Technical Field】
5 CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2020-0044969 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office
on April 14, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
10 The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the
same, and more particularly, it relates to a battery pack having an improved
manufacturing process, and a device including the same.
【Background Art】
In modern society, as portable devices such as mobile phones, laptops,
15 camcorders, and digital cameras are used in daily life, the development of
technologies related to mobile devices as described above is becoming more
active. In addition, as a way to solve air pollution from conventional gasoline
vehicles using fossil fuels, rechargeable batteries that can be charged and
discharged are used as a power source for electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric
20 vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEV), and the need for
rechargeable battery development is increasing.
Currently commercially available rechargeable batteries include a nickel
cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a nickel zinc battery, and a lithium
2
rechargeable battery, and the lithium rechargeable battery is attracting attention
for its merits that it has almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based
rechargeable batteries, and thus it can be freely charged and discharged, has a
very low self-discharge rate, and has high energy density.
5 These lithium rechargeable batteries mainly use lithium-based oxide and
carbon materials as positive active materials and negative active materials,
respectively. The lithium rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly
in which positive and negative plates respectively coated with a positive active
material and a negative active material are disposed while disposing a separator
10 therebetween, and a battery case that seals and accommodates the electrode
assembly and an electrolyte solution.
In general, a lithium rechargeable battery can be classified into a
can-type rechargeable battery in which the electrode assembly is built in a metal
can and a pouch-type rechargeable battery in which the electrode assembly is
15 built in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet according to the shape of the
exterior material.
In the case of a rechargeable battery used in small devices, 2 to 3 battery
cells are disposed, but in the case of a rechargeable battery used in a medium or
large device such as an automobile, a battery module in which a plurality of
20 battery cells are electrically connected is used. In such a battery module, a
plurality of battery cells are serially or coupled in parallel to form a battery cell
stack, and thus capacity and output are improved. In addition, at least one
battery module may be mounted together with various control and protection
3
systems such as a battery management system (BMS) and a cooling system to
form a battery pack.
The battery module may include a battery cell stack where a plurality of
battery cells are stacked, and a frame receiving the battery cell stack.
5 FIG. 1 shows a conventional battery pack where a plurality of battery
modules are received in a pack frame, and FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating
the number of fastening points required for two battery modules to be fixed to the
pack frame of FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a figure that two
battery modules 10 provided as a pair are covered by a cover.
10 Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the conventional battery pack is formed
by accommodating a plurality of battery modules 10 in a pack frame. Although
it is important to compactly dispose a plurality of battery modules 10 in the pack
frame for high power and large capacity, as the number of battery modules 10 in
the battery pack increases, the number of necessary parts increases and the
15 internal structure and assembly process are complicated. Specifically, as
marked by dotted lines in FIG. 2, a plurality of fastening points are required to fix
the two battery modules 10 to the pack frame. Since each of the plurality of
battery modules 10 needs a fastening point, the number of parts required
increases, and the assemble process is inevitably more complicated in the
20 conventional battery packs.
As the demand for high power and large capacity battery packs
continues, it is substantially necessary to develop a battery module that can
satisfy these requirements while reducing the number of required parts and
4
improving the assemble process.
【Disclosure】
【Technical Problem】
Embodiments of the present invention have been made to solve the
5 above problems of the previously proposed methods, and is to provide a battery
pack with an improved assembly process with a capacity increase, and a device
including the same.
However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present
invention are not limited to the above-described problems and can be variously
10 expanded in the range of technical ideas included in the present invention.
【Technical Solution】
A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention
includes: a battery module that includes a battery cell stack where a plurality of
battery cells are stacked; and a pack frame that accommodates the battery
15 module, wherein the pack frame includes a bottom portion where the battery
module is positioned, and a guide pin protruded upward from the bottom portion,
the battery module includes a guide portion where a guide hole is formed and a
mounting portion for fixing the battery module, and, when the battery module is
accommodated in the pack frame, the guide pin passes through the guide hole.
20 The battery module may be fixed to the pack frame through the mounting
portion.
A mounting hole may be formed in the mounting portion, a fastening hole
may be formed in a position of the bottom portion of the pack frame
5
corresponding to the mounting hole, and wherein the battery pack may include a
mounting bolt coupled to the fastening hole through the mounting hole.
The guide portion and the mounting portion may protrude along a
direction that is parallel with the bottom portion, and the guide hole and the
5 mounting hole may be formed while penetrating along a direction that is
perpendicular to the bottom portion.
