CN117063341A

CN117063341A - Battery assembly with enhanced safety

Info

Publication number: CN117063341A
Application number: CN202280024448.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张诚桓; 成准烨; 朴明基
Original assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Current assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2022-12-12
Publication date: 2023-11-14

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery assembly and the like in which safety is effectively improved by suppressing the propagation of thermal events. A battery pack according to an aspect of the present application includes: and a gas discharge unit interposed between adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells and having a gas discharge passage formed therein such that exhaust gas discharged from the battery cells is discharged.

Description

Battery assembly with enhanced safety

Technical Field

The present application claims priority from korean patent application nos. 10-2021-0187532 and 10-2022-0156399 filed in korea on month 24 of 2021 and month 21 of 2022, respectively, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a battery, and more particularly, to a battery assembly having improved safety, and a battery module, a battery pack, and a vehicle including the battery assembly.

Background

As the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, video cameras and mobile phones has recently rapidly increased and commercialization of robots, electric vehicles, etc. has been eagerly started, research into high-performance secondary batteries capable of repeated charge/discharge has been actively conducted.

The secondary batteries commercialized at present include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among them, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention because lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, and thus have advantages of free charge/discharge, very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

Lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly in which positive and negative electrode plates coated with positive and negative electrode active materials are positioned with a separator therebetween; and a case (i.e., a battery case) in which the electrode assembly is hermetically received together with the electrolyte.

Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into a can type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is received in a metal can and a pouch type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is received in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, according to the shape of a case.

Recently, secondary batteries have been widely used 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) to drive or store energy. A plurality of secondary batteries as battery cells may be electrically connected to each other and housed together in a module case to constitute one battery module.

However, when a plurality of battery cells are included in the battery module, the battery module may be susceptible to thermal chain reactions between the battery cells. For example, when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery cell, propagation of thermal runaway to other battery cells needs to be suppressed. When propagation of thermal runaway between battery cells is not inhibited, events occurring in a particular cell may result in chain reactions between several battery cells. This may lead to an explosion or fire, or may cause significant damage to other nearby equipment, devices or users.

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 assembly in which safety is effectively improved by suppressing the propagation of thermal events, and a battery module, a battery pack, and a vehicle including the same.

However, technical objects to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and other technical objects not mentioned will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the present disclosure.

Technical proposal

A battery assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery cells and a vent unit located between adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells, the vent unit including a vent passage therein, and the vent unit being configured to vent exhaust gas exhausted from the plurality of battery cells.

Here, the cell case may include two unit cases coupled to each other.

Further, the cell housing may include two unit housings coupled to each other.

Further, each of the two unit housings may include a main body formed in a plate shape, an upper bent portion bent in a horizontal direction at an upper end of the main body, and a lower bent portion bent in a horizontal direction at a lower end of the main body.

Further, a battery assembly according to the present disclosure may further include an end cap covering the opening formed in the cell case.

Further, the exhaust unit may be formed in a plate shape, and may be located between adjacent battery cells.

Further, the exhaust unit may include an inlet formed in a side surface facing the plurality of battery cells and an outlet formed in a side surface not facing the plurality of battery cells.

Furthermore, the venting unit may comprise an inlet formed in a portion of the landing portion facing an adjacent battery cell.

Further, the exhaust unit may include two inlets corresponding to one battery cell and an outlet formed between the two inlets.

Further, the exhaust unit may be configured such that a flow direction of the fluid introduced into the inlet and a flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage are perpendicular to each other.

Further, the exhaust unit may be configured such that a flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage and a flow direction of the fluid discharged to the outlet are perpendicular to each other.

Further, the exhaust unit may include an outer partition wall protruding outward from a surface between the plurality of battery cells positioned on the same side surface.

Further, the exhaust unit may include an inner partition wall dividing the exhaust passage into a plurality of unit passages in the inner space.

Further, the exhaust unit may include two or more inlets connected to different unit channels.

Further, the cell housings may be configured to be stackable in the longitudinal direction.

Further, a battery module according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery assemblies according to the present disclosure.

Further, a battery pack according to still another aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery assemblies according to the present disclosure.

Further, a vehicle according to still another aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery assemblies according to the present disclosure.

Advantageous effects

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the safety of a battery assembly included in a battery module or a battery pack may be improved.

In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a gas or flame is generated in the battery assembly, the discharge of the gas or flame may be appropriately controlled.

Thus, even when a thermal runaway event occurs in a particular battery cell, the thermal runaway event can be prevented from propagating to other battery cells.

Furthermore, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, scalability can be improved by appropriate structural changes.

Thus, it is possible to adaptively respond to battery modules or battery packs having any of various shapes or sizes.

The present disclosure may have various other effects, which will be described in each embodiment, or a description of effects that can be easily inferred by those of ordinary skill in the art will be omitted.

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 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of an exhaust unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an exhaust unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a cell case included in a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a vent unit included in a battery assembly, as seen from the bottom, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A4 of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a battery assembly as viewed from the bottom according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A5 of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A6 of fig. 5.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 is a top view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 is a partial sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of an exhaust unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15 and 16 are exploded perspective views illustrating some elements of a battery assembly viewed from different directions according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery pack according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 18 and 19 are exploded perspective views schematically illustrating the construction of a battery assembly according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 20 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 21 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery pack according to an 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 should 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.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that when terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front and rear are used, these terms are merely for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, and the like.

In addition, in the description, various embodiments are included to describe various embodiments of the disclosure. When each embodiment is described, differences from other embodiments will be mainly described, and when the same or similar description as in other embodiments can be applied, the description will be omitted or briefly provided.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a battery assembly according to the present disclosure includes a battery cell 100 and a vent unit 200.

The battery cell 100 may refer to a secondary battery. The secondary battery may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case. A plurality of battery cells 100 may be disposed in a battery assembly. For example, as shown in fig. 2, eight battery cells 100 may be included in a battery assembly. However, various numbers of battery cells 100 may be included in the battery cells 100. In other examples, a different number of battery cells 100, e.g., 4, 12, and 16, may be included in the battery assembly.

In particular, the battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type secondary battery. The pouch-type secondary battery may be configured such that the electrode assembly and the electrolyte are contained in an aluminum pouch case, and the outer peripheral portion is sealed. In the pouch-type secondary battery, two electrode leads 101, i.e., a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead, may protrude from one side or from both sides. In this case, a unit in which two electrode leads 101 are disposed on the same side surface may be referred to as a unidirectional unit, and a unit in which two electrode leads 101 are disposed on different side surfaces may be referred to as a bidirectional unit. In fig. 2, electrode leads 101 are located at the front and rear sides of each battery cell 100, respectively. Such a configuration of the pouch-type battery cell 100 is already known at the time of filing the present application, and thus, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The degassing unit 200 may be located between adjacent battery cells 100 among the plurality of battery cells 100.

