Battery packs and devices containing them

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one sub-pack in which at least two battery modules among a plurality of battery modules are arranged along the same direction, the at least one sub-pack is stacked along a height direction, a spacer is arranged on at least one of both sides of the battery module in the sub-pack, and the battery pack includes a plurality of bolt portions that penetrate the battery module and the spacer together.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] 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 improves space efficiency while preventing deformation due to swelling between each battery module and between adjacent battery modules. [Background technology]

[0002] Secondary batteries, which are highly adaptable 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 or hybrid vehicles powered by electrical sources, power storage devices, etc. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for environmental friendliness and energy efficiency, not only because they have the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but also because they do not produce any by-products from energy use.

[0003] Currently available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Of these, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages over nickel-based secondary batteries, such as almost no memory effect, freedom in charging and discharging, extremely low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0004] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into cylindrical or prismatic secondary batteries, in which an electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which an electrode assembly is housed in an aluminum laminated sheet pouch, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

[0005] In recent years, the use of secondary batteries as energy storage sources has led to an increasing need for large-capacity secondary battery structures, and this has led to an increasing demand for medium- to large-sized modular battery packs, which are composed of battery modules in which multiple secondary batteries are connected in series or parallel. These battery modules have multiple battery cells connected in series or parallel to form a battery cell stack, improving capacity and output. Furthermore, multiple battery modules can be installed together with various control and protection systems, such as a battery management system (BMS) and a cooling system, to form a battery pack.

[0006] In particular, a battery pack must be able to control the swelling phenomenon of battery cells contained in a battery module during the charge and discharge process. More specifically, during repeated charge and discharge, the internal electrolyte of a battery cell may decompose, generating gas and causing the battery cell to expand, i.e., swelling. If this swelling of battery cells cannot be controlled, it may cause structural deformation of a battery module containing multiple battery cells and may also have a negative impact on the durability and performance of the battery module.

[0007] In particular, pure Si cells and high SiO content cells are recently used as battery cells to manufacture high-capacity battery modules and battery packs, but these cells are prone to swelling, which means that effectively controlling swelling of battery cells inside battery modules and battery packs is essential to manufacturing high-capacity battery modules and battery packs.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop technology for battery packs that can effectively control swelling of battery cells while improving space efficiency. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack and a device including the same that can prevent deformation due to swelling of each battery module and between adjacent battery modules while improving space efficiency.

[0010] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and problems 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. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one sub-pack in which at least two battery modules among a plurality of battery modules are arranged along the same direction, the at least one sub-pack is stacked along a height direction, a spacer is arranged on at least one of both sides of the battery module in the sub-pack, and the battery pack includes a plurality of bolt portions that penetrate the battery module and the spacer together.

[0012] In the sub-pack, a spacer may be positioned between adjacent battery modules.

[0013] A pair of protrusions may be formed on both sides of the battery module, and the pair of protrusions may include an upper protrusion protruding from an upper edge and a lower protrusion protruding from a lower edge.

[0014] The upper protrusion and the lower protrusion may be disposed at the same position in a height direction of the battery module.

[0015] The spacer is disposed between the pair of protrusions, and the bolt portion can pass through both the spacer and the pair of protrusions.

[0016] In the sub-pack, adjacent battery modules may be arranged such that the side surfaces on which the pair of protrusions are formed face each other.

[0017] The spacer is disposed in a space formed between the adjacent battery modules and the pair of protrusions, and the bolt portion can pass through the spacer and the pair of protrusions together.

[0018] The pair of protrusions formed on each of the adjacent battery modules may be formed at positions where they intersect with each other on upper and lower surfaces of the spacer.

[0019] The pair of protrusions formed on each battery module may cover the entire upper and lower portions of the spacer.

[0020] The pair of protrusions may include at least one protrusion hole through which the bolt portion passes, and the spacer may include at least one spacer hole through which the bolt portion passes, and the at least one protrusion hole and the at least one spacer hole may be arranged at positions corresponding to each other.

[0021] The protrusion hole and the spacer hole may each have a size corresponding to the bolt portion.

[0022] The pair of protrusions may include a pair of first protrusions and a pair of second protrusions, and the pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions may be positioned spaced apart from each other on a side surface of the battery module.

[0023] The pair of first protrusions may be formed at positions adjacent to side edges of the battery module, and the pair of second protrusions may be formed at positions adjacent to the center of the side of the battery module.

