Cell assembly, battery pack including same, and automobile

Abstract

A cell assembly according to the present invention includes a cell stack consisting of one or two or more stacked pouch-type battery cells, both side portions of the cell stack along a width direction of the cell stack, and a cell cover provided to cover an upper portion of the cell stack, and the cell cover may be configured so that the width of the cell cover can be adjusted according to the width of the cell stack.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cell assembly, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle, and more particularly to a cell assembly including a cell cover capable of variably adjusting the width according to the thickness or number of pouch-type battery cells to accommodate the pouch-type battery cells, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0110376 filed on August 31, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0065245 filed on May 19, 2023, and the contents disclosed in the specifications and drawings of those applications are incorporated herein in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0003] As technological development and demand for mobile devices increases, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing. Nickel-cadmium batteries or hydrogen-ion batteries were traditionally used as secondary batteries, but recently lithium secondary batteries have become more widely used because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, can be charged and discharged freely, have a very low self-discharge rate, and have a high energy density.

[0004] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, each coated with the positive and negative electrode active materials, are arranged with a separator sandwiched between them, and an exterior material, i.e., a battery case, that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0005] Generally, secondary batteries are classified into can-type batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a metal can and pouch-type batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

[0006] Pouch-type secondary batteries have many advantages, such as being lightweight and having a high energy density relative to their volume due to the small amount of dead space that is created when stacked. However, pouch-type secondary batteries have problems such as being relatively vulnerable to external impacts and being somewhat difficult to assemble.

[0007] For this reason, in conventional battery packs, a battery module is formed by housing multiple pouch-type secondary batteries inside a module case, and one or more such battery modules are housed inside a pack case to form a battery pack. As disclosed in prior art documents such as Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0044599, an example of such a battery module includes a cell stack in which multiple pouch-type secondary batteries are held and stacked using various components, such as a plastic stacking frame (also known as a cartridge), plates at both ends in the cell stacking direction, and fastening members such as bolts, and a module case configured to house the cell stack. In this case, the pouch-type secondary batteries are protected from external impact and their movement is suppressed, thereby ensuring electrical reliability.

[0008] However, assembling pouch-type secondary batteries into battery modules and installing them in a battery pack as described above can be disadvantageous in terms of energy density. In particular, because a battery module includes not only pouch-type secondary batteries but also various other components such as a module case and a stacking frame, the weight and volume of the battery pack can unnecessarily increase. Therefore, research and development into so-called cell-to-pack type battery packs, which omit the battery module manufacturing process and directly attach multiple pouch-type secondary batteries to a pack case, has recently been actively conducted.

[0009] However, pouch-type secondary batteries with soft pouch cases are difficult to secure in the pack case and are at risk of damage. Furthermore, their durability against external impacts is also likely to be reduced. Therefore, the present applicant developed a cell cover that can partially surround and accommodate a predetermined number of pouch-type secondary batteries, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0021607. However, conventional cell covers are limited in the number and thickness of pouch-type secondary batteries that can be accommodated inside. Therefore, they have the disadvantage of being unable to increase or decrease the number of pouch-type secondary batteries that can be accommodated in one cell cover depending on the situation during the assembly process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a cell assembly that can mount pouch-type battery cells stably and space-efficiently in a pack case and includes a cell cover whose width can be adjusted according to the thickness or number of pouch-type battery cells.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that is easy to assemble and has improved energy density by using the cell assembly.

[0012] The technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a cell assembly including a cell stack consisting of one or two or more stacked pouch-type battery cells, and a cell cover provided to cover both side portions of the cell stack along a width direction of the cell stack and an upper portion of the cell stack, wherein the width of the cell cover is configured to be adjustable according to the width of the cell stack.

[0014] The cell cover may be configured to surround the cell stack such that a lower portion of the cell stack is exposed.

[0015] The cell cover may include a width-adjustable upper cover portion that covers the upper surface of the cell stack and has a variably adjustable width, a first side cover portion that extends downward from one side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion and covers one side of the cell stack, and a second side cover portion that extends downward from the other side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion and covers the other side of the cell stack.

[0016] The width-adjustable upper cover portion may include a first upper cover portion formed integrally with the first side cover portion, a second upper cover portion separated from the first upper cover portion and formed integrally with the second side cover portion, and a joint bracket unit connected to the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion and supporting the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion so that they can move horizontally at the same height.

