KR102721243B1 - Battery pack for small electric vehicle with heating radiating structure per cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The present specification relates to a battery pack for a small electric vehicle to which a cell-specific heat dissipation structure is applied. According to an embodiment, the battery pack includes a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in a grid structure at a predetermined interval therein and inlet and outlet pipes are installed on the outside, a printed circuit board disposed within the housing and to which each of the plurality of battery cells is connected without welding, and a heat dissipation plate disposed within the housing so as to individually surround each side of each of the plurality of battery cells, and a flow path connected to the flow path is formed in the housing, and a temperature of the plurality of battery cells can be lowered or the temperature of the plurality of battery cells can be raised by a fluid flowing through the flow path.

Description

Battery pack for small electric vehicles with heating radiating structure per cell {BATTERY PACK FOR SMALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH HEATING RADIATING STRUCTURE PER CELL}

The present invention relates to a battery pack for a small electric vehicle, and more particularly, to a battery pack for a small electric vehicle having a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure applied.

Currently, electric vehicles (hereinafter, “small electric vehicles”) driven by a drive unit including a small electric motor (ex. two-wheeled electric vehicles, agricultural machinery and electric vehicles, carts of 20 kW or less, etc.) have the problem of short driving distances and long charging times.

To solve the short driving distance problem, a method of increasing battery capacity by connecting multiple batteries in parallel is being used. If only the number of batteries is increased to increase capacity, the overall system weight increases and the system cost also increases.

Although the driving range can be increased simply by physically increasing the number of batteries, there is still no good solution in terms of technology or cost to shorten the charging time.

When batteries are densely packed to form a pack, the temperature of the battery increases due to self-heating generated during charging and discharging, which can lead to a risk of fire. If the charging current is lowered to limit the temperature rise, the charging time also becomes longer, which is a disadvantage.

In addition, due to the nature of the battery, its capacity decreases to about half of the rated capacity in low temperatures. However, existing battery pack methods without separate temperature management methods have limitations in that they are directly exposed to low temperatures, resulting in a decrease in the overall capacity and a shortened driving distance.

A typical small electric vehicle battery pack is made by welding electrodes in cell units and combining them in a series/parallel structure. In a pack with multiple cells, if one cell is defective, the entire pack must be replaced, which is cost-effective and increases environmental issues as usable battery cells are discarded.

Conventional battery packs for small electric vehicles are mounted by connecting cells in series/parallel and covering them with plastic cases or vinyl. Small electric vehicles are always at risk of physical shock due to accidents, and the battery packs can be damaged by the impact of the accident, and if the battery cells are damaged as a result, there is a risk of fire.

This background technology is technical information that the inventor possessed for the purpose of deriving the present invention or acquired in the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be considered as publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the application for the present invention.

In order to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, the embodiments disclosed in this specification have as a technical challenge a small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure applied that can increase the heat dissipation effect by applying a heat dissipation plate to each cell.

The embodiments are a technical challenge to provide a small electric vehicle battery pack with a cell-specific heat dissipation structure that can increase the heat dissipation effect while minimizing the increase in manufacturing cost even when multiple heat dissipators are used by applying heat dissipators of the same structure to the cells.

The embodiments provide a small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure that provides a path in a housing that comprehensively surrounds cells to which heat sinks are individually applied, and increases the heat dissipation effect through cooling water flowing through the path.

The embodiments are capable of minimizing heat generation in the battery by dissipating heat generated by the battery in units of cells and packs, thereby preventing the temperature of the battery from rising, thereby minimizing heat generation in the battery even at high currents, and providing a small electric vehicle battery pack with a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure that enables rapid charging at high currents.

The embodiments are capable of controlling the temperature of a battery cell by cell by controlling the temperature of a coolant flowing through a path provided in a housing in a low-temperature state, preventing a decrease in the capacity of the battery in a low-temperature state by increasing the temperature of the battery (by preventing the temperature of the battery from decreasing), and providing a small electric vehicle battery pack with a cell-specific heat dissipation structure that can solve the problem of a decrease in driving distance due to a decrease in battery capacity.

The embodiments provide a small electric vehicle battery pack with a cell-specific heat dissipation structure that does not require a welding process for connecting the battery cells by directly contacting a PCB on which a BMS, control IC, etc. are mounted so that the battery cells are connected in series/parallel by a PCB pattern, and since there is no welding part, even if one cell becomes defective, only the defective cell can be easily replaced, which is economical for maintenance and has the effect of reducing environmental pollution.

The embodiments provide a small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure that can prevent damage due to external impact and accidents such as explosion/fire caused by the battery cells by primarily protecting the outer surface of the battery cells by a heat dissipation plate and secondarily protecting the entire battery cells by a housing that comprehensively encloses the battery cells.

The embodiments simplify the process and reduce the manufacturing cost because the electrical connection for power and signals is made through a structure in which the front printed circuit board is directly connected to the upper and lower printed circuit boards through connectors, and the technical task is to provide a small electric vehicle battery pack with an economical cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure because the electrical connection for power and signals between the upper and lower printed circuit boards is made directly without additional components.

