Battery packs and devices containing them

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of cell units, each having at least one battery cell and a cell cover that surrounds and supports the at least one battery cell, and a pack case that accommodates and supports the plurality of cell units in an internal space, wherein the cell cover includes a first cover portion that covers one side of the at least one battery cell, a second cover portion that covers the other side of the at least one battery cell, and a cap portion that connects the first cover portion and the second cover portion and covers an upper end portion of the at least one battery cell, and the cap portion is detachably coupled to the first cover portion and the second cover portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0110388 filed on August 31, 2022 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0112652 filed on August 28, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more particularly to a battery pack and a device including the same that have improved energy density, are easy to handle and install, and have enhanced safety. [Background technology]

[0003] Generally, a secondary battery refers to a battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, such as a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a nickel zinc battery.

[0004] In recent years, secondary batteries have been applied to devices requiring high output voltage and large charging capacity, such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS), and battery packs manufactured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series or parallel to form a battery module and then connecting a number of such battery modules in series or parallel again have been widely used.

[0005] However, as disclosed in the prior art documents 1 and 2, the conventional technology involves manufacturing a battery pack by accommodating battery cells in a box-shaped metal case to form battery modules, and then accommodating these battery modules in a battery pack case, which increases the weight and volume of the entire battery pack and reduces the energy density of the battery pack.

[0006] In addition, when the conventional cell-to-pack method, in which multiple battery cells are directly attached to a battery pack case to increase the energy density of the battery pack, is applied to pouch-type battery cells with soft cases, it is difficult to handle or stack multiple battery cells at the same time, and there is a risk of the battery cells being damaged during the process of attaching them to the pack case.

[0007] Furthermore, the existing cell-to-pack method places a large number of battery cells densely packed in a space inside a pack case, making it difficult to exhaust gases and flames generated when a battery cell experiences thermal runaway in the intended direction. This creates the problem that if thermal runaway occurs in some battery cells, it can lead to a chain reaction of thermal runaway in the remaining battery cells. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2379227, [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0052183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack and a device including the same that can reduce the overall weight and volume, increase the energy density, facilitate the handling and installation of battery cells built into the battery pack, and prevent chain reaction thermal runaway by discharging gases and flames generated when the battery cells thermal runaway in the intended direction.

[0010] However, the problems that the embodiments of the present invention attempt to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not described are expanded to the extent that they can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of cell units, each having at least one battery cell and a cell cover that surrounds and supports the at least one battery cell, and a pack case that accommodates and supports the plurality of cell units in an internal space, wherein the cell cover includes a first cover portion that covers one side of the at least one battery cell, a second cover portion that covers the other side of the at least one battery cell, and a cap portion that connects the first cover portion and the second cover portion and covers an upper end portion of the at least one battery cell, and the cap portion is detachably coupled to the first cover portion and the second cover portion.

[0012] The cap portion may be connected to the first cover portion and the second cover portion by a snap-fit ​​method or a fitting method.

[0013] The first cover portion and the second cover portion may each have a first fastening groove and a second fastening groove at an upper end portion adjacent to the cap portion, and the cap portion may have a first fastening protrusion that is fastened to the first fastening groove by a snap-fit ​​method or a fitting method, and a second fastening protrusion that is fastened to the second fastening groove by a snap-fit ​​method or a fitting method.

[0014] The first fastening groove and the second fastening groove may be formed as the upper end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion, respectively, and the upper end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion may be configured to be curved toward the inside of the cell cover where the at least one battery cell is arranged.

[0015] The first fastening protrusion may be formed by bending one end of the tab portion adjacent to the first cover portion, and the second fastening protrusion may be formed by bending the other end of the tab portion adjacent to the second cover portion.

[0016] The first cover part and the second cover part may further include a cutoff part at a lower end opposite to the upper end, the cutoff part supporting a lower portion of the at least one battery cell.

[0017] The blocking portion is formed to extend from the lower end of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the inside of the cell cover.

[0018] The blocking portion may include a locking structure formed by bending the lower end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the inside of the cell cover.

[0019] The blocking portion may include a bent structure that is bent from the lower end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the cap portion and then bent in a round shape toward the opposite side of the cap portion.

[0020] The blocking portion may include at least one insertion groove formed by removing a portion of the blocking portion in a length direction of the cell cover.

[0021] The cell cover may include stainless steel (SUS).

