CN116830382A

CN116830382A - Battery module with enhanced safety

Info

Publication number: CN116830382A
Application number: CN202280014324.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朴镇雨; 金泰瑾; 李昶济; 李福建
Original assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Current assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2022-12-23
Publication date: 2023-09-29

Abstract

The present application provides a battery module capable of reducing the influence of a thermal event on adjacent battery cells when the thermal event occurs, thereby enhancing safety. A battery module according to an aspect of the present application includes: a plurality of battery cells having electrode leads; a module case having an inner space in which a plurality of battery cells are accommodated; a separation member that separates spaces between at least some of the plurality of battery cells and is provided with a groove into which the electrode lead is inserted; and an insulating block including an electrically insulating material and configured to cover an outer side of at least a portion of each electrode lead inserted into the groove.

Description

Battery module with enhanced safety

Technical Field

The present application claims priority from korean patent application No.10-2021-0187481 filed in korea at 24 months of 2021 and korean patent application No.10-2022-0174863 filed in korea at 14 months of 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present application relates to a battery module, and more particularly, to a battery module having enhanced safety, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

Background

As the demand for portable electronic products such as smart phones, notebook computers, and wearable devices is rapidly increasing, and robots and electric vehicles are urgently commercialized, high-performance secondary batteries capable of repeated charge and discharge are being actively studied.

The secondary batteries commercialized at present include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, and the like. Among them, lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries to ensure free charge and discharge, and are attracting attention due to very low discharge rate and high energy density.

Lithium secondary batteries mainly employ lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials. The lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly in which positive and negative electrode plates coated with positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, are provided with a separator interposed therebetween; and an external or battery case for hermetically accommodating the electrode assembly with the electrolyte.

Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries having an electrode assembly included in a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries having an electrode assembly included in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet according to external shapes.

Recently, secondary batteries are widely used for driving or energy storage not only in small-sized devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium-and large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). The secondary batteries may constitute one battery module in such a manner that a plurality of secondary batteries are electrically connected and stored together in a module case. At this time, a plurality of battery cells (secondary batteries) may exist in a dense state in a narrow space to increase the energy density inside the battery module.

However, when a plurality of battery cells (secondary batteries) exist in a dense state in a narrow space as described above, they may be easily affected by an accident such as a fire or explosion. In particular, when the temperature rises rapidly in one or some of the battery cells, an event such as thermal runaway propagation may occur in which the temperature rise is propagated to the other battery cells. At this time, if the event is not properly controlled, fire or explosion of the battery module or the battery pack may be caused, and even a great deal of human life and property may be damaged. Further, when a thermal event occurs in some battery cells, exhaust gas, flame, spark, etc. may be injected. Further, when foreign matter such as exhaust gas or flame is guided to the adjacent normal battery cells, thermal runaway, fire, etc. may occur in the adjacent battery cells.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a battery module capable of enhancing safety by reducing the influence on adjacent battery cells when a thermal event occurs, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described problems, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following disclosure.

Technical proposal

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module including: a plurality of battery cells having electrode leads; a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in an internal space; a separation member configured to divide a space between at least some of the plurality of battery cells and having a groove into which the electrode lead is inserted; and an insulating block having an electrically insulating material and configured to surround an outside of at least a portion of the electrode lead inserted into the groove.

Here, the separation member may have a metal material.

Further, the insulating block may be configured to electrically insulate the electrode lead and the separation member from each other.

Further, the insulating block may be configured to seal the groove in a state in which the electrode lead is inserted into the groove.

Further, the insulating block may include two or more unit blocks coupled to each other.

Further, the separation member may include a first separation portion interposed between adjacent battery cells, and a second separation portion connected to an end of the first separation portion and having a groove formed therein.

Further, at least one of the first separation portion and the second separation portion may be configured in a plate shape.

Further, the first and second separation portions may be vertically coupled.

Further, the separation member may further include a third separation portion connected to an end of each of the first and second separation portions and configured to cover one side of the plurality of battery cells.

Further, the insulating block may be configured to be mounted in a groove of the separation member.

Further, the battery module according to the present disclosure may further include a bus bar assembly configured to electrically connect the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells, and the bus bar assembly may be located outside the separation member.

Further, the bus bar assembly may include a bus bar housing made of an electrically insulating material and disposed outside the separation member, and a bus bar terminal made of an electrically conductive material and coupled to the bus bar housing.

Further, the insulating block may have a gas collecting portion configured to allow discharged gas to be introduced into the gas collecting portion when the gas is discharged from the battery cell.

Further, the insulating block may be configured to surround at least a portion of the sealing part of the battery cell.

Further, the insulating block may include a cushion pad disposed at the inner end.

Further, the insulating block may be configured to be in close contact with the electrode leads or the grooves of the separation member when gas is discharged from the battery cell.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a battery pack including the battery module according to the present disclosure.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a vehicle including the battery module according to the present disclosure.

Advantageous effects

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the safety of the battery module may be improved.

In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a thermal event occurs, the thermal runaway transfer event may be effectively suppressed by removing factors that may affect adjacent battery cells.

In particular, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, by accommodating each battery cell in a separate space, the transfer of flame, spark, heat, foreign matter, etc., to the adjacent battery cells can be effectively suppressed.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the bus bar assembly may be stably protected from flames, heat, and the like.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the internal structure of the battery module may be prevented from collapsing due to flames or the like.

In addition to the above-described effects, the present disclosure may have various other effects, and such effects will be described in each embodiment, or any effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will not be described in detail.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 and 2 are a combined perspective view and an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating some of the components of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a combined perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line A1-A1' in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which an insulating block is assembled to an electrode lead in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 is a front sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which an electrode lead and an insulating block are inserted into a groove formed in the separation member of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 and 14 are exploded perspective views schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member included in a battery module according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 16 is a combined perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which the insulating block of fig. 17 is mounted in a groove of a separation member.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 20 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which the insulating block of fig. 19 is mounted in a groove of a separation member.

Fig. 21 is a top view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a bus bar assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 24 is a plan view showing a cross-sectional configuration of a portion of the battery module including the insulating block of fig. 23.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 26 is a sectional view schematically showing some components of a battery module including an insulating block according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it is to be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation.

Accordingly, the description set forth herein is merely a preferred example for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, and it is therefore to be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Meanwhile, in the present specification, terms indicating directions such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front" and "rear" may be used, but these terms are for convenience of description only, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that they may be changed according to the position of a target object or the position of a viewer.

Furthermore, in this specification, including various embodiments, for each embodiment, any features that may be identically or similarly applied will not be described in detail, but features having differences will be described in detail.

