Battery case

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery case that can effectively respond to a side collision, for example in an electric vehicle, and minimize deformation of the battery. The battery case includes a case body that houses battery cells and a cover that is connected to the case body. The case body includes a bottom plate; side frames that are connected to the bottom plate to surround the battery cells and include inner and outer walls; a mount frame that is connected to the outer wall of the side frame; and at least one reinforcement member that is disposed on the bottom plate and has both longitudinal ends inserted into the side frame, and the ends of the reinforcement member can pass through the inner and outer walls of the side frame and contact the mount frame.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery case that can minimize deformation of a battery during a side collision in, for example, an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Batteries installed in electric vehicles and the like can cause fires and explosions in the event of a vehicle collision, posing serious danger to the driver and passengers. To prevent this, in addition to the collision reinforcement materials on the vehicle body, the battery case itself is equipped with reinforcement materials in preparation for a collision accident.

[0003] In particular, because there is less space available to absorb collision energy on the sides of the vehicle compared to the front and rear of the vehicle, it is important to provide a structure that can withstand side collisions to protect the internal battery cells during a side collision.

[0004] The reinforcing material of the battery can be assembled mainly inside or outside the battery case. For example, the side wall of the battery case itself is made of the reinforcing material, or the reinforcing material is joined to the inside of the battery case.

[0005] When the reinforcement is joined, the end of the reinforcement is generally joined to the inner surface of the side wall. However, in this structure, the load of a side collision is not directly transmitted to the reinforcement. That is, the reinforcement starts to support the load after the deformation of the side wall forming the closed cross section has progressed considerably, but this has a limit in suppressing the amount of the battery penetrating into the interior. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6304587 (B2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a battery case in an electric vehicle, for example, that can effectively cope with a side collision and minimize deformation of the battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The battery case of the present invention includes a case body that stores battery cells and a cover that is connected to the case body, and the case body includes a bottom plate; a side frame that is connected to the bottom plate so as to surround the battery cells and includes an inner wall and an outer wall; a mounting frame that is connected to the outer wall of the side frame; and at least one reinforcing member that is arranged on the bottom plate and has both longitudinal ends inserted into the side frame, and the ends of the reinforcing member can contact the mounting frame by penetrating the inner wall and the outer wall of the side frame. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, by combining the reinforcing material with the side frame or the mounting frame, it is possible to protect the internal cells, which is the most important role of a battery case, and to minimize the amount of intrusion into the battery case during a side collision. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery case according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a view taken along line II' in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the side frame shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the reinforcing material shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a reinforcing material and a side frame are joined together. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 shows a battery case according to a second embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to FIG. 2. [Figure 7]7 is a perspective view showing a part of the side frame shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 shows a battery case according to a third embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a part of the reinforcing material shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery case according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 12 is a perspective view showing a part of the mount frame shown in FIG. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, which are illustrative. When referring to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as far as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings.

[0012] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery case according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery case according to the present invention can include a case body 1 and a cover 2.

[0013] The battery case can be fixed to an underfloor panel (not shown) that constitutes the vehicle body. For example, the battery case has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and can house a plurality of battery cells (not shown) therein.

[0014] The case body 1 and the cover 2 may be joined together so as to form a space therebetween.

[0015] As an example, the case body 1 and the cover 2 are formed with flanges 3 along their respective edges, and these flanges can be overlapped with each other and assembled with fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws, and the like.

[0016] Alternatively, the flange portion 3 formed along the edge of the cover 2 and the side frame 20 of the case body 1, which will be described later, can be overlapped with each other, and then the connection can be performed by fastening fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws, etc.

[0017] The cover 2 may be made of high-strength plastic or light metal such as aluminum, which can ensure sufficient strength while reducing weight and costs. If the material is plastic, the cover can be formed by injection molding or compression molding, and if the material is metal, the cover can be formed into a predetermined shape by pressing.

