Battery pack and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9385353-B2
Application number	US-201213368209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2012
Priority date	Aug 3, 2011
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A battery pack and a method of manufacturing the battery pack, to include a pouch battery cell and a casing frame to accommodate and securely surround the battery cell. The casing frame may be constructed with a base frame, a first lateral frame protruding from one edge of the base frame, and a wing portion that is rotatable with respect to the base frame. The wing portion rotates from a first position where the battery cell can be inserted into the casing frame, to a second position where the battery cell is surrounded by and secured within the casing frame against damage from external forces, impulses and impacts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack, comprising:
a pouch battery cell having a first main side opposite a second main side;
a casing frame accommodating and surrounding the battery cell, the casing frame including:
a base frame corresponding to the second main surface of the battery cell, wherein the base frame of the casing frame is perforated by an aperture to expose a majority of the second main side of the battery cell to an outside of the casing frame,
a first lateral frame protruding from one edge of the base frame and corresponding to a lateral surface of the battery cell that extends along an entire length of a first dimensional direction of the battery cell, the first lateral frame including
a hinge portion extending along an entire length of the first dimensional direction of the battery cell and a wing portion arranged on the hinge portion and being rotatable between a first position where the battery cell can be inserted into the casing frame and a second position where the battery cell is surrounded by and secured within the casing frame, wherein the hinge portion comprises a structure selected from a group consisting of a thin portion having a reduced thickness in the first lateral frame and a cut portion that is cut from a surface of the first lateral frame of the casing frame, the hinge portion to provide a pivot for the wing portion to rotate between the first and second positions and provide an open and closed structure for the frame case, the casing frame being comprised of a polymer resin that is produced by an injection molding process; and

an outer cover attached along an entire circumference of the casing frame, the outer cover comprising an electrically insulating sheet having an adhesive layer, the outer cover being wound about the circumference of the casing frame in a direction parallel to a direction of a rotation of the wing portion.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , comprised of the wing portion covering a portion of the narrow, lateral surface of the battery cell and an adjoining portion of the first main side of the battery cell that is opposite to the second main side of the battery cell, the second main side of the battery cell facing the base frame and being in contact with the base frame while the first main side of the battery cell faces away from the base frame and is spaced apart from the base frame.

3. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the wing portion comprises a rounded curved surface that mates with a corresponding rounded curved surface of the battery cell that extends along an entire length of a first dimensional direction of the battery cell when the wing portion is in the second position.

4. The battery pack of claim 1 , the casing frame further comprising a second lateral frame arranged on an opposite side of the base frame from the first lateral frame to face the first lateral frame, the first and second lateral frames surrounding first and second long, narrow lateral surfaces respectively of the battery cell.

5. The battery pack of claim 4 , wherein the second lateral frame comprises:
a hinge portion extending along a length of the second lateral frame; and
a wing portion attached to the hinge portion to rotate with respect to the base frame, the hinge portions of the second lateral frame to provide for a rotating open and closed structure to allow for removal of the pouch battery cell from the casing frame without any deformation of a shape of the casing frame.

6. The battery pack of claim 4 , wherein the casing frame further comprises first and second cover frames that face each other and that protrude from the base frame to cover third and fourth lateral surfaces of the battery cell that are positioned between the first and second lateral surfaces of the battery cell.

7. The battery pack of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second cover frames protrudes from the base frame by different heights.

8. The battery pack of claim 6 , the casing frame further comprises a flange arranged on the second cover frame and oriented to prevent the battery cell from escaping from the casing frame, the second cover frame having a proximal edge that attaches to the base frame and a distal and opposite edge that attaches to the flange, the flange being parallel to the base frame and extending towards the first cover frame from the second cover frame.

9. A battery pack, comprising:
a pouch battery cell having two major surfaces opposite to each other and four lateral surfaces forming a circumference of the battery cell between the two major surfaces; and
a casing frame accommodating and surrounding the battery cell, the casing frame including a base frame corresponding to one of the two major surfaces of the battery cell, two lateral frames extending from opposing edges of the base frame, the two lateral frames each including a wing portion that is rotatable with respect to the base frame about a hinge portion, each wing portion having a length that conforms to a length of two opposing and longest of the four lateral surfaces of the battery cell, each wing portion being rotatable from a first position where the battery cell can be inserted into the casing frame to a second position where the battery cell is surrounded by secured and embraced by the wing portions within the casing frame, each hinge portion being a discontinuous shape arranged in each of the two lateral frames to provide a pivot about which each wing portion rotates with respect to the base frame, wherein each hinge portion comprises a structure selected from a group consisting of a thin portion having a reduced thickness in each lateral frame and a cut portion that is cut from a surface of each lateral frame of the casing frame, each hinge portion to provide a pivot for the wing portion to rotate between the first and second positions; and
an outer cover attached along an entire circumference of the casing frame, the outer cover comprising an electrically insulating sheet having an adhesive layer, the outer cover being wound about the circumference of the casing frame in a direction parallel to a direction of a rotation of the wing portion.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein each hinge portion comprises the thin portion having a wall thickness that is less than remaining portions of a corresponding lateral frame.

11. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein each hinge portion comprises the cut portion that is cut through from an inner surface of a corresponding lateral portion and includes the pivot at an outer surface of the lateral portion at a location that corresponds to the cut portion.

12. The battery pack of claim 9 , the casing frame being comprised of a polymer resin material and being produced by an injection molding process.

13. The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement plate arranged on the exposed portion of the second main side of the battery cell, the reinforcement plate being padded on a side facing the second main side of the battery cell, the outer cover being also attached to an external side of the reinforcement plate.

14. The battery pack of claim 6 , further comprising a protection circuit module arranged over the fourth lateral surface of the battery cell and electrically connected to an anode lead and a cathode lead extending from the fourth lateral surface of the battery cell, the second cover frame covering the protection circuit module.

15. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the base frame of the casing frame is perforated by an aperture to expose a majority of the one of the two major surfaces of the battery cell to an outside of the casing frame.

Assignees

• Byun Bo-Hyun
• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Byun Bo-Hyun

Classifications

• H01M50/105 Primary

  Pouches or flexible bags · CPC title

• H01M2/0207

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/0217

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1061 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic