Battery pack case

• US 9,159,968 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jongho, Cho, Yongho, Shin, Joonyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Takeuchi, Yoshitoshi
• Application Number:
  US12/309,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20100047676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,995 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• 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 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6235 Power tools
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• 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 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/30 Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a pack case constructed in a structure in which a plurality of battery cells are mounted in the pack case to electrically connect the battery cells with each other, wherein the pack case includes an upper case and a lower case constructed in a hollow structure in which the upper case and the lower case are coupled with each other while the battery cells are mounted between the upper case and the lower case, each case is integrally provided at the inner part thereof with a plurality of spacers for supporting the battery cells, and each case is provided at the outer part thereof with a plurality of ventilation openings which communicate with the interior of each case, and a battery pack including the pack case. The pack case according to the present invention has effects in that a plurality of battery cells are stably mounted in the pack case in a compact structure through a simple assembly process, heat generated from the battery cells is effectively removed during the charge and discharge of the battery cells, and an additional safety unit, such as a detection member and/or a protection circuit module, is easily mounted to the pack case.

Claims

1. A pack case for mounting a plurality of battery cells to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells with each other, comprising:

an upper case and a lower case constructed to form a hollow structure for mounting the battery cells therein;

a plurality of spacers integrally provided at an inner part of each of the upper case and the lower case for supporting the battery cells;

a plurality of ventilation openings disposed on at least one of the upper case and the lower case;

connection through-holes provided in an outer part of each of the upper case and the lower case corresponding to electrode terminals of the battery cells through which electrode terminals of the battery cells are exposed;

protrusions provided in each of the upper case and the lower case and disposed between connection through-holes; and

a plurality of connection members for electrically connecting the electrodes of the battery cells, the plurality of connection members including grooves, each of the grooves coupled to one of each of the protrusions for mounting the plurality of connection members to each of the upper case and the lower case;

wherein the spacers protrude from the inner part of each of the upper case and the lower case such that each of the spacers partially surround the outer circumferences of four neighboring battery cells, and

each of the upper case and the lower case is provided in the outer part thereof with exhaust through-holes at a center of each spacer, such that the spacers communicate with the outside of the pack case to discharge heat from the battery cells to the outside of the pack case.

2. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein the upper case and the lower case are constructed in a symmetrical hexahedral structure.

3. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein the upper case and the lower case are coupled with each other through the coupling between hooks and coupling grooves formed at one side of the interface between the upper case and the lower case.

4. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein each of the connection members is a metal plate.

5. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein the upper case and/or the lower case is provided with coupling members for mounting a protection circuit unit to the corresponding case.

6. The pack case according to claim 5, wherein the coupling members are constructed in a hook structure.

7. A battery pack including the pack case according to claim 1.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the battery pack is configured and arranged for high rate discharge.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the battery pack is configured and arranged as a power source for power tools.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the battery pack is configured and arranged as a power source for hybrid electric vehicles.

11. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein electrode terminals of battery cells constituting the battery pack are exposed through connection through-holes formed in the outer parts of the upper and lower cases at positions corresponding to the electrode terminals of battery cells in the pack case, and the wherein electrode terminals of battery cells are electrically connected with each other by each of the connection members mounted to the outer part of the corresponding case.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein a detection member for detecting the voltage of the battery cells is further connected to each of the connection members.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein the detection member is a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

14. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein a protection circuit unit is further mounted to one side of the pack case, and the detection member is connected to the protection circuit unit.

15. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells is supported by multiple spacers.

16. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spacers supports at least two battery cells.

17. The pack case according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spacers is disposed between two battery cells.