[0018] The case body 1 may be directly exposed to the outside and may be easily damaged or broken by external foreign objects, so it may be made of metal to more effectively protect the battery cells.

[0019] In such a case, the case body 1 can be manufactured by machining a material such as a steel material having a suitable strength, for example, an ultra-high strength steel material having a tensile strength of about 980 MPa or more for weight reduction, to prepare the components, and then assembling and bonding these components.

[0020] For convenience, the battery case according to the present invention will be described below with the case body 1 at the center.

[0021] 2 is a view taken along the line II' in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the side frame shown in FIG.

[0022] In the battery case according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the case body 1 may include a bottom plate 10 , a side frame 20 , and at least one reinforcing member 30 .

[0023] The base plate 10 is a flat plate made of a metal such as steel. The flat plate can be prepared by cutting it to a predetermined width and length. The base plate can act as a member for supporting battery cells or the like.

[0024] The height of the side frame 20 may be changed in accordance with the size of the battery cell built into the case body 1. In addition, a plurality of fastening holes 21 for coupling with the cover 2 may be formed on the upper surface of the side frame.

[0025] At least four side frames 20 may be provided to surround the battery cells. For example, the side frames may be arranged along the edge of the bottom plate. Both ends of each side frame may be cut at a predetermined angle (for example, about 45 degrees), and the two ends may be joined to the corresponding other side frames, and then the two ends may be joined by welding such as arc welding or laser welding. In this way, the side frames can form the side walls of the case body 1.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the side frame 20 may have a through slit 22 formed in the inner wall 23 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1, among both side walls arranged at a predetermined position in the width direction of the side frame (e.g., the Y direction in the figure).

[0027] The through slit 22 can be formed in a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing material 30 described below, so that when the end of the reinforcing material is fitted into the through slit, the shapes of the reinforcing material can match.

[0028] For example, the side frame 20 may be formed using a metal such as steel or aluminum so as to have a generally square closed cross section.

[0029] More specifically, the side frame 20 can be made from a plate material such as 1470 MART (Martensitic) steel having a thickness of about 0.8 mm to 1.0 mm, which is produced by the present applicant.

[0030] Here, 1470MART steel is a steel type that has a tensile strength of 1,470 MPa or more and a yield strength of 1,050 MPa or more, and has improved collision safety.

[0031] For example, in the case of steel, the side frame 20 can be formed to have at least one closed cross section by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length two or more times and then welding the adjacent ends. In the drawings, a side frame having two square closed cross sections is illustrated. As the machining process, bending or roll forming can be used.

[0032] The shape of the closed cross section can be adjusted according to design conditions, and the through slit 22 can be formed by punching out the plate material in advance during a blanking process.

[0033] The bottom plate 10 and the side frame 20 may be joined together by welding such as arc welding. The bottom plate may be welded to the bottom surface of the side frame. This allows the case body 1 to have a space 4 formed by the side frame that forms a closed cross section around the bottom plate.

[0034] The case body 1 of the battery case according to the first embodiment of the present invention may have a mount frame 40 attached to its side, which is necessary for fixing the battery case to a vehicle body.

[0035] The mount frame 40 can be coupled to the outer wall 24 that constitutes the outer surface of the battery case in the side frame 20. For example, a flange 41 formed on the mount frame may be welded to the outer wall of the side frame by arc welding or the like.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the reinforcing material shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the state in which the reinforcing material and the side frame are joined together.

[0037] The reinforcing material 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the case body 1 in which the battery cells are housed, i.e., on the bottom plate 10. The reinforcing material may be fixed to the bottom plate by welding or the like, but the fixing method is not necessarily limited to this.

[0038] The stiffener 30 may also be integrally formed by machining a single sheet of metal, such as steel, etc. The stiffener may be shaped by bending, roll forming, forming, etc.

