cross member, and the high-voltage busbar may connect terminal portions of different battery modules adjacent to the first cross member to each other.

[0017] The second cross member may include: a member body extending in the length direction of the lower shell and to which the sensing device and the high-voltage busbar may be mounted; and a cover plate extending in the length direction of the lower shell and covering an upper portion of the member body.

[0018] The component body may be formed of a plastic material, and the cover plate may be formed of a metal material.

[0019] The battery modules arranged adjacent to each other along the length direction can be arranged so that their corresponding terminal parts can be adjacent to the first cross member, and the high-voltage busbar can connect the terminal parts of different battery modules adjacent to the first cross member to each other, and the terminal fastening bolts that fasten the high-voltage busbar and the terminal parts to each other can be inserted into the component body, and a plastic insulating cover can be provided between the terminal fastening bolts inserted into the component body and the covering plate.

[0020] The high voltage busbar may be insulated from the cover plate by being covered by the component body.

[0021] A bushing may be integrally molded in the member body at a position adjacent to a position where the terminal fastening bolt may be inserted in the length direction, and the cover plate may be fastened to the upper end of the first cross member by bolting via the bushing together with the member body.

[0022] The member body may include a bushing, and the bushing may be integrally molded at a position between the terminal fastening bolt and a position where another terminal fastening bolt may be inserted.

[0023] The high voltage bus bar may include an insertion portion into which the terminal fastening bolt may be inserted, and a connection portion connected to the insertion portion bypassing the bushing.

[0024] According to the above description, the battery pack for a vehicle of the present disclosure can maximize the number of battery cells mounted to the battery pack to maximize the cruising range of the vehicle.

[0025] Even if the accessory components are reduced, the structural rigidity of the battery pack can be sufficiently ensured by the first cross member portion and the second cross member interposed between the battery modules, and thus the structural safety can be improved.

[0026] When the first cross member is inserted and the second cross member is fastened to the first cross member at an upper portion of the first cross member, the connection between the first cross member and the second cross member can be ensured.

[0027] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery pack for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a second cross member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of an enlarged portion A of the device.

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a battery pack for a vehicle with an upper cover opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 is a view showing a second cross member placed on a lower case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a battery module and a first cross member are placed in the lower case.

[0033] Figure 6 It shows Figure 4 An enlarged view of portion B.

[0034] Figure 7 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line II.

[0035] Figure 8 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In the following description, if it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present disclosure makes the subject matter of the embodiments described herein unclear, the detailed description is omitted. In addition, the drawings are provided only to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the specification, and the technical spirit disclosed in the specification is not limited by the drawings, and all changes, equivalent substitutions and replacements should be understood to be included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Terms including ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe a plurality of components, but these components should not be construed as being limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

[0038] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly connected to or directly coupled to the other element, or connected to or coupled to the other element with other elements present therebetween. On the other hand, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element, the element may be connected to or coupled to the other element with no other elements present therebetween.

[0039] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, singular forms are intended to include plural forms.

[0040] It should also be understood that the terms “including” or “having” used in this specification refer to the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, parts or a combination thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or a combination thereof.

[0041] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar components are given the same reference numerals regardless of the numbers of the drawings, and the description will not be repeated.

[0042] First, refer to Figure 1 Components of a battery pack for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0043] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery pack for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] refer to Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack 10 for a vehicle may include a battery module 100 , a lower case 200 , a first cross member 300 , and a second cross member 400 . Figure 1 Components related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are mainly shown, and may include fewer or more components than actual ones.

[0045] Hereinafter, each component will be described.

[0046] A battery module mounted to a conventional battery pack is a battery module surrounded by a separate housing in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked. One battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules mounted to the housing. However, in this case, since each battery module is provided with a cover and a housing, a relatively large space is required to form a battery pack consisting of a predetermined number of battery modules, and there is a problem in that a small number of battery modules are mounted in order to provide a battery pack of a predetermined size.

[0047] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure is intended to provide a battery pack 10 for a vehicle in a cell-to-pack method in which a battery module process is omitted. Therefore, a battery module 100 described below can be provided in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked together without being surrounded by a housing.

