Battery pack and automobile including same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack comprising: a pack case including a plurality of battery cells, a pack bottom frame on which the plurality of battery cells are mounted, and a cross member disposed on top of the pack bottom frame and configured to separate the plurality of battery cells; and a heat insulating component disposed between the pack bottom frame and the cross member, in which at least one groove is formed.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0110014, filed on August 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability across a range of products and electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are powered by electrical sources. These secondary batteries not only have the temporary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but also have the advantage of producing no by-products associated with energy use, and are therefore attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency.

[0004] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. When a high output voltage is required, a battery module or a battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in series. To increase the charge / discharge capacity, a battery module or a battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery module or battery pack may be varied depending on the required output voltage and / or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] When a battery pack is constructed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a battery module including at least one battery cell is generally constructed first, and other components are added using the at least one battery module to construct a battery pack or battery rack. Alternatively, recently, cell-to-pack type battery packs have also been manufactured in which a plurality of battery cells are directly housed in a pack housing without being modularized.

[0006] However, because battery cells undergo chemical reactions during charging and discharging, their performance may deteriorate if they are used in environments that are higher than their optimum temperature, and there is a risk of unexpected fire or explosion if heat cannot be controlled to an appropriate temperature. Therefore, if a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs inside a battery pack, there is a risk that high-temperature gases or flames emitted from the battery cells inside may transfer to adjacent battery modules, causing a chain reaction and explosion of the battery modules, which is extremely dangerous.

[0007] Furthermore, because the pack case is made of a metal material with relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, when a thermal event occurs in the battery module, the cross members of the pack case may receive heat from the sides of the battery module and the bottom of the pack case, causing the temperature to rise relatively rapidly, which may lead to heat transfer to adjacent battery modules and cause thermal runaway.

[0008] Therefore, in a battery pack in which battery modules are integrated, efforts must be made to develop a mechanism that can suppress and delay the propagation of heat between battery modules by minimizing heat conduction to other adjacent battery modules, even if a thermal event occurs within one battery module.

[0009] In particular, efforts need to be made to develop a mechanism that can block the transfer of heat from the bottom of the pack case to the cross member, thereby preventing the cross member from heating up too quickly. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can effectively prevent or delay the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules by minimizing heat conduction and heat radiation to adjacent battery modules when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module.

[0011] Therefore, another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack with improved safety and reliability.

[0012] Still another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle including such a battery pack.

[0013] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a battery pack comprising: a pack case including a plurality of battery cells; a pack bottom frame on which the plurality of battery cells are mounted; and a cross member disposed on top of the pack bottom frame and configured to separate the plurality of battery cells; and a heat insulating component disposed between the pack bottom frame and the cross member and having at least one groove formed therein.

[0015] The insulation part includes a first surface that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member, and a second surface opposite the first surface that is in surface contact with the upper surface of the pack bottom frame, and the groove may be formed in the first surface to reduce the contact area between the pack bottom frame and the cross member.

[0016] The insulating component may include a material that is less thermally conductive than the cross member.

[0017] The heat insulating component may be made of a material having fire resistance.

[0018] The lower surface of the cross member may be made from a material that is less thermally conductive than aluminum.

[0019] The pack bottom frame may be configured to have a fitting groove formed at a position facing the cross member, and the heat insulating component may be configured to be fitted into the fitting groove to seal the fitting groove.

[0020] The width of the insulating component may be made greater than the thickness of the cross member.

[0021] A plurality of grooves may be formed in the insulating component, and the plurality of grooves may be arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another along the direction in which the cross member extends.

[0022] The insulating component may include a rib that defines the groove and is configured to support the cross member.

[0023] The rib may be positioned to make surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member.

[0024] The rib may be configured to extend along the direction in which the cross member extends.

[0025] The insulating component may be fabricated by extrusion such that the ribs are disposed integrally with the insulating component.

[0026] The battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of module cases configured to group at least some of the plurality of battery cells, the module cases having vent holes formed on at least one side thereof.

