BATTERY PACK

• US 20140199570A1
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Mansik
• Granted Patent: US 9,673,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/93
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack which includes a plurality of contact portions in a terminal accommodating portion provided in each of cell receiving portions of a plurality of battery cells, so that one selected from the plurality of contact portions can be electrically connected to electrode terminals of the battery cells even if the plurality of battery cells have different widths of wide walls. In addition, since the battery pack includes a series/parallel switch provided outside an external pack, a connection method of a plurality of battery cells provided inside the external pack can be switched to series/parallel connection. Further, since the battery pack includes a capacity display unit provided outside an external pack, capacity levels of a plurality of battery cells provided inside the external pack can be identified.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells each having an electrode terminal portion exposed to one surface; and

an external pack accommodating the plurality of battery cells and including a plurality of terminal accommodating portions at the interior of a first surface corresponding to the one surface of each of the plurality of battery cells to be electrically connected to the electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells, respectively,

wherein the plurality of terminal accommodating portions include a first terminal accommodating portion electrically connected to a first battery cell among the plurality of battery cells, and the first terminal accommodating portion includes a first terminal contact portion making contact with an electrode terminal portion of the first battery cell and one or more first dummy contact portions making contact with one surface of the first battery cell.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the external pack is box-shaped having an opening and includes a pack case including a plurality of cell receiving portions to receive the plurality of battery cells and a plate-shaped pack cover coupled to the opening of the pack case, the pack case having the first surface shaped of a rectangle facing the opening and a side surface extending a predetermined length from each corner of the first surface.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the pack cover has one corner rotatably fixed to one side of the opening of the pack case to be rotatable about the one corner as a rotation shaft, and the other corner opposite to the one corner and fixed by a protrusion producing from the other side of the opening.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the one corner of the pack cover is fixed by a spring or hinge.

5. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the side surface portion of the pack case includes the first side surface, a second side surface facing the first side surface and parallel with the first side surface, and a third side surface and a fourth side surface connecting the first side surface and the second side surface.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the pack case includes one or more partition walls arranged in parallel with the first side surface of the side surface portion and separating the inside of the pack case into a plurality of cell receiving portions.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the plurality of cell receiving portions of the pack case further include variable barriers arranged in parallel with the third side surface and the fourth side surface and crossing the first side surface, the second side surface and the partition walls.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, further comprising elastic members between the variable barriers and the third side surface.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells include a negative electrode terminal, a positive electrode terminal and an ID terminal.

10. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the external pack further includes a capacity display unit provided outside the external pack, the capacity display unit electrically connected to the plurality of terminal accommodating portions and displaying capacity levels of the plurality of battery cells measured from the plurality of terminal accommodating portions.

11. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the external pack further includes a plurality of switching devices for switching a connection method of the plurality of battery cells received in the external pack to series/parallel connection.

12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the external pack further includes a series/parallel switch provided outside, the series/parallel switch electrically connected to the plurality of switching devices and controlling the plurality of switching devices to be driven.

13. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the external pack further comprises:

an input port for supplying power for charging the plurality of battery cells; and

an output port for outputting power output when the plurality of battery cells are discharged.

14. A battery pack assembly comprising:

an external pack that defines a plurality of openings to receive a plurality of battery cells of different sizes wherein the plurality of batteries each have an exposed electrode terminal;

a plurality of terminal accommodating portions formed on an interior surface of the plurality of openings in the external pack wherein the plurality of terminal accommodating portions are positioned so as to electrically connect with the exposed electrode terminals of battery cells of different sizes; and

a plurality of variable barriers that are respectively positioned in the plurality of openings in the external pack wherein the plurality of variable barriers are movable within the openings to thereby urge battery cells of different sizes into an orientation where the exposed electrode terminals are in contact with a corresponding terminal accommodating portions.

15. The battery pack housing of claim 14, wherein the external pack has two opposed side walls and a top and bottom wall and a back wall with an opening that receives the plurality of battery cells opposed to the back wall.

16. The battery pack assembly of claim 14, wherein the plurality of terminal accommodating portions are formed on the back wall of the external pack so as to extend between the side walls.

17. The battery pack assembly of claim 15, wherein the external pack includes partition walls that extend between the side walls so as to be substantially parallel to the top and bottom surfaces and wherein the plurality of partition walls define spaces that receive the plurality of batteries.

18. The battery pack assembly of claim 17, wherein the plurality of variable barriers are formed between the partition walls and are movable in a direction between the side walls.

19. The battery pack assembly of claim 18, wherein the variable barriers are spring biased away from one side wall and towards another the other side wall.

20. The battery pack assembly of claim 15, further comprising a cover that is positioned over the opening so as to retain the plurality of battery cells within the external pack.