Battery pack

• US 9,786,894 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Arena, Anthony, Laurain, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): AMPONSAH, OSEI K
• Application Number:
  US14/531,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20160126523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 429 90
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/211 adapted for pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack includes a first battery module having first and second battery frame assemblies and first and second battery cells. The first battery frame assembly has a plastic frame member, a thermally conductive plate, a busbar, and a voltage sensing member. The plastic frame member has a rectangular ring-shaped body. The thermally conductive plate is coupled to rectangular ring-shaped body. The busbar has a first post and a first conductive body coupled to the first post. The first post extends outwardly from the plastic frame member, and the first conductive body extends through the rectangular ring-shaped body. The voltage sensing member has a first sensing post and a first sensing body. The first sensing post extends outwardly from the rectangular ring-shaped body.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a first battery module having first and second battery frame assemblies and first and second battery cells;

the first battery frame assembly having a first plastic frame member, a first thermally conductive plate, a first metal busbar, and a first voltage sensing member;

the first plastic frame member having a first rectangular ring-shaped body with first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls defining a first central space;

the first and second plastic side walls of the first rectangular ring-shaped body extending substantially perpendicular to one another, the third and fourth plastic side walls of the first rectangular ring-shaped body being coupled to the first and second plastic side walls of the first rectangular ring-shaped body and extending substantially perpendicular to one another;

the first thermally conductive plate having first and second thermally conductive plate portions, the first thermally conductive plate portion having first, second, third, and fourth peripheral ends, the first thermally conductive plate portion being coupled to an end of the second thermally conductive plate portion and extending substantially perpendicular to the second thermally conductive plate portion;

the first, second, third, and fourth peripheral ends of the first thermally conductive plate portion being at least partially encapsulated within the first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls, respectively, of the first rectangular ring-shaped body;

the second thermally conductive plate portion being disposed on an outer surface of the second plastic side wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped body;

the first metal busbar having a first post and a first conductive body coupled to the first post;

the first conductive body having first, second, and third metal plate portions, the first metal plate portion of the first conductive body being disposed on an outer surface of the first plastic side wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped body, the first post being coupled to the first metal plate portion of the first conductive body and extending outwardly from the first metal plate portion of the first conductive body, the second metal plate portion of the first conductive body extending outwardly from the third plastic side wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped body proximate to a first groove in the third plastic side wall, the third metal plate portion of the first conductive body of the first metal busbar being embedded within and covered by the third plastic side wall;

the first voltage sensing member having a first sensing post and a first sensing body coupled to the first sensing post, the first sensing body having first, and second, and third metal plate portions, the first metal plate portion of the first sensing body being disposed on an outer surface of the first plastic side wall, the first sensing post being coupled to the first metal plate portion of the first sensing body and extending outwardly from the first metal plate portion of the first sensing body;

the second metal plate portion of the first sensing body extending outwardly from the fourth plastic side wall of the first rectangular ring-shaped body proximate to a second groove in the fourth plastic side wall, the third metal plate portion of the first sensing body of the first voltage sensing member being embedded within and covered by the fourth plastic side wall;

the first battery cell having a first body portion and first and second electrical terminals extending outwardly from first and second ends, respectively, of the first body portion;

the first electrical terminal of the first battery cell extending through the first groove and being coupled to the second metal plate portion of the first conductive body of the first metal busbar;

the second electrical terminal of the first battery cell extending through the second groove and being coupled to the second metal plate portion of the first sensing body of the first voltage sensing member;

the second battery cell having a second body portion and first and second electrical terminals extending outwardly from first and second ends, respectively, of the second body portion;

the second electrical terminal of the second battery cell being coupled to the second electrical terminal of the first battery cell; and

the second battery frame assembly being coupled to the first battery frame assembly such that the first and second battery cells are disposed between the first and second battery frame assemblies.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the second battery frame assembly includes a second plastic frame member, a second thermally conductive plate, and a second metal busbar;