[0039] For example, when the reinforcing material 30 is produced by roll forming, it is possible to easily form even ultra-high strength steel material having a tensile strength of about 980 MPa or more. Furthermore, roll forming has the advantage that it is easier to correct springback than press forming, and the corner radius of the reinforcing material can be made smaller.

[0040] More specifically, the reinforcing member 30 can be made of a plate material such as 1470MART steel having a thickness of about 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm, which is produced by the present applicant.

[0041] Here, the thickness of the plate material of the reinforcing member 30 can be made thicker than the thickness of the plate material of the side frame 20 .

[0042] The reinforcing member 30 may be formed by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length several times to form it into a generally hat-shaped cross section. As a result, the reinforcing member may include a body 31 formed in a generally U-shape opening downward and having a hollow portion 32, and support portions 33 extending from the open ends of the hollow portion extending along the length direction Y of the body to both sides in the width direction X of the body. That is, the support portions may be formed to extend from the ends of the body in the width direction X of the body.

[0043] Here, the support portion 33 may be formed to have a closed cross section by bending the support portion 33 in the opposite direction to the bending direction of the main body 31 and then welding the end of the support portion to the main body.

[0044] In addition, the support parts may be omitted in some regions of the main body constituting both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing material 30, and both ends of the reinforcing material from which the support parts are omitted can be formed as plate material in the blanking process. As a result, the length of the support parts in the longitudinal direction X can be formed shorter than the length of the main body.

[0045] The support portion 33 of the reinforcement 30 and the bottom plate 10 may be joined to each other by welding, such as arc welding, laser welding, etc. For example, the entire length of the support portion 33 in the longitudinal direction Y is welded to the bottom plate, thereby ensuring watertightness between the support portion of the reinforcement and the bottom plate. Thus, a weld can be formed between the flange of the reinforcement and the bottom plate.

[0046] At this time, the hollow portion 32 of the main body 31 constituting the reinforcing member 30 can be made to have a closed cross section by bonding with the bottom plate 10 .

[0047] Such a support portion 33 can serve to fix the reinforcing member 30 to the bottom plate 10, and also to support any part installed inside the case body 1, such as a cooling plate.

[0048] Both ends of the reinforcing material 30 in the length direction Y contact the side frame 20 and can be inserted into the side frame for connection. As shown in Fig. 3 and described above, a through slit 22 is formed in the side frame that contacts the end of the reinforcing material, and the end of the reinforcing material can be fitted into the through slit that matches the shape.

[0049] More specifically, the main body 31 of the reinforcing member 30 can be inserted into the side frame 20 via the through slit 22 and extend within the side frame. This allows the main body to penetrate the inner wall 23 of the side frame that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1, and the end of the main body to come into contact with the outer wall 24 that constitutes the outer surface of the case body.

[0050] Alternatively, a groove (not shown) may be formed on the inside of the outer wall 24 constituting the outer surface of the case body 1, and the end of the reinforcing material 30 extending within the side frame 20, i.e., the end of the body 31, may be seated in the groove.

[0051] The support portion 33 of the reinforcing member 30 can come into contact with the inner wall 23 of the side frame 20 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1. For example, the support portion does not have to penetrate the inner wall.

[0052] The end of the reinforcement 30, i.e., the end of the main body 31, is fitted into the through slit 22 of the side frame 20 so as to match the shape, completely closing the through slit, thereby ensuring watertightness between the end of the reinforcement and the side frame.

[0053] The end of the reinforcement material is fitted into the through slit 22, and the matching line formed by matching shapes can be welded, for example, by arc welding, laser welding, etc., to form a weld W between the end of the reinforcement material and the side frame as shown in Figure 5.

[0054] This makes it possible to secure a strong bond between the end of the reinforcement material 30 and the side frame 20 while also further ensuring watertightness.

[0055] In order to ensure watertightness, a coating of a plastic material such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, etc. may be further applied to the joints, i.e., welds, of the components constituting the case body 1.

