Patent Description:
A battery is widely used in various fields ranging from a small electronic device such as a smartphone, laptop, and tablet PC to an electric vehicle and an energy storage system (ESS).

A battery (pack) is typically composed of a configuration including a plurality of the assembly each of which includes a plurality of unit cells, and the cell includes a positive electrode current collector, a separator, an active material, an electrolyte solution, an aluminum thin film layer, etc., and thus has a structure capable of charging and discharging by an electrochemical reaction between the components.

In addition to this basic structure for charging and discharging, the battery is additionally configured with a physical protection device, various sensing means, firmware applied with a precise algorithm for estimating a state of charge (SOC), etc., from the cell to the battery through the assembly.

When a physical shock is applied to such a battery (pack), deformation of the physical form such as a pouch, housing, frame, etc. of the battery or the cells constituting the battery may be caused, which may lead to a change in resistance or electrical characteristic value of the battery or the cell.

However, conventionally, there is no means for detecting an external shock on the battery pack and controlling or blocking the pack operation, and there is a problem in that the safety of the battery pack due to a physical shock is not secured.

As prior art related to the present invention, there is a following document.

Patent document <NUM>: <CIT>
Furthermore, document <CIT> discloses a battery pack capable of preventing problems from occurring due to the damage of a secondary battery when external shock is applied.

Document <CIT> discloses a battery y capable of detecting the bulging of a case caused by overcharge and the deformation of the case.

Document <CIT> discloses a device for improving stability of a secondary battery.

The present invention is intended to solve the problems described above, and to provide a battery pack configured to detect a strength of a shock applied to the battery pack step by step by applying a shock detection module structure to a BMS and perform BMS control for this.

In order to solve the problems described above, the present invention provides a battery pack as defined in the appended claims.

The present invention also provides a battery pack shock detecting method of detecting an external shock state.

The present invention can provide improved safety against an external shock by detecting strength of the shock step by step through a voltage change according to the connection of a resistor caused by the shock and controlling the operation of the battery pack according to the strength of shock.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

<FIG> is a diagram schematically illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, a battery pack <NUM> of the present invention largely includes a BMS module (also referred to as a BMS herein) <NUM>, a cell module <NUM>, and a shock detection module <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the BMS module <NUM> according to the present invention is configured to include a reference voltage source Vref for implementing shock detection, a reference resistor Rref connected to the reference voltage source Vref, and a voltage measurement unit <NUM> that measures a distributed voltage VIn at a connection point between the reference resistor Rref and a measurement resistor pattern (also referred to as a measurement resistor herein) R<NUM> formed in the shock detection module <NUM> to be described later, and may further include a control unit (not illustrated) to be described later.

The cell module <NUM> may include one or more battery cells (not illustrated).

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the shock detection module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The shock detection module <NUM> has a configuration capable of detecting the strength of a shock applied to the battery pack <NUM> step by step, and may include the following configurations.

The shock detection module <NUM> of the present invention may be installed on a different part of the battery pack by being formed on a separate board from the BMS module described above, or may be disposed together on a PCB board on which the BMS module is formed.

The non-conductive barrier wall (also referred to as the non-conductive barrier rib herein) <NUM> is configured to be connected to a case of the battery pack <NUM> with an elastic body so that displacement occurs according to vibration of the battery pack <NUM>, or configured to be connected to a board on which the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> is formed with an elastic body.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> is formed to surround the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> to be described later.

Here, the elastic body may be implemented as, for example, a spring having restoring force.

The measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> is formed inside the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> be spaced apart therefrom and one end thereof is connected to the reference resistor Rref.

