Battery pack and automobile including same

The battery pack design addresses the issue of bending rigidity by using protrusions and protrusion insertion portions to enhance the structural integrity and safety of the battery pack, while maintaining a compact form factor.

JP2025511536AActive Publication Date: 2025-04-16LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024554956
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-06-08
Filing Date
2023-08-11
Publication Date
2025-04-16
Estimated Expiration
2043-08-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional battery packs face challenges in ensuring bending rigidity due to localized fixation methods, which can lead to safety issues and reduced assembly efficiency.

Method used

A battery pack design featuring a cell array with protrusions extending from the cell array case, which are inserted into corresponding protrusion insertion portions on a mounting portion, providing enhanced rigidity and stability.

Benefits of technology

The design effectively ensures bending rigidity of the battery pack, enhancing safety and reliability while allowing for easier assembly and minimizing the height of the battery pack.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided is a battery pack capable of ensuring bending rigidity, and a vehicle including the same. The battery pack according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery module assemblies, each including a cell array including a plurality of battery cells, and a cell array case that houses the cell array and has a protrusion extending from at least one side thereof; and a mounting part that is disposed between the plurality of battery module assemblies and has a protrusion insertion part into which the protrusion is inserted. According to the present invention, the rigidity of the battery pack during bending can be ensured, thereby ensuring safety and reliability of the battery pack. In addition, the height of the battery pack can be minimized while ensuring the rigidity of the battery pack. In addition, when the battery module assemblies are assembled to the mounting part, they are fixed to each other by being restrained, thereby ensuring ease and stability of assembly.
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Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0177489 filed on December 16, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings.

[0003] This application also claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0073839, filed on June 8, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of that application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0004] Secondary batteries, which are easily applicable to various products and have electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are driven by electric drive sources. These secondary batteries have the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, as well as the advantage of not producing any by-products associated with energy use, and are therefore attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency.

[0005] Currently, the types of secondary batteries that are widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, i.e., a unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack is constructed by connecting a plurality of batteries in series. In addition, a battery pack may be constructed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel depending on the charge / discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Therefore, the number of batteries included in the battery pack may be variously set depending on the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0006] Meanwhile, when configuring a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series / parallel, a common method is to first configure a battery module including at least one battery cell, and then use the at least one battery module to add other components to configure a battery pack or a battery rack.

[0007] However, in the case of conventional battery packs, a plurality of battery cells are housed in a module case to form each battery module, and these battery modules are housed in a pack case to form a battery pack, so that the addition of components such as a module case may be disadvantageous in terms of energy density, ease of assembly, cooling performance, etc. Therefore, in recent years, attempts have been made to develop a battery pack with a cell-to-pack (CTP) structure.

[0008] In a battery pack with a CTP structure, a module case is omitted and multiple battery cells are housed in a pack case, in which case the rigidity of the pack case is very important. For example, if bending of the battery pack occurs while multiple battery cells are housed, the battery cells connected to each other may separate and vent or explode, which is very dangerous, so it is necessary to ensure the bending rigidity of the pack case.

[0009] Therefore, in the conventional battery pack, a beam such as an aluminum extrusion plate is installed inside the pack case, and the battery cells are fixed to the beam by bolting. However, since the bolts are only fastened at the upper end of the beam, the fixation between the beam and the battery cells is localized, resulting in a problem of insufficient bending rigidity. Although it is possible to use a separate pack reinforcement material, it is not preferable in terms of energy density to increase the volume and weight of the battery pack, and it is difficult to arbitrarily add pack reinforcement materials within the range of the determined battery pack specifications. In particular, it is impossible to add separate pack reinforcement materials in the vertical direction while minimizing the height of the battery pack. Therefore, an improved battery pack that can ensure bending rigidity is required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack capable of ensuring bending rigidity and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0011] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery module assemblies including a cell array including a plurality of battery cells; and a cell array case that houses the cell array and has a protrusion extending from at least one side thereof; and a mounting part that is disposed between the plurality of battery module assemblies and has a protrusion insertion part into which the protrusion is inserted.

[0013] The cell array may have a length, a width, and a height, the plurality of battery module assemblies may be arranged along a width direction of the cell array, and the mounting portion may extend along a longitudinal direction of the cell array between the plurality of battery module assemblies.