[0027] The multiple module cases may be arranged along multiple rows, and the cross member may include a cross beam arranged between the multiple module cases arranged along adjacent rows, and multiple partition walls extending from the cross beam and spaced apart from each other along the direction in which the cross beam extends.

[0028] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising a battery pack according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to one aspect of the present invention, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module, it is possible to effectively prevent or delay the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules by minimizing heat conduction to adjacent battery modules, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery modules.

[0030] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery module, the temperature of the cross members that separate the battery modules can be prevented from rising rapidly.

[0031] Furthermore, according to still another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent or delay events caused by thermal runaway in a device equipped with a battery pack, such as fire or explosion.

[0032] In addition to these, the present invention can have various other effects, which will be explained in the respective embodiments, and explanations of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0033] The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical concepts 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 explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of a cross section taken along the line II' in FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a comparative example showing the direction of heat transfer when a heat insulating component included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention is not disposed. [Figure 5] 10 illustrates the direction of heat transfer when a heat insulating component is disposed in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II′ of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heat insulating component included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heat insulating component included in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] 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 the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself in order to best describe the invention.

[0036] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0037] The present invention includes a wide variety of embodiments, and the following description will focus on the differences and omit redundant explanations of configurations that are substantially the same or similar to each other.

[0038] Meanwhile, although directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that these terms are used merely for ease of explanation and may differ depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0039] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the illustrated X-axis direction may refer to the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction may refer to the front-back direction that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may refer to the up-down direction (vertical direction) that is perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0040] Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a view showing a portion of a cross section taken along the line I-I' in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a comparative example showing the heat transfer direction when a heat insulating component included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention is not provided, and Fig. 5 is a view showing the heat transfer direction when a heat insulating component is provided in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] 1 to 3, a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell 110, a pack case 200, and a heat insulating component 300.

[0042] 1 , a battery pack 10 according to the present invention may include a pack case 200. The pack case 200 forms the exterior of the battery pack 10. The pack case 200 may have a predetermined length in each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and may have a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape overall. The pack case 200 may include a pack bottom frame 210, side frames 230, and a pack lid 250.

[0043] 2, a battery pack 10 according to the present invention may include at least one, and preferably a plurality of, battery cells 110. The battery cells 110 may be housed within the pack case 200 of FIG. 1. The plurality of battery cells 110 may be electrically connected to one another.

[0044] The battery cell 110 may be arranged in a pouch type. The cell case of the pouch type battery cell 110 may be configured in a pouch type in which a metal layer made of aluminum is interposed between polymers.

[0045] Although not shown, such a pouch-type battery cell 110 may include an electrode assembly, a cell case that houses the electrode assembly, and electrode leads that are connected to the electrode assembly and extend to the outside of the cell case to function as electrode terminals. The cell case may include a housing that houses the electrode assembly and a seal that seals the periphery of the housing.

[0046] At this time, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) while standing upright in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), as shown in Fig. 2. At this time, the seal portion of each battery cell 110 may face the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), and the accommodating portion may face the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0047] Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited in any way by the specific type or shape of such battery cells 110, and a wide variety of battery cells 110 known at the time of filing of the present invention can be used to configure the battery pack 10 of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in the drawing, a pouch-type secondary battery that has high energy density and is easy to stack is targeted, but it goes without saying that cylindrical or prismatic secondary batteries can also be used as the battery cells 110.

[0048] Meanwhile, the pack case 200 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery cells 110. That is, the pack case 200 may provide an accommodating space for accommodating a plurality of battery cells 110. In order to safely protect the battery cells 110 accommodated therein, the pack case 200 may be made of or include a material capable of ensuring mechanical rigidity, such as a metal such as stainless steel (SUS) or a fiber-reinforced plastic.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the pack case 200 may further include a cross member 220 in addition to the pack bottom frame 210, side frames 230, and pack lid 250 described with reference to FIG.