[0024] In the subpack, adjacent battery modules may be arranged in a direction in which the sides on which the pair of protrusions are formed face each other, and the pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions formed on each battery module between the adjacent battery modules may be formed at positions that intersect with each other on the upper and lower surfaces of the spacer.

[0025] The pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions formed on each battery module may cover the entire upper and lower portions of the spacer.

[0026] In the subpacks stacked in the height direction, the battery module arranged at the top based on the height direction includes a plurality of first bolt portions, and the battery module arranged at the bottom includes a plurality of second bolt portions, and one end of the plurality of first bolt portions and one end of the plurality of second bolt portions can be in contact with each other.

[0027] In the subpacks stacked in the height direction, the plurality of bolt portions can penetrate all of the battery modules arranged at the same position based on the height direction and the spacers arranged on one side of the battery modules.

[0028] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the battery pack described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the embodiments, the battery pack and the device including the same of the present invention may include a spacer and a plurality of bolt portions, thereby improving space efficiency and preventing deformation due to swelling between each battery module and between adjacent battery modules.

[0030] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a battery module included in the battery pack of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing spacers and bolt portions arranged on both side surfaces of the battery module of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a front view of the battery module of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a subpack included in the battery pack of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the subpack of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a spacer and a bolt portion disposed between adjacent battery modules in the subpack of FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a perspective view showing some of the battery modules arranged in the upper and lower parts of the battery pack of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view of the battery module of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the various embodiments of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the examples described herein.

[0033] 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.

[0034] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, thicknesses are exaggerated to clearly show multiple layers and regions. In the drawings, thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation.

[0035] Furthermore, throughout this specification, when a part "comprises" a certain component, it does not mean that it excludes other components, but that it may further include other components, unless otherwise specified.

[0036] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "on a plane" means when the target part is viewed from above, and "on a cross section" means when the target part is cut vertically and viewed from the side.

[0037] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery pack 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one subpack 10 in which at least two battery modules 100 are arranged in the same direction, and the at least one subpack 10 is stacked along the height direction.

[0040] More specifically, the subpack 10 may have at least two battery modules 100 arranged along the length of the battery module 100. Here, the length of the battery module 100 may be the direction of a relatively longer width (long width) of the battery module 100. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the battery module 100 may be formed such that the width in the y-axis direction is longer than the width in the x-axis direction, and the subpack 10 may have at least two battery modules 100 arranged along the length of the battery module 100 (y-axis direction). As another example, although not shown in FIG. 1, the length of the battery module 100 may be the same as the stacking direction of the battery cell stack included in the battery module 100. However, the arrangement direction of the battery modules 100 in the subpack 10 is not limited thereto, and the battery modules 100 may be arranged in an appropriate direction depending on the device to which the battery pack 100 is attached.

[0041] Although not specifically shown in FIG. 1 , the battery cells included in the battery module 100 are preferably pouch-type battery cells. For example, the battery cells may be manufactured by housing an electrode assembly in a pouch case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a middle layer, and then heat-sealing the sealing portion of the pouch case. The battery cells may be formed in a rectangular sheet structure. The battery cells may be configured in multiple units, and the multiple battery cells may be stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack. Here, the number of battery cells constituting the battery cell stack may be adjusted as needed.

[0042] In the battery pack 1000 of this embodiment, the battery module 100 may have a width that is relatively larger than that of a conventional battery module. That is, the battery module 100 may have a relatively larger number of battery cells included in the battery cell stack included therein than that of a conventional battery module. As an example, the battery module 100 may have a width that is approximately two to three times larger than that of a conventional battery module. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the battery module 100 may have an appropriate width depending on the device to which the battery pack 1000 is attached.

[0043] As a result, the battery pack 1000 according to this embodiment can have a sub-pack 10 with a relatively larger width than conventional ones, can include a relatively larger number of battery cells, and can also increase the energy density of the battery module 100.

[0044] In the battery pack 1000 of this embodiment, each subpack 10 may include the same number of battery modules 100, but is not limited thereto, and may include different numbers of battery modules 100 depending on the requirements of the device to which the battery pack 1000 is attached. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, each subpack 10 may be stacked in the height direction. Here, each subpack 10 may be stacked so that the battery modules 100 are arranged at the same position based on the height direction (z direction).