[0014] The protrusion may protrude in the width direction from at least one side surface of the cell array case.

[0015] The protrusion may include a locking portion provided to prevent movement in the protrusion insertion portion in the longitudinal direction or width direction.

[0016] The protrusion may have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to a height direction of the cell array.

[0017] The protrusion insert may be formed in a shape corresponding to the protrusion.

[0018] The protrusions may be provided in a plurality of portions spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction.

[0019] The protrusion portion may include a first protrusion portion provided on any one of the plurality of battery module assemblies, and a second protrusion portion provided on another battery module assembly adjacent to the any one of the plurality of battery module assemblies, and the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion may be arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction.

[0020] The first protrusion and the second protrusion may be spaced apart from each other.

[0021] The first protrusion and the second protrusion may be configured to partially overlap in the width direction.

[0022] Each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion includes a leg extending in the width direction and having a constant width, and a head connected to the leg and extending in the longitudinal direction longer than the width, and the head of the first protrusion and the head of the second protrusion may interfere with each other in the longitudinal direction or the width direction when the mounting portion is bent.

[0023] The head may extend from one side of the leg.

[0024] The head may extend from either side of the leg.

[0025] The end of the head may be formed in a rounded shape.

[0026] The mounting part may include a first protrusion insertion part formed on one side into which the first protrusion is inserted, and a second protrusion insertion part formed on the other side into which the second protrusion is inserted.

[0027] The protrusion may be inserted into the protrusion insertion portion in a height direction of the cell array.

[0028] The protrusion and the protrusion insert may extend in a height direction of the cell array to correspond to a height of the cell array case.

[0029] The protrusion insertion portion may include a locking step spaced apart in a height direction of the mounting portion and supporting a bottom surface of the protrusion.

[0030] The mounting portion may include a solid or hollow wall portion made by die casting, and the protrusion insertion portion may be recessed inwardly into at least a portion of an outer surface of the wall portion.

[0031] The invention also provides a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a battery pack according to the invention. Effect of the Invention

[0032] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack that can ensure rigidity when the battery pack is bent, and it is possible to guarantee the safety and reliability of the battery pack.

[0033] In addition, since the battery module assemblies are assembled to the mounting parts and are fixed to each other by being restrained, ease and stability of assembly can be ensured.

[0034] Furthermore, when the battery pack is bent, the load is transferred and the rigidity of the battery module assembly can be used as the rigidity of the battery pack.

[0035] In addition, the height of the battery pack can be minimized while ensuring the rigidity of the battery pack against bending.

[0036] In addition to these, the present invention can have various other effects, which will be described in the sections for each embodiment, and descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0037] The drawings attached to this specification are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to facilitate a further understanding of the technical ideas of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of a main part of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack taken along the line AA' in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle including the battery pack of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the present specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but are to be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself / herself in order to best describe the invention.

[0040] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0041] In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific part of the component may be slightly exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated in a schematic manner for ease of explanation and clarity. Therefore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. If a detailed description of related known functions or configurations is deemed to be likely to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. For reference, terms expressing directions in this specification are terms based on the components shown in the accompanying drawings, and are relative terms that may be changed depending on the attitude or position of the actual components.

[0042] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG.

[0043] 1 and 2, a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery module assemblies 100 including a cell array 110 including a plurality of battery cells 111 and a cell array case 120 accommodating the cell array 110; and a mounting portion 300 disposed between the plurality of battery module assemblies 100.

[0044] The battery cell 111 may be a secondary battery of any type, such as a square, cylindrical, or pouch-type battery cell, and in the present embodiment, the battery cell 111 is exemplified as a cylindrical battery cell. The battery cells 111 may be electrically connected to each other. The battery module assembly 100 may include a plurality of cell arrays 110 in which the battery cells 111 are arranged in rows and columns. A plurality of such battery module assemblies 100 may be provided in the battery pack 10.

[0045] The cell array 110 may have a length, a width, and a height. For example, in FIG. 1, a longitudinal direction of the cell array 110 may be defined as a Y direction, a width direction of the cell array 110 may be defined as an X direction, and a height direction of the cell array 110 may be defined as a Z direction. The cell array 110 and the plurality of battery module assemblies 100 including the plurality of cell arrays 110 may be arranged along the width direction of the cell array 110.