[0022] A device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the at least one battery pack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack and a device including the same that can reduce the overall weight and volume, increase the energy density, facilitate the handling and installation of battery cells built into the battery pack, and prevent chain reaction thermal runaway by discharging gases and flames generated when the battery cells experience thermal runaway in the intended direction.

[0024] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a cell unit of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the cell unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cell cover shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a cell cover according to a modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the cell cover shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cell cover according to another modified example. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention can be realized in various different forms other than those described below, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0028] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for the sake of convenience, and it is obvious that the contents of the present invention are not limited to those shown. In the following drawings, the thickness of each layer is enlarged to clearly show various layers and regions. In the following drawings, the thickness of some layers and regions is exaggerated for the sake of convenience.

[0029] Furthermore, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "on" or "above" another portion, this should be interpreted as including not only the case where the layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is "directly above" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion between them. Conversely, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other portion is described as being "directly above" another portion, it can mean that there is no other portion between them. Furthermore, being "on" or "above" a reference portion means being located above or below the reference portion, and does not necessarily mean being located "on" or "above" the direction opposite to gravity. Meanwhile, similar to describing something as being "on" or "above" another portion, describing something as being "below" or "below" another portion can also be understood by taking into account the above content.

[0030] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0031] A battery pack 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the battery pack 1000 of the present invention can include a plurality of cell unit blocks 11, a pack case 20, and an upper cover 30.

[0034] The cell unit block 11 may include a plurality of cell units 10, and such a plurality of cell units may be stacked in one direction. As will be described again below, each cell unit 10 may include at least one battery cell and a cell cover that partially encloses and supports the exterior of the at least one battery cell. In this case, the at least one battery cell may include a pouch-type battery cell.

[0035] The pack case 20 has a mounting structure in which the cell unit blocks 11 are directly mounted without a separate case, and may be configured to accommodate and support a plurality of cell unit blocks 11 in separate internal spaces. The upper cover 30 may be configured as a lid on the upper open end of the pack case 20. In this case, the upper cover 30 may be configured as a box with an open bottom.

[0036] Meanwhile, in order to accommodate a plurality of cell unit blocks 11, the pack case 20 may include a lower plate 21 on which the cell unit blocks 11 are fixed, and a side wall 22 that is coupled to the lower plate 21 and forms an internal space (S1) for accommodating the cell unit blocks.

[0037] A gas valve (not shown) for discharging internal gas from the battery pack 1000 may be provided on an outer surface of the side wall 22, and a gas inlet through which gas generated in the cell unit block 11 flows may be provided on an inner surface of the side wall 22 adjacent to the internal space (S1). The side wall 22 may also have a side gas channel therein. One end of the side gas channel is connected to the gas inlet, extends along the interior of the side wall 22, and the other end is connected to the gas valve.

[0038] In this case, the gas inlet and side gas channel of the side wall 22 and the gas venting path connected to the gas valve may be individually provided for each cell unit block. That is, gas discharged from a first cell unit block may be discharged through a first gas venting path connected to a first gas inlet, a first side gas channel, and the first gas valve, and gas discharged from a second cell unit block may be discharged through a second gas inlet, a second side channel, and a second gas venting path connected to a second gas valve, which are provided separately from the first gas inlet, the first side gas channel, and the first gas valve, respectively.

[0039] Meanwhile, the pack case 20 may further include partitions 24 that divide the internal space (S1) into a plurality of spaces. Also, the pack case 20 may have a receiving space (S2) that accommodates various electrical components required for the battery pack 1000.

[0040] The lower plate 21 may include a heat sink 23 in thermal contact with the cell unit block 11. The heat sink 23 may be configured to be in thermal contact with the cell unit block 11 and cool the cell unit block 11, and may be disposed on the inside or outside of the lower plate 21. To provide cooling performance, the heat sink 23 may be made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity and heat resistance. Although not shown, a thermal resin layer (not shown) may be formed on the lower part of the cell unit block 11. The thermal resin layer may transfer heat generated in the battery cells to the heat sink 23 so that the heat can be dissipated through the heat sink 23. In addition, the adhesiveness of the thermal resin layer may allow the cell units 10 included in the cell unit block 11 to be more stably maintained in an upright position.

[0041] Next, the configuration of the cell unit 10 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cell unit of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the cell unit shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cell cover shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] 2 and 3, the cell unit 10 may include at least one battery cell 100 and a cell cover 200 that partially covers the exterior of the battery cell 100. The cell cover 200 may cover both sides and an upper end of the at least one battery cell 100, and may have a structure that is open at the front, rear, and lower ends of the battery cell 100.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 3 , the cell unit 10 can include at least one battery cell 100 , a cell cover 200 , and a bus bar assembly 300 .

