Battery pack, electronic device including same, and automobile

Abstract

To provide a battery pack with improved safety by preventing a secondary explosion or thermal runaway phenomenon.SOLUTION: A battery pack with improved safety by preventing a secondary explosion or thermal runaway phenomenon includes: a plurality of battery modules each having a discharge port configured to discharge a gas generated therein to the outside; a tray to which the plurality of battery modules are mounted, the tray having a discharge hole for discharging a gas to the outside; and a pair of side covers having body portions elongated in one direction and respectively located at one side and the other side of the tray, a plurality of inlets formed by opening a part thereof and respectively connected to the discharge port, and a gas discharge portion configured to transport a gas introduced from the inlet to the discharge hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including the same, an electronic device, and a vehicle, and more particularly to a battery pack that improves safety by preventing secondary explosion or thermal runaway.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0052830, filed on April 29, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has grown rapidly and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, satellites, and other products has progressed in earnest, active research has been conducted into high-performance secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0004] Currently, secondary batteries such as nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries are commercially available, but lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages of being free to charge and discharge with almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and a high energy density.

[0005] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, and include an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate coated with a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode plate coated with a negative electrode active material are disposed with a separator interposed therebetween, and an exterior material, such as a battery case, that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] Depending on the shape of the exterior material, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet.

[0007] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for large-capacity battery packs that are used in electric vehicles and the like. Such large-capacity battery packs include multiple battery modules. If a fire or thermal runaway occurs in one of the multiple battery modules, the fire or thermal runaway may spread to other adjacent battery modules. This poses numerous safety issues for the battery packs.

[0008] Furthermore, battery packs installed in automobiles must be prepared for large impacts caused by vehicle collisions. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent damage to the internal components of the battery pack or fires or explosions of the secondary batteries due to external impacts. In particular, if the cooling member is damaged, the refrigerant inside the cooling member may leak, causing a short circuit between battery modules. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that is safer by preventing secondary explosion or thermal runaway.

[0010] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the embodiments of the present invention, and can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a battery pack according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0012] a plurality of battery modules each including an exhaust port configured to exhaust gas generated therein to the outside;

[0013] a tray on which a plurality of battery modules are placed and which is provided with an exhaust port for exhausting gas to the outside;

[0014] The tray includes a main body portion extending longitudinally in one direction and positioned on one side and the other side of the tray, a plurality of inlets formed with openings in portions and each connected to an exhaust port, and a pair of side covers each equipped with a gas exhaust portion configured to transport gas flowing in from the inlet to the exhaust port.

[0015] The gas discharge section may also be configured so that the cross-sectional area increases as it approaches the discharge port of the tray.

[0016] Furthermore, the main body of the side cover may have an internal space surrounded by an outer wall, and the internal space may be provided with a reinforcing rib extending from the inner surface of one side to the inner surface of the other side.

[0017] And the battery module

[0018] A plurality of secondary batteries;

[0019] a module housing that accommodates a plurality of secondary batteries therein;

[0020] At least one of one side and the other side of the module housing may be provided with a fixing portion configured to be coupled with the side cover.

[0021] Additionally, the secondary batteries may be configured to release gas in one direction or the other when abnormal behavior occurs.

[0022] Furthermore, the battery pack further includes a cooling pipe configured to allow a refrigerant to flow therethrough;

[0023] The side cover may include a pipe housing configured to surround at least a portion of the cooling pipe so that the cooling pipe is housed therein.

[0024] The tray may also include a temporary storage section configured to receive leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks from the cooling pipe.

[0025] In addition, the side covers

[0026] The device may further include a mounting portion provided on the outside of the body portion and having a fastening structure formed thereon to be coupled to an external device.

[0027] Additionally, the battery module may include a stopcock configured to seal the exhaust port below a predetermined temperature and melt to open the exhaust port above the predetermined temperature.

[0028] To achieve the above object, an electronic device according to another aspect of the present invention includes at least one battery pack as described above.