[0017] The joint bracket unit may include a cover plate portion arranged on top of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion, and a link portion provided on at least one end of the cover plate portion along the longitudinal direction of the cover plate portion and bent to surround the end of the first upper cover portion and the end of the second upper cover portion from the outside to the inside.

[0018] The link portion may include a bending portion bent downward from the end of the cover plate portion, and a support portion extending in a direction intersecting the bending portion and supporting the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion together at the lower portions of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion.

[0019] The joint bracket unit may include a first fastening hole provided at a predetermined position, and the first upper cover part and the second upper cover part may include at least one second fastening hole that moves relative to the joint bracket unit and is aligned with the first fastening hole in the vertical direction.

[0020] The joint bracket unit may include a first cover plate portion arranged on the upper part of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion, a second cover plate portion arranged on the lower part of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion, and a connecting portion that integrally surrounds an end portion of the first upper cover portion and an end portion of the second upper cover portion and connects the first cover plate portion and the second cover plate portion.

[0021] The first cover plate portion has a first elongated hole at a predetermined position, and the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion each have a second elongated hole, and can be configured so that at least a portion of the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole align with each other when the first upper cover portion or the second upper cover portion is moved horizontally.

[0022] The pouch-type battery may further include a bus bar assembly having a terminal bus bar electrically connected to the electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack can be provided that includes a cell assembly group in which the above-mentioned cell assemblies are stacked in one direction, a pack tray on which the cell assembly group is placed, and a pack case that includes a pack cover that covers the cell assembly group.

[0024] The cell assembly group may be configured to be adhesively secured to an upper surface of the pack tray.

[0025] The pack tray may include cooling channels through which a refrigerant can flow.

[0026] The pack tray may include a fixing groove into which a lower end of the cell cover is inserted and fixed.

[0027] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle can be provided that includes the battery pack described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cell assembly can be provided that includes a cell cover whose width can be variably adjusted depending on the thickness or number of pouch-type battery cells housed therein.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, by assembling a battery pack using the cell assembly, the assembly process of the battery pack can be simplified and the energy density can be improved.

[0030] The present invention can have various other effects, which will be described in each embodiment, or effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will not be described. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the cell assembly of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a cell cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of the cell cover of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the cell cover of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the width of the cell cover in FIG. 4 is adjusted to be wider. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of the cell cover of FIG. 6. [Figure 8]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a pouch-type battery cell is housed by adjusting the width of the cell cover according to the situation using the cell cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a cell cover according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an assembled perspective view of the cell cover of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a cell cover according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an assembled perspective view of the cell cover of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and phrases used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention.

[0033] Therefore, it should be understood that the configurations shown in the embodiments described in this specification are merely the most desirable embodiments 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 therefor at the time of this application.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the cell assembly of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of a cell cover according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] 1 to 3, a cell assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cell stack 110 and a cell cover 120.

[0036] The cell stack 110 may be one or two or more stacked pouch-type battery cells 111. The pouch-type battery cell 111 may be manufactured by placing an electrode assembly and an electrolyte inside a pouch outer casing made of a laminate film containing a soft metal, and then sealing the pouch outer casing. Here, the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate.

[0037] 2, the pouch-type battery cell 111 includes an electrode lead 111a that functions as an electrode terminal. The electrode lead 111a may be electrically connected to the electrode assembly and exposed to the outside of the pouch exterior material. The electrode lead 111a may include a pair of a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead. Here, the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be provided at both front and rear ends of the pouch-type battery cell 111 in the longitudinal direction (X direction).

[0038] In addition, the pouch-type battery cell 111 may include a housing R in which an electrode assembly is housed, and four edges E1 to E4 surrounding the housing R. The four edges E1 to E4 refer to, for example, an upper edge E1, a lower edge E2, a front edge E3, and a rear edge E4 based on the housing R in a pouch-type battery cell 111 arranged upright as shown in FIG.

[0039] Here, the edges E1 to E4 may all be sealed, or only the remaining three edges E2, E3, and E4, or E1, E3, and E4, excluding the upper edge E1 or the lower edge E2, may be sealed. More specifically, a pouch-type battery cell 111 that employs a method of folding a single laminate film to house an electrode assembly has three sealed parts, while a pouch-type battery cell 111 that employs a method of joining edges of two laminate films has four sealed parts. Accordingly, the pouch-type battery cell 111 may have three sealed parts at its edges E2, E3, and E4, or E1, E3, and E4, or all four sealed parts at its edges E1 to E4.

