CN117751488A

CN117751488A - Battery pack, battery module, and vehicle including the same

Info

Publication number: CN117751488A
Application number: CN202380013074.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韩承沅; 朴柱勋; 郑起宅; 韩珉希; 金修烈
Original assignee: Lg Energy Solution
Current assignee: Lg Energy Solution
Priority date: 2022-07-20
Filing date: 2023-07-11
Publication date: 2024-03-22

Abstract

Provided are a battery pack, a battery module, and a vehicle including the same, capable of improving heat propagation to ensure excellent safety when a thermal event occurs. A battery pack according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of soft pack type battery cells each having an electrode lead; a bus bar frame assembly coupled to at least a portion of electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells; and a cell cover configured to at least partially encase at least a portion of the plurality of pouch cells, wherein an end thereof is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly.

Description

Battery pack, battery module, and vehicle including the same

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack, a battery module, and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack, a battery module, and a vehicle including the same, having excellent safety against thermal events. The present application claims priority from korean patent application No. 10-2022-0089570 filed on 7 th month 20 of 2022 and korean patent application No. 10-2023-0055756 filed on 27 th 4 th 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

With the remarkable increase in technical development and demand of various mobile devices, electric vehicles, energy Storage Systems (ESS), etc., interest and demand for secondary batteries as energy sources are rapidly increasing. Nickel-cadmium batteries or nickel-hydrogen batteries have been widely used as conventional secondary batteries, but recently, lithium secondary batteries having free charge/discharge, very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density due to small memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries have been widely used.

Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which positive and negative electrode plates coated with a positive and negative electrode active material, respectively, are disposed with a separator therebetween, and an external material, i.e., a battery case, sealing and accommodating the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

In general, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can and soft pack secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is embedded in an aluminum laminate sheet soft pack according to the shape of an external material.

Recently, battery packs have been widely used for driving or storing energy of medium/large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and ESS. A conventional battery pack includes one or more battery modules and a control unit controlling charge/discharge of the battery pack inside a battery pack case. Here, the battery module is configured to include a plurality of battery cells inside a module case. That is, in the case of a conventional battery pack, a plurality of battery cells (secondary batteries) are accommodated inside a module case to form each battery module, and one or more of the battery modules are accommodated inside a battery pack case to form the battery pack.

In particular, the pouch-type batteries have advantages in various aspects such as light weight, less dead space when stacked, but have problems in that they are easily subjected to external impact and slightly inferior in assemblability. Accordingly, a battery pack is generally manufactured by first modularizing a plurality of cells and then accommodating them inside a battery pack case.

However, the conventional battery pack may be disadvantageous in terms of energy density, assemblability, cooling, etc., due to modularization. In particular, in the course of modularization by accommodating a plurality of battery cells in a module case, the volume of the battery pack may be unnecessarily increased due to various components such as the module case or the stack frame, or the space occupied by the battery cells may be reduced. The battery module is first configured by modularizing a plurality of battery cells and then the battery module is received in the battery pack case, whereby there is a problem in that the manufacturing process of the battery pack becomes complicated. Since the module case is received inside the battery pack case and the battery cells are received inside the module case, when heat of the battery cells received inside the module case is discharged outside the battery pack case through the module case, cooling efficiency may be reduced and a cooling structure may also be complicated.

Recently, demand for battery packs applied to electric vehicles has been increasing. Since these battery packs have a plurality of battery cells, safety should be more strictly managed. If thermal runaway, ignition or explosion occurs in some of the cells within any one of the battery modules, the generated high-temperature gas, flame or high-temperature internal material may be sprayed and thermally spread to other adjacent battery modules, thereby causing secondary thermal runaway, secondary fire or explosion, and thus having a problem in that thermal runaway, ignition or explosion chains may occur in the cells within a plurality of battery modules. Accordingly, there is a great need for a device capable of suppressing or delaying flame transfer between battery modules when a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs. However, conventional battery packs or battery modules may be susceptible to thermal events. In particular, if a thermal event occurs inside the battery module or the battery pack, thermal runaway may occur, resulting in flame, and in severe cases, even explosion.

In the case of a conventional battery pack or battery module, a silicon heat insulating pad or the like is interposed between the battery cells to avoid direct contact between the battery cells, thereby delaying heat propagation through conduction, but its structure may be easily affected by heat propagation by convection in space.

In addition, each cell may have its own electrode lead bonded to the bus bar frame assembly for electrical interconnection, sensing, etc. In this case, convection is likely to occur in the portion where the electrode lead and the bus bar frame assembly exist, and thus, when a thermal event occurs in a specific battery cell, a problem of heat propagation due to heat convection on the electrode lead side may occur.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is directed to solving the problems of the related art, and therefore, to providing a battery pack, a battery module, and a vehicle including the same, which have excellent energy density, assemblability, and/or coolability.

The present disclosure is also directed to providing a battery pack, a battery module, and a vehicle including the same, capable of improving heat propagation to ensure excellent safety in the event of a thermal event.

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

Technical proposal

A battery pack according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of soft pack type battery cells each having an electrode lead; a bus bar frame assembly coupled to at least a portion of electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells; and a cell cover configured to at least partially encase at least a portion of the plurality of pouch cells, wherein an end of the cell cover is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly.

The cell cover may be configured to support a plurality of pouch-type battery cells in an upright state.

The battery pack may further include a battery pack case accommodating the pouch type battery cell in the inner space, wherein the cell cover may partially encase the pouch type battery cell such that at least one side of the encased pouch type battery cell is exposed toward the battery pack case.

The pouch type battery cell may have a receiving part receiving the electrode assembly and an edge part surrounding the receiving part, wherein the cell cover may be configured to surround both sides of the receiving part and a portion of the edge part of the enclosed pouch type battery cell.

Here, the cell covers may be provided to cover both sides of the receiving part of the enclosed pouch type battery cell and the upper or lower edge part.

Further, the single body cover may include: a first side cover part covering one side of the enclosed soft-pack battery cell; a second side cover part covering the other side of the enclosed soft package type battery cell; and an upper cover part connecting the first and second side cover parts and covering the upper end parts of the enclosed soft pack type battery cells.

Further, the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion may be configured to have different sizes.

Further, the battery pack may include two or more unit covers, wherein adjacent unit covers may be disposed such that first side cover parts having the same size face each other or second side cover parts having the same size face each other.

Further, any one of the first side cover part and the second side cover part may be inserted in a penetrating bus bar frame assembly, and the other one of the first side cover part and the second side cover part may be inserted in a non-penetrating bus bar frame assembly.

Further, any one of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion may be formed to extend more prominently than the other one of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion toward the side where the bus bar frame assembly is located.

Further, the bus bar frame assembly may be located at front and rear sides of the plurality of pouch type battery cells, respectively, and front and rear ends of the cell covers may be inserted into the bus bar frame assembly, respectively.

In addition, the battery pack may include two or more cell covers, wherein a thermal barrier (thermal barrier) may be interposed between adjacent cell covers.

Here, the end of the thermal barrier together with the cell cover may be inserted into the busbar frame assembly.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include an insulating pad contacting the surface of the cell cover.

In addition, the single body cover may be configured in a form of bending one plate.

Further, the monomer cover may include an insulating coating layer on an inner surface.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include a control module that is received in the inner space of the battery pack case and configured to control charge/discharge of the pouch type battery cells.

Further, a vehicle according to another aspect of the present disclosure may include a battery pack according to the present disclosure.

Further, a battery module according to still another aspect of the present disclosure is a battery module as follows: one or more of the battery modules are accommodated in an inner space of a battery pack case, the battery module including: a plurality of soft pack type battery cells each having an electrode lead; a bus bar frame assembly coupled to at least a portion of electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells; a cell cover configured to at least partially encase at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells, wherein an end of the cell cover is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly; and a module case accommodating the pouch-type battery cell in the inner space.

Here, the module case may be configured such that at least a portion thereof is open, and the bus bar frame assembly may be configured to be coupled to the opening of the module case.

Further, a vehicle according to still another aspect of the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure.