the second plastic frame member having a second rectangular ring-shaped body with first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls defining a second central space;

the first and second plastic side walls of the second rectangular ring-shaped body extending substantially perpendicular to one another, the third and fourth plastic side walls of the second rectangular ring-shaped body being coupled to the first and second plastic side walls of the second rectangular ring-shaped body and extending substantially perpendicular to one another;

the second thermally conductive plate being coupled to the first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls of the second rectangular ring-shaped body and being adapted to enclose the second central space, a first thermally conductive plate portion of the second thermally conductive plate being disposed on an outer surface of the second plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body;

the second metal busbar having a second post and a second conductive body coupled to the second post, the second post extending outwardly from the first plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body;

the second conductive body extending through the third plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body and outwardly therefrom; and

the first electrical terminal of the second battery cell being coupled to the second conductive body of the second metal busbar.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the first electrical terminal of the second battery cell extends through a third groove in the third plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body of the second plastic frame member.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein the second electrical terminal of the second battery cell extends through a fourth groove in the fourth plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body of the second plastic frame member.

5. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the first body portion of the first battery cell contacts at least a portion of the first thermally conductive plate of the first battery frame assembly, and the second body portion of the second battery cell contacts at least a portion of the second thermally conductive plate of the second battery frame assembly.

6. The battery pack of claim 2, further comprising:

a second battery module having third and fourth battery frame assemblies and a third battery cell, the third battery cell being disposed between the third and fourth battery frame assemblies;

the third battery frame assembly having a third plastic frame member, a third thermally conductive plate, and a third metal busbar;

the third plastic frame member having a third rectangular ring-shaped body with first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls defining a third central space;

the first and second plastic side walls of the third rectangular ring-shaped body extending substantially perpendicular to one another, the third and fourth plastic side walls of the third rectangular ring-shaped body being coupled to the first and second plastic side walls of the third rectangular ring-shaped body and extending substantially perpendicular to one another;

the third thermally conductive plate being coupled to the first, second, third and fourth plastic side walls of the third rectangular ring-shaped body and being adapted to enclose the third central space, a first thermally conductive plate portion of the third thermally conductive plate being disposed on an outer surface of the second plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body;

the third metal busbar having a third post and a third conductive body coupled to the third post, the third post extending outwardly from the first plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body;

the third conductive body extending through the third plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body and outwardly therefrom;

the third battery cell having a third body portion and first and second electrical terminals extending outwardly from first and second ends, respectively, of the third body portion thereof;

the first electrical terminal of the third battery cell being coupled to the third conductive body of the third metal busbar; and

an external busbar coupled to and between the second post of the second metal busbar and the third post of the third metal busbar.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the external busbar includes first and second metal busbar plate portions coupled to one another, the second metal busbar plate portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first metal busbar plate portion, the first metal busbar plate portion being disposed on and against the third plastic side wall of the second rectangular ring-shaped body of the second plastic frame member and the third plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body of the third plastic frame member;

the second metal busbar plate portion being disposed on and against the first plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein:

the third battery frame assembly further includes a second voltage sensing member having a second sensing post and a second body coupled to the second sensing post, the second sensing post extending outwardly from the first plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body;

the second sensing body extending through the fourth plastic side wall of the third rectangular ring-shaped body and outwardly therefrom; and

the second electrical terminal of the third battery cell being coupled to the second sensing post of the second voltage sensing member.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first plastic frame member further includes a first plurality of cross-members;

the first plurality of cross-members extending between the first and second plastic side walls of the first rectangular ring-shaped body and extending across the first central space, the first plurality of cross-members defining a first plurality of open spaces therebetween in the first central space.

10. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a cooling plate that has the second thermally conductive plate portion of the first thermally conductive plate disposed thereon, the cooling plate extracting heat energy from the first thermally conductive plate to cool the first and second battery cells.