[0040] The cell cover 120 may be configured to surround at least one pouch-type battery cell 111. In other words, the cell cover 120 may be configured to surround the cell stack 110. In particular, the cell cover 120 may be configured to surround the cell stack 110 such that a lower portion of the cell stack 110 is exposed. The cell cover 120 may be provided to cover both side portions of the cell stack 110 along the width direction of the cell stack 110 and an upper portion of the cell stack 110.

[0041] The cell cover 120 may be made of various materials to ensure rigidity. In particular, the cell cover 120 may be made of a metal material. Such a metal material can more stably maintain the stacked state of the pouch-type battery cells 111 and more safely protect the pouch-type battery cells 111 from external impact. In particular, the cell cover 120 may be made of steel or stainless steel. For example, the cell cover 120 may be made entirely of SUS material.

[0042] Therefore, by surrounding the cell stack 110 with the cell cover 120, the stacked and erected states of the pouch-type battery cells 111 can be stably maintained. In particular, the pouch-type battery cells 111 have an exterior material made of a soft material, which makes them vulnerable to external impacts and has low hardness. Therefore, it is not easy to store the pouch-type battery cells 111 themselves inside the pack case 200. However, in the present invention, the pouch-type battery cells 111 are housed in the cell cover 120, which prevents damage or breakage of the pouch-type battery cells 111 due to external impacts, and the stacked state can be stably maintained when stacked in the pack case 200. Therefore, the battery pack 10 does not need to additionally include a module case, a stacking frame, or fastening members for maintaining the stacked state. As a result, more battery cells 111 can be stored in the pack case 200, which can improve the energy density of the battery pack 10.

[0043] 1 and 2, the cell assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a bus bar assembly 130.

[0044] The bus bar assembly 130 includes a terminal bus bar 131 electrically connected to the electrode lead 111a of the pouch-type battery cell 111 housed in the cell cover 120, and may be configured to be coupled to the front open end O and rear open end O of the cell cover 120.

[0045] Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the busbar assembly 130 according to this embodiment may include a terminal busbar 131 and a busbar frame 132 that supports the terminal busbar 131 and is attachable and detachable to the front open end O of the cell cover 120 or the rear open end O of the cell cover 120 in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0046] The terminal busbars 131 may be made of a metal such as copper, nickel, or aluminum, and the busbar frame 132 may be made of an electrically insulating material such as plastic.

[0047] The bus bar frame 132 is provided in a generally plate-like shape with a size sufficient to cover the front open end O or the rear open end O of the cell cover 120, and may have lead slits 132a to allow the electrode leads 111a to pass through the pouch-type battery cells 111. Thus, the electrode leads 111a of the pouch-type battery cells 111 may pass through the lead slits 132a and be connected to the terminal bus bar 131. At this time, a welding process may be performed to fix the electrode leads 111a to the terminal bus bar 131.

[0048] 2 , the positive electrode leads of two pouch-type battery cells 111 may be connected to a terminal bus bar 131 disposed at the front open end O of the cell cover 120, and the negative electrode leads may be connected to a terminal bus bar 131 disposed at the rear open end O of the cell cover 120. In this case, the terminal bus bar 131 connected to the positive electrode leads may function as the positive terminal of the cell assembly 100, and the terminal bus bar 131 connected to the negative electrode leads may function as the negative terminal of the cell assembly 100.

[0049] Meanwhile, the cell cover 120 according to the present invention is configured so that the width of the cell cover 120 can be adjusted according to the width of the cell stack 110 .

[0050] For example, the cell cover 120 includes a width-adjustable upper cover part 121, a first side cover part 125, and a second side cover part 126 as shown in Fig. 2, and the width of the width-adjustable upper cover part 121 can be variably adjusted to adjust the width of the cell cover as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6. The cell cover 120 will be described in more detail below.

[0051] First, the first side cover part 125 may be configured to extend downward from one side edge along the width direction (Y direction) of the width-adjustable upper cover part 121. The first side cover part 125 may be provided in a shape that extends longer than the receiving portion R of the pouch-type battery cell 111.