[0056] There may be at least one reinforcing member 30. The number of reinforcing members may be determined according to the magnitude of an impact applied from the outside.

[0057] As described above, in the battery case according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 having a bent hat-shaped cross section is disposed at the bottom of the case body 1, and the reinforcing member can be inserted into the side frame 20 while extending along the bottom of the case body. That is, the reinforcing member can be extended and coupled to the side frame by insertion.

[0058] For example, in the event of a side collision in an electric vehicle, when collision energy is transferred to the side frame 20 of the case body 1 in the battery case according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the side frame 20 is deformed, the reinforcing material can play a role in resisting the collision and deformation.

[0059] As a result, the present invention provides an effect of protecting the inner cells and minimizing the amount of intrusion into the interior during a side collision.

[0060] Fig. 6 shows a battery case according to a second embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a part of the side frame shown in Fig. 6, where (a) is a view seen from the outer surface of the case body 1 and (b) is a view seen from the inner surface of the case body 1.

[0061] In the battery case according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the case body 1 may include a bottom plate 10 , a side frame 20 , and at least one reinforcing member 30 .

[0062] Here, in the battery case according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the only difference is that the reinforcing material 30 of the case body 1 penetrates the side frame 20, and the remaining components can be configured and used in the same manner as described in the first embodiment of the present invention above, so a detailed description of the configuration and function of the remaining components will be omitted.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, the side frame 20 may have through slits 22 formed at predetermined positions in an inner wall 23 and an outer wall 24 arranged in the width direction of the side frame (for example, the Y direction in the figure).

[0064] The through slit 22 can be formed in a shape that corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing material 30, so that when the end of the reinforcing material is fitted into the through slit, the shapes of the reinforcing material can match each other.

[0065] For example, the side frame 20 may be formed using a metal such as steel or aluminum so as to have a generally square closed cross section.

[0066] In the case of steel, the side frame 20 may be formed to have at least one closed cross section by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length two or more times and then welding the adjacent ends. In the drawings, a side frame having two square closed cross sections is illustrated. As the machining process, bending or roll forming may be used.

[0067] The shape of the closed cross section can be adjusted according to design conditions, and the through slits 22 can be formed by punching them in advance in a blanking process of the plate material.

[0068] When the through slits 22 are formed in the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 24 of the side frame 20, both ends of the reinforcing member 30 in the longitudinal direction Y are Side frame After penetrating in the width direction Y, it can protrude outward.

[0069] The ends of the reinforcement material 30, i.e., the ends of the main body 31, pass through the through slits 22 in the inner wall 23 and the outer wall 24 of the side frame 20 and protrude to the outside of the side frame, so that welding can be applied to ensure the watertightness of the battery case.

[0070] The length by which the end of the reinforcing material 30 penetrates the side frame 20 and protrudes from the side frame in the longitudinal direction Y of the reinforcing material can be in the range of approximately 5 to 10 mm. If the length of the protrusion is less than 5 mm, welding is difficult, and if it exceeds 10 mm, interference with surrounding components may occur, making it difficult to attach the battery case.

[0071] In this way, the protruding end of the reinforcement material 30 and the through slit 22 of the side frame 20 are joined to each other by welding, such as arc welding or laser welding, to form a weld (not shown), thereby ensuring watertightness between the end of the reinforcement material and the side frame.

[0072] In order to ensure watertightness, a coating of a plastic material such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, etc. may be further applied to the joints, i.e., welds, of the components constituting the case body 1.

[0073] On the other hand, the support portion 33 of the reinforcing member 30 can come into contact with the inner wall 23 of the side frame 20 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1. For example, the support portion does not have to penetrate the inner wall.

[0074] In this manner, in the battery case according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 having a bent hat-shaped cross section is disposed at the bottom of the case body 1, and the reinforcing member extends along the bottom of the case body while contacting the side frame 20 and penetrating the side frame. In other words, the reinforcing member extends and can be coupled to the side frame by being inserted and penetrated.