[0045] As a result, the battery pack 1000 according to this embodiment has the advantage that the number of battery modules 100 arranged in the length direction and / or the number of subpacks 10 stacked in the height direction contained in the subpacks 10 can be adjusted, and the size of the battery pack 1000 can be easily adjusted or the energy capacity can be easily changed according to the requirements of the device to which the battery pack 1000 is attached.

[0046] In particular, when the battery pack 1000 is installed in a device such as a passenger car or commercial vehicle, the length and height need to be adjusted to different sizes. Therefore, the battery pack 1000 of the present invention has the advantage of being easily installed in various devices.

[0047] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a battery module included in the battery pack of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing spacers and bolt portions arranged on both side surfaces of the battery module of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of the battery module of Fig. 2.

[0048] 1 to 3, in the subpack 10 included in the battery pack 1000 of this embodiment, a spacer 300 is disposed on at least one of both sides of the battery module 100, and a plurality of bolt portions 400 may be included that penetrate both the battery module 100 and the spacer 300.

[0049] In the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the spacer 300 may be disposed on at least one of both sides of the battery module 100. Here, both sides of the battery module 100 may be side portions where no electrical connection structure, such as a low voltage (LV) connection structure, is located. However, this is not limited thereto, and any side that can secure a space for the spacer 300 to be located may be included in this embodiment.

[0050] More specifically, a pair of protrusions 210, 250 may be formed on both sides of the battery module 100. The battery module 100 may include a module frame 200 that houses a battery cell stack (not shown), and the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may be formed on both sides of the module frame 200.

[0051] For example, the module frame 200 may be a monoframe made of a metal plate with its top, bottom, and both sides integrated. For another example, the module frame 200 may include a lower frame made of a metal plate with its top and both sides integrated, and an upper cover covering the top of the lower frame. For another example, the module frame 200 may be a frame formed by combining two L-shaped frames. For another example, the module frame 200 may be a frame with a four-plate structure in which an upper plate, a lower plate, a left plate, and a right plate are combined. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any frame shape capable of protecting the internal components of the battery module 100 may be applied to this embodiment.

[0052] Here, the components of the module frame 200 may be joined by welding or fixed using a separate fastening member while their corresponding corners are in contact with each other. Also, the components of the module frame 200 may be made of a metal material having a predetermined strength.

[0053] Hereinafter, one side of the module frame 200 will be described as a reference, and the opposite side of the module frame 200 can be described in the same manner.

[0054] In the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may include upper protrusions 211, 251 protruding from the upper edge and lower protrusions 215, 255 protruding from the lower edge. Here, the upper edge may refer to a corner where the upper surface and the side surface of the module frame 200 meet each other, and the lower edge may refer to a corner where the lower surface and the side surface of the module frame 200 meet each other.

[0055] As an example, the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may be integrated with the module frame 200. That is, the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may be integrated with the upper portion of the module frame 200 and / or the module frame 200. However, without being limited thereto, the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may be connected to the module frame 200 by a method such as welding.

[0056] Furthermore, in the pair of protrusions 210, 250, the upper protrusions 211, 251 and the lower protrusions 215, 255 may be disposed at the same position based on the height direction (z-axis direction) of the battery module 100. However, this is not limited thereto, and the present embodiment may also include a case where the upper protrusions 211, 251 and the lower protrusions 215, 255 are disposed at different positions based on the height direction (z-axis direction) of the battery module 100.

[0057] As an example, the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may include a pair of first protrusions 210 and a pair of second protrusions 250. Here, the pair of first protrusions 210 includes a first upper protrusion 211 and a first lower protrusion 215, and the pair of second protrusions 250 includes a second upper protrusion 251 and a second lower protrusion 255. In addition, the pair of first protrusions 210 and the pair of second protrusions 250 may be spaced apart from each other on the side surface of the battery module 200. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of pairs of protrusions 210, 250 may be appropriately changed as needed.

[0058] 2 and 3, the pair of first protrusions 210 may be formed adjacent to the side edges of the battery module, and the pair of second protrusions 250 may be formed adjacent to the center of the side of the battery module 100. Here, the distance between the pair of first protrusions 210 and the pair of second protrusions 250 may be greater than the length of the pair of first protrusions 210. Also, the distance between the pair of first protrusions 210 and the pair of second protrusions 250 may be greater than the length of the pair of second protrusions 250.