[0052] The first side cover part 125 may be configured to cover one side of the cell stack 110. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, the first side cover part 125 may be configured to surround the entire one side of the cell stack 110 so that the one side of the cell stack 110 is not exposed to the outside.

[0053] The second side cover part 126 may be configured to extend downward from the other edge along the width direction (Y direction) of the width-adjustable upper cover part 121. Preferably, the second side cover part 126 may be provided parallel to and symmetrical with the first side cover part 125.

[0054] The second side cover part 126 may be configured to cover the other side part of the cell stack 110. In particular, the second side cover part 126 may be configured to surround the entire other side part of the cell stack 110 so that the other side part of the cell stack 110 is not exposed to the outside.

[0055] The width-adjustable upper cover part 121 may be configured to cover the upper surface of the cell stack 110. In particular, the width-adjustable upper cover part 121 may be configured to surround the entire upper surface of the cell stack 110 so that the upper surface of the cell stack 110 is not exposed to the outside, as shown in FIG.

[0056] According to this configuration of the cell cover 120, for example, when the cell assembly 100 is placed on the bottom surface of the pack case 200, not only can the stacked and upright state of the pouch-type battery cells 111 be stably maintained, but there is also the advantage that a cooling medium can be brought into direct or indirect contact with the lower edge of the pouch-type battery cells 111 to cool the pouch-type battery cells 111.

[0057] 3, the width-adjustable upper cover part 121 includes a first upper cover part 122 integrally formed with the first side cover part 125, and a second upper cover part 123 separated from the first upper cover part 122 and integrally formed with the second side cover part 126. In addition, the width-adjustable upper cover part 121 may include a joint bracket unit 124 connected to the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 and supporting the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 so that they can move horizontally at the same height.

[0058] The first upper cover part 122 may be provided in the form of a plate bent at the upper end of the first side cover part 125. In addition, the first upper cover part 122 may be provided to have a width shorter than the width of the joint bracket unit 124.

[0059] The second upper cover part 123 may be provided in the shape of a plate bent at the upper end of the second side cover part 126, and may be provided to have a width shorter than that of the joint bracket unit 124. The first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 may be configured so that at least a portion thereof is fitted into the joint bracket unit 124, which will be described later. Preferably, the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 may be provided symmetrically.

[0060] That is, the first upper cover part 122 and the first side cover part 125 may be manufactured to form one part, and the second upper cover part 123 and the second side cover part 126 may be manufactured to form another part. These two parts may be connected by a joint bracket unit 124, which will be described later.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 3, the joint bracket unit 124 according to this embodiment can include a cover plate portion 124a and a link portion 124b.

[0062] The cover plate portion 124a may be provided in the form of a plate having a length corresponding to the length of the cell cover 120. The cover plate portion 124a may be provided to have a width that is at least equal to or smaller than the sum of the widths of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123.

[0063] As will be described later, when the distance between the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 is widened, the cover plate part 124a can serve to shield the upper surface of the cell stack 110 between the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 so that it is not exposed to the outside.

[0064] The link portion 124b is a component for connecting the joint bracket unit 124 and the first upper cover portion 122, or the joint bracket unit 124 and the second upper cover portion 123. The link portion 124b is provided on at least one end of the cover plate portion 124a along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the cover plate portion 124a, and may be bent to surround the end of the first upper cover portion 122 and the end of the second upper cover portion 123 from the outside to the inside.

[0065] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the link portion 124b may include a bending portion 124c that is bent downward from the end of the cover plate portion 124a, and a support portion 124d that extends in a direction intersecting the bending portion 124c and integrally supports the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123 at the lower portions of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123.

[0066] The support portion 124d may be spaced a predetermined distance from the cover plate portion 124a and may have a plate surface parallel to the cover plate portion 124a. The distance between the support portion 124d and the cover plate portion 124a may be configured to correspond to the thickness of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123.

[0067] According to the configuration of the link portion 124b, the first upper cover portion 122 can be inserted into the space between the cover plate portion 124a and the link portion 124b, as shown in Figures 3 to 5. In particular, as shown in Figure 4, the first upper cover portion 122 can be configured so that both ends thereof are supported by two link portions 124b. In this case, the first upper cover portion 122 can be connected to the joint bracket unit 124 so that it is prevented from moving in the front-rear directions (±X directions) and the up-down directions (±Z directions) and is movable only in the left-right directions (±Y directions).

