Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of battery cells are arranged on the battery pack bottom frame; a battery pack case, the battery pack case including a cross member disposed on the battery pack bottom frame and configured to separate a plurality of battery cells; and a thermal insulation assembly disposed between the battery pack bottom frame and the cross member and having at least one groove formed therein.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0110014, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on August 22, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries that are easy to apply according to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density are generally used in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric drive sources, as well as in portable devices. Due to the main advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not generating by-products from energy use, these secondary batteries are attracting attention as new energy sources for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency.

[0004] Currently widely used secondary battery packs include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, etc. When a higher output voltage is required, a battery module or battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. In addition, a battery module or battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel to increase the charge / discharge capacity. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or battery pack can be set in various ways according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] A common method of constructing a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series / parallel is to first construct a battery module including at least one battery cell, and then use at least one battery module to add other components to construct a battery pack or battery rack. In addition, recently, a cell-to-battery-pack type battery pack has been manufactured, in which multiple battery cells are directly stored in a battery pack case or the like without manufacturing a module of the battery cells.

[0006] In addition, since battery cells undergo chemical reactions during charging and discharging, if they are used at a temperature higher than the appropriate temperature, their performance may deteriorate, and if heat cannot be controlled at the appropriate temperature, accidental fire or explosion is more likely to occur. Therefore, if a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs inside the battery pack, the high-temperature gas or flame emitted from the battery cells therein may spread to adjacent battery modules, resulting in a chain reaction of explosions in the battery modules, which is very dangerous.

[0007] In addition, since the battery pack housing is made of a metal material (such as aluminum) with a relatively high thermal conductivity, if a thermal event occurs in the battery module, the cross-member of the battery pack housing can receive heat from the side of the battery module and the bottom surface of the battery pack housing, causing its temperature to increase rapidly. Therefore, heat may spread to adjacent battery modules, leading to thermal runaway.

[0008] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a structure in a battery pack for densely storing battery modules that can minimize heat conduction to adjacent battery modules even when a thermal event occurs in some battery modules, thereby suppressing and delaying heat propagation between battery modules.

[0009] In particular, it is necessary to develop a structure that can block heat transfer from the bottom surface of the battery pack housing to the cross-member, thereby suppressing a sharp increase in the temperature of the cross-member. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Technical Problem

[0011] The present disclosure aims to solve the problems of the related art. Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a battery pack that can minimize heat conduction and heat radiation to adjacent battery modules when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module, so as to effectively prevent or delay the spread of thermal runaway between battery modules.

[0012] Therefore, the present disclosure also provides a battery pack with improved safety and reliability.

[0013] In addition, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle including such a battery pack.

[0014] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other problems not mentioned above from the description of the present invention described below.

[0015] Technical Solution

[0016] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack housing including a bottom battery pack frame and a cross-member, the plurality of battery cells being disposed on the bottom battery pack frame, the cross-member being disposed on the bottom battery pack frame and configured to separate the plurality of battery cells; and a heat insulation assembly disposed between the bottom battery pack frame and the cross-member and having at least one groove formed therein.

[0017] The heat insulation component may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is configured to be in surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member. The second surface is the opposite surface of the first surface, and the second surface is configured to be in surface contact with the upper surface of the bottom battery pack frame. And grooves may be formed on the first surface so that the contact area between the bottom battery pack frame and the cross member can be reduced.

[0018] The width of the heat insulation component may be configured to be greater than the thickness of the cross member.

[0019] The heat insulation component may include a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the cross member.

[0020] The heat insulation component may be made of a material with fire resistance.

[0021] The lower surface of the cross member may be made of a material with a lower thermal conductivity than aluminum.

[0022] The bottom battery pack frame may have insertion grooves formed at positions facing the cross member, and the heat insulation component may be configured to be inserted into the insertion grooves and seal the insertion grooves.

[0023] Multiple grooves may be formed in the heat insulation component, and the multiple grooves may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross member extends.

[0024] The heat insulation component may include ribs configured to form the grooves and support the cross member.

[0025] The ribs may be configured to be in surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member.

[0026] The ribs may be configured to extend in the direction in which the cross member extends.

[0027] The heat insulation component may be produced by extrusion so that the ribs are integrally constructed with the heat insulation component.

[0028] The battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a plurality of module housings configured to group at least some of the plurality of battery cells and having vent holes formed on at least one side.