For example, the exhaust unit 200 may be located at the center of four battery cells 100 stacked in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction of fig. 2). In this case, some battery cells 100, i.e., two battery cells 100, may be located at the left side of the degassing unit 200, and the other two battery cells 100 may be located at the right side of the degassing unit 200.

In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the Y-axis direction may represent the left-right direction, the X-axis direction may represent the front-rear direction, and the Z-axis direction may represent the up-down direction.

Further, the exhaust unit 200 may include an exhaust passage therein through which exhaust gas exhausted from the battery cell 100 is exhausted, which will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 3 and 4.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of an exhaust unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the exhaust unit 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 4 may be a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1' of FIG. 3.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the exhaust unit 200 may be configured such that exhaust gas is introduced, flows through the inner space, and is discharged to the outside. In particular, the exhaust unit 200 may have an empty space V therein, as shown in fig. 4. The empty space may be used as an exhaust passage. Accordingly, when the exhaust gas is discharged from the battery cell 100, the exhaust gas may flow through the exhaust passage V of the exhaust unit 200 and then may be discharged to the outside. In more detail, referring to fig. 3, the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell 100 may be introduced into the inner space, i.e., the exhaust passage, as indicated by an arrow B1. In this case, the exhaust passage V may be formed as shown in fig. 4. The exhaust gas introduced into the exhaust unit 200 may flow along the exhaust passage as indicated by an arrow B2, and may then be discharged to the outside of the exhaust passage as indicated by an arrow B3.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust unit 200 may prevent the propagation of heat or flame between the battery cells 100. For example, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 100 located at the left side of the exhaust unit 200 and thus heat and exhaust gas are generated, the heat and the exhaust gas may be blocked or inhibited from traveling toward the battery cell 100 located at the right side of the exhaust unit 200. Therefore, propagation or diffusion of thermal runaway between cells can be prevented.

Further, according to the embodiment, the discharge of exhaust gas or flame can be controlled. In particular, in this embodiment, the exhaust gas can be rapidly discharged, and efficient directional exhaust that properly guides the direction of the exhaust gas can be achieved. Accordingly, in this embodiment, explosion of an upper member (e.g., a battery assembly, a battery module, or a battery pack) including the battery cell 100 may be prevented, and propagation of heat or flame between units or modules may be suppressed.

To ensure the effect of blocking heat or flame, the exhaust unit 200 may have a larger area than the battery cell 100. For example, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed to be higher than the battery cell 100 in the up-down direction and longer than the battery cell 100 in the front-rear direction.

Since the exhaust unit 200 may be exposed to heat, gas, or flame, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed of a material having high heat resistance. Further, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed of a material having high thermal conductivity to ensure excellent cooling performance. Further, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed of a material having excellent formability, workability, assemblability, and rigidity. For example, the exhaust unit 200 may include a metal material such as aluminum, steel, or stainless steel (SUS), a ceramic material such as mica, or a highly heat-resistant polymer material.

In addition, the battery assembly according to the present disclosure may further include a battery cell case 300 as shown in fig. 1 and 2.

The battery cell case 300 may have an inner space accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200. That is, as shown in fig. 2, the cell case 300 may be formed to have an empty space therein, and the cell case 300 may accommodate the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200 in the inner space and cover the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200. For example, the cell case 300 may surround the left, right, upper and lower sides of the stack of the plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200.

In this case, in the inner space of the battery cell case 300, a plurality of battery cells 100 may be stacked, and the exhaust unit 200 may be located between the battery cells 100. Thus, one or more battery cells 100 may be located between the exhaust unit 200 and the cell housing 300. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 2, two battery cells 100 may be stacked between the exhaust unit 200 and the cell case 300 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction).

In particular, the exhaust unit 200 may contact the inner surface of the cell case 300. For example, the upper and lower ends of the exhaust unit 200 may contact the top and bottom surfaces of the cell case 300.

According to this embodiment, the effect of blocking heat and flame can be more reliably achieved by the exhaust unit 200 and the cell case 300. In particular, the exhaust unit 200 may be located at one side of the battery cell 100, and the cell case 300 may be located at the other side of the battery cell 100. For example, in the case where the battery cell 100 is located at the left side of the exhaust unit 200, the cell case 300 may be located at the left side, and the exhaust unit 200 may be located at the right side. Accordingly, the left and right sides of the battery cell 100 may be blocked by the cell case 300 and the exhaust unit 200 to suppress the propagation of heat and flame.

Further, according to the embodiment, the exhaust control effect of the exhaust unit 200 can be further improved. In particular, a space accommodating the battery cell 100 and the exhaust unit 200 may be defined by the cell case 300. Thus, when exhaust gas or flame is exhausted from the battery cell 100, the exhausted exhaust gas or flame may be directed toward the exhaust unit 200 without traveling elsewhere.

Further, according to the embodiment, the battery assembly unit including two or more battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200 may be easily distinguished. In particular, the battery assembly may be constructed as a unit smaller than a general battery module. For example, in the case of a general battery module, tens of battery cells 100 may be included in one module case. However, in the case of a battery assembly, a smaller number of battery cells 100, for example 8, may be included. Thus, a battery assembly may be understood as a sub-module that is smaller than the cells of a battery module. A plurality of battery assemblies may be included in the battery module. According to an embodiment, the boundaries of the battery assembly may be clearly distinguished by the cell case 300.

The cell housing 300 may be formed of a metal material such as aluminum. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to a particular material of the cell housing 300.

Although eight battery cells 100 and one exhaust unit 200 are accommodated in the inner space defined by the cell case 300 in the embodiment of fig. 2, the number of battery cells 100 and exhaust units 200 may be varied in various ways. For example, 4 or 12 battery cells 100 and one exhaust unit 200 may be accommodated in the inner space of the cell case 300.

In particular, the cell housing 300 may include two unit housings coupled to each other. The construction of the cell housing 300 will be described in further detail with reference to fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a cell case 300 included in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the cell housing 300 may include a first housing 310 and a second housing 320. The first housing 310 and the second housing 320 may be coupled to each other. When the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 are coupled to each other, it may be indicated that the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 may simply contact each other or be maintained in a coupled state by a fastening device.

For example, upper ends of the first and second cases 310 and 320 may contact each other as shown in part A2 of fig. 1. That is, the upper ends of the first and second cases 310 and 320 may contact each other in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) to form a coupling portion, and the coupling portion may extend long in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Further, the lower ends of the first and second housings 310 and 320 may contact each other in the above-described manner. In this case, the upper and/or lower ends of the first and second cases 310 and 320 may be welded to each other, may be coupled to each other using an adhesive material such as an adhesive, or may be coupled to each other by using any of various fastening methods such as hooks, fitting using protrusions, or bolting.

Further, two unit housings may be formed as a pair. That is, the first case 310 and the second case 320 may be formed as a pair, and may be coupled to each other to constitute one cell case 300. The plurality of battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200 may be accommodated in an inner space formed when a pair of unit cases are coupled to each other. That is, the battery assembly may include a pair of cell cases, a plurality of battery cells 100, and a degassing unit 200.