The embodiments are capable of increasing the capacity by stacking battery packs of the same structure simply by adding a power connection bus bar, thereby eliminating the need for additional product design for increasing the capacity and providing a small electric vehicle battery pack with an economical cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the matters mentioned above, and those with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to clearly understand other problems intended by the present invention from the following description.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical task, a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention has a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure and can be used for a small electric vehicle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery pack may include a housing having a plurality of battery cells spaced apart at a predetermined interval and arranged in a grid structure and having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe installed on the outside, a printed circuit board disposed within the housing and to which each of the plurality of battery cells is connected without welding, and a heat sink disposed within the housing so as to individually surround a side surface of each of the plurality of battery cells.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a flow path connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe is formed in a housing, and the temperature of a plurality of battery cells can be lowered or the temperature of a plurality of battery cells can be raised by a fluid flowing through the flow path.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing may include an upper housing having an upper conduit formed to be connected to an inlet pipe, a lower housing having a lower conduit formed to be connected to an outlet pipe, and a front housing having a power connector connected to an external device, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe installed, and a connecting conduit formed to connect the upper conduit and the lower conduit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting pipe may include a first connecting pipe connected to the upper pipe, a second connecting pipe connected to the lower pipe, and an internal hole formed inside the front housing and connecting the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper protrusion that protrudes into the housing at a predetermined interval and has an upper conduit formed therein may be formed in the upper housing, and a lower protrusion that protrudes into the housing at a predetermined interval and corresponds to the upper protrusion and has a lower conduit formed therein may be formed in the lower housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper protrusions and the lower protrusions are arranged between a plurality of battery cells and can surround side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board may include an upper printed circuit board disposed on a lower portion of the upper housing and having an upper bus bar socket disposed thereon, a lower printed circuit board disposed on an upper portion of the lower housing and having a lower bus bar socket disposed thereon, and a front printed circuit board disposed on an inner surface of the front housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, first and second through holes may be formed in the upper and lower housings respectively to correspond to the upper and lower bus bar sockets.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack may include an upper cover disposed on the outside of the upper housing and having a third passage hole formed to correspond to the first passage hole, a lower cover disposed on the outside of the lower housing and having a fourth passage hole formed to correspond to the second passage hole, an upper cap covering the third passage hole of the upper cover, and a lower cap covering the fourth passage hole of the lower cover.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of upper terminal portions connected to terminals of battery cells and arranged in a stripe shape at a predetermined interval can be pattern-formed on an upper printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of lower terminal portions connected to terminals of a battery cell and arranged in a stripe shape at a predetermined interval can be pattern-formed on a lower printed circuit board to correspond to the upper terminal portions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper protrusion can pass between the upper terminal portions and wrap around the side surface of the battery cell, and the lower protrusion can pass between the lower terminal portions and wrap around the side surface of the battery cell.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper connector connected to a plurality of upper terminal portions may be arranged on an upper printed circuit board, a lower connector connected to a plurality of lower terminal portions may be arranged on a lower printed circuit board, and a power terminal connected to a power connector, a first connection connector directly connected to the upper connector, and a second connection connector directly connected to the lower connector may be arranged on a front printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heat sink may be composed of a plurality of heat sinks arranged in a stripe shape, and may include an outer heat sink arranged at each of both edges and formed with the same shape, and a plurality of inner heat sinks arranged between the outer heat sinks and formed with the same shape.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the outer heat sink that comes into contact with the battery cell may be formed with the same shape as a side surface of the battery cell, and a portion of the inner heat sink that comes into contact with the battery cell may be formed with the same shape as a side surface of the battery cell.

Specific details according to various examples of the present invention other than the means for solving the problems mentioned above are included in the description and drawings below.

According to the embodiments described in this specification, the heat dissipation effect can be increased because the heat sink is applied per cell.

According to the embodiments, since a heat sink of the same structure is applied to the cell, the heat dissipation effect can be increased while minimizing an increase in manufacturing cost even if multiple heat sinks are used.

According to embodiments, a path is provided in a housing that comprehensively surrounds cells to which heat sinks are respectively applied, and cooling water is allowed to flow through the path, thereby increasing the heat dissipation effect through the cooling water.

According to embodiments, the heat generated by the battery is dissipated in units of cells and packs, thereby minimizing the heat generation of the battery by preventing the temperature of the battery from rising, thereby minimizing the heat generation of the battery even at high currents, and enabling rapid charging at high currents.

According to embodiments, the temperature of the battery can be managed on a cell-by-cell basis by controlling the temperature of the coolant flowing through the path provided in the housing in a low-temperature state, and by increasing the temperature of the battery (by preventing the temperature of the battery from decreasing), the capacity of the battery can be prevented from decreasing in a low-temperature state, and the problem of reduced driving distance due to reduced battery capacity can be solved.

According to embodiments, since the electrodes of the battery cells are in direct contact with the PCB on which the BMS, control IC, etc. are mounted, and the battery cells are connected in series/parallel by the PCB pattern, a welding process for connecting the battery cells is not required, and since there is no welding part, even if one cell becomes defective, only the defective cell can be easily replaced, which is economical in maintenance and has the effect of reducing environmental pollution.

According to embodiments, the battery cell is primarily protected on the outer side by a heat sink and secondarily protected by a housing that comprehensively encloses the entire battery cell, thereby preventing damage due to external impact and accidents such as explosion/fire caused thereby.