[0050] The pack bottom frame 210 may be configured to receive the plurality of battery cells 110. The pack bottom frame 210 may form the lower surface of the pack case 200 and may be disposed in the shape of a rectangular plate. The pack bottom frame 210 may have a flat upper surface so that the plurality of battery cells 110 can be stably received thereon.

[0051] In this case, the cross member 220 may be configured to separate the plurality of battery cells 110. The cross member 220 may be arranged in a plurality of pieces. The cross member 220 may be disposed on the top of the pack bottom frame 210 and connected to the pack bottom frame 210. The cross member 220 may be connected to the pack bottom frame 210 by bolting or welding.

[0052] More specifically, the cross member 220 may include a cross beam 221 and a partition wall 222. The cross beam 221 may be disposed between a plurality of battery cells 110 arranged in adjacent rows. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the cross beam 221 may be disposed between two rows of battery modules 100 arranged in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and extend in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0053] The partition walls 222 may be disposed so as to extend from the cross beam 221. A plurality of the partition walls 222 may be disposed. The partition walls 222 may be disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the cross beam 221 extends, i.e., in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction). This allows the partition walls 222 to be disposed so as to extend elongatedly in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0054] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the cross member 220 can separate the plurality of battery cells 110. Furthermore, since the cross member 220 is arranged horizontally in the pack case 200, when external pressure is applied to the pack case 200, such as when the pack case 200 is bent up or down, the bending force can be dispersed along the cross member 220. This prevents stress from concentrating on any one part and causing the pack case 200 to break, thereby ensuring the rigidity of the battery pack 10.

[0055] The side frames 230 may extend upward from each peripheral edge of the pack bottom frame 210. The side frames 230 may include a plurality of unit walls and be disposed to surround a plurality of battery cells 110. More specifically, the side frames 230 may include a rear wall located at a side end in the +Y direction of the pack bottom frame 210, a right wall located at a side end in the +X direction, a front wall located at a side end in the -Y direction, and a left wall located at a side end in the -X direction, forming side surfaces of the pack case 200.

[0056] The pack lid 250 may be disposed to be coupled to the upper portion of the side frame 230 to form the upper surface of the pack case 200. In this case, the pack lid 250 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the upper end of the cross member 220 by a predetermined distance.

[0057] 2, the pack case 200 may include a vent portion 240. The vent portion 240 may be disposed on a side surface of the pack case 200, i.e., on the side frame 230. The vent portion 240 may be configured to exhaust gas generated in the battery cells 110 housed therein to the outside of the pack case 200. Specifically, with further reference to FIG. 3, a separation space exists between the pack lid 250 and the cross member 220. Therefore, gas exhausted to the upper part through the vent holes 130 of the battery module 100 can move to the separation space between the pack lid 250 and the cross member 220. The gas can be exhausted to the outside of the pack case 200 through the vent portion 240 disposed on the side frame 230.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3 , the battery pack 10 of the present invention includes a thermal insulation component 300. The thermal insulation component 300 may be made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the pack case 200, for example, the pack bottom frame 210 and / or the cross member 220. For example, the thermal insulation component 300 may be made of a material such as polyurethane or silicone. Alternatively, the thermal insulation component 300 may be made of a material having fire resistance. For example, the thermal insulation component 300 may be made of a material such as flame-retardant plastic or mica.

[0059] The heat insulating part 300 may be disposed between the pack bottom frame 210 and the cross member 220. That is, the heat insulating part 300 may be disposed at a portion where the cross member 220 contacts the pack bottom frame 210. For example, the heat insulating part 300 may be disposed at the bottom of each of the cross beams 221 and the partition wall 222.

[0060] The pack case 200 can be made of a metal material such as aluminum, which has high thermal conductivity. Because metal materials have high thermal conductivity, heat from high-temperature gases, flames, and the like can be transferred between the structures of the pack case 200.