Further, as shown in fig. 5, each of the first unit case 310 and the second unit case 320 may include a case main body 301, an upper bent portion 302, and a lower bent portion 303.

The case body 301 may be formed in a plate shape. Further, the case body 301 may be formed in a plate shape standing in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). The upper and lower curved portions 302 and 303 may be provided at the upper and lower ends of the case body 301, respectively. The upper and lower curved portions 302 and 303 may be curved in a horizontal direction at the upper and lower ends of the case body 301.

In particular, the first unit case 310 and the second unit case 320 as a pair may constitute the battery cell case 300. Accordingly, the upper and lower ends of the case body 301 may be bent such that the two unit cases constituting one cell case 300 face each other. For example, when the first case 310 and the second case 320 are coupled to each other in the left-right direction, both the upper end and the lower end of the first case 310 may be bent toward the second case 320 in the right direction at the end of the case main body 301. Further, in this case, both the upper and lower ends of the second housing 320 may be bent toward the first housing 310 in the left direction at the end of the housing main body 301.

Each unit housing may include one plate. For example, in fig. 5, each of the first and second cases 310 and 320 may be formed by bending both ends of one plate.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, each unit case can be easily provided. Further, since the case main body 301, the upper curved portion 302, and the lower curved portion 303 of each unit case are integrally formed, the overall rigidity or mechanical strength of the unit case can be improved.

In addition, the battery assembly according to the present disclosure may further include an end cap 400, as shown in fig. 1 and 2.

The end cap 400 may be formed to cover an opening formed in the cell housing 300. For example, when the inner space of the battery cell case 300 is formed when the first case 310 and the second case 320 are coupled to each other, the inner space may not be completely covered by the first case 310 and the second case 320, but may be partially opened. The end cap 400 may be formed of a metallic material such as aluminum. In particular, the end cap 400 may be formed of the same material as the cell housing 300. For example, the end cap 400 and the cell housing 300 may be formed of an aluminum material. The end cap 400 and the cell case 300 may be welded, and when the end cap 400 and the cell case 300 are formed of such materials, good weldability may be ensured.

In particular, as in this embodiment, when each unit case is formed by bending both ends of one plate, the non-bent portion may be open. In a more specific example, as shown in fig. 2 and 5, the first and second cases 310 and 320 may be formed such that the upper and lower ends are bent and the front and rear ends are not bent. In this case, when the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 are coupled to each other, the front and rear sides of the inner space may be open.

The end cap 400 may be formed to cover the opening portion, i.e., the opening, of the cell case 300. For example, the end cap 400 may cover portions, i.e., front and rear sides, that are not covered by the first and second housings 310 and 320. To this end, the end cap 400 may include two unit covers, and the two unit covers may be coupled to the front side and the rear side, respectively.

The end cap 400 may be coupled to the cell case 300 so as to stably cover the opening of the cell case 300. For example, the end cap 400 may be fixedly secured to the cell housing 300 using any of a variety of fastening methods, such as adhesives, bolting, hooking, riveting, or fitting.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner space of the battery cell case 300 may be more clearly distinguished from the outer space by the end cap 400. In particular, the inner space of the battery cell case 300 except for a specific portion may be more reliably sealed. Thus, heat or flame can be more reliably blocked between the battery cells 100 located inside and outside the cell case 300.

Further, according to the embodiment, the exhaust gas or flame generated in the inner space of the cell case 300 may be discharged to the outside only in a desired direction, that is, only through the exhaust unit 200, and may not be discharged to the outside through other portions. Further, according to the embodiment, the cell case 300 may be simply constructed, and the inner space of the cell case 300 may be easily sealed.

In this embodiment, an end of the exhaust unit 200 may contact the end cap 400. For example, the front and rear ends of the exhaust unit 200 may contact the inner surfaces of the front and rear covers 400 and 400, respectively.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A3-A3' of FIG. 1.

The exhaust unit 200 may be formed in a substantially plate shape as shown in fig. 2, 3 and 6. The ends, e.g., upper and lower ends, of the exhaust unit 200 may contact the top and bottom surfaces of the cell case 300, as shown in fig. 6.

Further, the plurality of battery cells 100 may be pouch-type secondary batteries. The pouch-type secondary batteries may be arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal direction while standing in the inner space of the battery case 300 in the up-down direction. For example, as shown in fig. 6, in the battery cell case 300, four battery cells 100 may be stacked in the left-right direction to form one row, and two rows may be included in the inner space of the battery cell case 300.

When the pouch-type secondary battery stands upright, it may be indicated that the receiving portion of the pouch-type secondary battery is located in a horizontal direction, for example, in a left-right direction. In this case, the edge portions surrounding the receiving portion, in particular, the four sealing portions may be located at the upper side, the lower side, the front side, and the rear side of the receiving portion.

In such a stacked structure of the battery cells 100, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed in a plate shape, and may be positioned between the battery cells 100 when standing upright. For example, when four battery cells 100 are stacked in the left-right direction while standing upright, the exhaust unit 200 may be located at the center of the four battery cells 100 stacked in the left-right direction while standing upright.

That is, the exhaust unit 200 may include two wide surfaces, and the two wide surfaces may face the left and right sides. Thus, the left surface of the exhaust unit 200 may face the battery cell 100 positioned adjacent to the left side, and the right surface of the exhaust unit 200 may face the battery cell 100 positioned adjacent to the right side.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the volume of the battery assembly may be reduced. In particular, according to the embodiment, the width of the battery assembly in the left-right direction, i.e., the length of the battery cells 100 in the stacking direction, may be dense. Therefore, in this case, the volume of the battery assembly or the battery module or the battery pack including the battery assembly may be reduced, and the energy density may be improved.

Further, according to this embodiment, since the distance between the battery cell 100 and the exhaust unit 200 may be short, the exhaust gas and the like discharged from the battery cell 100 may be rapidly discharged to the outside through the exhaust unit 200. Further, according to the embodiment, the width of the exhaust unit 200 may be reduced, and the effect of blocking heat and flame between the battery cells 100 located at both sides may be excellent.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a vent unit 200 included in a battery pack, as seen from the bottom, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing a portion A4 of fig. 7.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8 together with fig. 2 and 3, the exhaust unit 200 may include an inlet I and an outlet O. The inlet I and the outlet O may communicate with an inner space (i.e., an exhaust passage) of the exhaust unit 200. In this case, the inlet I and the outlet O may be provided at different positions, and may be formed to open a part of the exhaust passage V.

The inlet I may be formed in a side surface of the exhaust unit 200 facing the battery cell 100. For example, as shown in fig. 2, 6 and 7, the exhaust unit 200 may be formed in an upright plate shape, and left and right surfaces may face the battery cell 100. In this case, the inlet I may be formed in the surface of the exhaust unit 200 facing the battery cell 100, i.e., in each of the left and right surfaces.

