Battery pack of novel structure

• US 9,595,741 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Moon, Jung Oh, Kim, Jung Hwan, Jeong, Won Jeon, Nam, In Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/344,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/112, 320/113
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/106 PTC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/578 in response to pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery pack including a battery cell having a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal, a protection circuit module (PCM) including a protection circuit board (PCB), at which a safety element is mounted, the PCB having a protection circuit, and connection members (A and B) connected respectively to the first and second electrode terminals of the battery cell, an electrically insulative pack frame configured to have a structure in which the battery cell is mounted in the pack frame, the pack frame having an insulative mounting part, at a top of which the PCB is mounted, an electrically insulative top cap mounted at a top of the battery cell while surrounding the PCM, an electromagnetic induction type charging coil mounted at at least one main surface of the battery cell, the charging coil being connected to the PCM, and a shielding member interposed between the battery cell and the charging coil.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a battery cell having a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal;

a protection circuit module (PCM) comprising a protection circuit board (PCB), at which a safety element is mounted, the PCB having a protection circuit, and connection members (A and B) connected respectively to the first and second electrode terminals of the battery cell;

an electrically insulative pack frame configured to have a structure in which the battery cell is mounted in the pack frame, the pack frame having an insulative mounting part, at a top of which the PCB is mounted, the insulative mounting part integrally formed with the pack frame and forming a top wall of the pack frame;

an electrically insulative top cap mounted at a top of the battery cell while surrounding the PCM;

an electromagnetic induction type charging coil mounted at at least one main surface of the battery cell, the charging coil being connected to the PCM; and

a shielding member interposed between the battery cell and the charging coil,

wherein an end of the charging coil is coupled to the PCM by welding or soldering,

wherein an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure is provided in a battery case together with an electrolyte in a sealed state,

wherein the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are formed at an upper end of the battery case,

wherein the top cap is coupled to the pack frame by engagement between a fastening groove and a fastening protrusion, and

wherein the top cap is provided with a downward extension part having at least one fastening groove, and the insulative mounting part of the pack frame is provided at an outside thereof with at least one fastening protrusion corresponding to the fastening groove.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery case is a metal container.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode terminal is a cathode terminal and the second electrode terminal is an anode terminal.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pack frame is configured to have a structure to surround an outer circumference of the battery cell, which is formed in a plate shape, in a state in which opposite main surfaces of the battery cell are exposed.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pack frame and/or the top cap is formed of a plastic material.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the PCM comprises a chip formed by integrating the safety element and a charging circuit.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the safety element is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) element.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the connection member (A) and the connection member (B) are each formed of a nickel plate.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a prismatic lithium secondary battery cell.

10. A method of manufacturing a battery pack according to claim 1 comprising:

(a) loading a charging coil on one main surface of a shielding member and coupling an end of the charging coil to a connection terminal of a PCM by soldering;

(b) coupling a metal clad to a top of a battery cell by spot welding;

(c) attaching double-sided adhesive tape to the battery cell;

(d) mounting the battery cell in a pack frame;

(e) mounting the PCM at a top of an insulative mounting part of the pack frame and coupling connection members of the PCM to electrode terminals of the battery cell by spot welding;

(f) mounting a top cap at the battery cell such that the PCM is surrounded by the top cap, wherein the top cap is coupled to the pack frame by engagement between a fastening groove and a fastening protrusion, and the top cap is provided with a downward extension part having at least one fastening groove, and the insulative mounting part of the pack frame is provided at an outside thereof with at least one fastening protrusion corresponding to the fastening groove; and

(g) covering an outer surface of the battery cell, together with the pack frame, with a label.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the PCM is between the insulative mounting part and the electrically insulative top cap.

12. A battery pack comprising:

a battery cell having a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal;

a protection circuit module (PCM) comprising a protection circuit board (PCB), at which a safety element is mounted, the PCB having a protection circuit, and connection members (A and B) connected respectively to the first and second electrode terminals of the battery cell;

an electrically insulative pack frame configured to have a structure in which the battery cell is mounted in the pack frame, the pack frame having an insulative mounting part, at a top of which the PCB is mounted, the insulative mounting part being integrally formed with the pack frame and forming a top wall of the pack frame;

an electrically insulative top cap mounted at a top of the battery cell while surrounding the PCM;

an electromagnetic induction type charging coil mounted at at least one main surface of the battery cell, the charging coil being connected to the PCM; and

a shielding member interposed between the battery cell and the charging coil,

wherein the PCM comprises a chip formed by integrating the safety element and a charging circuit,

wherein an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure is provided in a battery case together with an electrolyte in a sealed state,

wherein the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are formed at an upper end of the battery case,

wherein the top cap is coupled to the pack frame by engagement between a fastening groove and a fastening protrusion, and

wherein the top cap is provided with a downward extension part having at least one fastening groove, and the insulative mounting part of the pack frame is provided at an outside thereof with at least one fastening protrusion corresponding to the fastening groove.

13. A battery pack comprising:

a battery cell having a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal;

a protection circuit module (PCM) comprising a protection circuit board (PCB), at which a safety element is mounted, the PCB having a protection circuit, and connection members (A and B) connected respectively to the first and second electrode terminals of the battery cell;

an electrically insulative pack frame configured to have a structure in which the battery cell is mounted in the pack frame, the pack frame having an insulative mounting part, at a top of which the PCB is mounted, the insulative mounting part being integrally formed with the pack frame and forming a top wall of the pack frame;

an electrically insulative top cap mounted at a top of the battery cell while surrounding the PCM;

an electromagnetic induction type charging coil mounted at at least one main surface of the battery cell, the charging coil being connected to the PCM; and

a shielding member interposed between the battery cell and the charging coil,

wherein the top cap is coupled to the pack frame by engagement between a fastening groove and a fastening protrusion, and the top cap is provided with a downward extension part having at least one fastening groove, and the insulative mounting part of the pack frame is provided at an outside thereof with at least one fastening protrusion corresponding to the fastening groove,

wherein an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure is provided in a battery case together with an electrolyte in a sealed state, and

wherein the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal are formed at an upper end of the battery case.