According to the embodiments, since the electrical connection for power and signals is made through a structure in which the front printed circuit board is directly connected to the upper and lower printed circuit boards through connectors, the process is simple and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and since the electrical connection for power and signals between the upper printed circuit board and the lower printed circuit board is made directly without additional components, it is economical.

According to the embodiments, battery packs of the same structure can be stacked to increase capacity simply by adding a power connection bus bar, thereby eliminating the need for additional product design for increasing capacity, which is economical.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Since the contents of the problems to be solved, the means for solving the problems, and the effects mentioned above do not specify the essential features of the claims, the scope of the rights of the claims is not limited by the matters described in the contents of the invention.

The drawings attached below are intended to help understand the embodiments of the present invention and provide embodiments together with detailed descriptions. However, the technical features of the embodiments are not limited to specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined with each other to form new embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of a front housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the front part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a drawing showing a connection pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a drawing showing an upper conduit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a drawing showing a lower conduit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a main part of a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a state in which a battery cell and a heat sink are combined according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a state in which a heat sink is arranged on a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a state in which battery packs are stacked according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a state before a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention is stacked.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the front portion of a laminated battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is another cross-sectional view showing the front portion of a laminated battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided only to make the disclosure of the present invention complete and to fully inform a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for explaining embodiments of the present invention are exemplary, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the matters illustrated. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. When "includes," "has," "consists of," etc. are used in this specification, other parts may be added unless "only" is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, it includes a case where the plural is included unless there is a specifically explicit description.

When interpreting a component, it is interpreted as including the error range even if there is no separate explicit description of the error range.

When describing a positional relationship, for example, when the positional relationship between two parts is described as "on", "over", "under", "next to", etc., one or more other parts may be located between the two parts, unless, for example, "right" or "directly" is used.

When describing a temporal relationship, if the temporal continuity is described as "after", "following", "next to", "before", etc., it can also include cases where it is not continuous, as long as "right away" or "directly" is not used.

Although the terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, a first component referred to below may also be a second component within the technical concept of the present invention.

In describing components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, sequence, or number of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but that other components may also be "interposed" between each component that is indirectly connected or connected without any specifically explicit description.

"At least one" should be understood to include any combination of one or more of the associated components. For example, "at least one of the first, second, and third components" could be understood to include any combination of two or more of the first, second, and third components, as well as the first, second, or third components.

The individual features of the various embodiments of the present specification may be partially or wholly combined or combined with each other, and may be technically interconnected and operated in various ways, and the individual embodiments may be implemented independently of each other or implemented together in a related relationship.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings and examples. The scale of the components illustrated in the drawings is different from the actual scale for convenience of explanation, and is therefore not limited to the scale illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an example of a front housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a front part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a connection conduit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an upper conduit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a lower conduit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A battery pack (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing (100), a plurality of battery cells (200) each arranged inside the housing (100), a printed circuit board (PCB) (300), and a heat sink (400).

The housing (100) may be formed by combining an upper housing (or first side housing) (110), a lower housing (or second side housing) (120), and a front housing (or third side housing) (130) that are separated from each other, and the shape of the housing (100) is not limited thereto.

The upper housing (100) and the lower housing (120) can be combined in a manner in which the sides (or edges) of each of the upper housing (110) and the lower housing (120) are in contact with each other, and a corresponding side of each of the upper housing (110) and the lower housing (120) is open, and a front housing (130) can be combined with the open side.

Accordingly, one side of the housing (100) in which the upper housing (110) and the lower housing (120) are combined is opened, and the front housing (130) is combined to the open side to form the outer shape of the battery pack (1).

According to an embodiment, a fluid passage, which is a fluid passage, may be formed across the upper housing (110), the lower housing (120), and the front housing (130) in the housing (100), and an inlet pipe (101) through which fluid flows into the passage, and an outlet pipe (102) through which fluid within the passage flows out may be arranged in the housing (100).

The inlet pipe (101) and the outlet pipe (102) can be arranged in the front housing (130), and the inlet pipe (101) can be arranged in a form that is positioned on the upper side of the front housing (130) and penetrates the front housing (130), and the outlet pipe (102) can be arranged in a form that is positioned on the lower side of the front housing (130) and penetrates the front housing (130).

In addition, a power connector (103) for connection with an external device may be installed in the front housing (130), and a signal connector may also be installed according to an embodiment. Accordingly, the battery pack (1) may be connected to an external device through the power connector (103) and the signal connector, and may transmit and receive signals or supply power.

An upper conduit (or first conduit) (111) connected to an inlet pipe (101) is formed in the upper housing (110), a lower conduit (or second conduit) (121) connected to an outlet pipe (102) is formed in the lower housing (120), and a connecting conduit (131) connecting the upper conduit and the lower conduit can be formed in the front housing (130).

For example, the connecting pipe (131) may include a first connecting pipe (131a) positioned on the upper side of the front housing (130) and connected to the upper pipe (111), a second connecting pipe (131b) positioned on the lower side of the front housing (130) and connected to the lower pipe (121), and an internal hole (131c) formed in one direction (e.g., vertically) inside the front housing (130) and connecting between the first connecting pipe (131a) and the second connecting pipe (131b).