[0075] For example, in the event of a side collision in an electric vehicle, when collision energy is transferred to the side frame 20 of the case body 1 in the battery case according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the side frame 20 is deformed, the reinforcing material can play a role in resisting the collision and deformation.

[0076] As a result, the present invention provides the effect of protecting the internal cells and minimizing the amount of intrusion into the interior during a side collision.

[0077] FIG. 8 shows a battery case according to a third embodiment of the present invention and corresponds to FIG.

[0078] In the battery case according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the case body 1 may include a bottom plate 10 , a side frame 20 , a mounting frame 40 , and at least one reinforcing member 30 .

[0079] Here, in the battery case of the third embodiment of the present invention, the only difference is that the reinforcing material 30 of the case body 1 penetrates the side frame 20 and contacts the mounting frame 40, and the remaining components can be configured and used in the same manner as described in the first and second embodiments of the present invention above, so a detailed description of the configuration and function of the remaining components will be omitted.

[0080] As described above, the mount frame 40 can be coupled to the outer wall 24 that constitutes the outer surface of the battery case in the side frame 20. For example, a flange 41 can be formed on the mount frame, and the flange of the mount frame can be welded to the outer surface of the side frame by arc welding or the like.

[0081] The mount frame 40 may be fixed to, for example, a side member of the vehicle body by bolting, etc. This allows the battery case to be fixed to the vehicle body.

[0082] Furthermore, in the event of a collision, the mount frame 40 can act as the first member of the battery case to respond to the collision.

[0083] The mounting frame 40 may be machined from a single piece of metal, such as steel.

[0084] More specifically, the mounting frame 40 may be made from a plate material such as 1470 MART steel having a thickness of 1.2 mm or greater, produced by the applicant.

[0085] The mount frame 40 is formed by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length several times to have a serpentine cross-sectional shape. As a result, the mount frame can be formed into a cross-section that is approximately in the shape of a horizontal W. The machining process can be bending, roll forming, forming, etc.

[0086] The cross-sectional shape of the mount frame 40 can be adjusted according to design conditions, and the through slits 42 can be formed in advance in a blanking process for the plate material.

[0087] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a part of the reinforcing material shown in FIG.

[0088] The reinforcing material 30 is fixed to the inner surface of the case body 1 in which the battery cells are housed, i.e., on the bottom plate 10. The reinforcing material may be fixed to the bottom plate by welding or the like, but the fixing method is not necessarily limited to this.

[0089] The stiffener 30 may also be integrally formed by machining a single sheet of metal, such as steel, etc. The stiffener may be shaped by bending, roll forming, forming, etc.

[0090] For example, when the reinforcing material 30 is produced by roll forming, it is possible to easily form even ultra-high strength steel material having a tensile strength of about 980 MPa or more. Furthermore, roll forming has the advantage that it is easier to correct springback than press forming, and the corner radius of the reinforcing material can be made smaller.

[0091] More specifically, the reinforcing member 30 can be made of a plate material such as 1470MART steel having a thickness of about 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm, which is produced by the present applicant.

[0092] Here, the thickness of the plate material of the reinforcing member 30 may be thicker than the thickness of the plate material of the side frame 20 and thinner than the thickness of the plate material of the mount frame 40 .

[0093] The reinforcing material 30 can be formed by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length several times to form it into a substantially hat-shaped cross-sectional shape. As a result, the reinforcing material can include a body 31 formed into a substantially U-shape opening downward and having a hollow portion 32, and support portions 33 extending from the open ends of the hollow portion extending along the length direction Y of the body to both sides in the width direction X of the body. That is, the support portions can be formed to extend in the width direction X of the body at the ends of the body.

[0094] Here, the support portion 33 may be formed to have a closed cross section by bending the support portion 33 in the opposite direction to the bending direction of the main body 31 and then welding the end of the support portion to the main body.