Fig. 1 and 2 are a combined perspective view and an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing some of the components of fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a combined perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 3.

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, a battery module according to the present disclosure may include a battery cell 100, a module case 200, a separation member 300, and an insulating block 400.

The battery cell 100 is a secondary battery having an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and an outside, and may be configured to repeatedly charge and discharge. The battery cell 100 may be a lithium battery, but the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to a particular type of battery.

In particular, the battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type battery. In this case, the exterior of the battery cell 100 may be the exterior of a pouch in which an aluminum layer is wrapped with a polymer layer.

Further, this type of battery cell 100 (i.e., pouch-type battery cell 100) may include a receiving part indicated by R and a sealing part indicated by E as shown in fig. 3 and 4. Here, the receiving part R may represent a portion where the electrode assembly (the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator) and the electrolyte are received, and the sealing part E may represent a portion where the outside of the pouch is melted to surround the receiving part R.

In particular, the pouch-shaped battery cell 100 may be regarded as having four sides (corners) centered on the receiving part R. At this time, all four sides may be configured in a sealed form, or only three sides may be configured in a sealed form. At this time, the four-side sealed unit may be referred to as a four-side sealed unit, and the three-side sealed unit may be referred to as a three-side sealed unit. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, the battery cell 100 is configured in an upright shape, and the front, rear, bottom, and top of the left and right pouches may be sealed. In this case, the battery cell 100 may be regarded as being on four sides.

A plurality of battery cells 100 may be included in the battery module. In addition, each battery cell 100 may include an electrode lead 110. The electrode leads 110 include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead, and the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be disposed to protrude at the same side (corner) or different sides of the battery cell 100. At this time, when the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are located on the same side, the cell may be referred to as a unidirectional cell, and when the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are located on different sides, particularly on opposite sides, the cell may be referred to as a bidirectional cell.

A plurality of battery cells 100 may be included in a battery module in a stacked form. That is, the battery module according to the present disclosure may be considered to include a cell stack (cell assembly) in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked in at least one direction. For example, as shown in fig. 2, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, for example, in a left-right direction (Y-axis direction) in a state of being erected in an up-down direction (vertical direction, Z-axis direction). At this time, the electrode leads 110 of each battery cell 100 may be regarded as being disposed at both ends in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction).

The module case 200 has an empty space therein, and may be configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells 100 in the inner space. For example, the module case 200 may include an upper plate 210, a lower plate 220, a left plate 230, a right plate 240, a front plate 250, and a rear plate 260 to define an inner space. Furthermore, the unit stack may be positioned in a defined inner space.

In addition, at least some of the various plate-like members constituting the module case 200 may be configured in a form integrated with each other. For example, the module case 200 may have a U-frame type body in which a lower plate 220, a left plate 230, and a right plate 240 are integrated with each other as shown in fig. 2, and an upper plate 210, a front plate 250, and a rear plate 260 may be configured to cover or seal the top, front, and rear sides of the body. In this case, various fastening methods such as welding, joining, bolting, and hooking may be used to couple and fix the upper plate 210, the front plate 250, and the rear plate 260 to the main body. Alternatively, the module case 200 may be configured in a single frame form in which the upper plate 210, the lower plate 220, the left plate 230, and the right plate 240 are integrated with each other.

The module housing 200 may be made of a heat resistant material, in particular a metal and/or plastic material. For example, the module case 200 may include various types of heat-resistant materials, such as clad metal, metal or plastic material having a heat-resistant coating, and a form in which STS (SUS) and Al are combined.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to a particular material or form of the module housing 200.

The separation member 300 may be configured to divide a space between at least some battery cells 100 among the plurality of battery cells 100 accommodated in the module case 200. Further, the separation member 300 may divide the inner space of the module case 200 into a plurality of unit spaces. For example, the separation member 300 may be configured to divide the receiving space for each of the plurality of battery cells 100. In this case, the plurality of battery cells 100 may be regarded as being accommodated in different divided spaces. As another example, the separation member 300 may be configured to separate two or more cell banks (cell banks). Here, one or more battery cells 100 may be included in the cell bank. As a more specific example, the cell bank may include three battery cells 100. In this case, three battery cells 100 may be configured as one cell bank, and the separation member 300 divides the accommodation space for each cell bank.

The separating member 300 may have a groove formed therein as shown by S in fig. 2. The slot S may be configured such that the electrode lead 110 may be inserted into the slot S. In particular, the groove S may be configured such that the electrode lead 110 located at the inner side may protrude outward through the separation member 300. For example, the groove S may have a shape and size corresponding to the insertion form of the electrode lead 110 such that the electrode lead 110 may be inserted or penetrated in the thickness direction of the separation member 300. More specifically, the electrode lead 110 may be formed in a substantially upright plate shape. In this case, the groove S may be configured to have a size greater than the length of the electrode lead 110 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) and the thickness in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction).

Meanwhile, with respect to a specific component, an internal direction may refer to a direction toward the center of the corresponding component or battery module, and an external direction may refer to a direction toward the outside of the corresponding component or battery module, unless otherwise indicated herein.

The insulating block 400 may have an electrically insulating material and may be configured to surround the electrode lead 110. In particular, the insulating block 400 may be configured to surround the outside of the portion of the electrode lead 110 inserted into the slot S.

For example, referring to fig. 3, the end portions of the electrode lead 110 at both ends in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the battery cell 100 may be configured to extend in the front-rear direction as shown by L1 and to be bent in the left-right direction as shown by L2. Here, at least a portion of the front-rear extension L1 may be a portion inserted into the slot S of the separation member 300, and the left-right bent portion L2 may be a portion pulled out from the slot S and located outside the separation member 300. In particular, the left and right bent portions L2 may be portions that are in direct contact with electrode leads of another battery cell 100 or in contact with bus bar terminals of a bus bar assembly, which will be explained later.

In this case, the insulating block 400 may be configured to surround the portion of the electrode lead 110 inserted into the slot S, i.e., the periphery of the front-rear extension L1. For example, the insulating block 400 may be configured to surround the electrode lead 110 in all upper, lower, left and right directions except for an extending direction (i.e., in a 360 degree (°) direction) with respect to a portion of the front-rear extension L1 of the electrode lead 110.

The insulating block 400 may be made of or include various insulating materials known at the time of submitting the present application, such as a material having an electrical insulating property. In addition, the insulating block 400 may be made of or include a material having heat resistance so as to withstand high temperature or flame to some extent. As a more specific example, the insulating block 400 may be made of or include an elastomer (such as heat-resistant coated silicone, rubber, or polymer) of heat-resistant plastic or heat-resistant treatment (with ceramics, etc.).

