EP-4742395-A1 - BUS BAR AND BATTERY PACK

EP4742395A1EP 4742395 A1EP4742395 A1EP 4742395A1EP-4742395-A1

Abstract

A bus bar and a battery pack are disclosed. A battery pack includes a housing, a plurality of first battery cells each including a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal, a plurality of second battery cells each including a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal, a first bus bar connecting the first negative electrode terminals of the plurality of first battery cells, a second bus bar connecting the second positive electrode terminals of the plurality of second battery cells, and a third bus bar connecting the first positive electrode terminals of the first battery cells and the second negative electrode terminals of the second battery cells, and at least one of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or the third bus bar is deformable according to positions of the first battery cells and the second battery cells.

Inventors

PARK, SANG HUN

Assignees

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20250925

Claims (15)

A bus bar comprising: a first parallel connection part; and a first parallel extension part extending from the first parallel connection part in a first direction, wherein the first parallel connection part comprises a first parallel center plate, a first parallel link plate extending in parallel to a second direction, intersecting the first direction, from the first parallel center plate, and a first link adjustment part on the first parallel link plate to be length-adjustable in the second direction.
The bus bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first link adjustment part defines a U-shaped or V-shaped bend.
The bus bar as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first parallel extension part comprises: a first parallel side plate connected to the first parallel connection part and arranged parallel to the first direction; a first parallel upper plate extending from the first parallel side plate and arranged to intersect the first parallel side plate; and a first side plate adjustment part on the first parallel side plate to be length-adjustable in the first direction.
The bus bar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first side plate adjustment part is bent in a zigzag shape.
A battery pack comprising: a housing; a plurality of first battery cells accommodated in the housing and each comprising a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal; a plurality of second battery cells accommodated in the housing and each comprising a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal; a first bus bar connecting the first negative electrode terminals of the plurality of first battery cells; a second bus bar connecting the second positive electrode terminals of the plurality of second battery cells; and a third bus bar connecting the first positive electrode terminals of the first battery cells and the second negative electrode terminals of the second battery cells, wherein at least one of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or the third bus bar is deformable according to positions of the first battery cells and the second battery cells.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first positive electrode terminals and the second negative electrode terminals are located toward a side in a first direction, and the first negative electrode terminals and the second positive electrode terminals are located toward another side in the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first bus bar comprises: a first parallel connection part connecting the first negative electrode terminals, which neighbor each other, in parallel; and a first parallel extension part extending from the first parallel connection part in the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first battery cells are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the first parallel connection part comprises a first parallel center plate, a first parallel link plate extending in parallel to the second direction from the first parallel center plate and linked to the first negative electrode terminals, and a first link adjustment part on the first parallel link plate to be length-adjustable in the second direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the first parallel extension part comprises: a first parallel side plate connected to the first parallel connection part and arranged parallel to the first direction; a first parallel upper plate extending from the first parallel side plate and arranged to intersect the first parallel side plate; and a first side plate adjustment part on the first parallel side plate to be length-adjustable in the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the second bus bar comprises: a second parallel connection part connecting the second positive electrode terminals, which neighbor each other, in parallel; and a second parallel extension part extending from the second parallel connection part in the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of second battery cells are arranged in the second direction intersecting the first direction; and the second parallel connection part comprises a second parallel center plate, a second parallel link plate extending in parallel to the second direction from the second parallel center plate and linked to the second positive electrode terminals, and a second link adjustment part on the second parallel link plate to be length-adjustable in the second direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the second parallel extension part comprises: a second parallel side plate connected to the second parallel connection part and arranged parallel to the first direction; a second parallel upper plate extending from the second parallel side plate and arranged to intersect the second parallel side plate; and a second side plate adjustment part on the second parallel side plate to be length-adjustable in the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the third bus bar comprises: a plurality of third serial parts connecting the first positive electrode terminals and the second negative electrode terminals in series; a third connection part connecting the plurality of third serial parts; and one or more third adjustment parts on the third connection part to be length-adjustable in the second direction intersecting the first direction.
The battery pack as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first battery cells and the second battery cells are arranged to face each other in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and the third serial parts each comprise a third serial center plate, a third serial link plate extending in parallel to the third direction from the third serial center plate and linked to each of the first positive electrode terminals and the second negative electrode terminals, and a third link adjustment part on the third serial link plate to be length-adjustable in the third direction.
The battery pack as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 14, further comprising an elastic member in the housing and supporting the plurality of first battery cells and the plurality of second battery cells to compensate for heights thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a bus bar and a battery pack. 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as the demand for portable electronic products, such as laptops, camcorders, and mobile phones increases rapidly and the commercialization of robots, electric cars, and the like begins in earnest, research on high-performance secondary batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging is actively underway. In particular, lithium secondary batteries are widely used as an energy source of various electronic products due to their high energy density and operating voltage and excellent preservation and state-of-health (SOH) characteristics. Among lithium secondary batteries, a cylindrical secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having a cylindrical shape, a can having a cylindrical shape and accommodating the electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and a cap assembly coupled to an opening of the can to seal the can and allowing current generated in the electrode assembly to flow to an external device. The cylindrical secondary battery has a structure in which the can, which is negatively charged, and the cap assembly, which is positively charged, are insulated from each other by a gasket. If cylindrical secondary batteries constitute a pack, welds connected to an electrode connection body or a controller may be placed horizontal to a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical secondary batteries or placed parallel to a body direction. Here, it is desirable to maintain flatness at the time of laser welding or resistance welding. The above-described information disclosed in the technology that forms the background of the present disclosure is provided to improve understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and thus may include information that does not constitute the related art. SUMMARY According to an aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure a bus bar and a battery pack capable of, in a process in which a plurality of cylindrical battery cells are connected in series and parallel, securing flatness in welding and improving workability and productivity of processes are provided. The above and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will be described in or will be apparent from the following description of some embodiments of the present disclosure. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a bus bar includes a first parallel connection part; and a first parallel extension part extending from the first parallel connection part in a first direction, wherein the first parallel connection part includes a first parallel center plate; a first parallel link plate extending in parallel to a second direction, intersecting the first direction, from the first parallel center plate; and a first link adjustment part on the first parallel link plate to be length-adjustable in the second direction. The first link adjustment part may define a U-shaped or V-shaped bend. The first parallel extension part may include a first parallel side plate connected to the first parallel connection part and arranged parallel to the first direction; a first parallel upper plate extending from the first parallel side plate and arranged to intersect the first parallel side plate; and a first side plate adjustment part on the first parallel side plate to be length-adjustable in the first direction. The first side plate adjustment part may be bent in a zigzag shape. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes a housing; a plurality of first battery cells accommodated in the housing and each including a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal; a plurality of second battery cells accommodated in the housing and each including a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal; a first bus bar connecting the first negative electrode terminals of the plurality of first battery cells; a second bus bar connecting the second positive electrode terminals of the plurality of second battery cells; and a third bus bar connecting the first positive electrode terminals of the first battery cells and the second negative electrode terminals of the second battery cells, wherein at least one of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or the third bus bar is deformable according to positions of the first battery cells and the second battery cells. The first positive electrode terminals and the second negative electrode terminals may be located toward a side in a first direction, and the first negative electrode terminals and the second positive electrode terminals may be located toward another side in the first direction. The first bus bar may include a first parallel connection part connecting the first negative electrode terminals, which neighbor each other, in parallel; and a first parallel extension part extending from the first parallel con