[0048] The above-mentioned battery module 100 may include a plurality of battery modules 100, and the plurality of battery modules 100 may be placed in the lower housing 200. Specifically, the lower housing 200 may have a space for placing a plurality of battery modules 100, and the plurality of battery modules 100 may be placed in the space. For example, the plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged so that the corresponding terminal portions of the battery modules adjacent to each other in the width direction face each other, and the plurality of battery modules 100 may be placed sequentially in the length direction in the lower housing 200. However, this configuration is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0049] When a plurality of battery modules 100 are placed in the lower housing 200, the first cross member 300 may be inserted between the placed plurality of battery modules. For example, the first cross member 300 may be arranged between battery modules placed adjacent to each other in the length direction and pass through the lower housing 200 in the width direction. The first cross member 300 may be arranged between battery modules adjacent to each other in the length direction and fastened to the lower housing 200.

[0050] In addition, with the first cross member 300 inserted, the second cross member 400 may be disposed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0051] However, in the configuration of the conventional battery pack 10, the first cross member 300 or the second cross member 400 is provided to be welded to the lower case 200 in advance, and therefore, a plurality of battery modules 100 are inserted, and the remaining first cross member 300 or the second cross member 400 is inserted. In other words, the conventional battery pack has a problem in that the first cross member 300 or the second cross member 400 may be disconnected, thereby deteriorating the structural rigidity in the length direction or the width direction.

[0052] In order to solve this problem, the battery pack 10 of the present disclosure can ensure the connectivity between the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 without disconnection, and the battery pack may include the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 capable of improving structural rigidity. For example, the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include: the first cross member 300 that can pass through the lower housing 200 in the width direction and be inserted between the battery modules placed adjacent to each other in the length direction; and the second cross member 400 that passes through the lower housing 200 in the length direction and is fastened to the upper end of the first cross member 300 to be disposed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0053] In order to fasten the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 to each other, the upper end of the first cross member 300 has a concave-shaped recessed portion 310 formed at a position corresponding to the second cross member 400, and the second cross member 400 is placed on the recessed portion 310 to be fastened to the first cross member 300. Figure 6 The fastening between the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 will be described in detail.

[0054] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The second cross member 400 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0055] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a second cross member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of an enlarged portion A of the device.

[0056] First, refer to Figure 2 The second cross member 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a high-voltage bus bar 410 that connects adjacent battery modules placed in the lower case 200 to each other, and a sensor device 420 that monitors the battery module 100. For example, the sensor device 420 may be a cell monitoring unit (CMU) configured to monitor the battery module 100, but it is apparent that the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0057] In addition, since a plurality of battery modules 100 are placed in the lower housing 200, the second cross member 400 may include a high-voltage bus bar 410 connecting adjacent battery modules at the front and rear portions of the second cross member 400. In addition, according to the positions at which adjacent battery modules are connected to each other, the second cross member 400 may include a plurality of high-voltage bus bars along the length direction of the second cross member 400. Meanwhile, the sensing device 420 may be disposed between the high-voltage bus bar 410 at the front and the high-voltage bus bar 410 at the rear or may be disposed at each gap between the plurality of high-voltage bus bars.

[0058] Reference Figure 3 The components of the second cross member 400 are described.

[0059] refer to Figure 3 In addition to the high-voltage bus 410 and the sensing device 420 described above, the second cross member 400 may include a member body 430 , a cover plate 440 , a terminal fastening bolt 450 , an insulating cover 460 , a bushing 470 , and a fixing bolt 480 . Figure 3 Components related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are mainly shown and may include fewer or more components than actual ones.

[0060] Hereinafter, each component will be described.

[0061] The component body 430 may extend in the length direction of the lower housing 200, and the high-voltage busbar 410 and the sensor device 420 may be mounted to the component body. For example, the component body 430 may be formed of a plastic material and may be molded by injection molding. However, this configuration is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0062] The cover plate 440 may cover the member body 430 over the member body 430. For example, the cover plate 440 may be formed of a metal material and may be molded by an injection method or a stamping method. However, this configuration is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0063] The member body 430 may have a seat surface (not shown) on which the high voltage bus 410 is mounted, and the high voltage bus 410 may be covered by the member body 430. Therefore, the cover plate 440 covering the upper portion of the member body 430 and the high voltage bus 410 may be insulated from each other.

[0064] In addition, the sensing device 420 may be installed between the mounting positions of the high-voltage busbar 410 of the component body 430. For example, a side surface (a surface facing the component body 430) of the sensing device 420 may have a curved portion (not shown) formed to correspond to the shape of the component body 430. When the curved portion and the component body 430 are combined by a separate adhesive element, the sensing device 420 may be mounted to the component body 430. However, this configuration is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto. For example, a coupling structure is formed at each of the side surface of the sensing device 420 facing the component body 430 and the component body 430 for coupling between the sensing device and the component body, or an insertion structure is formed at the side surface of the sensing device 420 facing the component body 430 so that the sensing device 420 and the component body 430 can be assembled to each other.