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving space of the battery cells 100 is separated inside the battery module, so that the transfer of flames, heat, sparks, and other foreign substances between the neighboring battery cells 100 can be effectively blocked. Therefore, even when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell 100, it is possible to prevent such thermal event from propagating to other battery cells 100.

The separation member 300 may have a metal material. For example, the separation member 300 may be made of a metal material. Alternatively, the separation member 300 may further include other materials together with the metal material.

As a more specific example, the separation member 300 may be made of steel, more specifically, stainless steel (SUS, STS). As another example, the separation member 300 may be formed of a clad metal material, a heat-resistant coated metal material, and/or a material in which aluminum is bonded to an STS material.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the separation member 300 can be easily manufactured, and high structural stability and mechanical strength can be ensured. In particular, according to this embodiment, even if a flame or the like occurs inside the battery module, durability against such flame is stably ensured, so that structural collapse can be prevented and excellent flame-blocking performance can be ensured.

The insulation block 400 may be configured to electrically insulate the electrode lead 110 and the separation member 300 from each other. This will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A1-A1' in fig. 5. For example, fig. 5 and 6 may be regarded as diagrams showing a portion of the front side of one battery cell 100 in the battery module.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the insulation block 400 may be configured to electrically insulate the electrode lead 110 and the separation member 300 from each other by preventing the electrode lead 110 from directly contacting the separation member 300. In particular, the insulating block 400 may be configured to surround the periphery of the portion of the electrode lead 110 passing through the slot S of the separation member 300.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrode lead 110 may be prevented from contacting the separation member 300, particularly, the groove S of the separation member 300. Accordingly, the electrode lead 110 and the separation member 300 may be prevented from being electrically connected. In particular, the separation member 300 may be made of a metal material having conductivity so as to ensure stability against flames and structural rigidity. At this time, as in the embodiment, since the insulating block 400 blocks the direct contact between the electrode lead 110 and the separation member 300, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit and secure electrical safety.

Further, the insulating block 400 may be configured as a sealing groove S. The separation member 300 may have a groove S formed such that the electrode lead 110 can be inserted. The slots S may be formed to be larger than the insertion dimension (cross-sectional dimension) of the electrode lead 110 in consideration of the tolerance, so that the electrode lead 110 can be easily inserted. Therefore, in a state in which the electrode lead 110 is inserted into the slot S, an empty space may be formed around the electrode lead 110. However, as shown in A2 of fig. 6, the insulating block 400 may be filled around the electrode lead 110 in the slot S.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the emission of flames, sparks, or the like through the groove S can be suppressed. This will be further described in more detail with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a top view illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, fig. 7 may be considered to show a cross-sectional configuration taken along line A2-A2' of fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 7, when flames, sparks, exhaust gas, etc. are generated at the pouch exterior of the battery cell 100 (particularly, at the sealing part E), the flames may move from the interior of the separation member 300 toward the groove S, as indicated by an arrow B1. However, the space in the groove S of the separation member 300 except for the portion into which the electrode lead 110 is inserted may be sealed by the insulating block 400. In particular, the insulating block 400 may be configured to completely block empty spaces of the slot S except for the electrode leads 110 in the slot S of the separation member 300. Accordingly, flames, sparks, etc. cannot pass through the groove S, and may only stay in the inner space of the separation member 300 (i.e., the space accommodating the corresponding battery cell 100).

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent propagation of thermal runaway propagation due to flame or the like passing through the groove S. For example, in this embodiment, propagation of flames, sparks, high-temperature gas, etc., between the battery cells 100 through the space where the electrode leads 110 are located, particularly through the front or rear side of the battery module, may be blocked. Therefore, in this case, the safety of the battery module can be further improved.

Further, the insulating block 400 may have an elastic material so as to secure a sealing force for the groove S. For example, the insulating block 400 may have a material such as polyurethane, rubber, or silicone. Further, the insulating block 400 may have a plastic or polymer material with a certain level or higher of elasticity. In addition, the insulating block 400 may include a ceramic coating to improve heat resistance. For example, the insulating block 400 may have a material such as zirconia or mica. The present disclosure is not limited to a specific material of the insulating block 400, and various materials having electrical insulation, heat resistance, or elasticity known at the time of submitting the present application may be used for the insulating block 400.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which an insulating block 400 is assembled to an electrode lead 110 in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, the insulating block 400 may include two or more unit blocks. Further, the plurality of unit blocks may be configured to be coupled to each other. For example, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the insulating block 400 may include a first block 410 and a second block 420. In addition, the first block 410 and the second block 420 may be coupled to form one unit block and inserted into one slot S.

As shown by N in fig. 3 and 8, a lead insertion portion into which the electrode lead 110 is inserted may be formed in the insulating block 400. In particular, the lead insertion portion N may be in the form of a slit elongated in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) to correspond to the shape of the electrode lead 110. Specifically, the lead insertion portion N may be formed in at least one of the first block 410 and the second block 420. For example, as shown in fig. 8, first and second slits N1 and N2 may be formed in the first and second blocks 410 and 420, respectively. In this case, when the first block 410 and the second block 420 are coupled, one lead insertion portion N may be formed by coupling the first slit N1 and the second slit N2.

More specifically, the first block 410 and the second block 420 may be coupled to each other in an up-down direction. For example, as shown by arrow B2, the second block 420 may move downward at a position above the first block 410 and be positioned on top of the first block 410. Here, the first slit N1 may be formed to be elongated downward by a predetermined distance from the top of the first block 410. In addition, the second slit N2 may be formed to be elongated upward from the bottom of the second block 420 by a predetermined distance. Further, the lead insertion portion N may be formed to be cut or divided from the insulating block 400.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulating block 400 and the electrode lead 110 may be more easily assembled. For example, according to this embodiment, as shown in fig. 9 (a), the electrode lead 110 may be first inserted into the first slit N1 of the first block 410. In addition, the second block 420 may move downward as shown by arrow B2 while the matching electrode lead 110 protrudes upward from the first slit N1 to the upper portion of the second slit N2. Then, as shown in fig. 9 (b), the second block 420 and the first block 410 may be coupled to each other. Accordingly, the configuration in which the electrode lead 110 is surrounded by the insulating block 400 can be easily achieved. Further, according to this embodiment, the sealing between the insulating block 400 and the electrode lead 110 may be improved. That is, according to this embodiment, since the electrode lead 110 can be easily inserted into the lead insertion portion N of the insulating block 400, the size of the lead insertion portion N may not be increased. Accordingly, the gap generated between the electrode lead 110 and the insulating block 400 may be minimized.