Advantageous effects

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, as a Cell To Pack (CTP) concept, a module case or the like is eliminated, so that cooling performance and energy density can be improved.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a plurality of pouch-type battery cells may be stably received inside a battery pack case without a configuration of a stacking frame such as a plastic case or a separate module case.

In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a configuration in which a plurality of pouch-type battery cells are stacked side by side in a vertical upright state in a horizontal direction can be easily implemented.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the energy density of the battery pack may be improved. Further, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery cells are directly received in the battery pack case without modularization, and thus, a battery pack that does not require a module case of a battery module can be manufactured. Therefore, by reducing the space occupied by the module case, more and more battery cells can be disposed inside the battery pack case. Therefore, there is an effect of further improving the energy density of the battery pack. The pouch-type battery cell may be directly assembled into a battery pack case of the battery pack, thereby maximizing space utilization of the battery pack and significantly improving energy capacity.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a pouch-type battery cell having a flexible material case may be easily manufactured in a solid form, so that a configuration in which the battery cells are directly stacked in a battery pack case or a module case may be more easily achieved. Accordingly, the assemblability and mechanical stability of the battery pack or the battery module may be improved.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the cooling efficiency of the battery pack may be further improved. In particular, in the case of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a portion of each pouch type battery cell is directly exposed to the battery pack case such that heat from each pouch type battery cell can be effectively discharged to the outside through the battery pack case.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell, a thermal event can be effectively responded to. In particular, in the case of the present disclosure, when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell, the propagation of the thermal runaway may be effectively suppressed or delayed.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the top frame of the battery pack case is protected, and a sealing structure is applied for each cell and bank to prevent heat/flame propagation between the cells.

In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, internal shorting or structural collapse may be prevented even when a thermal event occurs.

According to the present disclosure, there are provided a battery pack and a battery module having improved safety against thermal runaway, fire, explosion, and the like, i.e., thermal safety. When heat is generated from some battery cells or some battery modules in a battery module including a plurality of battery cells and a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules, heat may be stably prevented from being transmitted to surrounding battery cells or battery modules.

In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the safety of the battery pack may be improved. In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the gas discharged from each battery cell may be smoothly discharged to the outside. Further, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the discharge direction of the gas or flame discharged from the battery cell may be controlled. Therefore, the thermal runaway propagation between the adjacent battery cells can be effectively prevented.

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 of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a pouch-type battery cell that may be included in the battery pack shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a partial configuration of the battery pack shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion a of fig. 3 in a state where some of the components of fig. 3 are combined.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the partial configuration shown in fig. 3 alone.

Fig. 6 is a view schematically illustrating two soft pack type battery cells enclosed by one cell cover in the battery pack shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion B of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view schematically showing a cross-sectional structure of the front end portion in a state in which some of the components of fig. 3 are combined.

Fig. 9 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 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. 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 meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventors are 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.

In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific portion of the constituent components is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity of description. Therefore, the size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size. If it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, such descriptions will be omitted.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a view illustrating a pouch-type battery cell that may be included in the battery pack shown in fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a partial configuration of the battery pack shown in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, a battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100, a bus bar frame assembly 150, and a cell cover 200. The battery pack 10 may further include a battery pack case 300 for accommodating the pouch type battery cell 100 in the inner space.

A plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be included in the battery pack 10. The cell cover 200 may be configured to encase the pouch-type battery cell 100 in the inner space of the battery pack case 300. Also, the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be stacked in at least one direction. For example, as shown with reference to fig. 1, a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 may be stacked and arranged in a horizontal direction, for example, a left-right direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing). Further, a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be disposed in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) as shown in fig. 1. For example, as shown with reference to fig. 1, a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 may be stacked in such a manner that twelve battery cells disposed in the left-right direction are disposed in two rows in the front-rear direction. The capacity and size of the battery pack 10 can be enlarged by increasing the number of stacked pouch-type battery cells 100.

The battery pack case 300 may include a top frame 310 and a bottom frame 320. As a more specific example, the bottom frame 320 is configured in a box shape having an open top and may accommodate a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 in an inner space. Also, the top frame 310 may be configured in the form of a cover covering the top opening of the bottom frame 320. In this case, the top frame 310 may be configured in the form of a box having an open bottom. Further, the cell cover 200 may be received in the inner space of the battery pack case 300 together with the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100. The battery pack case 300 may be made of plastic or metal material. In addition, the battery pack case 300 may employ various exterior materials of the battery pack known at the time of filing the present disclosure.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include a control module 400 accommodated in the inner space of the battery pack case 300. The control module 400 may include a Battery Management System (BMS). The control module 400 is installed in the inner space of the battery pack case 300 and may be configured to generally control the charge/discharge operation or the data transmission/reception operation of the pouch type battery cell 100. The control module 400 may be provided in the battery pack unit instead of the module unit. More specifically, the control module 400 may be configured to control the charge/discharge state, the power state, and the performance state of the pouch type battery cell 100 by the battery voltage and the battery current. The control module 400 estimates the state of the battery cells 100 within the battery pack 10 and manages the battery pack 10 using the estimated state information. For example, state information of the battery pack 10, such as state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), maximum input/output power margin, and output voltage of the battery pack 10, is estimated and managed. Further, with this state information, the charge or discharge of the battery pack 10 can be controlled, and furthermore, the replacement time of the battery pack 10 can be estimated.

As shown in fig. 1, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may further include a battery shutdown unit (BDU) 500. The battery disconnect unit 500 may be configured to control the electrical connection of the battery cells to manage the power capacity and function of the battery pack 10. To this end, the battery breaking unit 500 may include a power relay, a current sensor, a fuse, and the like. The battery breaking unit 500 is also provided in a battery pack unit instead of a module unit, and various breaking units known at the time of filing the present disclosure may be employed.

Further, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may further include various components of the battery pack known at the time of filing the present disclosure. For example, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a Manual Service Disconnect (MSD) that allows an operator to turn off the power by manually disconnecting the service plug. In addition, a flexible bus bar or cable for interconnecting the plurality of monomer units may be further included.

The pouch type battery cell 100 corresponds to a basic unit of charge/discharge, and may be manufactured by accommodating an electrode assembly and an electrolyte in a pouch exterior material 102 made of a laminate film containing a soft metal, and then sealing the pouch exterior material 102, as shown in fig. 2. In this case, the electrode assembly may be manufactured by interposing a separator between the anode and the cathode. The soft pack outer material 102 may be an aluminum laminate.

In addition, the pouch type battery cell 100 may include an electrode lead 104 on at least one side. More specifically, the electrode leads 104 electrically connected to the electrode assembly may be disposed to be exposed to the outside of the pouch exterior material 102. In the pouch type battery cell 100 of this embodiment, the electrode leads 104 include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead as a pair. For example, the pouch type battery cells 100 may have electrode leads 104 in the front-rear direction, respectively, as shown in fig. 2. The distance between both ends of the pouch exterior material 102 where the electrode leads 104 protrude may be defined as the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the pouch type battery cell 100. In this way, the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be disposed at the front and rear ends of the pouch type battery cell 100 in the longitudinal direction, that is, at the front and rear ends of the pouch type battery cell 100.

The pouch type battery cell 100 may include a receiving part R receiving the electrode assembly and edge parts E1 to E4 surrounding the receiving part R. For example, the pouch type battery cell 100 may have four edge parts, such as an upper edge part E1, a lower edge part E2, a front edge part E3, and a rear edge part E4, and all four edge parts E1 to E4 may be sealing parts using a four-sided sealing method (four-sided sealing method), or only the lower edge part E2 may be a folded part of an exterior material and an unsealed part using a three-sided sealing method (three-sided sealing method). For example, the upper edge portion E1 may be a so-called double-sided folded (DSF: double side folding) portion that is folded twice as a sealing portion of the pouch type battery cell 100, and the lower edge portion E2 may be an unsealed portion. When a battery module or a battery pack using pouch type battery cells is configured, the space occupied by the pouch type battery cells within the device may be reduced to increase space utilization by minimizing the size of the battery module, or the remaining portion generated by minimizing the area occupied by the sealing parts for a given battery module size may be used to increase the size of the electrode assembly to increase the capacity of the secondary battery. In the latter case, in most cases, the size is controlled by folding the sealing part located at the battery cell side of the pouch pack to form a folded part. However, if the sealing part is simply folded, it may be unfolded due to a rebound monomer expansion phenomenon (springback cell swelling phenomenon) of the folding part itself, and thus the folding part is adhered (folded) to prevent this from occurring. Further, among the sealing parts, when the sealing part located in the direction in which the electrode leads 104 are drawn is referred to as a cell land (cell land), the cell lands of the pouch type battery cell 100 in this embodiment are formed at the front edge part E3 and the rear edge part E4.

