Battery pack with current interrupter
The battery pack design addresses the risk of chain ignition by using a power-supply shut-off section to block electrical connections between modules during thermal events, thereby enhancing safety and reliability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024560909
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-10-18
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-10-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing battery packs face challenges in preventing chain ignition of adjacent battery modules during thermal events, while also ensuring that flames and high-temperature particles are contained within the pack.
The battery pack design includes a power-supply shut-off section that separates module connection bus bars when a thermal event occurs, blocking electrical connections between battery modules and preventing internal shorts and chain fires.
This design effectively prevents chain ignitions and internal short-circuits, enhancing safety and reliability of the battery pack, while also reducing maintenance costs and increasing durability.
Smart Images

Figure 2025513912000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack, and more specifically, to a battery pack that allows gas generated in the event of an internal ignition of a battery module to be easily vented to the outside while preventing flames, high-temperature particles, etc. from escaping to the outside, thereby preventing or delaying as much as possible chain ignition of other adjacent battery modules.
[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0134232 filed on October 18, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]
[0003] A semi-permanent battery that converts electrical energy into a form of chemical energy and can be repeatedly charged and discharged is called a secondary battery, in order to distinguish it from a primary battery, which cannot be reused after a single use.
[0004] Examples of secondary batteries include lithium secondary batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, air-zinc batteries, alkaline manganese batteries, etc. Among them, lead-acid batteries and lithium secondary batteries are the most widely commercialized secondary batteries.
[0005] In particular, lithium secondary batteries have been widely used in recent years as batteries for electric vehicles, since they have advantages such as high energy storage density, light weight and small size, excellent safety, low discharge rate, long life, etc. For reference, lithium secondary batteries are generally classified into cylindrical, square, and pouch types depending on the manufacturing shape, and are used not only as batteries for electric vehicles, but also as batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) and other electric devices.
[0006] Currently, the operating voltage of one lithium secondary battery cell is approximately 2.5 V to 4.5 V. Therefore, in order to use a secondary battery as an energy source for an electric vehicle, a battery module is formed by connecting a plurality of lithium ion battery cells in series and / or in parallel, and a battery pack is formed by connecting the battery modules in series and / or in parallel again.
[0007] On the other hand, secondary batteries are subject to chemical reactions during charging and discharging, and so there is concern that their performance may be degraded if they are used in environments with temperatures higher than the appropriate temperature, and there is a possibility of unexpected fire or explosion if the temperature cannot be controlled to an appropriate level. Note that a battery module has a structure in which these secondary batteries are collectively housed inside a module housing, and these battery modules are electrically connected to each other via bus bars.
[0008] As a result, if any one of the secondary batteries ignites and becomes a trigger cell, causing a thermal event, it can cause an internal short circuit, which can lead to a chain reaction of fires in other battery cells.
[0009] For this reason, there is a strong demand for a method to prevent internal short circuits in normal battery modules by cutting off electrical connections between adjacent battery cells in advance when a thermal event occurs in the battery module that first ignites, thereby preventing heat propagation that could lead to a chain reaction of ignition throughout the entire battery pack and enhancing safety. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a battery pack and a vehicle including the same that can ensure safety and reliability when a thermal event occurs in a battery module.
[0011] However, the problems to be solved by the present invention 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] The present invention has been created in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and may include a plurality of battery modules, a pack tray that houses the battery modules therein and has an open upper end, a pack cover that is disposed on an upper part of the pack tray so as to seal an accommodation space in which the battery modules are accommodated, and a current interruption unit that is disposed between the pack tray and the pack cover, that energizes and supports module connection bus bars that connect the battery modules to each other, and that separates the connections of the module connection bus bars from each other when a thermal event occurs, thereby interrupting the electrical connection between the battery modules.
[0013] The current interrupter may further include a circuit breaker body to which the pair of module connection bus bars are connected, a release member provided on an inner wall of the pack cover and released when a thermal event occurs, a first elastic member having one end connected to the release member and the other end connected to an upper part of the circuit breaker body, and a second elastic member having one end connected to the pack tray and the other end connected to a lower part of the circuit breaker body.