[0059] 2 to 4, the battery module 100 according to this embodiment may have spacers 300 disposed on both sides of the battery module 100. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the spacer 300 may be disposed on only one of both sides of the battery module 100, and the spacer 300 may not be disposed on the remaining side.

[0060] More specifically, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the spacer 300 may be disposed between a pair of protrusions 210 and 250 formed on both sides of the module frame 200. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the spacer 300 may be disposed between the upper protrusions 211 and 251 and the lower protrusions 215 and 255.

[0061] Here, the height of the spacer 300 may correspond to the distance between the upper protrusions 211, 251 and the lower protrusions 215, 255. For example, the height of the spacer 300 may be equal to or smaller than the distance between the upper protrusions 211, 251 and the lower protrusions 215, 255.

[0062] In addition, the width (d1) of both ends of the spacer 300 may correspond to the extent to which the pair of protrusions 210 and 250 protrude. For example, the width (d1) of both ends of the spacer 300 may be about 20 mm, but is not limited thereto, and may be appropriately changed depending on the degree of swelling of the battery module 100.

[0063] Therefore, the rigidity of the spacer 300 prevents the battery module 100 from being deformed due to the swelling of the battery cells located within the battery module 100 .

[0064] Furthermore, the center of the spacer 300 may have a width that is relatively smaller than that of the ends of the spacer 300. As an example, the spacer 300 may have a structure having a cross section similar to the letter "I". As another example, the difference in width (d2) between the ends and the center of the spacer 300 may be about 3 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of the spacer 300 may be appropriately changed depending on the degree of swelling of the battery module 100.

[0065] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the center of the spacer 300 can be spaced a predetermined distance from the side of the battery module 100, and a margin of space can be secured for the battery module 100 to expand in both lateral directions when swelling occurs in both lateral directions of the battery module 100.

[0066] For example, the spacer 300 may be made of a material such as aluminum (Al), but is not limited thereto, and any material having sufficient rigidity to prevent deformation of the battery module 100 due to swelling of the battery cells may be used in this embodiment.

[0067] 2 to 4, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the bolt portion 400 may penetrate both the spacer 300 and the pair of protrusions 210, 250. More specifically, the plurality of bolt portions 400 may penetrate the spacer 300 or the spacer 300 and the pair of protrusions 210, 250. That is, among the plurality of bolt portions 400, the bolt portion 400 located at a position corresponding to the spacer 300 may penetrate the spacer 300, and the bolt portion 400 located at a position corresponding to the pair of protrusions 210, 250 may penetrate the spacer 300 and the pair of protrusions 210, 250.

[0068] For example, the bolt part 400 may be made of a material such as stainless steel or carbon steel for mechanical structures (for example, SC45C), but is not limited thereto, and any material having a rigidity sufficient to stably fasten the battery module 100 and the spacer 300 may be used in this embodiment.

[0069] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the battery module 100 and the spacer 300 are fixed by the bolt portion 400, and the rigidity of the spacer 300 and the bolt portion 400 can more effectively prevent deformation of the battery cells located within the battery module 100 due to the swelling phenomenon.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 3, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the pair of protrusions 210 and 250 may include at least one protrusion hole 211h, 215h, 251h, and 255h through which the bolt portion 400 passes.

[0071] More specifically, the first upper protrusion 211 of the pair of first protrusions 210 may include first protrusion holes 211h and 215h through which the bolt portion 400 passes through the first lower protrusion 215. Also, the second upper protrusion 251 and the second lower protrusion 255 of the pair of second protrusions 250 include second protrusion holes 251h and 255h through which the bolt portion 400 passes. However, the number of protrusion holes 211h, 215h, 251h, and 255h is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and may be changed appropriately depending on the size of the pair of first protrusions 210 and the pair of second protrusions 250.

[0072] Furthermore, the spacer 300 may include at least one spacer hole 300h through which the bolt portion 400 passes. More specifically, in one aspect of the battery module 100, the spacer 300 may have at least one protrusion hole 211h, 215h, 251h, 255h and at least one spacer hole 300h disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

[0073] 2 and 3, the spacer 300 may include a plurality of spacer holes 300h spaced apart at predetermined intervals. As another example, the spacer 300 may have a spacer hole 300h formed only at a position corresponding to at least one of the protrusion holes 211h, 215h, 251h, and 255h.

[0074] However, the number of spacer holes 300h is not limited to that shown in Figures 2 and 3, and can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the pair of first protrusions 210 and the pair of second protrusions 250 or the size of the spacer 300, etc.

