BATTERY PACK

• US 20110135993A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: AN, Jin-Hong, Kwag, No-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,993,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/156
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/44 of tubular or cup-shaped cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack including a plurality of battery cells and having improved battery lifetime. The battery pack includes a holder case defining a plurality of cell spaces; and a plurality of battery cells are accommodated in a pattern in a portion of the plurality of cell spaces, wherein some of the plurality of cell spaces are empty.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a holder case defining a plurality of cell spaces; and

a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the plurality of cell spaces, respectively,

wherein the plurality of battery cells are accommodated in a pattern in the plurality of cell spaces such that at least one of the plurality of cell spaces is empty.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery cells are not accommodated in at least one of the plurality of cell spaces entirely surrounded by other cell spaces.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cell spaces are arranged in a first direction inside the holder case, and arranged in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The battery pack of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of first groups of cell spaces, each group comprising the plurality of cell spaces arranged in N columns in the first direction and in N rows in the second direction,

wherein at least one of the plurality of cell spaces is an empty cell space, excluding the cell spaces of the plurality of first groups formed between a 1^st row and an N^th row of an N^th column, where N is a natural number.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the empty cell space is formed between two or more neighboring cell spaces.

7. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of first groups is arranged in the first direction.

8. The battery pack of claim 5, further comprising:

a second group comprising the plurality of cell spaces arranged in M columns in the first direction and in N rows in the second direction,

wherein the plurality of battery cells is accommodated in all the cell spaces of the second group.

9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of first groups are consecutively arranged in the first direction, and at least one of the second group is consecutively arranged in the first direction from the last first group.

10. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein all the cell spaces are empty cell spaces, excluding the cell spaces formed between a 1^st row and an N^th row of an N^th column of each of the first groups.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the cell spaces formed between a 2^nd row and an N−

1^th row of the N^th column of each of the first groups is a single space.

12. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the empty cell spaces have different shapes from the plurality of cell spaces in which the plurality of battery cells are accommodated.

13. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the holder case comprises:

a first holder case and a second holder case facing each other, wherein the plurality of cell spaces are formed between the first holder case and the second holder case.

14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the holder case comprises:

a plurality of ribs disposed inside the first holder case and the second holder case and separating the plurality of battery cells; and

a holder frame encompassing the lateral surfaces of the plurality of ribs, being integrally formed with the plurality of ribs, and forming the outline of the holder case.

15. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cell spaces are in a form of holes that are disposed inside the holder case.

16. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cell spaces are arranged in a first direction inside the holder case, and arranged in a second direction different from the first direction,

wherein each of the plurality of ribs comprises:

a first fin extending in the second direction in order to separate the plurality of neighboring battery cells, a second fin extending in the first direction opposite to the first direction in order to separate the plurality of neighboring battery cells, and a column disposed in a portion where the first fin and the second fin cross each other.

17. The battery pack of claim 16, further comprising:

a heat dissipation hole formed along the column in a lengthwise direction of the column, wherein air flow is formed through the heat dissipation hole.

18. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells; and

a holder case including first and second holder cases facing each other forming a plurality of cell spaces therebetween to accommodate the plurality of battery cells,

wherein a portion of the plurality of cell spaces do not accommodate a portion of the plurality of battery cells.

19. The battery pack of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second holder cases comprises:

a plurality of ribs disposed inside and separating the plurality of battery cells; and

a holder frame encompassing lateral surfaces of the plurality of ribs, being integrally formed with the plurality of ribs, and forming an outline of the holder case.

20. The battery pack of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of ribs comprises:

first and second fins to separate the plurality of battery cells, and a column disposed in a portion where the first fin and the second fin cross each other.

21. The battery pack of claim 20, further comprising a heat dissipation hole formed along the column along a lengthwise direction, where air flows through the heat dissipation hole.

22. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells; and

a holder case defining a plurality of cell spaces to accommodate the plurality of battery cells,

wherein at least one of the plurality of cell spaces does not accommodate at least one battery cell.