Battery assembly comprising beam pad, and battery pack comprising same

Abstract

The disclosed battery assembly comprises: a first cell array and a second cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in one direction; a beam pad disposed between the first cell array and the second cell array; a pair of side beams disposed outside each of the first cell array and the second cell array; and a support plate disposed on the bottom surfaces of the first cell array and the second cell array and fastened and fixed to the beam pad and the pair of side beams.

Description

Battery assembly including a beam pad and battery pack including the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery assembly advantageous for scaling up and a battery pack including the same.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0184159 filed on December 11, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0003] Various attempts have been made to increase the space utilization of battery packs, and a battery pack with a cell-to-pack structure has been proposed as one such solution. The cell-to-pack structure has the advantage of improving space utilization by eliminating the need for a modular structure that encloses multiple batteries within a housing, instead bundling multiple batteries together with minimal structures and assembling them directly into a battery pack, thereby reducing the number of structural components.

[0004] Furthermore, by omitting a separate module housing and directly interposing thermal resin between the bottom surface of the battery assembly—where the battery is exposed—and the base plate of the pack case, conductive heat dissipation from the battery assembly is promoted, and the battery assembly can be more firmly secured through the curing of the thermal resin. As such, recent battery packs feature a simplified design that reduces the number of components. This improves the battery pack's capacity and aims to enhance cooling performance by simplifying the cooling structure to handle heat generated during rapid charging.

[0005] The battery pack structure, which further strengthens the battery assembly through the curing of thermal resin, has many advantages in terms of the cell-to-pack structure, such as improving the space utilization of the battery pack by assembling multiple batteries directly into the battery pack without a modular structure, and improving heat dissipation performance through heat conduction compared to a structure with an additional layer of module housing.

[0006] However, cell-to-pack battery packs face difficulties in scaling up due to structural stability, as the battery assembly structure has become simpler. Furthermore, adding pack structures such as cross beams and side beams to enlarge the battery assembly diminishes the inherent advantages of the cell-to-pack structure, which are to reduce the number of components and increase pack capacity.

[0007] Furthermore, cell-to-pack battery packs also have disadvantages in terms of maintenance. Specifically, the cell-to-pack structure makes it very difficult to disassemble a battery pack into individual battery assemblies once it has been assembled. For instance, a structure that secures the bottom of the battery assembly through the curing of thermal resin can cause damage to the battery bonded to the resin during removal, potentially leading to significantly dangerous consequences such as electrolyte leakage.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery assembly advantageous for scaling up and a battery pack including the same.

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

[0010] A battery assembly provided by the present invention comprises, in one embodiment, a first cell array and a second cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are aligned in one direction, a beam pad disposed between the first cell array and the second cell array, a pair of side beams disposed respectively on the outside of the first cell array and the second cell array, and a support plate disposed on the bottom surface of the first cell array and the second cell array and fastened to the beam pad and the pair of side beams.

[0011] The support plate may form a band shape that exposes a portion of the bottom surfaces of the first cell array and the second cell array.

[0012] The support plate has a plurality of fastening portions that provide bolt fastening to the beam pad and the pair of side beams.

[0013] The width of the above-mentioned fastening portion may be greater than the width of the body crossing the first cell array and the second cell array.

[0014] The support plate can cross the bottom central region of the first cell array and the second cell array.

[0015] The beam pad and the pair of side beams may have a plurality of bolt fastening holes that provide bolt fastening to the fastening portion, and a plurality of through holes formed along the height direction in an area that is not overlapped with the fastening portion.

[0016] Meanwhile, the present invention may provide a battery pack comprising at least one battery assembly having the above configuration and a pack case having a base plate, wherein the battery assembly is mounted on the base plate by means of a plurality of long bolts fastened to the base plate by passing through the plurality of through holes and a thermal resin applied to the bottom surface of the first cell array and the second cell array.

[0017] The base plate may have a bottom groove that accommodates a short bolt fastened to the support plate and the fastening part.

[0018] The thermal resin may not be applied to the support plate and the fastening part.

[0019] In one embodiment, the number of battery cells constituting the first cell array and the second cell array is substantially the same, and the beam pad may be positioned to cross the central area in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the base plate.