[0029] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes at least one battery pack as described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to one aspect of the present invention, the battery pack includes a pair of side covers each having a main body portion extending in one direction and positioned on one side and the other side of the tray, a plurality of inlets formed with openings and each connected to an exhaust port, and a gas exhaust portion configured to transport gas flowing in from the inlets to the exhaust port. Therefore, if high-temperature gas is generated in one of the plurality of battery modules due to abnormal behavior such as a fire or thermal runaway, the generated high-temperature gas does not heat up the adjacent battery modules but is discharged to the outside through the gas exhaust portion of the side cover positioned on the outside, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0031] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the side cover of the present invention has an outer wall formed to surround at least a portion of the cooling pipe and is provided with a pipe accommodating section that accommodates the cooling pipe inside, so that the side cover can surround and protect the cooling pipe, thereby preventing damage to the cooling pipe due to external impact.

[0032] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters described in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a plurality of secondary batteries of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 taken along line CC'. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a gas exhaust portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 2 is a bottom view schematically illustrating a battery module of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a partial bottom view schematically illustrating a battery module of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best explain the invention.

[0035] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0036] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a plurality of secondary batteries of the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the Y axis indicates the front-rear direction, the X axis indicates the left-right direction, and the Z axis indicates the up-down direction.

[0037] 1 to 3, a battery pack 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules 200, a tray 320, an upper cover 310, and a pair of side covers 330a and 330b.

[0038] Specifically, the battery module 200 may include a plurality of secondary batteries 100. The secondary batteries 100 may be pouch-type secondary batteries 100 including an electrode assembly (not shown), an electrolyte (not shown), and a pouch 116 containing these. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when viewed from the F direction (see FIG. 1), 21 pouch-type secondary batteries 100 may be stacked side by side in the front-to-rear direction inside the battery module 200.

[0039] On the other hand, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the reference is made to the direction F as viewed in relation to the directions of up, down, front, back, left and right.

[0040] 3, the positive electrode lead 112 and the negative electrode lead 111 may be formed at opposite left and right ends of the secondary battery 100. That is, the positive electrode lead 112 may be provided at one end (left end) of the secondary battery 100. The negative electrode lead 111 may be provided at the other end (right end) of the secondary battery 100.

[0041] The secondary battery 100 may have a body that is erected in the vertical direction. The secondary battery 100 may have a body that is elongated in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, a plurality of secondary batteries 100 may be configured to discharge gas to one side or the other in the event of abnormal behavior such as a fire or thermal runaway. For example, if the secondary battery 100 is a pouch battery, a portion B1 of the sealing portion on one side or the other of the pouch 116 may be formed with a weaker sealing force. Alternatively, a portion of the sealing portion on one side or the other of the pouch may be formed with a narrower sealing area than the other portion.

[0042] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the multiple secondary batteries 100 are configured to discharge gas in one direction or the other direction when abnormal behavior occurs, so that the discharge direction of gas inside the battery module 200 can be guided in the intended direction (towards the discharge port described below). This reduces gas stagnation inside the battery module 200, and effectively reduces the spread of secondary explosions of the secondary batteries 100 and fires inside the battery module 200.

[0043] However, the battery pack 300 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described pouch-type secondary battery 100, and various secondary batteries 100 known at the time of filing of the present invention may be used.

[0044] The battery pack 300 may include at least one bus bar (not shown) configured to electrically connect the multiple secondary batteries 100. Specifically, the bus bar may include a conductive metal, such as copper, aluminum, or nickel.

[0045] Furthermore, the battery pack 300 may include a wire-type bus bar (not shown) that electrically connects the plurality of battery modules 200 together.

[0046] Meanwhile, each of the battery modules 200 may include an exhaust port 215. The exhaust port 215 may have an opening to exhaust gas generated inside the battery module 200 to the outside. The exhaust port 215 may be formed on one side (-X-axis direction) and / or the other side (X-axis direction) of the battery module 200. For example, even if exhaust ports 215 are formed on both sides of the battery module 200, the opening of the exhaust port 215 on either one side or the other side may be closed to seal the battery module 200.