[0045] The battery cell 100 of the cell unit 10 corresponds to a basic unit for charging and discharging, and may be manufactured by housing an electrode assembly and an electrolyte material inside a soft metal case and sealing the metal case. In this case, the electrode assembly may be manufactured by interposing a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

[0046] Furthermore, the front and rear ends of the battery cell 100 may be provided with electrode leads electrically connected to the electrode assembly. Such a battery cell may be configured in a pouch shape. One cell unit 10 includes one or more battery cells 100, and when multiple battery cells 100 are included, they may be stacked in at least one direction. For example, referring to FIG. 3, multiple battery cells 100 are stacked in the x-axis direction of the drawing. Various types of battery cells 100 known at the time of filing of the present invention may be used as such a battery cell 100, and therefore, detailed description of the configuration of such a battery cell 100 will be omitted.

[0047] The cell cover 200 may be configured to partially enclose and support the exterior of at least one battery cell 100. In this case, the cell cover 200 may be configured to support at least one pouch-type battery cell in an upright state.

[0048] For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the cell cover 200 can be configured to partially enclose the exterior of three pouch-shaped battery cells 100 and support the battery cells 100 in an upright position. As a result, the battery cells 100 can be directly secured and housed inside the pack case 20 without a module case. In particular, the exterior material of the battery cells 100 is made of a soft material, which makes them vulnerable to external impacts and has low hardness. Therefore, it is not easy to house the battery cells 100 by themselves inside the pack case 20 without housing them in a module case. However, in this embodiment, the multiple battery cells 100 are at least partially enclosed by the cell cover 200 and are connected to the cell cover 200, and are then directly housed inside the pack case 20, so the stacked state can be stably maintained.

[0049] According to this embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to additionally provide a module case, a stacking frame, or fastening members such as bolts for maintaining the stacked state of the cells in the battery pack 1000. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the space occupied by other components such as the module case and the stacking frame, and the space required to ensure tolerances. Therefore, the battery cells can occupy the space that has been eliminated, thereby further improving the energy density of the battery pack.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this aspect of the present invention, since a module case, stacking frame, bolts, etc. are not provided, the volume and weight of the battery pack can be reduced, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0051] Furthermore, according to this aspect of the present invention, handling of the battery cells 100 becomes easier. For example, when storing multiple battery cells 100 inside a pack case, the battery cells 100 can be held by a jig or the like. At this time, the jig does not directly hold the battery cells 100, but can hold the cell covers 200 that encase the battery cells 100. This prevents the battery cells 100 from being damaged or broken by the jig.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this aspect of the present invention, the cell cover 200 is coupled to the battery cell 100, so that the battery cell 100 can be effectively protected without a module case.

[0053] In one embodiment, the cell cover 200 may include a first cover part 210 covering one side of the at least one battery cell 100, a second cover part 220 covering the other side of the at least one battery cell 100, and a cap part 230 connecting the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 to cover the upper end of the at least one battery cell 100. That is, the cell cover 200 may be configured to cover three sides of the battery cell 100 excluding the front and rear sides from which the electrode leads protrude, and the bottom side.

[0054] For example, the cell cover 200 may be configured to enclose three sides of at least one battery cell 100 and have an overall cross section in the shape of an 'n', 'u', or 'C'.

[0055] As will be described again below, the cap part 230 may be configured to be detachably connected to the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220, for example, by a snap fit or a fitting method.

[0056] The cell cover 200, which has such a simplified structure, is made of a metal material that is more rigid than the case of the battery cell 100, and can protect at least one battery cell 100 covered by the cell cover 200 from external impacts and vibrations. For example, the cell cover 200 can be made of a material including stainless steel (SUS), which is easy to process and highly corrosion-resistant. When the cell cover 200 is made of a steel material, it has excellent mechanical strength and rigidity, and can therefore more stably support the stacked state of the battery cells 100. In addition, this can more effectively prevent damage or breakage of the battery cells 100 from external impacts, such as needle-shaped objects. In addition, this makes it easier to handle the battery cells.

[0057] Furthermore, when the cell cover 200 is made of steel as in the above embodiment, its high melting point allows it to stably maintain its overall structure when a flame breaks out from the battery cell 100. In particular, because steel has a higher melting point than aluminum, it does not melt even when a flame breaks out from the battery cell 100, and can stably maintain its shape. Therefore, excellent flame propagation prevention or delay effects between battery cells 100 and venting control effects are ensured.