[0046] 2, in order to maintain the plurality of cell arrays 110 together as one unit, i.e., one battery module assembly 100, the battery module assembly 100 may include a cell array case 120. The cell array case 120 is made of a plastic resin material and supports the battery cells 111 to ensure the rigidity of the battery cells 111, and may function as a pack case that forms the outer side surface of the battery pack 10 to form the appearance of the battery pack 10.

[0047] 1, the cell array case 120 may include end plates 121 provided along the longitudinal direction on the outer side of the battery module assembly 100, and main plates 122 provided between the end plates 121 to connect the end plates 121 to each other and partition the plurality of cell arrays 110. A plurality of main plates 122 may be provided along the width direction of the cell array 110 to form a wall of the cell array case 120 in the width direction.

[0048] The cell array case 120 may further include a cell housing 123 supporting a lower portion of the battery cell 111, in addition to the end plate 121 and the main plate 122. Thus, the end plate 121 or the main plate 122 may support both sides of the battery cell 111, and the cell housing 123 may support a lower surface of the battery cell 111, thereby preventing the battery cell 111 from falling out of the cell array case 120.

[0049] Alternatively, the cell array case 120 may be provided in a box shape composed of four walls. The cell array case 120 may further include a module frame (not shown) provided on an upper or lower part of the plurality of battery cells 111 to fix the battery cells 111. The module frame may include a module top frame (not shown) that maintains a gap between the battery cells 111 and an upper part of the plurality of battery cells 111, and a module bottom frame (not shown) on which the plurality of battery cells 111 are placed. The module frame may have holes into which the plurality of battery cells 111 are inserted.

[0050] Alternatively, the cell array case 120 may be configured to have a wall on at least one side thereof by filling an adhesive material such as a resin between the cell arrays 110 to form one unit.

[0051] As described above, the cell array case 120 shown in the drawings is an example, and there may be various configurations of the cell array case 120. The cell array case 120 may be similar to a conventional module case, or may be different from a conventional module case and allow the battery pack 10 to be realized as a battery pack having a CTP structure.

[0052] Meanwhile, the battery pack 10 may include a pack bottom plate 200 provided under a plurality of battery module assemblies 100 and on which the mounting part 300 is placed. The pack bottom plate 200 may constitute a part of a pack case. For example, in the present embodiment, the pack bottom plate 200 may have a rectangular plate-shaped bottom surface. Although not shown in the drawings, a vent passage through which high-temperature gas or flame generated when the battery cell 111 vents may flow may be formed between the pack bottom plate 200 and the battery module assembly 100.

[0053] In addition, the battery module assembly 100 may include a cooling member 500 provided between the cell arrays 110 to cool the battery cells 111 when the battery cells 111 generate heat. 1 and 2 show that two cell arrays 110 are provided between two main plates 122, and the cooling member 500 is provided between the two cell arrays 110.

[0054] Meanwhile, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a mounting portion 300 disposed between the plurality of battery module assemblies 100 and configured to connect the battery module assemblies 100 to each other.

[0055] The mounting part 300 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the cell array 110 between the plurality of battery module assemblies 100. Thus, the mounting part 300 may more firmly fix the battery module assemblies 100 extending in the longitudinal direction inside the battery pack 10. When a plurality of battery module assemblies 100 are arranged, the mounting part 300 is provided between two adjacent battery module assemblies 100 to complement the rigidity of the pack case and to fix the battery module assemblies 100 inside the battery pack 10.

[0056] In addition, in order to reinforce the rigidity of the battery pack 10, the cell array case 120 included in the battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a protrusion 400 extending from at least one side, and the mounting part 300 may be provided with a protrusion insertion part 320 into which the protrusion 400 is inserted.

[0057] In this case, the mounting part 300 includes a solid or hollow wall part 310 made by die-casting, not by extruding an aluminum plate material as in the conventional battery pack 10, and the protrusion insertion part 320 may be formed by recessing at least a part of an outer surface of the wall part 310 inward. The mounting part 300 may be made of an aluminum material. The aluminum material is preferable because it is light, has good thermal conductivity, and is easy to apply die-casting.

[0058] The protrusion 400 may protrude from at least one side of the cell array case 120 in a width direction of the cell array 110. The protrusion 400 may be made of a plastic resin material and may be manufactured integrally with the cell array case 120 by plastic injection molding. As another example, the protrusion 400 may also be made of an aluminum material like the mounting part 300. It is preferable that the mounting part 300 and the protrusion 400 are made of similar or the same material so that assembly tolerances do not change even if thermal deformation or mechanical deformation occurs during use and stress due to deformation is not concentrated in a certain part.