[0061] 4, if the heat insulating component 300 were not disposed between the pack bottom frame 210 and the cross member 220, when a thermal event occurs in one of the battery cells 110, heat may be transferred directly to the cross member 220 via the side of the battery module 100 (the heat transfer direction is indicated by the arrow in the figure that crosses the cross member 220 from the battery cell 110). Heat may also be transferred to the pack bottom frame 210 via the lower part of the battery cell 110 (the heat transfer direction is indicated by the arrow in the Y-axis direction along the pack bottom frame 210 in the figure), and the heat transferred to the pack bottom frame 210 may be transferred to the cross member 220 (the heat transfer direction is indicated by the arrow in the Z-axis direction from the pack bottom frame 210 to the cross member 220 in the figure). As a result, the cross member 220 receives heat from the side of the battery module 100 and / or the pack bottom frame 210, causing the temperature to rise relatively rapidly.

[0062] In contrast, as shown in Fig. 5, by disposing a heat insulating component 300 between the pack bottom frame 210 and the cross member 220 in the battery pack 10 of the present invention, the cross member 220 and the pack bottom frame 210 can have an interface with increased thermal contact resistance. This makes it possible to delay the transfer of heat from a battery cell 110 in which a thermal event has occurred to the pack bottom frame 210 to the cross member 220 side (in Fig. 4, heat transfer occurs as indicated by the arrow in the Z-axis direction from the pack bottom frame 210 to the cross member 220, but note that in Fig. 5, heat transfer in this direction is delayed, as indicated by an X above the arrow).

[0063] In short, according to the above embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the cross member 220 from rising rapidly by changing the interface between the pack bottom frame 210 and the cross member 220. This makes it possible to prevent heat generated by a thermal event in any one battery cell 110 from being transmitted through the lower part of the pack case 200, via the cross member 220, to another battery cell 110 adjacent to the battery cell 110 where the event occurred, with the cross member 220 sandwiched between them.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat insulating component 300 is disposed to reduce the area of ​​direct contact between the pack bottom frame 210 and the cross member 220, thereby narrowing the heat exchange area between the two components. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5, heat transferred from a battery cell 110 in which a thermal event has occurred to the pack bottom frame 210 can be prevented from being conducted or radiated to the cross member 220. As a result, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the propagation of thermal runaway between the battery cells 110 can be effectively prevented or delayed, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery pack 10.

[0065] Meanwhile, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a module case 120. The module case 120 may be configured to have an empty space formed therein and to accommodate at least some of the plurality of battery cells 110 in the internal space. In particular, the module case 120 may group the plurality of battery cells 110 into a plurality of battery cells 110 and may serve as a boundary that physically limits the internal space of each battery cell 110.

[0066] The module case 120 may be made of a metal material that is rigid and heat-resistant to provide physical and chemical protection to the housed battery cells 110 .

[0067] That is, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules 100, and the plurality of battery cells 110 included in the battery pack 10 may be divided and housed in the plurality of battery modules 100.

[0068] The plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction and / or the left-right direction along a plurality of rows. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged in two rows along the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and in four rows along the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0069] Although not shown, the battery module 100 may also include a bus bar assembly and / or module terminals electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells 110 housed inside the module case 120.

[0070] Meanwhile, at least one vent hole 130 may be formed in the module case 120. Preferably, a plurality of vent holes 130 may be formed. The vent hole 130 may be configured to discharge vent gas generated in the battery cells 110 to the outside of the module case 120. The vent hole 130 may be formed on one side of the module case 120, allowing directional venting in one direction. For example, the vent hole 130 may be formed on the upper surface of the module case 120. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the vent hole 130 may be formed on the upper surface of the module case 120. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the remaining portion of the module case 120 excluding the vent hole 130 is sealed, and gas or flames can be discharged in a straight line toward the vent hole 130.

[0071] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of portion A of Figure 3, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. With further reference to Figures 6 and 7 in conjunction with Figure 3, the thermal insulation component 300 will be described in further detail.