[0058] Meanwhile, a busbar assembly 300 is coupled to the electrode leads exposed on the surface not covered by the cell cover 200. The busbar assembly 300 includes a busbar frame 310 and a busbar 320 coupled thereto. That is, the busbar 320 is electrically connected to the electrode leads of at least one battery cell 100 covered by the cell cover 200, and the busbar frame 310 may be configured to support the busbar 320. The busbar assembly 300 may also be configured to electrically connect a number of battery cells 100 to each other. For example, the busbar assembly 300 may be coupled to the electrode leads of a plurality of battery cells 100, thereby electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells 100 in series and / or parallel. The busbar assembly 300 may be coupled to the cell cover 200 in various ways. For example, the busbar assembly 300 may be coupled to the cell cover 200 by various fastening methods, such as adhesive, welding, snap-fitting, hook-fitting, bolt-fitting, or rivet-fitting.

[0059] The insulating cover 330 may be configured to prevent short-circuiting of the electrode leads or the bus bars 320. For this purpose, the insulating cover 330 may be made of a polymer synthetic resin having insulating properties, and may prevent the bus bar assembly 300 from being exposed to the outside and ensure and maintain electrical insulation.

[0060] 2 and 3, the cell unit 10 may further include a clamping member configured to clamp the cell cover 200. The clamping member may be configured to clamp the cell cover 200 with at least one battery cell 100 inserted therein, to prevent the ends of the cell cover 200 (the end of the first cover part 210 and the end of the second cover part 220) from separating or to prevent the inserted battery cell 100 from coming off the cell cover 200. Such a clamping member may be made of tape or may be made of an elastic metal material.

[0061] Although FIG. 3 shows three battery cells 100 covered by one cell cover 200, the number of battery cells 100 covered by the cell cover 200 can of course be varied depending on the scale of the cell cover 200.

[0062] The configuration of the cell cover 200 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4 , the cell cover 200 may include a first cover portion 210 , a second cover portion 220 and a cap portion 230 .

[0064] The first cover part 210 may be configured to cover one side of at least one battery cell 100. The first cover part 210 may be integrally configured using a metal plate material.

[0065] The second cover part 220 may be configured to face the first cover part 210 at a predetermined distance and cover the other side of the at least one battery cell 100. The first cover part 210 may be integrally formed using a metal plate material.

[0066] The cap part 230 may be configured to connect the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 to cover an upper end part of the at least one battery cell 100. The cap part 230 may be integrally configured using a metal plate material.

[0067] In addition, the cap part 230 may be configured to be detachably coupled to the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220, for example, by a snap-fit ​​or engagement method. To this end, the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 may have a first fastening groove 211 and a second fastening groove 221 at their upper ends, respectively, and the cap part 230 may have a first fastening protrusion 231 that is fastened to the first fastening groove 211 of the first cover part 210 by a snap-fit ​​or engagement method, and a second fastening protrusion 232 that is fastened to the second fastening groove 212 of the second cover part 220 by a snap-fit ​​or engagement method. When the cap part 230 is coupled by a snap-fit ​​or engagement method in this manner, when the internal pressure of the cell unit 100 increases, the cap part 230 is separated by the internal pressure, thereby allowing gas inside the cell unit 100 to be discharged upward.

[0068] Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the upper ends of the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 may be curved inward where the at least one battery cell 100 is located to form the first and second fastening grooves 211 and 221.

[0069] In addition, one end of the cap part 230 in the width direction (X-axis direction) adjacent to the first cover part 210 may be bent inward of the cell cover 200 to form the first fastening protrusion 231, and the other end of the cap part 230 in the width direction adjacent to the second cover part 220 may be bent inward of the cell cover 200 to form the second fastening protrusion 232. The first and second fastening protrusions 231 and 232 of the cap part 230 are respectively coupled to the first fastening groove 211 and the second fastening groove 221. Various coupling methods may be used, such as a snap fit or a fitting method. For example, when coupled by a fitting method, the fastening protrusions 231 and 232 and the fastening grooves 211 and 221 may be formed to extend in the length direction of the cell cover 200 (the y-axis direction in the drawing), and the fastening protrusions 231 and 232 may be slid from one end of the fastening grooves 211 and 221 in the length direction of the cell cover 200 to be fastened. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various coupling methods are possible.