The guide portion and the mounting portion may be respectively provided
in plural.
The guide portion and the mounting portion may be formed in a front side
10 and a rear side of the battery module.
The battery module may include a module frame that accommodates the
battery cell stack, and an end plate, and the end plate may be disposed in a front
side and a rear side of the battery cell stack.
The mounting portion and the guide portion may be formed in the end
15 plate.
Two mounting portions may be respectively disposed in a front side and
a rear side of the battery module, and the guide portion may be disposed
between the two mounting portions, or on an outer side of the two mounting
portions.
20 A front side of the battery module may face another adjacent battery
module, a guide portion disposed in the front side of the battery module may be
disposed between the two mounting portions, and a guide portion disposed in
the rear side of the battery module may be disposed at an outer side of the two
6
mounting portions.
【Advantageous Effects】
According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to
provide a large capacity battery module with an increased number of battery
5 cells included therein, and simultaneously, in accommodating the large capacity
battery module in a pack frame through a guide pin structure, a manufacturing
process can be improved
In addition, since the number of fixing portions can be reduced, cost can
be reduced and the assemble process can be simplified.
10 【Description of the Drawings】
FIG. 1 shows a conventional battery pack where a plurality of battery
modules are received in a pack frame.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the number of fastening points
required for two battery modules to be fixed to the pack frame of FIG. 1.
15 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery pack in which the battery module
is received in a pack frame.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of the part "A" of FIG. 4.
20 FIG. 6 is a top plan view of alignment form of battery modules according
to the embodiment of the present invention.
【Mode for Invention】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter
7
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the
invention are shown. The present invention may be implemented in several
different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.
The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature
5 and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements
throughout the specification.
In addition, since the size and thickness of each configuration shown in
the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for better understanding and ease of
description, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the drawings. In
10 the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are
exaggerated for clarity. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of some
layers and regions is exaggerated for better understanding and ease of
description.
It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region,
15 or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the
other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when
an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no
intervening elements present. Further, throughout the specification, the word
"on" a target element will be understood to mean positioned above or below the
20 target element, and will not necessarily be understood to mean positioned "at an
upper side" based on an opposite to gravity direction.
In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word
"comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be
8
understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any
other elements.
Further, throughout the specification, the phrase "on a plane" means
viewing a target portion from the top, and the phrase "on a cross-section" means
5 viewing a cross-section formed by vertically cutting a target portion from the
side.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery
pack in which the battery module is received in a pack frame. FIG. 5 is an
10 enlarged partial view of the part "A" of FIG. 4. In particular, in FIG. 3, an upper
cover 310 is separated for convenience of description.
Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a battery pack 1000 according to an
embodiment of the present invention include a battery module 100 including a
battery cell stack 200 where a plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked and a
15 pack frame 1100 the accommodates the battery module 100. The pack frame
1100 includes a bottom portion 1110 where the battery module 100 is positioned,
and a guide pin 1111 that protrudes upward from the bottom portion 1110. The
battery module 100 includes a guide portion 400 where a guide hole 410 is
formed and a mounting portion 500 for fixing the battery module 100, and when
20 the battery module 100 is accommodated in the pack frame 1100, the guide pin
1111 passes through the guide hole 410. Structures of the guide pin 1111 and
the guide hole 410 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 5.
The battery cell 110 is preferably a pouch-type battery cell. The
9
pouch-type battery cell may be formed by receiving an electrode assembly in a
laminate-sheet pouch case including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then
thermally sealing a sealing portion of the pouch case. Such a battery cell 110
may be formed in a rectangular sheet-like structure.
5 The battery cells 110 may be formed in plural, and a plurality of battery
cells 110 are stacked to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery
cell stack 120. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of battery cells 110
may be stacked along a direction that is parallel with the x-axis.
In this case, the battery cell stack 120 according to the present
10 embodiment may be a large scaled module in which the number of battery cells
110 is greater than that of the prior art. For example, 48 battery cells 110 may
be included in each battery module 100. In case of such a large scaled module,
a horizontal directional length of the battery module is increased. Here, the
horizontal directional length may imply a direction where the battery cells 110
15 are stacked, that is, a length in a direction that is parallel with the x-axis.
The battery module 100 may include a module frame 300 that
accommodates the battery cell stack 200, and an end plate 600.
The module frame 300 that accommodates the battery cell stack 200
may include an upper cover 310 and a U-shaped frame 320.
20 The U-shaped frame 320 is a frame having a U-shaped structure, and
may cover a bottom surface (z-axis opposite direction) and both lateral sides
(x-axis direction and its opposite direction) of the battery cell stack 200.