In this embodiment, the plurality of unit blocks may be coupled to each other by various fastening methods such as joining, bolting, welding, assembling, and hooking. For example, an adhesive may be applied to the top surface of the first block 410 and the bottom surface of the second block 420 such that the first block 410 and the second block 420 may be adhesively fixed to each other. As another example, the first and second blocks 410 and 420 may be fastened and fixed by fitting protrusions and fastening grooves formed to correspond to each other.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the coupled state between the plurality of unit blocks may be stably maintained. Accordingly, the insulation and sealing performance of the electrode lead 110 can be more stably ensured by the insulation block 400.

Further, the insulating block 400 may be detachably disposed with respect to the electrode lead 110. That is, the insulating block 400 may be configured to be coupled to the electrode lead 110 and to be separated from the electrode lead 110. For example, the insulating block 400 may be mounted to the electrode lead 110 by being fitted between the first block 410 and the second block 420. In addition, the insulating block 400 may be separated or detached from the electrode lead 110 by releasing the assembly between the first block 410 and the second block 420.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of separating a specific battery cell 100 from a battery module and the process of assembling the battery module may be more easily performed. Therefore, the battery module can be more easily assembled or replaced.

The insulating block 400 may be included in a plurality of battery modules. For example, two or more slots S for inserting the two electrode leads 110 may be formed in the battery cell 100. In addition, the battery module may include a plurality of battery cells 100, and grooves S corresponding to the electrode leads 110 of the battery cells 100 may also be formed in the separation member 300. In this case, the insulating block 400 may also include a plurality to correspond to the plurality of slots S, respectively. For example, when a plurality of slots S are formed in the separation member 300 included in one battery module, a plurality of insulating blocks 400 may be included to correspond to the slots S in a one-to-one relationship.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member 300 included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 10, the separation member 300 may include a first separation portion 310 and a second separation portion 320.

The first separation part 310 may be interposed between the adjacent battery cells 100. For example, referring to fig. 2 and 10, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction. At this time, each battery cell 100 may be arranged such that the electrode leads 110 are positioned in the front-rear direction in a standing state. In this case, the first separation part 310 may be interposed between two battery cells 100 disposed adjacently in the left-right direction. That is, the first separating part 310 may be interposed between the unit stacks to divide the space between the unit stacks.

More specifically, the first separation portion 310 may form a plurality of separation spaces indicated by C1. Further, the first separating parts 310 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a plurality of horizontal directions (left-right directions). In addition, one or more battery cells 100 may be accommodated in the separation space between the first separation parts 310.

The second separation part 320 may be connected to an end of the first separation part 310. Further, the second separation part 320 may be disposed at a side where the electrode lead 110 is located. For example, as shown in fig. 10, the second separation part 320 may be connected to the front end or the rear end of the electrode lead 110 of the first separation part 310. In particular, two or more second separating parts 320 may be provided, at least one of which may be connected to the front end of the first separating part 310 and the other may be connected to the rear end of the first separating part 310.

Further, the second separating portion 320 may have a groove S formed therein. That is, the groove S may be formed in the second separation part 320 such that the electrode lead 110 is inserted. At this time, the groove S may be formed to penetrate the second separation portion 320 in the thickness direction.

The first separation part 310 may be configured to separate the two battery cells 100 in the stacking direction of the cell stack, for example, in the left-right direction. Further, the second separating part 320 may be configured to separate the unit stack from a space at the front side or a space at the rear side.

According to this embodiment, not only can direct transfer of flame, spark, heat, etc. between cells in the stacking direction of the battery cells 100 be effectively prevented by the separation member 300, but also flame, etc. can be effectively prevented from bypassing the space at the front side or the rear side of the battery cells 100. Therefore, in this case, the heat propagation inhibition performance between the battery cells 100 may be further improved.

The first separating portion 310 and/or the second separating portion 320 may be formed in a plate shape. For example, as shown in fig. 10, the plurality of first separating portions 310 and the two second separating portions 320 may both be configured in a rectangular plate shape. In addition, each plate constituting the first and second separation parts 310 and 320 may be configured in the form of a rectangular plate. Further, both the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be formed in the form of an upstanding plate.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to reliably divide a space between units in the inner space of the module case 200 while reducing the size or thickness of the separation member 300. In particular, by ensuring that the end of the separation member 300 (e.g., the top or bottom thereof) is in close contact with the inner surface of the module case 200, it is possible to prevent flames, gases, sparks, heat, etc. from leaking through the gap between the separation member 300 and the module case 200. Further, in this case, by reducing the space occupied by the separation member 300, the energy density of the battery module may be increased while contributing to the weight reduction of the battery module.

The first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be formed to be vertically coupled. For example, the first separation portion 310 is a standing plate, and may be provided to be elongated in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Further, the second separation portion 320 is a standing plate, and may be provided to be elongated in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction). In this case, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be considered to be coupled to each other such that their extending directions are perpendicular to each other.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving space of the battery cell 100 may be secured as much as possible by reducing the volume or weight of the separation member 300. Therefore, it may be advantageous to increase the energy density of the battery module. Further, according to this embodiment, the separation member 300 may be easily assembled, and the separation member 300 and the battery cell 100 may be easily assembled. Therefore, the process of manufacturing the battery module can be more effectively performed. Further, according to this embodiment, the structural rigidity of the separation member 300 can be ensured more stably.

For example, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be separately manufactured and then assembled with each other. In this case, the first separating part 310 may be repeatedly stacked with the battery cells 100 in the horizontal direction (e.g., in the left-right direction) to form a composite stack. Further, after forming the composite stack, a different second separator 320 may be coupled to the ends of the first separator 310 (e.g., the front and rear ends thereof).

At this time, the first and second separation parts 310 and 320 may be coupled to each other by various fastening methods. For example, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be coupled and fixed to each other by welding. Alternatively, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be coupled and fixed by fitting or the like. In particular, in order to improve the fastening performance of the first and second separation parts 310 and 320, the first separation part 310 may be disposed to protrude in the front-rear direction instead of along the battery cell 100 in a state in which the composite stack is formed with the battery cell 100. Further, the protruding portion of the first separating portion 310 may contact and be coupled with the second separating portion 320.

Meanwhile, a groove S may be formed in the second separation part 320 such that the electrode lead 110 penetrates when coupled with the first separation part 310. At this time, the second separation part 320 may move toward the battery cell 100 at the front side or the rear side of the first separation part 310, and be coupled with the first separation part 310.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the composite stack is formed by stacking the first separation part 310 and the battery cells 100, the first separation part 310 and the battery cells 100 may be brought into close contact as much as possible. Therefore, as the dead space is reduced, the energy density of the battery module may be further improved.

