Battery pack with stoppers capable of checking arbitrary disassembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack comprising: a case body having an internal space in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated; a lower housing coupled to a lower portion of the housing main body; a through hole which is formed in the lower housing; and a stopper additionally provided to cover the through hole, in which the stopper includes a rupture portion at which rupture occurs when tension is applied from the outside of the lower case, so that it is possible to determine whether a user has arbitrarily detached the battery pack by checking whether the rupture portion is ruptured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2023-0166252, filed on November 27, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pack having a stopper capable of checking arbitrary disassembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery pack having such a stopper capable of checking whether a user has arbitrarily disassembled the battery pack for use under a manufacturer's warranty system. Background Art

[0003] As an alternative to reducing greenhouse gases, carbon emission regulations are tightening, and people are increasingly choosing environmentally friendly energy sources as their electricity sources. Among these, secondary lithium batteries are being used as energy sources for various electronic devices because they can be reused through repeated charging and discharging, unlike primary batteries, which must be discarded after a single use.

[0004] For example, lithium secondary batteries are widely used not only in small electronic devices such as smartphones but also as power sources for electric vehicles, and battery packs including lithium secondary batteries are increasingly being used as energy sources in electronic devices used by consumers.

[0005] Typically, a battery pack may be manufactured in the form of a plurality of battery cells received in a battery pack housing and assembled to be fixedly mounted to a device or to be removably connected to the device.

[0006] The battery pack case may include a plurality of components, such as a main case, an upper case, and a lower case, and the fastening member may serve as a device configured to couple the plurality of components to assemble the battery pack.

[0007] Since the aesthetics of the product can be improved by preventing the fastener from being seen from the outside, a connecting portion to which the fastener is connected can be designed so as to be set in the battery pack housing part, and the connecting portion can be covered with a stopper or the like so that the connecting portion is not visible from the outside.

[0008] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of the lower part and a partial enlarged view of a conventional battery pack.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack.

[0010] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery pack 100 includes a case body 110 and a lower case 120 constituting a lower surface of the case body 110 , wherein stoppers 130 are attached to four corners of the bottom of the lower case 120 .

[0011] The lower housing 120 is provided with a through hole 140, the stopper 130 is inserted into the through hole 140, and the fastening member 150 is inserted into the coupling portion provided in the through hole 140, so that the housing body 110 and the lower housing 120 are coupled to each other. In this way, the stopper 130 can be added to cover the through hole 140, thereby preventing the coupling portion where the housing body 110 and the lower housing 120 are coupled to each other from being exposed to the outside.

[0012] The stopper 130 includes a base portion 131 , a portion of which is not inserted into the through-hole 140 of the lower housing 120 , and an insertion portion 132 configured to be completely inserted into the through-hole.

[0013] If the base 131 is made of a rubber material, the base may serve to protect the battery pack from impacts of the floor when the battery pack is placed on the floor.

[0014] A protruding structure is formed on the surface of the insertion portion 132 , whereby the stopper can be reliably fixed in the through hole 140 .

[0015] Meanwhile, if a battery pack fails during use of the battery pack or in order to improve product performance, a user may arbitrarily disassemble the battery pack.

[0016] Lithium secondary batteries include an electrolyte solution and an electrode assembly impregnated with the electrolyte solution. The electrode assembly is configured to have a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween. If the positive electrode and the negative electrode come into contact with each other due to an external impact, a short circuit may occur, which may cause a dangerous situation such as a fire.

[0017] Therefore, it is necessary to prevent safety accidents by preventing users of the battery pack from arbitrarily disassembling the battery pack.

[0018] Furthermore, if a user arbitrarily disassembles the battery pack to repair the battery pack or replace a portion of the battery pack due to a malfunction of the battery pack, it is difficult to guarantee the performance of the product.

[0019] Therefore, it is necessary to change the design to determine the validity of the product warranty by easily checking whether the user arbitrarily disassembles the battery pack when receiving the battery pack at the customer center. Summary of the Invention

[0020] Technical issues

[0021] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack having a stopper capable of checking whether the battery pack has been arbitrarily disassembled so as to serve as a basis for judging product warranty when a customer center receives the battery pack.

