CN102117930B - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery modules each having a plurality of secondary batteries stacked together and a case assembly accommodating the plurality of secondary batteries; and a reinforcement assembly, the reinforcement assembly The assembly includes at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of at least one of the plurality of battery modules.

Description

Battery

technical field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack formed by stacking battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries.

Background technique

As the number of gasoline vehicles increases, the amount of vehicle exhaust emissions also increases. Vehicle exhaust emissions contain a large amount of harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides due to combustion, carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons due to incomplete combustion, etc., and are recognized as a serious environmental pollution problem. As fossil fuels are predicted to be exhausted in the near future, the development of next-generation energy and hybrid electric vehicles has become an important issue. In commercial hybrid electric vehicles, the mileage of such vehicles is determined by battery performance. In general, (conventional) batteries do not have enough electrical energy to power a hybrid electric vehicle for a satisfactory period of time or range. If the vehicle uses any additional energy source, such as gasoline, light oil, gas, etc., the vehicle can be quickly refueled at a gas station or filling station. However, even when charging stations are available, it still takes a long time to charge hybrid electric vehicles, which is an obstacle to commercialization. Therefore, for hybrid electric vehicles, improving battery performance is recognized as an important goal compared to improving other technologies related to hybrid electric vehicles.

For this reason, secondary batteries capable of charging and discharging have attracted attention. Secondary batteries are widely used in high-tech electronic devices, such as cellular phones, notebook computers, camcorders, etc., and are also used as vehicle batteries.

A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. An electrode assembly in a secondary battery includes a negative plate, a positive plate, and a separator. The electrolyte solution includes lithium ions. The negative and positive plates may each include electrode tabs extending away from the assembly.

The electrode assembly may be accommodated in the case, and the electrode terminals may be exposed to the outside of the case. The electrode tab may extend out of the electrode assembly to be electrically connected to the electrode terminal. The housing may have a cylindrical or quadrilateral shape.

Contents of the invention

Embodiments of the present invention include a battery pack, more specifically, a battery pack formed by vertically or laterally stacking battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a battery pack, which includes: a plurality of battery modules, each of which has a plurality of secondary batteries stacked together; a case assembly for a battery; and a reinforcement assembly including at least one reinforcement plate extending around the case assembly of at least one of the plurality of battery modules.

In one embodiment, the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules and the housing surrounding a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules The at least one reinforcing plate of the assembly extension is coupled to each other. In addition, the battery pack may include the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of the first battery module of the plurality of battery modules and coupled into the outer shell assembly surrounding the plurality of battery modules, for example, by welding. The at least one connecting bracket of the at least one reinforcement plate extends from the housing assembly of the second battery module. Further, the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the casing assembly of the first battery module among the plurality of battery modules may be connected with the outer casing assembly surrounding the first battery module among the plurality of battery modules through the at least one connection bracket. The at least one reinforcing plate extending from the housing assembly of the second battery module is spaced apart.

In one embodiment, each of the reinforcing plates has at least one connector extending therefrom, such connector may be threaded, and extends from the at least one reinforcing plate in a direction away from the plurality of secondary batteries. An extension of the corresponding one. Further, one connector of the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules need not be connected to the connector of the casing assembly surrounding a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. Collinearity of adjacent connectors of the at least one stiffener plate extending from the housing assembly.

In one embodiment, at least one connection bracket is coupled to one of said at least one connector of said at least one reinforcement plate extending around said housing assembly of a first battery module of said plurality of battery modules and One of the at least one connector coupled to the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. Additionally, each of the connection brackets may have a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings configured to receive one of the at least one connector.

In one embodiment, each of the at least one reinforcement plate extends around the entire perimeter of the housing assembly of one of the plurality of battery modules. In another embodiment, each of said at least one reinforcement plate extends around the entire perimeter of said battery pack.

In one embodiment, the case assembly includes first and second plates extending along first and second sides of the plurality of secondary batteries, respectively, wherein the first and second plates Any one of them has a slot configured to receive one of the at least one reinforcing plate. Further, the case assembly may further include a third plate extending along a third side of the plurality of secondary batteries, wherein the third plate has a groove configured to receive one of the at least one reinforcement plate. In addition, each of the plurality of secondary batteries may have an electrode terminal covered by an electrode terminal cover that electrically insulates the electrode terminal from the at least one reinforcement plate.