In this way, each pouch type battery cell 100 has two wide surfaces corresponding to the receiving part R, and the edge parts of these wide surfaces may have a sealing part or a folded part of a pouch exterior material. Therefore, considering the shape of the pouch type battery cell 100, it is difficult to stack them in an upright state in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing) in such a manner that a narrow surface (e.g., edge portion E1 or E2) faces downward. However, according to the present disclosure, since the cell cover 200 is included, the upright state, i.e., the upright state, of the pouch-type battery cell 100 is supported, so that it is easy to stack a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 in the left-right direction and/or in the front-rear direction.

Meanwhile, fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion a of fig. 3 in a state where some of the components of fig. 3 are combined.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be configured to be coupled to at least part of the electrode leads 104 of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100. The bus bar frame assembly 150 may be disposed at a side where the electrode leads 104 are formed. As shown with reference to fig. 2, the electrode leads 104 are drawn out from the pouch type battery cell 100 in two directions, and thus the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be coupled to both sides of the pouch type battery cell 100 in the longitudinal direction, respectively.

For example, the bus bar frame assembly 150 may include bus bar electrodes 160 made of an electrically conductive material and a bus bar frame 170 made of an electrically insulating material to support the bus bar electrodes 160. The bus bar frame 170 may be configured to prevent a short circuit of the bus bar electrode 160. For this, the bus bar frame 170 may be made of a polymer synthetic resin having an insulating property. On the bus bar frame 170, a lead extraction hole 175 is formed to allow the electrode lead 104 to pass through and be welded to the bus bar electrode 160.

The bus bar frame assembly 150 may electrically connect the electrode leads 104 to allow a plurality of pouch cells 100 to be electrically connected in series and/or parallel. Further, the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be configured to be connected to the control module 400 such that sensing information such as voltage is transmitted.

In addition, the battery pack 10 may further include an insulating cover 190. The insulating cover 190 may be configured to prevent a short circuit of the electrode lead 104 or the bus bar electrode 160. For this, the insulating cover 190 may be made of a polymer synthetic resin having insulating properties. Further, since the electrode leads 104 are provided at both sides of the pouch type battery cell 100, the insulating cover 190 may be included at both sides where the electrode leads 104 are provided. Of course, the bus bar frame assembly 150 itself may be allowed to perform this function without the need to separately include the insulating cover 190.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the partial configuration shown in fig. 3 alone. Fig. 6 is a view schematically illustrating two soft pack type battery cells enclosed by one cell cover in the battery pack shown in fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion B of fig. 6.

Referring to fig. 5 to 7, the cell cover 200 may be provided to at least partially encase at least some of the soft pack type battery cells 100 among the plurality of soft pack type battery cells 100. Further, in one battery pack 10, a plurality of cell covers 200 may be included.

The cell cover 200 may be configured to group and unitize a plurality of soft pack type battery cells 100 included in the battery pack 10. In this case, one single cover 200 can be said to constitute one single unit. Also, one unit cell may include one or more pouch type battery cells 100.

For example, the cell cover 200 may be configured to at least partially encase two soft pack battery cells 100. In addition to the cell units (cell units), each cell group enclosed by the cell cover 200 may also be referred to as a cell bank unit (cell bank unit). The pouch type battery cell 100 in a cell unit (cell unit) or a cell bank (cell bank) may include an electrical connection structure connected in series and/or in parallel by bus bar electrodes 160 or the like.

The cell cover 200 may be at least partially adhered to the outer surface of the pouch type battery cell 100. For example, the inner surface of the cell cover 200 may be adhered to the receiving part R of the pouch type battery cell 100. The means for adhering may be thermally conductive. By this adhesion, the cell cover 200 is firmly coupled to the pouch type battery cell 100 and may help to discharge heat generated in the pouch type battery cell 100 to the outside of the pouch type battery cell 100.

The cell cover 200 may be configured to support the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 in an upright state. In the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase one or more pouch-type battery cells 100, supporting the encased pouch-type battery cells 100 in an upright state, i.e., an erect state. In particular, the cell cover 200 may be configured such that a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 may be vertically stacked in the horizontal direction. For example, as in the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 7, a plurality of cell covers 200 are stacked on each other in a horizontal direction, and each cell cover 200 may be configured to encase one or more soft pack type battery cells 100. In this case, the configuration in which the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 are stacked side by side in the horizontal direction in the state of being respectively upright may be stably maintained by the cell cover 200.

In particular, the cell cover 200 may be configured to be self-supporting in the inner space of the battery pack case 300. That is, the cell cover 200 may be configured to maintain its own upright without resorting to other components provided in the battery pack 10, such as the battery pack case 300, the pouch-type battery cell 100, and the like.

The cell cover 200 may be configured to partially encase the pouch-type battery cell 100 such that at least one side of the encased pouch-type battery cell 100 is exposed to the outside. That is, the cell cover 200 may be configured to cover only a portion of the pouch type battery cell 100 without completely encasing the entire pouch type battery cell 100. In particular, the cell cover 200 may be configured such that at least one side of the pouch-type battery cell 100 is exposed toward the battery pack case 300. In this regard, the cell cover 200 may also be referred to by terms such as a cell sleeve (cell sleeve).

For example, referring to the embodiment of fig. 1 to 7, the cell cover 200 is configured to encase two soft pack type battery cells 100, but the encased soft pack type battery cells 100, i.e., the lower portion of the battery cells 100 accommodated in the inner space, may not be encased by the cell cover 200. Accordingly, the lower portion of the battery cell 100 may be exposed toward the battery pack case 300 and may directly face the battery pack case 300. In particular, referring to fig. 1, a lower portion of the battery cell 100 may be exposed toward the bottom surface of the bottom frame 320.

All four edge portions E1 to E4 sealed battery cells may be referred to as four-sided sealing cells, and three edge portions E1, E3, E4 sealed battery cells may be referred to as three-sided sealing cells. In this configuration, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase both sides of the receiving portion R and a portion of the edge portions E1 to E4 of the pouch-type battery cell 100 (which may be a four-sided sealing cell or a three-sided sealing cell). For example, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase three sides of the pouch-type battery cell 100Shape, shape "U-shape or "n" shape.

For example, when one cell cover 200 is configured to encase one soft pack type battery cell 100, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase both surfaces (e.g., left and right surfaces of the same housing R) of the housing R of the same soft pack type battery cell 100 and a portion of an edge portion of the corresponding battery cell 100 from the outside. In another example, when one cell cover 200 is configured to encase a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100, for example, when a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 are disposed in the left-right direction, it may be configured to encase the outer surface of the receiving part R of the outermost pouch type battery cell 100 and one side edge part of the entire pouch type battery cell 100. As a more specific example, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, one cell cover 200 may be configured to encase two soft pack battery cells 100 stacked in the left-right direction. In this case, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase the left surface of the left pouch type cell 100, the upper edge portions E1 of the two pouch type cells 100, and the right surface of the right pouch type cell 100.

According to this embodiment, the configuration in which one or more pouch-type battery cells 100 are supported and protected by one cell cover 200 can be easily implemented. Further, according to the above-described embodiments, the process of processing one or more soft pack type battery cells 100 through the cell cover 200 may be easily and safely performed. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, one cell cover 200 may face the surfaces of the two receiving parts R with respect to the pouch type battery cell 100 received therein. Accordingly, the cooling performance between the receiving portion R and the unit cover 200 may be further improved. In particular, in this case, surface cooling is achieved by the wide surface of the accommodating portion R, and thus the cooling efficiency can be improved.

