CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0013078, filed on Feb. 1, 2018 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Aspects of one or more embodiments relate to battery packs.

2. Description of the Related Art

Secondary batteries are rechargeable, unlike primary batteries. Recently, high-output secondary batteries using non-aqueous electrolytes of high energy density have been developed.

In general, secondary batteries (herein also referred to as “battery cells”) may be used as energy sources for mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, electricity, or the like. The secondary batteries may be used in various forms, depending on the types of external devices to which they are applied.

For example, a small mobile electronic device, such as a mobile phone or a notebook computer may operate for a certain time according to the output and capacity of a single battery cell or several battery cells. However, in the case of devices that require high power for a long period of time, such as in the case of electric bicycles, hybrid vehicles, or electric vehicles, which have high power consumption, tens to hundreds of battery cells may be electrically connected to form a large-capacity battery pack so as to increase output and capacity.

In the case of a battery pack including tens to hundreds of secondary batteries, since the battery pack is used for a long time through charging and discharging, the mechanical and electrical connections between the battery cells may need to be stably maintained.

Information disclosed in this Background section was already known to the inventors before achieving embodiments of the present disclosure or is technical information acquired in the process of achieving embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to the public in this country.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of one or more embodiments, a battery pack is mechanically and electrically stable.

Additional aspects will be set forth, in part, in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

According to one or more embodiments, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells, each including a negative electrode and a positive electrode arranged on a same side of the battery cell; a substrate arranged on the plurality of battery cells and including a first surface and a second surface located on opposite sides of the substrate and including a through hole exposing the negative electrode and the positive electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells; a first conductive plate arranged on the first surface of the substrate and including a first hole; a second conductive plate arranged on the second surface of the substrate and including a second hole; a first connection tab electrically connecting one of the negative electrode and the positive electrode with the first conductive plate through the second hole and the through hole; and a second connection tab electrically connecting the other one of the negative electrode and the positive electrode with the second conductive plate.

In one or more embodiments, the substrate may include a printed circuit board (PCB).

In one or more embodiments, the through hole, the first hole, and the second hole may at least partially overlap each other.

In one or more embodiments, one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells may be located at a central portion of a first end side of the battery cell, and the other one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode may be located at a peripheral portion of the first end side.

In one or more embodiments, the first connection tab and the second connection tab may respectively include fusible links that electrically connect the battery cell with the first conductive plate and the battery cell with the second conductive plate, respectively, wherein the fusible links are fused, when an overcurrent flows therethrough, to block current flow between the battery cell and the first conductive plate and current flow between the battery cell and the second conductive plate, respectively.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a cooling unit arranged at a second end side opposite a first end side of the plurality of battery cells with the plurality of battery cells therebetween.

In one or more embodiments, the cooling unit may include a thermoconductive plate.

In one or more embodiments, the cooling unit may include a flow path through which a cooling fluid is configured to flow.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a protection circuit module arranged over the plurality of battery cells, wherein the protection circuit module may include the substrate, the first conductive plate, the second conductive plate, and a safety device mounted on the substrate.

According to one or more embodiments, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells, each including a negative electrode and a positive electrode arranged on a same side of the battery cell; a substrate arranged on the plurality of battery cells and including a first surface and a second surface located on opposite sides of the substrate and including a through hole exposing the negative electrode and the positive electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells; a conductive pad unit including a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad, each arranged on a surface of the substrate; a first connection tab electrically connecting one of the negative electrode and the positive electrode with the first conductive pad through the through hole; and a second connection tab electrically connecting the other one of the negative electrode and the positive electrode with the second conductive pad through the through hole.

In one or more embodiments, the substrate may include a printed circuit board (PCB).

In one or more embodiments, one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells may be located at a central portion of a first end side of the battery cell, and the other one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode may be located at a peripheral portion of the first end side.

In one or more embodiments, the first connection tab and the second connection tab may respectively include fusible links that electrically connect the battery cell with the first conductive pad and the battery cell with the second conductive pad, respectively, wherein the fusible links are fused, when an overcurrent flows therethrough, to block current flow between the battery cell and the first conductive pad and current flow between the battery cell and the second conductive pad, respectively.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a third conductive pad arranged on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate unit may further include a first via hole and a second via hole, each penetrating the substrate, the first conductive pad and the third conductive pad may be electrically connected through the first via hole, and the second conductive pad and the third conductive pad may be electrically connected through the second via hole.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a conductive pattern arranged on a surface of the substrate to electrically connect the first conductive pad with the second conductive pad.

In one or more embodiments, the conductive pattern may include fuses that are fused, when an overcurrent flows therethrough, to block current flow between the conductive pattern and the first conductive pad and current flow between the conductive pattern and the second conductive pad, respectively.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a safety device mounted on the substrate, wherein the safety device may be electrically connected to the conductive pattern.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may further include a cooling unit installed on a second end side opposite a first end side of the plurality of battery cells with the plurality of battery cells therebetween.

In one or more embodiments, the cooling unit may include a thermoconductive plate.

In one or more embodiments, the cooling unit may include a flow path through which a cooling fluid is configured to flow.

