Patent Application
20180145295
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0154201 filed on Nov. 18, 2016, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The following description relates to a battery assembly and spacer.
An elastic spacer has been developed to handle elastic changes in volume of a plurality of batteries in a battery pack.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is the Summary intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one general aspect, a battery spacer system includes a battery spacer that is configured to include at least one elastically-deformable portion that is configured to elastically deform at forces within a predetermined range applied by one or more of two adjacent battery cells and at least one plastically-deformable portion that is configured to plastically deform at a force exceeding the predetermined range.
The battery spacer may include a base inserted between the two adjacent battery cells, and the at least one plastically-deformable portion may be configured to begin to plastically deform when a distance between the two adjacent battery cells becomes less than a setting distance, the setting distance being less than an initial distance between the two adjacent battery cells, and the at least one elastically-deformable portion may be configured to be elastically deformed when the distance is greater than or equal to the setting distance and less than the initial distance.
The at least one plastically-deformable portion may have a greater rigidity and lesser strength than the at least one elastically-deformable portion.
The at least one elastically-deformable portion may have a progressing shape that reverses in a height direction relative to the base at least once.
The at least one elastically-deformable portion may protrude in a first direction relative to a face of the base, and a corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may extend in the first direction from the at least one elastically-deformable portion.
An end portion of the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may be formed at a position of the battery spacer that is higher than a maximum height of the at least one elastically-deformable portion, relative to a face of the base.
The at least one elastically-deformable portion and the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may be formed of a same material.
A thickness of the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may be less than a thickness of the at least one elastically-deformable portion.
The corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may include at least one cut-out portion.
The cut-out portion may be a recess recessed from the end portion toward the base.
The cut-out portion may be a slot formed on the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion.
The slot may be laterally formed along a circumference of the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion.
The at least one elastically-deformable portion and the corresponding one of the at least one plastically-deformable portion may be formed of different materials.
The at least one plastically-deformable portion may protrude in a first direction relative to a face of the base, and a corresponding one of the at least one elastically-deformable portion may extend in the first direction from the at least one plastically-deformable portion.
The battery spacer may further include a protrusion including the at least one plastically-deformable portion and a corresponding one of the at least one elastically-deformable portion protruding from the base.
The base may include an opening, and the protrusion may be formed to enclose the opening.
The opening may have a shape of a circle, a polygon, or a slit.
The protrusion may be formed of a polymer, aluminum, or phosphor bronze.
The battery spacer system may be a battery assembly that includes a base with plural protrusions, and the battery spacer system may further include the two adjacent battery cells and the plural protrusions, each including a corresponding elastically-deformable portion and corresponding plastically-deformable portion, that may be disposed between the two adjacent battery cells to protrude in a direction from one of the two adjacent battery cells toward another of the two adjacent cells.
The plurality of protrusions may be more densely arranged in a central area of the base between the two adjacent battery cells than in another protrusion-including non-central area of the base between the two adjacent battery cells.
In a general aspect a battery assembly may include a first battery cell, a second battery cell, and a battery spacer disposed between the first battery cell and the second battery cell, the battery spacer being configured to include at least one plastically-deformable portion that is configured to begin to plastically deform upon a distance between the first battery cell and the second battery cell becoming less than a predetermined value due to a change in at least one of the first battery cell and the second battery cell.
The battery spacer may include a base in contact with the first battery cell, and a plurality of protrusions that protrude in a direction from the base toward the second battery cell, where each of the plurality of protrusions may include a plastically-deformable portion configured to plastically deform when the distance is less than a setting distance, the setting distance being less than an initial distance between the first battery cell and the second battery cell, and an elastically-deformable portion configured to elastically deform when the distance is greater than or equal to the setting distance and less than the initial distance.
The plurality of protrusions may be more densely arranged in a first protrusion-including area of the base between the two adjacent battery cells than in another protrusion-including area of the base between the two adjacent battery cells.
A number of protrusions per unit area of the base may increase from an edge of the base toward a center of the base.