[0022] Technical Solution

[0023] According to the present invention, a battery pack for achieving the above-mentioned purpose includes: a shell body, which has an internal space configured to accommodate multiple battery cells; a lower shell, which is connected to the bottom of the shell body; a through hole, which is formed in the lower shell; and a stopper, which is added to cover the through hole, wherein the stopper includes a rupture portion, which is configured to rupture when tension is applied from the outside of the lower shell.

[0024] The inner portion and the outer portion of the through hole may have different inner diameters, and the inner diameter of the inner portion may be relatively larger, while the inner diameter of the outer portion may be relatively smaller.

[0025] The stopper may include: a base configured to be exposed outwardly from the lower shell when connected to the through hole of the lower shell; an insertion portion extending from the base so as to be inserted into the through hole; and a capture portion connected to an end of the insertion portion opposite to the base.

[0026] The insertion portion may include: a lower end portion configured in a circular ring form; and an upper end portion extending upward from the lower end portion, the upper end portion being connected to the capturing portion, the upper end portion being configured to have a structure in which a plurality of columnar structures are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

[0027] The upper end portion may be configured to have a thickness gradually decreasing toward a connection portion with the capture portion, or a portion having a relatively small thickness may be provided in the upper end portion.

[0028] The capturing portion may be configured in a circular tube form, and a thickness of the capturing portion may be greater than a thickness of the upper end portion of the inserting portion.

[0029] The insertion portion and the catching portion may be inserted into the through hole, and the catching portion may be caught by a step formed in the through hole, whereby a position of the catching portion may be fixed.

[0030] The rupture portion may be formed at a connection portion between the capture portion and the upper end portion of the insertion portion, or may be formed at the upper end portion.

[0031] The lower case and the case body may be coupled to each other via a fastening member inserted into the through-hole.

[0032] If the stopper covering the through-hole is pulled to remove the fastening member, the rupture portion of the stopper may be ruptured.

[0033] A plurality of annular protrusions may be formed on an outer surface of the lower end portion.

[0034] In addition, the present invention can provide various combinations of the above technical solutions.

[0035] Beneficial effects

[0036] As is apparent from the above description, in the battery pack according to the present invention, it is possible to easily check whether the battery pack has been arbitrarily disassembled by a user.

[0037] Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether the product warranty is valid simply by checking the stopper of the battery pack received at the customer center.

[0038] Furthermore, a stopper is added to the lower case of the battery pack, whereby the battery pack can be protected from impact such as vibration applied to the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of the lower part and a partial enlarged view of a conventional battery pack.

[0040] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack.

[0041] Figure 3 is a front view of a stopper added to a battery pack according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Stereoscopic image.

[0043] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of .

[0045] Figure 7 is a front view of a stopper according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Now, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, when describing the operating principles of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, when a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0047] All drawings will use the same reference numerals to refer to components that perform similar functions or operations. Throughout the specification, when a component is referred to as being connected to another component, not only can the component be directly connected to the other component, but the component can also be indirectly connected to the other component via yet another component. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the inclusion of a certain element does not mean the exclusion of other elements, but rather means that such elements may be further included.

[0048] Unless otherwise limited, the description embodying elements by limitation or addition can be applied to all inventions and does not limit a specific invention.

[0049] In the description of the present invention and the claims of this application, unless otherwise stated, singular forms are intended to include plural forms.

[0050] In the description of the present invention and the claims of this application, "or" includes "and" unless otherwise stated. Therefore, "including A or B" refers to three cases, namely, the case including A, the case including B, and the case including A and B.

[0051] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Figure 3 is a front view of a stopper added to a battery pack according to the present invention, Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A stereogram of Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to the present invention, Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of .

[0053] The appearance of the battery pack according to the present invention can be Figure 1 The appearance of the conventional battery pack 100 shown in FIG. 1 is the same.