The first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> are respectively connected to ends of the non-conductive barrier <NUM> and one ends thereof are respectively connected to a ground GND. More specifically, the first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> have a form in which they are respectively connected to both ends of the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> through hinges <NUM>, and one ends thereof are respectively connected to the ground GND and the other ends thereof are respectively disposed adjacent to the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the other ends of the first resistor R<NUM> and the second resistor R<NUM> are disposed adjacent to the measurement resistor pattern (R<NUM>) at a predetermined interval or less, and an interval at which the first resistor R<NUM> is disposed adjacent to the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> and an interval at which the second resistor R<NUM> is disposed adjacent to the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> are set to be different from each other. Due to this difference in disposition interval, when vibration is applied to a battery pack case by a shock from the outside of the battery pack <NUM>, a displacement occurs in the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> fixed by a spring, and the first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> connected thereto come into contact with the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM>, such that a change occurs in a distributed voltage value VIn measured by the voltage measurement unit <NUM> of the BMS <NUM>.

The hinges <NUM> have a restoring force, and mechanically prevent the connection between the first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> and the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> from being damaged even if a very large displacement occurs in the non-conductive barrier <NUM> due to an external shock. In addition, when the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> returns to its original position after the shock, the restoring force of the hinges may be set such that the first and second resistors are separated from the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> or remain in contact with the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM>. In these different cases, changes may be made to a determination of a shock level and a control of an operation of the battery pack, which will be described later. For example, depending on a case, in setting the hinges <NUM> so that the first resistor and the second resistor come in contact with the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> for a while according to the occurrence of displacement and then separate, the restoring force strength of the hinges may be set so that the hinge displaces and returns with a time difference from the return of the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> in order for the first resistor and the second resistor to be in contact with the measurement resistor pattern for a predetermined time or more to give a sufficient distributed-voltage measurement time, and the degree of the restoring force of the hinges may be set so that the positions of the first and second resistors are not restored even if the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> returns, if necessary.

<FIG> is a diagram schematically illustrating the shock detection module of <FIG> as a circuit. Referring to <FIG>, the distributed voltage measurement value VIn detected by the voltage measurement unit <NUM> of the BMS <NUM> due to the voltage distribution between the reference resistor Rref and the measurement resistor R<NUM> is expressed by the following equation.

The control unit may compare whether or not a predetermined shock arrival condition is satisfied based on the distributed voltage measurement value VIn detected by the voltage measurement unit <NUM>, and determine a shock level according to the comparison result. In addition, the control unit may control an operation of the battery pack in response to the determination result.

The comparison and determination unit compares whether or not an external shock currently applied to the battery pack reaches the predetermined shock level using the distributed voltage measurement value detected by the voltage measurement unit <NUM>, and determine the degree of external shock depending on whether the shock level is reached or not.

The comparison and determination unit compares whether the distributed voltage measurement value of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> is the same as the first reference voltage value, and determines that there is no shock applied to the battery pack when they are the same.

When an operating state of the shock detection module is as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the distributed voltage measurement value VIn of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> has the same value as the first reference voltage value.

Here, the first reference voltage value may be a value calculated by (Equation <NUM>) described above.

The comparison determining unit counts a pulse cycle in which the distributed voltage measurement value of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> goes back and forth between the first reference voltage value and a second reference voltage value, compares whether the counted number of times has reached a predetermined number of shocks, and determines that a weak shock is continuously applied to the battery pack when the counted number of times has reached the predetermined number of shocks.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an operation of a shock detection module assuming a case in which a weak shock is applied to the battery pack.

Referring to <FIG>, as described above, since a gap between the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the first resistor R<NUM> and a gap between the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the second resistor R<NUM> are differentially arranged, even when the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the first resistance R<NUM> come into contact with each other due to the weak shock, the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the second resistor R<NUM> do not come into contact with each other. When this state is schematized into a circuit as shown in (b) of <FIG> and the weak shock is applied, if a distributed voltage measurement value VInw detected by the voltage measurement unit <NUM> is calculated, it is expressed by the following equation.

