EP-4738582-A1 - PACK HOUSING, BATTERY PACK, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME

EP4738582A1EP 4738582 A1EP4738582 A1EP 4738582A1EP-4738582-A1

Abstract

Provided are a pack housing for a common battery pack, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the pack housing. The pack housing includes a bottom cover on which a battery module is placed; an outer frame formed on an outer side of the bottom cover; and a partition frame dividing an inner space formed by the bottom cover and the outer frame into a plurality of module spaces, wherein at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame has a variable structure capable of adjusting a width.

Inventors

CHOI, SUNG-MAN
KIM, HEE-GYU
SON, Do-Wung
YANG, KUN-JOO

Assignees

LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20241217

Claims (20)

A pack housing comprising: a bottom cover on which a battery module is placed; an outer frame formed on an outer side of the bottom cover; and a partition frame dividing an inner space formed by the bottom cover and the outer frame into a plurality of module spaces, wherein at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame has a variable structure capable of adjusting a width.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein the partition frame comprises a center beam disposed in a front-back direction on the bottom cover, and the center beam has a variable structure capable of adjusting a width in a left-right direction.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein the variable structure comprises a main body, an expansion portion, and a width adjustment member, wherein the expansion portion has a receiving space corresponding to a cross-section of the main body and is slidably fitted to an outer peripheral surface of the main body, the expansion portion is configured to extend a width by being drawn out from the main body, and the width adjustment member is configured to adjust an extension length of the expansion portion while fixing the expansion portion drawn out from the main body.
The pack housing according to claim 3, wherein the expansion portion comprises a first expansion portion located on one side of the main body and a second expansion portion located on another side of the main body.
The pack housing according to claim 3, wherein the expansion portion comprises a support portion contacting a side surface of the main body, and an upper extension portion and a lower extension portion respectively extending from both ends of the support portion in a height direction to a top surface and a bottom surface of the main body.
The pack housing according to claim 5, wherein the expansion portion comprises a front extension portion and a rear extension portion respectively extending from both ends of the support portion in a longitudinal direction to a front surface and a rear surface of the main body.
The pack housing according to claim 6, wherein the width adjustment member comprises: an expansion portion fastening hole formed in the front extension portion and the rear extension portion in a long hole shape along a width direction of the expansion portion to allow movement of the expansion portion; a fastening protrusion formed on the main body to protrude from the expansion portion fastening hole; and a fastening member fastened to the fastening protrusion through the expansion portion fastening hole to fix the expansion portion in a moved state.
The pack housing according to claim 3, wherein the expansion portion comprises a slide hole formed therein to penetrate along a width direction or a slide groove that is closed on an outside and is recessed inward.
The pack housing according to claim 8, wherein the width adjustment member comprises: an expansion portion fastening hole formed in a long hole shape along the width direction of the expansion portion to allow movement of the expansion portion; at least one main body fastening hole formed in the main body and communicating with the expansion portion fastening hole; and a fixing member fastened to the main body fastening hole through the expansion portion fastening hole to fix the expansion portion in a moved state.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein the variable structure comprises a main body, an expansion portion, and a width adjustment member, wherein the main body comprises a slide hole formed therein to penetrate along a width direction, the expansion portion is slidably provided in the slide hole, and the width adjustment member is configured to adjust an extension length of the expansion portion while fixing the expansion portion drawn out from the main body.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame is a beam manufactured by extruding aluminum so that an empty space and a rib are mixed inside.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein a flow path through which a fluid flows is provided inside at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame.
The pack housing according to claim 12, wherein a communication hole for communication between the module space and the flow path is formed in at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame.
The pack housing according to claim 12, wherein the flow path has a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of unit flow paths are stacked in a height direction.
The pack housing according to claim 12, wherein the fluid comprises gas generated during thermal runaway of the battery module.
The pack housing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame is formed in a pipe shape with a hollow inner space, and one or more separation walls for dividing the hollow inner space into an upper space and a lower space are provided in a height direction to divide the hollow inner space into a plurality of areas in the height direction.
A battery pack comprising: the pack housing according to any one of claims 1 to 16; and a battery module seated in each of a plurality of module spaces.
The battery pack according to claim 17, wherein the battery module is fixed to at least one of an outer frame and a partition frame.
The battery pack according to claim 17, wherein the battery module comprises a battery cell assembly and a module case for fixing the battery cell assembly, the battery module comprises a fastening block protruding from the module case and provided so that a bolt is inserted in an up-down direction, and the battery module is fixed to at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame when the bolt is fastened to the fastening block.
A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 17.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0014100, filed on January 30 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The present disclosure relates to a pack housing, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle including the battery pack, and more particularly, to a pack housing commonly applicable to battery modules of various sizes, a battery pack, and a vehicle including the same. BACKGROUND ART As technology development and demand for various mobile devices, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems (ESSs) increase significantly, interest in and demand for secondary batteries as energy sources are steadily increasing. Lithium secondary batteries are widely used as secondary batteries because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, and thus, have advantages of free charge/discharge, very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density. A lithium secondary battery mainly uses a lithium-based oxide and a carbon material as a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively. A lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate to which a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material are respectively applied are located with a separator therebetween, and a casing in which the electrode assembly is sealed and accommodated along with an electrolytic solution, that is, a battery case. In general, according to a shape of a casing, secondary batteries may be classified into can-type batteries in which an electrode assembly is received in a metal can, and pouch-type batteries in which an electrode assembly is received in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet. An operating voltage of a unit secondary battery, that is, a unit battery cell, ranges from about 2.5 V to about 4.6 V. Accordingly, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. Also, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel according to charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in a battery pack may be set in various ways according to a required output voltage or charge/discharge capacity. When a battery pack is configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel, a method of first configuring a battery module including at least one battery cell, adding other elements by using the battery module, and accommodating them in a pack housing to configure a battery pack is generally used. A pack housing of a battery pack in the related art is determined according to a battery module size. For example, even for the same vehicle OEM, a pack housing size and a mounting position with a vehicle are all different according to required energy. FIG. 1 is a view illustrating that a pack housing of a battery pack in the related art is determined according to a battery module size. For example, when a vehicle OEM wants to produce battery packs with energies of 50 kWh, 70 kWh, and 90 kWh, as shown in (a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 1, a battery pack 10 for 50 kWh, a battery pack 20 for 70 kWh, and a battery pack 30 for 90 kWh have different pack housing sizes W1, W2, W3 and different vehicle mounting positions P1, P2, P3 (W1 ≠ W2 ≠ W3, P1 ≠ P2 ≠ P3). Although the battery pack 10 for 50 kWh, the battery pack 20 for 70 kWh, and the battery pack 30 for 90 kWh include battery modules 12, 22, 32 of different sizes in pack housings 14, 24, 34 of different sizes, the battery pack 10 for 50 kWh, the battery pack 20 for 70 kWh, and the battery pack 30 for 90 kWh have a center beam C and a side beam S having the same shape. In this case, not only battery packs but also vehicle frames should be made in three types, which results in a lot of loss in terms of cost and time. When a common battery pack that may have the same pack housing size and the same vehicle mounting position regardless of energy may be provided, cost and time loss may be reduced. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present disclosure is directed to providing a pack housing for a common battery pack. The present disclosure is also directed to providing a common battery pack by including such a pack housing. Technical Solution In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pack housing including: a bottom cover on which a battery module is placed; an outer frame formed on an outer side of the bottom cover; and a partition frame dividing an inner space formed by the bottom cover and the outer frame into a plurality of module spaces, wherein at least one of the outer frame and the partition frame has a variable structure capable of adjusting a width. Preferably, the p