[0068] Both ends of the second upper cover part 123 can be inserted into the space between the cover plate part 124a and the link part 124b in a direction facing both ends of the first upper cover part 122. As shown in Fig. 4, both ends of the second upper cover part 123 are supported by two link parts 124b, and the second upper cover part 123 can be connected to the joint bracket unit 124 so that movement in the front-back direction (±X directions) and the up-down direction (±Z directions) is prevented and movement is possible only in the left-right direction (±Y directions).

[0069] According to this configuration of the cell cover 120, the left-right width of the cell cover 120 can be adjusted by relatively moving the first upper cover part 122 or the second upper cover part 123 in the left-right direction based on the joint bracket unit 124. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 are coupled to the joint bracket unit 124, and then the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 are partially pulled out from the joint bracket unit 124 as shown in Fig. 6. This further increases the gap between the first side cover part 125 and the second side cover part 126, thereby expanding the internal space of the cell cover 120.

[0070] Furthermore, the cell cover 120 according to the present embodiment may be configured to adjust the distance between the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 and then maintain the adjusted distance.

[0071] To this end, the joint bracket unit 124 may include at least one first fastening hole H1 to H6 at a predetermined position, and the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 may include at least one second fastening hole K1, K4 that moves relative to the joint bracket unit 124 and is aligned with the first fastening hole H1 to H6 in the vertical direction. A fastening member may be inserted into the first fastening holes H1 to H6 and the second fastening holes K1, K4 that are aligned with each other in the vertical direction. At least one of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 and the second fastening holes K1, K4 may have a screw thread, and the fastening member may be a bolt B1 that is fastened to the screw thread.

[0072] 3 and 4, the first fastening holes H1 to H6 and the second fastening holes K1 and K4 may be provided at both ends of the width-adjustable upper cover part 121. Here, six of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 may be provided at one end and the other end of the joint bracket unit 124, and one of the second fastening holes K1 and K4 may be provided at one end and the other end of the first upper cover part 122 and one of the second upper cover part 123.

[0073] The six first fastening holes H1 to H6 may be provided in an area where the cover plate portion 124a and the support portion 124d of the joint bracket unit 124 overlap, and may be spaced apart from one another in the width direction of the joint bracket unit 124. The second fastening hole K1 of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second fastening hole K4 of the second upper cover portion 123 may be positioned on the same line as the six first fastening holes H1 to H6.

[0074] Therefore, when both ends of the first upper cover part 122 and both ends of the second upper cover part 123 are pressed into the space between the cover plate part 124a and the support part 124d of the joint bracket unit 124, one of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 can be aligned in the up-down direction with the second fastening hole K1 or the second fastening hole K4 of the first upper cover part. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the first upper cover part 122 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening a bolt into the second fastening hole K1 of the first upper cover part 122 and the corresponding first fastening hole H1 of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124. Similarly, the second upper cover part 123 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly connected by fastening a bolt B1 into the second fastening hole K4 of the second upper cover part 123 and another first fastening hole H4 among the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124 that matches it.

[0075] On the other hand, when it is desired to widen the width of the cell cover 120, the bolt B1 is loosened from the cell cover 120 of FIG. 5, and at least one of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123 is partially pulled out from the joint bracket unit 124. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, the first upper cover portion 122 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening a bolt B1 into the second fastening hole K1 of the first upper cover portion 122 and another first fastening hole H3 among the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124 that matches therewith. Similarly, the second upper cover portion 123 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening a bolt into the second fastening hole K4 of the second upper cover portion 123 and another first fastening hole H6 among the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124 that matches therewith.

[0076] Therefore, according to the cell cover 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention as described above, the width of the cell cover 120 can be adjusted, for example, as shown in (a), (b), and (c) of Figures 8, and the same cell cover 120 can be used to accommodate pouch-type battery cells 111 of different thicknesses, as indicated by "Cell_1" and "Cell_2," or to accommodate additional pouch-type battery cells 111.

[0077] Next, a cell assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0078] Figure 9 is an oblique view showing the main configuration of a cell cover 120A related to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 10 is an assembled oblique view of the cell cover 120A of Figure 9, Figure 11 is an oblique view showing the main configuration of a cell cover 120B related to the third embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 12 is an assembled oblique view of the cell cover 120B of Figure 11.

