Battery pack and device including the same

Abstract

The present invention comprises a battery pack and a device including the same, wherein a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises at least one battery module; a pack case comprising a first side plate that accommodates the at least one battery module and constitutes one surface of the pack case; a sealing member mounted in a groove located along the edge of the first side plate; and a drain hole which is a passage connecting from the groove to the outside of the first side plate, wherein the drain hole is formed penetrating the first side plate from the groove.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more specifically, to a battery pack and a device including the same in which the lifespan and waterproof performance of a sealing member are improved. Background Technology

[0002] With the technological development and increasing demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly rising. Accordingly, extensive research is being conducted on secondary batteries capable of meeting various requirements.

[0003] In addition, secondary batteries are also attracting attention as a power source for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (Plug-In HEVs), which are being proposed as solutions to address air pollution caused by conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles that use fossil fuels.

[0004] Accordingly, electric vehicles (EVs) that can operate solely on batteries and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that use batteries and conventional engines have been developed, and some have been commercialized. While nickel-metal hydride batteries are mainly used as power sources for EVs and HEVs, research on using lithium-ion batteries, which have high energy density, high discharge voltage, and output stability, is currently being actively conducted.

[0005] When such a secondary battery is used as a power source for a vehicle, the secondary battery is used in the form of a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery modules or battery module assemblies. For the vehicle battery pack, a rubber sealing member is positioned at the joint between the cases to seal the battery pack.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a plate constituting a conventional battery pack. FIG. 2 is a view of FIG. 1 seen in the -z-axis direction.

[0007] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery pack (10) includes a case plate (13) that accommodates and covers a plurality of battery modules, and a groove (15) is provided to correspond to an edge area where the case plates (13) are assembled together. A sealing member (20) formed of an elastic material such as rubber may be provided in the groove (15).

[0008] When a sealing member (20) is positioned in the groove (15), there may be an assembly gap between the groove (15) and the sealing member (20). The groove (15) in which the assembly gap exists may be divided into an inner gap (16) located adjacent to the interior of the battery pack and an outer gap (17) located adjacent to the external environment of the battery pack, based on the sealing member (20).

[0009] In the inner gap (16), the sealing member (20) located in the external environment above the inner gap (16) performs a primary waterproofing function so that dust or moisture does not enter from the outside, but in the outer gap (17), since the configuration that performs a waterproofing function like the sealing member (20) is not additionally provided, dust or moisture may enter from the outside.

[0010] Conventional battery packs (10) do not have a separate passage for water to be discharged, so water remains accumulated in the groove (15), causing the sealing member (20) to rot, which has the problem of weakening the durability of the sealing member (20) and lowering the waterproof performance of the battery pack (10). Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to develop a battery pack (10) that includes a drainage structure. The problem to be solved

[0011] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a battery pack with improved lifespan and waterproof performance of a sealing member provided in the battery pack, and a device including the same.

[0012] However, the problems that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve are not limited to the problems described above and can be expanded in various ways within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. means of solving the problem

[0013] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one battery module; a pack case comprising a first side plate that accommodates the at least one battery module and constitutes one side of the pack case; a sealing member mounted in a groove located along the edge of the first side plate; and a drain hole which is a passage connecting from the groove to the outside of the first side plate, wherein the drain hole may be formed penetrating the first side plate from the groove.

[0014] The groove portion equipped with the sealing member may include an assembly clearance portion.

[0015] The assembly gap may include an inner gap located inside the battery pack from the edge of the first side plate with respect to the sealing member, and an outer gap located closer to the edge of the first side plate than the inner gap with respect to the sealing member.

[0016] The above drain may be formed to be connected to the outside of the battery pack from the above outer clearance.

[0017] The above drain may be formed parallel to the first side plate.

[0018] The upper surface of the drain may be parallel to the upper surface of the first side plate, and the lower surface of the drain may be parallel to the lower surface of the first side plate.

[0019] The above drain can be formed with a slope.

