A battery pack including a member capable of preventing poor contact with a device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery pack including a connector and a support member for preventing poor contact with device pins inserted into the connector, the battery pack including: a plurality of battery cells; a pack case including a lower case and an upper cover that house the plurality of battery cells; a connector located inside the pack case and electrically connecting a device and the battery pack; and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) located inside the pack case, the PCB having one surface to which the connector is coupled, the upper cover having a plurality of pin insertion holes formed therein to allow device pins to be inserted into the connector; and a support member located on the inside of the upper cover and outer periphery of the connector to limit deformation of the connector.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 2021-0004205 dated January 12, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pack that is provided with a support member around a connector and is capable of preventing poor contact with device pins due to deformation of the connector or the like. [Background technology]

[0003] As technological development and demand for mobile devices such as smartphones, notebook PCs, and digital cameras increases, technologies related to rechargeable secondary batteries are being actively developed. Secondary batteries are an alternative energy source to fossil fuels that generate air pollutants, and are used in electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs), energy storage devices (ESSs), etc.

[0004] Currently, the types of secondary batteries that are widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such unit secondary battery cells, i.e., unit battery cells, is about 2.0V to 5.0V. Therefore, if a higher output voltage is required, a cell module assembly may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series, and a battery module may be configured by connecting cell module assemblies in series or in parallel depending on the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity. In this way, it is common to manufacture a battery pack by using at least one battery module and adding additional components.

[0005] Such a battery pack can be electrically connected to various devices via a connector.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of a part of a conventional battery pack, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view that shows a schematic cut surface of a conventional connector into which a device pin is inserted.

[0007] The structure of a conventional connector for connecting a battery pack to a device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, the battery pack has one or more battery modules or battery cells housed in a case.

[0008] Such a case generally consists of a lower case and an upper cover 1, and the upper cover 1 is formed with a pin insertion port 2 into which a device pin 5 is inserted to electrically connect the battery pack to a device that uses the battery pack as a power source.

[0009] Also provided inside the battery pack are a PCB (Printed circuit board) 3 on which components for controlling the operation of the battery pack are mounted, and a connector 4 coupled to the PCB 3 for electrical connection with an external device.

[0010] However, in order to electrically connect the battery pack to the device, the device pins 5 are inserted into the connector through the pin insertion port 2 to form contacts. However, in the case of conventional battery pack connectors, repeated insertion and removal of the device pins 5 can cause deformation such as opening of the contacts of the connector, which can result in poor contact with the inserted device pins 5.

[0011] If such a contact failure occurs, the contact resistance increases, which may result in heat generation or device malfunction. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a battery pack that is equipped with a support member around the connector, thereby preventing poor contact with device pins due to deformation of the connector, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a battery pack according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells, a pack case including a lower case and an upper cover incorporating the plurality of battery cells, a connector located inside the pack case and electrically connecting a device and the battery pack, and a PCB (Printed circuit board) located inside the pack case, the PCB having one side to which the connector is coupled, wherein the upper cover is formed with a plurality of pin insertion holes to allow device pins to be inserted into the connector, and a support member is formed on the inside of the upper cover and located on the outer periphery of the connector to limit deformation of the connector.

[0014] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes a pair of connector arms in which a connector is bent inward at a certain point to form contact points with device pins, and a connector coupling part having one side coupled to the connector arms and the other side coupled to a PCB.

[0015] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the support member has a form of a pair of bars facing each other with the pin insertion hole therebetween.

[0016] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that a support member is provided in each of the pin insertion holes.

[0017] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that one side of the support member is connected to the inside of the upper cover, and the other side of the support member extends toward the PCB.

[0018] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the spacing between a pair of bars of the support member is sized so that when a device pin is inserted, a portion of the connector arm can contact the inside of the support member to limit the expansion of the connector arm.

[0019] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that each of the support members is formed with a protrusion protruding in the direction of the connector arm.

[0020] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that one surface of the protrusion comes into contact with the connector arm when the device pin is inserted into the connector.

[0021] In the battery pack according to the present invention, the support member is made of an elastic material.

[0022] In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the spacing between a pair of bars of the support member is sized so that when a device pin is inserted, a portion of the connector arm can contact one or more of the inside or protrusions of the support member to restrict the expansion of the connector arm.

[0023] The device according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes any one of the battery packs according to the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The battery pack of the present invention has an advantage that the support member is provided to limit deformation of the connector, thereby preventing poor contact between the connector and the device pins.

[0025] In addition, the battery pack of the present invention has the advantage that it can maintain good electrical contact between the connector and the device pins despite repeated use, and can be used for a long period of time without poor contact.

