KR102605182B1 - Battery module, battery pack comprising the battery module and vehicle comprising the battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells, a module case that accommodates the plurality of battery cells, and is provided with a cell support portion supporting the plurality of battery cells, and a cell support portion of the module case and a plurality of battery cells. It is disposed between the battery cells and is characterized by including a leakage prevention pad that prevents the creation of a gap between the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion.

Description

Battery modules, battery packs including such battery modules, and automobiles including such battery packs {BATTERY MODULE, BATTERY PACK COMPRISING THE BATTERY MODULE AND VEHICLE COMPRISING THE BATTERY PACK}

The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including such a battery module, and a vehicle including such a battery pack.

Secondary batteries, which are easy to apply depending on the product group and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EV, Electric Vehicle) or hybrid vehicles (HEV, Hybrid Electric Vehicle) that are driven by an electrical drive source. It is universally applied. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency, not only because they have the primary advantage of being able to dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels, but also because they do not generate any by-products due to energy use.

Types of secondary batteries currently widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of these unit secondary battery cells, that is, unit battery cells, is approximately 2.5V to 4.6V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack is formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. Additionally, a battery pack may be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel depending on the charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be set in various ways depending on the required output voltage or charge/discharge capacity.

Meanwhile, when configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel, a battery module containing at least one battery cell is first configured, and other components are added using this at least one battery module. There are common ways to configure battery packs.

In the case of the edge cooling method among conventional battery modules, thermal interface material is injected into the module case that accommodates the battery cells. In this case, in a conventional battery module, a leakage prevention pad having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape is mounted in the module case to prevent liquid leakage. In addition, in the case of the module case of a conventional battery module, a cell support portion provided in a bead shape corresponding to the shape of the battery case is provided to stably fix battery cells provided as pouch-type secondary batteries inside. Here, the above-described leak-proof pad is generally mounted on the cell support portion of the module case.

However, in the case of a conventional battery module, when installing such a leakage prevention pad, a gap space of a predetermined size is inevitably created between the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped leakage prevention pad and the bead-shaped cell support part due to the shape difference. The issue of liquid leakage into the gap space is a problem.

Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can prevent the creation of a gap space when a leak-proof pad is installed in a module case, a battery pack including this battery module, and a vehicle including this battery pack.

In order to solve the above object, the present invention provides a battery module, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a module case that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and is provided with a cell support portion that supports the plurality of battery cells; and a leak-proof pad disposed between a cell support portion of the module case and the plurality of battery cells, and preventing a gap from being created between the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion. .

The leakage prevention pad includes: a pad body disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion; and a contact guide pattern provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body, which is deformed when the leakage prevention pad is installed and is placed in contact with the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion.

The leakage prevention pad may include at least one adhesive tape provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body and the contact guide pattern.

The leak-proof pad may include at least one release paper detachably mounted on the at least one adhesive tape.

The contact guide pattern includes: a plurality of first cut patterns provided on the upper surface of the pad body and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; and a plurality of second cut patterns provided on the lower surface of the pad body and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

Each of the plurality of battery cells includes an electrode assembly; and a battery case packaging the electrode assembly, wherein the battery case includes: a case body accommodating the electrode assembly; and a case terrace protruding from the case body, wherein case terraces of the plurality of battery cells may be inserted into the plurality of first cut patterns.

The cell support unit includes a plurality of case main support units provided on an upper side of the bottom of the module case and supporting the case main body; and a plurality of case terrace supports arranged alternately with the plurality of case body supports and supporting the case terrace.

The plurality of second cut patterns are provided on upper sides of the plurality of case body supports, and may be deformed when the leakage prevention pad is installed and may contact the upper surfaces of the plurality of case body supports.

The plurality of first cut patterns and the plurality of second cut patterns may be alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the pad body.

The plurality of first cut patterns and the plurality of second cut patterns may have a groove shape having a predetermined depth from the pad body.

And, the present invention provides a battery pack, including at least one battery module according to the above-described embodiments; and a pack case packaging the at least one battery module.

In addition, the present invention provides a vehicle, characterized in that it includes at least one battery pack according to the above-described embodiment.

According to the various embodiments described above, a battery module capable of preventing the creation of a gap space when a leak-proof pad is installed in a module case, a battery pack including such a battery module, and a vehicle including such a battery pack can be provided. there is.

The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention described later, so the present invention includes the matters described in such drawings. It should not be interpreted as limited to only .
1 is a diagram for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the bottom of the module case of the battery module of FIG. 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining the leakage prevention pad of the battery module of Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the assembly process of the battery module of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will become more apparent by detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are shown as examples to aid understanding of the invention, and it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented with various modifications different from the embodiments described herein. Additionally, in order to aid understanding of the invention, the attached drawings are not drawn to actual scale and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

1 is a diagram for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the bottom of the module case of the battery module of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining the battery of FIG. 1. This is a drawing to explain the leak-proof pad of the module.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the battery module 10 may include a battery cell 100, a module case 200, and a leakage prevention pad 300.