[0020] The above drain may be formed with an incline so as to be away from the upper surface of the first side plate.

[0021] The upper surface of the drain may be formed at an acute angle with respect to the upper surface of the first side plate, and the lower surface of the drain may be formed at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface of the first side plate.

[0022] The slope of the upper surface of the drain and the lower surface of the drain may be the same.

[0023] The above drain may be formed spaced apart from at least two others along the above groove.

[0024] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the battery pack described above. Effects of the invention

[0025] According to the embodiments, by providing a drain hole capable of discharging moisture accumulated in a groove provided in a plate of a battery pack to the outside, the lifespan of the sealing member provided in the groove can be improved and the waterproof performance of the battery pack can be improved.

[0026] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0027] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a plate constituting a conventional battery pack. Figure 2 is a drawing of Figure 1 viewed in the -z-axis direction. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a case plate and a sealing member provided therein according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a drawing showing the A1 area of ​​Figure 5. Figure 7 is a drawing showing the A2 area of ​​Figure 6. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 7 taken along B-B'. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along C-C' of Figure 6. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a plate according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0028] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0029] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0030] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are depicted arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is illustrated. Thicknesses have been enlarged in the drawings to clearly represent various layers and regions. Additionally, for convenience of explanation, the thickness of some layers and regions has been exaggerated in the drawings.

[0031] Furthermore, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate is said to be "on" or "on" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Also, saying that a part is "on" or "on" a reference part means that it is located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean that it is located "on" or "on" facing the opposite direction of gravity.

[0032] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0033] Additionally, throughout the specification, "planar" means when the subject part is viewed from above, and "cross-sectional" means when the cross-section obtained by vertically cutting the subject part is viewed from the side.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pack case that accommodates a plurality of battery modules (100). The pack case may include a lower plate (1100) on which a plurality of battery modules (100) are mounted, an upper plate (1200) provided to cover the upper surface (z-axis direction) of the plurality of battery modules (100), a first side plate (1300) provided to cover both sides (y-axis direction and -y-axis direction) of the plurality of battery modules (100), and a second side plate (1400) provided to cover the front and rear (x-axis direction and -x-axis direction) of the plurality of battery modules (100).

[0036] A battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a sealing member (2000) mounted on a first side plate (1300) that covers one side of a plurality of battery modules (100).

[0037] A battery module (100) may include a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked along a predetermined direction and a module frame. The module frame may include an upper frame and a lower frame, and the battery cell stack may be mounted between the upper frame and the lower frame to form the battery module (100). However, the module frame is not limited to the above description and may be a monoframe in the form of a metal plate with the upper and lower surfaces and both sides integrated.

[0038] Here, since there is no particular restriction on the type of the battery cell, it may be a cylindrical secondary battery, a pouch-type secondary battery, or a prismatic secondary battery.

[0039] A heat sink may be provided on the lower plate (1100), and at least one battery module (100) may be mounted on the heat sink. The size of the heat sink may correspond to the size of the battery module (100) and may be larger than the size of the battery module (100).

[0040] The upper plate (1200) may be a plate that covers the upper portion of a plurality of battery modules (100). The upper plate (1200) may have a size corresponding to the size of the lower plate (1100).

[0041] The first side plate (1300) may be a plate covering both sides of a plurality of battery modules (100). The opposing edges of the first side plate (1300) correspond to one edge of the lower plate (1100) and one edge of the upper plate (1200), respectively, and may be joined by using a fastening member or by a method such as welding.

[0042] The first side plate (1300) includes a groove (1310) in which a sealing member (2000) is mounted. The groove (1310) may be an area recessed to a certain depth along the edge of the first side plate (1300). The groove (1310) may be an area recessed to a certain depth along the edge of the first side plate (1300) facing a plurality of battery modules (100). A sealing member (2000) may be located in the groove (1310).

