IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,736,449
Granted Patent B2
US 12,736,449 · App. 18/031,423 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Apparatus for inspecting fatigue fracture of housing welding part of battery module

Inventors: Dong-Wook Kim (Daejeon, KR); Yong-Il Kim (Daejeon, KR); Su-Hang Lee (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
G01N3/10H01M10/4285G01M5/0033G01N33/0078G01N33/0095G01N2203/0067G01N2203/0073G01N2203/0296
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,736,449
App. No.
18/031,423
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Discussed is a fatigue failure verification device that can include a module housing including a welding portion, a cell stack including a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the module housing, at least one main flexible tube located in a central portion of the cell stack in a stack direction of the cell stack, a main flexible tube frame in which the at least one main flexible tube is accommodated. The main flexible tube frame can include a pair of opening portions formed on opposite sides so that the at least one main flexible tube faces the plurality of battery cells, and a pump can be provided, which is configured to adjust a pressure applied by the at least one main flexible tube to the plurality of battery cells by supplying a fluid to the at least one main flexible tube.

Claims (30)

1 . A fatigue failure verification device comprising:

a module housing comprising a welding portion;

a cell stack comprising a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the module housing;

at least one main flexible tube located in a central portion of the cell stack in a stack direction of the cell stack;

a main flexible tube frame in which the at least one main flexible tube is accommodated, the main flexible tube frame comprising a pair of opening portions formed on opposite sides so that the at least one main flexible tube faces the plurality of battery cells; and

a pump configured to adjust a pressure applied by the at least one main flexible tube to the plurality of battery cells by supplying a fluid to the at least one main flexible tube,

wherein the main flexible tube frame surrounds an outer periphery of the at least one main flexible tube so as to limit a volume expansion direction of the at least one main flexible tube to only the stack direction of the cell stack,

wherein the at least one main flexible tube is housed in surface contact with an inner peripheral surface of the main flexible tube frame along a length of the inner peripheral surface of the main flexible tube frame in the stack direction of the cell stack, and

wherein the inner peripheral surface of the main flexible tube frame is a planar surface that extends continuously from one of the pair of opening portions to another of the pair of opening portions in the stack direction of the cell stack.

2 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of sub-flexible tubes respectively located between an upper plate of the module housing and the cell stack and between the upper plate of the module housing and the main flexible tube frame, and between a lower plate of the module housing and the cell stack and between the lower plate of the module housing and the main flexible tube frame.

3 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 2 , wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the at least one main flexible tube and the pair of sub-flexible tubes.

4 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , wherein the fatigue failure verification device is located between a pair of support walls, and

wherein the fatigue failure verification device further comprises a plurality of displacement sensors respectively located between a side of the module housing in a longitudinal direction of the module housing and one of the pair of support walls and between another side of the module housing in the longitudinal direction of the module housing and another of the pair of support walls.

5 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of buffer pads respectively provided on opposite outermost sides of the cell stack in the stack direction of the cell stack.

6 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of main flexible tubes are provided, and

wherein the plurality of main flexible tubes are stacked in a width direction of the plurality of battery cells in the main flexible tube frame.

7 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 6 , wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes.

8 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 7 , further comprising a pair of sub-flexible tubes respectively located between an upper plate and a lower plate of the module housing and the cell stack, and between the upper plate and the lower plate of the module housing and the main flexible tube frame,

wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes and the pair of sub-flexible tubes.

9 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of main flexible tubes are provided, and

wherein the plurality of main flexible tubes are stacked in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of battery cells in the main flexible tube frame.

10 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 9 , wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes.

11 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 10 , further comprising a pair of sub-flexible tubes respectively located between an upper plate and a lower plate of the module housing and the cell stack, and between the upper plate and the lower plate of the module housing and the main flexible tube frame,

wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes and the pair of sub-flexible tubes.

12 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of main flexible tubes are provided, and

wherein the plurality of main flexible tubes are stacked in a width direction and a longitudinal direction of the plurality of battery cells in the main flexible tube frame.

13 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 12 , wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes.

14 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 13 , further comprising a pair of sub-flexible tubes respectively located between an upper plate and a lower plate of the module housing and the cell stack, and between the upper plate and the lower plate of the module housing and the main flexible tube frame,

wherein the pump is configured to individually control an amount of the fluid supplied to the plurality of main flexible tubes and the pair of sub-flexible tubes.

15 . The fatigue failure verification device of claim 1 , wherein the main flexible tube frame includes an outer peripheral surface that is in surface contact with an inner peripheral surface of the module housing along a length of the outer peripheral surface of the main flexible tube frame in the stack direction of the cell stack.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2023
From: KIM, DONG-WOOK; KIM, YONG-IL; LEE, SU-HANG
To: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063303/0103 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0149662 · Nov 10, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230375449A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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