Battery pack having rigid structure

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cell assembly; an outer case covering the cell assembly; and a bracket positioned between the cell assembly and the case, wherein the bracket has a U-shaped structure, the U-shaped structure includes a base portion coupled to one surface of the cell assembly, and first and second side portions, which are bent and protrude from each of two ends of the base portion, and the first and second side portions are coupled to the outer case.

Description

Battery pack with a rigid structure

[0001] Cross-citation with related application(s)

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0174523 filed November 29, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0003] The present invention relates to a battery pack having a rigid structure, and more specifically, to a battery pack having a rigid structure with increased rigidity and improved sealing effect.

[0004] As technology development and demand for mobile devices increase, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing. In particular, secondary batteries are receiving significant attention as an energy source not only for mobile devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, and wearable devices, but also for power devices such as electric bicycles / motorcycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles.

[0005] While small mobile devices use one or two or three battery cells per device, medium-to-large devices such as motorcycles and automobiles require high output and large capacity. Therefore, medium-to-large battery modules consisting of multiple battery cells electrically connected are used.

[0006] Since it is desirable for medium-to-large battery modules to be manufactured with the smallest possible size and weight, prismatic and pouch-type batteries, which can be stacked with high integration density and have a low weight-to-capacity ratio, are primarily used as battery cells in medium-to-large battery modules. To obtain high output, these battery modules have a structure in which multiple cell assemblies, each containing a plurality of unit cells, are connected in series. Furthermore, the battery cells are capable of repeated charging and discharging through electrochemical reactions between components, including positive and negative current collectors, separators, active materials, and electrolytes.

[0007] Meanwhile, with the recent increase in the need for large-capacity structures, including their utilization as energy storage sources, there is a growing demand for multiple battery modules in which multiple secondary batteries are connected in series and / or parallel, as well as for battery packs with a multi-module structure that aggregates said battery modules.

[0008] In addition, when configuring a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series and / or parallel, there are cases where a battery module consisting of at least one battery cell is first configured and other components are added using this at least one battery module to form the battery pack, or cases where the module-unit structure is omitted and a battery cell assembly is configured as a battery pack. In such cases, when assembling the battery cell assembly using a case, there is a risk that rigidity may be weakened or sealing issues may occur at the assembled parts.

[0009] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a battery pack having a rigid structure with increased rigidity and improved sealing effect.

[0010] 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.

[0011] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cell assembly, an outer case covering the cell assembly, and a bracket positioned between the cell assembly and the case, wherein the bracket has a U-shaped structure, and the U-shaped structure includes a base portion coupled to one side of the cell assembly, and first and second side portions formed by bending and protruding from each end of the base portion, and the first and second side portions are coupled to the outer case.

[0012] A battery component can be attached to the base portion of the above bracket.

[0013] The above battery component can be placed in a space enclosed by the base portion, the first side portion, the second side portion, and one side of the outer case, respectively.

[0014] The cell assembly is coupled to the lower part of the base portion, and the battery component can be coupled to the upper part of the base portion.

[0015] The above battery components may include a BDU (Battery Disconnection Unit), a BMS (Battery Management System), or a CMC (Cell Management Controller).

[0016] At least one hole is formed in each of the first and second side portions, and the outer case and the bracket can be joined by a fastening member inserted into the hole.

[0017] The battery pack may further include a sealing cover portion that covers the joint portion of the outer case into which the fastening member is inserted.

[0018] The above fastening member may be a bolt fastening member.

[0019] The above outer case is formed of a metal material, and the cell frame constituting the exterior of the cell assembly can be formed of a plastic material.

[0020] The above bracket includes a first bracket covering the upper surface of the cell assembly, a second bracket covering the front surface of the cell assembly, and a third bracket covering the rear surface of the cell assembly, and the outer case may include first and second outer cases covering the left and right sides of the cell assembly, respectively.

[0021] A first battery component may be disposed on the base portion of the first bracket, a second battery component may be disposed on the base portion of the second bracket, and a third battery component may be disposed on the base portion of the third bracket.

[0022] The first outer case and the second outer case may be combined with each other so that the cell assembly, the first, second, and third battery components, and the first, second, and third brackets may be arranged together inside the outer case.

[0023] According to the embodiments, when manufacturing a battery pack, the rigidity can be increased and the sealing effect improved by assembling the outer case and the inner parts using a U-shaped bracket.

[0024] 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.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of Figure 1.

[0027] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the battery pack of Figure 1 with the outer case removed.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a bracket with a part of the outer case removed in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the connection relationship between the cell assembly and the bracket and the connection relationship between the bracket and the outer case in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a portion of the upper part of a battery pack in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the coupling relationship between the outer case and the cell assembly in a battery pack according to a comparative example.

[0032] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are 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 other than those described below, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described herein.

