Battery Block

Abstract

In one example, the battery block includes a cell array including a plurality of rectangular cells aligned in a row, a pair of side plates respectively disposed on both sides of the cell array, and a pair of end plates respectively disposed on front and rear sides of the cell array, wherein both widthwise ends of the end plates are fixed to side brackets provided at both longitudinal ends of the side plates, and the cell array is constrained as a single block by the interconnection between the end plates and the side plates.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery block that can simplify the structure of a battery pack, improve space utilization rate, reduce costs, and can be easily expanded to various specifications according to the capacity of a battery pack.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0163083 dated November 29, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] Unlike primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and have the potential to be small and have large capacity, and have been the subject of much research and development in recent years. The demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing due to the increasing technological development and demand for mobile devices, as well as the emergence of electric vehicles and energy storage systems in response to the modern demand for environmental protection.

[0004] Secondary batteries are classified into coin type batteries, cylindrical type batteries, square type batteries, and pouch type batteries according to the shape of the battery case. The electrode assembly installed inside the battery case of the secondary battery is a power generating element capable of charging and discharging, which is made of a laminated structure of electrodes and a separator.

[0005] The secondary battery may be in the form of a battery pack, which is a group of multiple battery cells. The battery pack may be installed in devices that require high energy, such as electric vehicles, by increasing the energy density. The battery pack electrically connects multiple battery cells to output a specified amount of power, cools the battery cells that may become hot during operation, and includes various safety devices to respond to emergency situations such as fire.

[0006] One of the important issues for battery packs is to increase the energy density per unit volume. This means that the key is how efficiently the space inside the battery pack can be utilized. In other words, it is necessary to be able to mount more battery cells in the same pack space, and one effective solution is to simplify the structure of the battery pack as much as possible.

[0007] In addition, simplifying the structure of the battery pack is advantageous from the viewpoint of reducing the production costs of the battery pack, and further, a structural design that can be easily expanded to battery packs of various capacities is also required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery block that can simplify the structure of a battery pack, improve space utilization rate, and reduce costs, and can be easily expanded to various specifications according to the capacity of the battery pack.

[0009] However, the technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is not limited to the above-mentioned problem, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a battery block, and in one example, the battery block includes a cell array including a plurality of rectangular cells aligned in a row, a pair of side plates respectively disposed on both sides of the cell array, and a pair of end plates respectively disposed on front and rear sides of the cell array, wherein both widthwise ends of the end plates are fixed to side brackets provided at both longitudinal ends of the side plates, and the cell array is constrained as a single block by the interconnection between the end plates and the side plates.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the side plate may be a single plate bent into a U-shape with an open upper end to form an internal space.

[0012] The side plate may have concave surfaces on both sides of the bent plate, and at least one joining rib may be provided along the longitudinal direction, where the facing concave surfaces are joined to each other.

[0013] The upper ends of the side plates may have bent upper flanges that contact the upper surface of the cell array.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the side bracket may include a fastening groove into which a welding bolt protruding from the end plate is inserted, and the welding bolt and the fastening groove may be joined to each other by welding.

[0015] The welding bolt and the fastening groove may be provided in pairs, one above and one below, based on the center of the cell array in the height direction.

[0016] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the side bracket may have the fastening grooves on both left and right sides with respect to a center in a width direction of the side plate.

[0017] As a result, another cell array arranged along the width direction shares the side plate, and the welding bolts provided on a pair of end plates arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the another cell array are fixed to the fastening grooves of the side bracket, thereby allowing the multiple cell arrays to be expanded along the width direction.

[0018] The end plate may include an end bracket that is fixed to the pack case.

[0019] The side bracket may include an end bracket fixed to the pack case.

[0020] Here, the end bracket has a fastening surface parallel to the width direction, and one or more fastening holes may be formed in the fastening surface.

[0021] And, the end bracket may include a reinforcing rib perpendicular to the fastening surface. Effect of the Invention

[0022] The battery block of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration has a simple structure in which end plates connected via side brackets provided on side plates bind the front, rear and side surfaces of a cell array consisting of a plurality of rectangular cells as one block, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the battery pack and reducing costs by simplifying the battery block structure.

[0023] In addition, the battery block of the present invention has a side plate formed of a single plate bent into a U-shape, which is lightweight yet exhibits excellent mechanical strength, and the side plate of the battery block replaces the cross beam structure provided in a conventional battery pack. In this manner, the battery pack including the battery block of the present invention can further increase the energy density per the same volume by eliminating the cross beam structure.

[0024] In addition, in the battery block of the present invention, adjacent cell arrays share one side plate to connect a plurality of battery blocks, and the total number of side plates required is only one more than the number of cell arrays, thereby further improving the space efficiency of a battery pack including the battery block of the present invention.

[0025] However, the technical effects that can be obtained by the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0026] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention described below, serve to further understand the technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing a battery block according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery block of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing a side plate. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line "AA" in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged view showing a connection structure between a side plate and an end plate; [Figure 6] 13 is a view showing a battery block according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram showing a structure in which the battery block of FIG. 1 is expanded in a width direction. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure in which a battery block is fixed to a pack case according to the present invention; [Figure 9] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure in which a battery block is fixed to a pack case according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be described in detail below.

[0029] However, this is not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, but it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0030] In the present invention, terms such as "comprise" and "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and may be understood as not precluding the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0031] In addition, in the present invention, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "on" another portion, this includes not only the case where it is "directly on" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion in between. Conversely, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "under" the other portion, this includes not only the case where it is "directly under" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion in between. In addition, in the present application, being "on" can include not only the case where it is located at the top, but also the case where it is located at the bottom.

[0032] The present invention relates to a battery block, and in one example, includes a cell array including a plurality of rectangular cells aligned in a row, a pair of side plates respectively disposed on both sides of the cell array, and a pair of end plates respectively disposed on front and rear sides of the cell array.

[0033] Both widthwise ends of the end plate are fixed to side brackets provided at both longitudinal ends of the side plates, and the cell array is bound as a single block by such interconnection between the end plate and the side plate.

[0034] The side plate may be a single plate bent into a U-shape with an open upper end to form a space therein.

[0035] The battery block of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration has a simple structure in which end plates connected via side brackets provided on side plates bind the front, rear and side surfaces of a cell array consisting of a plurality of rectangular cells as one block, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the battery pack and reducing costs by simplifying the battery block structure.

[0036] In addition, the battery block of the present invention has a side plate formed of a single plate bent into a U-shape, which is lightweight yet exhibits excellent mechanical strength, and the side plate of the battery block replaces the cross beam structure provided in the conventional battery pack. In this way, the battery pack equipped with the battery block of the present invention can further increase the energy density per the same volume by eliminating the cross beam structure.

[0037] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, directions such as front-back, up-down, left-right, and right-left directions used in the following description are intended to facilitate understanding of the invention, and unless otherwise specified, are based on directions shown in the drawings.

[0038] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a view showing a battery block 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery block 10 of FIG.

[0039] Referring to the accompanying Figures 1 and 2, a battery block 10 of the present invention includes a pair of side plates 200, a pair of end plates 300 coupled thereto to form a parallelepiped-shaped space, and a cell array 100 accommodated in the parallelepiped space.

[0040] The cell array 100 refers to a cell group consisting of a number of prismatic cells 110 aligned in a row. Each prismatic cell 110 is a completed prismatic secondary battery that can be charged and discharged independently, and in the illustrated embodiment, a cell array 100 is shown as an example in which 12 prismatic cells 110 are assembled together. All the prismatic cells 110 are generally configured to have the same specifications, and the prismatic cells 110 aligned in a row generally form a parallelepiped shape.