[0054] refer to Figures 3 to 6 ,in Figure 5 A portion of a battery pack is shown, and the battery pack 200 according to the present invention includes: a shell body 210, which has an internal space configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells; a lower shell 220, which is connected to the bottom of the shell body 210; a through hole 240, which is formed in the lower shell 220; and a stopper 230, which is added to cover the through hole 240.

[0055] The through hole 240 formed in the lower case 220 may extend to the case body 210 to communicate therewith, and the case body 210 and the lower case 220 are coupled to each other via a fastening member 250 inserted into the through hole 240. The fastening member 250 may be a screw or a rivet.

[0056] The stopper 230 includes a structural frangible portion, such as a rupture portion 260 , which is configured to rupture when tension is applied from the outside of the lower housing 220 .

[0057] The through hole 240 is formed in a cylindrical shape in which the inner diameters of the inner portion 241 and the outer portion 242 are different from each other and the inner diameter of the inner portion 241 is larger than that of the outer portion 242. That is, a step is formed between the inner portion 241 and the outer portion 242.

[0058] The stopper 230 includes a base 231, an insertion portion 232 and a capture portion 233, wherein the base 231 has its bottom surface protruding outward from the lower shell 220 when connected to the through hole 240 of the lower shell 210, the insertion portion 232 extends from the base 231 so as to be inserted into the through hole 240, and the capture portion 233 is connected to the end of the insertion portion 232 opposite to the base 231.

[0059] The insertion portion 232 includes a lower end portion 232b and an upper end portion 232a, wherein the lower end portion 232b is configured in a circular ring form, the upper end portion 232a extends upward from the lower end portion 232b, the upper end portion is connected to the capture portion 233, and the upper end portion is configured to have a structure in which multiple columnar structures are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

[0060] The capturing portion 233 is configured in the form of a circular tube, and a thickness of the capturing portion 233 is greater than a thickness of the upper end portion 232 a of the inserting portion 232 .

[0061] Insertion portion 232 and catch portion 233 are inserted into through-hole 240, and catch portion 233 is caught by the step formed between inner portion 241 and outer portion 242 of through-hole 240, thereby securing the position of the catch portion. Specifically, because the outer diameter of catch portion 233, configured as a circular tube, is larger than the inner diameter of outer portion 242, when catch portion 233 is inserted into inner portion 241 and caught by the step, even if base 231 is pulled out, it is difficult to pull the entire stopper 230 out of through-hole 240. Furthermore, the area of ​​base 231 is larger than the diameter of through-hole 240, preventing the entire stopper 230 from being fully inserted into through-hole 240.

[0062] When the length of the insertion portion 232 and the length of the outer portion 242 of the through hole are equal to each other, the stopper 230 may be stably fixed in the through hole 240 without moving inward or outward from the battery pack.

[0063] At the same time, if the stopper 230 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, even if the outer diameter of the insertion portion 232 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the outer portion 242, the insertion portion 232 can be compressed and inserted into the through hole 240, and after being inserted into the through hole 240, the insertion portion 232 can expand again to fill the space in the outer portion 242.

[0064] In particular, the outer diameter of the capture portion 233 is larger than the inner diameter of each of the inner portion 241 and the outer portion 242 of the through hole 240, and the entire stopper 230 is made of elastic material, so that the capture portion 233 can be easily inserted into the inner portion of the through hole 240.

[0065] Furthermore, if the base 231 protruding outward from the lower case 220 is made of an elastic material, when the battery pack 200 is placed on the floor, transmission of external impact such as vibration of the floor to the battery pack 200 can be reduced.

[0066] In a specific embodiment, if the stopper 230 covering the through hole 240 is pulled in order to remove the fastening member 250 coupling the case body 210 and the lower case 220 to each other, the rupture portion 260 of the stopper, which is a structural weak portion, is ruptured.

[0067] The rupture portion 260 may be formed at a connection between the capture portion 233 and the upper end portion 232 a of the insertion portion 232 , or may be formed at the upper end portion 232 a .

[0068] exist Figures 3 to 6 In the stopper 230 shown, the rupture portion 260 is formed at the connection between the catch portion 233 and the upper end portion 232a of the insertion portion 232. Specifically, the thickness of the upper end portion 232a decreases toward the connection portion with the catch portion 233.