[0070] Meanwhile, the cap part 230 may be configured to be spaced apart from the battery cell 100 inserted between the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 at a predetermined distance to form a gas transfer passage.

[0071] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the three surfaces of the cell cover 200 are not integrally formed, but are configured to include a first cover portion 210 that covers one side of the at least one battery cell 100, a second cover portion 220 that covers the other side of the at least one battery cell 100, and a cap portion 230 that connects the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220 and covers the upper end portion of the at least one battery cell 100, which makes it easier to manufacture and assemble the cell cover 200 and improves flatness.

[0072] In addition, the cap portion 230 is formed to be separable from the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220 and is connected using a snap-fit ​​or fitting method, so that when the gas pressure inside the cell unit 100 increases, the cap portion 230 can be separated from the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220, thereby guiding the gas inside the cell unit 100 to be discharged upward.

[0073] Next, a cell cover according to a modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0074] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cell cover according to a modified example, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the cell cover shown in FIG.

[0075] 5 and 6, a cell cover 201 according to a modified embodiment may include a first cover portion 210, a second cover portion 220, and a cap portion 230, similar to the cell cover 200 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition, the cell cover 201 may further include blocking portions 212 and 222.

[0076] The blocking portions 212, 222 may be configured to prevent the removal of at least one battery cell 100 inserted between the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220. That is, the blocking portions 212, 222 may include a first blocking portion 212 extending from an end of the first cover portion 210 and a second blocking portion 222 extending from an end of the second cover portion 220, and the first and second blocking portions 212, 222 may be configured to support a lower end portion of at least one battery cell 100.

[0077] The first and second blocking portions 212 and 222 are bent at the ends of the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220 toward the inside of the cell cover 201 into which the battery cell 100 is inserted, forming a locking structure. That is, the first and second blocking portions 212 and 222 can be formed by being bent at the lower end, opposite the upper end where the first and second fastening grooves 211 and 221 are formed, toward the inside where the battery cell 100 is placed, so that the battery cell 100 can be placed thereon.

[0078] These first and second blocking parts 212, 222 support the battery cell 100 inserted into the cell cover 201 and prevent the battery cell 100 from being removed, thereby preventing the battery cell 100 from changing its position or falling out of the cell cover 201, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery pack.

[0079] Furthermore, the first and second blocking portions 212, 222 are not uniformly formed throughout but may include missing portions at predetermined intervals. The removed portions of the cell cover 200 along its length where the first and second blocking portions 212, 222 are not formed form insertion grooves 240. Fingers of a jig can be inserted into the insertion grooves 240 during the manufacturing process. The fingers of the jig inserted through the insertion grooves 240 come into contact with the inner surfaces of the first and second cover portions 210, 220, widening the first and second cover portions 210, 220 to change the distance between the first and second cover portions 210, 220. This configuration widens the distance between the first and second cover portions 210, 220 to facilitate insertion of the battery cell 100 into the cell cover 201.

[0080] In this way, the blocking portions 212, 222 of the cell cover 201 are provided with insertion grooves 240 into which a jig configured to contact the inner surface of the cell cover 201 and change the spacing between both ends of the cell cover 201 is inserted, thereby facilitating the assembly process of inserting the battery cells 100 into the cell cover 201 and preventing damage to the battery cells 100 during the assembly process.

[0081] Hereinafter, a cell cover according to another modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cell cover according to another modified example.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 7, the cell cover 202 according to another embodiment may include a first cover portion 210, a second cover portion 220, a cap portion 230 and blocking portions 212', 222', similar to the cell cover 201 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0084] In particular, the first and second blocking portions 212′, 222′ of the cell cover 202 according to another modified example may have a folded structure in which the ends of the first cover portion 210 and the second cover portion 220 are folded toward the cap portion 230 and then folded in a round shape toward the opposite side of the cap portion 230. In this way, the first and second blocking portions 212′, 222′ are configured to support the battery cells 100 with their rounded surfaces, thereby preventing damage to soft battery cells 100 such as pouch cells.

[0085] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 8, a device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an automobile 2, and such a device may include at least one battery pack 1000 according to any of the various embodiments described above.

[0087] In this way, the battery pack 1000 provided in the automobile 2 can provide the electrical energy required for various operations of the automobile 2.

[0088] For reference, the battery pack according to the present invention can of course be applied to ESS (Energy Storage Systems) and various other devices in addition to automobiles.