[0041] For reference, the illustrated prismatic cell 110 corresponds to a one-way prismatic cell 110 in which positive and negative electrode terminals 112 are all disposed on the upper surface, and a venting device 114 is provided between the pair of electrode terminals 112. The venting device 114 is a device corresponding to a safety valve that bursts when pressure acts inside the prismatic cell 110 to relieve the internal pressure, and may include, for example, a rupture disk made of a thin metal plate member with a notch. When the internal pressure of the sealed prismatic cell 110 increases, the rupture disk generates tensile deformation over the entire thin plate due to the pressure, and the weak notch portion breaks to relieve the internal pressure of the prismatic cell 110.

[0042] The electrode terminals 112 of the prismatic cells 110 on the cell array 100 may be arranged in a row with the same polarity or with opposite polarity alternating for convenience of parallel or serial electrical connection. In other words, the arrangement of a plurality of prismatic cells 110 in a row does not necessarily mean that the polarities of the electrode terminals 112 are aligned in a row.

[0043] A pair of side plates 200 are disposed on both sides of the cell array 100, and a pair of end plates 300 are disposed on the front and rear sides of the cell array 100. Both ends of the end plate 300 in the width direction W are fixed to side brackets 210 provided at both ends of the side plate 200 in the longitudinal direction L, and the cell array 100 is bound as a single block by the mutual connection between the end plate 300 and the side plate 200.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a view showing a side plate 200, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line "AA" in Fig. 3. The side plate 200 shown in the drawing is made of a single plate bent into a U-shape with an open top to form a space inside. By bending the single plate into a U-shape with an open top, the side plate 200 is lightweight yet has excellent mechanical strength.

[0045] 3 and 4, the side plate 200 has concave surfaces 222 on both sides of the folded plate, and the facing concave surfaces 222 are joined to each other to form a joining rib 220. At least one such joining rib 220 is provided along the longitudinal direction L of the side plate 200, and in the illustrated embodiment, a total of three joining ribs 220 are formed at both ends and the center of the side plate 200.

[0046] A single plate bent into a U-shape has excellent durability and strength against compression and tension in the longitudinal direction L due to the bent structure, but may be relatively vulnerable to a force in the height direction H. The joining rib 220 improves rigidity against a force in the height direction H by bundling the concave surfaces 222 on both sides of the side plate 200 into one by joining them by welding or bundling them by rivets or the like.

[0047] The structure of the side plate 200, i.e., the single plate structure bent into a U-shape and the structure of the interconnected concave surface 222, allows the side plate 200 to have a strong mechanical rigidity while being lightweight. As a result, in the battery block 10 of the present invention, the side plate 200 replaces the cross beam structure provided in the conventional battery pack, and the structure of the battery pack is accordingly simplified, improving the space utilization rate of the battery pack, and further increasing the energy density per the same volume, thereby enabling cost reduction.

[0048] The upper end of the side plate 200 has a bent upper flange 230 that contacts the upper surface of the cell array 100. The upper flange 230 generates a downward fixing force that presses the cell array 100 to the bottom when the battery block 10 is mounted in the pack case 600. The structure in which the battery block 10 of the present invention is mounted in the pack case 600 will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 8 and 9 below.

[0049] 5 is an enlarged view of a connection structure between a side plate 200 and an end plate 300. A side bracket 210 provided on the side plate 200 has a fastening groove 212 into which a welding bolt 310 protruding from the end plate 300 is inserted, and the welding bolt 310 and the fastening groove 212 are joined to each other by welding.

[0050] Welding bolts 310 provided on a pair of end plates 300 arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the cell array 100 provide fastening points for the side brackets 210, and the assembly positions of the side plates 200 and the end plates 300 are provisionally aligned by fitting the fastening grooves 212 into the welding bolts 310. For stable and firm connection between the side plates 200 and the end plates 300 and for strong restraint on the cell array 100, the welding bolts 310 and the fastening grooves 212 may be provided in pairs, one above the other and one below the center of the height direction H of the cell array 100.

[0051] 1 to 3 and 5, end plate 300 includes an end bracket 400 that is fixed to pack case 600. Side bracket 210 also includes an end bracket 400 that is fixed to pack case 600.