[0014] The breaking body is positioned at an equilibrium height within the accommodating space at which the elastic forces of the first elastic member and the second elastic member are balanced, and when at the equilibrium height, the module connection bus bar can electrically connect the battery modules to each other.
[0015] The release member may be melted and detached from the pack cover when the temperature of the pack cover increases.
[0016] When the release member is released from the pack cover, the second elastic member is compressed and the cutoff body moves, thereby cutting off electrical connection between the battery modules.
[0017] The pack tray may be provided with horizontal partition walls and vertical partition walls that divide the interior of the pack tray, and the horizontal partition walls and the vertical partition walls may be provided with inner recessed groove portions to which one end of the second elastic member is connected.
[0018] The release member may be made of a plastic material.
[0019] The barrier body may be provided to be relatively thicker than the module connection busbar.
[0020] The blocking body may have a connecting groove on both sides.
[0021] An accommodating groove in which the release member is accommodated may be provided on an inner wall of the pack cover.
[0022] The blocking body may have a groove portion on an upper surface and a bottom surface, the groove portion being rounded on the inside in the thickness direction.
[0023] The inner wall of the connection groove may have a tapered section in which the inner diameter increases from the center toward both ends of the blocking body.
[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle including the battery pack may be provided. Effect of the Invention
[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a thermal event occurs in the battery module that first ignites, electrical connections between adjacent battery cells are cut off in advance to prevent internal short circuits in normal battery modules, and heat propagation that could lead to chain fires in the entire battery pack is prevented, thereby enhancing safety.
[0026] In addition, chain fires between battery modules are prevented, the durability of the battery pack is increased, and maintenance costs can be reduced.
[0027] Furthermore, with an even simpler equipment configuration, it is possible to prevent an electrical short circuit between battery modules in advance when a fire occurs inside the pack, thereby preventing explosive chain reaction ignition of the battery modules, and as a result, it is possible to regulate the thermal energy that explosively accumulates inside the battery pack and prevent structural collapse of the battery pack.
[0028] The effects of the present invention are in no way limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings.
[0029] 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]
[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic 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 main components of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the pack 1 with the pack cover removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a schematic perspective view of a circuit breaker body with module connection bus bars coupled to both sides in a current breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a release member is detached from a current interruption unit of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a circuit breaker body in a current breaker unit of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention is detached from a module connection bus bar. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a blocking body according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a view showing a state in which a blocking body according to another embodiment of the present invention is detached from a module connection bus bar. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in this specification and claims are not to be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but are to be interpreted as being corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term himself / herself in order to best describe the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings are merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical ideas of the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.
[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of main components of the battery pack of FIG.
[0033] The battery pack 1 according to the present embodiment may include a plurality of battery modules 10, a pack tray 100 that houses the battery modules 10 therein and has an open upper end, a pack cover 200 that is disposed on the upper part of the pack tray 100 so as to seal an accommodation space in which the battery modules 10 are accommodated, and a current interruption unit 300 that is disposed between the pack tray 100 and the pack cover 200 to energize and support module connection bus bars 310 that connect the battery modules 10 to each other, and that separates the module connection bus bars 310 from each other to interrupt the electrical connection between the battery modules 10 when a thermal event occurs.
[0034] The battery module 10 includes a cell assembly formed by stacking battery cells, and a module case for accommodating the cell assembly. A plurality of upper electrodes 11 may be provided on both ends of an upper surface of the battery module 10 for electrical connection with adjacent battery modules 10. A cutoff body 320 and a pair of module connection bus bars 310 are grounded between the upper electrodes 11, allowing the battery modules 10 to be electrically connected to each other.
[0035] The pack case includes a pack tray 100 in which the battery module 10 is housed, and a pack cover 200 disposed on the top of the pack tray 100.