[0043] The sealing member (2000) is a member additionally located on the first side plate (1300), and when the first side plate (1300) is combined with other components forming the battery pack (1000), it can improve the degree of sealing to improve the waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack (1000).

[0044] The second side plate (1400) may be a plate covering the front and rear of a plurality of battery modules (100). The upper edge of the second side plate (1400) corresponds to one edge of the upper plate (1200), the lower edge of the second side plate (1400) corresponds to one edge of the lower plate (1100), and the two side edges of the second side plate (1400) correspond to one edge of each of the two first side plates (1300), so that they can be fastened using a fastening member or joined by a method such as welding.

[0045] In the drawing, the sealing member (2000) is shown as being mounted in the groove (1310) of the first side plate (1300), but this is merely one embodiment and is not limited thereto, and the sealing member (2000) may also be mounted in the groove provided in the lower plate (1100), the upper plate (1200), and / or the second side plate (1400).

[0046] The lower plate (1100), upper plate (1200), first side plate (1300), and second side plate (1400) may be made of a material having rigidity. Thus, a plurality of battery modules (100) and electrical components connected thereto can be protected from external physical impact.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a case plate and a sealing member provided therein according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing region A1 of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a drawing showing region A2 of FIG. 6.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, a first side plate (1300), which is an element constituting a battery pack case, includes a groove (1310), a sealing member (2000) is mounted in the groove (1310), and a drain (1330) capable of discharging moisture from the groove (1310) to the outside of the battery pack may be provided.

[0049] The sealing member (2000) improves the sealing degree of the battery pack and performs the function of preventing moisture or dust from entering the battery pack from the outside.

[0050] A sealing member (2000) may be provided along the edge of the first side plate (1300). The sealing member (2000) may be provided in a groove (1310) that is cut to a certain depth along the edge of the first side plate (1300). The sealing member (2000) may be fitted into the groove (1310).

[0051] The shape of the sealing member (2000) may correspond to the edge shape of the first side plate (1300). The shape of the sealing member (2000) may correspond to the shape of the groove portion (1310) of the first side plate (1300). The width of the sealing member (2000) may be smaller than the width of the groove portion (1310) or may correspond to the width of the groove portion (1310). The height of the sealing member (2000) may be higher than the height of the groove portion (1310) or may correspond to the height of the groove portion (1310).

[0052] The sealing member (2000) may be formed from an elastic material. For example, the sealing member (2000) may be formed from rubber. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the sealing member (2000), the shape of the sealing member (2000) may change according to the applied pressure. For example, when pressure is applied to the sealing member (2000), the shape of the sealing member (2000) mounted in the groove (1310) changes, thereby preventing the formation of an empty space in the groove (1310) to the maximum extent. Accordingly, moisture or dust from the outside can be prevented from entering the battery pack to the maximum extent, thereby improving the waterproof and dustproof performance of the battery pack.

[0053] Although the sealing member (2000) is shown in the drawing as being mounted on one side of the first side plate (1300), this is merely one embodiment and is not limited thereto, and it may be positioned on any side constituting the battery pack case.

[0054] When the sealing member (2000) is mounted in the groove (1310), there may be an assembly gap between the sealing member (2000) and the groove (1310), and the part of the groove (1310) with the assembly gap may be an assembly gap part.

[0055] The drain (1330) can discharge moisture, etc., that accumulates in the assembly gap that occurs when the sealing member (2000) is mounted in the groove (1310) from the groove (1310) to the outside of the battery pack.

[0056] The drain (1330) may be a passage connecting from the groove (1310) to the outside of the battery pack. The drain (1330) may be a passage connecting from the groove (1310) to the outside of the battery pack, extending from below the upper surface (y-axis direction) of the first side plate (1330) toward the side (x-axis or -x-axis direction, z-axis or -z-axis direction). The drain (1330) may be a passage formed through the first side plate (1300) from the groove (1310).