[0020] The battery assembly of the present invention is provided with a beam pad between a plurality of battery cells and a support plate that supports the bottom surface of the cell array, thereby allowing the structural rigidity of the battery assembly to be maintained well even when the cell array is enlarged.

[0021] In addition, by having the support plate form a band shape, the heat transfer area necessary to transfer heat from the cell array to the base plate through the thermal resin is secured, and at the same time, the structure in which the support plate firmly supports the bottom surface of the cell array makes it possible to remove the battery assembly from the pack.

[0022] Additionally, it is fastened to the base plate by long bolts that penetrate the beam pads and a pair of side beams of the battery assembly. As a result, removing the battery assembly from the pack case becomes easier, thereby facilitating the maintenance and repair of the battery pack.

[0023] However, the technical effects obtainable through the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description of the invention below.

[0024] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings.

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

[0026] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery assembly of FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the battery assembly of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the battery assembly of FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a structure in which a battery assembly is mounted on the battery pack of FIG. 5.

[0031] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are to be described in detail below.

[0032] However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0033] In the present invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0034] Furthermore, in the present invention, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "on" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "immediately above" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "under" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "immediately below" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Additionally, in the present application, being "placed on" may include cases where it is placed on the lower part as well as on the upper part.

[0035]

[0036] A battery assembly provided by the present invention comprises, in one embodiment, a first cell array and a second cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are aligned in one direction, a beam pad disposed between the first cell array and the second cell array, a pair of side beams disposed respectively on the outside of the first cell array and the second cell array, and a support plate disposed on the bottom surface of the first cell array and the second cell array and fastened to the beam pad and the pair of side beams.

[0037] The battery assembly of the present invention is provided with a beam pad between a plurality of battery cells and a support plate that supports the bottom surface of the cell array, thereby allowing the structural rigidity of the battery assembly to be maintained well even when the cell array is enlarged.

[0038] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of a battery assembly (100) and a battery pack (500) including the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. For reference, the directions of front, back, up, down, left, and right used to specify relative positions in the following description are intended to aid in understanding the invention, and unless otherwise specifically defined, the directions shown in the drawings are used as the reference.

[0039]

[0040] [First embodiment]

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery assembly (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery assembly (100) of FIG. 1. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the overall configuration of the battery assembly (100) according to the present invention will be described.

[0042] Here, the battery assembly (100) referred to in this specification means a collection of battery cells in which a plurality of battery cells (122) are structurally and electrically connected. The battery assembly (100) may be referred to by various terms such as battery module, battery block, or battery unit, but the battery assembly (100) of the present invention needs to be understood as referring to a collection of battery cells that is bundled into a minimal structure without a modular structure containing a plurality of battery cells (122) within a housing, and mounted directly into a pack case (510) so as to be suitable for a battery pack (500) with a cell-to-pack structure.

[0043] The battery assembly (100) provided by the present invention includes a first cell array (110) and a second cell array (120) in which a plurality of battery cells (122) are aligned in one direction. A cell array refers to an assembly in which a plurality of battery cells (122) are aligned in a row. The first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) may be substantially identical except that they are distinguished by a beam pad (130) placed between them. That is, the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) may be substantially identical in various aspects, such as the number or specifications of the battery cells (122).

[0044] The beam pad (130) corresponds to a rigid structure positioned between the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120). Both sides of the beam pad (130) in contact with the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) may have the same shape as the sides of the battery cell (122). However, the thickness of the beam pad (130) may be sufficiently thick compared to the battery cell (122) to ensure sufficient rigidity. The beam pad (130) forms a framework responsible for the structural rigidity of the battery assembly (100) together with a pair of side beams (140), and for this purpose, it may be made of a metal material such as aluminum or steel. In the illustrated embodiment, it is exemplified that one beam pad (130) is provided, but in response to the enlargement of the battery assembly (100), multiple beam pads (130) may be provided.

[0045] Side beams (140) are positioned on the outer sides of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120), respectively. That is, side beams (140) are provided in pairs on the battery assembly (100). Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery assembly (100) has a structure in which "side beam (140) - first cell array (110) - beam pad (130) - second cell array (120) - side beam (140)" are arranged sequentially. If necessary, although not shown, buffer pads and / or heat dissipation pads may be interposed in the middle of the structure leading from "side beam (140) - first cell array (110) - beam pad (130) - second cell array (120) - side beam (140)" to improve assembly, enhance thermal management capabilities, and address swelling phenomena.