In particular, the cell cover 200 may be configured to encase an edge portion, among several edge portions of the soft pack type battery cell 100 accommodated therein, where the electrode leads 104 are not disposed. For example, as shown with reference to fig. 2, the pouch-type battery cell 100 may have two electrode leads 104, i.e., one positive electrode lead and one negative electrode lead. In this case, the two electrode leads 104 may be located at the front edge portion E3 and the rear edge portion E4, respectively. In this case, the single body cover 200 may be configured to encase one of the two remaining edge portions E1, E2 other than the front edge portion E3 and the rear edge portion E4. In this way, the cell cover 200 may cover both sides and the top of the pouch type battery cell 100 while having a structure that is open at the front, rear, and bottom sides of the pouch type battery cell 100.

In particular, according to the above-described embodiments, the lower edge part E2 is located adjacent to the open end of the cell cover 200 such that it faces the battery case 300 without being enclosed by the cell cover 200 and may be in direct contact with the battery case 300. Accordingly, heat from the soft pack type battery cells 100 enclosed by the cell covers 200 can be rapidly and smoothly discharged toward the lower battery pack case 300. Therefore, the cooling performance of the battery pack 10 can be more effectively ensured.

In particular, this configuration may be more effectively implemented when cooling is performed mainly at the lower portion of the battery pack case 300. For example, in the case of a battery pack mounted on an electric vehicle, since it is mounted at the lower portion of the vehicle body, cooling may be performed mainly at the lower portion of the battery pack case 300. In this case, as in the above-described embodiment, when the lower edge portion E2 of each pouch type battery cell 100 is in face-to-face contact with the battery pack case 300, heat may be rapidly transferred from each battery cell 100 to the battery pack case 300, thereby further improving cooling performance.

Further, according to the above-described embodiments, when high-temperature gas or flame is discharged from the pouch type battery cell 100 in the case of thermal runaway, for example, the discharged gas or flame can be effectively prevented from being directed to the upper side. In particular, when the passenger is located at the upper side of the battery pack 10, for example, in an electric vehicle, the gas or flame can be suppressed or retarded toward the passenger according to the above-described embodiment.

Further, the cell covers 200 encase three sides of the pouch-type battery cell 100, and thus, the arrangement of the bus bar electrodes 160 and the electrode leads 104 on the sides not encased by the respective cell covers 200 can be easily achieved.

Further, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the discharge direction of the high-temperature gas or flame can be induced to the exposed side (the portion where the electrode lead 104 is formed) of the cell cover 200. For example, according to the above-described embodiment, since the front and rear sides of the cell cover 200 where the electrode leads 104 are located are open, gas or flame may be discharged in the direction of the opening. In particular, when the cell cover 200 is configured in the form of front and rear side openings as described above, lateral venting may be performed in the longitudinal direction of the pouch type battery cell 100.

Although the pouch-type battery cell 100 has advantages in that it is capable of realizing the same capacity with a small volume and mass due to its light weight, difficulty in occurrence of electrolyte leakage, and flexible shape, it has a task of ensuring safety, which is one of important tasks, due to the risk of explosion in the case of overheating. Overheating of the pouch type battery cell 100 occurs for various reasons, one of which may be the case when overcharged exceeding a limit flows through the pouch type battery cell 100. When overcharge is applied, the pouch type battery cell 100 generates heat by joule heat, and thus the internal temperature of the battery cell 100 rapidly increases. The rapid rise in temperature may cause decomposition reaction of the electrolyte to generate gas. This causes an increase in pressure inside the soft pack exterior material, possibly causing an expansion phenomenon (a type of swelling phenomenon), which may cause serious problems such as explosion of the secondary battery. When the inside of the pouch type battery cell 100 generates gas due to exposure to high temperature, external impact, etc., and such overcharge, it is necessary to effectively exhaust the gas to ensure the safety of the secondary battery. The discharge of the gas generated inside the secondary battery to the outside is called venting (venting). The cell cover 200 included in the battery pack 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to allow exhaust gas to be discharged, thereby ensuring safety of the secondary battery.

If the pouch type battery cell 100 is a three-sided sealed battery cell, the upper edge portion E1, which is a sealed portion of the pouch type battery cell 100, may be relatively more susceptible to the discharge of high-temperature gas or flame than the lower edge portion E2, which is an unsealed portion. However, according to the above-described embodiment, the upper edge portion E1 as the sealing portion may be disposed to face the cell cover 200, thereby more facilitating directional exhaust.

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein above, the gas or the like discharged from each of the pouch type battery cells 100 may be smoothly discharged to the outside. Further, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the discharge direction of the gas or flame discharged from the pouch type battery cell 100 may be controlled. Therefore, the propagation of thermal runaway between the adjacent pouch type battery cells 100 can be effectively prevented.

In the present disclosure, the pouch type battery cell 100 and the cell cover 200 may be directly mounted on the battery pack case 300. In addition, the lower ends of the pouch type battery cell 100 and the cell cover 200 may be seated on the upper surface of the bottom of the battery pack case 300. For example, the single body cover 200 may be directly disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom frame 320 in the embodiment of fig. 1. At this time, a portion of the unit cover 200, for example, a lower end portion of the unit cover 200 denoted by "C1" in fig. 6 and 7, may be placed in direct contact with the bottom surface of the bottom frame 320. Also, when the lower end portion of the cell cover 200 is positioned in this way, the cell cover 200 may be configured to maintain stable positioning. In this case, if the single body cover 200 is made of a metal material such as steel, particularly stainless steel (SUS), which is excellent in rigidity, the self-supporting state can be more stably maintained. Therefore, in this case, the erected state of the pouch type battery cell 100 can be more reliably supported.

According to this aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 may be directly mounted and accommodated inside the battery pack case 300 without a module case. In particular, in the case of the pouch type battery cell 100, the exterior material is made of a soft material, so it can be said that it is easily affected by external impact and has low hardness. Therefore, it is not easy to accommodate the pouch type battery cell 100 itself inside the battery pack case 300 without accommodating it in the module case. However, in the case of the present disclosure, the plurality of soft pack type battery cells 100 are coupled to the cell cover 200 in a state in which at least a portion is enclosed by the cell cover 200, and then are directly received inside the battery pack case 300, it is possible to stably maintain their stacked state.

Further, in the case of the present disclosure, CTP-type battery packs using the pouch-type battery cells 100 may be more effectively implemented. That is, in the case of the present disclosure, the battery pack 10 may be provided in a form in which the pouch type battery cells 100 are directly received inside the battery pack case 300, instead of receiving the pouch type battery cells 100 in a separate module case and receiving the module case inside the battery pack case 300. In this case, at least one side of the pouch type battery cell 100 may be exposed to the outside of the cell cover 200 and may be disposed to directly face the battery pack case 300.

Therefore, according to this aspect of the present disclosure, the battery pack 10 does not need to be further provided with a module case, a stack frame, or fastening members, such as bolts, for maintaining the stacked state of the cells. Thus, the space occupied by other components such as the module case or the stack frame, or the space for securing the tolerance thereof can be eliminated. Accordingly, since the battery cells may occupy as much space as the removed space, the energy density of the battery pack 10 may be further improved.

Further, according to the aspect of the present disclosure, since the module case, the stack frame, the bolts, and the like are not provided, the volume and weight of the battery pack may be reduced, and the manufacturing process may be simplified.

According to the present disclosure, the assemblability of the battery pack may be improved. In particular, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the process of preparing a battery module by accommodating a pouch-type battery cell in a module case and the process of accommodating one or more battery modules prepared in this manner in a battery pack case may not be performed. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified, and the manufacturing time can be reduced.

Further, according to this aspect of the present disclosure, the handling of the pouch type battery cell 100 may become easier. For example, when a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 are accommodated inside a battery pack case, the pouch type battery cells 100 may be held by a jig or the like. At this time, the clamp may hold the cell cover 200 that encases the pouch-type battery cell 100, instead of directly holding the pouch-type battery cell 100. Therefore, the damage or breakage of the pouch type battery cell 100 caused by the clamp can be prevented.