[0029] The plurality of module housings may be arranged in multiple rows, and the cross member may include a cross beam disposed between the plurality of module housings arranged along adjacent rows, and a plurality of partitions extending from the cross beam and spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross beam extends.

[0030] In addition, the present invention also provides a vehicle including the battery pack according to the present invention.

[0031] Beneficial effects

[0032] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module, heat conduction to adjacent battery modules can be minimized, thereby effectively preventing or delaying the spread of thermal runaway between battery modules. Therefore, the safety and reliability of the battery modules can be ensured.

[0033] In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module, a rapid increase in the temperature of a cross member separating the battery modules can be suppressed.

[0034] In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, events such as fires or explosions caused by thermal runaway of a device equipped with a battery pack can be prevented or delayed.

[0035] In addition, the present disclosure can have various other effects, which will be described in 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 drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the detailed description of the invention to provide a further understanding of the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

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

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

[0039] Figure 3 is along Figure 1 a partial cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in

[0040] Figure 4 illustrates a comparative example showing the heat transfer direction in the case where a heat insulation assembly included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not provided.

[0041] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the heat transfer direction in the case where a heat insulation assembly in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0042] Figure 6 is Figure 3 an enlarged view of part A in

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

[0044] Figure 8 is along Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in

[0045] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a heat insulation component included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a main part of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 12 is a perspective view of a heat insulation component included in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Embodiments

[0050] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below 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 construed as limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted based on the principle that allows the inventor to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation, based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the various technical aspects of the present disclosure.

[0051] Therefore, the configurations presented in the embodiments and the drawings of this specification only indicate the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not represent all the technical ideas of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications can be made thereto when submitting this application.

[0052] In addition, the present disclosure includes various embodiments. Repetitive descriptions of elements that are substantially the same or similar to each other between the embodiments will be omitted, and descriptions will be made based on their differences.

[0053] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as upward, downward, left, right, forward, and backward are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are only for convenience of explanation and can vary according to the position of the target object or the position of the observer.

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

[0055] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line I-I’ in Figure 1 . Figure 4 Illustrates a comparative example that shows the heat transfer direction in the case where the heat insulation component included in the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not provided. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the heat transfer direction in the case where the heat insulation component in the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0056] First, referring to Figures 1 to 3 , the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes battery cells 110, a battery pack housing 200, and a heat insulation component 300.

[0057] Referring to Figure 1 , the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may include a battery pack housing 200. The battery pack housing 200 forms the exterior of the battery pack 10. The battery pack housing 200 may have a predetermined length in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and may have an overall shape similar to a rectangular parallelepiped. The battery pack housing 200 may include a bottom battery pack frame 210, side frames 230, and a battery pack cover 250.

[0058] Further referring to Figure 2 , the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may include at least one battery cell, preferably a plurality of battery cells 110. The battery cells 110 may be accommodated in Figure 1 the battery pack housing 200. The plurality of battery cells 110 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0059] The battery cells 110 may be provided in a pouch type. The cell housing of the pouch type battery cell 110 may be configured in a pouch in which an aluminum metal layer is interposed between polymer layers.

[0060] In addition, although not shown in the figure, the pouch type battery cell 110 may include an electrode assembly, a cell housing that houses the electrode assembly, and electrode leads that are connected to the electrode assembly and extend outside the cell housing to serve as electrode terminals. The cell housing may include a storage portion that houses the electrode assembly and a sealing portion that seals the periphery of the storage portion.

[0061] In this case, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) while standing in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), as shown in Figure 2 . In this case, each battery cell 110 may have a sealing portion pointing in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), and a storage portion pointing in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0062] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type or shape of battery cell 110, and various battery cells 110 known at the time of filing the present disclosure can be applied to construct the battery pack 10 of the present disclosure. Although a pouch-type secondary battery having a high energy density and being easy to stack as shown in the figures will be described in the present embodiment, it is obvious that cylindrical or prismatic secondary batteries can be used as the battery cell 110.

[0063] In addition, the battery pack housing 200 can be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells 110. That is, the battery pack housing 200 can provide an accommodation space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells 110. The battery pack housing 200 can be made of a material capable of ensuring mechanical strength (e.g., a metal such as SUS or a fiber-reinforced plastic), or can include such a material to safely protect the battery cells 110 accommodated therein.