[0065] Furthermore, the cover plate 440 may cover the component body 430 over the component body 430 and the sensing device 420 and cover a portion of the sensing device 420 mounted to the component body 430 .

[0066] In addition, the terminal fastening bolt 450 can be inserted into the component body 430 to fasten the high-voltage busbar 410 and the battery module 100 to each other. For example, the terminal fastening bolt 450 can fasten the high-voltage busbar 410 and the terminal portion 110 of the battery module 100 to each other. This fastening will be described below. When the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted, the fixed position of the high-voltage busbar 410 mounted to the component body 430 can be ensured.

[0067] In addition, since the terminal fastening bolt 450 fastens the high-voltage busbar 410 and the battery module 100 to each other, the current passing through the terminal fastening bolt 450 may also pass through the cover plate 440 located at the upper portion of the terminal fastening bolt 450, and in this case, a safety problem of the battery pack 10 may occur. In order to prevent this problem, an insulating cover 460 made of a plastic material may be provided between the cover plate 440 and the terminal fastening bolt 450 inserted into the component body 430 for insulation. For example, the insulating cover 460 may be molded downwardly in a position in the cover plate 440 by an insert injection method, which corresponds to the position where the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted into the component body 430. However, this construction is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0068] In addition, a bushing 470 may be formed at the member body 430. The bushing 470 may be molded integrally with the member body 430 at a position adjacent to the position where the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted in the length direction. In addition, when a plurality of positions where the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted are provided, the bushing 470 may be molded integrally with the member body 430 at a position between the plurality of positions where the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted.

[0069] In addition, since the bushing 470 is formed at the member body 430, the cover plate 440 can be bolted to the upper end of the first cross member 300 together with the member body 430 via the bushing 470. For example, the second cross member 400 may include a fixing bolt 480 passing through both the cover plate 440 and the bushing 470, and the fixing bolt 480 may bolt the cover plate 440 and the member body 430 to the upper end of the first cross member 300. At this time, a fastening piece (not shown) may be included at a position on the upper end of the first cross member 300 where the bolt connection is performed, and since the fixing bolt 480 is fastened to the fastening piece formed on the upper end of the first cross member 300, the second cross member 400 and the first cross member 300 may be fastened to each other.

[0070] Meanwhile, since the bushing 470 is integrally molded with the component body 430, the form of the high-voltage busbar 410 mounted to the component body 430 can be changed. For example, the high-voltage busbar 410 may include: an insertion portion 411 into which the terminal fastening bolt 450 is inserted; and a connection portion 412 connected to the insertion portion 411. At this time, since the insertion position of the terminal fastening bolt 450 is located at one side portion or both side portions of the bushing 470, the connection portion 412 may bypass the bushing 470 to be connected to the insertion portion 411.

[0071] In the following, reference Figures 1 to 3 Based on the components of the battery pack 10 for a vehicle of the present disclosure described above, reference will be made to Figures 4 to 8 To describe the fastening method or fastening form of each component.

[0072] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a battery pack for a vehicle with an upper cover opened according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] Figure 4 A plurality of battery modules 100, a first cross member 300, and a second cross member 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown, which are placed in a lower case 200 and mounted to the lower case to form a battery pack 10 for a vehicle. Hereinafter, for ease of description, the battery pack 10 for a vehicle will be described without an upper cover (not shown), as shown in FIG. Figure 4 as shown in .

[0074] Figure 5 is a view showing a second cross member placed on a lower case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a battery module and a first cross member are placed in the lower case.

[0075] refer to Figure 5 , the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval to form a gap space S, and the second cross member 400 may be arranged to be inserted into an upper portion of the gap space S. Therefore, the second cross member 400 may cover the gap space S formed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0076] Furthermore, respective terminal portions 110 of battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction may face each other toward the gap space S. When the first and second cross members 300 and 400 are fastened to each other, the second cross member 400 may be electrically connected to the terminal portions 110 of the battery modules 100 .

[0077] For example, the battery module 100 may include a sensing connector 120 and a terminal portion 110 located at an upper portion of a side surface facing the second cross member 400. The terminal portion 110 may be provided at each of the front portion and the rear portion of the upper portion of the side surface of the battery module 100, and the sensing connector 120 may be provided between the terminal portion 110 at the front and the rear. Therefore, the second cross member 400 may include a high-voltage bus bar 410 located at the front and the rear portions to correspond to the terminal portion 110 at the front and the rear of the battery module 100, and the sensing device 420 may be provided between the high-voltage bus bar 410 at the front and the rear.