In one embodiment, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries stacked together and a case assembly accommodating the plurality of secondary batteries; and a connection bracket directly coupled to at least two of the plurality of battery modules to fix the at least two of the plurality of battery modules together. Further, the battery pack may further include a plurality of reinforcement plates on the plurality of battery modules, wherein the connection bracket is coupled to the plurality of reinforcement plates and/or to the case assembly to connect the plurality of reinforcement plates to the battery module. The at least two battery modules of the plurality of battery modules are fixed together.

Description of drawings

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and easier to understand from the description of the following embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a schematic partially exploded perspective view of a battery pack formed by stacking a plurality of battery modules according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1, wherein the battery modules of FIG. 1 are attached to each other by a first connection bracket;

3 is a partially exploded perspective view of an exemplary battery module of the battery module of FIG. 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic front view of the battery pack of Figure 2;

5 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a schematic front view of a battery pack formed by stacking a plurality of battery modules of FIG. 5;

7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the first connection bracket of the battery pack of FIG. 2;

8 is a schematic front view of the battery pack of FIG. 7;

9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

10 is a schematic perspective view of a side plate in which side grooves are formed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

11 is a schematic perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 arranged in rows; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the battery pack of FIG. 11 .

Fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the battery pack of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view of still another embodiment of the battery pack of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a schematic perspective view of still another embodiment of the battery pack of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are depicted in the accompanying drawings.

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed by vertically and/or horizontally stacking a plurality of battery modules. Each battery module may be formed by vertically and/or laterally stacking a plurality of secondary batteries. Without any additional support, the battery module may deflect due to the weight of the plurality of secondary batteries. Furthermore, the battery module may vibrate due to this deflection.

First, the battery pack 300 will be described. The battery pack 300 may include a plurality of battery modules 1 . Each of the battery modules 1 may be formed by arranging a plurality of secondary batteries 10 in a predetermined direction and electrically connecting the secondary batteries 10 to each other. Each of the secondary batteries 10 may be a lithium secondary battery. For example, each battery module 1 may include twelve secondary batteries 10, and the battery pack 300 may include eight battery modules 1 stacked in four layers. However, the number of secondary batteries 10 and battery modules 1 is not limited thereto, and those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various other configurations are possible. When a plurality of battery modules 1 are stacked to form the battery pack 300 , the battery modules 1 are connected to each other to increase the structural stability of the battery pack 300 .

Accordingly, a battery pack 300 including reinforcement plates 60 , 160 , and 260 for increasing structural cohesion between battery modules 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 .

1 is a schematic partially exploded perspective view of a battery pack 300 formed by stacking a battery module 1, a battery module 100, and a battery module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the description of the battery module 1 is applicable to the battery modules 100 and 200. . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the battery pack 300 of FIG. 1 including the battery modules 1, 100, and 200 attached to each other. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of a battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 of FIG. 2 .

The battery pack 300 is formed by stacking the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 . Referring to FIG. 3 , the battery module 1 includes a plurality of secondary batteries 10 and a case assembly accommodating the plurality of secondary batteries 10 . In this embodiment, the housing assembly may include a top panel 20 , a bottom panel 30 , side panels 40 and end panels 50 .

Referring to one exemplary secondary battery of the secondary battery 10 in the battery module 1 , the secondary battery 10 includes an electrode assembly, a case 11 and an electrode terminal 12 . The electrode assembly includes a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode, and may be a wound type or a stacked type assembly. The case 11 accommodates the electrode assembly. The electrode terminal 12 may protrude from the case 11 and electrically connect the secondary battery 10 with an external device. The housing 11 may include an exhaust 13 . The secondary battery 10 may be perforated to burst under a predetermined internal pressure. Therefore, the exhaust part 13 may be formed to be relatively fragile so that gas generated in the housing 11 may be discharged through the perforated exhaust part 13 . The cover plate can be coupled with the opening of the housing 11 . The cover plate may be a thin plate and may include an electrolyte inlet through which the electrolyte is injected. After the electrolyte solution is injected through the electrolyte solution inlet, the electrolyte solution inlet may be sealed by a sealing cap.