As another example, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be integrally manufactured with each other. That is, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be manufactured in an integrated form, rather than being separately manufactured and then coupled. For example, the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 may be manufactured from the beginning as shown in fig. 10.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the separation member 300 is easily manufactured, the productivity or process efficiency of the battery module may be improved. Further, in this case, since the first and second separating parts 310 and 320 are integrated and maintained in the coupled state from the beginning, excellent structural rigidity and stability of the separating member 300 can be ensured.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member 300 included in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 11, the groove S may be provided by cutting or dividing a portion of the separation member 300. More specifically, the groove S may be formed in a shape cut downward from the upper end of the second separation part 320 by a predetermined distance. Further, the electrode lead 110 and the insulating block 400 surrounding the electrode lead 110 may be inserted into the groove S formed in a cut shape. This will be further described in more detail with reference to fig. 12.

Fig. 12 is a front sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which the electrode lead 110 and the insulating block 400 are inserted into the groove S formed in the separation member of fig. 11. In particular, (a) of fig. 12 is a diagram showing a process of inserting the electrode lead 110 and the insulating block 400 into the slot S, and (b) of fig. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional configuration after inserting the electrode lead 110 and the insulating block 400 into the slot S.

Referring to fig. 12 (a) and 11, since the slot S is formed in a shape cut down from the upper end of the separation member 300, the electrode lead 110 and the insulation block 400 may be pulled down at the top opening of the slot S and inserted into the slot S.

In this embodiment, the insulating block 400 may include two unit blocks as described above in the embodiment of fig. 8 and 9. In this case, in a state in which the first block 410 is first inserted into the slot S of the second separation part 320, the battery cell 100 may be moved downward as indicated by the arrow B3 such that the electrode lead 110 is inserted into the slot S of the second separation part 320 and the first slit N1 of the first block 410. In addition, if the battery cell 100 is received in the inner separation space of the separation member 300 such that the electrode lead 110 is inserted into the groove S and the first slit N1, the second block 420 may be moved downward as indicated by the arrow B4 and inserted into the groove S of the second separation part 320. At this time, the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 may be inserted into the second slit N2 of the second block 420.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the assembly performance or the process efficiency of the battery module may be further improved. In particular, according to the embodiment, in a state in which the first and second separation parts 310 and 320 are coupled to each other, or even when they are manufactured in an integrated form with each other, the battery cell 100 may be easily accommodated in the accommodating space C1 by being moved in one direction (e.g., in a lower direction). Accordingly, the receiving process of the battery cell 100 may be more easily performed. Further, according to this embodiment, the configuration of the insulating block 400 coupled to the groove S of the separation member 300 can be more easily achieved.

Fig. 13 and 14 are exploded perspective views schematically illustrating the configuration of a separation member 300 included in a battery module according to still other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 13 and 14, the separation member 300 may further include a third separation portion 330. Here, the third separation portion 330 may be connected to an end of each of the first and second separation portions 310 and 320. For example, as shown in fig. 13, the third separation part 330 may be connected to lower ends of the first and second separation parts 310 and 320. As another example, as shown in fig. 14, the third separation part 330 may be connected with upper ends of the first and second separation parts 310 and 320.

The third separation part 330 may be configured in a plate shape like the first and second separation parts 310 and 320. However, unlike the first separating portion 310 or the second separating portion 320, the third separating portion 330 may be configured to lie down in the horizontal direction. In particular, the third separating portion 330 may be configured in the form of a plate parallel to the X-Y plane. Further, the third separation portion 330 may be formed in a plate shape orthogonal to the first and second separation portions 310 and 320. That is, the plane formed by the third separation portion 330 may have a shape orthogonal to the plane formed by the first and second separation portions 310 and 320.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the structures of the first and second separation parts 310 and 320 may be more stably maintained by the third separation part 330. Therefore, even in the case of an external impact or a change in internal pressure, the structure of the separation member 300 can be stably maintained without change. In particular, when gas, flame, spark, or the like is generated in the battery cell 100 due to an event such as thermal runaway, a strong pressure may be applied toward the separation member 300. At this time, since the third separation portion 330 can suppress structural collapse of the separation member 300, the internal cell separation effect by the separation member 300 can be more stably ensured.

Further, according to the embodiment, since the lower end or the upper end of the battery cell 100 may be seated on the third separation part 330, the battery cell 100 may be stably received in the inner space of the separation member 300. In particular, as in the embodiment of fig. 13, when the third separation part 330 is provided at the lower end of the battery cell 100, the battery cell 100 is disposed at the top of the third separation part 330 and thus can be stably received.

Further, according to this embodiment, the isolating effect of the isolating member 300 can be further improved. For example, in each battery cell 100, not only propagation of flame, heat, or the like in the horizontal direction may be blocked by the first and second separation parts 310 and 320, but also propagation of flame, or the like, in the up-down direction (vertical direction) may be blocked by the third separation part 330. In particular, as in the embodiment of fig. 14, when the third separation part 330 is provided at the upper side of the battery cell 100, flames or the like may be blocked from moving upward. Therefore, when the battery module is mounted at the lower side of the vehicle, it is possible to restrain flames from being directed to the occupant located at the upper side, thereby improving the safety of the occupant.

Meanwhile, as shown in fig. 13 and 14, the third separation portion 330 may be coupled to only one of the upper and lower ends of the first separation portion 310. In this case, it may be more advantageous to achieve directional ventilation, which results in flame or exhaust gas generated in the battery cell 100 in a specific direction. Further, in this case, the process of accommodating the battery cell 100 in the accommodating space of the separation member 300 may be more easily performed.

Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 16 is a combined perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 15. Specifically, in fig. 15 and 16, as a part of the separation member 300, one slot S and one insulating block 400 coupled to the slot S are shown.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, the insulating block 400 may be configured to be mountable to the slot S of the separation member 300. For example, the groove S of the separation member 300 may be formed in a hole shape as shown in fig. 15, and at this time, the insulating block 400 may be moved as shown by an arrow B5 and inserted and coupled into the groove S. Conversely, the insulating block 400 may be separated from the slot S by moving as indicated by arrow B6. That is, the insulating block 400 may be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the groove S of the separation member 300.

In this embodiment, the insulating block 400 may be configured to be fitted into the groove S of the separation member 300. For example, the insulating block 400 may have a structure or size corresponding to the shape of the slot S.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the sealing structure may be easily provided with the groove S for the separation member 300. Further, according to this embodiment, the electrode lead 110 may be stably fixed to the groove S. Therefore, during use of the battery module, the joint of the electrode lead 110 is prevented from being broken or damaged, and the process of joining the electrode lead 110 to the bus bar can be more easily performed.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block 400 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 18 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which the insulating block 400 of fig. 17 is mounted in the groove S of the separation member 300. For example, in a state where the insulating block 400 of fig. 17 is mounted in the slot S, fig. 18 may be regarded as showing a cross-sectional configuration taken along the line A4-A4'.