For example, the inlet pipe (101), the outlet pipe (102), the first connecting pipe (131a), and the second connecting pipe (131b) may be in the shape of a nipple, but their shapes are not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, one end of the upper conduit (111) may be connected to the inlet conduit (101), the other end of the upper conduit (111) may be connected to the first connecting conduit (131a), one end of the lower conduit (121) may be connected to the outlet conduit (102), and the other end of the lower conduit (121) may be connected to the second connecting conduit (131b).

Accordingly, the fluid (e.g., coolant, room temperature water, etc.) introduced through the inlet pipe (101) moves inside the upper housing (110) along the upper pipe (111), then moves to the lower pipe (121) through the connecting pipe (131), and then moves inside the lower housing (120) along the lower pipe (131) and then flows out of the battery pack (1) through the outlet pipe (102).

By introducing a low-temperature fluid (e.g., coolant) through the path formed in the housing (100), the heat generated by a plurality of battery cells (200) can be effectively dissipated, and accordingly, the temperature of the battery cells (200) can be minimized even at high currents, enabling rapid charging at high currents.

In addition, in an environment where the capacity of the battery cell (200) is reduced, such as in winter, if a fluid of a certain temperature (e.g., room temperature water) is introduced through the flow path, the temperature of the battery cell (200) can be prevented from decreasing, thereby solving the problem of reduced driving distance due to reduced battery capacity.

According to an embodiment, in order to prevent leakage that may occur at the connection portion of the inlet pipe (101) and the upper conduit (111), the connection portion of the outlet pipe (102) and the lower conduit (121), the connection portion of the first connection pipe (131a) and the upper conduit (111), and the connection portion of the second connection pipe (131b) and the lower conduit (121), an O-ring (or gasket) (140) may be placed at each connection portion of the inlet pipe (101) and the first connection pipe (131a) connected to the upper conduit (111), and each connection portion of the outlet pipe (102) and the second connection pipe (131b) connected to the lower conduit (121).

According to an embodiment, an upper protrusion (or a first protrusion or an upper housing protrusion) (112) may be formed on the upper housing (110) so as to protrude into the interior of the housing (100) at a predetermined interval, and a lower protrusion (or a second protrusion or a lower housing protrusion) (122) may be formed on the lower housing (120) so as to protrude into the interior of the housing (100) so as to correspond to the upper protrusion (112) at a predetermined interval.

The upper protrusion (112) and the lower protrusion (122) are positioned between the battery cells (200) and can wrap around the side of the battery cells (200).

The upper conduit (111) formed in the upper housing (110) can be formed within the upper protrusion (112) along the upper protrusion (112), and the lower conduit (121) formed in the lower housing (120) can be formed within the lower protrusion (122) along the lower protrusion (122).

Accordingly, the battery cell (200) is affected by the fluid flowing along the upper conduit (111) and the lower conduit (121), and the heat generated by the battery cell (200) may be absorbed by the fluid, or the temperature of the battery cell (200) may be prevented from being lowered by the fluid, or the temperature of the battery cell (200) may be increased.

According to an embodiment, a cover (500) that closes the outer shape of the battery pack (1) can be placed on the outside of the housing (100) to prevent the fluid flowing through the euro from leaking to the outside.

The cover (500) may include an upper cover (or first cover (510)) positioned on the outside of the upper housing (110), and a lower cover (or second cover) (520) positioned on the outside of the lower housing (120).

According to an embodiment, the battery packs (1) can be connected in parallel in a stacked form, a power bus bar (PB) can be applied for connecting the battery packs (1), and a hole through which the power bus bar (PB) passes can be formed in the housing (100) and the cover (500).

For example, a first passage hole (113) may be formed in the upper housing (110), a second passage hole (123) may be formed in the lower housing (120), a third passage hole (511) may be formed in the upper cover (510), and a fourth passage hole (521) may be formed in the lower cover (520).

The first to fourth passing holes (113, 123, 511, 521) can be formed to correspond to bus bar sockets (710, 720) arranged on the printed circuit board (300).

According to an embodiment, a cap (600) covering a passage hole (511, 521) formed in a cover (510, 520) may be placed on the cover (510, 520). For example, an upper cap (or first cap) (610) may be placed on the outside of the upper cover (510) to cover a third passage hole (511) formed in the upper cover (510), and a lower cap (or second cap) (620) may be placed on the outside of the lower cover (520) to cover a fourth passage hole (521) formed in the lower cover (520).

The cap (600) is detachable from the cover (500), and when the power bus bar (PB) is applied, it can be detached from the cover (500) to open the passage holes (511, 521), and when the power bus bar (PB) is not applied, it can be attached to the cover (500) to cover the passage holes (511, 521).

FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a main part of a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a state in which a battery cell and a heat sink are combined according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a state in which a heat sink is arranged on a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The printed circuit board (300) may include an upper printed circuit board (or first printed circuit board or upper PCB or first PCB) (310), a lower printed circuit board (or second printed circuit board or lower PCB or second PCB) (320), and a front printed circuit board (or third printed circuit board) (330), but the configuration of the printed circuit board (300) is not limited thereto.

The upper printed circuit board (310) may be placed on the lower side of the upper housing (110), the lower printed circuit board (320) may be placed on the upper side of the lower housing (120), and the front printed circuit board (330) may be placed on the inner side of the front housing (130).