The secondary batteries 10 (of the battery module 1 of FIG. 3 ) may be arranged to face each other in a predetermined direction. The secondary batteries 10 may be electrically connected in parallel, in series, or a combination of parallel and series. In order to connect the secondary batteries 10 in parallel or in series, the electrode terminals 12 of the secondary batteries 10 may be alternately arranged according to positive and negative polarities of the electrode terminals. The electrode terminals 12 of the secondary battery 10 may be connected to each other by a bus bar 14 .

As depicted in FIG. 1 , the secondary battery 10 may be a substantially quadrangular secondary battery. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the secondary battery 10 may be any kind of battery cell, such as a circular secondary battery or a pouch-type secondary battery. The connection structure and number of stacked secondary batteries 10 may be determined in consideration of charging and discharging capabilities required when designing the battery pack 300 .

Referring again to one secondary battery 10 of the battery module 1 , the electrode assembly of the secondary battery 10 , which may contain lithium, expands or contracts due to charging or discharging. The expansion or contraction of the electrode assembly exerts a physical force on the case 11, and thus the case 11 expands or contracts according to the expansion or contraction of the electrode assembly. Changes to the case 11 may be permanent through repeated expansion and contraction, and the expansion increases resistance, thereby reducing the efficiency of the secondary battery 10 . Accordingly, with the battery module 1 , a pair of end plates 50 of the battery module 1 may be arranged in a predetermined direction to be disposed at opposite ends of the secondary batteries 10 electrically connected to each other, respectively. The side plate 40 is connected to the side of the end plate 50 to press and fix the secondary battery 10 so that expansion or contraction along the length direction of the secondary battery 10 may be prevented or significantly reduced.

The top plate 20 is provided on the plurality of secondary batteries 10 and connected to an upper portion of the end plate 50 . The opening 20 a formed in the top plate 20 corresponds to the exhaust portion 13 of the secondary battery 10 . The top plate 20 may include a top plate curved portion 20b formed on both longitudinal sides of the top plate 20 in such a manner that the top plate curved portion 20b protrudes upward away from the battery module 1 and makes the top plate 20 in a substantially “U” shape. Each of the openings 20a formed in the top plate 20 may include a seal ring O between the top plate 20 and the corresponding exhaust portion 13, so that when the gas is discharged from one of the exhaust portions 13, the gas does not interfere with the corresponding exhaust portion 13. adjacent secondary battery. The sealing ring O may be an O-ring. A slot 50 a is formed in an upper central portion of the end plate 50 to receive the top plate 20 . The opening 20 a of the top plate 20 may be disposed in close proximity to the secondary battery 10 .

Referring to the battery module 1 , the bottom plate 30 is positioned under the secondary batteries 10 to support the weight of the plurality of secondary batteries 10 , and is connected to a lower portion of the end plate 50 . In order to receive the weight of the secondary battery 10, the bottom plate 30 may include a bottom plate bent portion 30a. The bottom plate bent portion 30a may be formed at both longitudinal sides of the bottom plate 30 in such a manner that the bottom plate bent portion 30a protrudes downward away from the battery module.

The battery module 1 may be coupled to and supported by an adjacent battery module through the end plate 50, and thus the battery pack 300 may be formed by stacking, for example, the battery modules 1, 100, and 200 vertically and/or laterally. .

The reinforcing plate 60 may structurally connect the battery module 1 to another battery module. The reinforcing plate 60 may have various shapes, such as a rectangular shape for surrounding the battery module 1, as depicted in FIG. 3 . The electrode terminals 12 of the secondary battery 10 of the battery module 1 are covered by the electrode terminal cover 15 so that the reinforcement plate 60 does not contact the electrode terminal 12 to cause a short circuit, ie the electrode terminal cover 15 electrically insulates the electrode terminal from at least one reinforcement plate. In FIG. 3 , the reinforcing plate 60 may support the battery module 1 by surrounding the top plate 20 , the side plate 40 and the bottom plate 30 . The reinforcement plate 60 included in the battery module 1 is connected to the reinforcement plates 160 and 260 of the adjacent battery modules 100 and 200 to maintain the structure of the stacked battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 . In FIGS. 1 to 3 , battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 include reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 , respectively. However, the number of reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 respectively usable in each of the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 is not limited to what is depicted, and a different number of reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 may be provided.

The reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 4 . The battery pack 300 may be formed by stacking the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 . The stackable number of battery modules 1, 100, and 200 is not limited to what is depicted. However, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, battery modules 1, 100, and 200 are stacked in a three-layer structure. Referring to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 4 , the battery module (second battery module 100 ) disposed under the battery module 1 is substantially similar to the battery module 1 . The battery module disposed on the battery module 1 may be the third battery module 200 . To clarify the positional relationship among the battery modules 1, 100, and 200, each battery module may be referred to as a first battery module 1, a second battery module 100, and a third battery module 200, respectively, but the first, second, and third The components of the three battery modules 1, 100 and 200 may be the same. The reinforcement plate 60 of the first battery module 1 may include a connector (or connectors) 60 a so as to be easily connected to the reinforcement plates of the second and third battery modules 100 and 200 adjacent to the first battery module 1 . 160 and 260. In one embodiment, each of the reinforcement plates 60, 160, and 260 has at least one connector extending therefrom. Each of the connectors has a threaded portion. Therefore, the reinforcing plates 160 and 260 of the second and third battery modules 100 and 200 adjacent to the reinforcing plate 60 of the first battery module 1 can pass through the connector 60a, the connector 160a and the connector 260a via the first connection bracket ( or connecting brackets) 70 and 170 are screw-coupled to the reinforcing plate 60 of the first battery module 1 . Each of the first connection brackets 70 and 170 has a plurality of openings, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding one of the connectors 60a, 160a, and 260a. The connectors 60a, 160a, and 260a and the first connection brackets 70 and 170 may be screw-coupled to each other. However, coupling between the reinforcement plates 60, 160, and 260 is not limited to screw coupling, and any of various coupling methods such as welding may be used. In this way, the second battery module 100 and the third battery module 200 adjacent to the first battery module 1 are coupled through the first connection brackets 70 and 170, and thus the overall stability of the battery pack 300 may be increased. Furthermore, the reinforcing plates 60, 160 and 260 are structurally connected not only to the bottom plate 30, the bottom plate 130 and the bottom plate 230, but also to the top plate 20, the top plate 120 and the top plate 220 and the side plates 40, the side plates 140 and the side plates 240. . Accordingly, the reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 structurally disperse the load of the secondary batteries 10 , 110 and 210 to prevent the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 from deflecting.

The top plate bending parts 20b, 120b, 220b or/and the bottom plate bending parts 30a, 130a, and 230a of the bottom plates 30, 130, and 230 may be formed to have a height smaller than a predetermined value. Referring to FIG. 4, when the top plate bent portions 20b, 120b, 220b of the top plates 20, 120, and 220 and the bottom plate bent portions 30a, 130a, and 230a of the bottom plates 30, 130, and 230 face and contact each other, the reinforcement plates 60, 160, and 260 It is difficult to be inserted above the top panels 20 , 120 and 220 or below the bottom panels 30 , 130 and 230 . Therefore, the top plate bent portions 20b, 120b, 220b of the top plates 20, 120, and 220 are formed to have a height smaller than a predetermined value, so that the reinforcing plates 60, 160, and 260 can be positioned on top of the top plates 20, 120, and 220. In addition, the floor bent portions 30 a , 130 a and 230 a of the bottom plates 30 , 130 and 230 are formed to have a height smaller than a predetermined value so that the reinforcing plates 60 , 160 and 260 may be positioned under the bottom plates 30 , 130 and 230 . In this case, the top plate curved portions 20b, 120b, 220b, or the bottom plate curved portions 30a, 130a, and 230a, or both the top plate curved portions 20b, 120b, 220b and the bottom plate curved portions 30a, 130a, and 230a may be formed to have a ratio A height with a small predetermined value.

In this case, the reinforcement plate 60 does not need to surround the entire perimeter of the battery module 1 , that is, the battery module 1 including the top plate 20 , bottom plate 30 and side plates 40 as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 . For example, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , a reinforcing plate 60 may be formed to pass through above the top plate 20 and outside the side plate 40 and between the secondary battery 10 and the bottom plate 30 .

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of a battery module 1' according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a battery pack 400 formed by stacking the battery modules 1' of FIG. 5 a plurality of times. A reinforcing plate 60' may be disposed between the bottom plate 30 and the secondary battery 10 of the battery module 1'. As such, when the reinforcement plate 60' is disposed between the bottom plate 30 and the secondary battery 10, the reinforcement plate 60' does not need to be formed through the underside of the bottom plate 30. Referring to FIG. Although not shown in the drawings, a reinforcement plate 60' may pass between the top plate 20 and the secondary battery 10 and between the bottom plate 30 and the secondary battery 10. When the reinforcing plate 60' is positioned as described above, coupling between the bottom plate 30 of the first battery module 1' and the top plate 120 of the second battery module 100 may not be hindered. Accordingly, the reinforcement panel 60' is not limited to being oriented around the entire perimeter of the top panel 20, bottom panel 30, and side panel 40, and may be located within any of the top panel 20, bottom panel 30, and side panel 40.

In addition, the reinforcement plates 60, 160, and 260 may be coupled to each other using various coupling methods. For example, referring to FIG. 7 or 8 , reinforcing plates 60 , 160 and 260 respectively provided in the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 may be coupled to the connecting plate C to maintain each structure of the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 . The connection plate C is formed by a one-piece plate. Therefore, when a single connection plate C is used, the structural stability of the battery pack may be increased compared to when a plurality of first connection brackets 70 and 170 are used. Reinforcing plates 60, 160 and 260 and connecting plate C can be connected by threaded coupling between connectors 60a, 160a and 260a of reinforcing plates 60, 160 and 260 and connecting plate C, or by reinforcing plates 60, 160 and 260 and The welding between the connecting plates C is joined.

In this case, in order to facilitate coupling between the reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 and the connection plate C, the components of the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 may include spacers for minimizing the space required for the reinforcement plates 60 , 160 and 260 groove, which will be described with reference to Figure 9 or Figure 10.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module 1" according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a side plate 40' in which side grooves 40'g are formed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, an upper groove 20'g may be formed in the top plate 20' corresponding to the reinforcing plate 60. Referring to FIG. The reinforcing plate 60 is prevented from moving due to the upper groove 20'g formed in the top plate 20', and enters into the upper groove 20'g according to the depth of the upper groove 20'g, so the space required for the reinforcing plate 60 can be reduced . Alternatively, the reinforcing plate 60 may be prevented from moving by the lower groove 30'g formed in the bottom plate 30', and enter into the lower groove 30'g, so the space required for the reinforcing plate 60 may be reduced. In this case, the groove may be formed in at least one of the top plate 20' and the bottom plate 30', but the location of the groove is not limited thereto. For example, referring to FIG. 10, side slots 40'g may be located on side panels 40'. In this case, the reinforcing plate 60 enters the side groove 40'g according to the depth of the side groove 40'g, and thus the space required for the reinforcing plate 60 can be reduced. The reinforcing plate 60 can be prevented from moving by being coupled with at least one of the upper groove 20'g, the lower groove 30'g, and the side groove 40'g, so that the space required for the reinforcing plate 60 is minimized so that the reinforcing plate 60 The structural freedom of other components is not hindered.

The stacking method of the battery modules is not limited thereto, and various methods may be used. For example, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 , battery modules 1 , 100 , 200 , 1001 , 1100 , and 1200 may be stacked in a plurality of rows. In addition, adjacent reinforcement plates 60, 160, and 260 and reinforcement plates 1060, 1160, and 1260 may be coupled to each other.

11 is a schematic perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1 arranged multiple times in multiple rows. FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the battery pack of FIG. 11 .

Each of the reinforcement plates 60, 160, 260, 1060, 1160, and 1260 of the battery modules 1, 100, 200, 1001, 1100, and 1200 may pass through the first connection brackets 70, 170, and 270 and the first connection brackets 1070, 1170. and 1270 are screwed to adjacent reinforcement plates.

Hereinafter, each battery module will be referred to as a first battery module 1, a second battery module 100, a third battery module 200, a fourth battery module 1001, a fifth battery module 1100, and a sixth battery module 1200 for convenience of description. . The first connector 60 a and the second connector 60 b of the first battery module 1 may not be oriented to be symmetrical to each other based on the center of the end plate 50 . Because the first connector 60a and the second connector 60b are not oriented symmetrically with respect to each other, when the first battery module 1 is positioned adjacent to the fourth battery module 1001, the connectors do not interfere with each other, thereby minimizing the required volume. That is, referring to FIG. 12 , the second connector 60b of the first battery module 1 and the first connector 1060a of the fourth battery module 1001 are oriented asymmetrically with respect to each other (ie, not collinear with each other). Accordingly, the second connector 60b and the first connector 1060a do not interfere with each other, and thus the first battery module 1 and the fourth battery module 1001 may be positioned adjacent to each other.

The reinforcement plates 60, 160, 260, 1060, 1160, and 1260 may be coupled not only vertically but also laterally. For example, the sixth battery module 1200 and the third battery module 200 are adjacent to each other, and may be coupled to each other through the first connection bracket 270 . The reinforcement plates 260 and 1260 respectively disposed in uppermost portions of the third and sixth battery modules 200 and 1200 may include third connectors 260c and 1260c, respectively. The reinforcement plates 160 and 1160 respectively located in the lowermost portions of the second and fifth battery modules 100 and 1100 may be coupled to each other. For example, the third connector 160c formed in the second battery module 100 and the third connector 1160c formed in the fifth battery module 1100 may be mechanically coupled to each other through the first connection bracket 1170 .

In this way, the reinforcement panels 60, 160, 260, 1060, 1160, and 1260 may not only be vertically connected to each other, but also be mechanically coupled laterally to adjacent reinforcement panels. The coupling method is not limited to the threaded coupling depicted in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12 . For example, reinforcement plates 60, 160, 260, 1060, 1160, and 1260 may be coupled to each other by welding. In addition, the coupling method is not limited to coupling through the first connection brackets 70 , 170 , 270 , 1070 , 1170 and 1270 . For example, as depicted in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 , vertically oriented battery modules 1 , 100 , 200 , 1001 , 1100 , and 1200 can be coupled to each other by an integral connecting plate C, and can also be welded via connecting plate C. coupling.

Although not shown in the drawings, a single connecting plate C can surround a plurality of battery modules 1, 100, 200, 1001, 1100, and 1200, and can connect a plurality of battery modules 1, 100, 200, 1001 , 1100 and 1200 are interconnected.

The battery pack 300 including the battery modules 1, 200, and 300 may be used in an electric vehicle. If the battery pack 300 including the secondary battery 10 discharges harmful gas due to swelling or other reasons, the harmful gas is explosively discharged in a short time. When harmful gas flows into the vehicle, the gas affects the human body. In this case, the battery pack 300 may be accommodated in a sealed case, which may be externally connected. In order to avoid such a risk, the battery pack 300 may have a structure for reducing vibration. In the battery pack 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing plate 60 supports a deflected portion of the battery module 1 , thereby reducing deflection and vibration of the battery module 1 .

Referring now to FIG. 13 , it shows a battery pack 700 including the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 as described above according to another embodiment of the present invention. Further, the battery pack 700 includes a reinforcement assembly including a reinforcement plate 760 extending around the entire perimeter of the entire battery pack 700 instead of only around the perimeter of the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 . The structure and shape of the reinforcing plate 760 may be the same as or similar to those of the reinforcing plate in the foregoing embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 14 , it shows a battery pack 800 including the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 as described above according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the battery pack 800 includes connection brackets 71 , 171 directly coupled to the side plates 40 , 140 , 240 of the battery modules 1 , 100 , and 200 . In one embodiment, each connection bracket 71, 171 is connected to two of the side plates 40, 140, 240, ie one side plate of each of the adjacent battery modules 1, 100, 200, to connect the battery modules together. The connecting bracket 71, 171 may be joined to the side plate 40, 140, 240 at the connecting portion 71a, 171a, for example by welding or by fasteners such as nuts and bolts.

Referring now to FIG. 15 , it shows a battery pack 900 including the battery modules 1 , 100 and 200 as described above according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery pack 900 further includes reinforcement plates 62 , 162 , and 262 attached to individual side panels 40 , 140 , 240 and reinforcement panels directly attached to the side panels 40 , 140 , 240 of adjacent battery modules 1 , 100 , and 200 . Connected connecting brackets 72,172. The connecting brackets 72, 172 may be joined to the reinforcing plates 62, 162 and 262 at the connecting portions 72a, 172a, for example by welding or by fasteners such as nuts and bolts.

According to the present invention, the battery pack is formed by vertically or laterally stacking battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries, thereby reducing deflection and vibration of the battery modules.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described therein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments.

Claims (17)

1. A battery pack comprising: A plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries stacked together and a case assembly accommodating the plurality of secondary batteries and including: a pair of end plates arranged in a predetermined direction so as to be respectively disposed at opposite ends of the plurality of secondary batteries electrically connected to each other; a pair of side plates respectively connected to the sides of the pair of end plates; a top plate provided on the plurality of secondary batteries and connected to upper portions of the pair of end plates; and a bottom plate positioned below the plurality of secondary batteries to support the weight of the plurality of secondary batteries, and connected to lower portions of the pair of end plates; and a reinforcement assembly comprising at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of at least one of the plurality of battery modules; wherein said at least one reinforcement panel is oriented around the entire perimeter of said side panels, said top panel, and said bottom panel; and wherein the at least one reinforcing plate extending around the case assembly of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules and the at least one reinforcing plate extending around the case assembly of a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules At least one reinforcing plate is coupled to each other. 2. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising at least one connecting bracket coupled to the at least one housing assembly extending around the housing assembly of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules. A reinforcement plate is coupled to the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. 3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the at least one connecting bracket is coupled to the at least one extending around the housing assembly of the first battery module of the plurality of battery modules by welding. A reinforcement plate is coupled to the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of the second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. 4. The battery pack according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of the first battery module of the plurality of battery modules passes through the at least one connection bracket Spaced apart from the at least one reinforcing plate extending around the housing assembly of the second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. 5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one reinforcement plate has at least one connector extending from said each of said at least one reinforcement plate. 6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein each of the at least one connector has a threaded portion. 7. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein each of the at least one connector extends from a corresponding one of the at least one reinforcing plate in a direction away from the plurality of secondary batteries. 8. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein one of the at least one connector of the at least one reinforcing plate extending around the housing assembly of the first battery module of the plurality of battery modules is connected to Adjacent ones of the at least one connectors of the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules are not collinear. 9. The battery pack of claim 5, further comprising at least one connecting bracket coupled to the at least one housing assembly extending around the housing assembly of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules. one of the at least one connector of a reinforcement plate and coupled into the at least one connector of the at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules one of. 10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein each of the at least one connection bracket has a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings is configured to receive one of the at least one connector . 11. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein each of the at least one connection bracket is coupled to at least one reinforcement plate extending around the housing assembly of another battery module of the plurality of battery modules . 12. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement plate extends around an entire perimeter of the housing assembly of one of the plurality of battery modules. 13. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein any one of the top plate and the bottom plate has a groove configured to receive one of the at least one reinforcing plate. 14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein the pair of side plates have a slot configured to receive one of the at least one reinforcing plate. 15. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of secondary batteries has an electrode terminal covered by an electrode terminal cover that reinforces the electrode terminal with the at least one The board is electrically insulated. 16. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one reinforcement plate has a rectangular shape surrounding the case assembly. 17. A battery pack comprising: A plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of secondary batteries stacked together and a case assembly accommodating the plurality of secondary batteries and including: a pair of end plates arranged in a predetermined direction so as to be respectively disposed at opposite ends of the plurality of secondary batteries electrically connected to each other; a pair of side plates respectively connected to the sides of the pair of end plates; a top plate provided on the plurality of secondary batteries and connected to upper portions of the pair of end plates; and a bottom plate positioned below the plurality of secondary batteries to support the weight of the plurality of secondary batteries, and connected to lower portions of the pair of end plates; a plurality of reinforcement plates on the plurality of battery modules; and a connecting bracket coupled to at least two of the plurality of battery modules to fix the at least two of the plurality of battery modules together; wherein the plurality of reinforcement panels are attached to at least the side panels, and; Wherein the connection bracket is coupled to the plurality of reinforcement plates to fix the at least two battery modules of the plurality of battery modules together.