[0064] As Figure 2 shown, in addition to the bottom battery pack frame 210, side frames 230, and battery pack cover 250 described with reference to Figure 1 the battery pack housing 200 may further include cross members 220.

[0065] The bottom battery pack frame 210 can be configured to have a plurality of battery cells 110 disposed thereon. The bottom battery pack frame 210 can form the lower surface of the battery pack housing 200 and can be configured as a square plate. In addition, the bottom battery pack frame 210 can have a flat upper surface such that a plurality of battery cells 110 can be stably disposed thereon.

[0066] In this case, the cross members 220 can be configured to separate a plurality of battery cells 110. A plurality of cross members 220 can be provided. The cross members 220 can be disposed on the bottom battery pack frame 210 so as to be coupled to the bottom battery pack frame 210. The cross members 220 can be bolted or welded to the bottom battery pack frame 210.

[0067] More specifically, the cross members 220 can include cross beams 221 and partitions 222. The cross beams 221 can be disposed between a plurality of battery cells 110 arranged in adjacent rows. For example, referring to Figure 2 the cross beams 221 can be disposed between battery modules 100 arranged in two rows in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) so as to extend in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction).

[0068] The partitions 222 can be configured to extend from the cross beams 221. A plurality of partitions 222 can be provided. The partitions 222 can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross beams 221 extend (i.e., in the front-back direction (Y-axis direction)). Therefore, the partitions 222 can be disposed to extend along the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0069] According to the above-described configuration implemented according to the present disclosure, a plurality of battery cells 110 may be divided by the cross member 220. Additionally, since the cross member 220 is horizontally disposed in the battery pack housing 200, when an external pressure is applied, such as when the battery pack housing 200 is bent up and down, the bending force may be dispersed along the cross member 220. Accordingly, breakage of the battery pack housing 200 due to stress concentrated on a certain component may be prevented, thereby ensuring the rigidity of the battery pack 10.

[0070] The side frames 230 may extend upward from respective edges of the bottom battery pack frame 210. The side frames 230 may have a plurality of unit walls to surround the plurality of battery cells 110. More specifically, the side frames 230 may include a rear wall located at an end of the bottom battery pack frame 210 in the +Y axis direction, a right wall located at an end thereof in the +X axis direction, a front wall located at an end thereof in the -Y axis direction, and a left wall located at an end thereof in the -X axis direction, thereby constituting side surfaces of the battery pack housing 200.

[0071] The battery pack cover 250 may be coupled to the top of the side frames 230 to form an upper surface of the battery pack housing 200. In this case, the battery pack cover 250 may be disposed at a predetermined distance from the top of the cross member 220.

[0072] Additionally, referring to Figure 2 , the battery pack housing 200 may be provided with an exhaust portion 240. The exhaust portion 240 may be provided on a side surface of the battery pack housing 200, that is, on the side frames 230. The exhaust portion 240 may be configured to discharge gas generated from the battery cells 110 stored inside the battery pack housing 200 to the outside of the battery pack housing 200. Specifically, further referring to Figure 3 , there is a space between the battery pack cover 250 and the cross member 220. Accordingly, gas discharged upward through the exhaust holes 130 of the battery module 100 may move to the space between the battery pack cover 250 and the cross member 220. The gas may be discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing 200 through the exhaust portion 240 provided in the side frames 230.

[0073] As Figure 3 shown, the battery pack 10 of the present disclosure includes a heat insulation assembly 300. The heat insulation assembly 300 may include a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the battery pack housing 200 (e.g., the bottom battery pack frame 210 and / or the cross member 220). For example, the heat insulation assembly 300 may be made of a material such as polyurethane or silicone resin. Alternatively, the heat insulation assembly 300 may be made of a material having fire resistance. For example, the heat insulation assembly 300 may be configured as a material such as flame retardant plastic or mica.

[0074] The heat insulation component 300 can be disposed between the bottom battery pack frame 210 and the cross member 220. That is to say, the heat insulation component 300 can be disposed at the portion where the cross member 220 contacts the bottom battery pack frame 210. For example, the heat insulation component 300 can be respectively disposed at the bottoms of the plurality of cross beams 221 and the partition members 222.

[0075] The battery pack housing 200 can be made of a metal material (such as aluminum) with a high thermal conductivity. Since the metal material has a high thermal conductivity, heat caused by high-temperature gas or flame may be transferred between the structures of the battery pack housing 200.