Further, according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the cell cover 200 is coupled to the pouch type battery cell 100 such that the pouch type battery cell 100 can be effectively protected without a module case.

Further, according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the cooling performance of the battery pack 10 can be more effectively ensured. In particular, according to the above-described embodiments, the pouch type battery cell 100 and the battery pack case 300 may be in direct contact with each other through the open end of the cell cover 200. That is, one side of the pouch type battery cell 100 disposed adjacent to the open end of the cell cover 200 may directly face or contact the battery pack case 300. Accordingly, heat emitted from each pouch type battery cell 100 is directly transferred to the battery pack case 300, so that cooling performance can be improved. Further, in this case, since a separate cooling structure may not be required between the pouch type battery cell 100 and the battery pack case 300, efficient cooling performance may be achieved. Also, in this case, there may be no space for the flow of a cooling medium (e.g., air) between the pouch-type battery cells 100.

Further, in this case, at least one side of the cell cover 200 is open, which may be advantageous in terms of reducing the weight of the battery pack 10. For example, when the unit cover 200 is made of a material such as steel, if the lower end of the unit cover 200 is formed in an open (open) shape, the weight of the unit cover 200 may be reduced as much as the lower plate. Further, as shown in fig. 1, the battery pack 10 may include many cell covers 200, and if all cell covers 200 do not have a lower plate and are formed in an open (open) shape, the weight of the battery pack 10 may be significantly reduced.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a structure of a long monomer having a long length in a specific direction can be more easily prepared.

For example, in the case of a conventional prismatic cell, when the length in a specific direction is formed long, the process of inserting the electrode assembly into the prismatic case may not be easy. In particular, there may be a problem such as damage of the electrode assembly during insertion of the electrode assembly. However, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the one-way lengthening of the pouch type battery cell 100 and the cell cover 200 can be easily accomplished during the steps of molding the pouch exterior material, manufacturing the electrode assembly, or manufacturing the cell cover 200. Also, a process of inserting a long single body manufactured to be lengthened in one direction through the opening side (e.g., bottom) of the single body cover 200 in this manner can be easily performed. Therefore, according to this aspect of the present disclosure, excellent assemblability, workability, productivity, and the like can be ensured even when the battery pack 10 is manufactured using long cells.

The cell cover 200 may be included in a plurality of battery packs 10. When a plurality of unit covers 200 are included, the plurality of unit covers 200 may be adhered and fixed in close contact with each other. For example, an adhesive member may be interposed at a portion where the two unit covers 200 face each other to adhesively fix them. With this adhesive arrangement, the connection arrangement between the plurality of unit covers 200 can be made stronger. For example, a plurality of unit covers 200 may be arranged side by side, and adjacent unit covers 200 may be adhered and fixed to each other. The adhesive member may be insulating. Such an adhesive member may realize insulation between the unit covers 200, which may be made of a metal material.

In another example, the plurality of cell covers 200 may be spaced apart from one another. For example, a plurality of cell covers 200 may be arranged side by side, and there may be a space between adjacent cell covers 200. For example, a plurality of cell covers 200 may be arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction, and the cell covers 200 may be spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. Direct heat transfer between the cell covers 200 may be blocked by the spaced-apart spaces. In addition, separate members required for configuring the battery pack 10 may be inserted through the spaced-apart spaces.

In particular, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may further include a thermal barrier 250, as shown in fig. 4 and 5. The thermal barrier 250 may be configured in the form of a mat made of an insulating material, and may be interposed between adjacent ones of the cell covers 200. Preferably, the thermal barrier 250 is made of a compressible material and may be interposed between adjacent ones of the unitary covers 200. Alternatively, the thermal barrier 250 may be interposed between the soft pack type battery cells 100 in one cell cover 200. For example, the thermal barrier 250 may comprise an elastic material such as a sponge.

The thermal barrier 250 may be interposed in at least a portion between the plurality of cell covers 200 in the form of a thermal insulation pad or a flame suppression pad. Such a heat insulating mat or flame suppressing mat may prevent heat or flame that may be generated in any one of the cell covers 200 from being transferred to other cell covers 200 and affecting other pouch-type battery cells 100. The flame suppressing pad may be made of a heat resistant resin such as a vinyl chloride resin, a material such as silicon or ceramic, or a composite of a heat resistant resin and a ceramic or glass filler. The thermal barrier 250 may also be formed from a metal sheet coated with a thermal barrier layer. However, the examples given herein are illustrative only and any flame retardant material is sufficient. Desirably, the thermal barrier 250 is made of a material that does not decompose, melt or ignite at least up to the temperature at which the pouch cell 100 experiences thermal runaway (e.g., 150 ℃ to 200 ℃).

Preferably, the thermal barrier 250 may be configured to be in close contact with the cell cover 200 between adjacent cell covers 200. Accordingly, the thermal barrier 250 may be configured to suppress a swelling phenomenon that may occur in the pouch type battery cell 100. The dimension of the surface of the thermal barrier 250 facing the cell cover 200 may be a dimension corresponding to the side of the cell cover 200. Accordingly, it is possible to delay the diffusion of flame due to thermal runaway of the pouch type battery cell 100 and simultaneously suppress the swelling phenomenon that may occur in the pouch type battery cell 100, so that the structural stability of the battery pack 10 may be further ensured.

The single body cover 200 may be made of various materials to ensure rigidity. In particular, the single body cover 200 may be made of a metal material. In the case of the metal material, the stacked state of the pouch type battery cells 100 may be more stably maintained, and the pouch type battery cells 100 may be more safely protected from external impact. In particular, the single body cover 200 may include a steel material, more particularly, a SUS material. For example, the single body cover 200 may be entirely made of SUS material.

In this way, when the cell cover 200 is made of a steel material, it has excellent mechanical strength and rigidity, and thus can more stably support the stacked state of the pouch type battery cells 100. Further, in this case, the pouch-type battery cell 100 can be more effectively prevented from being damaged or broken by external impact such as a needle body. Further, in this case, the handling of the pouch type battery cell 100 may become easier.

Further, as in the above-described embodiment, when the cell cover 200 is made of a steel material, the overall structure may be stably maintained due to its high melting point in the event of flame occurrence from the pouch type battery cell 100. In particular, since the steel material has a higher melting point than the aluminum material, flames may not melt and the shape thereof may remain stable even if the flames are ejected from the pouch-type battery cell 100. Therefore, the effect of preventing or delaying the flame propagation between the pouch type battery cells 100, the exhaust gas control effect, etc., can be well ensured.

Meanwhile, in the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure, a thermal interface material (TIM: thermal interface material) may be interposed between different components to increase heat transfer performance. For example, the TIM may be filled between the pouch-type battery cell 100 and the cell cover 200, between the cell cover 200 and the battery pack case 300, and/or between the pouch-type battery cell 100 and the battery pack case 300. In this case, the cooling performance of the battery pack 10 can be further improved. TIMs aim to reduce the thermal contact resistance between components. In battery packs where cooling is important, it is necessary to improve the thermal performance of the entire system by using a material capable of minimizing contact thermal resistance as described above. TIMs can be a wide variety of, for example, thermally conductive grease, thermal pads, thermally conductive adhesives, and phase change materials (PCM: phase change material). For specific examples, the TIM may be any of a thermally conductive silicone-based cement, a thermally conductive silicone pad, and a thermally conductive acrylic cement. Heat dissipating silicone-based adhesives and heat dissipating acrylic adhesives are one or two liquid types commercially available and may be applied between different components by coating or injection. The heat-dissipating silicone pad includes a base film such as a double-sided tape and release paper on its top and bottom, which can be applied between different components by an adhesion method after the release paper is removed. Since the heat-dissipating silicone-based adhesive, the heat-dissipating silicone pad, and the heat-dissipating acrylic adhesive have higher thermal conductivity than general adhesives, the amount and speed of heat transfer between different components can be further increased. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat dissipation performance of the pouch-type battery cell 100 may be further enhanced, and thus the cooling performance of the battery pack 10 may be further improved.