[0036] The pack tray 100 is a component for protecting the battery module 10 from external impacts, etc., and may be made of a material having excellent mechanical rigidity. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pack tray 100 may be provided with an accommodation space 220 for accommodating at least one battery module 10 therein, and may have an open upper end and a pack cover 200 coupled to the upper portion. Here, the accommodation space may refer to a space between the pack cover 200 and the upper surface of the battery module 10 after the battery module 10 is accommodated in the pack tray 100.
[0037] The pack tray 100 is provided with horizontal partition walls 110 (Y-axis direction) and vertical partition walls 120 (X-axis direction) that divide the inside of the pack tray 100. The heights of the horizontal partition walls 110 and the vertical partition walls 120 are relatively lower than the height of the battery modules 10, and at least relatively lower than the height of the positions of the upper electrodes 11 (see FIG. 4). This is because the blocking body 320 and the module connection bus bar 310 are horizontally disposed across the horizontal partition walls 110 and the vertical partition walls 120 and connected to each other.
[0038] In this embodiment, one horizontal partition wall 110 is provided along the Y axis and one vertical partition wall 120 is arranged along the X axis but intersects with the horizontal partition wall 110 inside the pack tray 100, and four battery modules 10 are accommodated inside the pack tray 100, but the scope of the present invention is not limited in any way to the number of horizontal partition walls 110 and vertical partition walls 120 of this embodiment or the number of battery modules 10 accommodated.
[0039] The horizontal partition wall 110 and the vertical partition wall 120 are provided with an inner recessed groove portion 121. The inner recessed groove portion 121 is a portion recessed in the thickness direction (-Z direction) of the pack tray 100, and one end of a second elastic member is coupled to the inner recessed groove portion 121. The second elastic member 350 can be provided so as to be partially housed in the inner recessed groove portion 121. This makes it possible to ensure a margin space that allows expansion and contraction when the second elastic member 350 expands and contracts.
[0040] Referring primarily to FIG. 3, the horizontal partition wall 110 may be provided with two inner recessed grooves 121 in the central area of the pack tray 100, and the vertical partition wall 120 may be provided with one inner recessed groove 121 at its lower end.
[0041] The pack cover 200 is disposed on the upper part of the pack tray 100 so as to seal the accommodation space 220 in which the battery modules 10 are accommodated. In the present embodiment, the pack cover 200 is provided to completely cover the four battery modules 10, and the pack cover 200 is made of an aluminum material or a SUS material to ensure rigidity and may be made of a material having high conductivity.
[0042] A plurality of receiving grooves 210 are provided on the bottom surface of the pack cover 200. The receiving grooves 210 can receive the release members 330, and a plurality of the release members 330 may be provided on the bottom surface of the pack cover 200 to correspond to the positions of the current breaker 300 in Fig. 3. The release members 330 may be coupled to the receiving grooves 210 by a method such as bolting, and thus can be firmly fixed despite external impacts.
[0043] When the pack cover 200 is coupled to the pack tray 100, a coupling method such as bolting, welding, adhesion, hooking, etc. may be used.
[0044] Meanwhile, a current interruption unit 300 is provided to prevent an internal short circuit of a normal battery module 10 by interrupting electrical connection between adjacent battery cells in advance when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10 that first ignites.
[0045] Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 1 with the pack cover removed, and Fig. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the AA line in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a circuit breaker body with module connection bus bars coupled to both sides in a current breaker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Fig. 5.
[0046] The current interrupting unit 300 may include a circuit breaker body 320 to which the pair of module connection bus bars 310 are connected, a release member 330 provided on an inner wall of the pack cover 200 and released when the temperature of the pack cover 200 rises, a first elastic member 340 having one end connected to the release member 330 and the other end connected to an upper portion of the circuit breaker body 320, and a second elastic member 350 having one end connected to the pack tray 100 and the other end connected to a lower portion of the circuit breaker body 320.
[0047] One end of the module connection bus bar 310 may be electrically connected to the upper electrode 11 of the battery module 10, and the other end may be provided in a form of a free end floating in the accommodation space, and the other end may be coupled to and supported by the interrupting body 320 described below. The module connection bus bar 310 is a part that, together with the interrupting body 320, energizes one battery module 10 and an adjacent battery module 10, and thus, one current interrupting unit 300 may be provided with two module connection bus bars 310 connected to the upper electrodes 11 of two battery modules 10, i.e., a pair of module connection bus bars 310. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, three current interrupting units 300 are provided.