The battery assembly may further include a stiffening plate disposed between the second battery cell and the plurality of protrusions.
Each of the plastically-deformable portions may have a length between 2.5% and 10% of an initial operating thickness of one of the first battery cell and the second battery cell.
Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described or provided, the same drawing reference numerals are available for being understood to refer to the same or like elements, features, and structures, though that use of the same reference numerals in different drawings should not be limited to such an understanding and is merely used for convenience of explanation between examples or embodiments. Thus, though the same reference numerals may be used in different drawings, each of the drawings is representative of a respective one or more embodiments, such that each of the respective one or more embodiments represented by one drawing with the same reference numerals are also available to be distinguishable from one or more embodiments in one or more or all other drawings with the same reference numerals. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application. For example, the sequences of operations described herein are merely examples, and are not limited to those set forth herein, but may be changed as will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, descriptions of features that are known in the art may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.
The features described herein may be embodied in different forms, and are not to be construed as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein have been provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways of implementing the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein that will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application.
Various alterations and modifications may be made to the examples. Here, the examples are not construed as limited to the disclosure and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and replacements within the idea and the technical scope of the disclosure.
In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), and the like may be used herein to describe components. Each of these terminologies is not used to define an essence, order or sequence of a corresponding component but used merely to distinguish the corresponding component from other component(s). It should be noted that if it is described in the specification that one component is “connected”, “coupled”, or “joined” to another component, a third component may be “connected”, “coupled”, and “joined” between the first and second components, although the first component may be directly connected, coupled or joined to the second component.
Spatially relative terms such as “above,” “upper,” “below,” and “lower” may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element's relationship to another element as shown in the figures. Such spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, an element described as being “above” or “upper” relative to another element will then be “below” or “lower” relative to the other element. Thus, the term “above” encompasses both the above and below orientations depending on the spatial orientation of the device. The device may also be oriented in other ways (for example, rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative terms used herein are to be interpreted accordingly.
It should also be appreciated that references throughout this specification to an example, one example, an embodiment, one embodiment, or one or more embodiments, as only examples, or references to features that may be included in one or more of such embodiments, mean that the particular feature(s), structure(s), or characteristic(s) described in connection with the examples or embodiments are features that are included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Therefore, it should be appreciated that two or more references to an example, an alternative example, an embodiment, one embodiment, one or more embodiments, an alternative embodiment, or features that may be included in such one or more examples or embodiments, in various portions of this specification, are not necessarily referring to the same example or embodiment, though the disclosure supports such a reference. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined as suitable in one or more embodiments of the disclosure. For example, if a feature is referred to in that it may be included in an example or embodiment, then the feature may additionally be included in any or all of the other embodiments. Likewise, while particular feature(s), structure(s), or characteristic(s) described in connection with an example or embodiment may be discussed with respect to an example or embodiment, it should also be appreciated that unless specifically stated, or clearly indicated through context, such feature(s), structure(s), or characteristic(s) are not required of all embodiments.
Due to manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, variations of the shapes shown in the drawings may occur. Thus, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the drawings, but may also include changes in shape that occur during manufacturing.
In this disclosure, same names may also be used to describe elements included in one example and elements having common, like, or related functions and/or structures in another example. Unless otherwise mentioned, the descriptions related to any one example may be applicable to any one or more or all remaining examples, and thus repeated descriptions will be omitted. However, it is also noted that the use of such same names (or same reference numerals) has been made for convenience of explanation, and the use of the same names (or same reference numerals) to describe elements in different examples should also not be understood to limit embodiments to require the elements to have common, like, or related functions or structures, unless explicitly required or through specific context.
Referring to
Each spacer 11 is elastically and/or plastically deformable dependent on a cell distance between the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, for example. Herein, an elastic deformation has a meaning that conforms with a temporary or reversible shape change that can be self-reversing, such as after an applied force that caused the deformation is removed. For example, herein, after an applied force is withdrawn from an elastically-deformable portion/element that has deformed due to the applied force, the elastically-deformable portion/element may return to a previous form when the force was not applied. For example, an elastic deformation of the elastically-deformable portion/element is temporary. Rather, herein, when stress is sufficient to permanently deform an element, such a deformation may be understood to correspond to plastic deformation. Thus, with such a plastic term having a consistent meaning throughout this disclosure, when such sufficient stress is present, or sufficient force applied to, a plastically-deformable portion/element, the plastically-deformable portion/element may have a configuration so as to permanently deform.
Accordingly, an interval between the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, for example, may respectively vary based on, for example, reversible changes in volume based on a change in temperature or charging and discharging of the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, for example, or may respectively vary based on an irreversible increase in volume based on deteriorations of the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, for example. In this example, the reversible change in volume may indicate a change in volume of the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2 in an elastic area, for example. As further discussed below in differing embodiments, an example spacer 11 may be elastically deformed at a weight, force, or stress in a predetermined range and plastically deformed at a weight, force, or stress exceeding the predetermined range. Also, an example spacer 11 may be elastically or plastically deformed in response to a change in the interval between the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, for example. An example spacer 11 may include a base 111 inserted between two adjacent battery cells, for example, and include a protrusion 112 formed to protrude from the base 111. Such a base 111 may be in contact with the example first battery cell C1, e.g., directly in contact, and the protrusion 112 may protrude from the base 111, e.g., toward the example second battery cell C2.
As illustrated in
The elastically-deformable portion 1122 may have a shape that is vertically curved at least once relative to the base 111. As only examples, the vertical curve may have an inverted J, or V curve shape, where a height of the elastically-deformable portion 1122 increases with respect to the base 111 and then may decrease, e.g., slightly decrease, before the plastically-deformable portion 1121. Based on such a structure, the elastically-deformable portion 1122 may be elastically deformed by a force exerted in a vertical or perpendicular direction to the base 111.
A thickness of the plastically-deformable portion 1121 may be less than a thickness of the elastically-deformable portion 1122, e.g., such as when the plastically-deformable portion 1121 and the elastically-deformable portion 1122 are made of a same material. With this structure, the plastically-deformable portion 1121 has the flexural strength less than that of the elastically-deformable portion 1122.
Thus, in an example, the elastically-deformable portion 1122 and the plastically-deformable portion 1121 of the protrusion 112 are formed of a same material and thus have different rigidities and strengths based on such structures and shapes of the elastically-deformable portion 1122 and the plastically-deformable portion 1121. As only examples, the protrusion 112 may be formed of a polymer, aluminum, or phosphor bronze, noting that alternatives are available. In an example, the polymer may be polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride, again noting that alternatives are available.
Thus, the elastically-deformable portion 1122 protrudes from a face of the base 111 in contact with the first battery cell C1 in a first direction toward the second battery cell C2. The plastically-deformable portion 1121 extends in the first direction from the elastically-deformable portion 1122. An end portion of the plastically-deformable portion 1121 is formed at a position higher than a maximum height of the elastically-deformable portion 1122 with respect to one face of the base 111. By applying the aforementioned structure, the example plastically-deformable portion 1121 may be easily and/or readily formed or configured, and thus, the example spacer 11 may achieve advantageousness in terms of production costs and manufacturing processing time over previous battery spacer approaches.
In an example, the base 111 may include an opening 1111. In an example, the opening 1111 may have a configuration to provide a cooling channel even when the elastically-deformable portion 1122 is elastically deformed, and/or even when the plastically-deformable portion 1121 is plastically deformed. The protrusion 112 may be formed to enclose or encircle the opening 1111. For example, as illustrated in
Hereinafter, an example operating of a spacer 11 in response to changes in volume of a first battery cell C1 and a second battery cell C2, for example, in a battery assembly will be described with reference to
In
In
In
As illustrated in
When the cell distance L changes to be greater than or equal to the setting distance L2 and less than the initial distance L1 in response to reversible contractions of the volumes of the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, the elastically-deformable portion 1122 is contracted and the plastically-deformable portion 1121 may not be deformed. In this example, when the cell distance L begins to change toward becoming equal to the initial distance L1 again, in response to reversing contractions of the volumes of the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2, the elastically-deformable portion 1122 may expand, and thus, the spacer 11 may be restored to have in the original or initial shape when the cell distance L becomes equal to the initial distance L1.