[0046] The structure extending from "side beam (140) - first cell array (110) - beam pad (130) - second cell array (120) - side beam (140)" is joined by a support plate (150) that is positioned at the bottom surface of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) and is fastened to the beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140). The support plate (150) supports the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) by supporting them from the bottom surface.

[0047] The battery assembly (100) does not have a separate support structure on its upper surface, in addition to the support plate (150) on its lower surface. The support plate (150) maintains the structure of the battery assembly (100) somewhat weakly, and the structure extending from "side beam (140) - first cell array (110) - beam pad (130) - second cell array (120) - side beam (140)" is maintained firmly when the battery assembly (100) is mounted in the pack case. The support plate (150) serves to maintain the basic structure until the battery assembly (100) is mounted in the pack case (510), and the battery assembly (100) is made easy to handle by the support plate (150). Additionally, the support plate (150) also serves to prevent the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) from detaching from the battery assembly (100) by the pulling force when removing the battery assembly (100) mounted on the pack case (510).

[0048] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the battery assembly (100) of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a top view of the battery assembly (100) of FIG. 1. Referring to an exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the support plate (150) is formed in a band shape that exposes a portion of the bottom surface of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120). By the support plate (150) being in a band shape, it may be advantageous to secure the heat transfer area necessary to transfer heat from the cell array to the base plate (520) through the thermal resin (550).

[0049] The support plate (150) can cross the central area of ​​the bottom surface of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120). By doing so, the support plate (150) can support the bottom surfaces of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) in a balanced manner.

[0050] The support plate (150) is provided with a plurality of fastening portions (154) that provide bolt fastening to the beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140). The plurality of fastening portions (154) may be assigned one by one to the beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140). A bolt hole (156) is formed in the fastening portion (154) to pass a short bolt (160), and a bolt fastening hole (142) is formed in the beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140) to fasten the short bolt (160). To ensure sufficient fastening force, the width of the fastening portion (154) may be greater than the width of the support plate (150) body (152) that crosses the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120).

[0051] The beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140) may have a plurality of bolt fastening holes (142) that provide bolt fastening to the fastening portion (154), and a plurality of through holes (144) formed through along the height direction in an area not overlapping with the fastening portion (154). The bolt fastening holes (142) are provided to correspond to the bolt holes (156) of the support plate (150). In contrast, the plurality of through holes (144) are provided to mount the battery assembly (100) to the pack case (510) independently of the fixing of the support plate (150).

[0052] As described above, the battery assembly (100) provided by the present invention can be described as a battery assembly (100) suitable for a cell-to-pack structure having a simplified structure consisting of a beam pad (130), a pair of side beams (140), and a support plate (150). In addition, by providing a beam pad (130) between a plurality of battery cells (122) and a support plate (150) that supports the bottom surface of the cell array, the structural rigidity of the battery assembly (100) can be maintained well even if the cell array is enlarged.

[0053]

[0054] [Second embodiment]

[0055] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a battery pack (500) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a structure in which a battery assembly (100) is mounted on the battery pack (500) of FIG. 5.

[0056] A battery pack (500) can be formed by mounting at least one battery assembly (100) having the above-described configuration onto a pack case (510). The pack case (510) has a base plate (520) that forms a bottom surface. The pack case (510) also has a plurality of side plates (530) that surround the four sides of the battery pack (500). The pack case (510) has a lead (not shown) that closes the top surface of the pack case (510). Additionally, the base plate (520) and / or the lead may have a cooling plate or a heat sink for cooling the battery assembly (100).

[0057] Referring to FIG. 6, the battery assembly (100) is mounted on the base plate (520) by a plurality of long bolts (540) that pass through a plurality of through holes (144) provided in a beam pad (130) and a pair of side beams (140) and are fastened to the base plate (520), and a thermal resin (550) applied to the bottom surface of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120).

[0058] By fastening the battery assembly (100) with a long bolt (540), the work of removing the battery assembly (100) from the pack case (510) becomes easier, thereby making maintenance and repair of the battery pack (500) easier. In addition, the fixing force to the base plate (520) and the heat dissipation of the battery assembly (100) are improved by the thermal resin (550) applied to the bottom surface of the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120).