[0048] The interrupting body 320 is disposed at the center of the pair of module connecting busbars 310, connects the pair of module connecting busbars 310 to each other, and supports the other end of the pair of module connecting busbars 310. Referring mainly to Figs. 5 and 6, the interrupting body 320 may be relatively thicker than the module connecting busbars 310, and a connecting ring 324 is provided on each of the upper and lower surfaces. A connecting groove 321 is provided on both sides of the interrupting body 320, and the module connecting busbar 310 may be fitted into the connecting groove 321. The interrupting body 320 configured as described above may be made of a material having good electrical conductivity and high current carrying efficiency, and may be made of the same material as the module connecting busbars 310 (e.g., copper, etc.).
[0049] A release member 330 is provided on the upper side of the cutoff body 320. The release member 330 is provided on the inner wall of the pack cover 200, more precisely, on the receiving groove 210, and is a part that is released when the temperature of the pack cover 200 rises. That is, if any one cell in the battery pack 1 ignites and becomes a trigger cell, or if a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10, thermal energy due to vent gas and flames accumulates and the temperature of the pack cover 200 rises, but the release member 330 is provided so that the joint portion with the pack cover 200 melts locally and the release member 330 is detached or separated from the pack cover 200 when the temperature exceeds a preset design temperature. Therefore, the release member 330 may be made of a plastic material, but other materials having a relatively lower melting point than the pack cover 200 may be adopted.
[0050] A first elastic member 340 and a second elastic member 350 are respectively provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the blocking body 320. The first elastic member 340 has one end connected to the release member 330 and the other end connected to the upper part of the blocking body 320, and the second elastic member 350 has one end connected to the pack tray 100 and the other end connected to the lower part of the blocking body 320.
[0051] The cutoff body 320 is positioned in the accommodating space at a balance height where the elastic forces of the first elastic member and the second elastic member 350 are balanced with each other, and when the module connection bus bar 310 is at the balance height, it can conduct electricity to the battery modules 10. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the elastic forces of the first elastic member and the second elastic member are adjusted and positioned so as to be at a balance height when a pair of module connection bus bars 310 are grounded to the upper electrode 11 of the battery module 10.
[0052] As a result, when the release member 330 is detached from the pack cover 200, the elastic force of the second elastic member causes the cutoff body 320 to move, separating and insulating a pair of module connection bus bars 310 from each other, thereby cutting off the electrical connection between the battery modules 10.
[0053] According to this embodiment, when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10 that first ignites, the electrical connection between the adjacent battery cells is cut off in advance, thereby preventing an internal short circuit in the normal battery module 10, and thermal propagation that could lead to a chain reaction of ignition in the entire battery pack 1 can be prevented, thereby suppressing thermal propagation (TP).
[0054] In addition, chain fires between the battery modules 10 are prevented, the durability of the battery pack 1 is increased, and maintenance costs can be reduced. Furthermore, with a simpler equipment configuration, it is possible to prevent an electrical short circuit between the battery modules 10 in advance when a fire occurs inside the pack, thereby preventing explosive chain fires of the battery modules 10, and as a result, it is possible to regulate the thermal energy that explosively accumulates inside the battery pack 1 and prevent the structure of the battery pack 1 from collapsing.
[0055] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a release member is detached from a current interruption part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a circuit breaker body in a current interruption part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention is detached from a module connection bus bar.
[0056] Hereinafter, a process for easily discharging vent gas to the outside according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0057] First, in normal times when there are no thermal problems, the current cutoff unit 300 does not operate inside the battery pack 1. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the cutoff body 320 is positioned at an equilibrium height in the accommodating space where the elastic forces of the first elastic member and the second elastic member 350 are balanced with each other, and the module connection bus bar 310 is at the equilibrium height so that the battery modules 10 are electrically connected to each other.