[0079] The same component numbers as those in the above-described embodiment indicate the same components, and redundant explanations of the same components will be omitted, with the focus being on differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0080] In this embodiment of the present invention, the main difference from the above-described embodiment is the joint bracket unit 124 in the cell cover, and the other configurations are substantially the same. Therefore, the following description will focus on the joint bracket unit 124.

[0081] The joint bracket unit 124A of the cell assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the joint bracket unit 124 of the above-described embodiment in that it can be configured to be surrounded and supported not only by both ends of the first and second upper cover parts 122, 123 but also by the joint bracket unit 124A up to the portion between both ends of the first and second upper cover parts 122, 123.

[0082] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the joint bracket unit 124A according to the second embodiment may include a first cover plate portion 127 arranged on the upper part of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123, a second cover plate portion 128 arranged on the lower part of the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123, and a connecting portion 129 that integrally surrounds the end of the first upper cover portion 122 and the end of the second upper cover portion 123 and connects the first cover plate portion 127 and the second cover plate portion 128.

[0083] The distance between the first cover plate 127 and the second cover plate 128 may be configured to correspond to the thickness of the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123. In addition, the joint bracket unit 124 may be configured to be able to press the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 into the space between the first cover plate 127 and the second cover plate 128.

[0084] The joint bracket unit 124A according to the second embodiment of the present invention is more durable than the joint bracket unit 124 of the above-described embodiment, and can more stably support the first and second upper cover parts 122, 123. Therefore, it is particularly effective when applied to a cell cover 120A that accommodates a long pouch-type battery cell 111.

[0085] 9, for example, six first fastening holes H1 to H6 may be provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the joint bracket unit 124A. That is, the first fastening holes H1 to H6 may be provided not only at both ends of the joint bracket unit 124A but also in the area between them.

[0086] In addition, the second fastening holes K1 to K3 of the first upper cover part 122 and the second fastening holes K4 to K6 of the second upper cover part 123 may be arranged to be positioned on the same line as the six first fastening holes H1 to H6. In this case, as shown in Fig. 9, the first upper cover part 122 may have three second fastening holes K1 to K3 at predetermined intervals, and the second upper cover part 123 may also have three second fastening holes K4 to K6 at predetermined intervals.

[0087] 10, the first upper cover part 122 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening a bolt B1 into the second fastening holes K1 to K3 of the first upper cover part 122 and one first fastening hole H1 of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124 that matches therewith. Similarly, the second upper cover part 123 and the joint bracket unit 124 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening a bolt B1 into the second fastening holes K4 to K6 of the second upper cover part 123 and another first fastening hole H4 of the first fastening holes H1 to H6 of the joint bracket unit 124 that matches therewith.

[0088] Of course, as described above, if it is desired to widen the width of the cell cover 120, the bolt B1 is loosened, and at least one of the first upper cover part 122 and the second upper cover part 123 is partially pulled out from the joint bracket unit 124, and the bolt B1 is again fastened to the first fastening holes H1 to H6 and the second fastening holes K1 to K6 that are aligned in the vertical direction.

[0089] Meanwhile, a joint bracket unit 124B of a cell assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention has a different shape of fastening holes from the joint bracket unit 124A of the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11. That is, a first cover plate portion 127 of the joint bracket unit 124B according to the third embodiment may have first elongated holes J1 and J2 at predetermined positions, and the first upper cover portion 122 and the second upper cover portion 123 may have second elongated holes P1 and P2, respectively, so that at least a portion of the first elongated holes J1 and J2 and the second elongated holes P1 and P2 may be configured to align with each other when the first upper cover portion 122 or the second upper cover portion 123 is moved horizontally. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the joint bracket unit 124B and the first and second upper cover parts 122 and 123 can be fixedly coupled together by fastening bolts at the portions where the first elongated holes J1 and J2 of the joint bracket unit 124B and the second elongated holes P1 and P2 of the first and second upper cover parts 122 and 123 are aligned in the vertical direction.