[0076] Therefore, if the heat insulation component 300 is not disposed between the bottom battery pack frame 210 and the cross member 220 as Figure 4 shown, when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell 110, heat can be directly transferred to the cross member 220 through the side surface of the battery module 100 (the direction of heat transfer is indicated by the arrow passing through the cross member 220 from the battery cell 110 in the figure). In addition, heat can be transferred to the bottom battery pack frame 210 through the lower part of the battery cell 110 (the direction of heat transfer is indicated by the arrow in the Y-axis direction along the bottom battery pack frame 210 in the figure), and the heat transferred to the bottom battery pack frame 210 can be transferred to the cross member 220 (the direction of heat transfer is indicated by the arrow in the Z-axis direction from the bottom battery pack frame 210 to the cross member 220 in the figure). Therefore, the cross member 220 receives heat from the side of the battery module 100 and / or the bottom battery pack frame 210, so that the temperature rises faster.

[0077] On the other hand, as Figure 5 shown, since the heat insulation component 300 is disposed between the bottom battery pack frame 210 and the cross member 220 in the battery pack 10 of the present disclosure, the cross member 220 and the bottom battery pack frame 210 can have an interface with increased heat-resistant contact. Therefore, the heat transfer from the battery cell 110 where the thermal event occurs to the bottom battery pack frame 210 can be delayed from being transferred to the cross member 220 (such as Figure 4 the heat transfer indicated by the arrow in the Z-axis direction from the bottom battery pack frame 210 to the cross member 220 in, and the heat transfer in this direction is delayed in Figure 5 (see X marked on the arrow).

[0078] Therefore, according to the above-implemented configuration of the present disclosure, the interface between the bottom battery pack frame 210 and the cross member 220 can be modified to suppress a rapid increase in the temperature of the cross member 220. Therefore, heat generated due to a thermal event in the battery cell 110 can be prevented from passing through the lower part of the battery pack housing 200 and then being transferred to another battery cell 110 through the cross member 220, where the other battery cell 110 faces the battery cell 110 where the event occurs across the cross member 220.

[0079] In addition, according to the above-implemented configuration of the present disclosure, since the heat insulation assembly 300 is provided, the area where the bottom battery pack frame 210 and the cross member 220 are in direct contact with each other can be reduced, thereby reducing the area of heat exchange between the two components. Therefore, as Figure 5 shown, heat transferred from the battery cell 110 where the thermal event occurs to the bottom battery pack frame 210 can be suppressed from being thermally conducted and radiated to the cross member 220. Therefore, according to the above-implemented configuration of the present disclosure, thermal runaway propagation between the battery cells 110 can be effectively prevented or delayed, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery pack 10.

[0080] In addition, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a module housing 120. The module housing 120 may be configured to have an internal space formed therein such that at least some of the plurality of battery cells 110 can be accommodated in the internal space. In particular, the module housing 120 may be a boundary that groups the plurality of battery cells 110 into several battery cells 110 and physically confines the internal space of each battery cell 110.

[0081] The module housing 120 may be made of a metal material having rigidity and heat resistance to physically or chemically protect the accommodated battery cells 110.

[0082] That is, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery modules 100, and the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the battery pack 10 may be divided and accommodated in the plurality of battery modules 100.

[0083] The plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction and / or the left-right direction along a plurality of rows. For example, as Figure 2 shown, the plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged in two rows in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and in four rows in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0084] In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the battery module 100 may include a bus bar assembly and / or module terminals that are electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 110 accommodated inside the module housing 120.

[0085] In addition, at least one vent hole 130 may be formed in the module housing 120. Preferably, a plurality of vent holes 130 may be formed. The vent hole 130 may be configured to discharge the exhaust gas generated from the battery cell 110 to the outside of the module housing 120. The vent hole 130 may be formed on one side of the module housing 120 such that the exhaust can be directed in one direction. For example, the vent hole 130 may be formed on the upper surface of the module housing 120. In Figure 2 the illustrated example, the vent hole 130 may be formed in the top plate 130. According to the above-described configuration implemented in the present disclosure, the remaining portion of the module housing 120 except for the vent hole 130 may be sealed such that the gas or flame can be discharged in a straight line toward the vent hole 130.

[0086] Figure 6 is Figure 3 an enlarged view of part A in Figure 7 and is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Reference will be made to Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 to describe the heat insulation component 300 in more detail.