Further, the outlet O may be formed in a side surface of the exhaust unit 200 not facing the battery cell 100. For example, when the battery cells 100 are located at the left and right sides of the exhaust unit 200, the outlet O may be provided in the side portions other than the left and right surfaces of the exhaust unit 200. In a more specific example, the outlet O may be provided in a lower edge portion of the exhaust unit 200, as shown in fig. 3, 7 and 8.

The inlet I may be configured such that exhaust gas or flame generated from the battery cell 100 is introduced into the exhaust passage through the inlet I. Thus, the inlet I may be exposed to the inner space of the battery cell 100 of the cell case 300 and may not be exposed to the outer space of the cell case 300. That is, in a state in which the battery assembly is assembled, the inlet I may not be exposed to the outside, as shown in fig. 1.

The outlet O may be configured such that exhaust gas or flame flowing through the exhaust passage is discharged to the outside through the outlet O. Accordingly, the outlet O may be exposed to an external space of the cell case 300, which will be described with reference to fig. 9 and 10.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a battery assembly as viewed from the bottom according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, fig. 10 is an enlarged view showing a portion A5 of fig. 9.

Referring to fig. 9 and 10, the battery cell case 300 may define an inner space together with the end cap 400 such that most of the battery cells 100 and the exhaust unit 200, which are accommodated in the inner space, are not exposed to the outside. However, as shown in fig. 10, a discharge port E through which the inner space is opened may be provided at one side (e.g., lower portion) of the cell case 300. In addition, the battery cell case 300 and the end cap 400 may completely surround the inner space accommodating the battery cell 100 and the exhaust unit 200 except for the exhaust port E.

In particular, the outlet O of the exhaust unit 200 as shown in fig. 8 may communicate with the exhaust port E. That is, the outlet O of the exhaust unit 200 may be exposed to the outside through the exhaust port E of the cell case 300. The portion of the cell housing 300 other than the outlet O of the exhaust unit 200, such as the battery cell 100, may not be exposed to the exhaust port E.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust gas and the like introduced into the inner space (i.e., the exhaust passage V) of the exhaust unit 200 can be discharged to the outside of the cell case 300 via the outlet O and the exhaust port E. That is, a configuration of discharging the exhaust gas through the exhaust unit 200, as indicated by the arrow in fig. 3, can be easily achieved. In particular, according to an embodiment, exhaust gas or flame sprayed from the battery cell 100 may be rapidly introduced into the exhaust unit 200. Accordingly, when exhaust gas is generated in the battery assembly, the internal pressure can be rapidly reduced, and thus explosion can be prevented. Further, since heat in the battery assembly is discharged to the outside, it is possible to reduce acceleration of thermal runaway or risk of fire of the battery assembly.

Further, according to the embodiment, the exhaust gas or flame discharged from the battery cell 100 may be directly discharged to the outside of the cell case 300 through the exhaust unit 200. Accordingly, other battery cells 100 included in the cell case 300 may be prevented or minimized from contacting or being affected by the exhaust gas or flame.

When a plurality of unit housings are coupled to each other to constitute the cell housing 300, the discharge port E may be provided at a coupling portion between the unit housings, which will be described with further reference to the configuration of fig. 11 together with fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A6 of fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 5 and 11, when the first and second cases 310 and 320 are disposed in the cell case 300, ends of the lower bent portions 303 of the first and second cases 310 and 320 may be coupled to each other. The discharge port E may be formed at a boundary portion between the lower curved portion 303 of the first housing 310 and the lower curved portion 303 of the second housing 320, i.e., a coupling portion.

In particular, the discharge port E may be formed by recessing portions of the lower bent portions 303 of the first and second cases 310 and 320 or cutting portions of the lower bent portions 303 of the first and second cases 310 and 320. For example, referring to fig. 11, the lower curved portion 303 of the first housing 310 may protrude from the housing main body 301 in the right direction. In this case, the lower curved portion 303 may have a concave portion E1 concave in the left direction. Further, although not shown in fig. 5, a concave portion concave in the right direction may be formed in the lower curved portion 303 of the second housing 320 at a position corresponding to the concave portion E1 of the first housing 310. In this case, when the first housing 310 and the second housing 320 are coupled to each other, the discharge port E may be provided as shown in fig. 10. In particular, the discharge port, which is a hole or a slit, may be located in a coupling portion between the first housing 310 and the second housing 320. However, the shape or position of the discharge port may vary depending on various factors, such as the shape or position of the exhaust unit 200, and the shape or structure of the module case or the battery pack case on which the battery pack is mounted.

The exhaust unit 200 may include an inlet I formed at a portion of the landing portion adjacent to the exhaust unit 200 facing the battery cell 100, which will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 12.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, in fig. 12, one exhaust unit 200 and four battery cells 100 are shown for convenience of explanation.

Referring to fig. 12, a plurality of battery cells 100 (i.e., a first cell C1 and a third cell C3) may face a left surface of the exhaust unit 200, and other battery cells 100 (i.e., a second cell C2 and a fourth cell C4) may face a right surface of the exhaust unit 200. The battery cells 100 located on the same surface of the exhaust unit 200 may be arranged in the front-rear direction. For example, the first and third cells C1 and C3 may be arranged in the front-rear direction when standing upright, and right surfaces of the first and third cells C1 and C3 may directly face the left surface of the exhaust unit 200. The second and fourth cells C2 and C4 may be arranged in the front-rear direction when standing upright, and left surfaces of the second and fourth cells C2 and C4 may directly face the right surface of the exhaust unit 200.

Further, each of the first to fourth cells C1 to C4 as pouch-type batteries may include a terrace portion T. The terrace portion T may be a portion of each pouch-shaped battery in which the electrode lead 101 protrudes from the sealing portion surrounding the receiving portion. In particular, when the electrode leads 101 protrude in two directions, for example, in the front-rear direction, the terrace portion T may refer to the front sealing portion and the rear sealing portion of the battery cell 100. For example, the front landing portion T11 and the rear landing portion T12 may be disposed at the front side and the rear side of the first cell C1.

In this embodiment, the exhaust unit 200 may include a plurality of inlets I. In particular, each inlet I may be located at a portion facing the landing portion of several battery cells 100. For example, the first inlet I1 may be formed at the front end of the exhaust unit 200 to face the front landing portion T11 of the first cell C1 and the front landing portion T21 of the second cell C2. Further, the second inlet I2 may be formed at the center of the exhaust unit 200 to face the rear landing portion T12 of the first cell C1 and the rear landing portion T22 of the second cell C2. Further, the third inlet I3 may be formed at the center of the exhaust unit 200 to face the front landing portion T31 of the third cell C3 and the front landing portion T41 of the fourth cell C4. Further, the fourth inlet I4 may be formed at the rear end of the exhaust unit 200 to face the rear landing portion T32 of the third cell C3 and the rear landing portion T42 of the fourth cell C4.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when exhaust gas or the like is discharged from the battery cell 100, the exhaust gas can be more rapidly introduced into the exhaust unit 200. That is, in the case of the pouch-type battery cell 100, when the internal pressure increases, breakage may occur at the terrace portion T where the electrode lead 101 is located. In particular, when the pouch type battery cells 100 are stacked in the horizontal direction while standing upright, the upper and lower sealing parts of the pouch type battery cells 100 may be folded for reasons such as volume reduction. Therefore, when the exhaust gas is injected from the pouch type battery cell 100, the exhaust gas may be injected to the landing portion T from among the several sealing portions. In this case, when the inlet I of the exhaust unit 200 is positioned adjacent to the landing portion T, the exhaust gas injected into the landing portion T can be more rapidly introduced into the inner space of the exhaust unit 200. Further, in this case, the exhaust gas in the inner space of the cell case 300 can be restrained from flowing through the portion other than the exhaust unit 200 as much as possible, and thus, problems caused by the exhaust gas, such as heating another portion of the battery cell 100 or heating another battery cell 100, can be prevented.