[0075] In addition, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the protrusion holes 211h, 215h, 251h, and 255h and the spacer holes 300h may each have a size corresponding to the bolt part 400. More specifically, the protrusion holes 211h, 215h, 251h, and 255h and the spacer holes 300h may have a size that allows the bolt part 400 to be stably fastened.

[0076] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the bolt portion 400 simultaneously penetrates the pair of protrusions 210, 250 and the spacer 300 that are integrated with the battery module 100, thereby stably fixing the battery module 100 and the spacer 300, which has the advantages of improving ease of assembly and space efficiency.

[0077] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a portion of a subpack included in the battery pack of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a top view of the subpack of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a spacer and a bolt portion arranged between adjacent battery modules in the subpack of Fig. 5.

[0078] 1 and 5 to 7, in the subpack 10 included in the battery pack 1000 according to this embodiment, a spacer 300 may be disposed between adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b. More specifically, in the subpack 10, the first battery module 100a and the second battery module 100b may be arranged along the same direction.

[0079] Here, the first battery module 100a and the second battery module 100b correspond to adjacent battery modules, and one spacer 300 may be disposed between the first battery module 100a and the second battery module 100b. That is, one spacer 300 may be disposed between the sides of the first battery module 100a and the second battery module 100b that face each other.

[0080] More specifically, adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b may be arranged such that the sides on which the pair of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b are formed face each other. For example, one side of the first battery module 100a on which the pair of protrusions 210a, 250a is formed and one side of the second battery module 100b on which the pair of protrusions 210b, 250b are formed face each other.

[0081] That is, in the subpack 10 according to this embodiment, the spacer 300 may be disposed in the spaces formed between the adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b and between the pairs of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b. More specifically, between the adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b, the pairs of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b may be formed at positions where they intersect with each other on the top and bottom surfaces of the spacer 300.

[0082] 5 to 7, between adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b, the pair of first protrusions 210a, 210b and the pair of second protrusions 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b may be formed at positions where they intersect with each other on the upper and lower surfaces of the spacer 300. That is, on the upper and lower surfaces of the spacer 300, the pair of first protrusions 210a and the pair of second protrusions 250a formed on the first battery module 100a and the pair of first protrusions 210b and the pair of second protrusions 250b formed on the second battery module 100b may be formed at positions where they intersect with each other.

[0083] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, pairs of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b of adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b intersect with each other, which minimizes the spacing and components between adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b, and has the advantage of minimizing space loss between adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b.

[0084] In addition, in the subpack 10 according to this embodiment, the upper and / or lower portions of the spacer 300 may be covered by a pair of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b. For example, the pair of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b may cover the entire upper and lower portions of the spacer 300. More specifically, the pair of first protrusions 210a, 210b and the pair of second protrusions 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b may cover the entire upper and lower portions of the spacer.

[0085] 5 to 7, in the subpack 10 according to this embodiment, the bolt portion 400 can penetrate both the spacer 300 located between adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b and a pair of protrusions 210a, 210b, 250a, 250b formed on each of the battery modules 100a, 100b.

[0086] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b can be fixed to the same spacer 300 by the bolt portion 400, which has the advantage of minimizing parts and increasing space efficiency, and at the same time, preventing deformation due to swelling of the battery cells located in the adjacent battery modules 100a, 100b.

[0087] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing some of the battery modules arranged on the upper and lower sides of the battery pack of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a side view of the battery modules of Fig. 8.

[0088] 1, 8, and 9, the sub-packs 10 may be stacked in the height direction (z-axis direction) in the battery pack 1000 according to this embodiment. More specifically, the battery pack 1000 may include a first battery module 100a disposed at the top and a third battery module 100c disposed at the bottom in the height direction (z-axis direction).

[0089] 9, the first battery module 100a may include a plurality of first bolt portions 400a penetrating the first battery module 100a and the first spacer 300a, and the third battery module 100c may include a plurality of second bolt portions 400c penetrating the third battery module 100c and the second spacer 300c. Here, the plurality of first bolt portions 400a and the plurality of second bolt portions 400c may be disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

[0090] 9, one end of each of the first bolt portions 400a and one end of each of the second bolt portions 400c may be in contact with each other. As an example, one end of each of the first bolt portions 400a and one end of each of the second bolt portions 400c may be joined to each other by a method such as welding.

