Patent Description:
Secondary batteries having high application ability and electric characteristics, such as high energy density and the like, according to product groups are generally applied not only to portable devices, but also electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric driving sources. Such secondary batteries are attracting attention as new energy sources for enhancing environmental-friendliness and energy efficiency, not only due to a primary advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuel, but also in that no by-products are generated by the use of energy.

Types of the secondary batteries currently widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. An operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, i.e., a unit battery cell, is about <NUM> V to <NUM> V. Thus, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. Also, the battery pack may be configured by connecting the plurality of battery cells in parallel based on charging and discharging capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack may be variously set based on a required output voltage or charging and discharging capacity. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose an example of battery pack.

Meanwhile, when the battery pack is configured by connecting the plurality of battery cells in series/parallel, it is common to first configure a battery module including at least one battery cell, and then configure the battery pack by adding other components by using the at least one battery module.

A conventional battery pack is generally configured by including a battery module assembly including battery modules including a plurality of battery cells, and a pack tray on which such a battery module assembly is accommodated. Such a conventional battery pack is generally equipped with a plurality of separately provided crush beams for impact absorption or the like, between the battery modules. Also, the conventional pack tray is provided with a predetermined gap space between the battery modules and the crush beams in consideration of mounting tolerance when the battery modules and the crush beams are mounted.

However, in the case of the conventional battery pack, there is a disadvantage in terms of energy density due to a gap space generated by the mounting of such separate crush beams. When such separate crush beams are omitted, there is a disadvantage in terms of securing rigidity.

Thus, there is a demand for seeking ways to provide a battery pack capable of securing rigidity and improving energy density at the same time, and a vehicle including such a battery pack.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery pack capable of securing rigidity and improving energy density at the same time, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

The present invention relates to a battery pack including: a battery module assembly including a plurality of battery modules including a plurality of battery cells; a pack tray on which the battery module assembly is accommodated; and a tray bar arranged on at least one side edge of the pack tray.

The tray bar includes a plurality of the tray bars provided to face battery modules at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly, and wherein the battery pack further includes a plurality of tolerance compensation members provided between the battery modules at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly and the plurality of tray bars.

The plurality of tolerance compensation members may be forcibly fitted between the battery modules at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly and the plurality of battery bars.

Each of the plurality of tray bars may include: a bar main body supported on the pack tray; a first support portion bent from the bar main body and for supporting the plurality of tolerance compensation members; and a second support portion arranged between a bottom of the bar main body and the first support portion to support a bottom portion of the first support portion.

Each of the plurality of tolerance compensation members includes: a shim part arranged in contact with the battery modules at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly and the plurality of tray bars; and an accommodating part bent from an upper end of the shim part and accommodated on an upper side of the plurality of tray bars.

Each of the plurality of tolerance compensation members may include a protruding part protruding from the accommodating part towards the plurality of tray bars.

The second support portion may include a plurality of combining grooves into which the protruding part is inserted.

The plurality of battery modules of the battery module assembly may be arranged in close contact with each other inside the pack tray.

Each of the plurality of battery cells may be provided as a pouch type secondary battery, and wherein the plurality of battery cells of each of the plurality of battery modules may be arranged in close contact with each other.

Also, in another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including at least one battery pack according to above embodiments.

According to the various embodiments, a battery pack capable of securing rigidity and improving energy density at the same time, and a vehicle including the battery pack may be provided.

The present disclosure will become more apparent by describing preferred embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments described herein are exemplarily shown in order to facilitate understanding of the disclosure, and it should be understood that the present disclosure may be variously modified differently from the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the disclosure, the accompanying drawings may not be drawn in actual scale, but the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

<FIG> is a partial cutaway view for describing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, <FIG> are views for describing tolerance compensation member of the battery pack of <FIG>, <FIG> is an enlarged view of a portion A of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the battery pack of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, a battery pack <NUM> includes a battery module assembly <NUM>, a pack tray <NUM>, a tray bar <NUM>, and a tolerance compensation member <NUM>.

The battery module assembly <NUM> may include a plurality of battery modules <NUM> including a plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The plurality of battery modules <NUM> of the battery module assembly <NUM> may be arranged in close contact with each other inside the pack tray <NUM> described later. In other words, according to the current embodiment, the plurality of battery modules <NUM> may be arranged in close contact with each other without having to insert a separate member between the plurality of battery modules <NUM>. Accordingly, in the current embodiment, energy density of the battery module assembly <NUM> mounted on the pack tray <NUM> described later may be significantly improved.

The plurality of battery cells <NUM> are secondary batteries, and may include at least one of a pouch type secondary battery, a cylindrical secondary battery, and an angled secondary battery. Hereinafter, in the current embodiment, the plurality of battery cells <NUM> will be described as being pouch type secondary batteries.

The plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be arranged in close contact with each other inside the each battery module <NUM>. Accordingly, in the current embodiment, the energy density of the battery module <NUM> may be significantly improved.

The battery module assembly <NUM> may be accommodated in the pack tray <NUM>. In this regard, the pack tray <NUM> may be provided with an accommodating space where the battery module assembly <NUM> may be accommodated. Such a pack tray <NUM> may be mounted on a vehicle <NUM> described later.