Referring to
Referring to
Accordingly, the plastically-deformable portion 1121 may be configured so as to have a length, e.g., which may thereby define available longitudinal heights from the base 111 in a spanning direction between adjacent battery cells depending on deformation of the plastically-deformable portion 1121, that is set based on a rate of known or expected irreversible increases in thickness of one or more adjacent battery cells, for example, the first battery cell C1 and the second battery cell C2. For example, an irreversible thickness change of a battery cell due to degradation may be about 5% of its initial thickness. Thus, in an example, the length of the plastically-deformable portion 1121 may be configured so as to be between 2.5% and 10% of an initial thickness of an expected, typical, or generic battery cell in a battery assembly that the spacer will or may be used. Through this, an excessive increase in thickness of the battery assembly may be prevented and an irreversible thickness change occurring during an operation of the battery assembly 1 may be offset or compensated for.
By applying such aforementioned configurations to the example spacer 11, depending on embodiment, a total size of a battery assembly may be maintained uniformly irrespective of volume expansion or contraction of battery cells of the battery assembly. In addition, with such accommodations by the example spacer 11, movement of the battery cells may be minimized or prevented so that conductive wires connected to the respective battery cells can be readily assembled and may more consistently maintain connection. Also, with the example spacer 11 pressures applied to each of the battery cells may be maintained uniformly.
Referring to
The plastically-deformable portion 2121 includes at least one cut-out portion 2121a. The cut-out portion 2121a may be a recess recessed from an end portion of the plastically-deformable portion 2121 toward the base 211. For example, the cut-out portion 2121a may be formed as a recess recessed in a vertical direction from the end portion of the plastically-deformable portion 2121. In an example, there may be one or more vertical direction recesses that respectively have one or more different vertical heights. The vertical height may be less than or equal to, for example, a height of the plastically-deformable portion 2121, and thus, the protrusion 212 may include one or more plastically-deformable portions 2121, for example. In this example, the plastically-deformable portion 2121 including the recess has a flexural strength less than that of the elastically-deformable portion 2122. Based on the aforementioned example structures and shapes of elastically-deformable portions and plastically-deformable portions and corresponding discussions, it can be seen that the elastically-deformable portion 2122 and the plastically-deformable portion 2121 of the protrusion 212 may be formed of the same material, for example, though with different rigidities and strengths.
Referring to
The plastically-deformable portion 3121 may include at least one cut-out portion 3121a. The cut-out portion 3121a may be have a slot shape, such as the illustrated slot formed on the plastically-deformable portion 3121. For example, the slot may be laterally formed along part of a circumference of the plastically-deformable portion 3121, such as the illustrated cut-out portion 3121a formed as a slot on one face of the plastically-deformable portion 3121. For example, the plastically-deformable portion 3121 may plastically deform through collapsing of the example slots.
The contacting portion 3123 may be disposed on an end portion of the plastically-deformable portion 3121, and formed in a shape of a flat plate, e.g., such as to seal the top of the spacer 31, though embodiments are not limited thereto. Using the contacting portion 3123, a contacting area between the protrusion 312 and an adjacent battery cell may increase and thus, a pressure applied from the spacer 31 to battery cells may be uniformly distributed.
Referring to
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For example, when a battery cell of a battery assembly is formed in a polygonal shape or a pouch type, a volume change amount in a central portion of the battery cell is greater than a volume change amount in an edge portion of the battery cell. In this example, the plurality of protrusions 912 may be more densely arranged in the central portion of the base 911 compared to edges of the base 911 so as to adjust a total variation in the battery assembly uniformly. Through this, a life of the battery cell may be prolonged.
Referring to
While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application that various changes in form and details may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be considered in a descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects in each example are to be considered as being applicable to features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is defined not by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included in the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2016-0154201 | Nov 2016 | KR | national |