In addition, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may further include an insulating mat 260, as shown in fig. 3 to 5. The insulating pad 260 is made of a material having an electrical insulating property, and may be in contact with a surface of the at least one unit cover 200. For example, as shown in fig. 5, the insulating mat 260 may be positioned at both ends in the stacking direction of the cell assembly including the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 and the plurality of cell covers 200 stacked in the left-right direction. In particular, the insulating mat 260 may be configured to be inserted into the bus bar frame assembly 1 together with the cell cover 200. The insulating mat 260 may be made of the same material as GFRP.

The cell cover 200 may further include an insulating member (not shown). The insulating member may be made of an electrically insulating material and may be disposed on the inner surface of the cell cover 200 accommodating the pouch-type battery cell 100. In particular, the insulating member may have an adhesive layer on at least one side, which may be adhered to the inner surface of the cell cover 200. Further, the insulating member may have adhesive layers on both sides, which may adhere not only to the inner surface of the cell cover 200 but also to the pouch type battery cell 100. Further, the insulating member may be made of a heat resistant material. For example, the insulating member may be configured in the form of a heat resistant belt that applies an adhesive to the surface of the ceramic sheet having heat resistance. The insulating member may also be a film made of Polyimide (PI) material. In addition, the insulating members may be located on the inner and outer surfaces, i.e., both sides, of the unit cover 200.

Meanwhile, the cell cover 200 is described in more detail with reference to fig. 5 to 7, and the cell cover 200 is provided to cover both sides and the upper edge portion El of the receiving portion R of the enclosed pouch type battery cell 100. The cell cover 200 may include a first side cover part 210 covering one side of the enclosed pouch type battery cell 100, a second side cover part 220 covering the other side of the enclosed pouch type battery cell 100, and an upper cover part 230 connecting the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 and covering an upper end part of the enclosed pouch type battery cell 100.

For example, the first side cover part 210 may cover the outer surface of the receiving part R of the leftmost soft pack type battery cell 100 among the soft pack type battery cells 100 enclosed by the cell cover 200. The second side cover part 220 may cover an outer surface of the receiving part R of the rightmost pouch type battery cell 100 among the pouch type battery cells 100 enclosed by the cell cover 200.

The upper cover part 230 may be configured to enclose the top of the upper edge part E1 of the pouch type battery cell 100 accommodated therein. The upper cover 230 may be configured in a planar shape. In this case, the upper cover part 230 has a cross section formed in a straight line shape in the horizontal direction, so that the upper edge part E1 of the pouch type battery cell 100 may be enclosed in a straight line shape from the outside.

It is possible to easily implement a configuration that changes the number of the soft pack type battery cells 100 enclosed by the cell cover 200. In particular, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of unit cells accommodated by the cell cover 200 may be easily changed by changing the width of the cell cover 200 (the width in the Y-axis direction of the upper cover part 230). Therefore, in this case, a change in capacity or output through one unit cover 200 can be easily performed.

The first side cover part 210 may be configured to extend downward from one end of the upper cover part 230. For example, the first side cover part 210 may be configured to extend downward longer from the left end of the upper cover part 230. The first side cover part 210 may be configured to cover the wide surface of the soft pack type battery cell 100 accommodated therein. Further, the first side cover part 210 may be formed in a planar shape. In this case, the first side cover part 210 may be configured in a form of bending at the upper cover part 230.

The second side cover part 220 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the first side cover part 210 in a horizontal direction. Also, the second side cover part 220 may be configured to extend downward from the other end of the upper cover part 230. For example, the second side cover part 220 may be configured to extend downward longer from the right end of the upper cover part 230. Also, the second side cover part 220 may be configured to cover the wide surface of the soft pack type battery cell 100 accommodated therein. The second side cover 220 may be formed in a planar shape like the first side cover 210. In this case, the second side cover part 220 may also be configured in a form of bending at the upper cover part 230.

In the above embodiment, the inner space may be limited by the first side cover part 210, the second side cover part 220, and the upper cover part 230. Also, the cell cover 200 may accommodate one or more pouch type battery cells 100 in the limited inner space.

In this case, the cross-sectional configuration of the single body cover 200 can be said to be substantially similar to an "n" shape as viewed from the front side. Therefore, in this case, the single body cover 200 may be referred to as "n-fin (n-shaped fin)". Further, each set of cells may be covered with a cell cover 200.

Meanwhile, in the drawings attached to the present specification, the single cover 200 is illustrated centering on the configuration formed in the "n" shape, but the single cover 200 may be formed in the "U" shape. In this case, the cell cover 200 may be provided to cover both sides and the lower edge portion E2 of the receiving portion R of the pouch type battery cell 100.

Preferably, the single body cover 200 may be integrally formed. In this case, the single body cover 200 may be configured by bending a metal plate with a plate structure. That is, the single body cover 200 may be formed in a shape in which one plate is bent. The cell cover 200 may be configured to encase one or more pouch-type battery cells 100 by bending both ends of one plate in the same direction. In particular, when the first side cover part 210, the second side cover part 220, and the upper cover part 230 are provided in one single cover 200, the first side cover part 210, the second side cover part 220, and the upper cover part 230 may be formed of one plate. In this case, it can be said that several parts of the single body cover 200 are integrally manufactured. Here, each component may be distinguished by a bend. In particular, two bending portions may be formed in one plate. Based on the two bent portions, the first side cover portion 210, the second side cover portion 220, and the upper cover portion 230 can be distinguished. Specifically, a central portion of one plate forms the upper cover part 230, and both sides are bent or folded downward about the upper cover part 230 by about 90 degrees, thereby forming the first and second side cover parts 210 and 220. In this way, the configuration of forming the bent portion in one plate to form the single body cover 200 may be implemented in various manners, such as pressing (pressing) or roll forming (roll forming).

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the manufacture of the single body cover 200 may be simplified. Further, the cell cover 200 having a simplified structure is made of a metal material having higher rigidity than the case (e.g., soft pack exterior material) of the soft pack battery cell 100, so that the soft pack battery cell 100 enclosed by the cell cover 200 can be protected from external impact or vibration. Further, in this case, the heat conduction performance by the single body cover 200 is further enhanced, which may further improve the cooling performance.

The cell cover 200 may include an insulating coating layer on an inner surface thereof. The insulating coating layer may be coated, or attached with any one of silicone, polyamide, and rubber. According to the configuration of the insulating coating layer of the unit cover 200 of this embodiment, the insulating coating effect can be maximized with the minimum coating amount. Further, since the insulating coating layer is applied on the inner surface of the cell cover 200, insulation between the pouch-type battery cell 100 and the cell cover 200 may be reinforced.

The first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may be configured to have the same size. Further, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may be configured to have different sizes.

For example, when a plurality of the unit covers 200 are included, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may have the same size in some of the unit covers 200. In some other unit covers 200, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may be different in size from each other.

For example, the cell cover 200 may include a first side cover part 210 located at the left side and a second side cover part 220 located at the right side based on the pouch type battery cell 100 accommodated therein. In this case, the first side cover part 210 may be formed to be smaller in size than the second side cover part 220. In particular, the second side cover part 220 may be formed to extend more prominently toward the side where the bus bar frame assembly 150 is located than the first side cover part 110. For example, as shown in fig. 6, the length L2 of the second side cover part 220 in the front-rear direction may be greater than the length L1 of the first side cover part 210 in the front-rear direction.

Further, as shown in fig. 6, the vertical length S1 of the first side cover part 210 and the vertical length S2 of the second side cover part 220 may be the same or different. When the vertical length S1 of the first side cover part 210 and the vertical length S2 of the second side cover part 220 are the same, the self-supporting configuration of the unit cover 200 can be more easily achieved.

When the vertical length S1 of the first side cover part 210 and the vertical length S2 of the second side cover part 220 are different, a longer side cover part may be inserted into the battery pack case 300, which enables the cell cover 200 to be firmly fixed. The battery pack case 300 may have fastening grooves in order to fit and fix the longer side cover parts. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the coupling force between the cell cover 200 and the battery pack case 300 may be improved. Therefore, even if exhaust gas or the like is generated from the pouch type battery cell 100, the change in shape or position thereof can be minimized, and the overall structure of the battery pack 10 can be maintained as it is. The stacked state of the cell cover 200 and the pouch type battery cells 100 accommodated therein can be stably maintained even in the case of vibration or impact such as applied to the battery pack 10 or expansion of the pouch type battery cells 100. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the movement of the single cover 200 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction can be effectively prevented. Further, according to the above-described embodiments, the assembly position of the cell cover 200 may be guided by the mating structure between the cell cover 200 and the battery pack case 300. Therefore, in this case, the assemblability of the battery pack 10 can be further improved.