[0095] In addition, the support parts may be omitted in some regions of the main body constituting both ends of the reinforcing material 30 in the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the reinforcing material from which the support parts are omitted in this manner can be formed into plate material during the blanking process.

[0096] The support portion 33 of the reinforcement 30 and the bottom plate 10 may be joined to each other in a watertight manner by welding such as arc welding, laser welding, etc. For example, the support portion 33 is welded to the bottom plate over the entire length in the longitudinal direction Y, thereby ensuring watertightness between the support portion of the reinforcement and the bottom plate. Thus, a weld can be formed between the flange of the reinforcement and the bottom plate.

[0097] At this time, the hollow portion 32 of the main body 31 constituting the reinforcing member 30 can be made to have a closed cross section by bonding with the bottom plate 10 .

[0098] Such a support portion 33 can serve to fix the reinforcing member 30 to the bottom plate 10, and also to support any part installed inside the case body 1, such as a cooling plate.

[0099] Both ends of the reinforcing material 30 in the length direction Y are in contact with the side frame 20 and can be connected to pass through the side frame. As shown in Fig. 7 and described above, through slits 22 are formed in both side walls of the side frame that are in contact with the ends of the reinforcing material, and the ends of the reinforcing material are fitted into the through slits so as to match their shapes and pass through the side frame, and then can continue to extend in the width direction Y of the side frame.

[0100] The end of the reinforcement 30 is fitted into the through slit 22 of the side frame 20 so as to match the shape, completely closing the through slit, thereby ensuring watertightness between the end of the reinforcement and the side frame.

[0101] Of the two side walls of the side frame 20 that contact the end of the reinforcing material 30, at least in the inner wall 23 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1, a matching line formed by fitting the end of the reinforcing material into the through slit 22 so that its shape matches can be welded by, for example, arc welding, laser welding, etc., to form a weld W between the end of the reinforcing material and the side frame as shown in Figure 5.

[0102] This can further ensure watertightness while at the same time ensuring a strong bond between the end of the reinforcement material 30 and the side frame 20.

[0103] The end of the reinforcing material 30, i.e., the end of the main body 31, can penetrate the side frame 20 across the width direction Y of the side frame and protrude from the side frame, and then contact the inner surface of the mount frame 40.

[0104] Alternatively, a groove (not shown) may be formed on the inner surface of the mount frame 40, and the end of the reinforcement member 30 extending within the side frame, i.e., the end of the main body 31, may be seated in the groove.

[0105] On the other hand, the support portion 33 of the reinforcing member 30 can come into contact with the inner wall 23 of the side frame 20 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1. For example, the support portion does not have to penetrate the inner wall.

[0106] In order to ensure watertightness, a coating of a plastic material such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, etc. may be further applied to the joints, i.e., welds, of the components constituting the case body 1.

[0107] There may be at least one reinforcing member 30. The number of reinforcing members may be determined according to the magnitude of an impact applied from the outside.

[0108] As described above, in the battery case according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 having a bent hat-shaped cross section is disposed at the bottom of the case body 1, and the reinforcing member extends along the bottom of the case body to contact the side frame 20, penetrate the side frame, and then protrude from the side frame to contact the inner surface of the mount frame 40. That is, the reinforcing member extends and can be coupled to the side frame and the mount frame.

[0109] For example, in the event of a side collision in an electric vehicle or the like, deformation occurs first in the mount frame 40 of the battery case, which is the first to receive the collision energy.

[0110] In this case, in the battery case according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 can serve to resist the collision from the moment the mount frame 40 starts to deform due to a side collision. Also, even when the side frame 20 is deformed, the reinforcing member can serve to resist the collision and deformation.

[0111] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect of protecting the inner cells and minimizing the amount of intrusion into the interior during a side collision.

[0112] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery case according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a view taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0113] In the battery case according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the case body 1 may include a bottom plate 10 , a side frame 20 , a mount frame 40 , and at least one reinforcing member 30 .