First, referring to fig. 17, the insulating block 400 may be configured to have different sizes at both ends located at opposite sides. In particular, the insulating block 400 may be configured to have different sizes at the outer end and the inner end. For example, when the insulating block 400 shown in fig. 17 is configured to be coupled to the electrode lead 110 at the front side of the battery cell 100, that is, when the insulating block 400 is the front insulating block 400, the width of the outer end of the insulating block 400 may be represented by W1. Further, the width of the inner end of the insulating block 400 may be represented by W2. In this case, W1 may be formed to have a smaller size than W2.

Further, the groove S of the separation member 300 may have a shape and size corresponding to those of the insulation block 400. For example, referring to the embodiment of fig. 18, the groove S of the separation member 300 may be formed to penetrate the separation member 300 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and correspond to the shape of the insulating block 400. In particular, the size of the outer opening of the slot S may be substantially similar to the size W1 of the outer end of the insulating block 400, and the size of the inner opening of the slot S may be substantially similar to the size W2 of the inner end of the insulating block 400. Thus, the slot S may be formed such that the outer portion has a smaller size than the inner portion.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulating block 400 may not be separated from the groove S of the separation member 300, but may stably maintain its position in an emergency such as thermal runaway. For example, when flame, exhaust gas, or the like is sprayed from the battery cell 100 located inside the insulating block 400, as shown by an arrow B7 in fig. 18, pressure may be applied outward toward the insulating block 400. At this time, since the size (width) of the inner end of the groove S is smaller than the size (width) of the outer end of the insulating block 400, the insulating block 400 may not easily deviate from the groove S (+x axis direction) in the external direction regardless of the force applied as indicated by the arrow B7. Further, in this case, since the insulating block 400 and the separation member 300 are stably coupled, the electrode lead 110 surrounded by the insulating block 400 may also stably maintain its position.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block 400 according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 20 is a sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which the insulating block 400 of fig. 19 is mounted in the groove S of the separation member 300.

Referring to fig. 19 and 20, the insulating block 400 may include a stopper formed at an inner end located near the receiving portion R of the battery cell 100, as indicated by P. The stopper P may be formed to protrude from the insulating block 400 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), and may be a portion having a maximum width in the left-right direction. Further, the stopper P may be configured to be larger than the size of the groove S. In this case, as shown in fig. 20, when the insulating block 400 is inserted into the slot S of the separation member 300, the stopper P may be disposed on the inner surface of the separation member 300 without being inserted into the slot S.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, even if flame, gas, or the like is generated from the battery cell 100 in the event of thermal runaway, for example, so that pressure is applied as indicated by arrow B7', the insulating block 400 can be surely prevented from escaping to the outside of the groove S. Accordingly, the coupling between the insulating block 400 and the separation member 300 may be improved, and the movement or damage of the electrode lead 110 may be prevented.

The battery module according to the present disclosure may further include a bus bar assembly 500 as shown in fig. 2.

The bus bar assembly 500 may be configured to electrically connect the electrode leads 110 of the plurality of battery cells 100 to each other. In particular, the bus bar assembly 500 may be located outside the separation member 300. This will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 21.

Fig. 21 is a top view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, in fig. 21, a separator member 300 and a bus bar assembly 500 are shown.

Referring to fig. 21, the bus bar assembly 500 may be disposed outside the separation member 300. More specifically, the bus bar assemblies 500 may be disposed at the front side (+x direction side) and the rear side (-X direction side) of the separation member 300, respectively. In particular, the separation member 300 may have second separation parts 320 at the front side and the rear side, respectively. Further, the bus bar assembly 500 may be located at the outer side of the second separation portion 320, more specifically at the front side of the second front separation portion and the rear side of the second rear separation portion, respectively. In particular, the bus bar assembly 500 may be attached to an outer surface of the second separator 320.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the bus bar assembly 500 may be safely protected even from flames, gases, etc. sprayed from the battery cell 100. That is, the battery cell 100 may be located at the inner side of the separation member 300, particularly at the inner side of the second separation part 320, and spray flames, exhaust gas, and the like. At this time, since the bus bar assembly 500 is located at the outside of the separation member 300, particularly the second separation portion 320, it is possible to suppress the bus bar assembly 500 from being directly affected by flames or the like. Accordingly, the bus bar assembly 500 may be prevented from being damaged or structurally collapsed due to flame, heat, etc. Therefore, electrical safety can be ensured by protecting components for electrical connection inside the battery module from flames or the like.

Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a bus bar assembly 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 22, a bus bar assembly 500 may include a bus bar housing 510 and a bus bar terminal 520.

The bus bar housing 510 may be made of an electrically insulating material such as a plastic material. Further, the bus bar housing 510 may be located outside the separation member 300. For example, the bus bar housing 510 may be coupled and fixed to the front surface or the rear surface of the separation member 300. At this time, the bus bar housing 510 and the separation member 300 may be coupled by various fastening methods such as bolting, hooking, bonding, and welding.

The bus bar terminal 520 may be made of a conductive material such as a metal material. Further, the bus bar terminal 520 may be configured to electrically connect two or more electrode leads 110 or to connect to one or more electrode leads 110 to transmit sensing information, such as a cell voltage, to a control unit, such as a BMS (battery management system). For this, the bus bar terminal 520 may be fixed in contact with the electrode lead 110 by welding or the like.

The bus bar terminal 520 may be coupled to the bus bar housing 510. To this end, the bus bar housing 510 may be configured such that the bus bar terminal 520 is seated and fixed. For example, the bus bar housing 510 may have a seating groove in which the bus bar terminal 520 may be seated. The bus bar terminal 520 may be coupled and fixed to the bus bar housing 510 in various manners such as bolting, riveting, and joining.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the bus bar terminal 520 may be more reliably protected from the flame. In addition, according to this embodiment, since direct contact between the bus bar terminal 520 and the separation member 300 is prevented, electrical insulation therebetween can be ensured. In particular, the separation member 300 may be made of a metal material having conductivity so as to ensure structural stability against flames, and according to this embodiment, electrical insulation between the separation member 300 and the bus bar terminal 520 may be stably ensured.

Further, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the transfer of heat applied from the inside of the separation member 300 toward the bus bar terminal 520. Accordingly, heat transfer between the units through the bus bar terminal 520 can be prevented.

In particular, the bus bar terminal 520 may be disposed to the outside of the bus bar case 510. For example, in the case of the front side bus bar housing 510, the bus bar terminal 520 may be attached to the front surface of the bus bar housing 510. As another example, in the case of the rear side bus bar housing 510, the bus bar terminal 520 may be attached to the rear surface of the bus bar housing 510.

