Secondary battery pack having PCM assembly and insulating mounting member of novel structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8936867-B2
Application number	US-74773008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2008
Priority date	Dec 14, 2007
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a secondary battery pack including a battery cell, a protection circuit module (PCM) assembly having a connection member (A), an insulative mounting member having a connection member (B) embedded therein, and an insulative cap. The connection member (B) is coupled to a second electrode terminal of the battery cell by welding, such that the connection member (B) is electrically connected to the second electrode terminal of the battery cell, in a state in which the insulative mounting member is mounted on the battery cell. The connection member (A) is coupled to a first electrode terminal of the battery cell upward from a PCM, such that the connection member (A) is electrically connected to the first electrode terminal of the battery cell. The electrical connection between the PCM assembly and the connection member (B) is achieved in a physical contact fashion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A secondary battery pack comprising:
a battery cell having an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure mounted in a battery case together with an electrolyte in a sealed state and a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal formed at an upper end of the battery case;
a protection circuit module (PCM) assembly including a PCM and a first connection member coupled to a bottom of the PCM, the PCM assembly being provided in one side thereof with a through-hole for coupling with an insulative mounting member;
the insulative mounting member being configured such that the PCM assembly is loaded on the top of the insulative mounting member, the insulative mounting member having a second connection member coupled to the second electrode terminal of the battery cell, the second connection member being embedded in the insulative mounting member with a top and bottom of the second connection member being exposed to the outside, the insulative mounting member having a coupling member formed at a position corresponding to the through-hole, the insulative mounting member being mounted at a top of the battery cell; and
an insulative cap coupled to an upper end of the battery cell to cover the insulative mounting member when the PCM assembly is loaded on the insulative mounting member,
wherein the second connection member is coupled to the second electrode terminal of the battery cell by welding such that the second connection member is electrically connected to the second electrode terminal of the battery cell when the insulative mounting member is mounted on the battery cell,
wherein the first connection member protrudes from one end of the PCM assembly in a lateral direction such that a region of the first connection member electrically connected to the battery cell is exposed upward from the PCM assembly, whereby the first connection member is coupled to the first electrode terminal of the battery cell upward from the PCM such that the first connection member is electrically connected to the first electrode terminal of the battery cell, in a state in which the PCM assembly is loaded on the insulative mounting member by the insertion of the coupling member into the through-hole, and
wherein the electrical connection between the PCM assembly and the second connection member is provided by physical contact.

2. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery case is a metal container.

3. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode terminal is a cathode terminal, and the second electrode terminal is an anode terminal.

4. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection member is coupled to a bottom of the PCM by a surface mount technology.

5. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection member comprises a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) element including a PTC body, a PCM coupling part coupled to a top of the PTC body, and a battery cell coupling part coupled to a bottom of the PTC body, the battery cell coupling part protruding from one end of the PCM assembly in the lateral direction such that the battery cell coupling part is exposed upward from the PCM assembly.

6. The secondary battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the PTC body includes a PTC material layer made of a polymer composite and metal foils joined to a top and a bottom of the PTC material layer.

7. The secondary battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the PCM coupling part and the battery cell coupling part are formed of a metal plate.

8. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein a remaining region of the second connection member, excluding the top of the second connection member facing a terminal connection part of the PCM assembly and the bottom of the second connection member facing the corresponding electrode terminal of the battery cell, is embedded in the insulative mounting member.

9. The secondary battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the second connection member is embedded in the insulative mounting member when forming the insulative mounting member by insert injection molding.

10. The secondary battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the second connection member embedded in the insulative mounting member protrudes from the top of the insulative mounting member in the shape of a protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the top of the insulative mounting member such that the portion of the second connection member is exposed upward, whereby the second connection member is stably fixed to the insulative mounting member.

11. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second connection member is formed of a nickel plate.

12. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the insulative mounting member has a size less than the top of the battery cell in a lateral direction of the battery cell such that the insulative mounting member is provided with a region where the first connection member is connected to the battery cell, and the insulative mounting member is provided with an opening formed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the second connection member coupled to the second electrode terminal of the battery cell such that an upper-end case protrusion of the battery cell is exposed upward through the opening.

13. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the insulative mounting member is provided at opposite ends thereof in a lateral direction with receiving sidewalls protruding upward such that the PCM assembly is stably mounted to the insulative mounting member by the receiving sidewalls.

14. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling between the top of the battery case and the insulative mounting member is achieved by bonding.

15. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheathing film attached to an outer surface of the battery case.

16. The secondary battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is a prismatic lithium secondary battery cell.

Assignees

• Baek Ju-Hwan
• Moon Ki Eob
• Jung Soonkwang
• Lee Cheol Woong
• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Baek Ju-Hwan
• Moon Ki Eob
• Jung Soonkwang
• Lee Cheol Woong

Classifications

• H01M50/176

  for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/181 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/528

  Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection · CPC title

• H01M50/296

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

• H01M50/103

  prismatic or rectangular (H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title