Battery Pack Case Drainage Structure for Coolant Leak Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge is to effectively discharge a cooling medium that leaks from a cooling mechanism inside a battery pack case to prevent short circuits in battery cells, as conventional methods fail to adequately manage leaks from damaged cooling hoses or ports, posing a risk of electrical shorts.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack case design featuring a base plate with a through hole connected to the outside, an outer plate forming a separation space, and a filtering mechanism to block foreign substances, allowing the leaked cooling medium to flow out naturally while preventing external contamination and fire spread.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a cooling mechanism is installed inside the battery pack case, then cooling performance is improved, but the risk of cooling medium leakage and short circuit increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidshort circuit risk
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful cooling medium from the battery pack case by providing a discharge path through the base plate. The through hole allows leaked cooling medium to be discharged to the outside, preventing accumulation and potential short circuits while maintaining the cooling mechanism inside the case for thermal management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The base plate acts as an intermediary element between the internal cooling system and the external environment. It provides a controlled interface through the through hole that allows harmful leakage to be safely discharged while maintaining the structural integrity and cooling functionality of the battery pack case.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a through hole is provided in the base plate for discharging cooling medium, then short circuit prevention is improved, but external contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshort circuit preventionVSAvoidexternal contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The outer plate creates a localized protected zone (separation space) around the through hole area. This local structural modification allows the through hole to discharge cooling medium while the surrounding area remains sealed and protected from external contamination, achieving both drainage and protection functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If an outer plate is added to form a separation space, then fire spread prevention is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire spread preventionVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outer plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it forms the separation space to prevent fire spread, provides structural support for the base plate, and contributes to the overall sealing of the battery pack case. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components despite the increased structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively discharges leaked cooling medium, reducing the risk of short circuits and fire spread by guiding the medium outwards, thus enhancing safety and stability of the battery pack.

Implementation Method 1

a through hole (120) formed in a base plate (100) which forms one side of the battery pack case (10) and connects an internal space of the battery pack case with the outside

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

the cooling medium may be a conductive fluid, and thus there is a possibility of a short circuit occurring in a battery cell or terminal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4693723A1Battery pack case, and battery pack and vehicle comprising same
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4693723A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4693723A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4693723A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are a battery pack case including a base plate forming one side of the battery pack case and having a through hole formed to connect an internal space of the battery pack case with the outside, and an outer plate disposed to be spaced apart from an outer surface of the base plate and provided to block the through hole from being exposed to the outside and form a separation space between the base plate and the outer plate, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle.