Pack housing with integrated filter mesh applied to vent hole and battery pack including same

Abstract

The pack housing according to the present invention has an internal space for accommodating battery cells, and includes a venting hole provided on at least one surface to communicate with the internal space, and a hole cover assembly for covering the venting hole. The hole cover assembly may include a filter mesh having a resin filter layer formed from a resin and a mesh net integrated with the resin filter layer by insert injection, the filter mesh being interposed in the venting hole, and a mounting plate in the form of a hollow frame provided to press a peripheral region of the filter mesh and connect to at least one surface.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pack housing, and more particularly to a pack housing having an integrated filter mesh that reduces man-hours when assembled to a vent hole through which gas is discharged and has waterproof and dustproof properties, and a battery pack including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0140699, filed on October 27, 2020, and the entire contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the relevant application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] A battery pack of an energy storage system (ESS) includes secondary battery cells, and can store power during the day and take it out for use as needed. For example, the battery pack can store electricity generated by solar panels or wind power generation in the secondary battery cells and take it out for use.

[0004] The ESS battery pack may be configured in various sizes and weights according to storage capacity. For example, a home ESS battery pack may be provided in the shape of a rectangular box having a size of about 120×80×20 cm (height×width×thickness) and may be provided to be mounted on a wall or a pole indoors or outdoors using a bracket or the like.

[0005] Meanwhile, if a secondary battery cell is overcharged during charging / discharging or an internal short circuit occurs due to some factor, the temperature rises and gas is generated by a chemical reaction, which may leak from the secondary battery cell. The ESS battery pack has a vent hole to discharge the gas to the outside. The vent hole is generally provided on the bottom or top of the pack housing.

[0006] ESS battery packs are required to have a certain level of IP (Ingress Protection) rating as they are safety certified products, and therefore waterproof and dustproof measures are applied to the vent holes to prevent moisture and foreign objects from entering the pack housing through the vent holes.

[0007] One example of the waterproof and dustproof means according to the prior art is one in which two mesh nets of a size corresponding to the vent hole are arranged with a fiber filter between them. However, by placing a thick fiber filter between the two mesh nets to meet the IP rating, the thickness of the waterproof and dustproof means increases, and it is necessary to align and assemble each mesh net and fiber filter to match the vent hole, which makes the work difficult. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a pack housing equipped with waterproof and dustproof means that can reduce the number of steps when applied to a vent hole provided in the pack housing and that satisfies waterproof and dustproof performance, and a battery pack including the same.

[0009] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a pack housing according to one example of the present invention includes a venting hole provided on at least one surface to communicate with the internal space, and a hole cover assembly covering the venting hole, wherein the hole cover assembly may include a filter mesh having a resin filter layer formed from a resin and a mesh net integrated with the resin filter layer by insert injection, the filter mesh being interposed in the venting hole, and a mounting plate in the form of a hollow frame provided to press a peripheral region of the filter mesh and attach to the at least one surface.

[0011] The at least one surface may be at least one of a lower plate forming a bottom surface of the pack housing and an upper plate forming a ceiling surface of the pack housing.

[0012] The mesh netting may be made of a metal material and may include a first mesh netting and a second mesh netting arranged to face the first mesh netting at a predetermined distance, and the resin filter layer may be located between the first mesh netting and the second mesh netting.

[0013] The mesh netting may further include an outer frame connected to a peripheral region of the first mesh netting and a peripheral region of the second mesh netting and surrounding the resin filter layer.

[0014] The resin filter layer may include a first filter layer and a second filter layer disposed to face the first filter layer at a predetermined distance, and the mesh net may be made of a metal material and may be located between the first filter layer and the second filter layer.

[0015] The mesh netting may be configured such that a peripheral region thereof is formed to extend in a vertical direction so as to surround the first filter layer and the second filter layer.

[0016] The resin filter layer may be made of at least one of a fluororesin, a polyurethane resin, and an epoxy resin.

[0017] The pack housing may include a housing body formed as a hollow structure, the housing body having a lower end portion coupled to the lower plate and an upper end portion coupled to the upper plate.

[0018] The lower plate or the upper plate includes a recess formed along a periphery of the vent hole so that a peripheral region of the filter mesh can be placed thereon, the recess having a column in a corner region having a helical thread formed along an inner peripheral surface of an inner diameter, the filter mesh being provided in a form in which the corner region is cut out, and the mounting plate has bolt fastening holes in the corner region and can be fixed by bolt members that are inserted into the bolt fastening holes and fastened to the column.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a home ESS battery pack including the pack housing described above. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, when applied to a vent hole for discharging gas, it is possible to provide a pack housing having an integrated filter mesh that is waterproof and dustproof, and a battery pack including the same, which can reduce the number of manufacturing steps.