[0059] The thermal resin (550) can harden over time. However, since a support plate (150) is mounted on the bottom surface of the battery assembly (100), the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) are prevented from detaching during the removal of the battery assembly (100).

[0060] According to an embodiment, the base plate (520) may have a bottom groove (522) that accommodates a short bolt (160) fastened to the support plate (150) and the fastening part (154). By embedding the entire support plate in the bottom groove (522), the contact surface between the battery assembly (100) and the base plate (520) via the thermal resin (550) can be maintained as a flat surface. This improves the fixing stability of the battery assembly (100) and enables smooth heat transfer.

[0061] Thermal resin (550) may not be applied to the support plate (150) and the fastening part (154). Accordingly, the amount of thermal resin (550) applied is reduced, and the battery assembly (100) can be easily removed even if the surrounding thermal resin (550) hardens.

[0062] In one embodiment, the number of battery cells (122) constituting the first cell array (110) and the second cell array (120) is substantially the same, and the beam pads (130) may be arranged to cross the central area in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the base plate (520). When a plurality of battery assemblies (100) are arranged in a line in the same direction, the plurality of beam pads (130) provided in each battery assembly (100) are arranged in a line along the central area in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the base plate (520), and the plurality of beam pads (130) arranged in such a line form a structure similar to the cross beam provided in a conventional battery pack (500). Accordingly, the pack case (510) on which the battery assembly (100) of the present invention is mounted does not need to have a separate cross beam, thereby allowing the pack capacity to be increased while reducing the number of components.

[0063]

[0064] The present invention has been described in more detail above through drawings and embodiments. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments described in this specification are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all technical concepts of the present invention; therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0065] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0066] 100: Battery assembly

[0067] 110: First cell array

[0068] 120: Second cell array

[0069] 122: Battery cell

[0070] 130: Beam Pad

[0071] 140: Side beam

[0072] 142: Bolt fastening hole

[0073] 144: Through hole

[0074] 150: Support plate

[0075] 152: Body

[0076] 154: Connecting part

[0077] 156: Bolt hole

[0078] 160: Short bolt

[0079] 500: Battery pack

[0080] 510: Pack case

[0081] 520: Base Plate

[0082] 522: Bottom groove

[0083] 530: Side plate

[0084] 540: Long Bolt

[0085] 550: Thermal Resin

Claims

1. A first cell array and a second cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are aligned in one direction; A beam pad disposed between the first cell array and the second cell array; A pair of side beams each disposed outside the first cell array and the second cell array; and A support plate disposed on the bottom surface of the first cell array and the second cell array and fastened to the beam pad and the pair of side beams; A battery assembly including 2. In Paragraph 1, The above support plate is, A battery assembly forming a band shape that exposes a portion of the bottom surfaces of the first cell array and the second cell array.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above support plate is, A battery assembly having a plurality of fastening portions that provide bolt fastening to the beam pad and the pair of side beams.

4. In Paragraph 3, The width of the above-mentioned fastening part is, A battery assembly that is larger than the width of the body crossing the first cell array and the second cell array.

5. In Paragraph 2, The above support plate is, A battery assembly crossing the bottom central region of the first cell array and the second cell array.

6. In Paragraph 3, The beam pad and the pair of side beams are, A plurality of bolt fastening holes providing bolt fastening for the above-mentioned fastening part, and A battery assembly having a plurality of through holes formed along the height direction in an area not overlapping with the above-mentioned fastening portion.

7. Battery assembly pursuant to paragraph 6; and Pack case having a base plate; Includes, The above battery assembly is, A battery pack mounted on a base plate by means of a plurality of long bolts fastened to the base plate through the plurality of through holes and a thermal resin applied to the bottom surface of the first cell array and the second cell array.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above base plate is, A battery pack having a bottom groove that accommodates a short bolt fastened to the support plate and the fastening portion.

9. In Paragraph 8, A battery pack in which the thermal resin is not applied to the support plate and the fastening part.

10. In Paragraph 7, The number of battery cells constituting the first cell array and the second cell array is substantially the same, and A battery pack, wherein the beam pad is positioned to cross the central region of the longitudinal or transverse direction of the base plate.

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