[0114] Here, in the battery case of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the only difference is that the reinforcing material 30 of the case body 1 is modified so that it sequentially penetrates the side frame 20 and the mount frame 40. The remaining components can be configured and used in the same manner as those described in the first to third embodiments of the present invention above, so a detailed description of the configuration and function of the remaining components will be omitted.

[0115] 12 is a perspective view showing a part of the mount frame shown in FIG.

[0116] As described above, the mount frame 40 can be coupled to the outer wall 24 that constitutes the outer surface of the battery case at the side frame 20. For example, a flange 41 can be formed on the mount frame, and the flange of the mount frame can be welded to the outer wall of the side frame by arc welding or the like.

[0117] The mount frame 40 may be fixed to, for example, a side member of the vehicle body by bolting, etc. This allows the battery case to be fixed to the vehicle body.

[0118] Furthermore, the mount frame 40 can act as the first member of the battery case to respond to the collision in the event of a collision.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 12, the mount frame 40 may have through slits 42 formed at predetermined positions.

[0120] Through slit 42may be formed in a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing material 30 described below, so that when the end of the reinforcing material is fitted into the through slit, the shapes of the reinforcing material can match.

[0121] The mounting frame 40 may be machined from a single piece of metal, such as steel.

[0122] More specifically, the mounting frame 40 may be made from a plate material such as 1470 MART steel having a thickness of 1.2 mm or greater, produced by the applicant.

[0123] The mount frame 40 is formed by bending a single plate material having a predetermined width and length several times to have a serpentine cross-sectional shape. As a result, the mount frame can be formed into a cross-section that is approximately in the shape of a horizontal W. The machining process can be bending, roll forming, forming, etc.

[0124] The cross-sectional shape of the mount frame 40 can be adjusted according to design conditions, and the through slits 42 can be formed in advance in a blanking process for the plate material.

[0125] Both ends of the reinforcing material 30 in the longitudinal direction Y are in contact with the mount frame 40 and can pass through the mount frame. As described above, a through slit 42 is formed in the mount frame that is in contact with the end of the reinforcing material, and the end of the reinforcing material is fitted into the through slit so that its shape matches, and can protrude outside the mount frame after passing through the mount frame.

[0126] The end of the reinforcing material 30, i.e., the end of the main body 31, penetrates the side frame 20 across the width direction Y of the side frame and protrudes from the side frame, and then penetrates the through slit 42 of the mount frame 40 and protrudes outward, so that welding can be applied to ensure the watertightness of the battery case.

[0127] The length by which the end of the reinforcing material 30 penetrates the mount frame 40 and protrudes from the mount frame in the longitudinal direction Y of the reinforcing material can be in the range of approximately 5 to 10 mm. If the length of the protrusion is less than 5 mm, welding is difficult, and if it exceeds 10 mm, interference with surrounding components may occur, making it difficult to attach the battery case.

[0128] In this manner, the protruding end of the reinforcement material 30 and the through slit 42 of the mount frame 40 are joined to each other by welding, such as arc welding, laser welding, etc., to form a weld (not shown), thereby ensuring watertightness between the end of the reinforcement material and the mount frame.

[0129] In order to ensure watertightness, a coating of a plastic material such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, etc. may be further applied to the joints, i.e., welds, of the components constituting the case body 1.

[0130] On the other hand, the support portion 33 of the reinforcing member 30 can come into contact with the inner wall 23 of the side frame 20 that constitutes the inner surface of the case body 1. For example, the support portion does not have to penetrate the inner wall.

[0131] There may be at least one reinforcing member 30. The number of reinforcing members may be determined according to the magnitude of an impact applied from the outside.

[0132] As described above, in the battery case according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 having a bent hat-shaped cross section is disposed at the bottom of the case body 1, and the reinforcing member extends along the bottom of the case body to contact the side frame 20, penetrate the side frame, and then protrudes from the side frame to contact the mount frame 40 and penetrate the mount frame. That is, the reinforcing member extends and can be coupled to the side frame and the mount frame.