For example, the upper printed circuit board (310), the lower printed circuit board (320), and the front printed circuit board (330) may be attached and fixed to the housing (100) by an adhesive material such as an adhesive tape, and the fixing structure is not limited thereto.

The front printed circuit board (330) is configured to electrically connect the battery pack (1) and an external device, and is connected to a power connector (103) arranged on the front housing (130) of the housing (100) through a power terminal (331), connected to an upper printed circuit board (310) through a first connection connector (or a front upper power and signal connector) (332), and connected to a lower printed circuit board (320) through a second connection connector (or a front lower power and signal connector) (333).

Electronic components such as a battery monitoring IC, a voltage measurement sensor, a charge/discharge control IC, and a protection circuit are arranged on the printed circuit board (300). For example, the electronic components may be selectively arranged on the upper printed circuit board (310), the lower printed circuit board (320), and the front printed circuit board (330).

The power terminal (331) includes a (+) terminal and a (-) terminal, and is arranged to penetrate the front printed circuit board (330), such that one end is arranged on the inner surface of the front printed circuit board (330), and the other end can be exposed by passing through the outer surface of the front printed circuit board (300), and the other end of the power terminal (331) can be exposed by penetrating the front housing (130), and the exposed other end can be connected to the power connector (103).

One end, which is arranged on the outer surface of the front printed circuit board (330), is connected to a power connector (103) that is arranged on the front housing (130) and connected to an external device, and the other end, which is arranged on the inner surface of the front printed circuit board (330), can be connected to a connection connector (332, 333) by wiring of the front printed circuit board (330).

The upper printed circuit board (310) and the lower printed circuit board (320) have terminal portions formed in a pattern to which the (+) terminal or (-) terminal of each battery cell (200) comes into contact.

For example, an upper terminal portion (or first terminal portion) (311) connected to the (+) terminal or (-) terminal of the battery cell (200) may be pattern-formed on the upper printed circuit board (310), and a lower terminal portion (or second terminal portion) (321) connected to the (+) terminal or (-) terminal of the battery cell (200) may be formed on the lower printed circuit board (320).

The upper terminal portion (311) and the lower terminal portion (321) may be formed in multiple numbers, and the upper terminal portion (311) and the lower terminal portion (321) may include multiple connection terminals that are directly connected to the terminals of the battery cell (200).

The upper terminal portion (311) and the lower terminal portion (321) are formed to correspond to each other, and each of the upper terminal portion (311) and the lower terminal portion (321) can be arranged in a stripe shape with a predetermined interval between them. In addition, the upper protrusion portion (112) of the upper housing (110) can be arranged between the upper terminal portions (311), and the lower protrusion portion (122) of the lower housing (120) can be arranged between the lower terminal portions (321).

The upper protrusion (112) can pass through the gap between the upper terminal portions (311), and the lower protrusion (122) can pass through the gap between the lower terminal portions (321).

An upper connector (or upper power and signal connector) (312) connected to an upper terminal portion (311) may be arranged on an upper printed circuit board (310), and a lower connector (or lower power and signal connector (322) connected to a lower terminal portion (321) may be arranged on a lower printed circuit board (320).

The front printed circuit board (330) can be physically connected to each of the upper printed circuit board (310) and the lower printed circuit board (320), and can be electrically connected to the upper printed circuit board (310) through the first connection connector (332) and electrically connected to the lower printed circuit board (320) through the second connection connector (333).

For example, the first connection connector (332) of the front printed circuit board (330) may be connected to the upper connector (312) of the upper printed circuit board (310), and the second connection connector (333) of the front printed circuit board (330) may be connected to the lower connector (322) of the lower printed circuit board (320).

Accordingly, the front printed circuit board (330) is connected to the upper printed circuit board (310) and the lower printed circuit board (320), so that electronic components placed on the front printed circuit board (330) can perform operations related to the battery cell (200).

In this way, since the front printed circuit board (330) is directly connected to the upper and lower printed circuit boards (310, 320) through connectors (312, 322, 332, 333), electrical connections for power and signals are made through a structure in which the front printed circuit board (330) is connected, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced due to the simple process, and since the electrical connections for power and signals between the upper printed circuit board (310) and the lower printed circuit board (320) are made directly without additional parts, it is economical.

According to an embodiment, a power bus bar (PB) for connecting battery packs (1) in parallel is arranged on a printed circuit board (300), and the power bus bar (PB) can be connected to a bus bar socket (700) arranged on the printed circuit board (300).

An upper bus bar socket (or first bus bar socket) (710) may be placed on an upper printed circuit board (310), and a lower bus bar socket (or second bus bar socket) (720) may be placed on a lower printed circuit board (320).

The upper bus bar socket (710) may be arranged on the upper printed circuit board (310) to correspond with the first through hole (113) formed in the upper housing (110) and the third through hole (511) formed in the upper cover (510), and the lower bus bar socket (720) may be arranged on the lower printed circuit board (320) to correspond with the second through hole (123) formed in the lower housing (120) and the fourth through hole (521) formed in the lower cover (520).

delete

delete

According to an embodiment, a plurality of battery cells (200) are arranged so as to contact a printed circuit board (300) in one direction inside a housing (100), and may be arranged between an upper printed circuit board (310) and a lower printed circuit board (320).