[0078] In addition, the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction may be arranged so that the corresponding terminal portions 110 may be adjacent to the first cross member 300 interposed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction. The high-voltage busbar 410 of the second cross member 400 may connect the corresponding terminal portions 110 of different battery modules to each other, the terminal portions 110 being adjacent to the first cross member 300.

[0079] Next, Figure 6 It shows Figure 4 An enlarged view of portion B.

[0080] refer to Figure 6, the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 may be fastened to each other by a fixing bolt 480. Specifically, the first cross member 300 may include a recessed portion 310 in which the second cross member 400 is placed, and a bushing 470 of the second cross member 400 may be placed on the recessed portion 310. The fixing bolt 480 may pass through both the cover plate 440 and the bushing 470 of the second cross member 400 to be fastened to the recessed portion 310 of the first cross member 300.

[0081] At the same time, reference Figure 6 , the high voltage busbar 410 of the second cross member 400 may be formed to extend in the width direction. For example, Figure 4 The portion "B" in the figure may be the front portion of the battery pack 10, and components such as a connector and a power relay assembly (PRA) may be disposed at the front portion of the battery pack 10, and in order to connect with the components, the high-voltage bus bar 410 of the second cross member 400 located at the front portion of the battery pack 10 may be formed to extend in the width direction. However, this configuration is proposed as an example and is not limited thereto.

[0082] Next, refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the connection between the battery module 100 and the second cross member 400 will be described.

[0083] Figure 7 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line II. Figure 8 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II.

[0084] When the first cross member 300 and the second cross member 400 are fastened to each other, the terminal portion 110 and the high voltage bus bar 410 of the second cross member 400 may be connected to each other, and the sensing connector 120 and the sensing device 420 of the second cross member 400 may be connected to each other.

[0085] Therefore, reference Figure 7 , the second cross member 400 may be disposed between the battery modules 100-1 and 100-2 placed adjacent to each other in the width direction. The terminal portion 110-1 of the first battery module 100-1 and the high-voltage busbar 410-1 of the second cross member 400 corresponding to the terminal portion 110-1 may be connected to each other by a terminal fastening bolt 450-1. In addition, the terminal portion 110-2 of the second battery module 100-2 may also be connected to the high-voltage busbar 410-2 of the second cross member 400 corresponding to the terminal portion 110-2 by a terminal fastening bolt 450-2. In addition, the lower portion of the terminal portion 110 may include a separate fastening portion (not shown) for fastening and fixing the terminal fastening bolt 450.

[0086] Meanwhile, as described above, the insulating cover 460 may be provided between the cover plate 440 of the second cross member 400 and the terminal fastening bolt 450 for insulation. The insulating cover 460 may be formed on the cover plate 440 by insert injection molding. At this time, the insulating cover 460 may be formed in the form of a central portion having a vertical perforation. When the central portion of the insulating cover 460 is perforated, a fastening device may be inserted into the perforated portion, and fastening between the terminal fastening bolt 450 and the fastening portion may be effectively performed.

[0087] Next, refer to Figure 8 , the sensing connector 120 has a male connector form, and the lower portion of the sensing device 420 has a female connector located at a position corresponding to the sensing connector 120, so that the sensing connector 120 and the sensing device 420 can be connected to each other through the coupling between the male connector and the female connector. For example, the sensing connector 120-1 provided in the first battery module 100-1 and the sensing device 420-1 of the second cross member 400 corresponding to the sensing connector 120-1 can be connected to each other through the coupling of the connectors, and the sensing connector 120-2 provided in the second battery module 100-2 and the sensing device 420-2 of the second cross member 400 corresponding to the sensing connector 120-2 can be connected through the coupling of the connectors.

[0088] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , when the second cross member 400 is inserted into the gap space S formed between the battery modules arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction and connected to both the first cross member 300 and the battery module 100, the gap space S can be covered and can have a height similar to that when a plurality of battery modules 100 are placed in the lower case 200.

[0089] In other words, even if the second cross member 400 is connected to the upper portion of the first cross member 300, the second cross member 400 may be inserted to a height similar to that of the battery module 100 to the maximum extent and may be connected to the battery module 100. Therefore, when the upper cover (not shown) covers the lower case 200 on which the battery module 100, the first cross member 300, and the second cross member 400 are mounted, a gap between the upper cover and the battery module 100 may be minimized, and the size of the battery pack 10 may be minimized.