Further, the exhaust unit 200 may include two inlets I corresponding to one battery cell 100. For example, referring to fig. 12, two inlets I, i.e., a first inlet I1 and a second inlet I2, may be positioned to correspond to the first cell C1. Furthermore, the first inlet I1 and the second inlet I2 may be two inlets I corresponding to the second cell C2.

In this embodiment, the outlet O may be formed between two inlets I corresponding to one battery cell 100. For example, in the exhaust unit 200, the first outlet O1 may be formed to correspond to the outlet O of the first cell C1 or the second cell C2. The first outlet O1 may be located between the first inlet I1 and the second inlet I2. In particular, the first inlet I1 and the second inlet I2 may be spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), which is the longitudinal direction of the pouch-type battery cell 100. The first outlet O1 may be formed at a central portion between the first inlet I1 and the second inlet I2 spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.

Further, in the exhaust unit 200, the second outlet O2 may be formed to correspond to the outlet O of the third cell C3 or the fourth cell C4. The second outlet O2 may be located between the third inlet I3 and the fourth inlet I4.

Specifically, as described above, two inlets I corresponding to one battery cell 100 may be positioned adjacent to the landing portion T of the battery cell 100. In this case, the outlet O may be located between the two inlets I, and thus may be located at the receiving portion, particularly the central portion, of the corresponding battery cell 100 in the front-rear direction.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the exhaust gas or flame is discharged, the discharge portion may be as far away from the electrode lead 101 of each battery cell 100 as possible. In particular, another battery assembly may be located at the electrode lead 101 of the battery cell 100. Accordingly, since the exhaust gas or flame is discharged away from the electrode lead 101, the influence of the exhaust gas or flame sprayed from a specific battery assembly on other battery assemblies can be minimized. Therefore, in this case, propagation of thermal runaway between components can be prevented more effectively.

Further, an electrical component such as a bus bar may be located at the side where the electrode lead 101 is located. According to this embodiment, exhaust gas or flame can be prevented from being discharged close to the electrical components. Therefore, when exhaust gas or flame is generated, damage to the electrical components can be prevented.

The exhaust unit 200 may be configured such that the flow direction of the fluid introduced into the inlet I and the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage V are perpendicular to each other.

For example, as shown in fig. 3, the flow direction of the exhaust gas introduced into the inlet I may be the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) indicated by an arrow B1. When the exhaust gas is introduced into the exhaust passage through the inlet I, the exhaust gas may flow in the exhaust passage in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) as indicated by an arrow B2. In this case, the direction B1 and the direction B2 are horizontal directions, but may be perpendicular to each other.

According to this embodiment, when exhaust gas is injected from the battery cell 100, it is possible to suppress external discharge of flame, spark, or active material particles injected together with the exhaust gas. In particular, the flame, spark or active material particles have a high degree of linearity when moving. Therefore, as in the embodiment, when the moving direction is changed to the vertical direction, the movement can be suppressed. In addition, when flames, sparks, or active material particles are discharged outside of the cell housing 300, they may travel toward other nearby elements (such as other battery components), resulting in thermal runaway or fire. However, according to the embodiment, since external discharge of flame, spark, or active material particles is suppressed, thermal runaway or fire factor can be blocked.

Further, the exhaust unit 200 may be configured such that the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage and the flow direction of the fluid discharged to the outlet O are perpendicular to each other.

For example, referring to fig. 3, the flow direction of exhaust gas or the like flowing in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) as indicated by an arrow B2 in the exhaust passage may be changed to the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) as indicated by an arrow B3 at the outlet O of the exhaust unit 200. Further, in this case, the flow direction (B1) of the fluid introduced into the inlet I and the flow direction (B3) of the fluid discharged to the outlet O may be perpendicular to each other.

According to this embodiment, as described above, external discharge of flame or spark can be suppressed, and thus, thermal runaway or fire factor can be more reliably blocked.

Further, the exhaust unit 200 may include an external partition wall 210 as shown in various previous figures, which will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 13.

Fig. 13 is a top plan view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, fig. 13 may be a plan view showing a central portion in the front-rear direction of the combined configuration of fig. 12 as viewed from the top. However, in fig. 13, a configuration for electrically connecting the electrode leads 101 is not shown for convenience of explanation.

Referring to fig. 13, etc., the outer partition wall 210 may protrude outward from the surface of the exhaust unit 200. For example, the exhaust unit 200 may extend in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) while standing upright in the up-down direction, and the outer partition wall 210 may protrude from the left and right surfaces of the exhaust unit 200 in the left-right direction. That is, the outer partition wall 210 may include a left protrusion 210L protruding from the left surface of the exhaust unit 200 in the left direction (-Y-axis direction) and a right protrusion 210R protruding from the right surface of the exhaust unit 200 in the right direction (+y-axis direction).

In particular, when the plurality of battery cells 100 face the same side surface of the exhaust unit 200, the external partition wall 210 may be located between the plurality of battery cells 100. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 13, two battery cells 100, i.e., a first cell C1 and a third cell C3, are located on the left surface of the exhaust unit 200 in the front-rear direction. In this case, the left protrusion 210L of the external partition wall 210 may be located between the first cell C1 and the third cell C3. Also, likewise, the right protrusion 210R of the outer partition wall 210 may be located between the second cell C2 and the fourth cell C4.

Further, the outer partition wall 210 may be formed in a plate shape. In this case, the outer partition wall 210 may be formed in a plate shape standing perpendicular to the outer surface of the exhaust unit 200. Also, both surfaces of the outer partition wall 210 may face the cells located at both sides. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 13, the left protrusion 210L located between the first cell C1 and the third cell C3 may have a front surface facing the first cell C1 and a rear surface facing the third cell C3.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, heat or flame between the battery cells 100 located around the exhaust unit 200 may be more reliably blocked. Furthermore, different battery cells 100 may be located at both sides, with the body of the degassing unit 200 between the battery cells 100, and the different battery cells 100 may be located on the same side surface with respect to the body of the degassing unit 200. In this case, according to the embodiment, it is possible to secure heat or flame blocking performance between the plurality of battery cells 100 stacked on the same side surface of the exhaust unit 200 and between the plurality of battery cells 100 stacked on both sides of the exhaust unit 200. That is, the propagation of heat or flame may be blocked by the body of the exhaust unit 200 between the plurality of battery cells 100 located at both sides of the exhaust unit 200. In addition, the propagation of heat or flame may be blocked by the external partition wall 210 of the exhaust unit 200 between the plurality of battery cells 100 located on the same side surface of the exhaust unit 200.