[0057] The drain (1330) is a passage formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300), and is not a passage formed by recessing a part of the upper surface (y-axis direction) of the first side plate (1300). Therefore, the area in contact with the external environment may be a part of the drain (1330) and the groove (1310) in which the drain (1330) is provided, so that additional moisture from the external environment can be prevented from penetrating. In other words, waterproofing and drainage performance can be improved simultaneously.

[0058] A single drain (1330) may be provided, or at least one or more may be provided. A single drain (1330) may be provided along the groove (1310), or at least one or more may be provided spaced apart. The number and location of the drains (1330) can be adjusted according to user convenience.

[0059] Figure 8 is a drawing showing a cross-section of Figure 7 cut along B-B'.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 8, a first side plate (1300) constituting a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a groove (1310), a sealing member (2000) is mounted in the groove (1310), and a drain (1330) capable of discharging moisture from the groove (1310) to the outside of the battery pack may be provided.

[0061] Specifically, the sealing member (2000) is mounted in the groove (1310), and in this case, an assembly gap may occur between the sealing member (2000) and the groove (1310). That is, the groove (1310) may include an assembly gap portion (1311) which refers to an assembly gap space provided between the sealing member (2000) and the groove (1310).

[0062] The assembly gap (1311) may include an inner gap (1312) and an outer gap (1313).

[0063] The inner gap (1312) may be an assembly gap located inside the battery pack from the outside with respect to the sealing member (2000). The inner gap (1312) may be located inside the battery pack from the edge of the first side plate (1300) with respect to the sealing member (2000).

[0064] The outer gap (1313) may be an assembly gap located closer to the outside of the battery pack than the inner gap (1312) with respect to the sealing member (2000). The outer gap (1313) may be an assembly gap located closer to the edge of the first side plate (1300) than the inner gap (1312) with respect to the sealing member (2000).

[0065] The inner gap (1312) and the outer gap (1313) can be distinguished based on the sealing member (2000). Therefore, when moisture penetrates into the battery pack from the outside, the moisture does not reach the inner gap (1312) due to the sealing member (2000), but the moisture may be located in the outer gap (1313).

[0066] That is, the inner gap (1312) can be prevented from receiving moisture from the outside by having a sealing member (2000) located outside the battery pack that performs a primary waterproofing function. However, since the outer gap (1313) is not equipped with an additional component located outside the battery pack that is not located outside the outer gap (1313), moisture from the outside can be received and present in the outer gap (1313). In this case, the moisture present in the outer gap (1313) can be discharged to the outside through the drain (1330).

[0067] A drain (1330) may be provided in one area of ​​the outer clearance portion (1313). Specifically, a drain (1330) may be formed outward from one area of ​​the outer clearance portion (1313).

[0068] The drain (1330) may be a passage connecting to the outside from the outer clearance (1313). Here, the outside may refer to the external environment excluding the battery pack. The drain (1330) may be a passage formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) from the outer clearance (1313).

[0069] The width of the drain (1330) may correspond to the width of the groove (1310). However, it is not limited to this, and it may be provided narrower or wider than the width of the groove (1310).

[0070] Moisture located in the outer gap (1313) can move in the drainage direction (D1) and be discharged to the outside through the drain (1330). That is, moisture can be discharged to the outside through the drain (1330) without continuously accumulating in the outer gap (1313). Therefore, the sealing member (2000) is prevented from rotting due to moisture, thereby preventing the lifespan of the sealing member (2000) from being shortened and improving the waterproof performance of the battery pack.

[0071] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along C-C' of Figure 6.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 9, a drain (1330) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) from the groove (1310).

[0073] A drain (1330) can be formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) from the outer clearance portion (1313). The drain (1330) can be formed parallel to the first side plate (1300). In this case, the upper surface (1331) of the drain can be parallel to the upper surface (1301) of the first side plate, and the lower surface (1332) of the drain can be parallel to the lower surface (1302) of the first side plate.

[0074] Moisture accumulated in the outer gap (1313) can be discharged to the outside through the drain (1330) along the drainage direction (D1). Therefore, since moisture is not accumulated in the outer gap (1313), the sealing member (2000) does not rot due to moisture, thus improving durability and lifespan, and the waterproof performance of the battery can also be improved.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a first side plate constituting a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] The battery pack described in FIG. 10 is a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention disclosed in FIG. 9, and a detailed description of the configuration identical to the configuration described above is omitted.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 10, a first side plate (1300) constituting a battery pack (1000) according to another embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a drain (1330) formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) from a groove (1310).

[0078] The drain (1330) may be formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) with an incline from the groove (1310). The drain (1330) may be formed by penetrating the first side plate (1300) with an incline from the outer clearance (1313). In this case, the upper surface (1331) of the drain may not be parallel to the upper surface (1301) of the first side plate, and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may not be parallel to the lower surface (1302) of the first side plate.

[0079] The upper surface (1331) and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may be formed inclined toward the lower surface (1302) of the first side plate. That is, the upper surface (1331) and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may be formed with an incline so as to move away from the upper surface (1301) of the first side plate.

[0080] The upper surface (1331) of the drain can be formed at an acute angle with respect to the upper surface (1301) of the first side plate, and the lower surface (1332) of the drain can be formed at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface (1302) of the first side plate.

[0081] The upper surface (1331) and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may be formed with the same slope. That is, the upper surface (1331) and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may be parallel to each other. However, this is not limited thereto, and the upper surface (1331) and the lower surface (1332) of the drain may be formed with different slopes.

[0082] Moisture accumulated in the outer gap (1313) can be discharged to the outside through the drain (1330) along the drainage direction (D1). In this case, due to the slope formed in the drain (1330), moisture can be discharged to the outside more effectively than when no slope is formed in the drain (1330), so the sealing member (2000) is not kept wet, thereby extending the lifespan of the sealing member (2000) and further improving the waterproof performance of the battery.

[0083] The battery pack described above can be applied to various devices. While such devices may include means of transportation such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various devices capable of using battery modules and battery packs containing them, and this also falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0084] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0085] 1000: Battery pack 1300: First side plate 1301: Upper surface of the first side plate 1302: Lower surface of the first side plate 1310: Homeboo 1311: Assembly gap 1312: Medial gap 1313: Lateral gap 1330: Drain 1331: Top surface of the drain 1332: Underside of the drain 2000: Sealing member

Claims

Claim 1 A battery pack comprising: at least one battery module; a first side plate that accommodates the at least one battery module and constitutes one side of the pack case; a sealing member mounted in a groove located along the edge of the first side plate; and a drain hole that is a passage connecting from the groove to the outside of the first side plate, wherein the drain hole is formed penetrating the first side plate from the groove, and the groove on which the sealing member is mounted includes an assembly gap, wherein the assembly gap includes an inner gap located inside the battery pack from the edge of the first side plate relative to the sealing member, and an outer gap located adjacent to the edge of the first side plate relative to the sealing member, and wherein the drain hole is formed to be connected to the outside of the battery pack from the outer gap. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 In claim 1, the drain is a battery pack formed parallel to the first side plate. Claim 6 A battery pack in which, in paragraph 5, the upper surface of the drain is parallel to the upper surface of the first side plate, and the lower surface of the drain is parallel to the lower surface of the first side plate. Claim 7 In claim 1, the drain is a battery pack formed with a slope. Claim 8 In claim 7, the above-mentioned drain is formed with an incline so as to be away from the upper surface of the first side plate, in a battery pack. Claim 9 A battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the upper surface of the drain is formed at an acute angle with respect to the upper surface of the first side plate, and the lower surface of the drain is formed at an acute angle with respect to the lower surface of the first side plate. Claim 10 In paragraph 7, the inclination of the upper surface of the drain and the lower surface of the drain are the same for the battery pack. Claim 11 In claim 1, the above drainage hole is formed spaced apart from at least two others along the above groove, in a battery pack. Claim 12 A device comprising the battery pack of claim 1.

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