[0026] In addition, the battery pack of the present invention has an advantage in that it can reduce malfunctions of devices caused by poor contact, thereby improving product reliability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a portion of a conventional battery pack. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a conventional connector with a device pin inserted therein; [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a battery pack having a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of a battery pack having a support member according to an embodiment of the present invention with a device pin inserted therein; FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a battery pack having a support member according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of a battery pack having a support member according to another embodiment of the present invention with a device pin inserted therein; FIG. [Figure 7] 13A to 13C are perspective views each showing a process of inserting a connector between supporting members according to another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 13A to 13C are perspective views each showing a process of inserting a connector between supporting members according to another embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] In this application, the terms "comprise", "have", "include" and the like are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, components, parts or combinations thereof described in the specification, but should be understood as not precluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0029] In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and actions. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only the case where the part is directly connected to another part, but also the case where the part is indirectly connected via another element between the two parts. In addition, when a part includes a certain component, it does not mean that the other component is excluded, but that the part may further include the other component, unless otherwise specified.

[0030] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of a battery pack having a support member according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of a battery pack having a support member according to one embodiment of the present invention with a device pin inserted therein.

[0032] Explaining the battery pack of the present invention in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the battery pack accommodates a plurality of battery cells in a pack case including an upper cover 100 and a lower case.

[0033] The type of battery cell to be stored is not particularly limited, and various known battery cells such as pouch-type battery cells, cylindrical battery cells, and square battery cells can be appropriately used as needed. In some cases, a plurality of battery cells can be manufactured in the form of a battery module and stored.

[0034] In addition, a PCB (Printed circuit board) 300 on which various components for controlling the operation of the battery pack are mounted is provided on one side of the inside of the pack case, and a connector 200 for electrical connection with an external device is joined to one side of the PCB 300.

[0035] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the connector 200 includes a pair of connector arms 210 that are bent inward at a point between both ends to form contact points with the device pins P, and a connector coupling portion 220 whose one side is connected to the connector arms 210 and whose other side is coupled to the PCB 300.

[0036] In addition, the connector arms 210 have a shape in which a long plate made of an electrically conductive material such as metal is bent in a portion thereof, and the distance between the connector arms 210 becomes smaller as it moves away from the portion in contact with the connector connection portion 220, and the distance between the connector arms 210 becomes larger again as it moves toward the connector arm end portion 211 from the bending point.

[0037] Meanwhile, the upper cover 100 is formed with pin insertion openings 110 at positions corresponding to the respective connectors 200 so that the device pins P can be inserted into the connectors 200 .

[0038] In addition, a support member 120 is provided on the inside of the upper cover 100 to prevent poor contact between the connector 200 and the device pins P due to deformation of the connector 200 when the device pins P are repeatedly inserted and removed.

[0039] Such support member 120 is positioned in a form in which a pair of bar-shaped members face each other centered on each pin insertion hole 110 for each connector 200, and one side of the support member 120 is connected to the inside of the upper cover 100 and the other side is formed in a form extending in the direction of the PCB 300.

[0040] In this manner, when a battery pack including connectors 200 is assembled using the top cover 100 having connectors 200 attached to the support members 120, each connector 200 is positioned between a pair of support members 120.

[0041] Here, the distance between the pair of support members 120 is larger than the distance between the two connector arm end portions 211 when a device pin P is not inserted into the connector 200, and has a distance that allows the two connector arm end portions 211 to come into contact with the support members 120 when a device pin P is inserted into the connector 200, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] In general, when a device pin P is inserted into the connector 200, the connector arm 210 presses the device pin P due to its own elasticity, thereby maintaining stable contact.

[0043] However, if the connector 200 is deformed due to repeated use, the connector 200 may not be able to stably contact the device pin P, resulting in poor contact. However, by providing the upper cover 100 with the support member 120, such a problem can be compensated for.

[0044] In other words, when a device pin P is inserted into the connector 200, the support member 120 can prevent the two connector arm end portions 211 from opening apart by more than a certain distance, thereby maintaining stable contact between the connector 200 and the device pin P.

[0045] Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a battery pack having a support member according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a battery pack having a support member according to another embodiment of the present invention with a device pin inserted therein.

[0046] A support member 130 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The support member 130 includes a protrusion 131 protruding inward.

[0047] Here, the inside means between a pair of support members 130 into which the connector 200 is inserted.