In an embodiment, the outer partition wall 210 of the exhaust unit 200 may contact the inner surface of the cell case 300. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 13, the left end A7 of the outer partition wall 210 may contact the inner surface (right surface) of the first housing 310 in the embodiment of fig. 2. In particular, the contact portion may extend very long from top to bottom. Further, in the embodiment of fig. 13, the right end A7' may contact the inner surface (left surface) of the second housing 320 in the embodiment of fig. 2.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the spaces between the units divided by the external partition wall 210 can be more reliably separated. For example, in fig. 13, the left end A7 of the outer partition wall 210 and the inner surface of the cell case 300 may be sealed, and thus, the performance of blocking exhaust gas or flame between the first cell C1 and the third cell C3 located at both sides may be more stably ensured.

Further, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the mechanical rigidity of the battery assembly may be further improved. For example, when the exhaust unit 200 is located between the first housing 310 and the second housing 320, the outer partition wall 210 of the exhaust unit 200 may support the inner surfaces of the first housing 310 and the second housing 320. Accordingly, even when an impact or force is applied to the first housing 310 or the second housing 320 from the outside, inward movement or bending of the first housing 310 or the second housing 320 can be suppressed by the external partition wall 210. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the damage or breakage of the cell case 300 and the components (e.g., the battery cells or the exhaust unit 200) accommodated in the cell case 300.

The pouch-type secondary battery may be constructed such that the two pouch-type cases are sealed with each other in a state in which the electrode assembly and the electrolyte are contained in the inner space. In this case, the pouch type secondary battery may be classified into a single-cup battery or a double-cup battery according to whether the receiving parts are formed at only one side of the two pouch type cases or at both sides of the two pouch type cases. The battery cell 100 shown in fig. 13 may be a single cup battery. That is, in the four battery cells 100 of fig. 13, the receiving parts D1 to D4 are each formed only at one side of the landing part T.

In this embodiment, the receiving portion of each battery cell 100 may be located at a side closer to the exhaust unit 200 than the landing portion. For example, in the first cell C1 and the third cell C3, the housing portions D1, D3 may be formed on those sides closer to the exhaust unit 200 than the terrace portions T12, T31, that is, on the right side (+y direction side). Further, in the second cell C2 and the fourth cell C4, the receiving portions D2, D4 may be formed on those sides closer to the exhaust unit 200 than the terrace portions T22, T41, that is, on the left side (-Y direction side).

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when exhaust gas or the like is discharged from a certain battery cell 100, the exhaust gas may more rapidly move toward the exhaust unit 200. For example, when the exhaust gas is generated in the first cell C1, the exhaust gas may be discharged toward the landing portion T12 of the first cell C1. In this case, since a certain space can be formed between the landing portion T12 and the exhaust unit 200, the exhaust gas can be smoothly introduced into the inlet I of the exhaust unit 200. Further, in this case, the landing portion T12 may not block the inlet I of the exhaust unit 200. Further, in this case, the movement of the exhaust gas toward the inlet I of the exhaust unit 200 may be more reliably guided by the electrode lead 101.

Further, the exhaust unit 200 may include an inner partition wall 220 in the inner space, as shown in fig. 4. The inner partition wall 220 may be configured such that the exhaust passage is divided into a plurality of unit passages. In particular, a plurality of inner partition walls 220 may be provided in one exhaust unit 200. For example, the exhaust unit 200 may include four internal partition walls 220. In this case, the exhaust passage may be divided into five unit passages V1 to V5.

Further, the inner partition wall 220 may be configured to divide the exhaust passage in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the exhaust gas. For example, referring to the embodiment of fig. 3 and 4, when the exhaust gas flows in the exhaust passage in the horizontal direction as indicated by the arrow B2, the inner partition wall 220 may be positioned to divide the exhaust passage in the up-down direction. In this case, the inner partition wall 220 may extend long in the front-rear direction, which is the flow direction of the exhaust gas. In particular, the inner partition wall 220 may extend long from the inlet I to the outlet O of the exhaust passage.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigidity of the exhaust unit 200 may be improved. In particular, the inner partition wall 220 may support the side surface of the exhaust unit 200 when pressure or impact is applied to the side surface of the exhaust unit 200. Therefore, damage, breakage, or deformation of the exhaust unit 200 due to pressure or impact can be prevented. In addition, when exhaust gas or flame is generated from a specific battery cell 100, a large pressure may be applied to the exhaust unit 200. In this case, the inner partition wall 220 can stably support the exhaust unit 200 even when such pressure is applied.

Fig. 14 is a partial sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of an exhaust unit 200 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 14 may be a cross-sectional view taken along line A8-A8' of FIG. 12.

Referring to fig. 14, the exhaust unit 200 may include a protrusion P in the inner space. In particular, the protrusion P may be formed such that the flow direction of the exhaust gas is curved in the exhaust passage. For example, the exhaust passage V may be divided into five unit passages in the exhaust unit 200. In this case, the protrusions P may be alternately disposed on the upper and lower portions of each unit channel. In this case, the flow direction of the exhaust gas may be repeatedly curved in the up-down direction as indicated by the arrow.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, in the inner space of the exhaust unit 200 (i.e., the exhaust passage V), movement of flame, spark, or active material particles having high linearity can be suppressed. Accordingly, in this case, it is possible to prevent problems, such as fire or heat propagation, that may be caused when flames, sparks, or active material particles are discharged to the outside of the exhaust unit 200.

Although in various embodiments including fig. 12, the inlet I is formed as a hole passing entirely through the exhaust unit 200 in the thickness direction, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Fig. 15 and 16 are exploded perspective views illustrating some elements of a battery assembly viewed from different directions according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the front side of the battery assembly as viewed from the right side. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the front side of the battery assembly as viewed from the left side.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, inlets I communicating with the exhaust passage may be formed at right and left sides of the exhaust unit 200, and the left and right inlets may be separated from each other.

First, referring to fig. 15, a right inlet IR may be formed in the right surface of the exhaust unit 200. The right inlet IR may be configured such that the exhaust passage V of the exhaust unit 200 is opened only to the right side and not to the left side. That is, the right inlet IR may communicate only with the exhaust passage V, and the left portion may be blocked without opening.

Accordingly, the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell 100 located at the right side of the exhaust unit 200 may be introduced into the right inlet IR, but the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell 100 located at the left side of the exhaust unit 200 may not be introduced. In more detail, in the embodiment of fig. 15, the exhaust gas discharged from only the second cell C2 located at the right side of the exhaust unit 200 may be introduced into the right inlet IR of the exhaust unit, but the exhaust gas discharged from the first cell C1 located at the left side of the exhaust unit 200 may not be introduced.