[0133] For example, in the event of a side collision in an electric vehicle or the like, deformation occurs first in the mount frame 40 of the battery case, which is the first to receive the collision energy.

[0134] In this case, in the battery case according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing member 30 can serve to resist the collision from the moment the mount frame 40 starts to deform due to a side collision. Also, even when the side frame 20 is deformed, the reinforcing member can serve to resist the collision and deformation.

[0135] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect of protecting the inner cells and minimizing the amount of intrusion into the interior during a side collision.

[0136] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical concept of the present invention, and various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

[0137] For example, this specification and drawings show an example in which the reinforcing material 30 extends in the width direction Y of the case body 1 parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the reinforcing material can also extend in the length direction X of the case body parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle to respond to a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0138] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the specification and drawings are for the purpose of illustrating, rather than limiting, the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and such embodiments do not limit the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 1: Case body 2:Cover 3: Flange part 4: Space part 10: Bottom plate 20: Side frame 21: Fastening hole 22, 42: Through slit 30: Reinforcement material 31: Main body 32: Hollow part 33: Support part 40: Mounting frame 41: Flange

Claims

1. The battery pack includes a case body that houses a battery cell, and a cover that is coupled to the case body, The case body includes: Bottom plate; a side frame coupled to the bottom plate to surround the battery cell, the side frame including an inner wall and an outer wall; a mounting frame coupled to an outer wall of the side frame; and At least one reinforcing member is disposed on the bottom plate, and both ends in a longitudinal direction are inserted into the side frame; A battery case in which the ends of the reinforcement material pass through the inner and outer walls of the side frames and contact the mount frame.

2. The reinforcing material is a body penetrating the inner wall and the outer wall of the side frame; a support portion extending in a width direction of the main body from an end portion of the main body and contacting an inner wall of the side frame; The battery case of claim 1 , comprising:

3. A through slit is formed in the inner wall and the outer wall of the side frame, The battery case according to claim 2 , wherein an end portion of the main body is fitted into a through slit of the side frame so as to match the shape of the through slit.

4. The battery case according to claim 3 , wherein a weld is formed between the reinforcing member and the through slit of the side frame.

5. A battery pack comprising: a case body that houses a battery cell; and a cover that is coupled to the case body; The case body includes: Bottom plate; a side frame coupled to the bottom plate to surround the battery cell, the side frame including an inner wall and an outer wall; a mounting frame coupled to an outer wall of the side frame; and At least one reinforcing member is disposed on the bottom plate, and both ends in a longitudinal direction are inserted into the side frame; the reinforcement member includes a body extending through the inner wall and the outer wall of the side frame; A groove is formed on the inner surface of the mount frame, The end of the body is seated in the groove.

6. A battery pack comprising: a case body that houses a battery cell; and a cover that is coupled to the case body; The case body includes: Bottom plate; a side frame coupled to the bottom plate to surround the battery cell, the side frame including an inner wall and an outer wall; a mounting frame coupled to an outer wall of the side frame; and At least one reinforcing member is disposed on the bottom plate, and both ends in a longitudinal direction are inserted into the side frame; the reinforcement member includes a body extending through the inner wall and the outer wall of the side frame; The mount frame has a through slit formed therein, A battery case, the end of which passes through the mounting frame.

7. an end of the body passes through the mount frame and protrudes from the mount frame; The battery case according to claim 6 , wherein a weld is formed between the main body and the through slit of the mount frame.

8. The battery case according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the plate material of the reinforcing member is greater than a thickness of the plate material of the side frame and is smaller than a thickness of the plate material of the mount frame.

9. The battery case according to claim 1 , wherein the side frame is formed by bending a single plate material two or more times and then welding adjacent ends thereof to have at least one closed cross section.

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