[0059] The protrusions 400 may be provided in a plurality of locations spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the cell array 110. The protrusions 400 may be provided on an end plate 121 facing a mounting portion 300 provided between two battery module assemblies 100, and the mounting portion 300 may be provided between two end plates 121 facing each other in the two battery module assemblies 100.

[0060] 1 illustrates that there are two battery module assemblies 100 and the protrusion 400 is provided only on the end plate 121 provided between the two battery module assemblies 100, however, it goes without saying that the battery module assemblies 100 may be provided in a plurality of positions extending in the width direction or the length direction, and in this case, the protrusion 400 may be provided on both side surfaces of the end plate 121 or the main plate 122. As a result, assembly rigidity can be reinforced by the protrusion 400 and the protrusion insertion portion 320 regardless of the number or extension direction of the battery module assemblies 100.

[0061] The protrusion 400 may include a locking portion H provided to prevent the cell array 110 from moving in the lengthwise or widthwise direction within the protrusion insertion portion 320. As a result, the protrusion 400 can be inserted into the protrusion insertion portion 320 and fastened to be fixed to each other, and the battery module assembly 100 can be coupled to the mounting portion 300 by simply inserting the protrusion 400 into the protrusion insertion portion 320, thereby connecting the battery module assembly 100 to each other, thereby ensuring ease of assembly. In addition, an operation of inserting the protrusion 400 into the protrusion insertion portion 320 can be performed simply mechanically, and no special alignment process is required to couple the battery module assembly 100 to the mounting portion 300, and the protrusion insertion portion 320 can function as a guide for inserting the protrusion 400, thereby further ensuring ease of assembly. Once the protrusion portion 400 is inserted into the protrusion insertion portion 320, the assembly position constraint between the battery module assembly 100 and the mounting part 300 is maintained, so that stability can be ensured.

[0062] Therefore, even if the mounting portion 300 moves in the height direction when the battery pack 10 is bent and the battery module assembly 100 is about to be separated, the engaging portion H of the protrusion 400 prevents the cell array 110 from moving in the longitudinal or width direction, so that the battery module assembly 100 can remain connected.

[0063] 1 and 2, the protrusion 400 may have a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to the height direction of the cell array 110. At this time, a horizontal portion of the T shape serves as a locking portion H to prevent the cell array 110 from moving in the longitudinal or lateral directions. The protrusion insertion portion 320 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the protrusion 400. The shape of the protrusion 400 will be described in detail later.

[0064] In the conventional battery pack, a beam such as an aluminum extrusion plate is installed inside the pack case, and the battery cells are fixed to the beam by bolting. However, since the bolts are only fastened to the upper end of the beam, the fixation between the beam and the battery cells is localized, resulting in insufficient bending rigidity. In addition, in such a conventional battery pack, it is difficult to increase bending rigidity because it is not possible to add a separate pack reinforcement material in the vertical direction while minimizing the height of the battery pack. However, according to the present embodiment, by inserting and fastening the protrusions 400 into the protrusion insertion parts 320, the height of the battery pack 10 can be minimized, and the battery module assembly 100 can be fixed overall to ensure bending rigidity, thereby ensuring safety and reliability of the battery pack 10.

[0065] 3 is a top view of the main part of the battery pack of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the main part of the battery pack of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 taken along line AA'.

[0066] 1 and 2 as well as FIGS. 3 to 5, the structure of the protrusion 400 will be described in detail.

[0067] The protrusion 400 may include a first protrusion 400a provided on one of the battery module assemblies 100 and a second protrusion 400b provided on another battery module assembly 100 adjacent to the one of the battery module assemblies 100, and the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b may be alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction. That is, since the protrusion 400 is provided on each of two battery module assemblies 100 adjacent to each other, the connection between the battery module assemblies 100 may be strengthened and separation may be further prevented when the battery pack 10 is bent.

[0068] In this case, the first protrusions 400a and the second protrusions 400b may be alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other. Specifically, the first protrusions 400a and the second protrusions 400b may be spaced apart from each other along the width direction or the longitudinal direction.