[0047] For example, among the six battery modules shown in FIG. 2, the battery module 200 located on the left side may close and seal the opening of the exhaust port on the other side (right side), and the battery module 200 located on the right side may close and seal the opening of the exhaust port on one side (left side).

[0048] Furthermore, the exhaust port 215 may be tubular and protrude toward the side cover 330. The exhaust port 215 may be configured to be coupled to the inlet E1 such that the tubular end communicates with the interior of the side cover 330.

[0049] The tray 320 may be configured to receive a plurality of battery modules 200. The tray 320 may include a mounting plate 323 extending in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction). The tray 320 may further include a base plate 324 coupled to a lower portion of the mounting plate 323. The tray 320 may include a plate-shaped front frame 325 and a rear frame 326 standing in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The front frame 325 may be coupled to a front end of the mounting plate 323. The rear frame 326 may be coupled to a rear end of the mounting plate 323.

[0050] Further, the tray 320 may be provided with an exhaust port E2 for exhausting gas to the outside. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the exhaust port E2 may be formed on each of the left and right sides of the front frame 325. The exhaust port E2 may have an open shape that allows the inside and outside of the battery pack 300 to communicate with each other.

[0051] The upper cover 310 may be coupled to the upper part of the tray 320. The upper cover 310 may have a size that can cover the plurality of battery modules 200 placed on the tray 320.

[0052] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 taken along line CC'.

[0053] 2 and 4, the side cover 330 may be elongated in one direction (the Y-axis direction). The side cover 330 may be formed by extrusion molding. A front end of the side cover 330 may be coupled to the front frame 325. A rear end of the side cover 330 may be coupled to the rear frame 326.

[0054] Furthermore, the side covers 330 may be located on one side and the other side of the mounting plate 323 of the tray 320, respectively. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the two side covers 330 may have body portions 333 located on the left and right ends of the mounting plate 323, respectively. As a result, the body portions 333 can serve as the left and right walls of the battery pack 300. The body portions 333 may be shaped to extend in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction). For example, the body portion 333 may be formed in a plate shape by extrusion molding in the front-rear direction. The body portion 333 may be shaped to stand upright in the vertical direction. The body portion 333 may be shaped like a plate with an open interior.

[0055] The side cover 330 may also include an inlet E1 formed with a partial opening. For example, the inlet E1 may be formed with a partial opening in a gas discharge portion 335, which will be described later. The inlet E1 may be configured to allow communication between the outside and the inside of the side cover 330. The multiple inlets E1 may each be connected to the discharge port 215. That is, the inlet E1 may be configured to face the opening of the discharge port 215, allowing communication between the gas discharge portion 335 and the discharge port 215.

[0056] Furthermore, the gas exhaust portion 335 may have a shape extending in one direction so as to transport gas flowing in from the inlet E1 to the exhaust port E2. The gas exhaust portion 335 may be formed inside the main body portion 333. The gas exhaust portion 335 may be formed by extrusion molding in a tubular shape extending in the front-rear direction and having an open interior. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the two side covers 330 may each have a gas exhaust portion 335 formed therein, and the gas exhaust portion 335 may have a shape extending in the front-rear direction. The front end of the gas exhaust portion 335 may be configured to be connected to the exhaust port E2 provided in the front frame 325.

[0057] The gas discharge part 335 may be located above the pipe housing part 339, which will be described later. This allows the gas discharge part 335 to utilize the free space in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) inside the battery pack 300, allowing more battery modules 200 to be placed on the tray 320. In other words, the energy density of the battery pack 300 can be increased.

[0058] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the battery pack 300 includes a pair of side covers 330a, 330b each having a main body 333 extending in one direction and positioned on one side and the other side of the tray 320, a plurality of inlets E1 formed with openings and each connected to the exhaust port 215, and a gas exhaust part 335 configured to transport gas flowing in from the inlet E1 to the exhaust port E2. Therefore, when high-temperature gas is generated in one of the plurality of battery modules 200 due to abnormal behavior such as a fire or thermal runaway, the generated high-temperature gas does not increase the temperature of the adjacent battery modules 200 but is discharged to the outside through the gas exhaust part 335 of the side cover 330 positioned on the outside (X direction), thereby improving the safety of the battery pack 300.