[0090] In the first and second embodiments described above, the first fastening holes H1-H6 must be precisely aligned with the second fastening holes K1-K6 to fasten the joint bracket unit 124 and the first upper cover part 122 or the joint bracket unit 124 and the second upper cover part 123 with bolts, making it difficult to precisely adjust the width of the cell cover 120. However, in the third embodiment, as long as the first elongated holes J1 and J2 and the second elongated holes P1 and P2 are aligned or overlap each other, the joint bracket unit 124B and the first upper cover part 122 or the joint bracket unit 124B and the second upper cover part 123 can be fastened and fixed with the bolt B1. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the width of the cell cover 120B can be more precisely adjusted than in the above-described embodiments.

[0091] FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] 13 and 14, a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a cell assembly group 11 in which the above-described cell assemblies 100 are stacked in one direction, and a pack case 200 that houses at least one cell assembly group 11.

[0093] 13, the cell assembly group 11 is a collection of a predetermined number of cell assemblies 100, and may be composed of cell assemblies 100 stacked such that the first side cover portion 125 or the second side cover portion 126 faces each other. Although not shown in detail for convenience of illustration, the cell assemblies 100 may be configured to be connected to each other in series or in parallel.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 13, the pack case 200 includes a pack tray 210 and a pack cover 220. The pack tray 210 is configured in a box shape with an open top and can accommodate a plurality of cell assembly groups 11 in its internal space. The pack cover 220 may be configured in the shape of a lid that covers the open top of the pack tray 210. In this case, the pack cover 220 may also be configured in a box shape with an open bottom. The pack case 200 may be made of plastic or metal. Of course, various exterior materials of the battery pack 10 known at the time of filing the present invention may also be used as the material of the pack case 200.

[0095] 13, a thermally conductive adhesive 300 may be provided on the bottom plate of the pack tray 210 on which the cell assembly group 11 is placed. Thus, the cell assembly group 11 may be adhesively fixed to the pack tray 210.

[0096] 14, the pack tray 210 may include cooling channels 211 through which a refrigerant can flow. That is, the pack tray 210 has the cooling channels 211 inside the bottom plate, and can function as a heat sink. Here, a heat sink refers to an object that absorbs and dissipates heat from another object through direct or indirect thermal contact.

[0097] In particular, according to the present invention, as described above, the cell cover 120 is configured to expose the lower edge E2 of the pouch-type battery cell 111. Therefore, when the cell assembly group 11 is placed on the bottom plate of the pack tray 210, the lower edge E2 of the pouch-type battery cell 111 can directly face the bottom plate of the pack tray 210. At this time, a thermally conductive adhesive 300 is filled between the lower edge E2 of the pouch-type battery cell 111 and the bottom plate of the pack tray 210, thereby improving both the fixation and heat dissipation of the pouch-type battery cell 111. Therefore, heat from all of the pouch-type battery cells 111 mounted in the battery pack 10 is more effectively transferred to the pack case 200, improving the cooling performance of the battery pack 10. In addition, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention does not require a separate cooling structure between the pouch-type battery cell 111 and the pack case 200, thereby achieving efficient cooling performance.

[0098] In addition, the pack tray 210 may have fixing grooves into which the lower ends of the cell covers 120 are inserted and fixed. That is, the lower ends of the first side cover portion 125 and the second side cover portion 126 of the cell cover 120 may be fitted into the bottom plate of the pack tray 210. For example, as shown by "Q1" in Fig. 14, the lower ends of the respective cell covers 120 may be partially fitted into and fixed to the bottom plate of the pack tray 210. This makes it possible to make the upright state of the cell covers 120 in the pack tray 210 more stable.

[0099] Meanwhile, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention can be used as a power energy source for a vehicle. That is, a vehicle V according to the present invention can include the battery pack 10 according to the present invention described above, as shown in FIG. 15. Here, the vehicle according to the present invention can include a predetermined vehicle that uses electricity as a power source, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle according to the present invention can further include various other components included in the vehicle, such as a vehicle body and a motor, in addition to the battery pack 10 according to the present invention.

[0100] 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 are used for the convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object of interest, the position of the observer, etc.