In this case, electrical safety can be enhanced by safely separating the bus bar terminal 520 and the separation member 300 from each other and preventing the bus bar terminal 520 and the separation member 300 from directly contacting each other.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block 400 according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, fig. 23 may be considered to show an insulating block 400 viewed from the inside where the accommodating portion R of the battery cell 100 is located. Further, fig. 24 may be a top view illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of a portion of the battery module including the insulating block 400 of fig. 23.

Referring to fig. 23 and 24, the insulating block 400 may have a gas collecting portion, as indicated by G. The gas collection part G may be configured such that when gas is discharged from the battery cell 100, the discharged gas is introduced and held in the gas collection part G. In particular, when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 100 to increase the internal pressure, gas, flame, spark, etc. are generally discharged to the outside. At this time, the gas collection portion G may be configured such that the discharged gas, flame, spark, or the like is introduced and held in the gas collection portion G.

For this, the gas collecting part G may be formed in a concave shape toward the outside on the inner surface of the insulating block 400. For example, in the insulating block 400 located at the front side of the battery cell 100, the rear end may be formed to be recessed toward the front side. Further, in the concave space, flames, sparks, or the like may be collected.

According to this embodiment, heat propagation between units due to external emission of flame, spark, or the like can be more reliably prevented. For example, referring to fig. 24, even if flames, sparks, or the like are ejected from the battery cell 100, the ejected flames or the like may flow only in the inner space of the gas collection portion G, as indicated by an arrow B8. That is, in this embodiment, such sprayed material is collected in the gas collection part G, and the sprayed material may be blocked from being discharged to the outside of the insulating block 400.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, exhaust gas, flame, etc. are caused to exist only in a predetermined area, which is more advantageous for directional ventilation.

In addition, even when the battery cell 100 is used under normal conditions, not under abnormal conditions such as thermal runaway, a small amount of gas may be generated. According to this embodiment, such a small amount of gas can be collected. In this case, it may help to increase the life of the battery cell 100.

The insulating block 400 may be configured in various shapes to form the gas collection part G. For example, as shown in fig. 23 and 24, the insulating block 400 may have a portion whose thickness decreases toward the inside where the receiving portion R of the battery cell 100 is located. In addition, the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400 may have a portion whose width in the left-right direction gradually increases toward the inside. For example, the gas collection portion G may be formed in an arcuate shape at the inner side of the insulating block 400. Further, in order to form the gas collecting part G, the insulating block 400 may have an inclined portion or an inclined surface on an inner surface.

Further, the insulating block 400 may be configured to surround at least a portion of the sealing part E of the battery cell 100.

For example, referring to fig. 24, the battery cell 100 may have a sealing part E, particularly a stepped part T in which the electrode leads 110 protrude. In this case, the insulating block 400 may be configured to cover the sealing portion E, i.e., cover the landing portion T. Further, in the insulating block 400, as described above, the gas collecting portion G may be formed in a concave shape. Further, the insulating block 400 may be spaced apart from the landing T by a predetermined distance around the landing T by the gas collecting portion G. That is, the gas collection portion G may be configured such that the terrace portion T of the battery cell 100 is inserted.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to more advantageously suppress external emission of flames, sparks, or the like, which are sprayed from the battery cell 100. In particular, when the internal pressure of the battery cell 100 increases due to thermal runaway or the like, there is a high possibility that flames, sparks, gas or the like are discharged toward the terrace portion T. At this time, if the terrace portion T exists in the form of being inserted into the inside of the gas collecting section G, as shown in fig. 24, once flame or the like is sprayed from the terrace portion T, it may be directly introduced into the gas collecting section G. Therefore, the effect of collecting flames, sparks, etc. inside the insulating block 400 is reliably achieved, thereby further improving the heat propagation inhibition performance between the units.

The insulating block 400 may have an inner end in contact with the battery cell 100. For example, as shown in A5 and A5' of fig. 24, the inner end of the insulating block 400 may be in contact with the receiving portion R of the battery cell 100.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be advantageous for the insulating block 400 and the battery cell 100 to form an enclosed space such that flames, sparks, etc. are collected in the enclosed space. Specifically, as described above, the gas collection portion G may be formed in the insulating block 400, and according to this embodiment, the inner space of the gas collection portion G may be at least partially sealed. Therefore, leakage of flames, sparks, or the like introduced into the gas collection portion G to the outside of the gas collection portion G can be more reliably suppressed.

The insulating block 400 may include a cushion 430 as shown in fig. 23 and 24. In particular, the cushion pad 430 may be disposed at the inner end of the insulating block 400 where the receiving part R of the battery cell 100 is located.

The cushion 430 may comprise various resilient materials known at the time of filing the present application. In addition, the cushion pad 430 may be made of a material having lower hardness or strength or higher elastic modulus than other portions of the insulating block 400 (e.g., the body of the insulating block 400). For example, the cushion 430 may have a material such as silicon or rubber.

In particular, as in the previous embodiment of fig. 24, the inner end of the insulating block 400 may be configured to contact the battery cell 100. At this time, the buffer pad 430 may be disposed at a portion of the insulating block 400 that is in direct contact with the battery cell 100. That is, the cushion 430 may be configured to directly contact the battery cell 100.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery cell 100 may be prevented from being damaged by the insulating block 400. In particular, when the end of the insulating block 400 is configured to contact the battery cell 100, if external impact or vibration occurs, the outside (e.g., cell pouch) of the battery cell 100 may be damaged or broken due to the contact portion of the insulating block 400. However, according to this embodiment, the risk of damage or destruction of the cell pouch can be reduced due to the cushion pad 430.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an insulating block 400 according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, fig. 25 may be regarded as a modified example of the configuration of fig. 23.

Referring to fig. 25, the insulating block 400 may include an inner blocking portion indicated by I. In particular, the inner blocking portion I may be configured to protrude from an inner surface of the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400. For example, the inner blocking portion I may be formed to be elongated in the up-down direction on the inner surface of the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400. In addition, the inner blocking portion I may be formed in plurality on the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, movement of flames, sparks, or the like introduced into the inner space of the gas collection portion G can be suppressed. That is, since flames, sparks, and the like have strong linearity during movement, if a protruding structure such as the inner barrier I is present in the inner space of the gas collection portion G, movement can be suppressed. Therefore, in this case, the effect of collecting flames, sparks, and the like is improved in the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400, and the flames, sparks, and the like can be more effectively suppressed from being discharged to the outside.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of fig. 25, the movement of flames, sparks, and the like in the gas collecting portion G of the insulating block 400 has been described as being suppressed by the protruding structure called the inner blocking portion I, but the configuration of suppressing the movement of flames, sparks, and the like may also be realized by grooves or other types of uneven structures.