[0059] That is, the present invention can minimize the effects of high-temperature gas by transferring high-temperature gas generated from a battery module 200 to the side cover 330 located on the opposite side of the location of another battery module 200. As a result, if a fire or thermal runaway occurs in one battery module 200, it can effectively prevent the thermal runaway or fire from spreading in a chain reaction to other adjacent battery modules 200.

[0060] Furthermore, the side cover 330 can protect the battery modules 200 from impacts in the front-rear and left-right directions by being positioned on one side or the other side of the tray 320, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack 300.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a gas exhaust portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] 5 along with FIGS. 2 and 4, the side cover 330 of FIG. 5 may have a different shape of the gas discharge portion 335A compared to the side cover 330 of FIG. 4. For example, the gas discharge portion 335A of the side cover 330 may be configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the inner pipe increases as it approaches the discharge port E2 of the tray 320. That is, in the gas discharge portion 335A, the inner diameter (D1) of the inner pipe located farther from the discharge port E2 of the tray 320 may be smaller than the inner diameter (D2) of the inner pipe located closer to the discharge port E2.

[0063] As a result, the gas discharge unit 335A of the present invention is configured so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion located in the direction of the discharge port E2 (direction of arrow G) is wider, and since the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion adjacent to the discharge port E2 is the largest among the entire gas discharge unit 335A, the internal pressure of the portion close to the discharge port E2 may be lower than that of the portion far from the discharge port E2. As a result, gas flowing into the gas discharge unit 335A is guided to move toward the side with relatively lower pressure, i.e., toward the position of the discharge port E2 of the gas discharge unit 335A.

[0064] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas discharge section 335A is configured to become wider as it approaches the discharge port E2 of the tray 320, thereby guiding the gas to move toward the discharge port E2, allowing the gas to be discharged quickly and improving the safety of the battery pack 300.

[0065] 2 and 4, the main body 333 of the side cover 330 may have an internal space surrounded by an outer wall. The internal space may be provided with a reinforcing rib R1 extending from the inner surface of one side to the inner surface of the other side. For example, as shown in 4, the main body 333 of the side cover 330 may have an internal space surrounded by an outer wall. The internal space may be provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs R1 extending from the inner surface of one side to the inner surface of the other side.

[0066] Furthermore, the cross section of the reinforcing rib R1 is linear, but the reinforcing rib R1 may extend from the front end to the rear end of the main body 333. However, the reinforcing rib R1 is not limited to being provided only on the main body 333 of the side cover 330, and may also be provided on the gas exhaust portion 335, a mounting portion 337 (to be described later), and a pipe receiving portion 339. That is, the gas exhaust portion 335, the mounting portion 337, and the pipe receiving portion 339 are components of the side cover 330, and can protect the internal components with their unique mechanical rigidity when an external impact is applied to the battery pack 300.

[0067] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the provision of the reinforcing rib R1 in the internal space of the side cover 330 can effectively increase the mechanical rigidity of the side cover 330. This allows the battery pack 300 to safely protect the multiple battery modules 200 from external impacts in the left-right and front-rear directions.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a bottom view schematically illustrating a battery module of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] 2 and 6, the battery module 200 of the battery pack of the present invention may include a module housing 210. The module housing 210 may have an internal space for accommodating a plurality of secondary batteries 100 therein. The module housing 210 may include a fixing portion 217 configured to be coupled to the side cover 330. The fixing portion 217 may be formed on at least one of one side and the other side of the module housing 210.

[0070] For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the battery module 200 located on the right side of the plurality of battery modules 200 may have the fixing portion 217 formed on the left side. Conversely, the battery module 200 located on the left side may have the fixing portion 217 formed on the right side. Alternatively, the battery module 200 may have a fixing portion 217 on each of its two sides. The battery module 200 may have two fixing portions 217 on one or the other side. For example, the two fixing portions 217 may have a coupling hole H3 formed at a position corresponding to the coupling hole H1 formed in the side cover 330. The fixing portion 217 may be coupled to the side cover 330 using a fastening bolt (not shown) and a nut (not shown) inserted into the fastening hole H1 and the coupling hole H3.