Further, two or more cell covers 200 may be included in the battery pack 10, as shown in fig. 1, 3, and 4. In this case, the adjacent unit covers 200 may be disposed such that the same-sized side cover parts face each other. For example, the adjacent cell covers 200 may be configured such that the small first side cover portions 210 face each other or the large second side cover portions 220 face each other.

Referring to fig. 4, 6-8, the cell cover 200 may be configured such that the end C2 is inserted into the busbar frame assembly 150, and in particular the busbar frame 170. Since the bus bar frame assemblies 150 are respectively located at the front and rear sides of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100, as shown in fig. 3, the front and rear ends of the cell cover 200 may be respectively inserted into the bus bar frame assemblies 150 located at the front and rear sides.

For example, as shown by "AA" in fig. 8, the end C2 of the cell cover 200 may be inserted into the bus bar frame assembly 150. Here, the cell cover 200 may be inserted in a form in which the cell cover 200 may or may not penetrate the bus bar frame assembly 150. For this, in the bus bar frame assembly 150, particularly the bus bar frame 170, an insertion portion H in the form of a groove or hole may be formed so that the end C2 of the cell cover 200 is inserted. By the cell cover 200 inserted into the bus bar frame assembly 150, exhaust gas and/or flame discharged from any one of the pouch-type battery cells 100 is more reliably prevented from being directed to the other cell cover 200.

A lead extraction hole 175 is formed in the bus bar frame 170 to allow the electrode lead 104 to pass through and be welded to the bus bar electrode 160. The insertion portion H may be formed at a position spaced apart from the lead extraction hole 175. As shown in the drawing, a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 are formed in groups of, for example, two such that electrode leads 104 provided in a pair of pouch type battery cells 100 belonging to the same group may be drawn out to the outside through the same lead drawing hole 175. In addition, a pair of electrode leads 104 led out to the outside through the lead extraction hole 175 are attached to the same bus bar electrode 160 by welding or the like. Of course, the number and polarity of the electrode leads 104 drawn through one lead extraction hole 175 may be different from the examples shown herein according to the series and parallel connection relationship of the pouch type battery cells 100.

The bus bar frame 170 may include a plurality of lead guides 180 formed at a lower portion of the lead extraction hole 175 and guiding the electrode leads 104 to extend from below the lead extraction hole 175 in a direction toward the lead extraction hole 175. Preferably, the insertion portion H is formed in the lead guide 180. The wire guide 180 may have a substantially triangular, rectangular, or trapezoidal structure in a cross section perpendicular to the Z axis, and the insertion portion H may be formed at an apex portion of the triangle or an upper surface portion of the rectangle or trapezoid. In particular, the lead guide 180 may be formed with a structure thicker than other portions of the bus bar frame 170 or having walls, and thus, when the insertion portion H is formed in the lead guide 180, the depth D of the insertion portion H may be sufficiently deepened, whereby the cell cover 200 may be inserted and stably held.

In this embodiment, the cell cover 200 may be inserted or threaded into the bus bar frame assembly 150 after encasing one or more soft pack battery cells 100 or cell assemblies. Thus, an independent space is formed between the cell sets, which can prevent the exhaust gas or flame from being directly transferred to the cell stage spaces at the front edge portion E3 and the rear edge portion E4.

Therefore, in this case, thermal runaway propagation or the like between the pouch-type battery cells 100 inside the battery pack 10 can be effectively suppressed or delayed. In particular, according to the above-described embodiments, thermal runaway propagation due to thermal convection through the monomer table space can be effectively prevented.

In addition, when thermal runaway occurs in a specific soft pack type battery cell 100 within one cell set, it is possible to effectively respond to a thermal event. Thermal propagation between the cell assemblies may be effectively inhibited or retarded by the cell cover 200.

At the same time, the exhaust gas may be directed in a specific direction in the separate spaces between each set of monomers. For example, the exhaust gas may be discharged from each independent space to the lower side of the cell cover 200. Alternatively, an outlet may be formed at a specific portion of the cell cover 200, and exhaust gas may be discharged to the outside from each independent space through the outlet. Accordingly, the top frame 310 may be protected by preventing exhaust gas from being discharged to the top frame 310, and heat/flame propagation between the cells may be prevented by applying a sealing structure to each cell and the bank.

The end of the thermal barrier 250 (see D1 in fig. 5) may be inserted into the bus bar frame assembly l 50 together with the cell cover 200. In particular, the thermal barrier 250 and the unitary cover 200 may be inserted into the same insert H, as shown in "BB" of fig. 8. In this case, the bondability of the thermal barrier 250 with the unitary cover 200 may be improved. In particular, the cell cover 200 is integral with the thermal barrier 250 and may be inserted into the busbar frame assembly 150 to form a sealed space between the cell sets. Since the thermal barrier 250 may be made of a compressible material, isolation between the cell sets may be further ensured by tightening the width of the insert H and inserting the thermal barrier 250 in a compressed state.

In the case of a conventional battery pack or battery module, a silicon heat insulating pad is interposed between battery cells to avoid direct contact between the cells, thereby delaying heat propagation by conduction, but they may have a structure susceptible to heat propagation by convection in space. In addition, convection is likely to occur in the region where the electrode lead and the bus bar frame assembly exist, and thus, when a thermal event occurs in a specific battery cell, there may be a problem in that heat propagation is caused due to the thermal convection of the electrode lead side.

According to the present disclosure, each set (bank) may be sealed by inserting the cell cover 200 into the bus bar frame assembly 1. Since heat propagation due to convection is blocked by the cell cover 200, the battery pack 10 including the cell cover 200 and the bus bar frame assembly 150 has improved safety against thermal runaway, fire, explosion, etc., i.e., thermal safety.

As described previously, the adjacent unit covers 200 may be configured such that the small first side cover parts 210 face each other or the large second side cover parts 220 face each other. In this case, two first side cover parts 210 facing each other may be inserted into the same insertion part H of the bus bar frame assembly 150, as shown by "CC" in fig. 8. Also, two second side cover parts 220 facing each other may be inserted into the same insertion part H of the bus bar frame assembly 150, as shown by "DD" in fig. 8.

Further, any one of the first and second side cover parts 210 and 220 may be inserted in a form penetrating the bus bar frame assembly 150, and the other one of the first and second side cover parts 210 and 220 may be inserted in a form not penetrating the bus bar frame assembly 150.

For example, as shown in fig. 8, in each of the cell covers 200, the second side cover part 220 may be inserted into the insertion part H of the bus bar frame assembly 150 in the form of penetrating the bus bar frame assembly 150 as shown by "DD" in fig. 8. In this case, the insertion portion H into which the second side cover portion 220 is inserted is a hole. Further, in each cell cover 200, the first side cover part 210 may be inserted into the insertion part H of the bus bar frame assembly 150 in a form of not penetrating the bus bar frame assembly 150 as shown by "CC" in fig. 8. In this case, the insertion portion H into which the first side cover portion 210 is inserted is a groove.

Further, in some cell covers 200 within the battery pack 10, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may have the same size according to the shape of the bus bar frame assembly 150 or the variation in connection relationship between the electrode leads 104. In the example shown in fig. 8, eight monomer sets are included. The electrode leads 104 of the two pouch-type battery cells 100 in the first leftmost cell set are welded to one bus bar electrode 160a. The electrode leads 104 of the pouch battery cells 100 in the second and third cell sets adjacent to the first cell set are welded to the same bus bar electrode 160b. In the cell cover 200 of the first cell set and the third cell set, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 may have different sizes. In the cell cover 200 of the second cell set, the first side cover part 210 and the second side cover part 220 have the same size.

