Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12463283-B2
Application number	US-202217944431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2022
Priority date	Oct 12, 2021
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

Discussed is a battery pack, including a plurality of battery cells, and a side structure unit configured to accommodate a cooling unit and the plurality of battery cells and configured to form a first section of an outer surface of the battery pack. The side structure unit includes a main plate formed to have a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the battery pack, and accommodates a first group of the plurality battery cells at a first side and a second group of the plurality of battery cells at a second side that is opposite to the first side, and each of the first side and the second side of the main plate includes a plurality of inter-wings that separate the plurality of battery cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery pack, comprising:
a plurality of battery cells; a bus bar assembly having a first side and a second side, the second side of the bus bar assembly provided to a first side of the plurality of battery cells and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; a cooling unit disposed at the second side of the bus bar assembly and arranged between the plurality of battery cells along a longitudinal direction of the battery pack; a side structure unit configured to accommodate the cooling unit and the plurality of battery cells and configured to form a first section of an outer surface of the battery pack; and a filling member configured to form a second section of the outer surface of the battery pack together with the first section of the outer surface of the battery pack formed by the side structure unit, the filling member further being filled in a space between the cooling unit and the plurality of battery cells, wherein the side structure unit includes a main plate formed to have a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the battery pack, the main plate having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the main plate further accommodating a first group of the plurality battery cells that are sequentially arranged at the first side of the main plate and a second group of the plurality of battery cells that are sequentially arranged at the second side of the main plate so that the main plate is interposed between the first group and the second group of the plurality of battery cells, wherein each of the first side and the second side of the main plate includes a plurality of inter-wings that separate the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of inter-wings including a first set of the plurality of inter-wings that are sequentially arranged at the first side of the main plate to alternatingly separate adjacent individual battery cells of the first group of the plurality of battery cells, respectively, and a second set of the plurality of inter-wings that are sequentially arranged at the second side of the main plate to alternatingly separate adjacent individual battery cells of the second group of the plurality of battery cells, respectively, wherein a height of each inter-wing is greater than a height of the plurality of battery cells in a height direction of the plurality of battery cells, and wherein the filling member is made of a potting resin.

2 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the filling member is made of a silicone resin.

3 . The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the filling member covers the first side of the bus bar assembly.

4 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the filling member is accommodated between the bus bar assembly and the battery cells without an isolated space or a separated space between the bus bar assembly and the battery cells in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of battery cells.

5 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the filling member is accommodated in a portion other than an outer side of a side surface of the side structure unit.

6 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the side structure unit is configured to support the plurality of battery cells and the cooling unit when the filling member is accommodated in the battery pack.

7 . The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the side structure unit includes a guide protrusion provided at an edge of an upper surface thereof to prevent the filling member from overflowing.

8 . The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the side structure unit further includes:
a pair of end plates configured to accommodate and support the plurality of battery cells together with the main plate and provided at opposite outermost sides of the side structure unit in a width direction of the side structure unit.

9 . The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the main plate is provided in plural, and the plurality of main plates accommodate the plurality of battery cells to be arranged in two rows along the width direction of the battery pack.

10 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar assembly includes:
main bus bars electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells located at an outermost side in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack; and a connection bus bar disposed between the main bus bars in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack and electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells.

11 . The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the connection bus bar includes:
a bus bar cover configured to cover the first side of the plurality of battery cells; and a sub bus bar inserted into the bus bar cover and configured for electric connection with positive electrodes and negative electrodes of the plurality of battery cells.

12 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit includes:
a cooling tube formed in a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the battery pack and disposed between the plurality of battery cells; a cooling channel provided in the cooling tube and configured to circulate a cooling liquid for cooling the battery cells; and a cooling liquid inlet/outlet portion connected to the cooling tube to communicate with the cooling channel.

13 . The battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the cooling channel includes:
at least one upper channel disposed at an upper side of the cooling tube to be provided near the bus bar assembly; at least one lower channel disposed at a lower side of the cooling tube to be spaced apart from the at least one upper channel; and a connection channel configured to connect the at least one lower channel and the at least one upper channel.

14 . A battery pack case structure, comprising at least one battery pack according to claim 1 .

15 . A vehicle comprising:
the battery pack case structure according to claim 14 , wherein the longitudinal direction of the at least one battery pack is arranged approximately perpendicular to a length direction of the vehicle so that the side structure unit provides protection to the plurality of battery cells during a front or rear collision of the vehicle.

16 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of battery cells are in compression in a height direction of a cylindrical can of each of the plurality of battery cells.

17 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the main plate is provided in plural, and
wherein the plurality of main plates are separate from each other, and are arranged sequentially in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the battery pack.

18 . The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the main plate includes a first cooling unit insert groove at a first end of the main plate to accommodate a first end of the cooling unit, and a second cooling unit insert groove at a second end of the main plate to accommodate a second end of the cooling unit.

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Jung In-Hyuk
• Yang Jin-Oh
• Oh Kwang-Keun
• Choi Hae-Won

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M50/291 Primary

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M10/6567

  Liquids · CPC title

• H01M10/6557

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M10/643

  Cylindrical cells · CPC title