Next, referring to fig. 16, a left inlet IL may be formed in the left surface of the exhaust unit 200. The left inlet IL may be configured such that only the exhaust passage V of the exhaust unit 200 is opened only to the left side and not to the right side. That is, the left inlet IL may communicate only with the exhaust passage, while the right portion may be blocked without opening.

Accordingly, the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell located at the left side of the exhaust unit 200 may be introduced into the left inlet IL, but the exhaust gas discharged from the battery cell 100 located at the right side of the exhaust unit 200 may not be introduced. In more detail, in the embodiment of fig. 16, only the exhaust gas discharged from the first cell C1 located at the left side may be introduced into the left inlet IL of the exhaust unit 200, but the exhaust gas discharged from the second cell C2 located at the right side may not be introduced.

A plurality of inlets I (e.g., a right inlet IR and a left inlet IL) formed in the exhaust unit 200 may be connected to different unit passages. For example, as shown in fig. 4, when five unit passages V1 to V5 are formed in the exhaust unit 200, the right inlet IR may be connected to the first passage V1 and the second passage V2. The left inlet IL may be connected to the third, fourth and fifth channels V3, V4 and V5.

According to this embodiment, for the battery cells 100 located at both sides of one exhaust unit 200, the path through which exhaust gas or flame is exhausted can be separated. Thus, movement of exhaust gas or flame between the battery cells 100 positioned with the exhaust unit 200 therebetween can be effectively blocked. In particular, according to embodiments, exhaust gas or flame may be prevented from traveling beyond the exhaust unit 200 to other battery cells 100 through the inlet I. Therefore, in this case, the function of blocking heat or flame between the cells in the battery assembly can be further improved.

Further, in an embodiment, the two inlets I (i.e., the right inlet IR and the left inlet IL) may be located at different heights in the up-down direction. For example, as shown in fig. 15 and 16, the right inlet IR may be formed in an upper portion of the exhaust unit 200, and the left inlet IL may be formed in a lower portion of the exhaust unit 200.

In this embodiment, when the exhaust unit 200 is formed in an upright plate shape and a plurality of unit passages are positioned in the up-down direction, the exhaust path can be more appropriately distinguished.

Referring to fig. 17, the cell case 300 may be configured to be stackable in a longitudinal direction. Further, the configuration shown in fig. 17 may be one battery pack. The battery assembly may include two cell housings 300 that may be coupled to each other in the front-rear direction.

In particular, each cell housing 300 may be stacked in the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction may refer to a direction along the long sides of the battery cell 100 having a substantially rectangular shape. In the embodiment of fig. 17, the X-axis direction as the front-rear direction may be the longitudinal direction. In this case, the two cell housings 300 may be located in the front-rear direction and may be coupled to each other in the front-rear direction.

In more detail, in fig. 17, one battery assembly includes two cell housings 300, i.e., a front housing 300F and a rear housing 300R. In this case, the front case 300F may be moved in the rear direction as indicated by an arrow B4 from the front side of the battery assembly to be coupled to the rear case 300R. Each of the front case 300F and the rear case 300R may include a plurality of unit cases, for example, a first case 310 and a second case 320.

In this embodiment, the front case 300F and the rear case 300R may be coupled to each other by using any of various fastening methods (e.g., fitting or hooking). For example, the rear end of the front case 300F may be fitted into the front end of the rear case 300R such that the front case 300F and the rear case 300R are coupled to each other.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the plurality of cell housings 300 are coupled to each other to constitute one battery assembly, the expandability of the battery assembly can be easily achieved. For example, the overall size of the battery assembly may be controlled by adjusting the number of the cell housings 300 coupled to each other in the longitudinal direction.

In this way, in an embodiment in which a plurality of cell housings 300 can be coupled to each other, the exhaust unit 200 can also be coupled in the longitudinal direction, for example, the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Alternatively, only one exhaust unit 200 is in the battery assembly, such that one exhaust unit 200 generally corresponds to a plurality of cell housings 300.

First, referring to fig. 18, in the battery assembly, two battery cells 100 may be stacked in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) to form one column, and two unit columns may be included in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Thus, four battery cells 100 may be included in the cell housing 300. A vent unit 200 may be located between the battery cells 100. In this case, the width of the battery assembly in the left-right direction may be smaller than that in the embodiment of fig. 2 or the like. Further, the extension length of the upper and lower curved portions 302 and 303 of the cell case 300 may be smaller than that in the embodiment of fig. 2 or the like.

Next, referring to fig. 19, in the battery assembly, six battery cells 100 may be stacked in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) to form one column, and two cell columns may be included in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). Thus, 12 battery cells 100 may be included in the cell housing 300. One exhaust unit 200 may be located between 12 battery cells 100. In this case, the width of the battery assembly in the left-right direction may be greater than that in the embodiment of fig. 2 or 18. In the embodiment of fig. 19, the extension length of the upper and lower bent portions 302 and 303 of the cell case 300 may be greater than that in the embodiment of fig. 2 or the like.

Accordingly, in the battery pack according to the present disclosure, the size or shape of the battery pack can be easily adjusted by adjusting the number of battery cells 100 included in the cell case 300 and the size of the cell case 300. That is, in this case, a free cell configuration is possible.

Fig. 20 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating some elements of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In fig. 20, elements such as the battery cell 100 or the cell case 300 are not shown for convenience of explanation.

The battery assembly according to the present disclosure may further include a bus bar unit 500. The bus bar unit 500 may contact the electrode leads 101 of the battery assembly included in the battery cell case 300 to electrically connect or fix the connection state between the battery cells 100. To this end, the bus bar unit 500 may include a conductor formed of a conductive metal material such as copper or aluminum. The conductors of the bus bar unit 500 may fixedly contact the electrode leads 101 by using welding or the like. Further, the bus bar unit 500 may further include an insulating holder for fixing the conductor. In particular, the insulating holder may be formed of an electrically insulating material such as plastic.

In particular, a plurality of bus bar units 500 may be included in one battery assembly. For example, as shown in fig. 20, front bus bar 510, rear bus bar 520, and center bus bar 530 may be included. The present embodiment can be applied when two cell rows are arranged in the front-rear direction.

Further, the bus bar unit 500 may be mounted on the exhaust unit 200. For example, as shown in fig. 20, a fastening portion J into which the bus bar unit 500 can be mounted may be formed in the exhaust unit 200. Further, the fastening portion J may pass through the exhaust unit 200. In this case, the bus bar unit 500 (e.g., the front bus bar 510 and the rear bus bar 520) may be mounted on the exhaust unit 200 by passing through the fastening portion J. The bus bar unit 500 may be commonly connected to the electrode leads 101 of the battery cell 100 located at the left and right sides.

In this embodiment, the bus bar unit 500 may be stably located in the battery pack. Further, in this case, since the bus bar unit 500 may be assembled with the components of the exhaust unit 200, the assemblability of the battery components may be improved.