[0069] Each of the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b may include a leg 420 extending in the width direction and having a certain width w, and a head 410 connected to the leg 420 and extending in the longitudinal direction longer than the width w. That is, the length d of the head is set longer than the width w of the leg 420, so that a locking portion H of the protrusion 400 is formed, and the locking portion H is restrained by the protrusion insertion portion 320 when the battery pack 10 is bent, so that the protrusion 400 is prevented from coming off the protrusion insertion portion 320. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the head 410 extends from both sides of the leg 420, and a cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to the height direction may have a T-shape.

[0070] Alternatively, an end of the head 410 may be bent in the width direction, and a cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to the height direction may have a mountain-like shape. This increases the number of locking portions H, thereby making it possible to more effectively prevent the battery module assembly 100 from being separated when the battery pack 10 is bent.

[0071] In this case, the head 410 of the first protrusion 400a and the head 410 of the second protrusion 400b may interfere with each other in the longitudinal direction or the width direction when the mounting part 300 is bent. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b according to an embodiment may be provided to overlap each other in the width direction, and the head 410 of the first protrusion 400a and the head 410 of the second protrusion 400b may be provided to interfere with each other in the width direction. When the battery pack 10 is bent up and down or left and right, the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b may receive a force that rotates with respect to each other due to such bending force. When the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b are provided to interfere with each other, such a rotational force can be dispersed and absorbed, so that stress concentration on a certain part and breakage can be prevented, and as a result, bending rigidity can be ensured.

[0072] Meanwhile, the mounting part 300 may include a first protrusion inserting part 320a formed on one side into which the first protrusion 400a is inserted, and a second protrusion inserting part 320b formed on the other side into which the second protrusion 400b is inserted. The first protrusion inserting part 320a and the second protrusion inserting part 320b may be formed in a shape corresponding to the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b at positions where the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b are provided.

[0073] The first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b may be formed in various shapes so as to form the locking portion H that can be restrained by the protrusion insertion portion 320 when the battery pack 10 is bent. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 together with FIGS. 3 to 5, embodiments according to various shapes of the protrusion 400 and the protrusion insertion portion 320 will be described.

[0074] Figures 6 to 10 are diagrams for explaining other embodiments of the present invention. Figures 6, 8, and 10 are top views of main parts of battery packs according to various embodiments, respectively, and Figures 7, 9, and 11 are sectional perspective views of the main parts of Figures 6, 8, and 10, respectively.

[0075] 6 and 7, unlike the protrusion 400 of Fig. 3 to Fig. 5, the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b are provided to overlap only in the longitudinal direction, and the head 410 of the first protrusion 400a and the head 410 of the second protrusion 400b may be provided to interfere with each other only in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the first protrusion 400a and the second protrusion 400b are arranged in a straight line, and the protrusions 400 are symmetrical in the vertical and horizontal directions, which makes it easier to manufacture the protrusion 400 and the protrusion insertion portion 320.

[0076] 8 and 9, the first protrusion 401a and the second protrusion 401b may have an L-shaped cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to the height direction. That is, unlike the protrusion 400 in FIGS. 3 to 5 in which the head 410 extends from both sides of the leg 420, the head 410 may extend from one side of the leg 420.

[0077] 10 and 11, the first protrusion 402a and the second protrusion 402b may have a rounded end of the head 410, unlike the head 410 of the protrusion 400 of Figs. 3 to 5, which is formed in an angular shape. As described above, as long as the diameter D of the head 410 is larger than the width w of the leg 420, the protrusion 400 may have any shape in which the locking portion H can be formed.

[0078] In the embodiment of Figures 8 to 11, the distance between the protrusions 400 is closer than when the protrusions 400 are formed in a T-shape, so that more protrusions 400 can be provided on the cell array case 120, thereby further reinforcing the rigidity of the pack case.

[0079] 3 to 5, the structure in which the protrusion 400 is inserted into the protrusion insertion portion 320 will be described. The protrusion 400 may be inserted into the protrusion insertion portion 320 in the height direction of the cell array 110.

[0080] The protrusion 400 and the protrusion insertion part 320 may be extended in a height direction of the cell array 110 to correspond to the height of the cell array case 120. In this case, as shown in Fig. 2, the protrusion insertion part 320 may include a locking step 321 that is spaced apart in the height direction of the mounting part 300 and supports a bottom surface of the protrusion 400. As a result, when the protrusion 400 is inserted into the protrusion insertion part 320, it is placed on the locking step 321, so that the protrusion 400 may be provided to protrude further in the height direction than the protrusion insertion part 320.