[0071] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, by providing the fixing portion 217 configured to be coupled to the side cover 330 on at least one of one side and the other side of the module housing 210, it is possible to fix a plurality of battery modules 200 to the side cover 330. As a result, when the battery pack 300 is installed in a vehicle that is exposed to a frequent vibration environment, damage to the battery modules 200 due to vibration can be effectively reduced.

[0072] 1, 2, and 4, the battery pack 300 may further include a cooling pipe 350 configured to allow a coolant (not shown) to flow therethrough. The cooling pipe 350 may be in the form of a pipe. The coolant may be water.

[0073] The side cover 330 may also be provided with a pipe receiving portion 339 configured to receive the cooling pipe 350 therein. The pipe receiving portion 339 may be a space formed such that an outer wall surrounds at least a portion of the cooling pipe 350. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the outer wall of the pipe receiving portion 339 may include a portion 339a extending inward (rightward) from the inner surface of the main body 333, and another portion 339b bending downward from an end of the extended portion 339a and extending.

[0074] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the side cover 330 of the present invention has an outer wall formed to surround at least a portion of the cooling pipe 350 and is provided with a pipe accommodating section 339 that accommodates the cooling pipe 350 inside, so that the side cover 330 can surround and protect the cooling pipe 350 and prevent damage to the cooling pipe 350 due to external impact.

[0075] 4, the tray 320 may be provided with a temporary storage portion 327. Specifically, the temporary storage portion 327 may be configured to receive the leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks from the cooling pipe 350. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the temporary storage portion 327 may be formed in the space between the mounting plate 323 and the base plate 324.

[0076] The end 323a of the mounting plate 323 may be configured to be spaced apart from the main body 333 of the side cover 330. If the refrigerant leaks from the cooling pipe 350, the leaked refrigerant may flow into the temporary storage section 327 through the gap between the end 323a of the mounting plate 323 and the side cover 330.

[0077] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the tray 320 is provided with a temporary storage section 327 configured to allow the leaked refrigerant to flow in when the refrigerant leaks from the cooling pipe 350, thereby preventing the leaked refrigerant from flowing into the battery module 200 and preventing leakage, short circuit, etc. of the battery module 200 due to the refrigerant.

[0078] Meanwhile, referring again to FIG. 2 , the side cover 330 may further include a mounting portion 337. The mounting portion 337 may be provided on the outside of the main body portion 333 so as to be connected to an external device. The mounting portion 337 may be formed with a fastening structure so as to be connected to the external device. For example, the mounting portion 337 may be bolted to a structure inside the body of the automobile. For such bolting connection, the mounting portion 337 may be formed with a bolting hole H2 for inserting a bolt.

[0079] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the side cover 330 is formed with a fastening structure so as to be connected to an external device, and further includes an attachment portion 337 provided on the outside of the main body portion 333, so that the battery pack 300 can be stably fixed to the external device.

[0080] Furthermore, the mounting portion 337 may be configured to protect the plurality of battery modules 200 positioned therein from external impact. To this end, the mounting portion 337 may have a shape that protrudes outward from the body portion 333. The mounting portion 337 may have a hollow shape. That is, the mounting portion 337 may have a shape that protrudes outward so as to absorb or protect against impact when it is applied to the left or right side of the battery pack 300.

[0081] FIG. 7 is a partial bottom view schematically illustrating a battery module of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] 7 along with FIGS. 4 and 6, a battery module 200B of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a stopper 360 at the exhaust port 215. The stopper 360 may be configured to seal the outlet of the exhaust port 215 at or below a predetermined temperature and to melt at or above the predetermined temperature. For example, the stopper 360 may include a material having a melting point of 200°C or higher. For example, the stopper 360 may include a paraffin material. The stopper 360 may be configured to melt at, for example, 200°C to open the exhaust port 215.