[0087] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 , at least one groove G may be formed in the heat insulation component 300. Specifically, referring to Figure 6 , the heat insulation component 300 may include a first surface 310 that is in surface contact with the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220 and a second surface 320 that is in surface contact with the upper surface of the bottom battery pack frame 210, and the second surface 320 is the opposite surface of the first surface 310. The cross member 220 may be welded to a portion of the first surface 310 of the heat insulation component 300 other than the groove G.

[0088] Even if the heat insulation component 300 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the bottom battery pack frame 210 and / or the cross member 220, it may still have a small thermal conductivity, so there is a possibility of heat transfer through the heat insulation component 300 to the cross member 220. Therefore, as in the above-described configuration implemented in the present disclosure, the groove G may be formed on the side of the heat insulation component 300 that is in contact with the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220, thereby reducing the direct contact area between the heat insulation component 300 and the cross member 220. Therefore, the possibility of heat being transferred from the bottom battery pack frame 210 to the cross member 220 through the heat insulation component 300 can be further reduced.

[0089] In addition, the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220 may cover the top of the groove G to form an air layer within the groove G. The air in the stationary state becomes a material with high heat conduction. Although air also transfers heat by convection, the groove G may be too small to generate convection in the air layer formed inside the groove G. Therefore, if the groove G is formed in the heat insulation component 300, the stationary air can be confined inside the groove G to further exert a heat insulation effect, thereby further delaying the heat transfer from the bottom battery pack frame 210 to the cross member 220.

[0090] The lower surface 223 of the cross member 220 may be formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than aluminum. That is, the portion of the cross member 220 in contact with the heat insulation component 300 may be formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the cross member 220. According to the above-described configuration implemented in the present disclosure, in addition to the heat insulation component 300, heat transfer from the bottom battery pack frame 210 can also be blocked, thereby more effectively suppressing a rapid increase in the temperature of the cross member 220.

[0091] In addition, referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the bottom battery pack frame 210 may form an insertion groove 211 therein. The insertion groove 211 may be formed at a position of the bottom battery pack frame 210 facing the cross member 220. The insertion groove 211 may be configured to be recessed inward from the surface of the bottom battery pack frame 210 so as to correspond to the size of the heat insulation component 300. In this case, the heat insulation component 300 may be configured to be inserted into the insertion groove 211 and seal the internal space of the insertion groove 211. For example, the heat insulation component 300 may be configured as a sealing gasket to be forcibly fitted into the insertion groove 211 to seal the insertion groove 211. In this case, the heat insulation component 300 may be configured as an elastic material such as silicone resin.

[0092] According to the above-described configuration implemented in the present invention, the heat insulation component 300 can prevent high-temperature gas or flame from flowing into the groove G provided at the bottom of the cross member 220. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high-temperature gas or flame from flowing to the adjacent battery module 100 through the bottom of the cross member 220.

[0093] Referring to Figure 6 , the width D of the heat insulation component 300 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) may be configured to be greater than the thickness d of the cross member 220. In addition, the width of the groove G in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) may be configured to be less than the thickness d of the cross member 220.

[0094] According to the above-described configuration of the present invention, the heat insulation component 300 can prevent high-temperature gas or flame from flowing into the space from both sides of the cross member 220. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high-temperature gas or flame from flowing to the adjacent battery module 100 through the bottom of the cross member 220.

[0095] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in Figure 1 and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a heat insulation component included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Referring to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , a plurality of grooves G may be formed in the heat insulation component 300. The plurality of grooves G may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross member 220 extends. For example, as shown in Figure 8 , the plurality of grooves G formed in the heat insulation component 300 provided at the bottom of the separator 222 may be arranged along the direction (X-axis direction) in which the separator 222 extends. In addition, the plurality of grooves G formed in the heat insulation component 300 provided at the bottom of the cross beam 221 may be arranged along the direction (Y-axis direction) in which the cross beam 221 extends.

[0097] According to the above-described configuration of the present disclosure, since a plurality of grooves G are provided in the heat insulation component 300, a plurality of air layers can be formed, so that the area where the cross member 220 and the bottom battery pack frame 210 are in direct contact with each other can be reduced, and the heat insulation effect of the air layer can be further increased. In addition, the area of the heat insulation component 300 that supports the cross member 220 can be ensured, thereby improving stability.