[0058] Next, if any one of the cells in the battery pack 1 ignites and becomes a trigger cell, or if a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10, the vent gas and the internal pressure increase, as well as the heat energy from the flame accumulates, causing the temperature of the pack cover 200 to rise, and the high thermal conductivity of the pack cover 200 makes it easy for the temperature rise to propagate. Then, when the propagated temperature reaches or exceeds a preset design temperature, the bonding portion of the release member 330 with the pack cover 200 melts locally, and the release member 330 is detached from the pack cover 200, as shown in FIG.
[0059] FIG. 7 shows a state in which the elastic force of the first elastic member is lost and the elastic force of the second elastic member 350 is maintained.
[0060] Then, when the release member 330 is released from the pack cover 200, the cutoff body 320 moves downward due to the elastic force of the second elastic member. That is, when the release member 330 is released from the pack cover 200, the cutoff body 320 moves due to the elastic force of the second elastic member, and the electrical connection between the battery modules is cut off.
[0061] At this time, the elastic restoring force of the second elastic member 350 is set to be relatively greater than the connection strength of the module connection busbar 310 connected to the connection groove 321 of the interrupter body 320, so that the interrupter body 320 breaks the connection with the module connection busbar 310 and slides downward. Although Fig. 8 shows that the shape of the connection groove 321 is maintained, partial damage or deformation of the connection groove 321 may occur in the process of separating the interrupter body 320 from the module connection busbar 310.
[0062] In addition, an inner recessed groove portion 121 is provided in the vertical partition wall 120, and even when the second elastic member 350 contracts, it is completely accommodated in the inner recessed groove portion 121, and when the circuit breaker body 320 moves downward, it is almost placed on the upper surface of the vertical partition wall 120, making it possible to completely cut off current or insulate the pair of module connection bus bars 310.
[0063] As a result, when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10 that first ignites, the electrical connection between the other adjacent battery modules 10 is cut off in advance, preventing an internal short circuit of the normal battery modules 10 in advance, and heat propagation that leads to chain fires in the entire battery pack 1 can be prevented in advance. In addition, chain fires between the battery modules 10 are prevented, so the durability of the battery pack is increased and maintenance costs can be reduced. Furthermore, with a simpler equipment configuration, when a fire occurs inside the pack, an electrical short circuit between the battery modules 10 can be prevented in advance, preventing explosive chain fires of the battery modules 10, and as a result, the thermal energy that explosively accumulates inside the battery pack 1 can be regulated to prevent structural collapse of the battery pack 1 in advance, and thermal propagation (TP) can be suppressed.
[0064] Next, another embodiment of the battery module 10 of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIGS.
[0065] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a blocking body according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the blocking body according to another embodiment of the present invention removed from the module connection busbar.
[0066] The same component numbers as in the previous drawings indicate the same components, and duplicate descriptions of the same components will be omitted, with the focus being on the differences from the previously described embodiment.
[0067] In comparison with the above-described embodiment, the battery module 10 according to the other embodiment of the present invention has additional components added to the cutoff body 320A.
[0068] The interrupter body 320A may have a rounded groove 322 on the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, in the thickness direction, in order to reduce the effective thickness of the interrupter body 320A and induce more flexible deformation during operation of the current interrupter 300A, thereby allowing the interrupter body 320A to be easily removed from the module connection busbar 310A.
[0069] In addition, the inner wall of the connection groove 321 may be provided with a tapered section 323 such that the inner diameter increases from the center toward both ends of the interrupter body 320A. The module connection busbar 310A may also be provided with a tapered surface corresponding to the tapered section 323. By using the tapered section 323, when the interrupter body 320A is released from the module connection busbar 310A and moves downward, a relatively small force is applied compared to the first embodiment, and the interrupter body 320 can be more easily broken. As shown in FIG. 11, the groove 322 causes the interrupter body 320 to bend, and the tapered section 323 allows the interrupter body 320 to be easily released from the module connection busbar 310A.