[0091] 9, a plurality of bolt portions may penetrate all of the spacers 300a, 300c disposed on one side of the first battery module 100a and the third battery module 100c, which are disposed at the same height. That is, the plurality of bolt portions may not be divided into a plurality of first bolt portions 400a and a plurality of bolt portions 400c as shown in FIG. 9, but may be long bolts extending from the top of the first battery module 100a to the bottom of the third battery module 100c.

[0092] As a result, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, the battery modules 100a, 100c arranged at the same height position can be fixed by the bolt portions 400a, 400c arranged at corresponding positions, which has the advantage of minimizing the number of parts and more stably fixing the battery modules 100a, 100c and the spacers 300a, 300c.

[0093] Also, although not shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 9, in the case of the sub-pack 10 located at the bottom of the battery pack 1000, the bolt portion 400 extends relatively farther than the bottom of the battery module 100, which has the advantage that the bolt portion 400 can also serve to mount the battery pack 1000 to a device to which it is attached.

[0094] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the battery pack described above. Such devices may be applied to transportation means such as electric bicycles, electric cars, and hybrid cars, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various devices that can use battery modules and battery packs including the same, which also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0095] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10 subpacks 100 Battery Module 200 Module Frame 210 Pair of first protrusions 211 1st upper protrusion 215 1st lower protrusion 250 pair of second protrusions 251 Second upper protrusion 255 Second lower protrusion 300 spacer 400 Volt Section 1000 battery packs

Claims

1. At least one sub-pack is included in which at least two battery modules among the plurality of battery modules are arranged along the same direction; The at least one sub-pack is stacked along a height direction, In the sub-pack, a spacer is disposed on at least one of both side surfaces of the battery module, a battery pack including a plurality of bolt portions passing through the battery module and the spacer together;

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein one spacer is positioned between adjacent battery modules in the sub-pack.

3. A pair of protrusions is formed on both side surfaces of the battery module, The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the pair of protrusions includes an upper protrusion protruding from an upper edge and a lower protrusion protruding from a lower edge.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the upper protrusion and the lower protrusion are disposed at the same position with respect to the height direction of the battery module.

5. the spacer is disposed between the pair of protrusions, The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the bolt portion penetrates both the spacer and the pair of protrusions.

6. 5. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein adjacent battery modules in the subpack are arranged such that the side surfaces on which the pair of protrusions are formed face each other.

7. the spacer is disposed in a space formed between the adjacent battery modules and between the pair of protrusions; The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the bolt portion penetrates both the spacer and the pair of protrusions.

8. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the pair of protrusions formed on each of the adjacent battery modules are formed at positions where they intersect with each other on upper and lower surfaces of the spacer.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the pair of protrusions formed on each battery module entirely cover the upper and lower portions of the spacer.

10. The pair of protrusions includes at least one protrusion hole through which the bolt portion passes, the spacer includes at least one spacer hole through which the bolt portion passes; The battery pack according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one protrusion hole and the at least one spacer hole are arranged at positions corresponding to each other.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the protrusion hole and the spacer hole each have a size corresponding to the bolt portion.

12. the pair of protrusions includes a pair of first protrusions and a pair of second protrusions, The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions are positioned apart from each other on the side surfaces of the battery module.

13. the pair of first protrusions are formed at positions adjacent to side edges of the battery module; The battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the pair of second protrusions are formed at positions adjacent to the centers of the side surfaces of the battery modules.

14. In the sub-pack, adjacent battery modules are arranged such that the side surfaces on which the pair of protrusions are formed face each other, 13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein the pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions formed on each of the adjacent battery modules are formed at positions that intersect with each other on upper and lower surfaces of the spacer.

15. The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein the pair of first protrusions and the pair of second protrusions formed on each battery module cover the entire upper and lower portions of the spacer.

16. In the sub-packs stacked in the height direction, the battery module arranged at the top with respect to the height direction includes a plurality of first bolt portions, and the battery module arranged at the bottom with respect to the height direction includes a plurality of second bolt portions, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein one end of each of the first bolt portions and one end of each of the second bolt portions are in contact with each other.

17. 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein in the subpacks stacked in the height direction, the plurality of bolt portions penetrate all of the battery modules arranged at the same position based on the height direction and the spacers arranged on one side of the battery modules.

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

Images