[0089] As described above, according to the present invention, a number of battery cells 100 are not received in a separate module case and then attached to the pack case of the battery pack, but are only partially covered by the cell cover 200 with a simplified structure and then attached directly to the pack case. This reduces the weight and volume of the entire battery pack, increases the energy density of the battery pack, and facilitates safe handling and attachment of the battery cells 100 during battery pack manufacturing, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0090] In addition, the cell cover 200 is composed of a first cover part 210 that covers one side of the at least one battery cell 100, a second cover part 220 that covers the other side of the at least one battery cell 100, and a cap part 230 that connects the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 and covers the upper end part of the at least one battery cell 100, thereby making it easier to manufacture and assemble the cell cover 200 and improving flatness.

[0091] In addition, since the cap part 230 is connected to the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220 using a snap-fit ​​or engagement method, when the gas pressure inside the cell unit increases, the cap part 230 can be separated from the first cover part 210 and the second cover part 220, thereby guiding the gas inside the cell unit to be discharged upward.

[0092] In addition, the blocking portions 212, 222 of the cell cover 201 support the battery cell 100 inserted into the cell cover 201 and prevent the battery cell 100 from being removed, thereby preventing the battery cell 100 from being displaced or the cell cover 201 from being detached to the outside, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery pack.

[0093] In addition, the blocking portions 212 and 222 of the cell cover 200 are provided with insertion grooves 240 into which a jig configured to contact the inner surface of the cell cover 201 and change the spacing between both ends of the cell cover 201 is inserted, thereby facilitating the assembly process of inserting the battery cells 100 into the cell cover 201 and preventing damage to the battery cells 100.

[0094] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention can solve various other technical problems in the technical field in question as well as in related technical fields other than those mentioned in this specification.

[0095] The present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that various modifications can be made within the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above-disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative perspective, not a restrictive one. That is, the true scope of the technical concept of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope of equivalents thereto should be construed as being included within the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10: Cell unit 11: Cell unit block 20: Pack case 30: Upper cover 100: Battery cell 200, 201, 202: Cell cover 210: First cover part 220: Second cover part 230: Cap part 211: 1st fastening groove 212:Second fastening groove 231: 1st fastening protrusion 232:Second fastening protrusion 212, 212': first interrupter 222, 222': Second interrupter 240: Insertion groove 300: Busbar assembly 330: Insulation cover 1000: Battery pack

Claims

1. a plurality of cell units each including at least one battery cell and a cell cover that encases and supports the at least one battery cell; and a pack case that houses and supports the plurality of cell units in an internal space, The cell cover is a first cover portion covering one side of the at least one battery cell; a second cover portion covering the other side of the at least one battery cell; and a cap portion connecting the first cover portion and the second cover portion and covering an upper end portion of the at least one battery cell; The battery pack, wherein the cap portion is detachably coupled to the first cover portion and the second cover portion.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cap portion is connected to the first cover portion and the second cover portion by a snap-fit ​​method or a fitting method.

3. the first cover portion and the second cover portion each include a first fastening groove and a second fastening groove at an upper end portion adjacent to the cap portion, 2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cap portion includes a first fastening protrusion that is fastened to the first fastening groove by a snap-fit ​​or a fitting method, and a second fastening protrusion that is fastened to the second fastening groove by a snap-fit ​​or a fitting method.

4. 4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the first fastening groove and the second fastening groove are formed as the upper end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion, respectively, and the upper end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion are curved toward the inside of the cell cover in which the at least one battery cell is arranged.

5. The first fastening protrusion is formed by bending one end of a tab portion adjacent to the first cover portion, The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein the second fastening protrusion is formed by bending the other end of a tab portion adjacent to the second cover portion.

6. The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein the first cover portion and the second cover portion further include a cutoff portion at a lower end opposite to the upper end, the cutoff portion supporting a lower portion of the at least one battery cell.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the cutoff portion is formed to extend from the lower end of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the inside of the cell cover.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the cutoff portion includes a locking structure formed by bending the lower end portions of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the inside of the cell cover.

9. 8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the cutoff portion includes a folding structure that is folded from the lower end of the first cover portion and the second cover portion toward the cap portion and then folded in a round shape toward the opposite side of the cap portion.

10. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the blocking portion includes at least one insertion groove formed by removing a portion of the blocking portion in the length direction of the cell cover.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cell cover includes stainless steel (SUS).

12. A device comprising the battery pack of claim 1.

Images