[0021] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects of the present invention not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lower plate of the pack housing of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hole cover assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the filter mesh of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 and showing a modified example of the filter mesh. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as being in accordance with the meaning and concept of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to best describe the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings are only one most preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0024] The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the shapes and sizes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or illustrated in a schematic manner for a clearer explanation. Therefore, the size and proportion of each component do not entirely reflect the actual size and proportion.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lower plate of the pack housing of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a hole cover assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Referring to these drawings, a home ESS battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell (not shown), a pack housing 10 that accommodates the battery cell, a vent hole 20 provided on at least one side of the pack housing 10, and a hole cover assembly 30 provided on the vent hole 20.

[0027] The battery cell (not shown) may be a lithium ion secondary battery, which includes an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and an exterior material that seals them. The battery cell may be classified into a pouch type, a cylindrical type, and a rectangular type depending on the type of the exterior material, and is not limited to a specific shape.

[0028] The electrode assembly may be configured as an assembly of an electrode and a separator, in which one or more positive electrode plates and one or more negative electrode plates are arranged with a separator sandwiched therebetween. Each electrode plate of the electrode assembly may be provided with an electrode tab and connected to an electrode lead. For example, in the case of a pouch-type secondary battery, one or more electrode tabs may be connected to an electrode lead. The electrode lead is interposed between the pouch exterior materials, and one end of the electrode lead is exposed to the outside, so that the electrode lead can function as an electrode terminal.

[0029] The configuration of such a secondary battery is obvious to those skilled in the art in the technical field to which the present application pertains, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Various secondary batteries known at the time of filing of the present application may be used in the home ESS battery pack according to the present invention.

[0030] The pack housing 10 may include a lower plate 11 forming a bottom surface, an upper plate 12 forming a ceiling surface, and a housing body 13 formed into a hollow structure. The housing body 13 may be manufactured by extrusion molding, and forms the front surface, rear surface, and both side surfaces of the pack housing 10.

[0031] Although not shown in detail, the housing body 13 can be configured such that its lower end can be connected to the lower plate 11 by bolting or hook fastening, and its upper end can be configured such that it can be connected to the upper plate 12 by bolting or hook fastening.

[0032] The pack housing 10 has an internal space surrounded by the lower plate 11, the upper plate 12, and the housing body 13, and is made of a metal material with high mechanical rigidity, thereby protecting the battery cells and other built-in components from external impacts and vibrations.

[0033] The venting hole 20 is a means for discharging gas generated in the battery cell to the outside of the pack housing 10, and one or more venting holes 20 may be provided on at least one surface of the pack housing 10.

[0034] It is preferable that the venting hole 20 is provided in the lower plate 11 as in this embodiment. This is because, if the venting hole 20 is provided in the upper plate 12 or the housing body 13, rainwater may flow into the pack housing 10 through the venting hole 20 during rainy weather, and foreign objects and dust may fall and accumulate around the venting hole 20.

[0035] However, when the lower plate 11 is provided with the vent hole 20, rainwater will not flow in through the vent hole 20, and foreign matter or dust will not fall and accumulate around the vent hole 20.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vent hole 20 is embodied as a rectangle, but the vent hole 20 does not necessarily have to be a rectangle. The vent hole 20 may be configured in various shapes and sizes such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, etc., as necessary.

[0037] The hole cover assembly 30 is configured to cover the vent hole 20 to keep the ESS battery pack waterproof and dustproof at all times, and is fixedly coupled to the lower plate 11.

[0038] The hole cover assembly 30 according to this embodiment may include a filter mesh 31, a mounting plate 34, and a bolt member 35, as shown in FIGS.

[0039] The filter mesh 31 is formed by integrating a resin filter layer 32 made of resin with a metal mesh 33 by insert injection molding. In other words, the filter mesh 31 is formed by putting a prefabricated metal mesh 33 into an injection mold and molding a filter layer with resin. That is, the filter mesh 31 is a product that combines the conventional waterproof and dustproof means consisting of a plurality of meshes 33 and filters into a single product, making use of the unique advantages of each.

[0040] As compared to the waterproof / dustproof means mentioned in the last paragraph of the Background Art, which is provided in the vent hole 20 after fabricating a fiber filter and a mesh net separately and laminating and aligning them, the filter mesh 31 according to the present invention is an integrated product, and therefore can be directly installed in the vent hole 20 without laminating and aligning the resin filter layer 32 and the mesh net 33.