[0090] At the same time, reference Figure 7 and Figure 8, even if the second cross member 400 is tightened, there can still be a gap space under the second cross member 400. The gap space S can be used as an installation space for a busbar for supplying power. For example, the battery pack 10 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a connector and a PRA located at a front portion thereof, but according to vehicle requirements, if necessary, the components are arranged at the rear portion instead of the front portion. In this case, it is necessary to connect the busbar to supply power from the front PRA to the rear connector, and by using the gap space S described above, the busbar is prevented from being exposed to the outside, thereby minimizing damage, and the rear connector and the front PRA can be stably connected to each other.

[0091] According to the above description, the battery pack for a vehicle of the present disclosure can maximize the number of battery cells mounted to the battery pack to maximize the cruising range of the vehicle.

[0092] Furthermore, even if the accessory components are reduced, the structural rigidity of the battery pack can be sufficiently ensured by the first cross member portion and the second cross member interposed between the battery modules, and thus the structural safety can be improved.

[0093] When the first cross member is inserted and the second cross member is fastened to the first cross member at an upper portion of the first cross member, the connection between the first cross member and the second cross member can be ensured.

[0094] Although the present disclosure is provided above in conjunction with the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be changed and modified in many ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure provided in the appended claims.

[0095] Therefore, the above detailed description should not be interpreted as limiting in all aspects, but should be regarded as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent range of the present disclosure are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack for a vehicle, the battery pack comprising: a lower housing including a plurality of battery modules positioned along a length direction, wherein a terminal portion of a first battery module among the plurality of battery modules and a terminal portion of a second battery module among the plurality of battery modules face each other along a width direction; a first cross member that passes through the lower case in the width direction and is inserted between two battery modules that are adjacent in the length direction; and A second cross member passes through the lower case in the length direction, is fastened to an upper end of the first cross member to be positioned between the battery modules adjacent in the width direction, and is electrically connected to a terminal portion of each of the adjacent battery modules.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The battery modules adjacent to each other in the width direction are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a gap space, and the second cross member is located in an upper portion of the gap space.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein: An upper end of the first cross member includes a recessed portion having a concave shape, and the recessed portion is formed at a position corresponding to the second cross member, and the second cross member is placed in the recessed portion and fastened to the first cross member.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein: The second cross member covers the gap space formed between the battery modules adjacent in the width direction.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of battery modules includes a sensing connector and a terminal portion located at an upper portion of a side surface facing the second cross member, the second cross member includes a sensing device for monitoring the battery module and a high-voltage bus bar connecting the battery module to an adjacent battery module, and when the first cross member and the second cross member are fastened to each other, the sensing device and the sensing connector are connected to each other and the high-voltage bus bar and the terminal portion are connected to each other.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The front and rear portions of the side surface of each of the plurality of battery modules include a terminal portion, and the sensing connector is arranged between the front terminal portion and the rear terminal portion, and the front and rear portions of the second cross member include a high-voltage busbar, which corresponds to the terminal portion of each of the plurality of battery modules, and the sensing device is located between the front high-voltage busbar and the rear high-voltage busbar.

7. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The battery modules adjacent in the length direction are arranged so that the terminal portion of each of the adjacent battery modules is adjacent to the first cross member, and the high-voltage bus connects the terminal portions of the adjacent battery modules adjacent to the first cross member to each other.

8. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein: The second cross member comprises: a component body extending along the length direction of the lower shell, and the sensing device and the high-voltage busbar are mounted to the component body; and A cover plate extends along the length direction of the lower shell and covers an upper portion of the component body.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein: The component body is formed of a plastic material, and the cover plate is formed of a metal material.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein: The battery modules adjacent to each other along the length direction are arranged so that the terminal portion of each of the adjacent battery modules is adjacent to the first cross member, and the high-voltage busbar connects the terminal portions of the adjacent battery modules adjacent to the first cross member to each other, and terminal fastening bolts for fastening the high-voltage busbar and the terminal portions to each other are inserted into the component body, and a plastic insulating cover is provided between the terminal fastening bolts inserted into the component body and the covering plate.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein: The high-voltage busbar is insulated from the cover plate by being covered by the component body.

12. The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein: A bushing integrally molded with the member body is provided at a position adjacent to the position where the terminal fastening bolt is inserted in the length direction, and the cover plate is fastened to the upper end of the first cross member via the bushing together with the member body.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein: The member body includes the bushing which is integrally molded at a position between insertion positions of the terminal fastening bolt and another terminal fastening bolt.

14. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein: The high-voltage bus bar includes an insertion portion into which the terminal fastening bolt is inserted, and a connection portion connected to the insertion portion bypassing the bushing.

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