[0033] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0034] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings have been arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for convenience of explanation, so it is obvious that the content of the present invention is not limited to what is illustrated. In the drawings below, the thickness of each layer has been enlarged to clearly represent various layers and regions. Also, in the drawings below, the thickness of some layers and regions has been exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0035] Furthermore, when describing a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate as being "above" or "on" another part, this should be interpreted to include not only cases where the corresponding part is "directly above" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Conversely, when describing a corresponding part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate as being "directly above" another part, it may mean that there is no other part in between. Additionally, stating that a part is "above" or "on" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "above" or "on" in the opposite direction of gravity. Meanwhile, just as describing a part as being "above" or "on" another part can be understood by referring to the aforementioned content, describing a part as being "below" or "under" another part can also be understood.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Additionally, throughout the specification, "planar" refers to the part as viewed from above, and "cross-sectional" refers to the cross-section of the part cut vertically as viewed from the side.

[0038] 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 of the battery pack of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the battery pack of FIG. 1 with the outer case removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a bracket with a portion of the outer case removed in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the connection relationship between the cell assembly and the bracket and the connection relationship between the bracket and the outer case in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a portion of the upper part of the battery pack in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cell assembly (100), an outer case (200) covering the cell assembly (100), and a bracket (300) positioned between the cell assembly (100) and the outer case (200). The cell assembly (100) according to the present embodiment may include a battery cell comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between them, and a cell frame housing the battery cell. The battery cell may be cylindrical, and a plurality of cylindrical battery cells may be housed inside the cell frame.

[0040] The outer case (200) according to the present embodiment may be formed of a metal material. For example, the outer case (200) may include an aluminum material. The cell frame according to the present embodiment may be formed of a plastic material. For example, the cell frame may include polycarbonate (PC).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the cell frame includes a bottom frame (150B) and a top frame (150T), and the battery cell can be loaded between them. The cell assembly may further include a first cooling plate covering the lower part of the bottom frame (150B) and a second cooling plate covering the upper part of the top frame (150T).

[0042] The battery pack according to the present embodiment may include a plurality of cell assemblies (100). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the battery pack of the present embodiment may include two cell assemblies arranged side by side. Each of the two cell assemblies (100) may include a bottom frame (150B), a top frame (150T), a battery cell loaded between them, and the first and second cooling plates described above. Additionally, a middle cover (130) may be disposed between the two cell assemblies (100).

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the bracket (300) according to the present embodiment may have a U-shaped structure. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the U-shaped structure includes a base portion (300p) that is coupled to one side of the cell assembly (100), and first and second side portions (300s) that are formed by bending and protruding from both ends of the base portion (300p). At least one hole is formed in the first and second side portions (300s), and a first fastening member (510) is inserted into the hole. The first fastening member (510) may be a bolt fastening member.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 5, the first fastening member (510) according to the present embodiment can combine the first outer case (200a) and the first side portion (300s), and can combine the second outer case (200b) and the second side portion (300s). At least one hole is formed in the base portion (300p) according to the present embodiment, and the second fastening member (520) is inserted into this hole. The second fastening member (520) can combine the base portion (300p) of the bracket (300) with the cell assembly (100). Thus, according to the present embodiment, the cell assembly (100) and the outer case (200) can be combined indirectly through the bracket (300) without directly combining the cell assembly (100) and the outer case (200). For example, the outer case (200) may be formed of a metal material, and the cell frame constituting the exterior of the cell assembly (100) may be formed of a plastic material. If the outer case (200) made of metal and the cell frame made of plastic are directly combined, their bonding strength may be weak, and their rigidity to withstand external impact may also be reduced. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the fastening strength and rigidity can be improved by assembling the components with various bonding points and bonding directions through a U-shaped bracket (300).

[0045] Referring to FIG. 5, the battery pack according to the present embodiment may further include a battery component (600) coupled to the base portion (300p) of the bracket (300). For example, the battery component (600) according to the present embodiment may include a Battery Disconnection Unit (BDU), a Battery Management System (BMS), or a Cell Management Controller (CMC). The battery component (600) may be placed on the base portion (300p) so as not to be interfered with by the first fastening member (510) formed on the first and second side portions (300s) of the bracket (300) and the second fastening member (520) formed on the base portion (300p) of the bracket (300). A third fastening member (530) is inserted through a hole formed in the base portion (300p), and the third fastening member (530) can combine the battery component (600) and the base portion (300p) of the bracket (300). The second and third fastening members (520, 530) may be bolt fastening members.

[0046] According to the present embodiment, the cell assembly (100) is coupled at the lower part of the base portion (300p) and can be coupled at the upper part of the base portion (300p) of the battery component (600).