A portion of the bus bar unit 500 may be exposed to the outside of the cell case 300 to serve as a terminal of the battery assembly. For example, the central bus bar 530 may include a component terminal N at an upper end. As shown in fig. 1, the assembly terminal N may be exposed to the outside of the cell case 300 to be electrically connected to other external elements. For example, the module terminal N may contact a connection member connecting different battery modules. Further, the assembly terminal N may be connected to a terminal of a battery module or a battery pack including the battery assembly to transmit charge/discharge power.

Referring to fig. 21, a battery module according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery assemblies according to the present disclosure described above. That is, the battery assembly according to the present disclosure described above may be a unit group of a smaller scale or unit than a general battery module. In fig. 21, a plurality of battery packs BA may be stacked in the left-right direction while standing upright. Further, the battery module may include a module case M. For example, the module case M may include a lower case M1 and an upper case M2, and an inner space may be defined by the lower case M1 and the upper case M2. A plurality of battery packs BA may be accommodated in an inner space formed by the lower case M1 and the upper case M2.

In this configuration, the battery assembly BA may be a unit obtained by grouping a plurality of battery cells 100 included in the battery module in a small scale. In particular, in this case, since the cell case 300 and the exhaust unit 200 are provided for each divided battery cell group, that is, for each battery assembly BA, it is possible to more reliably block the propagation of heat and/or flame between the plurality of units included in the battery module.

Further, the module case M may have a vent hole H. The vent H may be formed in a position and shape to communicate with the discharge port E formed in each battery assembly BA. For example, when the discharge port E is formed in the lower portion of the battery assembly BA, the discharge hole H may be formed in the lower case M1 having the top surface on which the battery assembly BA is seated. In addition, in order to make the exhaust holes H correspond to the exhaust ports E in a one-to-one manner, the number of exhaust holes H may be the same as the number of exhaust ports E.

The vent H may pass through the module case M in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction. Alternatively, the vent hole H may be formed longer along the inner space of the module case M. In this case, the vent hole H may be formed in the same shape as the channel formed in the module case M. For example, the vent hole H may have an opening formed in an inner surface (inner bottom surface) of the lower case M1 to extend long in a horizontal direction (e.g., X-axis direction) along an inner space of the lower case M1. Further, the opening may extend downward, that is, to an outer surface (outer bottom surface) or a side surface of the lower case M1.

In this embodiment, exhaust gas or the like discharged from the discharge port E of each battery assembly BA and introduced into the exhaust hole H of the module case M may flow along the inner space of the module case M and then may be discharged to the outside. In this case, more efficient exhaust control of the battery module can be provided.

Although not shown in fig. 21, the battery module may include a module bus bar as a separate connection member that connects the assembly terminals N of the plurality of battery assemblies BA included in the battery module.

Referring to fig. 22, a battery pack according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery packs according to the present disclosure. Further, the battery pack may include a battery pack case K. In particular, a plurality of battery packs BA may be directly accommodated in the inner space of the battery pack case K. That is, a plurality of battery assemblies BA may be directly mounted on the battery pack case K without being mounted on the module case M, as shown in fig. 21.

In this case, since the proportion of the space occupied by the battery cells 100 in the battery pack case K may be increased, the energy density of the battery pack may be further improved. In particular, the battery assembly according to the present disclosure may have excellent heat or flame blocking performance and exhaust gas control effect. Thus, this aspect may be applied more advantageously to unit-to-unit fabrics and may improve security.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to the unit-to-group configuration, and the battery assembly may be included in the module case M as shown in fig. 21 and then accommodated in the battery pack case K. In this case, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules.

The battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include a control unit S as shown in fig. 22, in addition to the battery pack or the battery module. The control unit S may be configured to grasp or control the overall operation or environment of the battery pack, the charge/discharge operation or state of the battery cells 100, and the like. For example, the control unit S may be a Battery Management System (BMS) itself, or may include the BMS. In particular, the control unit S may not be included in the battery module unit, but may be included in the battery pack unit. The control unit S is well known at the time of filing the present application, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, although not shown, even in the embodiment of fig. 22, a vent hole similar to the vent hole H formed in the module case M in the embodiment of fig. 21 may be formed in the battery pack case K. The vent hole may communicate with the vent port E of each battery assembly BA like the vent hole H of fig. 21.

The battery assembly according to the present disclosure may be applied to a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. That is, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery module or a battery pack including a battery assembly according to the present disclosure. Further, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include various other elements 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, and a control device such as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in addition to a battery module according to the present disclosure.

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

Although one or more embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.

[ description of reference numerals ]

100: battery cell

101: electrode lead

200: exhaust unit

210: outer partition wall, 220: inner partition wall

300: battery core shell

310: first housing, 320: second shell

301: housing body, 302: upper curved portion, 303: lower bending part

400: end cap

500: bus bar unit

510: front bus bar, 520: rear bus bar, 530: central bus bar

C1: first electric core, C2: second cell, C3: third cell, C4: fourth cell

V: exhaust passage, V1 to V5: unit channel

I: an inlet

O: an outlet

T: landing portion

P: protrusions

M: module shell

H: exhaust hole

K: battery pack case

S: control unit

Claims

1. A battery assembly, the battery assembly comprising:

a plurality of battery cells; and

and a vent unit located between adjacent battery cells of the plurality of battery cells, the vent unit including a vent passage therein, and the vent unit being configured to vent exhaust gas exhausted from the plurality of battery cells.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cell housing having an interior space that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and the vent unit.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the cell housing comprises two cell housings coupled to one another.

4. The battery assembly according to claim 3, wherein each of the two unit cases includes a main body formed in a plate shape, an upper bent portion bent in a horizontal direction at an upper end of the main body, and a lower bent portion bent in the horizontal direction at a lower end of the main body.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1, further comprising an end cap covering an opening formed in the cell housing.

6. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit is formed in a plate shape and is located between the adjacent battery cells.

7. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit comprises an inlet formed in a side surface facing the plurality of battery cells and an outlet formed in a side surface not facing the plurality of battery cells.

8. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent unit includes an inlet formed in a portion of the landing portion facing the adjacent battery cell.

9. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit includes two inlets corresponding to one battery cell and an outlet formed between the two inlets.

10. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit is configured such that a flow direction of the fluid introduced into the inlet and a flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage are perpendicular to each other.

11. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit is configured such that a flow direction of the fluid flowing through the exhaust passage and a flow direction of the fluid discharged to the outlet are perpendicular to each other.

12. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit includes an outer partition wall protruding outwardly from a surface between a plurality of battery cells positioned on the same side surface.

13. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit includes an inner partition wall in an inner space, the inner partition wall dividing the exhaust passage into a plurality of unit passages.

14. The battery assembly of claim 13, wherein the exhaust unit comprises two or more inlets connected to different unit channels.

15. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the cell housing is configured to be stackable in a longitudinal direction.

16. A battery module comprising a plurality of battery assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A battery pack comprising a plurality of battery assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

18. A vehicle comprising a plurality of battery assemblies according to any one of claims 1 to 15.