Due to the continuous residual shock applied from the external environment, the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the first resistor R<NUM> may repeat a contacting state and a noncontacting state, and a voltage level is also detected in the form of a pulse going back and forth between the first and second reference voltages in accordance with the shock. Using this principle, in one embodiment, a case in which a slight shock is continuously applied to the battery pack may be determined by comparing whether the pulse cycle, in which the distributed voltage measurement value of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> alternates between the first reference voltage value and the second reference voltage value, has reached a predetermined number of shocks. In another embodiment, a case in which the weak shock to the battery pack is continuously applied may be determined by comparing whether or not the distributed voltage measurement value VIn is continuously detected as the same value as the second reference voltage value for a predetermined number of shocks, after the distributed voltage measurement value VIn of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> is initially detected as the same value as the first reference voltage value.

Here, the second reference voltage value may be a value calculated by (Equation <NUM>) above.

The comparison and determination unit compares whether the distributed voltage measurement value VIn of the voltage measurement unit <NUM> has reached a third reference voltage value, and determines that a strong shock has been applied to the battery pack when it has reached the third reference voltage value.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an operation of the shock detection module assuming a case in which a strong shock is applied to the battery pack.

Referring to <FIG>, when the non-conductive barrier <NUM> is shaken violently by the strong shock, the measurement resistor R<NUM> and the first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> all come into contact with each other. When this is schematized into a circuit as shown in (b) of <FIG> and a distributed voltage measurement value VIns detected by the voltage measurement unit <NUM> is calculated, it is expressed by the following equation.

In this case, the voltage of VIns compared to VIn and VInw is lowered. When comparing the magnitudes of the three voltage values, it can be expressed in the form of a graph as illustrated in <FIG>.

The pack operation control unit may perform operation control of the battery pack in response to the determination result of the comparison and determination unit.

As the determination result, when it is determined that it is a general state in which there is no external shock, a normal operation of the battery pack can be maintained.

On the other hand, as the determination result, when it is determined that it is a state in which the weak shock is continuously applied, a higher level of safety control operation can be performed than a case where it is the general state in which there is no external shock.

On the other hand, as the determination result, when it is determined that it is a state in which a strong shock is applied, a higher level of safety control operation can be performed than a case where it is a state in which the weak shock is continuously applied.

The control unit (not illustrated) may be implemented as a conventional battery BMS included in the BMS module <NUM> described above and a processor included therein, but is characterized in that it performs the characteristic functions of the present invention described above. In this case, the voltage measurement unit <NUM> described above may be included as one configuration of the BMS.

A battery pack shock detecting method according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented by configuring the reference voltage source Vref for implementing shock detection and the reference resistor Rref connected to the reference voltage source Vref on a BMS board and applying the shock detection module <NUM> including the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> connected to a case of the battery pack with an elastic body, the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> which is formed inside the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> to be spaced apart therefrom, whose one end is connected to the reference resistor Rref, and which is formed on the board to be fixed, and the first and second resistors R<NUM> and R<NUM> respectively connected to both ends of the non-conductive barrier wall <NUM> through the hinges <NUM> and respectively having one end disposed adjacent to the measurement resistor pattern R<NUM> and the other end connected to the ground GND.

The distributed-voltage measurement step is a step of measuring a distributed voltage at a connection point between the reference resistor Rref connected to the reference voltage source Vref for implementing shock detection on the BMS board and the measurement resistor R<NUM> of the shock detection module. This step is performed by the voltage measurement unit <NUM> of the BMS <NUM> described above.

The whether-a-shock-arrival-condition-is-satisfied comparison step is a step of comparing whether or not the predetermined shock arrival condition is satisfied based on the distributed voltage value measured in the distributed-voltage measurement step.

In the case <NUM>, whether the measured distributed voltage value is the same as the first reference voltage value may be compared.

In the case <NUM>, the number of cycles in which the measured distributed voltage value alternates between the first reference voltage value and the second reference voltage value can be counted and whether or not the counted number has reached a predetermined number of shocks can be compared.