[0070] As a result, when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 10 that first ignites, electrical connections between adjacent battery cells are cut off in advance, preventing an internal short circuit in the normal battery module 10 and preventing heat propagation that leads to chain fires in the entire battery pack 1. In addition, chain fires between the battery modules 10 are prevented, which increases the durability of the battery pack and reduces maintenance costs, and thermal propagation (TP) can be suppressed.
[0071] Furthermore, with an even simpler equipment configuration, it is possible to prevent electrical short circuits between the battery modules 10 in advance when a fire occurs inside the pack, thereby preventing explosive chain reactions of ignition of the battery modules 10. As a result, it is possible to regulate the thermal energy that explosively accumulates inside the battery pack 1, thereby preventing structural collapse of the battery pack 1.
[0072] Meanwhile, the battery pack 1 according to the present invention may further include various devices for controlling charging and discharging of the battery module 10, such as a battery management system (BMS), a current sensor, a fuse, etc., although not shown.
[0073] The battery pack 1 according to the present invention is applicable to automobiles such as electric automobiles and hybrid automobiles. That is, the automobile according to the present invention may include the battery pack 1 according to the present invention. The battery pack 1 may be installed in a body frame under a seat of the vehicle or in a trunk space, and when installed in the vehicle, the battery pack may be arranged upside down, if necessary.
[0074] In this specification, directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, however, these terms are used merely for ease of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.
[0075] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these in any way, 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 belongs within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0076] 1 Battery Pack 10 Battery Module 11 Upper electrode 100 pack tray 110 Horizontal Partition Wall 120 Vertical Partition Wall 121 Inner recessed groove 200 Pack Cover 210 Storage Groove 220 Containment Space 300 Current Breaker 300A current cutoff section 310 Module Connection Busbar 310A Module Connection Busbar 320 Blocking fuselage 320A Cut-off fuselage 321 Connection groove 322 Groove 323 Tapered Section 324 Connection Ring 330 Breakaway parts 340 First elastic member 350 Second elastic member
Claims
1. A plurality of battery modules; a pack tray that houses the battery module therein and has an open top; a pack cover disposed on the pack tray to seal an accommodation space in which the battery module is accommodated; an electrical interruption unit that is disposed between the pack tray and the pack cover, energizes and supports module connection bus bars that connect the battery modules to each other, and when a thermal event occurs, separates the module connection bus bars from each other to interrupt the electrical connection between the battery modules; Including the battery pack.
2. The current interruption unit is A breaker body to which the pair of module connection bus bars are connected; a release member provided on an inner wall of the pack cover and released when a thermal event occurs; a first elastic member having one end connected to the release member and the other end connected to the upper portion of the blocking body; A second elastic member, one end of which is connected to the pack tray and the other end of which is connected to the lower portion of the blocking body; 10. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:
3. The blocking body is positioned at an equilibrium height in the accommodation space at which the elastic forces of the first elastic member and the second elastic member are balanced with each other, 3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the module connecting bus bars energize the battery modules together when at the balanced height.
4. 4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the release member is melted and detached from the pack cover when the temperature of the pack cover increases.
5. 4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein when the release member is released from the pack cover, the second elastic member is compressed and the cutoff body moves, thereby cutting off electrical connection between the battery modules.
6. The pack tray is provided with horizontal partition walls and vertical partition walls that divide the inside of the pack tray, The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the horizontal partition wall and the vertical partition wall are provided with an inner recessed groove portion to which one end of the second elastic member is coupled.
7. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the release member is made of a plastic material.
8. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the interrupter body is configured to be relatively thicker than the module connection bus bar.
9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the cutoff body has connecting grooves on both sides thereof.
10. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein an inner wall of the pack cover is provided with an accommodation groove in which the release member is accommodated.
11. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the cutoff body has a top surface and a bottom surface each provided with a rounded groove on an inner side in a thickness direction.
12. The battery pack according to claim 11 , wherein an inner wall of the connection groove has a tapered section in which an inner diameter increases from a center toward both ends of the cutoff body.
13. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
Citation Information
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