The upper cover 310 may be formed in a plate-shaped structure
10
surrounding the remaining upper surface (z-axis direction) except for the lower
surface and the both lateral sides covered by the U-shaped frame 320. The
upper cover 310 and the U-shaped frame 320 are combined by welding or the
like in a state in which corresponding corner portions are in contact with each
5 other, thereby forming a structure that covers the battery cell stack 200 vertically
and horizontally. It is possible to physically protect the battery cell stack 200
through the upper cover 310 and the U-shaped frame 320. To this end, the
upper cover 310 and the U-shaped frame 320 may include a metal material
having predetermined strength.
10 Meanwhile, although not specifically shown, the module frame 300
according to an exemplary variation may be a mono frame in the form of a metal
plate in which an upper surface, a lower surface, and both lateral sides are
integrated. That is, it is not a structure in which the U-shaped frame 310 and
the upper cover 320 are coupled to each other, but is a structure manufactured
15 by extrusion molding, and thus the upper surface, the lower surface, and both
lateral sides are integrated.
The end plate 600 may be formed to cover the battery cell stack 200 by
being positioned on a first open side (y-axis direction) and a second open side
(direction opposite to the y-axis direction) of the module frame 300. Such an
20 end plate 600 may physically protect the battery cell stack 200 and other
electronic devices from external impact.
Meanwhile, although it is not specifically illustrated, and a bus bar frame
where a bus bar is mounted and an insulation cover for electrical insulation may
11
be disposed between the battery cell stack 200 and the end plate 600.
The end plate 600 may be positioned on the front (opposite y-axis
direction) and rear (y-axis direction) of the battery cell stack 200. Such an end
plate 600 is formed to cover the battery cell stack 200, and it is possible to
5 physically protect the battery cell stack 200 and other electronic devices from
external impact.
Referring to FIG. 5, as previously described, the battery module 100
includes a guide portion 400 where a guide hole 410 is formed, and a mounting
portion 500 for fixing the battery module 100. In this case, the guide portion
10 400 and the mounting portion 500 may be formed on the front side (y-axis
opposite direction) and the rear side (y-axis direction) of the battery module 100,
and more specifically, on the end plate 600.
A mounting hole 510 may be formed in the mounting portion 500. The
mounting portion 500 may protrude along a direction that is parallel with the
15 bottom portion 1110 of the pack frame 1100, and the mounting hole 510 may
penetrate a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom portion 1110 of the pack
frame 1100.
A fastening hole 1112 may be formed at a position corresponding to the
mounting hole 510 in the bottom portion 1110 of the pack frame 1100.
20 The battery pack 1000 according to the present embodiment may further
include a mounting bolt 700 that passes through the mounting hole 510 and thus
is coupled to the fastening hole 1112. That is, the mounting bolt 700 passes
through the mounting hole 510 and is bolt and nut coupled with the fastening
12
hole 1112, and thus the battery module 100 can be fixed to the pack frame 1100.
For effective fixing, the mounting portion 500 and the mounting bolt 700 applied
to each battery module 100 are preferably provided in plural.
Since the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment is
5 large scaled module, the volume or weight increases compared to the
conventional battery module, and thus there may be difficulties in mounting and
fixing the battery module 100 through the mounting part 500.
Thus, the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment is
provided with the guide portion 400 to accommodate the large scaled battery
10 module 100 in the pack frame 1100, thereby simplifying an assembling process.
As described above, the guide hole 410 is formed in the guide portion 400. The
guide portion 400 may protrude along a direction that is parallel with the bottom
portion 1110 of the pack frame 1100, and the guide hole 410 may penetrate a
direction that is perpendicular to the bottom portion 1110 of the pack frame
15 1100.
Specifically, when the battery module 100 is accommodated in the pack
frame 1100 before being fixed through the mounting portion 500, a guide pin
1111 protruding upward from the bottom portion 1110 of the pack frame 1100 is
set to pass through the guide hole 410. Through this, the battery module 100
20 with increased volume or weight can be positioned more accurately and stably at
a predetermined place on the pack frame 1100, and it is also easy to match the
mounting hole 510 and the fastening hole 1112 with each other. For accurate
position setting, the guide portion 400 applied to each battery module 100 is
13
preferably provided in plural.