For example, the battery cell (200) may be arranged such that the (+) terminal is in contact with the upper terminal portion (311) of the upper printed circuit board (310) and the (-) terminal is in contact with the lower terminal portion (321) of the lower printed circuit board (320), or the (-) terminal is in contact with the upper terminal portion (311) of the upper printed circuit board (310) and the (+) terminal is connected to the lower terminal portion (321) of the lower printed circuit board (320).

In this way, since the battery cells (200) are connected in series/parallel by directly contacting the terminal portions (311, 321) formed in a pattern on the printed circuit board (300), no welding process is required for connecting the battery cells (200). Since there is no welding portion, even if one battery cell becomes defective, only the defective cell can be easily replaced, which is economical for maintenance and has the effect of reducing environmental pollution.

According to an embodiment, in order to increase the contact force between the battery cell (200) and the terminal portion (311, 321), a spring-shaped metal plate may be additionally placed between the battery cell (200) and the terminal portion (311, 321). For example, the spring-shaped metal plate may be fixedly installed on the terminal portion (311, 321), but is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat sink (400) in a form that individually wraps the battery cells (200) may be placed inside the housing (100).

For example, a plurality of battery cells (200) may be arranged in a grid structure with a predetermined spacing between them, and a heat sink (400) may be arranged in a form that fills the gaps between the plurality of battery cells (200) and may be arranged in a form that surrounds each side of the plurality of battery cells (200).

Since the heat sink (400) is applied to each battery cell (200) in this way, the heat generated by the battery cell (200) can be effectively dissipated, and the heat dissipation effect can be increased.

The thickness of the heat sink (400) can be set in various ways depending on the embodiment, and if the contact area between the battery cell (200) and the heat sink (400) is large, the heat conduction between the battery cell (200) and the heat sink (400) can be increased, thereby increasing the heat dissipation effect. Therefore, the heat sink (400) can be arranged in a form that wraps around the entire side of the battery cell (200), and the form in which the heat sink (400) wraps around the battery cell (200) is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, thermal grease or a thermal pad, etc. may be placed between the battery cell (200) and the heat sink (400) to increase adhesion and thermal conductivity between the battery cell (200) and the heat sink (400).

According to an embodiment, the heat sink (400) may be composed of a plurality of heat sinks arranged in a stripe shape, and the plurality of heat sinks may include an outer heat sink (410) arranged at each of both edges, and an inner heat sink (420) arranged between the outer heat sinks (410).

The portion of the outer heat sink (410) that comes into contact with the battery cell (200) may be formed with the same shape as the side surface of the battery cell (200), and the portion of the inner heat sink (420) that comes into contact with the battery cell (200) may be formed with the same shape as the side surface of the battery cell (200).

The outer heat sink (410) can be formed with the same shape, and the inner heat sink (420) can be formed with the same shape. Accordingly, even if the number of inner heat sinks (420) increases, the structure of the inner heat sinks (420) is the same, so that the heat dissipation effect can be increased while minimizing the increase in cost in the manufacturing process.

In addition, since the battery cell (200) is primarily protected on the outer surface by the heat sink (400) and secondarily protected by the housing (100) that comprehensively encloses the entire battery cell, damage due to external impact and accidents such as explosion/fire caused by this can be prevented.

According to an embodiment, when an upper protrusion (112) having an upper conduit (111) disposed therein is formed in an upper housing (110), and a lower protrusion (122) having a lower conduit (121) disposed therein is formed in a lower housing (120), the heat sink (400) can come into contact with the upper protrusion (112) and the lower protrusion (122), and accordingly, the upper protrusion (112) can come into contact with the upper surface of the heat sink (400), and the lower protrusion (122) can come into contact with the lower surface of the heat sink (400).

Since the upper conduit (111) is arranged inside the upper protrusion (112) and the lower conduit (121) is arranged inside the lower protrusion (122), the heat of the heat sink (400) can be absorbed by the cooling water flowing along the upper conduit (111) and the lower conduit (121), so the temperature of the battery cell (200) can be lowered more efficiently.

Meanwhile, in order to increase the adhesion between the heat sink (400) and the protrusions (112, 122), thermal grease or a thermal pad, etc. may be placed between the heat sink (400) and the protrusions (112, 122).

FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a state in which battery packs are stacked according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a state before battery packs are stacked according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a front portion of a stacked battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is another cross-sectional view showing a front portion of a stacked battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a structure is provided in which a plurality of battery packs (1) can be connected to increase capacity, and for example, a plurality of battery packs (1) can be connected in a stacked form.

In this embodiment, two battery packs (1-1, 1-2) are connected, but this is not limited to the example, and three or more battery packs may be connected according to the method described below.

The two stacked battery packs (1-1, 1-2) are connected via a power bus bar (PB), and the power bus bar (PB) can be connected to a bus bar socket arranged on a printed circuit board of each of the battery packs (1-1, 1-2).

In a structure in which battery packs (1-1, 1-2) are stacked, each of the two battery packs (1-1, 1-2) can be a unit battery pack (or a sub-battery pack), and the two stacked unit battery packs (1-1, 1-2) can form one battery pack (1').