[0083] Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the battery module 200B of the present invention includes the stop plug 360 configured to seal the exhaust port 215 below a predetermined temperature and melt to open the exhaust port 215 above the predetermined temperature, so that when a fire or thermal runaway occurs, the stop plug 360 melts due to high-temperature gas in the battery module 200B, thereby opening the exhaust port 215 and allowing the high-temperature gas to be discharged to the outside. During normal times when the internal temperature is maintained below a predetermined temperature, the exhaust port 215 is sealed to prevent external substances (conductive substances) from flowing into the battery module 200B.

[0084] Furthermore, by applying the stop plug 360 to the battery module 200B of the present invention, when high-temperature gas is discharged from the battery module 200B in the event of a fire or thermal runaway, the gas moving to the gas discharge section 335 can be prevented from flowing into the interior of the battery module 200B through the discharge port 215 of another adjacent battery module 200B.

[0085] Meanwhile, the battery pack 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include various devices (not shown) for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery module 200, such as a BMS (Battery Management System), a current sensor, a fuse, etc.

[0086] Meanwhile, an electronic device (not shown) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one of the above-described battery packs 300. The electronic device may further include a device housing (not shown) having a storage space for storing the battery pack 300, and a display unit that allows a user to check the charging status of the battery pack 300.

[0087] Furthermore, the battery pack 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. That is, the vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the battery pack 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted inside the vehicle body. In this case, the side cover 330 may be configured to be coupled to the vehicle body.

[0088] Although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are used merely for the convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0089] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 300: Battery pack 200: Battery module 310: Upper cover 100: Secondary battery 210: Module housing 215: Discharge port 217: Fixed part 320: Tray 325: Forward frame 326: Rear frame 323: Mounting plate 324: Base plate E2: Outlet 327: Temporary storage department 330, 330a, 330b: Side covers 333: Main body 335: Gas exhaust section 337: Mounting part 339: Pipe housing E1:Entrance R1: Reinforcement rib 350: Cooling pipe 360: Stopcock

Claims

1. a plurality of battery modules; a tray having a mounting plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted and a base plate coupled to a lower portion of the mounting plate; a cooling pipe configured to allow a refrigerant to flow therethrough, the cooling pipe being disposed on the peripheral portion of the mounting plate; a pair of side covers extending in one direction and positioned on one side and the other side of the tray, the pair of side covers including a pipe receiving portion configured to surround at least a portion of the cooling pipe so that the cooling pipe is received therein; A battery pack comprising: The tray includes a temporary storage section configured to receive leaked refrigerant when the refrigerant leaks from the cooling pipe, and the temporary storage section is formed in the space between the mounting plate and the base plate.

2. each of the plurality of battery modules includes an exhaust port configured to exhaust gas generated therein to the outside; The tray has an exhaust port for exhausting gas to the outside, the pair of side covers each include a plurality of inlets formed with openings in portions and each connected to the exhaust port, and a gas exhaust portion configured to transport gas flowing in from the inlets to the exhaust port; the plurality of battery modules are positioned on the tray such that the plurality of inlets face the exhaust ports of the plurality of battery modules, respectively; The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the gas exhaust portion is located above the pipe accommodating portion.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the gas discharge portion is configured so that a cross-sectional area thereof increases as it approaches the discharge port of the tray.

4. 4. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the battery module includes a stopper configured to seal the exhaust port at a temperature below a predetermined temperature and to melt to open the exhaust port at a temperature above the predetermined temperature.

5. The pair of side covers each have a main body portion extending in one direction and positioned on one side and the other side of the tray, The main body of the side cover has an internal space surrounded by an outer wall, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the internal space is provided with a reinforcing rib extending from one inner surface to the other inner surface.

6. The side cover is The battery pack of claim 5 , further comprising a mounting part having a fastening structure for being coupled to an external device and provided on an outer surface of the body.

7. The battery module includes: A plurality of secondary batteries; a module housing that houses the plurality of secondary batteries therein; The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of one side and the other side of the module housing is provided with a fixing portion configured to be coupled with the side cover.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of secondary batteries are configured to discharge gas in one direction or the other direction when abnormal behavior occurs.

9. A motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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