On the other hand, since the battery module 100 according to the
present embodiment is a large scaled module, the battery module 100 has a
large volume, and thus even through it is a pack frame 1100 of the same size,
5 the number of battery modules 100 accommodated in the pack frame 1100 is
reduced compared to the prior art. That is, even though the number of battery
modules 100 is reduced, it is possible to manufacture a battery pack 1000
having the same capacity and output. In this case, since the number of battery
modules 100 in the battery pack 1000 is reduced, the total number of fixing
10 portions such as the mounting bolt 700 required for the battery pack 1000 is
reduced. That is, cost reduction and simplification of the assemble process
become possible.
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of alignment form of battery modules according
to the embodiment of the present invention. Configurations other than the
15 battery module are omitted for convenience of explanation.
Referring to FIG. 6, as previously described, the guide portion 400 and
the mounting portion 500 may be formed on the front (opposite the y-axis
direction) and rear (y-axis direction) of the battery module 100.
Two mounting portions 500 may be disposed respectively on the front
20 and rear surfaces of the battery module 100a, and the guide portion 400 may be
disposed between the two mounting portions 500 or on the outside of the two
mounting portions 500.
More specifically, the front side of the battery module 100a faces another
14
adjacent battery module 100b, the guide portion 400 disposed on the front of the
battery module 100a is disposed between the two mounting portions 500, and
the guide portion 400 disposed on the rear side of the battery module 100a may
be disposed on the outside of the two mounting portions 500.
5 In the present embodiment, terms indicating directions such as before,
after, left, right, up, and down are used, but these terms are used for
convenience of explanation only, and may vary depending on the position of the
object or the position of the observer.
One or more battery modules according to the present embodiment
10 described above may be mounted together with various control and protection
systems such as a battery management system (BMS) and a cooling system to
form a battery pack.
The battery module or battery pack can be applied to various devices.
Specifically, it can be applied to transportation means such as electric bicycles,
15 electric vehicles, hybrids, and the like, but is not limited thereto, and can be
applied to various devices that can use secondary batteries.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is
presently considered to be practical embodiments, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is
20 intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included
within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Description of symbols
100: battery module
15
110: battery cell
200: battery cell stack
300: module frame
400: guide portion
5 410: guide hole
500: mounting portion
510: mounting hole
600: end plate
700: mounting bolt

【CLAIMS】
【Claim 1】
A battery pack comprising:
a battery module that includes a battery cell stack where a plurality of
5 battery cells are stacked; and
a pack frame that accommodates the battery module,
wherein the pack frame comprises a bottom portion where the battery
module is positioned, and a guide pin protruded upward from the bottom portion,
the battery module comprises a guide portion where a guide hole is
10 formed and a mounting portion for fixing the battery module, and
when the battery module is accommodated in the pack frame, the guide
pin passes through the guide hole.
【Claim 2】
15 The battery pack of claim 1, wherein
the battery module is fixed to the pack frame through the mounting
portion.
【Claim 3】
20 The battery pack of claim 2, comprising:
a mounting hole is formed in the mounting portion,
a fastening hole is formed in a position of the bottom portion of the pack
frame corresponding to the mounting hole, and
17
wherein the battery pack comprises a mounting bolt coupled to the
fastening hole through the mounting hole.
【Claim 4】
5 The battery pack of claim 3, wherein
the guide portion and the mounting portion protrude along a direction that
is parallel with the bottom portion, and
the guide hole and the mounting hole are formed while penetrating along
a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom portion.
10
【Claim 5】
The battery pack of claim 1, wherein
the guide portion and the mounting portion are respectively provided in
plural.
15
【Claim 6】
The battery pack of claim 1, wherein
the guide portion and the mounting portion are formed in a front side and
a rear side of the battery module.
20
【Claim 7】
The battery pack of claim 1, wherein
the battery module comprises a module frame that accommodates the
18
battery cell stack, and an end plate, and
the end plate is disposed in a front side and a rear side of the battery cell
stack.
5 【Claim 8】
The battery pack of claim 7, wherein
the mounting portion and the guide portion are formed in the end plate.
【Claim 9】
10 The battery pack of claim 1, wherein
two mounting portions are respectively disposed in a front side and a
rear side of the battery module, and
the guide portion is disposed between the two mounting portions, or on
an outer side of the two mounting portions.
15
【Claim 10】
The battery pack of claim 9, wherein
a front side of the battery module faces another adjacent battery module,
a guide portion disposed in the front side of the battery module is
20 disposed between the two mounting portions, and
a guide portion disposed in the rear side of the battery module is
disposed at an outer side of the two mounting portions.
19
【Claim 11】
A device comprising the battery pack of claim 1.