[0041] In addition, the filter mesh 31 is formed by closely adhering the resin filter layer 32, which has a weak rigidity, and the mesh net 33, which has a somewhat insufficient waterproofing function, so that the shortcomings of the resin filter layer 32 and the mesh net 33 are complemented by each other, thereby providing both waterproof and dustproof performance and excellent durability.

[0042] The resin filter layer 32 may have a porous structure capable of filtering out fine foreign matter. The resin used to form the resin filter layer 32 may be a resin having excellent heat resistance, such as a fluororesin, a polyurethane resin, or an epoxy resin.

[0043] For example, the fluororesin has excellent properties such as heat resistance, corrosion resistance, low temperature resistance, electrical insulation, and high frequency characteristics, compared to ordinary plastics. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to a specific type of resin. The resin may be one having various chemical properties, such as a resin for suppressing fire occurrence.

[0044] The mesh net 33 serves to prevent the inflow of foreign matter and to support the resin filter layer 32. The mesh net 33 may have an opening of 1 mm horizontal x 1 mm vertical or less. The mesh net 33 may be made of a material with good rigidity such as stainless steel. However, the material does not necessarily have to be stainless steel, and any material having good heat resistance and durability may be used.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the filter mesh of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG.

[0046] The configuration of the filter mesh 31 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The mesh net 33 includes a first mesh net 33a, a second mesh net 33b, and an outer frame 33c. The resin filter layer 32 is configured to be located between the first mesh net 33a and the second mesh net 33b.

[0047] The first mesh net 33a and the second mesh net 33b may be provided with the same shape and size and may be configured to face each other at a fixed distance from each other. The first mesh net 33a and the second mesh net 33b may have their peripheral regions connected to an outer frame 33c, so that the distance between them may be kept constant. The resin filter layer 32 may be located between the first mesh net 33a and the second mesh net 33b, and the periphery of the resin filter layer 32 may be surrounded by the outer frame 33c.

[0048] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the resin filter layer 32 is disposed in the space surrounded by the first mesh net 33a, the second mesh net 33b, and the outer frame 33c, and therefore is not easily twisted even under strong impact or heat.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a modified example of the filter mesh 31. In FIG.

[0050] In a modified example of this embodiment, the filter mesh 31 may be configured such that the resin filter layer is divided into a first filter layer 32a and a second filter layer 32b, and the mesh net 33 is positioned between the first filter layer 32a and the second filter layer 32b.

[0051] 6, the first filter layer 32a may be located on the upper part of the mesh net 33, and the second filter layer 32b may be located on the lower part of the mesh net 33 and spaced apart from the first filter layer 32a. The mesh net 33 may be formed in an approximately "H" shape with a peripheral region 33d extending in the vertical direction to surround the peripheral edges of the first filter layer 32a and the second filter layer 32b.

[0052] According to this configuration, the relatively rigid mesh netting 33 acts as a framework inside the resin filter layer 32, preventing deformation of the resin filter layer 32. In addition, during insert injection molding, the contact surface between the mesh netting 33 and the resin filter layer 32 extends over a wide area in all directions, improving the bonding strength between the two materials.

[0053] The mounting plate 34 is an intermediate means for attaching the filter mesh 31 to the lower plate 11 and is provided in the form of a central frame. In this embodiment, the mounting plate 34 is provided in the form of a square frame corresponding to the four sides of the peripheral region of the filter mesh 31 and is configured to be bolted to the lower plate 11 by pressing the four sides of the filter mesh 31.

[0054] Further referring to FIG. 3, the assembly structure of the hole cover assembly 30 and the lower plate 11 according to this embodiment will be described as follows.

[0055] The lower plate 11 has a recess 11a recessed along the periphery of the venting hole 20 to receive the peripheral region of the filter mesh 31. For example, the recess 11a may be formed at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the lower plate 11 and may be a step with the upper surface, as shown in Fig. 3. The filter mesh 31 is received in the peripheral region of the recess 11a and does not enter the venting hole 20.

[0056] The recess 11a has columns 11b in the corner regions, each having a helical thread formed along the inner circumferential surface of the inner diameter. The columns 11b are provided so that their height is approximately equal to the thickness of the filter mesh 31. In this embodiment, the columns 11b are provided in four locations, taking into consideration that the mounting plate 34 has a square frame shape. However, the number and positions of the columns 11b can be changed.