[0069] Alternatively, unlike what is shown, the middle of the upper end portion 232a may be narrow, or the lower portion where the upper end portion 232a and the lower end portion 232b are connected to each other may be thin.

[0070] When the base is pulled out from the outside of the lower case, such a small thickness portion is easily broken, whereby the catching portion 233 remains in the through hole 240 and only the insertion portion 232 is pulled out from the through hole 240 .

[0071] Therefore, the battery pack manufacturer can easily check whether the user arbitrarily removes the stopper of the battery pack simply by removing the stopper from the battery pack at the customer center.

[0072] Specifically, it may be determined whether the user arbitrarily removes the stopper from the battery pack using a method of attaching a tool such as a push-pull gauge to the stopper and measuring the amount of torque or force while pulling the stopper when the stopper is removed from the battery pack.

[0073] The breakage limit of the stopper may be set based on a design of experiments (DOE), and if a force less than the breakage limit is required to remove the stopper, the user may be considered to have arbitrarily removed the stopper.

[0074] Figure 7is a front view of a stopper according to another embodiment.

[0075] refer to Figure 7 , the stopper 230 and Figures 3 to 6 The stopper 230 shown is different in that a plurality of annular protrusions 234 are formed on the outer surface of the lower end portion 232b.

[0076] The protrusion 234 may function as a gasket in a state of being disposed in the outer side portion 242 of the through hole 240 , thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the battery pack.

[0077] In another configuration, Figures 3 to 6 The description of the stopper shown in can be equally applied to Figure 7 The stopper 230 shown in FIG.

[0078] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that various applications and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0079] (Explanation of Reference Numerals)

[0080] 100, 200: battery pack

[0081] 110, 210: Shell body

[0082] 120, 220: lower shell

[0083] 130, 230: Stopper

[0084] 131, 231: base

[0085] 132, 232: Insertion

[0086] 140, 240: through hole

[0087] 150, 250: Fastening components

[0088] 232a: Upper end

[0089] 232b: lower end

[0090] 233: Capture Department

[0091] 234: Protrusion

[0092] 241: medial part

[0093] 242: Lateral part

[0094] 260: Rupture

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: a housing body having an interior space configured to receive a plurality of battery cells; a lower housing coupled to a bottom portion of the housing body; a through hole formed in the lower housing; as well as A stopper is added to cover the through hole, wherein The stopper includes a rupture portion configured to rupture when tension is applied from an outside of the lower case.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein The inner and outer portions of the through hole have different inner diameters, and Of the inner portion and the outer portion, the inner diameter of the inner portion is relatively large, while the inner diameter of the outer portion is relatively small.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The stopper comprises: a base configured to be exposed outward from the lower housing when coupled to the through hole of the lower housing; an insertion portion extending from the base portion so as to be inserted into the through hole; and A capture portion is coupled to an end portion of the insertion portion opposite the base portion.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: The inserting portion comprises: a lower end portion, the lower end portion being configured in the form of a circular ring; and An upper end portion extending upward from the lower end portion, the upper end portion being connected to the capturing portion, the upper end portion being configured to have a structure in which a plurality of columnar structures are provided to be spaced apart from each other.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein The upper end portion is configured to have a thickness gradually decreasing toward a connection portion with the capture portion, or A portion having a relatively small thickness is provided in the upper end portion.

6. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein The capture portion is configured in a circular tube form, and The capturing portion has a thickness greater than a thickness of the upper end portion of the inserting portion.

7. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein The insertion portion and the capture portion are inserted into the through hole, and The catch portion is caught by a step formed in the through hole, whereby the position of the catch portion is fixed.

8. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein: The rupture portion is formed at a connection portion between the capture portion and the upper end portion of the insertion portion, or at the upper end portion.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein: The lower case and the case body are coupled to each other via a fastening member inserted into the through-hole.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein: When the stopper covering the through-hole is pulled to remove the fastening member, the rupture portion of the stopper ruptures.

11. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein: A plurality of annular protrusions are formed on the outer surface of the lower end portion.

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