Battery connecting unit and battery pack including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707456-B2
Application number	US-201615744267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery connecting unit which is placed on a lower housing and protruding from an upper housing and thus is suitable for preventing water penetration from the outside of the upper housing, and a battery pack including the same. The battery connecting unit is electrically connected to a battery laminate between a lower housing and an upper housing of a battery pack and includes a plastic member configured to come into contact with the upper housing and a metal terminal inserted into the upper housing, wherein the plastic member partially surrounds the metal terminal, and wherein the metal terminal is made of a circular pillar. In addition, the battery pack includes the battery connecting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery connecting unit, which is electrically connected to a battery laminate between a lower housing and an upper housing of a battery pack and includes a plastic member configured to come into contact with the upper housing and a metal terminal inserted into the upper housing,
wherein the plastic member surrounds a lower portion of the metal terminal in a cylindrical shape and exposes an upper portion of the metal terminal, and
wherein the metal terminal is made of a circular pillar and includes an annular protrusion and a gear-shaped protrusion pattern, formed at a sidewall of the circular pillar, in the lower portion of the metal terminal,
wherein the plastic member includes a lower buffer and an upper buffer which are positioned in order, and
wherein the lower buffer has a smaller outer diameter than the upper buffer.

2. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lower buffer surrounds by the annular protrusion, and
wherein the upper buffer surrounds the gear-shaped protrusion pattern.

3. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lower buffer is inserted into a support of the lower housing, and
wherein the upper buffer is welded to the upper housing made of plastic through an end thereof.

4. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein there is provided a plurality of protrusions positioned in different levels at the sidewall of the circular pillar, and
wherein there is provided a plurality of protrusion patterns positioned in different levels at the sidewall of the circular pillar.

5. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the protrusion pattern has saw-tooth portions in the same level at the sidewall of the circular pillar.

6. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circular pillar of the metal terminal serves as a plug contact at the upper portion of the metal terminal, and
wherein the circular pillar of the metal terminal has connection grooves at a sidewall of the circular pillar at the upper portion of the metal terminal.

7. The battery connecting unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal terminal is electrically connected to the battery laminate through the lower buffer.

8. The battery connecting unit of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the metal terminal is a closed end.

9. A battery pack, comprising:
a lower housing including at least one battery connecting unit;
a battery laminate accommodated in the lower housing and electrically connected to the battery connecting unit; and
an upper housing made of plastic and configured to cover the lower housing and the battery laminate,
wherein the battery connecting unit includes a metal terminal and a plastic member partially surrounding the metal terminal,
wherein the metal terminal is provided through the upper housing, and the plastic member is fixed to the upper housing at a lower portion of the upper housing,
wherein the plastic member extends into the upper housing through an upper surface of the upper housing,
wherein the metal terminal is made of a circular pillar and includes an annular protrusion and a gear-shaped protrusion pattern, formed at a sidewall of the circular pillar, in the lower portion of the metal terminal, and the circular pillar of the metal terminal serves as a plug contact at the upper portion of the metal terminal,
wherein the plastic member includes a lower buffer and an upper buffer which are positioned in order and formed integrally,
wherein the lower buffer has a cylindrical shape to surround the annular protrusion, and
wherein the upper buffer has a cylindrical shape with a greater outer diameter than the lower buffer to surround the gear-shaped protrusion pattern.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 ,
wherein the upper housing has flat surfaces at one side coming into contact with the plastic member and the other side opposite thereto.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,
wherein the upper housing is welded along a protrusion located at an end of the plastic member by means of laser welding.

12. A battery pack, comprising:
a lower housing including at least one battery connecting unit;
a battery laminate accommodated in the lower housing and electrically connected to the battery connecting unit; and
an upper housing made of plastic and configured to cover the lower housing and the battery laminate,
wherein the battery connecting unit includes a metal terminal and a plastic member partially surrounding the metal terminal,
wherein the metal terminal is provided through the upper housing, and the plastic member is fixed to the upper housing at a lower portion of the upper housing,
wherein the plastic member extends into the upper housing through an upper surface of the upper housing, and
wherein the upper housing has a concave portion formed at one side in contact with the plastic member to accommodate the plastic member and a convex portion formed at the other side to correspond to the concave portion.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12 ,
wherein the metal terminal is made of a circular pillar and includes an annular protrusion and a gear-shaped protrusion pattern, formed at a sidewall of the circular pillar, in the lower portion of the metal terminal, and the circular pillar of the metal terminal serves as a plug contact at the upper portion of the metal terminal.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13 ,
wherein the plastic member includes a lower buffer and an upper buffer which are positioned in order and formed integrally,
wherein the lower buffer has a cylindrical shape to surround the annular protrusion, and
wherein the upper buffer has a cylindrical shape with a greater outer diameter than the lower buffer to surround the gear-shaped protrusion pattern.

15. The battery pack according to claim 12 ,
wherein the upper housing is welded to a protrusion located at an end of the plastic member along the convex portion by means of laser welding.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Seung-Sik
• Kim Sung-Jong
• Kim Tae-Sung
• Seong Jun-Yeob

Classifications

• H01M10/42 Primary

  Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells (H01M10/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/211

  adapted for pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M50/278

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/296

  characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) · CPC title

• H01M50/561 Primary

  Hollow metallic terminals, e.g. terminal bushings · CPC title