[0057] In addition, the filter mesh 31 has four corner regions that are cut out or recessed inward to avoid interference with the four columns 11b, and the mounting plate 34 has four bolt fastening holes 34a in the four corner regions into which bolts are inserted.

[0058] With this configuration, the filter mesh 31 is attached to the recessed portion 11a of the lower plate 11, and the mounting plate 34 is disposed on the upper portion of the filter mesh 31. At this time, the columns 11b are positioned at four corner areas of the filter mesh 31, and the bolt fastening holes 34a of the mounting plate 34 are aligned with the inner diameter of the columns 11b.

[0059] Thereafter, the mounting plate 34 is fixed to the column 11b using bolt members 35. At this time, the filter mesh 31 is firmly fixed by having its four sides pressed between the recessed portion 11a and the mounting plate 34.

[0060] According to the assembly structure and configuration of the hole cover assembly 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in an emergency, gas generated inside the pack housing 10 can be discharged to the outside through the vent hole 20 and the filter mesh 31, and under normal circumstances, the filter mesh 31 can prevent moisture or foreign matter from entering the inside of the pack housing 10 through the vent hole 20.

[0061] In particular, the filter mesh 31 is formed by integrating the resin filter layer 32 and the metal mesh 33 into one product through insert injection, so that when applied to the vent hole 20, it is easy to assemble and the thickness required for waterproofing and dustproofing can be reduced compared to conventional products.

[0062] Meanwhile, in addition to the above-mentioned components, the ESS battery pack according to the present invention may further include various devices for controlling charging and discharging of the battery cells, for example, a BMS, a relay, a current sensor, a fuse, etc., built into the pack housing.

[0063] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiment described above, and it goes without saying that anyone having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the invention pertains can make various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims, and such modifications are included in the scope of the claims.

[0064] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms indicate relative positions and are used only for convenience of explanation, and may change depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Pack Housing 11 Lower Plate 11a Recessed part 11b Column 12 Top Plate 13 Housing body 20 Venting Hall 30 Hole cover assembly 31 Filter Mesh 32 Resin filter layer 32a First filter layer 32b Second filter layer 33 Mesh Net 33a First mesh net 33b Second mesh net 33c Outer frame 33d Periphery 34 Mounting plate 34a Bolt fastening hole 35 Bolt material

Claims

1. A pack housing having an interior space for receiving battery cells, A vent hole provided on at least one surface so as to communicate with the internal space; a hole cover assembly for covering the vent hole; The hole cover assembly includes: A filter mesh including a resin filter layer formed from a resin and a mesh net integrally formed with the resin filter layer, the filter mesh being interposed in the vent hole; a mounting plate in the form of a hollow frame adapted to press against a peripheral region of the filter mesh and to couple to the at least one surface; The resin filter layer includes a first filter layer and a second filter layer disposed opposite the first filter layer at a predetermined distance, The pack housing, wherein the mesh net is formed from a metal material and is positioned between the first filter layer and the second filter layer.

2. The pack housing according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one surface is at least one of a lower plate forming a bottom surface of the pack housing and an upper plate forming a ceiling surface of the pack housing.

3. The pack housing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mesh netting is formed so that its peripheral region extends in the vertical direction to surround the first filter layer and the second filter layer.

4. The pack housing according to claim 1 , wherein the resin filter layer is made of at least one of a fluororesin, a polyurethane resin, and an epoxy resin.

5. The pack housing according to claim 2 , characterized in that the pack housing includes a housing body formed as a hollow structure, the lower end of which is adapted to be coupled to the lower plate and the upper end of which is adapted to be coupled to the upper plate.

6. the lower plate or the upper plate includes a recess formed along a periphery of the vent hole to receive a peripheral region of the filter mesh, the recess comprises a column in a corner region that is threaded along an inner circumferential surface of the inner diameter; The pack housing according to claim 2 or 5, wherein the filter mesh is provided in a form in which a corner region is cut out, and the mounting plate has bolt fastening holes in the corner regions and is fixed by bolt members that are inserted into the bolt fastening holes and fastened to the column.

7. A home ESS battery pack comprising a pack housing according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for manufacturing a pack housing having an interior space for accommodating battery cells, comprising the steps of: preparing a plate constituting one surface of a pack housing, the plate having a vent hole provided so as to communicate with the internal space; manufacturing a filter mesh by integrating a resin filter layer formed from a resin and a mesh net by insert injection molding; placing a peripheral region of the filter mesh around a peripheral edge of the vent hole; a mounting plate in the form of a hollow frame is coupled to the plate so as to press against a peripheral region of the filter mesh; A method comprising:

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