Battery module of improved safety and battery pack containing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10236482-B2
Application number	US-201414273186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2014
Priority date	Jan 26, 2012
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery pack including a battery module array constituted by one or more battery modules each including one or more unit modules each configured to have a structure in which a battery cell is surrounded by a cell cover are mounted in a module case in a state in which the unit modules are stacked while being vertically upright, a base plate on which the battery module array is loaded, a pair of end plates to support opposite sides of the array in a state in which a lower end of each of the end plates is fixed to the base plate, and an insulation member disposed between the array and each of the end plates, the insulation member being provided at a surface thereof facing the array with one or more ribs to absorb shock caused by external force and to define a coolant flow channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack comprising:
a battery module array constituted by one or more battery modules each comprising one or more unit modules each configured to have a structure in which a battery cell is surrounded by a cell cover, and the unit modules are mounted in a module case in a state in which the unit modules are stacked while being vertically upright;
a base plate on which the battery module array is loaded;
a pair of end plates to support opposite first and second sides of the battery module array in a state in which a lower end of each of the end plates is fixed to the base plate; and
an insulation member disposed directly between the battery module array and each of the end plates, the insulation member being provided at a surface thereof facing the battery module array with ribs arranged in a vertical direction of the battery pack to absorb shock caused by external force and to define a coolant flow channel,
wherein outermost unit modules, each of which are adjacent to an end plate of said pair of end plates, are provided with beads at the outer surface of their respective cell cover,
wherein each of the ribs of each insulation member faces a respective one of the beads of the respective cell cover to define a coolant flow channel,
wherein each of the ribs of each insulation member is directly adjacent to the respective one of the beads of the respective cell cover,
wherein each bead has a concavo-convex shape, and
wherein at least one of the ribs comprises a plurality of projections spaced apart in the vertical direction, such that opposite sides of the rib communicate with each other through the steps.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is a plate-shaped battery cell.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the battery cell is configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a laminate battery case.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the unit modules is configured to have a structure in which two or more battery cells are surrounded by the cell cover excluding electrode terminals of the battery cells.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cell cover is provided at an outer surface thereof with one or more beads to define the coolant flow channel.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the battery modules comprises two or more unit modules and is configured to have a structure in which the unit modules are mounted between upper and lower cases, through which one side surface of each of the outermost unit modules is exposed outward.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the end plates is formed in a planar rectangular shape.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the end plates is provided at a portion thereof corresponding to an electrode terminal connection region of the battery cell or the unit module with an opening, through which expansion stress of the battery cell due to swelling of the battery cell concentrates on the electrode terminal connection region and, when the swelling of the battery cell is a predetermined value or more, the electrode terminal connection region is ruptured, whereby the battery cell is cut off.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation member is formed of foam having a plate-shaped structure corresponding to one side surface of a corresponding one of the unit modules.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the foam is formed of expanded polypropylene (EPP).

11. The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of fixing frames respectively disposed at a front surface and a rear surface of the battery module array to support load of the battery modules, opposite ends of each of the fixing frames being fastened to an external device.

12. A device comprising a battery pack according to claim 1 as a power source.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the device is an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a power storage device.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Bum Hyun
• Lee Jin Kyu
• Kang Dal Mo

Classifications

• H01M10/613 Primary

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M50/211

  adapted for pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title

• H01M2/1072

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/345

  Electricity · mapped topic