The tray bar <NUM> may be arranged on at least one side edge of the pack tray <NUM>. Such a tray bar <NUM> may protect the battery module assembly <NUM> from an external impact or the like, and in addition, reinforce the rigidity of the battery pack <NUM>.

According to the invention, there is a plurality of the tray bars <NUM>. The plurality of tray bars <NUM> is arranged to face the battery modules <NUM> at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly <NUM>.

Such a plurality of tray bars <NUM> may each include a bar main body <NUM>, a first support portion <NUM>, and a second support portion <NUM>.

The bar main body <NUM> may be arranged on at least one side edge of the pack tray <NUM>. Such a bar main body <NUM> is supported on the pack tray <NUM> and may be formed to have a predetermined length.

The first support portion <NUM> is bent from the bar main body <NUM>, supports the plurality of tolerance compensation members <NUM>, and may be bent from the bar main body <NUM>. Such a first support portion <NUM> may include a plurality of combining grooves <NUM> into which protruding parts <NUM> of the plurality of tolerance compensation members <NUM> described later are inserted.

The second support portion <NUM> is arranged between the bottom of the bar main body <NUM> and the bottom of the first support portion <NUM> to support a bottom portion of the first support portion <NUM>.

The tolerance compensation member <NUM> is for offsetting a cumulative tolerance at both end portions of the battery module assembly <NUM>, which may occur when the plurality of battery modules <NUM> are closely arranged, and a mounting tolerance between the battery modules <NUM> and the tray bar 300According to the invention, the tolerance compensation member <NUM> are provided in plural.

The plurality of tolerance compensation members <NUM> is provided between the plurality of tray bars <NUM> and the battery modules <NUM> at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly <NUM>.

The plurality of tolerance compensation members <NUM> may be forcibly fitted between the plurality of tray bars <NUM> and the battery modules <NUM> at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly <NUM>.

Each tolerance compensation members <NUM> includes a shim part <NUM>, an accommodating part <NUM>, the protruding part <NUM>, and a rigidity rib <NUM>.

The shin part <NUM> may be arranged in contact with the plurality of tray bars <NUM> and the battery modules <NUM> at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly <NUM>. Here, one surface of the shim part <NUM> may be flat to be in surface-contact with the battery modules <NUM>.

The accommodating part <NUM> is bent from an upper end of the shim part <NUM> and may be accommodated at an upper side of the plurality of tray bars <NUM>, in particular, in the first support portion <NUM> of the plurality of tray bars <NUM>.

The protruding part <NUM> protrudes from the accommodating part <NUM> towards the plurality of tray bars <NUM> and may be inserted into the combining groove <NUM> of the first support portion <NUM> of the plurality of tray bars <NUM>.

The rigidity rib <NUM> is for reinforcing the self-rigidity of the shim part <NUM> and may be formed on the other surface of the shim part <NUM>, i.e., on one surface facing the plurality of tray bars <NUM>.

As such, the battery pack <NUM> according to the current embodiment may secure the rigidity of the battery pack <NUM> and at the same time, effectively prevent an impact transmitted to the battery module assembly <NUM> due to an external impact or the like, via the tray bar <NUM> and the tolerance compensation member <NUM>, without having to use a structure of separate crush beams provided between the battery modules <NUM> as in the related art.

Moreover, in the current embodiment, because the separate crush beams between the battery modules <NUM> may be omitted, the entire energy density of the battery pack <NUM> may be significantly improved.

<FIG> is a view for describing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, the battery pack <NUM> is a fuel source of the vehicle <NUM> and may be included in the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery pack <NUM> may be included in an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and other types of vehicles <NUM> capable of using the battery pack <NUM> as a fuel source.

Also, the battery pack <NUM> may also be provided in other apparatuses, equipments, and facilities, such as an energy storage system using a secondary battery, in addition to the vehicle <NUM>.

As such, the apparatus, equipment, and facility including the battery pack <NUM>, such as the vehicle <NUM> according to the current embodiment, includes the battery pack <NUM> described above, and thus the apparatus, equipment, and facility, such as the vehicle <NUM>, having all advantages of the battery pack <NUM> described above may be implemented.

According to the various embodiments described above, the battery pack <NUM> capable of securing the rigidity and at the same time improving the energy density, and the vehicle <NUM> including such a battery pack <NUM> may be provided.

Claim 1:
A battery pack (<NUM>) comprising:
a battery module assembly (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of battery modules (<NUM>) including a plurality of battery cells (<NUM>);
a pack tray (<NUM>) on which the battery module assembly (<NUM>) is accommodated; and
a tray bar (<NUM>) arranged on at least one side edge of the pack tray (<NUM>),
wherein the tray bar (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of tray bars (<NUM>) provided to face battery modules (<NUM>) at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly (<NUM>),
wherein the battery pack (<NUM>) further comprises a plurality of tolerance compensation members (<NUM>) provided between the battery modules (<NUM>) at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly (<NUM>) and the plurality of tray bars (<NUM>),
wherein each of the plurality of tolerance compensation members (<NUM>) comprises:
a shim part (<NUM>) arranged in contact with the battery modules (<NUM>) at both outermost sides of the battery module assembly (<NUM>) and the plurality of tray bars (<NUM>); and
an accommodating part (<NUM>) bent from an upper end of the shim part (<NUM>) and accommodated on an upper side of the plurality of tray bars (<NUM>).