[0072] 3, 6, and 7, at least one groove G may be formed in the insulation component 300. Specifically, referring to Fig. 6, the insulation component 300 may include a first surface 310 that is in surface contact with the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220, and a second surface 320 that is opposite to the first surface 310 and is in surface contact with the upper surface of the pack bottom frame 210. The cross member 220 may be joined by welding to a portion of the first surface 310 of the insulation component 300 excluding the groove G.

[0073] Even if the insulation component 300 is made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than the pack bottom frame 210 and / or the cross member 220, the thermal conductivity is not zero, and therefore the possibility of heat being transferred to the cross member 220 via the insulation component 300 cannot be ruled out. Therefore, as in the above embodiment of the present invention, by forming groove G on one surface of the insulation component 300 that contacts the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220, the area of ​​direct contact between the insulation component 300 and the cross member 220 can be reduced. This further reduces the possibility of heat being transferred from the pack bottom frame 210 to the cross member 220 via the insulation component 300.

[0074] Furthermore, the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220 may cover the top of the groove G, forming an air layer within the groove G. Still air is a material that has a high resistance to heat conduction. Air also transfers heat using convection, but the size of the groove G may be so small that convection does not occur in the air layer formed within the groove G. Therefore, by forming the groove G in the insulation component 300, still air can be trapped within the groove G, thereby more effectively exerting its insulating effect and further slowing down the heat transfer from the pack bottom frame 210 to the cross member 220.

[0075] The lower surface 223 of the cross member 220 may be made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than aluminum. That is, the portion of the cross member 220 that contacts the insulation component 300 may be made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than the cross member 220. According to the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the insulation component 300, heat transfer from the pack bottom frame 210 is blocked, thereby more effectively preventing the temperature of the cross member 220 from rising too quickly.

[0076] 6 and 7, a fitting groove 211 may be formed in the pack bottom frame 210. The fitting groove 211 may be formed at a position where the pack bottom frame 210 faces the cross member 220. The fitting groove 211 may be recessed into the pack bottom frame 210 to correspond to the size of the insulation component 300. In this case, the insulation component 300 may be configured to be fitted into the fitting groove 211 to seal the internal space of the fitting groove 211. For example, the insulation component 300 may be disposed as a sealing gas get and configured to be interference-fitted into the fitting groove 211 to seal the fitting groove 211. In this case, the insulation component 300 may be made of an elastic material such as silicone.

[0077] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, the heat insulating component 300 can prevent high-temperature gas, flame, and the like from flowing into the groove G disposed below the cross member 220. This can prevent high-temperature gas, flame, and the like from flowing to the adjacent battery module 100 via the lower part of the cross member 220.

[0078] 6, the width d of the insulation component 300 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) may be arranged to be greater than the thickness d of the cross member 220. In addition, the width of the groove G in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) may be arranged to be smaller than the thickness d of the cross member 220.

[0079] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the heat insulating component 300 can prevent high-temperature gas, flame, etc. from flowing into the separation space on both sides of the cross member 220. This can prevent high-temperature gas, flame, etc. from flowing to the adjacent battery module 100 through the lower part of the cross member 220.

[0080] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II' in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a heat insulating component included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] 8 and 9, a plurality of grooves G may be formed in the insulation component 300. The plurality of grooves G may be arranged to be spaced apart from one another along the extension direction of the cross member 220. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of grooves G formed in the insulation component 300 arranged below the partition wall 222 may be arranged along the extension direction of the partition wall 222 (X-axis direction). Furthermore, the plurality of grooves G formed in the insulation component 300 arranged below the cross beam 221 may be arranged along the extension direction of the cross beam 221 (Y-axis direction).

[0082] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, by arranging a plurality of grooves G in the insulation component 300, a plurality of air layers are formed, reducing the area of ​​direct contact between the cross member 220 and the pack bottom frame 210, and further enhancing the insulation effect of the air layers. Furthermore, the area of ​​the insulation component 300 that supports the cross member 220 can be secured, improving stability.

[0083] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an insulating component included in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, a heat insulating component 300 included in a battery pack 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a rib R. The rib R may be configured to form a groove G. Specifically, a plurality of the ribs R may be arranged spaced apart from each other in one direction. In this case, a plurality of grooves G may be formed between adjacent ribs R.