The insulating block 400 may be configured to be in close contact with the electrode leads 110 or the grooves S of the separation member 300 when gas is discharged from the battery cell 100. This will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 26.

Fig. 26 is a sectional view schematically showing some components of a battery module including an insulating block 400 according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. The configuration of fig. 26 may be regarded as having a form similar to that of the insulating block 400 shown in fig. 23.

Referring to fig. 26, the insulating block 400 may include a first side indicated by D1 and a second side indicated by D2 on left and right sides of the sealing portion E (landing portion T) of the battery cell 100, respectively. In addition, the insulating block 400 may include a connection portion D3 indicated by D3 to connect the first side portion D1 and the second side portion D2. In particular, the connection portion D3 may connect outer ends of the first and second side portions D1 and D2 to each other. In addition, the inner ends of the first and second side portions D1 and D2 may extend or protrude toward the receiving portion R of the battery cell 100. Further, the space defined by the first side portion D1, the second side portion D2, and the connection portion D3 may form the gas collection portion G described above.

In this embodiment, when flame, gas, or the like is generated from the battery cell 100 and is collected in the gas collection part G, the internal pressure of the gas collection part G increases so that the first and second side parts D1 and D2 may receive the force as indicated by B9 and B9'. In this case, not only the outer surfaces of the first and second side portions D1 and D2 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) but also the outer surface of the connecting portion D3 may receive the force of the outward movement, as indicated by arrows B10 and B10'. Accordingly, the separation space between the insulating block 400 and the groove S of the separation member 300 can be eliminated or reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the first and second side portions D1 and D2 receive forces as shown by B9 and B9', the lead insertion portion N of the insulating block 400 may receive forces moving toward the electrode lead 110 through the principle of leverage, as shown by arrows B11 and B11'. Accordingly, the separation space between the inner surface of the lead insertion part N and the electrode lead 110 may be eliminated or reduced.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to further improve the sealing force between the insulating block 400 and the separation member 300 and/or between the insulating block 400 and the electrode lead 110. In particular, according to this embodiment, in the event of an emergency in which exhaust gas or the like is generated from the battery cell 100, the sealing force may be automatically increased only by generating gas without a separate driving source. Therefore, the effect of suppressing propagation of flame, fuel, or the like can be more effectively improved by the insulating block 400.

A battery pack according to the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules according to the present disclosure described above. In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include various components other than the battery modules, for example, components of the battery pack known at the time of filing the present application (such as a BMS or bus bar between modules, a battery pack case, a relay, and a current sensor).

Further, a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed similar to the above-described battery module. In particular, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may be configured such that the module case 200 in the above-described battery module is replaced with a battery pack case.

In this case, the battery pack according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery cells 100 having electrode leads 110, a battery pack case for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100 in an inner space, a separation member 300 configured to separate at least some of the plurality of battery cells 100 and having a slot S such that the electrode leads 110 can be inserted, and an insulating block 400 having an electrically insulating material and configured to surround an outer side of at least a portion of the electrode leads 110 inserted in the slot S. In the case of such a battery pack, in the content of the above-described battery module based on the above-described various embodiments, the content of the "module case 200" may be replaced with the content of the "battery pack case", the term "battery module" may be changed to "battery pack", and other configurations or features may be applied largely as they are. Therefore, the battery pack of this embodiment will not be described in detail. However, a control unit of the battery pack, such as a BMS, may be accommodated together in the battery pack case, except for the battery cells 100, the separation member 300, and the insulation block 400.

In particular, such a battery pack may be more effectively employed in a cell-to-group (CTP) configuration in which a plurality of battery cells 100 are not modularized by the module case 200 or the like, but are directly accommodated in the battery pack case.

The battery module or the battery pack according to the present disclosure may be applied to a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle. That is, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure. Further, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include various other components included in the vehicle, in addition to the battery module or the battery pack. For example, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), and the like, in addition to a battery module according to the present disclosure.

Further, the battery module according to the present disclosure may be applied to an Energy Storage System (ESS). That is, an energy storage system according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure.

The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

[ reference numerals ]

100: battery cell

110: electrode lead

200: module shell

210: upper plate, 220: lower plate, 230: left panel, 240: right panel, 250: front plate, 260: rear plate

300: separating member

310: first separation section, 320: second separation section, 330: a third separation part

400: insulating block

410: first block, 420: second block, 430: cushion pad

500: bus bar assembly

510: bus bar housing, 520: bus bar terminal

S: groove(s)

N: lead wire insertion part

R: housing part

E: sealing part

T: landing part

P: stop piece

G: gas collecting part

Claims

1. A battery module, the battery module comprising:

a plurality of battery cells having electrode leads;

a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells in an internal space;

a separation member configured to divide a space between at least some of the plurality of battery cells and having a groove into which the electrode lead is inserted; and

an insulating block having an electrically insulating material and configured to surround an outside of at least a portion of the electrode lead inserted into the groove.

2. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the separation member has a metal material.

3. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block is configured to electrically insulate the electrode lead and the separation member from each other.

4. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block is configured to seal the groove in a state in which the electrode lead is inserted into the groove.

5. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block includes two or more unit blocks coupled to each other.

6. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the separation member includes a first separation portion interposed between adjacent battery cells and a second separation portion connected to an end of the first separation portion and having the groove formed therein.

7. The battery module according to claim 6,

wherein at least one of the first separation portion and the second separation portion is configured in a plate shape.

8. The battery module according to claim 6,

wherein the first and second separation portions are vertically coupled.

9. The battery module according to claim 6,

wherein the separation member further includes a third separation portion connected with an end of each of the first and second separation portions and configured to cover one side of the plurality of battery cells.

10. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block is configured to be mounted in the groove of the separation member.

11. The battery module of claim 1, further comprising:

a bus bar assembly configured to electrically connect the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells,

wherein the bus bar assembly is located outside of the separation member.

12. The battery module according to claim 11,

wherein the bus bar assembly includes a bus bar housing made of an electrically insulating material and disposed outside the separation member, and a bus bar terminal made of an electrically conductive material and coupled to the bus bar housing.

13. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block has a gas collecting portion configured to allow discharged gas to be introduced into the gas collecting portion when the gas is discharged from the battery cell.

14. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block is configured to surround at least a portion of the sealing portion of the battery cell.

15. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block includes a cushion pad disposed at an inner end.

16. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating block is configured to be in close contact with the electrode leads or the grooves of the separation member when gas is discharged from the battery cell.

17. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 16.