[0081] Since the protrusion portion 400 and the protrusion insertion portion 320 are extended in the height direction, a load can be transferred to the cell array case 120 and the mounting portion 300 when the battery pack 10 is bent. As a result, the rigidity of the battery module assembly 100 can be used as the rigidity of the battery pack 10. Therefore, the rigidity of the battery pack 10 can be ensured while minimizing the height of the battery pack 10, i.e., without adding a separate pack reinforcing material in the height direction. In particular, rigidity against bending can be ensured.

[0082] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a vehicle including the battery pack of FIG.

[0083] Meanwhile, an embodiment of the present invention may provide an automobile 20 including the battery pack 10 according to the above-described embodiment. That is, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be applied to automobiles such as electric automobiles and hybrid automobiles. For example, the battery pack 10 may be installed in a body frame or a trunk space under a seat of the vehicle.

[0084] According to the various embodiments as described above, it is possible to provide a battery pack 10 and an automobile 20 including the battery pack 10 that can ensure safety and reliability by ensuring the rigidity of the battery pack 10 when bent.

[0085] For reference, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to an energy storage system (ESS) and various electric devices in addition to an automobile. Thus, devices, mechanisms and equipment equipped with the battery pack 10, such as the automobile 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, include the battery pack 10 described above and can be realized with all the advantages of the battery pack 10 described above.

[0086] Meanwhile, in this specification, when terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art of the present invention that these terms are used merely for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention and the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10 Battery Pack 100 Battery module assembly 110 Cell Array 111 Battery Cell 120 Cell Array Case 300 Mounting part 400 Protrusion

Claims

1. A plurality of battery module assemblies including a cell array including a plurality of battery cells and a cell array case that houses the cell array and has a protrusion extending from at least one side surface of the cell array; a mounting portion disposed between the plurality of battery module assemblies and having a protrusion insertion portion into which the protrusion is inserted; Including the battery pack.

2. the cell array having a length, a width, and a height; the plurality of battery module assemblies are arranged along a width direction of the cell array, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion extends along a longitudinal direction of the cell array between the plurality of battery module assemblies.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion protrudes in the width direction from at least one side surface of the cell array case.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion includes a locking portion provided to prevent movement in the protrusion insertion portion in the longitudinal direction or the width direction.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the protrusion has a T-shaped cross section perpendicular to a height direction of the cell array.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the protrusion insertion portion is formed in a shape corresponding to the protrusion.

7. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion comprises a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction.

8. The protrusion is a first protrusion provided on any one of the plurality of battery module assemblies; a second protrusion provided on another battery module assembly adjacent to any one of the battery module assemblies among the plurality of battery module assemblies; Including, The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the first protrusions and the second protrusions are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are spaced apart from each other.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion are provided to partially overlap each other in the width direction.

11. Each of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is A leg portion extending in the width direction and having a constant width; a head portion connected to the leg portion and extending in the longitudinal direction greater than the width; Including, The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the head of the first protrusion and the head of the second protrusion interfere with each other in the longitudinal direction or the width direction when the mounting portion is bent.

12. The battery pack of claim 11 , wherein the head extends from one side of the foot.

13. The battery pack of claim 11 , wherein the head extends from either side of the foot.

14. The battery pack according to claim 11 , wherein an end of the head portion is formed in a rounded shape.

15. The mounting portion is a first protrusion insertion portion formed on one side into which the first protrusion is inserted; a second protrusion insertion portion formed on the other side into which the second protrusion is inserted; 9. The battery pack of claim 8, comprising:

16. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is inserted into the protrusion insertion portion in a height direction of the cell array.

17. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion and the protrusion insertion portion extend in a height direction of the cell array so as to correspond to a height of the cell array case.

18. The battery pack according to claim 17 , wherein the protrusion insertion portion includes a locking step spaced apart in a height direction of the mounting portion and supporting a bottom surface of the protrusion.

19. the mounting portion comprises a die-cast solid or hollow wall portion; The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion insertion portion is formed by recessing inward at least a portion of an outer surface of the wall portion.

20. 20. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Battery connection device

    JP2010086965A