In order to connect the battery pack (the first battery pack or the first sub-battery pack) (1-1) located at the bottom and the battery pack (the second battery pack or the second sub-battery pack) (1-2) located at the top, the upper cap (610) of the first battery pack (1-1) and the lower cap (620) of the second battery pack (1-2) are removed, so that the third pass-through hole (511') of the upper cover (510') of the first battery pack (1-1) and the fourth pass-through hole (521") of the lower cover (520") of the second battery pack (1-2) are opened and connected.

The power bus bar (PB) can be connected to an upper bus bar socket (710') arranged on an upper printed circuit board (310') of the first battery pack (1-1) and a lower bus bar socket (720") arranged on a lower printed circuit board (320") of the second battery pack (1-2), respectively.

The power bus bar (PB) can pass through a first passage hole (111') formed in an upper housing (110') of the first battery pack (1-1), a third passage hole (511') formed in an upper cover (510') of the first battery pack (1-1), a second passage hole (121") formed in a lower housing (120") of the second battery pack (1-2), and a fourth passage hole (521") formed in a lower cover (520") of the second battery pack (1-2).

In addition, the power connector (103) installed in one of the first battery pack (1-1) and the second battery pack (1-2) may be removed, and in the present embodiment, the power connector installed in the first battery pack (1-1) is removed, and a power connector (103") installed in the second battery pack (1-2) is provided, and the power connector (103") installed in the second battery pack (1-2) may be removed, and a front cap (800) may be applied instead of the removed power connector.

According to an embodiment, a pipe connection (900) connecting an outlet pipe (102") of the second battery pack (1-2) and an inlet pipe (101') of the first battery pack (1-1) may be applied to allow fluid to pass through the first battery pack (1-1) and the second battery pack (1-2).

Accordingly, the fluid flowing in through the inlet pipe (101") of the second battery pack (1-2) can move along the path formed in the second battery pack (1-2), the pipe connection (900), and the path formed in the first battery pack (1-1), and then flow out through the outlet pipe (102') of the first battery pack (1-1).

The pipe connection part (900) may be a pipe that is arranged on the outside of the first battery pack (1-1) and the second battery pack (1-2) as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, and connects the outlet pipe (102") of the second battery pack (1-2) and the inlet pipe (101') of the first battery pack (1-1).

The pipe connection part (900) is arranged across the inside of the front housing (130') of the first battery pack (1-1) and the inside of the front housing (130") of the second battery pack (1-2), as shown in FIG. 15, and may be a pipe connecting the lower part of the outlet pipe (102") of the second battery pack (1-2) and the upper part of the inlet pipe (101') of the first battery pack (1-1).

A method of assembling a battery pack (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Thermal grease may be applied to the battery cell (200) and the inner heat sink (420), or a thermal pad may be placed between the battery cell (200) and the inner heat sink (420), and then the battery cell (200) and the inner heat sink (420) may be aligned, and then pressure may be applied from the side to combine the battery cell (200) and the inner heat sink (420).

By aligning and sealing an outer heat sink (410) to which thermal grease is applied while the battery cell (200) and the inner heat sink (420) are combined, a battery-heat sink assembly in which the battery cell (200) and the heat sink (400) are combined can be manufactured.

And, the upper structure assembly can be manufactured by combining the upper housing (110), the upper printed circuit board (310), the upper cover (510), and the upper cap (610), the lower structure assembly can be manufactured by combining the lower housing (120), the lower printed circuit board (320), the lower cover (520), and the lower cap (620), and the side structure assembly can be manufactured by combining the front housing (130) and the front printed circuit board (330).

The order of manufacturing the battery-radiator assembly, the upper structure assembly, the lower structure assembly, and the side structure assembly may vary depending on the process.

Thereafter, the battery pack (1) can be manufactured by combining the battery-heat dissipation assembly, the upper structure assembly, the lower structure assembly, and the side structure assembly.

For example, after thermal grease is applied to the upper protrusion (112) of the upper housing (110), the upper structure assembly is combined with the battery-heat dissipation assembly, and after thermal grease is applied to the lower protrusion (122) of the lower housing (120), the lower structure assembly is combined with the battery-heat dissipation assembly to manufacture the body assembly, and then the side structure assembly can be combined with the body assembly.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention, but to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all aspects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

1: Battery pack 100: Housing
110: Upper housing 120: Lower housing
130: Front housing 200: Battery cell
300: Printed circuit board 310: Top printed circuit board
320: Lower printed circuit board 330: Front printed circuit board
400: Heatsink 410: Outer Heatsink
420: inner heatsink 500: cover
510: Top cover 520: Bottom cover
600: Cap 610: Top Cap
620: Lower cap 700: Bus bar socket
710: Upper bus bar socket 720: Lower bus bar socket
800: Front cap 900: Pipe connection

Claims (12)