[0048] In this way, when a device pin P is inserted into the connector 200 located between support members 130 having protrusions 131, not only is it possible to prevent the end of the connector arm 210 from coming into contact with the inside of the support members 130 and opening up more than a certain distance, but it is also possible to prevent the connector arm 210 from coming into contact with the protrusions 131, thereby preventing the connector 200 from deforming more than a certain distance and causing poor contact.

[0049] Here, the distance between the pair of support members 130 may be formed to be the same as the distance between the support members 120 in FIGS.

[0050] In this way, by forming a gap between a pair of support members 130 and appropriately designing the size and shape of protrusion 131, the connector arm end portion 211 contacts the support members 130 and the connector arm 210 contacts the protrusion 131, thereby preventing connector 200 from opening more than necessary.

[0051] On the other hand, depending on the distance between the pair of support members 130 and the size and shape of the protrusion 131, it is also possible to bring the connector arm end portion 211 into contact with the support members 130 first, or to bring the connector arm 210 into contact with the protrusion 131 first.

[0052] In this case, at least one of them can limit the expansion of the connector 200, and therefore poor contact between the connector 200 and the device pins P can be prevented.

[0053] Meanwhile, the shape of the protrusion 131 may have a shape in which one surface that contacts the connector arm 210 is inclined as shown in Fig. 6. In this case, it is preferable that the inclination angle is the same as the inclination angle of the connector arm 210 that contacts it.

[0054] In this way, if one surface of the projection 131 is formed at the same angle as the inclination angle of the connector arm 210, there is an advantage that contact with the connector arm 210 can be made over a wide area.

[0055] However, the shape of the protrusion 131 is not limited to this, and can be selected within a range that can prevent the connector arm 210 from spreading out when the device pin P is inserted by contacting the connector arm 210.

[0056] 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating a process of inserting a connector between supporting members according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] 7 and 8, the process of inserting the connector 200 between the support members 130 having protrusions 131 when assembling the battery pack will be described. First, the support members 130 are made of an elastic material and only one side is fixed to the upper cover 100. Therefore, when the connector arm 210 passes between the narrow protrusions 131, the spacing between the support members 130 becomes larger, making insertion possible.

[0058] Here, the elastic material is not particularly limited and may be various known materials, but it is preferable that the elastic material be the same material as the upper cover 100 to be joined, or a material that can be easily joined to the upper cover 100 .

[0059] The support member 130 may be integrally formed when the upper cover 100 is manufactured, or may be manufactured separately and then joined to the upper cover 100 by various known methods.

[0060] In this way, by simply adding a simple structure such as support members 120, 130 to upper cover 100, the battery pack of the present invention can prevent poor contact between connector 200 and device pins P due to repeated use, thereby achieving the expected effect of increasing the usage time of the battery pack.

[0061] In addition, when such a battery pack is applied to various devices, there is an advantage that the reliability of the product can be improved by reducing defects.

[0062] Although certain parts of the contents of the present invention have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such specific techniques are merely preferred embodiments and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the scope and technical ideas of the present invention, and it goes without saying that such changes and modifications are also within the scope of the attached claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 100 Top cover 110 pin insertion port 120, 130 Support member 131 Protrusion 200 Connectors 210 Connector Arm 211 Connector arm end 220 Connector joint 300 PCB P Device pin

Claims

1. A plurality of battery cells; a pack case including a lower case and an upper cover in which the plurality of battery cells are housed; a connector located inside the pack case and electrically connecting a device and a battery pack; a PCB (Printed circuit board) located inside the pack case, the PCB having one surface to which the connector is coupled; A battery pack comprising: The upper cover is formed with a plurality of pin insertion openings for inserting device pins into the connector, a support member is formed on the inside of the upper cover to be located on an outer periphery of the connector and to limit deformation of the connector; The connector includes a pair of connector arms that are bent inward at certain points to form contacts with the device pins; Each of the support members is formed with a projection that projects toward the connector arm, The support member has a form of a pair of bars facing each other across the pin insertion hole, The support member has one side connected to the inside of the upper cover and the other side extending toward the PCB.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the connector further comprises a connector coupling part having one side coupled to the connector arm and another side coupled to the PCB.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is provided in each of the pin insertion holes.

4. 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a spacing between the pair of bars of the support member has a size that allows a portion of the connector arm to contact an inside of the support member when the device pin is inserted, thereby limiting expansion of the connector arm.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein one surface of the protrusion contacts the connector arm when the device pin is inserted into the connector.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is made of an elastic material.

7. 2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein a spacing between the pair of bars of the support member is sized to allow a portion of the connector arm to contact the inside of the support member or one or more of the protrusions when the device pin is inserted, thereby limiting expansion of the connector arm.

8. A device comprising a battery pack described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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