[0085] 12, the rib R may be configured to extend along the extension direction of the insulation component 300. That is, the rib R may be configured to extend along the extension direction of the cross member 220. The length of the rib R may be arranged to be equal to the length of the insulation component 300. This allows the length of the groove G to be arranged to be equal to the length of the insulation component 300. According to the embodiment of the present invention, as the cross-sectional area of ​​the groove G is increased, the contact area between the insulation component 300 and the cross member 220 is further reduced, thereby reducing the probability of heat transfer between the components.

[0086] In this case, the insulation component 300 may be manufactured by extrusion so that the rib R is disposed integrally with the insulation component 300. Since the insulation component 300 is manufactured by extrusion, the rib R can be formed to extend along the extrusion direction. According to the embodiment of the present invention, a process of attaching the rib R to the insulation component 300 is not required, thereby reducing costs and time and improving productivity.

[0087] 10 and 11, the rib R may be configured to support the cross member 220. Specifically, the rib R may be disposed to be in surface contact with the lower surface 223 of the cross member 220. Therefore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the support force between the insulation component 300 and the cross member 220 is increased, allowing the cross member 220 to be more stably coupled to the insulation component 300.

[0088] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] Meanwhile, referring to Fig. 13, the present invention may provide a vehicle 20 including the battery pack 10 according to the above-described embodiment. That is, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention may be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. The vehicle 20 includes both four-wheeled vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles. The vehicle 20 is operated by receiving power from the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the battery pack 10 may be installed in a body frame below the seats of the vehicle or in the trunk space.

[0090] For reference, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention can be applied to an energy storage system (ESS) and a wide variety of electric devices in addition to automobiles.

[0091] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto in any way, and it goes without saying that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10 Battery Pack 20. Automobiles 100 Battery Module 110 battery cells 120 module case 130 vent hole 200 pack case 210 Pack Bottom Frame 211 Fitting groove 220 cross member 221 Cross Beam 222 Bulkhead 223 Lower surface 230 Side Frame 240 Vent 250 Pack Lid 300 Heat Insulation Parts 310 First Side 320 Second Side

Claims

1. a plurality of battery cells; a pack case including a pack bottom frame on which the plurality of battery cells are mounted, and a cross member disposed on an upper portion of the pack bottom frame and configured to separate the plurality of battery cells; an insulating component disposed between the pack bottom frame and the cross member and having at least one groove formed therein; Including the battery pack.

2. The heat insulating component is a first surface that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member; a second surface opposite the first surface and in surface contact with the top surface of the pack bottom frame; Including, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed in the first surface, thereby reducing a contact area between the pack bottom frame and the cross member.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating component includes a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the cross member.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating component is made of a fire-resistant material.

5. 10. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the cross member is made of a material that is less thermally conductive than aluminum.

6. The pack bottom frame has a fitting groove formed at a position facing the cross member, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating part is configured to be fitted into the fitting groove to seal the fitting groove.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the heat insulating component is formed to be greater than the thickness of the cross member.

8. The heat insulating component has a plurality of grooves formed therein, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other along an extension direction of the cross member.

9. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the insulating component includes a rib that defines the groove and is configured to support the cross member.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the rib is disposed so as to be in surface contact with the lower surface of the cross member.

11. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the rib is configured to extend along a direction in which the cross member extends.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11 , wherein the insulating component is fabricated by extrusion such that the ribs are disposed integrally with the insulating component.

13. The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of module cases configured to group at least some of the plurality of battery cells, the module cases having vent holes formed on at least one side thereof.

14. The plurality of module cases are arranged along a plurality of rows, The cross member is a cross beam disposed between the plurality of module cases disposed along adjacent rows; a plurality of partition walls extending from the cross beam and spaced apart from one another along the direction in which the cross beam extends; 14. The battery pack of claim 13, comprising:

15. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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