On the other hand, in another embodiment, whether or not the distributed voltage measurement value is continuously detected as the same value as the second reference voltage value for a predetermined number of shocks, after the distributed voltage measurement value is initially detected as the same value as the first reference voltage value, can be compared.

Here, the second reference voltage value may be a value calculated by (Equation <NUM>) described above.

In the case <NUM>, whether the measured distributed voltage value has reached the third reference voltage value can be compared.

Here, the third reference voltage value may be a value calculated by (Equation <NUM>) described above.

In the shock state determination step, the degree of shock applied to the battery pack can be determined according to the comparison result in the whether-a-shock-arrival-condition-is-satisfied comparison step.

In the case <NUM>, when the measured distributed voltage value is the same as the first reference voltage value as the result in the whether-a-shock-arrival-condition-is-satisfied comparison step, it can be determined it is a state in which there is no external shock applied to the current battery pack.

In the case <NUM>, as a result in the whether-a-shock-arrival-condition-is-satisfied comparison step, when the number of cycles in which the measured distributed voltage value alternates between the first reference voltage value and a second reference voltage value has reached a predetermined number of shocks, or when the number of times the measured distributed voltage value is continuously detected as the same value as the second reference voltage value after the measured distributed voltage value is initially detected as the same value as the first reference voltage value has reached the predetermined number of shocks, it can be determined that it is a state in which a weak shock is continuously applied to the battery pack.

In the case <NUM>, as the result in the whether-a-shock-arrival-condition-is-satisfied comparison step, when the measured distributed voltage value has reached the third reference voltage value, it can be determined that it is a state in which a strong shock has been applied to the battery pack.

Since the technical principle of determining as above has been described above, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The pack operation control step is a step of controlling the operation of the battery pack in response to the determination result in the shock state determination step.

As the determination result, when it is determined that it is a general state in which there is no external shock, a normal operation of the battery pack can be maintained and controlled.

On the other hand, as the determination result, when it is determined that it is a state in which the weak shock is continuously applied to the battery pack, it can be controlled to perform a safety operation of a higher level than the case where it is a state in which there is no external shock.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination, when it is determined that it is a state in which a strong shock is applied to the battery pack, it can be controlled to perform a safety operation of a higher level than a case where it is a state in which the weak shock is continuously applied.

That is, control is performed by increasing the level of the safety control operation step by step according to the degree of shock applied to the battery pack.

Meanwhile, although the technical idea of the present invention has been described in detail according to the above embodiments, it should be noted that the above embodiments are for description and not for limitation. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

Claim 1:
A battery pack (<NUM>) comprising:
a BMS module (<NUM>); and
a shock detection module (<NUM>) that detects a shock strength applied to the battery pack (<NUM>), wherein
the BMS module (<NUM>) is configured to comprise
a reference voltage source (Vref) for shock detection,
a reference resistor (Rref) connected to the reference voltage source (Vref), and
a voltage measurement unit (<NUM>) that measures a distributed voltage (VIn) between the reference resistor (Rref) and a measurement resistor (R<NUM>), and
the shock detection module (<NUM>) is configured to comprise
a non-conductive barrier wall (<NUM>) connected to an inside of a case of the battery pack (<NUM>) through an elastic body,
the measurement resistor (R<NUM>) connected to the reference resistor (Rref), and
first and second resistors (R<NUM>, R<NUM>) each having two ends, one end of both resistors (R<NUM>, R<NUM>) being connected to ground (GND) and, via a hinge (<NUM>), to a respective end of the non-conductive barrier wall (<NUM>), the other end being adjacent to the measurement resistor (R<NUM>) so that when vibration is applied to the case of the battery pack (<NUM>) by a shock from the outside of the battery pack (<NUM>), a displacement occurs in the non-conductive barrier wall (<NUM>), and the first and second resistors (R<NUM>, R<NUM>) connected thereto come into contact with the measurement resistor (R<NUM>), such that a change occurs in the distributed voltage (VIn) measured by the voltage measurement unit (<NUM>)..