[0098] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a heat insulation component included in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] Referring to Figures 10 to 12 , the heat insulation component 300 included in the battery pack 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include ribs R. The ribs R may be configured to form grooves G. Specifically, a plurality of ribs R may be provided to be spaced apart from each other in one direction. In this case, a plurality of grooves G may be formed between the ribs R.

[0100] Referring to Figure 12, the rib R can be configured to extend in the direction in which the heat insulation assembly 300 extends. That is, the rib R can be configured to extend in the direction in which the cross member 220 extends. The length of the rib R can be configured to be the same as the length of the heat insulation assembly 300. Accordingly, the length of the groove G can also be configured to be the same as the length of the heat insulation assembly 300. According to the above-described configuration of the present disclosure, since the cross-sectional area of the groove G is increased, the area of contact between the heat insulation assembly 300 and the cross member 220 can be further reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of heat transfer between the components.

[0101] In this case, the heat insulation assembly 300 can be produced by extrusion such that the rib R is integrally formed with the heat insulation assembly 300. When the heat insulation assembly 300 is extruded, the rib R can be formed to extend in the extrusion direction. According to the above-described configuration of the present disclosure, the process of coupling the rib R to the heat insulation assembly 300 is not required, thereby reducing costs and time and thus improving productivity.

[0102] In addition, referring to Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the rib R can be configured to support the cross member 220. Specifically, the rib R can be arranged to be in surface contact with the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220. Accordingly, according to the above-described configuration of the present disclosure, the supporting force between the heat insulation assembly 300 and the cross member 220 can be improved, such that the cross member 220 can be more stably coupled to the heat insulation assembly 300.

[0103] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] In addition, referring to Figure 13 , the present disclosure can provide a vehicle 20 including the battery pack 10 according to the above-described embodiment. That is, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure can be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. The vehicle 20 includes four-wheel vehicles and two-wheel vehicles. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle 20 is driven by receiving power from the battery pack 10. For example, the battery pack 10 can be installed in a body frame under a vehicle seat or in a trunk space.

[0105] As a reference, in addition to vehicles, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure can also be applied to an ESS (energy storage system) or various electrical devices.

[0106] As described above, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can make various modifications and changes within the equivalent scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure and the claims to be described below.

Claims

1. A battery pack, the battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack housing, the battery pack housing including a bottom battery pack frame and cross members, the plurality of battery cells being disposed on the bottom battery pack frame, the cross members being disposed on the bottom battery pack frame and configured to separate the plurality of battery cells; and a heat insulation assembly, the heat insulation assembly being disposed between the bottom battery pack frame and the cross members and having at least one groove formed therein.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein the heat insulation assembly includes a first surface configured to be in surface contact with a lower surface of the cross member; and a second surface, which is an opposite surface of the first surface, the second surface being configured to be in surface contact with an upper surface of the bottom battery pack frame, and wherein the groove is formed in the first surface to reduce a contact area between the bottom battery pack frame and the cross member.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein the heat insulation assembly includes a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the cross member.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein the heat insulation assembly is made of a material having fire resistance.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein a lower surface of the cross member is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than aluminum.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein the bottom battery pack frame has an insertion groove formed at a position facing the cross member, and wherein the heat insulation assembly is configured to be inserted into the insertion groove and seal the insertion groove.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein a width of the heat insulation assembly is configured to be greater than a thickness of the cross member.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the heat insulation assembly, and wherein the plurality of grooves are spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the cross member extends.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, Among them, wherein the heat insulation assembly includes ribs configured to form the grooves and support the cross member.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, Among them, wherein the ribs are configured to be in surface contact with a lower surface of the cross member.

11. The battery pack according to claim 9, Among them, wherein the ribs are configured to extend in a direction in which the cross member extends.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, Among them, wherein the heat insulation assembly is produced by extrusion such that the ribs are integrally formed with the heat insulation assembly.

13. The battery pack according to claim 1, the battery pack further comprising: a plurality of module housings configured to group at least some of the plurality of battery cells and having exhaust holes formed on at least one side.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13, Among them, wherein the plurality of module housings are arranged in multiple rows, and wherein the cross member includes: a cross beam disposed between a plurality of module housings arranged in adjacent rows; and A plurality of partition members, the plurality of partition members extending from the cross beam and being arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross beam extends.

15. A vehicle, the vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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