A housing having a plurality of battery cells arranged in a grid structure at a predetermined interval inside and having inlet and outlet pipes installed on the outside;
A printed circuit board arranged within the housing, each of the plurality of battery cells being connected without welding; and
A heat sink is disposed within the housing so as to individually surround each side of the plurality of battery cells,
A flow path connected to the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe is formed in the housing, and the temperature of the plurality of battery cells is lowered or the temperature of the plurality of battery cells is raised by the fluid flowing through the flow path.
The above housing,
An upper housing having an upper conduit formed therein, which is connected to the above inlet pipe;
A lower housing having a lower conduit formed therein, which is connected to the above outlet pipe; and
It includes a front housing in which a power and signal connector connected to an external device, the inlet and outlet pipes are installed, and a connecting pipe connecting the upper pipe and the lower pipe is formed.
The above connecting pipe is,
A first connecting pipe connected to the upper conduit;
A second connecting pipe connected to the lower conduit; and
It includes an internal hole formed inside the front housing and connecting the first connecting tube and the second connecting tube,
An upper protrusion is formed on the upper housing, protruding into the housing at a predetermined interval and having the upper conduit formed therein,
A lower protrusion is formed in the lower housing so as to protrude into the housing so as to correspond to the upper protrusion at a predetermined interval, and the lower conduit is formed therein.
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure, wherein the upper protrusion and the lower protrusion are arranged between the plurality of battery cells and surround the side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells, while the upper protrusion is in contact with the upper surface of the heat sink and the lower protrusion is in contact with the lower surface of the heat sink. delete delete In the first paragraph, the printed circuit board,
An upper printed circuit board disposed on the lower portion of the upper housing and having an upper bus bar socket disposed thereon;
A lower printed circuit board disposed on the upper portion of the lower housing and having a lower bus bar socket disposed thereon; and
Including a front printed circuit board arranged on the inner surface of the front housing,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure, wherein a first through-hole is formed in each of the upper and lower housings to correspond to the upper bus bar socket, and a second through-hole is formed to correspond to the lower bus bar socket. In paragraph 4,
An upper cover disposed on the outside of the upper housing and having a third passage hole formed to correspond to the first passage hole;
A lower cover disposed on the outside of the lower housing and having a fourth passage hole formed to correspond to the second passage hole;
an upper cap covering the third passage hole of the upper cover; and
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure, comprising a lower cap covering the fourth passage hole of the lower cover. In paragraph 4,
A plurality of upper terminal portions connected to the terminals of the above battery cells and arranged in a stripe shape at a predetermined interval are pattern-formed on the upper printed circuit board,
A plurality of lower terminal portions connected to the terminals of the above battery cells and arranged in a stripe shape at a predetermined interval are patterned on the lower printed circuit board to correspond to the upper terminal portions,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure applied, wherein the upper protrusion passes between the upper terminal portions and wraps around the side of the battery cell, and the lower protrusion passes between the lower terminal portions and wraps around the side of the battery cell. In paragraph 6,
An upper connector connected to the plurality of upper terminal portions is arranged on the upper printed circuit board,
A lower connector connected to the plurality of lower terminal portions is arranged on the lower printed circuit board,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure, wherein a power terminal connected to the power connector, a first connection connector directly connected to the upper connector, and a second connection connector directly connected to the lower connector are arranged on the front printed circuit board. In paragraph 1,
The above heat sink is composed of a number of heat sinks arranged in a stripe shape.
External heat sinks are arranged on each edge and formed with the same shape; and
A plurality of inner heat sinks are disposed between the outer heat sinks and formed with the same shape,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure, wherein a portion of the outer heat dissipation plate in contact with the battery cell is formed with the same shape as a side surface of the battery cell, and a portion of the inner heat dissipation plate in contact with the battery cell is formed with the same shape as a side surface of the battery cell. Contains a plurality of sub-battery packs that are stacked and connected in parallel,
Each of the first sub-battery pack located at the bottom of the above-mentioned plurality of sub-battery packs and the second sub-battery pack located at the top of the first sub-battery pack is a battery pack according to claim 5,
The upper cap of the first sub-battery pack and the lower cap of the second sub-battery pack are removed so that the third passage hole formed in the upper cover of the first sub-battery pack and the fourth passage hole formed in the lower cover of the second sub-battery pack are opened and connected,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure, wherein a power bus bar is connected to an upper bus bar socket arranged on the upper printed circuit board of the first sub-battery pack and a lower bus bar socket arranged on the lower printed circuit board of the second sub-battery pack. In Article 9,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-specific heat dissipation structure applied thereto, wherein the power bus bar is arranged to penetrate through the first through hole formed in the upper housing of the first sub-battery pack, the third through hole formed in the upper cover of the first sub-battery pack, the second through hole formed in the lower housing of the second sub-battery pack, and the fourth through hole formed in the lower cover of the second sub-battery pack. In Article 9,
A pipe connection is arranged to connect the inlet pipe of the first sub-battery pack and the outlet pipe of the second sub-battery pack,
A small electric vehicle battery pack having a cell-by-cell heat dissipation structure and a front cap placed in place of the power connector of the first sub-battery pack. In Article 11,
A small electric vehicle battery pack with a cell-specific heat dissipation structure applied thereto, wherein the pipe connecting portion is a pipe arranged on the outside of the first and second sub-battery packs to connect the inlet pipe of the first sub-battery pack and the outlet pipe of the second sub-battery pack, or a pipe arranged across the inside of the front housing of the first sub-battery pack and the inside of the front housing of the second sub-battery pack to connect the lower portion of the outlet pipe of the second sub-battery pack and the upper portion of the inlet pipe of the first sub-battery pack.

Images