Battery pack

• US 8,889,279 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Yi, Sangil
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAN OUDENAREN, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US13/549,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/519 comprising printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack includes: a plurality of batteries; a circuit board electrically connected to the batteries; a cell guide between adjacent ones of the batteries, the cell guide including a first cell guide and a second cell guide, and the first cell guide and the second cell guide being disposed perpendicular to each other; and a case accommodating the plurality of batteries and the circuit board.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of batteries divided into first batteries in a first stack and second batteries in a second stack, the first stack being adjacent to the second stack;

a circuit board electrically connected to the batteries;

a cell guide between adjacent ones of the batteries, the cell guide including a first cell guide and a second cell guide, the first cell guide including support units for accommodating the first batteries, the second cell guide including a post extending from the first cell guide and projecting between the second batteries, and the first cell guide and the second cell guide being disposed perpendicular to each other and;

a case accommodating the plurality of batteries and the circuit board

wherein;

the post of the second cell guide includes a plurality of battery mounting portions forming a groove extending through a center of the post,

a thickness of each of the battery mounting portions gradually increases in a direction toward the first cell guide, and

the groove correspondingly gradually decreases in size as the thickness of each of the battery mounting portions increases in a direction toward the first cell guide.

2. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the support units accommodate the first batteries therebetween such that each of the first batteries is between two adjacent ones of the support units, and

the first cell guide includes a first portion overlying each of the first batteries, and the first portion of the first cell guide is planar and supports the second cell guide thereon and has the support units thereunder.

3. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first cell guide is integrally formed with the second cell guide.

4. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one side of one of the support units is connected to another of the support units adjacent thereto.

5. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support units have a shape corresponding to a shape of an outer surface of the first batteries.

6. The battery pack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two adjacent ones of the support units form a semicircular cross section.

7. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first stack and the second stack are disposed perpendicular to each other.

8. The battery pack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first stack and the second stack are connected by connection tabs in series, in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel connections.

9. The battery pack as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection tabs electrically connect at least two of the batteries, and each of the connection tabs includes connection parts electrically connected to the batteries and a connector unit connecting the connection parts.

10. The battery pack as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the connection tabs includes:

first stack connection parts electrically connecting the first batteries of the first stack;

second stack connection parts electrically connecting the second batteries of the second stack; and

a connector unit connecting the first stack connection parts and the second stack connection parts.

11. The battery pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein the connector unit includes one or more bent portions corresponding in position to the first stack and the second stack.

12. The battery pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the first stack connection parts and the second stack connection parts include a predetermined number of connection parts electrically connecting a predetermined number of batteries.

13. The battery pack as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection tabs are soldered or welded to the batteries.

14. The battery pack as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the connection tabs includes a welding hole.

15. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the circuit board is above the second stack such that both the first cell guide and the second cell guide are below the circuit board, and

the circuit board is electrically connected to the batteries through a plurality or connectors thereunder.

16. The battery pack as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first cell guide, the second cell guide, and the plurality of connectors are housed within the case, and the plurality of connectors include:

a first connection tab that overlaps the first batteries,

a second connection tab and a third connection tab that are separate from each other and that connect the first batteries to the second batteries,

a fourth connection tab that overlaps the second batteries,

a fifth connection tab coupled to one of the second batteries, and

a sixth connection tab coupled to one of the first batteries, a separated connector member being connected between the fifth connection tab and the sixth connection tab.

17. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second stack includes at least a first cylindrical battery, a second cylindrical battery, and a third cylindrical battery, the first, second, and third cylindrical batteries each having a sidewall extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, and the post of the second cell guide contacts the respective sidewalls of each of the first, second, and third cylindrical batteries.

18. The battery pack as claimed in claim 17, wherein the post of the second cell guide has at least three concave battery mounting portions, each of the concave battery mounting portions contacting a respective sidewall of one of the first, second, and third cylindrical batteries.

19. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein;

the post includes a single groove extending though the center of the post, and

the single groove is formed by the plurality of battery mounting portions.