[0052] The end brackets 400 provided on the end plates 300 and the side plates 200 have fastening surfaces 410 parallel to the width direction W, and one or more fastening holes 412 are formed on the fastening surfaces 410 of the end brackets 400. The fastening surfaces 410 of the end brackets 400 are seated on mounting parts 640 provided on the pack case 600 (see FIG. 9 ), and the battery block 10 is fixed to the pack case 600 by joining or fastening the end brackets 400 to the mounting parts 640 of the pack case 600 through the fastening holes 412.

[0053] The end bracket 400 may have a reinforcing rib 420 in the form of a right-angled triangle perpendicular to the fastening surface 410 to reinforce the rigidity against a load in the height direction H. For reference, one or more concave surfaces 320 similar to the concave surface 222 of the side plate 200 may be formed by bending in order to reinforce the rigidity of the end plate 300 itself, and an upper flange 330 may be provided on the upper end of the end plate 300 to stably fix the cell array 100.

[0054] As described above, the battery block 10 of the present invention has a simple structure in which the end plates 300, which are connected via the side brackets 210 provided on the side plates 200, bind the front, rear and side surfaces of the cell array 100 consisting of a plurality of rectangular cells 110 as one block. Therefore, by simplifying the structure of the battery block 10, it is possible to improve the space utilization rate of the battery pack and reduce costs.

[0055] In addition, the battery block 10 of the present invention has a side plate 200 formed of a single plate bent into a U-shape, which is lightweight yet exhibits excellent mechanical strength, and the side plate 200 of the battery block 10 replaces the cross beam configuration provided in a conventional battery pack.

[0056] Second embodiment FIG. 6 is a view showing a battery block 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a structure in which the battery block 10 of FIG.

[0057] The battery block 10 of the present invention can expand the number of cell arrays 100 to a desired number along the width direction W via the side plates 200 and the side brackets 210. In the second embodiment of the present invention, one embodiment of such expansion of the battery block 10 will be described.

[0058] 6, the side bracket 210 has fastening grooves 212 on both the left and right sides of the center of the side plate 200 in the width direction W. This makes it possible to connect one end plate 300 to each side of the side plate 200 in the width direction W.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 7, another cell array 100 arranged along the width direction W shares one central side plate 200, and the welding bolts 310 provided on a pair of end plates 300 arranged on the front and rear surfaces of the other cell array 100 are fixed to the fastening grooves 212 of the side brackets 210, thereby allowing the multiple cell arrays 100 to be expanded along the width direction W.

[0060] As described above, the side brackets 210 have fastening grooves 212 on both the left and right sides, so that one end plate 300 can be coupled to each side of one side plate 200, and adjacent cell arrays 100 share one side plate 200, so that in a structure in which a plurality of battery blocks 10 are connected, the total number of side plates 200 required is one more than the number of cell arrays 100. Therefore, the space efficiency of a battery pack equipped with the battery block 10 of the present invention is further improved.

[0061] 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating an example of a structure in which the battery block 10 of the present invention is fixed to the pack case 600.

[0062] A pack case 600 in which a plurality of battery blocks 10 are mounted includes a base plate 610 forming a bottom surface, side frames 620 forming walls along the four sides of the base plate 610, and an upper cover 630 that seals the upper surface of the pack case 600. The illustrated pack case 600 shows an example in which two battery modules 500, each having a side plate 200 and an end plate 300 coupled in a lattice shape such that three cell arrays 100 form a row, are arranged in two rows (in this specification, one assembly in which a plurality of battery blocks according to the first embodiment are connected is referred to as a battery module).

[0063] In one battery module 500 having three cell arrays 100 arranged in a row, end brackets 400 are exposed along the front and rear end plates 300, and one end bracket 400 is also exposed on the side bracket 210 between the end plates 300.

[0064] 9, a pack case 600 is provided with rail-shaped mounting parts 640 corresponding to fastening surfaces 410 of end brackets 400 protruding from the front and rear surfaces of a battery module 500. The mounting part 640 includes a pair of side mounting parts 642 coupled to or integrally formed with the side frames 620, and a center mounting part 644 provided across the center of the base plate 610, which are arranged in parallel.

