Patent ID: 8071234
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells connected in series and/or parallel, each of the battery cells being encased in a rectangular external case, and comprising at least one electrode terminal extending from a top surface of the external case; and a plurality of separators with electrical and thermal insulating properties that cover battery cell exteriors except the electrode terminals of the battery cells; wherein each of said separator intervenes between adjacent battery cells such that battery cell external cases contact both sides of the separator, and the electrode terminals are exposed when the battery cell external cases are covered by the separators, wherein each of the separators is formed in the shape of an open box having a bottom, the bottom being formed by a bottom surface plate that is slightly larger but essentially the same shape as a side of the adjacent battery cell, wherein the box shape of each separator is formed by upper, lower and side surface plates that extend perpendicularly from the bottom surface plate; wherein the upper surface plate of the separator has cutouts at each longitudinal side of the upper surface plate, the cutouts being open in an inward direction from both longitudinal sides of the upper surface plate and being opposed with each other in a width direction of the upper surface plate, and wherein each of the separators is configured so that the upper surface plates cover the top surfaces of the external cases, and the cutouts adjacent upper surface plates join to form terminal feed-through openings by interconnecting adjacent separators, each of the terminal feed-through openings surrounding a perimeter of only one of the electrode terminals to permit passing of the electrode terminal through the separators.