EP-4738570-A1 - BUS BAR SUPPORT BRACKET, BATTERY PACK APPLYING SAME, AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SAME

EP4738570A1EP 4738570 A1EP4738570 A1EP 4738570A1EP-4738570-A1

Abstract

Provided are: a bracket for supporting a plurality of long bus bars so that the plurality of long bus bars can be stably arranged side by side in a narrow battery pack space while maintaining insulation; a battery pack to which the bracket is applied; and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack. The support bracket comprises: a bus bar receiving space; a pair of side walls for shielding both sides of the bus bar receiving space; a bottom wall connecting the pair of side walls; an isolation wall extending from the bottom wall between the pair of side walls and dividing the bus bar receiving space into one side space and the other side space; and a plurality of fixing members for fixing the support bracket to a position to which the support bracket is to be fixed.

Inventors

JEON, SEUNG-JOON
LEE, SEONG-EUN

Assignees

Valeo Kapec Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240718

Claims (20)

A support bracket, which supports a plurality of bus bars extending in a first direction in order to maintain a state in which the plurality of bus bars are disposed side by side and spaced apart from one another in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the support bracket comprising: a bus bar accommodation space extending in the first direction and opened toward one side based on a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction; a pair of side walls respectively disposed at one side and the other side of the bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction, extending in the third direction, and configured to block two opposite sides of the bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction; a bottom wall disposed at the other side of the bus bar accommodation space based on the third direction, extending in the second direction, and configured to connect the pair of side walls; an isolation wall disposed between the pair of side walls, extending from the bottom wall toward one side based on the third direction, and configured to divide the bus bar accommodation space into one side space and the other side space based on the second direction; and a fixing member configured to fix the support bracket at a position at which the support bracket is to be fixed.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing member is provided as a plurality of fixing members, and the plurality of fixing members are disposed to be spaced apart from one another in at least any one of the first direction or the second direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing member is connected to an outer side of the side wall based on the second direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing member is connected to the other side of the bottom wall based on the third direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises a hook member extending toward the other side based on the third direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the side wall is further provided with an extension side wall extending toward the other side based on the third direction further than the bottom wall, and a space between the pair of extension side walls in the second direction defines an additional bus bar accommodation space.
The support bracket of claim 6, wherein a partition protrusion protruding from the bottom wall toward the other side based on the third direction is provided at a position corresponding to the isolation wall in the second direction, and the partition protrusion divides the additional bus bar accommodation space into one side space and the other side space based on the second direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein an extension length of the isolation wall in the third direction is 0.5 times or more and 1.0 times or less an extension length of the side wall in the third direction or 1.0 times or more and 1.5 times or less the extension length of the side wall in the third direction.
The support bracket of claim 7, wherein an extension length of the partition protrusion in the third direction is 0.1 times or more and 0.5 times or less an extension length of the extension side wall in the third direction.
The support bracket of claim 1, wherein a length by which the isolation wall extends in the first direction is shorter than a length by which the side wall extends in the first direction.
The support bracket of claim 10, wherein a length of the isolation wall in the first direction is 1/3 or more and 2/3 or less of a length of the side wall in the first direction.
The support bracket of claim 10, wherein extension isolation walls, which protrude from the bottom wall toward one side based on the third direction and are connected to the isolation wall in the first direction, are provided at one side and the other side of the isolation wall based on the first direction.
The support bracket of claim 12, wherein an extension length of the extension isolation wall in the third direction is shorter than an extension length of the isolation wall in the third direction.
A battery pack comprising: a base plate extending in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; a reinforcement beam member protruding toward one side based on a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction, installed on the base plate, and extending in the first direction; a plurality of bus bars extending in the first direction and accommodated in the reinforcement beam member; and a first support bracket configured to support a plurality of bus bars in order to maintain a state in which the plurality of bus bars are disposed side by side and spaced apart from one another in the second direction in a state in which the plurality of bus bars are accommodated in the reinforcement beam member, wherein the first support bracket comprises: a first bus bar accommodation space extending in the first direction and opened toward one side based on the third direction; a pair of side walls respectively disposed at one side and the other side of the first bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction, extending in the third direction, and configured to block two opposite sides of the first bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction; a bottom wall disposed at the other side of the first bus bar accommodation space based on the third direction, extending in the second direction, and configured to connect the pair of side walls; an isolation wall disposed between the pair of side walls, extending from the bottom wall toward one side based on the third direction, and configured to divide the first bus bar accommodation space into one side space and the other side space based on the second direction; and a fixing member configured to fix the first support bracket to the reinforcement beam member.
The battery pack of claim 14, further comprising: a second support bracket disposed at the other side of the first support bracket based on the third direction and configured to support the plurality of bus bars in order to maintain a state in which the plurality of bus bars are disposed side by side and spaced apart from one another in the second direction in a state in which the plurality of bus bars are accommodated in the reinforcement beam member, wherein the second support bracket comprises: a second bus bar accommodation space extending in the first direction and opened toward one side based on the third direction; a pair of side walls respectively disposed at one side and the other side of the second bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction, extending in the third direction, and configured to block two opposite sides of the second bus bar accommodation space based on the second direction; a bottom wall disposed at the other side of the second bus bar accommodation space based on the third direction, extending in the second direction, and configured to connect the pair of side walls; an isolation wall disposed between the pair of side walls, extending from the bottom wall toward one side based on the third direction, and configured to divide the second bus bar accommodation space into one side space and the other side space based on the second direction; and a fixing member configured to fix the second support bracket to the reinforcement beam member.
The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the first support bracket further comprises extension side walls formed as the side walls extend toward the other side based on the third direction further than the bottom wall, and wherein a space between the pair of extension side walls in the second direction defines the second bus bar accommodation space.
The battery pack of claim 16, wherein the other end of the extension side wall of the first support bracket based on the third direction adjoins, in the third direction, one end of the side wall of the second support bracket based on the third direction.
The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the first support bracket further comprises a partition protrusion protruding from the bottom wall toward the other side based on the third direction and provided at a position corresponding to the isolation wall in the second direction, and wherein the partition protrusion divides the second bus bar accommodation space into one side space and the other side space based on the second direction.
The battery pack of claim 18, wherein the other end of the partition protrusion of the first support bracket based on the third direction is disposed adjacent to and faces, in the third direction, one end of the isolation wall of the second support bracket based on the third direction.
The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the reinforcement beam member comprises: a base beam fixed onto the base plate; and a pair of sidewall beams extending and protruding from two opposite ends of the base beam based on the second direction toward one side based on the third direction further than the base beam, wherein at least a part of an outer surface of the side wall of the second support bracket is disposed adjacent to and faces an inner surface of the sidewall beam, and wherein at least a part of an outer surface of the side wall of the first support bracket is disposed adjacent to and faces the inner surface of the sidewall beam.

Description

[Technical Field] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0098448 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on July 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure relates to a support bracket for fixing a bus bar of a battery pack for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a bracket capable of supporting a plurality of long bus bars so that the plurality of bus bars may be stably disposed side by side in a narrow space in a battery pack in a state in which insulation is maintained, a battery pack to which the bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack. [Background Art] A battery pack for a vehicle is preferably light in weight in order to improve energy consumption efficiency relative to a movement distance. Further, the battery pack for a vehicle preferably has a high energy capacity in order to further extend the mileage of a vehicle. In addition, the battery pack for a vehicle needs to be equipped with a safety device that may delay thermal runaway and prevent explosion even though the battery pack is damaged in the event of an accident, such as a vehicle collision. Therefore, during a process of designing the battery pack, designing processes, such as a process of selecting a material having excellent strength relative to weight, a process of designing a structure for ensuring strength, a process of controlling and designing a temperature of the battery pack, and a process of designing integrated arrangement of a battery cell or a battery module, are performed from various points of view. In this case, bus bars for electrically connecting battery modules and bus bars for outputting electric power to the outside of the battery pack are densely disposed in the battery pack. Unlike general vehicles, a bus bar of a battery pack of an electric vehicle transmits a high voltage and a high current, and as a result, insulation is essential. Because of the nature of the battery pack mounted in the vehicle, the bus bar is consistently exposed to impact and vibration. As a result, it cannot be assured that the insulated state of the bus bar is consistently maintained only by applying an insulation coating to a surface of the bus bar. In particular, because the bus bars for electrically connecting the battery modules disposed distantly and the bus bars for outputting electric power to the outside of the battery pack are very long, a reliable insulation structure needs to be essentially provided between the plurality of bus bars in a structure in which the plurality of bus bars are disposed side by side and adjacent to one another. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present disclosure has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a bracket capable of supporting long bus bars, which are required to be insulated from one another, so that the bus bars are not deformed or swayed by the weight of the bus bars or the operation of a vehicle when the bus bars are disposed side by side in a narrow, long space in a battery pack, a battery pack structure to which the bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack structure. In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a bracket capable of assuredly maintaining insulation of a plurality of bus bars elongated and disposed in a narrow space, a battery pack structure to which the bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack structure. In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a support bracket capable of being assembled so that a plurality of elongated bus bars are easily disposed in a narrow space, a battery pack structure to which the support bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack structure. In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a support bracket having a structure capable of being conveniently installed while occupying a minimum space in a narrow space because of a plurality of bus bars elongated and disposed, a battery pack structure to which the support bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack structure. In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a support bracket that may be stably mounted in a narrow space while occupying a minimum space in the space and has a lightweight, high-rigidity structure, a battery pack structure to which the support bracket is applied, and a vehicle equipped with the battery pack structure. The technical objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure, which are not mentioned above, may be understood from the following descriptions and more clearly understood from the embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, it can be easily understood that the objects