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EP-4738569-A1 - BATTERY PACK AND VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME

EP4738569A1EP 4738569 A1EP4738569 A1EP 4738569A1EP-4738569-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack including: a plurality of battery cells; a pack housing having an opening on at least one side and configured to store the plurality of battery cells; and a pack cover configured to cover the opening of the pack housing and having an expansion member configured to expand when a temperature reaches a reference value or more in an inner space thereof.

Inventors

  • AHN, Moon-Youl

Assignees

  • LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241218

Claims (11)

  1. A battery pack comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a pack housing having an opening on at least one side and configured to store the plurality of battery cells; and a pack cover configured to cover the opening of the pack housing and having an expansion member configured to expand when a temperature reaches a reference value or more in an inner space thereof.
  2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pack housing has an upper opening, and the pack cover is configured to cover the opening of the pack housing.
  3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pack cover comprises a first cover provided on an outer side of the plurality of battery cells, and a second cover provided on an outer side of the first cover, and wherein the expansion member is provided between the first cover and the second cover.
  4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the pack cover is configured such that a gap between the first cover and the second cover increases as the expansion member expands.
  5. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein the expansion member is configured to be in contact with both the first cover and the second cover.
  6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the expansion member is configured in a sheet shape.
  7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of expansion members are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other.
  8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the expansion members are configured to extend in one direction.
  9. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the expansion members are configured to have an expansion rate that differs depending on their positions.
  10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein at least some of the plurality of expansion members are configured such that the expansion rate increases from an end of the pack cover to a central portion.
  11. A vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and, more specifically, to a battery pack with enhanced safety and a vehicle including the same. This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0190479, filed on December 22, 2023, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0184030, filed on December 11, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. BACKGROUND ART Secondary battery cells, which are easy to apply depending on the product group and have electrical features such as high energy density and the like, are generally used in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are driven by an electrical drive source, as well as in portable devices. These secondary battery cells are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency because of the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not generating by-products resulting from energy use. Secondary batteries currently widely used include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and the like. When a high output voltage is required, a battery module or battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, a battery module or battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel in order to increase the charge/discharge capacity. A common method for configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel is to preferentially configure a battery module including at least one battery cell and then add other elements to one or more battery modules, thereby configuring a battery pack or battery rack. Alternatively, a battery pack has recently been manufactured in a cell-to-pack type in which multiple battery cells are directly stored in a pack housing, instead of being modularized. In the case of conventional battery packs, if heat continues to accumulate inside the battery module or battery pack due to abnormalities or misuse of battery cells, the heat may rapidly propagate between the battery cells. As a result, the battery cells may simultaneously ignite, making it difficult to suppress the thermal event, and furthermore, the battery module or battery pack may explode, causing even greater damage. In particular, in the case of conventional battery packs, when thermal runaway occurs internally, the top of the battery pack is heated to act as an ignition source (heat source), and the three elements of fuel, oxygen, and heat source are satisfied when the combustible gas discharged to the outside reacts with oxygen, which results in a problem in which the top of the battery pack ignites. Therefore, there is a need to develop a structure capable of preventing the top of the battery pack from being heated and capable of removing the heat source, thereby effectively preventing fire from occurring in a battery pack or a device including it. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery pack with an improved structure capable of effectively and quickly preventing ignition in the battery pack or a device including the same. However, the technical problems that the present disclosure seeks to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. Technical Solution In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a plurality of battery cells; a pack housing having an opening on at least one side and configured to store the plurality of battery cells; and a pack cover configured to cover the opening of the pack housing and having an expansion member configured to expand when a temperature reaches a reference value or more in an inner space thereof. The pack housing may have an upper opening, and the pack cover may be configured to cover the opening of the pack housing. The pack cover may include a first cover provided on an outer side of the plurality of battery cells and a second cover provided on an outer side of the first cover, and the expansion member may be provided between the first cover and the second cover. The pack cover may be configured such that a gap between the first cover and the second cover increases as the expansion member expands. The expansion member may be configured to be in contact with both the first cover and the second cover.