[0065] When the battery module 500 is inserted into the space between the side mounting portion 642 and the center mounting portion 644, the fastening surface 410 of the end bracket 400 faces the mounting portion 640 of the pack case 600, and all of the battery blocks 10 are fixed to the pack case 600 by joining or fastening the end bracket 400 to the mounting portion 640 of the pack case 600 through the fastening holes 412.

[0066] Here, when the end brackets 400 of each battery block 10 are coupled and fixed to the mounting portions 640 of the pack case 600, the side plates 200 and further the upper flanges 330, 230 formed by bending the upper ends of the end plates 300 automatically generate a downward fixing force that presses the cell array 100 against the base plate 610, thereby firmly adhering the cell array 100 to the base plate 610.

[0067] The close contact between the cell array 100 and the base plate 610 plays an important role in smoothly transferring heat generated in the cell array 100 to the base plate 610. Therefore, it can be said that control of the tolerance in the direction in which a minute gap occurs between the fastening surface 410 of the end bracket 400 and the mounting portion 640 when the battery block 10 or the battery module 500 is inserted into the pack case 600 is advantageous for the upper flanges 230, 330 to generate a sufficient downward fixing force.

[0068] The present invention has been described in more detail above with reference to the drawings and embodiments, etc. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments, etc. in this specification are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not fully represent the technical ideas of the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them at the time of filing this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10: Battery block 100: Cell array 110: Square cell 112: Electrode terminal 114: Venting equipment 200: Side plate 210: Side bracket 212: Fastening groove 220: Joint rib 222: Concave 230: Upper flange 300: End plate 310: Welding bolts 320: Concave 330: Upper flange 400: End bracket 410: Fastening surface 412: Concluding hole 420: Reinforcement rib 500: Battery module 600: Pack case 610: Base plate 620: Side frame 630: Top cover 640: Mounting part 642: Side mounting part 644: Center mounting part W: Width direction L: Longitudinal H: Height

Claims

1. a cell array including a plurality of rectangular cells aligned in a line; a pair of side plates disposed on both sides of the cell array; a pair of end plates disposed on a front surface and a rear surface of the cell array, Both ends of the end plate in the width direction are fixed to side brackets provided at both ends of the side plate in the longitudinal direction, The cell array is bound as a single block by the interconnection of the end plates and the side plates.

2. The side plate is 2. The battery block according to claim 1, wherein the battery block is a single plate bent into a U-shape with an open top to form an internal space.

3. The side plate is The battery block according to claim 2 , wherein the folded plate has concave surfaces on both sides thereof, and at least one joining rib is provided along the longitudinal direction by joining the facing concave surfaces to each other.

4. The upper end of the side plate is 3. The battery block of claim 2, further comprising a folded upper flange contacting a top surface of the cell array.

5. The side bracket has a fastening groove into which a welding bolt protruding from the end plate is inserted, The battery block according to claim 1 , wherein the weld bolt and the fastening groove are joined to each other by welding.

6. The weld bolt and the fastening groove are The battery block according to claim 5 , wherein the battery block is provided in a pair above and below the center of the cell array in a height direction.

7. The side bracket is The battery block according to claim 5 , wherein the fastening grooves are provided on both left and right sides of a width direction center of the side plate.

8. Another cell array arranged along the width direction shares the side plate, 8. The battery block according to claim 7, wherein welding bolts provided on a pair of end plates respectively disposed on front and rear surfaces of the another cell array are fixed to fastening grooves of the side brackets, thereby expanding the plurality of cell arrays along a width direction.

9. The end plate is The battery block according to claim 8 , further comprising an end bracket fixed to the pack case.

10. The side bracket is The battery block according to claim 9 , comprising an end bracket fixed to the pack case.

11. The end bracket is The battery block according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a fastening surface parallel to a width direction, the fastening surface having one or more fastening holes formed therein.

12. The end bracket is The battery block according to claim 11 , further comprising a reinforcing rib perpendicular to the fastening surface.

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