Battery pack having end plates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660230-B2
Application number	US-201414184479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a battery pack including a pair of end plates facing each other, a plurality of battery cells arrayed between the end plates, and a pair of side plates each extending along a length of the plurality of battery cells, and coupled to the end plates, wherein each of the end plates includes a base plate, bending portions bent from each edge of the base plate in a direction away from the plurality of battery cells, each bending portion having a reinforcing bead unit, and a flange portion connected to the base plate at each bending portion. According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, deformation of the battery pack may be efficiently suppressed and deterioration of a function of a battery cell may be prevented by blocking volume expansion due to recharging and discharging operations of the battery cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack comprising:
a pair of end plates facing each other;
a plurality of battery cells arrayed between the end plates; and
a pair of side plates each extending along a length of the plurality of battery cells, and coupled to the end plates, wherein each of the end plates comprises:
a base plate;
bending portions bent from each edge of the base plate in a direction away from the plurality of battery cells, each bending portion comprising a reinforcing bead wherein the reinforcing bead unit is engraved to be recessed from a first surface of each bending portion, and is embossed to protrude from a second opposing surface of each bending portion; and
a flange portion connected to the base plate at each bending portion.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing bead unit is imprinted.

3. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing bead unit is engraved when the reinforcing bead unit is on an inner surface of the bending portions facing the plurality of battery cells, and the reinforcing bead unit is embossed when the reinforcing bead unit is on an outer surface of the bending portions facing away from the plurality of battery cells.

4. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the flange portion comprises:
a top flange portion at an upper end of the base plate;
a bottom flange portion at a lower end of the base plate; and
a first side flange portion and a second side flange portion at each respective side surface of the base plate.

5. The battery pack of claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing bead unit comprises:
a first reinforcing bead unit on the bending portion connected to the top flange portion;
a second reinforcing bead unit on the bending portion connected to the bottom flange portion; and
a third reinforcing bead unit and a fourth reinforcing bead unit on the bending portions connected to the first side flange portion and the second side flange portion, respectively.

6. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the pair of side plates is coupled to the end plates with an assembly guide configured to align the end plates with the pair of side plates.

7. The battery pack of claim 6 , wherein the assembly guide comprises:
an assembly pin on each of the end plates; and
an assembly rail in each of the side plates, the assembly rail being configured to receive the assembly pin and to guide a sliding movement of the assembly pin.

8. The battery pack of claim 7 , wherein the flange portion comprises a first side flange portion and a second side flange portion, respectively, on each side surface of the base plate, and
wherein each of the first side flange portion and the second side flange portion comprise an assembly pin.

9. The battery pack of claim 8 , wherein each of the first side flange portion and the second side flange portion are coupled to respective end portions of the side plates.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the first side flange portion and the second side flange portion comprise coupling holes, and the side plates comprise corresponding coupling holes such that when the first and second side flange portions are coupled to respective side plates, they overlap with the end portions of the side plates, and the coupling holes align at coupling positions, the coupling holes being configured to receive coupling members inserted into the coupling holes.

11. The battery pack of claim 10 , wherein the assembly pins of the first side flange portion and the second side flange portion are configured to be inserted from an exterior of the respective side plates into the assembly rails, and configured to then slide to the coupling positions along the assembly rails.

12. The battery pack of claim 7 , wherein the assembly rail comprises an opening extending lengthwise along a sliding movement direction of the assembly pin.

13. The battery pack of claim 12 , wherein the assembly rail extends lengthwise along an array of the plurality of battery cells.

14. The battery pack of claim 12 , wherein the opening of the assembly rail is coupled to an exterior of each side plate.

15. The battery pack of claim 7 , wherein the assembly rail is at both end portions of each of the side plates.

16. The battery pack of claim 15 , wherein one assembly rail is at each of the end portions of each of the side plates.

17. The battery pack of claim 16 , wherein each end portion of each of the side plates is coupled to a respective end plate.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Noh Kyoung-Hwan

Classifications

• H01M50/209 Primary

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/51

  Connection only in series · CPC title

• H01M50/507

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/233

  characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title