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the battery component (600) according to the present embodiment can be placed in a space (650) enclosed by the base portion (300p) of the bracket (300), the first and second side portions (300s) of the bracket (300), and one side of the outer case (200), respectively. After assembling the battery component (600) and the bracket (300), it may be difficult to secure space when additionally assembling the outer case (200) and the battery component (600). In contrast, according to the present embodiment, by using a U-shaped bracket (300), most of the surfaces can be assembled with other components based on the U-shaped bracket (300), and the space utilization rate can be increased by utilizing the empty space on the base portion (300p) of the U-shaped bracket (300) to place the battery component (600).

[0048] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the battery pack (1000) according to the present embodiment may further include a sealing cover portion (515) that covers the joint portion of an outer case (200) into which a first fastening member (510) is inserted. The sealing cover portion (515) can provide external sealing against moisture, gas, etc. at the assembly location of the first fastening member (510). The sealing cover portion (515) may include materials such as polyurethane and silicone, but is not limited thereto, and can be formed using various materials that can generally perform a sealing function.

[0049] Referring again to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first bracket (300a) covering the upper surface of a cell assembly (100), a second bracket (300b) covering the front surface of a cell assembly (100), and a third bracket (300c) covering the rear surface of a cell assembly (100). At this time, the outer case (200) may include first and second outer cases (200a, 200b) covering the left and right sides of the cell assembly (100), respectively. A first battery component (610) may be placed on the base portion of the first bracket (300a), a second battery component (620) may be placed on the base portion of the second bracket (300b), and a third battery component (630) may be placed on the base portion of the third bracket (300c).

[0050] In this embodiment, the first outer case (200a) and the second outer case (200b) are combined with each other so that the cell assembly (100), the first, second, and third battery components (610, 620, 630), and the first, second, and third brackets (300a, 300b, 300c) can be placed together inside the outer case (200).

[0051] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the coupling relationship between the outer case and the cell assembly in a battery pack according to a comparative example.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 7, a battery pack according to a comparative example may include a cell assembly (10) containing a battery cell, a plastic middle frame (30) combined with a battery component (60), and upper and lower cases (20a, 20b) made of metal. If the upper and lower cases (20a, 20b) made of metal and the middle frame (30) made of plastic are assembled directly, the bonding strength between the plastic middle frame and the metal cases (20a, 20b) and the rigidity of the cell assembly (10) may be weak. In contrast to this, according to the present embodiment, the cell assembly and the outer case are not assembled directly, and a U-shaped bracket is used to assemble multiple surfaces of the bracket with other components, thereby improving rigidity.

[0053] 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.

[0054]

[0055] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0056] 100: Cell Assembly

[0057] 130: Middle Cover

[0058] 150B: Bottom frame

[0059] 150T: Top Frame

[0060] 200: External case

[0061] 300: Bracket

[0062] 300p: Bass section

[0063] 300s: 1st and 2nd side sections

[0064] 510, 520, 530: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fastening members

[0065] 515: Sealing cover

[0066] 600: Battery parts

Claims

1. Cell assembly, An outer case covering the cell assembly, and It includes a bracket located between the cell assembly and the case, and The above bracket has a U-shaped structure, and The above U-shaped structure includes a base portion coupled to one side of the cell assembly, and first and second side portions formed by being bent and protruding from each end of the base portion, respectively. The first and second side portions are a battery pack combined with the outer case.

2. In Paragraph 1, A battery pack in which battery components are combined on the base portion of the above bracket.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above battery component is a battery pack disposed in a space enclosed by the base portion, the first side portion, the second side portion, and one side of the outer case, respectively.

4. In Paragraph 2, A battery pack in which the cell assembly is joined at the lower part of the base portion and the battery component is joined at the upper part of the base portion.

5. In Paragraph 2, The above battery component is a battery pack including a BDU (Battery Disconnection Unit), a BMS (Battery Management System), or a CMC (Cell Management Controller).

6. In Paragraph 1, A battery pack in which at least one hole is formed in each of the first and second side portions, and the outer case and the bracket are joined by a fastening member inserted into the hole.

7. In Paragraph 6, A battery pack further comprising a sealing cover portion covering the coupling portion of the outer case into which the above-mentioned fastening member is inserted.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above-mentioned fastening member is a battery pack that is a bolt fastening member.

9. In Paragraph 1, A battery pack in which the outer case is formed of a metal material and the cell frame constituting the exterior of the cell assembly is formed of a plastic material.

10. In Paragraph 1, The above bracket includes a first bracket covering the upper surface of the cell assembly, a second bracket covering the front surface of the cell assembly, and a third bracket covering the rear surface of the cell assembly. The above-described outer case is a battery pack comprising first and second outer cases that respectively cover the left and right sides of the cell assembly.

11. In Paragraph 10, A battery pack in which a first battery component is disposed on the base portion of the first bracket, a second battery component is disposed on the base portion of the second bracket, and a third battery component is disposed on the base portion of the third bracket.

12. In Paragraph 11, A battery pack in which the first outer case and the second outer case are combined with each other so that the cell assembly, the first, second, and third battery components, and the first, second, and third brackets are arranged together inside the outer case.

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