[0101] 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 a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 Battery Pack 11 Cell Assembly Group 100 Cell Assembly 110 Cell Stack 111 Battery Cells 111a Electrode lead 120, 120A, 120B cell cover 121 Width adjustment upper cover 122 First upper cover part 123 Second upper cover part 124 Joint bracket unit 124a Lid plate part 124A Joint Bracket Unit 124b Link section 124B Joint Bracket Unit 124c bend 124d Support part 125 First side cover part 126 Second side cover part 127 1st cover plate part 128 2nd cover plate part 129 Connection section 130 Busbar assembly 131 Terminal bus bar 132 Busbar frame 132a Lead slit 200 pack case 210 Pack Tray 211 Cooling Channel 220 Pack Cover 300 Thermally conductive adhesive B1 Bolt E1 Upper edge E2 Lower edge E3 Front edge E4 Rear edge H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 1st fastening hole J1, J2 1st slot K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6 2nd fastening hole O Front open end P1, P2 Second oblong hole R Storage area V Automobile

Claims

1. a cell stack consisting of one or two or more stacked pouch-type battery cells; a cell cover provided to cover both side surfaces of the cell stack along the width direction of the cell stack and an upper portion of the cell stack, the cell cover is configured so that the width of the cell cover can be adjusted according to the width of the cell stack; The cell cover is a width-adjustable upper cover portion that covers an upper surface portion of the cell stack and has a variably adjustable width; a first side cover portion extending downward from one side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion and covering one side of the cell stack; a second side cover portion extending downward from the other side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion to cover the other side portion of the cell stack, The width-adjustable upper cover portion is a first upper cover portion formed integrally with the first side cover portion; a second upper cover portion separated from the first upper cover portion and integrally formed with the second side cover portion; a joint bracket unit connected to the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion, The width-adjustable upper cover portion is configured to variably adjust its width depending on a connection position between the joint bracket unit and the first and second upper cover portions.

2. The cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cell cover is configured to surround the cell stack such that a lower portion of the cell stack is exposed.

3. A cell stack consisting of one or two or more stacked pouch-type battery cells; a cell cover provided to cover both side surfaces of the cell stack along the width direction of the cell stack and an upper portion of the cell stack, the cell cover is configured so that the width of the cell cover can be adjusted according to the width of the cell stack; The cell cover is a width-adjustable upper cover portion that covers an upper surface portion of the cell stack and has a variably adjustable width; a first side cover portion extending downward from one side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion and covering one side of the cell stack; a second side cover portion extending downward from the other side end of the width-adjustable upper cover portion to cover the other side portion of the cell stack, The width-adjustable upper cover portion is a first upper cover portion formed integrally with the first side cover portion; a second upper cover portion separated from the first upper cover portion and integrally formed with the second side cover portion; a joint bracket unit connected to the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion and supporting the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion so that they can move horizontally at the same height.

4. The joint bracket unit is a cover plate portion disposed on an upper portion of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion; 4. The cell assembly of claim 3, further comprising: a link portion provided at at least one end of the cover plate portion along the longitudinal direction of the cover plate portion, the link portion being bent so as to surround the end of the first upper cover portion and the end of the second upper cover portion from the outside to the inside.

5. The link portion is a bent portion bent downward from an end of the cover plate portion; 5. The cell assembly of claim 4, further comprising: a support portion extending in a direction intersecting the folding portion and supporting the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion together at lower portions of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion.

6. The joint bracket unit includes a first fastening hole provided at a predetermined position, The cell assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion are configured to move relative to the joint bracket unit and include at least one second fastening hole aligned with the first fastening hole in the vertical direction.

7. The joint bracket unit is a first cover plate portion disposed on an upper portion of the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion; a second cover plate portion disposed below the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion; The cell assembly according to claim 3 , further comprising: a connecting portion that integrally surrounds an end portion of the first upper cover portion and an end portion of the second upper cover portion and connects the first cover plate portion and the second cover plate portion.

8. the first cover plate portion has a first elongated hole at a predetermined position, the first upper cover portion and the second upper cover portion each include a second elongated hole; The cell assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole are configured to at least partially align with each other when the first upper cover part or the second upper cover part is moved horizontally.

9. The cell assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a bus bar assembly having a terminal bus bar electrically connected to an electrode lead of the pouch-type battery cell.

10. a cell assembly group in which the cell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is stacked in one direction; A battery pack including: a pack tray on which the cell assembly group is placed; and a pack case including a pack cover that covers the cell assembly group.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the cell assembly group is adhesively fixed to the upper surface of the pack tray.

12. The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the pack tray includes a cooling channel through which a coolant can flow.

13. The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the pack tray includes a fixing groove into which a lower end of the cell cover is inserted and fixed.

14. A motor vehicle comprising the battery pack of claim 10.

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