Meanwhile, one or more battery modules may be accommodated in the battery pack. In this case, the configurations described in the above-described respective embodiments, such as the configurations of the pouch-type battery cells, the bus bar frame assembly, and the cell covers, may also be applied to the battery module.

Referring to fig. 9, the battery module 20 may be a battery module in which one or more battery modules are accommodated in an inner space of the battery pack case 300 shown in fig. 1. The battery module 20 may include a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 as described above.

The bus bar frame assembly 150 is coupled to at least some of the electrode leads 104 of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100. The battery module 20 is provided to at least partially encase at least some of the pouch-type battery cells 100 among the plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100, and further includes a cell cover 200 whose end portion C2 is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly 150.

The battery module 20 may include a module case accommodating a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 in an inner space. The module housing may be configured to be at least partially open. Also, the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be configured to be coupled to an opening of the module housing. If further included, the insulating cover 190 may also be configured to be coupled to the opening of the module housing.

For example, the module case may include a main body frame MC1. The main body frame MC1 may be configured such that upper, lower, left, and right sides are closed, and front and rear sides are opened to the inner space. At this time, the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side may each be configured in the form of a plate, and the four plates may be manufactured in the form of tubes integrally formed with each other. Also, this type of body frame MC1 may be referred to as a single frame (mono frame). In this case, the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be coupled to the front and rear openings of the main body frame MC1.

In another example, a module housing may include a U-shaped frame and a top plate. The left side panel and the right side panel may be configured to integrally form a U-shaped frame with the bottom panel. The top plate may be coupled to an upper portion of the U-shaped frame, and the bus bar frame assembly 150 may be coupled to openings of front and rear ends of the U-shaped frame, respectively.

Further, since descriptions of the respective components of the battery pack 10 of the present disclosure may be applied to the respective components of the battery module 20 according to the present disclosure in the same or similar manner, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The battery pack 10 or the battery module 20 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various devices. These devices represent vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The battery pack 10 is suitable for use as a battery pack for an electric vehicle. In addition, it can be used as an energy source for ESS. ESS refers to a stand-alone system that stores power in excess of hundreds of kilowatt-hours (kWH). ESS is central to the renewable energy industry. Since it is difficult to generate electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy at a desired time, it is important to store and make available electricity at the desired time. The battery pack 10 of the present disclosure may have an energy density and capacity suitable for use as an energy source for such an ESS.

Fig. 10 shows a vehicle V according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 10, a vehicle V according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one battery pack 10 according to any of the various embodiments described above.

Here, the vehicle V may include, for example, a predetermined vehicle using electric power as a driving source, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. In addition, the vehicle V may further include various other components included in the vehicle, such as a vehicle body, a motor, and the like, in addition to the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure.

The battery pack 10 may be disposed at a predetermined position within the vehicle V. The battery pack 10 may be used as an electric energy source to drive the vehicle V by supplying driving force to an electric motor of the electric vehicle. In this case, the battery pack 10 has a high nominal voltage of 100V or more.

The battery pack 10 may be charged or discharged by the inverter according to driving of the electric motor and/or the internal combustion engine. The battery pack 10 may be charged by a regenerative charging device coupled to the brake. The battery pack 10 may be electrically connected to the motor of the vehicle V through an inverter.

In this way, the battery pack 10 provided in the vehicle V can supply electric power required for various operations of the vehicle V. Further, since the battery pack 10 has the various effects described above, the vehicle V including the same may also have such effects.

As a specific example, the battery pack 10 includes the cell cover 200 so that the module case may be omitted, thereby having a high energy density. Energy density refers to the amount of energy stored per unit weight. If the energy density of the battery pack increases, more energy is stored in the battery pack for the same weight. Therefore, in the case of the vehicle V including such a battery pack 10, it can be used in various ways, such as further increasing mileage per charge, accelerating faster, loading more luggage, making the internal space larger, and the like. Furthermore, as the energy density of the battery pack increases, it becomes lighter for the same energy. This also has various advantages such as better acceleration, improved energy efficiency, and greater durability if the battery pack 10 becomes lighter and the vehicle V including it becomes lighter.

As another specific example, the battery pack 10 may have high safety. Since vehicles are directly related to human life, security is never compromised. There is always a risk of ignition in the pouch-type battery cell 100 due to the physical characteristics of lithium. However, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure includes the cell cover 200 such that even if a thermal event occurs in the pouch-type battery cell 100, it can be prevented from being transferred to other parts. Therefore, the fire safety of the vehicle V including the battery pack 10 can be ensured.

The disclosure has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that various modified embodiments may be implemented within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed above should be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. That is, the scope of the true technical idea of the present disclosure is shown in the claims, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Meanwhile, the terms indicating directions as used herein are used for convenience of description only, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the terms may be changed according to the positions of the elements or observers.

[ description of reference numerals ]

10: battery pack

20: battery module

100: soft package type battery cell

150: bus bar frame assembly

160: bus bar electrode

170: bus bar frame

180: lead guide

190: insulating cover

200: single cover

210: first side cover part

220: second side cover part

230: upper cover part

250: thermal barrier

260: insulating pad

300: battery pack case

310: top frame

320: bottom frame

400: control module

H: insertion part

V: vehicle with a vehicle body having a vehicle body support

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of soft pack type battery cells each having an electrode lead;

a bus bar frame assembly coupled to at least a portion of electrode leads among the electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells; and

and a cell cover configured to at least partially encase at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells, wherein an end of the cell cover is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover is configured to support the plurality of pouch cells in an upright state.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising a battery pack case accommodating the pouch type battery cell in an inner space,

wherein the cell cover partially encloses the pouch type battery cell such that at least one side of the enclosed pouch type battery cell is exposed toward the battery pack case.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the pouch-type battery cell has a receiving part receiving the electrode assembly and an edge part surrounding the receiving part,

wherein the cell cover is configured to encase both sides of the accommodation portion and a portion of the edge portion of the encased soft pack type battery cell.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, wherein the cell cover is provided to cover both sides of the receiving part and an upper or lower edge part of the enclosed pouch type battery cell.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover comprises:

a first side cover part covering one side of the enclosed soft-pack battery cell;

a second side cover part covering the other side of the enclosed soft package type battery cell; and

and an upper cover part connecting the first side cover part and the second side cover part and covering the upper end part of the enclosed soft package type battery cell.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the first side cover part and the second side cover part are configured to have different sizes.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the battery pack includes two or more of the cell covers, wherein adjacent cell covers are disposed such that the first side cover parts having the same size face each other or the second side cover parts having the same size face each other.

9. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein either one of the first side cover part and the second side cover part is inserted in a form penetrating the bus bar frame assembly, and the other one of the first side cover part and the second side cover part is inserted in a form not penetrating the bus bar frame assembly.

10. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein either one of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion is formed to extend more prominently to a side where the bus bar frame assembly is located than the other one of the first side cover portion and the second side cover portion.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar frame assemblies are located at front and rear sides of the plurality of pouch type battery cells, respectively, and front and rear ends of the cell covers are inserted into the bus bar frame assemblies, respectively.

12. The battery pack of claim 1, comprising two or more cell covers, wherein a thermal barrier is interposed between adjacent cell covers.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein an end of the thermal barrier is inserted into the busbar frame assembly with the cell cover.

14. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising an insulating pad in contact with a surface of the cell cover.

15. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the cell cover is configured in the form of a bent plate.

16. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the cell cover comprises an insulating coating on an inner surface.

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

18. A battery module, one or more of which are accommodated in an inner space of a battery pack case, the battery module comprising:

a plurality of soft pack type battery cells each having an electrode lead;

a bus bar frame assembly coupled to at least a portion of the electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells;

a cell cover configured to at least partially encase at least a portion of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells, wherein an end of the cell cover is inserted into the bus bar frame assembly; and

a module case accommodating the pouch-type battery cell in the inner space.

19. The battery module of claim 18, wherein the module housing is configured such that it is at least partially open, and the bus bar frame assembly is configured to be coupled to the opening of the module housing.

20. A vehicle comprising the battery module of claim 18 or 19.