Rechargeable battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10439175-B2
Application number	US-201514607211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A rechargeable battery pack includes a plurality of cell modules connected to each other via bus bars, each cell module including a plurality unit cells with electrode terminals connected to the bus bars, a plurality of spacers between the cell modules, first and second plates coupled to opposite sides of the spacers, the first and second plates being configured to support the cell modules therebetween, and flow paths between the unit cells in a length direction of the unit cells, the flow paths being between side surfaces of the spacers and side surfaces of the unit cells, and being further partially set by sides of the bus bars.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rechargeable battery pack, comprising:
a first row of a plurality of unit cells in a first cell module with electrode terminals connected to each other via a first bus bar and a second row of a plurality of unit cells in a second cell module with electrode terminals connected to a second bus bar, the first and second rows extending along a first direction;
a common spacer between the first and second rows, the common spacer including a fastening hole, wherein each of the first and second bus bars includes
a cell connection part extended in the first direction, the cell connection part connecting the electrode terminals of the unit cells in a respective cell module to each other, and
a module connection part protruding directly from the cell connection part along a second direction, intersecting the first direction, towards the common spacer to overlap the fastening hole, and to fix a respective bus bar to the fastening hole,
wherein the first and second bus bars face each other,
first and second connection parts are in parallel to each other, and
first and second module connection parts overlap each other and are fastened to the fastening hole;

first and second plates coupled to opposite sides of the common spacer, the first and second plates to support the first and second cell modules therebetween; and
flow paths between the unit cells in a third direction, intersecting the first and second directions, the flow paths being between side surfaces of the spacers and side surfaces of the unit cells, and being further partially set by sides of the first and second bus bars, wherein a width of the cell connection part along the second direction is smaller than a diameter of a unit cell and a width of the module connection part along the first direction is larger than the diameter of the unit cell.

2. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second bus bars are fixed to the fastening hole of the common spacer by a fastening member.

3. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the common spacer includes:
expansion parts having a shape corresponding to a space between four unit cells adjacent to each other in two directions, the fastening hole being in the expansion part in the third direction, and
narrow width parts having a shape corresponding to a space between two unit cells adjacent to each other in the expansion part.

4. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the common spacer includes a stair structure defining the flow paths, the stair structure being in an outer circumferential direction of the unit cell at inner surfaces of the expansion parts and the narrow width parts and extending in the second direction from inner surfaces to the unit cell, the stair structure extending in the third direction along the unit cell.

5. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first and second plates include lattice members supporting the electrode terminals of the cell module and defining air vent holes connected to the flow paths.

6. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first and second plates further include plate members fastened to second fastening holes of the common spacer by the fastening member.

7. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the cell connection part connects the unit cells in parallel to each other in respective cell modules, and
the module connection part connects the first and second cell modules adjacent to each other in series or in parallel to each other.

8. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cell connection part is between the expansion parts in a vicinity of the flow paths to cover the narrow width parts.

9. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a pair of end plates at outermost ends of the cell modules, the pair of end plates and the common spacer being assembled with each other by nuts through assembling holes at lateral sides of the common spacer.

10. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second plates include:
cell reception parts receiving the electrode terminals of the cell module; and
air vent holes between four cell reception parts adjacent to each other and connected to the flow paths.

11. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the cell reception parts include:
support protrusions supporting outer edges of the electrode terminals of the first and second cell modules; and
exposure holes between four support protrusions adjacent to each other to expose the electrode terminals.

12. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the air vent holes penetrate through protrusion parts protruding upwardly from the support protrusion to receive outer side surfaces of the unit cells.

13. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the common spacer is coupled to some of the protrusion parts of the first and second plates, and the flow paths are set by connecting the air vent holes of the other protrusion parts to each other between the unit cells.

14. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the common spacer includes large diameter parts at opposite ends and coupled to the protrusion parts and a small diameter part between the large diameter parts.

15. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first cell module includes a third row of unit cells with electrode terminals connected to the first bus bar, the second cell module includes a fourth row of unit cells with electrode terminals connected to the second bus bar, and each of the first and second bus bars includes:
a cell connection part extended in a direction intersecting the third direction and connecting the electrode terminals of the unit cells in a respective cell module in two rows; and
the module connection part protruding toward one side of the cell connection part and intersecting the cell connection part to connect an adjacent cell connection part.

16. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the cell connection part includes through-holes in spaces corresponding to spaces between the unit cells.

17. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second bus bars includes retraction grooves defining spaces corresponding to spaces between two unit cells adjacent to each other.

18. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second bus bars extends along unit cells in a single direction.

19. The rechargeable battery pack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastening hole is in a center of the common spacer.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jeong-Kurn
• Kim Dong-Rak
• Choi Jong-Rock
• Song In-Seob

Classifications

• H01M10/6557 Primary

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M50/291

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M50/517

  by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/509

  characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections · CPC title