The battery cell 100 is a secondary battery and may be provided as a pouch-type secondary battery. The battery cells 100 may be provided in plural numbers and may be electrically connected to each other.

The plurality of battery cells 100 each include an electrode assembly, a pair of electrode leads electrically connected to the electrode assembly, and a battery case that at least partially protrudes the pair of electrode leads and packages the electrode assembly. It may include (150).

Here, the battery case 150 may include a case body 152 that accommodates the electrode assembly and a case terrace 154 protruding from the case body 152.

The module case 200 can accommodate the plurality of battery cells 100. To this end, the module case 200 may be provided with an accommodating space capable of accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100.

A thermal interface material (TIM) may be injected into the module case 200 to cool the plurality of battery cells 100. In this embodiment, the battery module 10 has an edge cooling type cooling structure, and the plurality of battery cells 100 are cooled inside the module case 200 near at least one edge of the module case 200. A thermal interface material may be injected to achieve this.

The module case 200 may be provided with a cell support portion 250.

The cell support unit 250 is intended to support the plurality of battery cells 100 accommodated in the module case 200, and may be provided on the inner bottom of the module case 200.

The cell support 250 may include a plurality of case body supports 252 and a plurality of case terrace supports 254.

The plurality of case body supports 252 are provided on the upper bottom of the module case 200 and can support the plurality of battery cells 100. Specifically, the plurality of case body supports 252 may support the case bodies 152 of the battery case 150 of the plurality of battery cells 100.

The plurality of case terrace supports 254 are disposed alternately with the plurality of case body supports 252 along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 100 and are disposed on the upper bottom of the module case 200. It can be provided.

The plurality of case terrace supports 254 support the case terrace 154 of the battery case 150 of the plurality of battery cells 100, and are provided from the plurality of case body supports 252. It may be provided in the shape of a groove having a predetermined depth in the vertical direction.

The leakage prevention pad 300 is used to prevent leakage of the thermal interface material and to cushion external shocks transmitted to the plurality of battery cells 100 within the module case 200. It may be disposed between the cell support part 250 of the case 200 and the plurality of battery cells 100.

The leakage prevention pad 300 is mounted inside the module case 200 and can also prevent a gap from being created between the plurality of battery cells 100 and the cell support unit 250.

Hereinafter, we will look at the leakage prevention pad 300 according to this embodiment in more detail.

The leakage prevention pad 300 may include a pad body 310, an adhesive tape 330, a release paper 350, and contact guide patterns 370 and 380.

The pad body 310 is disposed between the plurality of battery cells 100 and the cell support part 250, and may be formed to have a predetermined length along the stacking direction of the battery cells 100.

The adhesive tape 330 is intended to improve the fixing force of the pad body 310, and may be provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body 310 and the contact guide patterns 370 and 380, which will be described later. The at least one adhesive tape 330 may be provided as a double-sided tape to slim the leakage prevention pad 300.

The release paper 350 may be detachably mounted on the at least one adhesive tape 330. The release paper 350 is attached to the at least one adhesive tape 330 during the assembly process of the battery module 10, before transferring the leakage prevention pad 300 or assembling it into the module case 200. It can be protected, and when assembling the leakage prevention pad 300 into the module case 200, it can be separated from the at least one adhesive tape 330.

The contact guide patterns 370 and 380 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body 310, and are deformed when the leakage-prevention pad 300 is mounted, and are used to connect the plurality of battery cells 100 and the cell support portion 250. Can be placed in contact.

The contact guide patterns 370 and 380 may include a first cut pattern 370 and a second cut pattern 380.

The first cut pattern 370 is provided on the upper surface of the pad body 310, and may be provided in plural pieces and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The plurality of first cut patterns 370 may be arranged to be spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 100.

The case terrace 154 of the battery case 150 of the plurality of battery cells 100 may be inserted into the plurality of first cut patterns 370, respectively. To this end, the plurality of first cut patterns 370 may have a groove shape having a predetermined depth from the pad body 310.

Here, the shape of the plurality of first cut patterns 370 is the shape of the protruding portion of the case terrace 154 of the battery case 150 or the shape of the cell support portion 250 of the module case 200. can be formed correspondingly.

The plurality of first cut patterns 370 may be at least partially deformed and in contact with the surface of the case terrace 154 upon insertion of the case terrace 154 when the leakage prevention pad 300 is mounted. .

The second cut pattern 380 is provided on the lower surface of the pad body 310, and may be provided in plural pieces and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The plurality of second cut patterns 380 may be arranged to be spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 100.

The plurality of second cut patterns 380 are provided on the upper side of the plurality of case body supports 252 of the cell support part 250, and are at least partially deformed when the leakage prevention pad 300 is installed. It may be in contact with the upper surface of the plurality of case body supports 252.

The plurality of second cut patterns 380 may have a groove shape having a predetermined depth from the pad body 310. Here, the shape of the plurality of second cut patterns 380 may be formed to correspond to the shape of the cell support portion 250 of the module case 200.

The plurality of second cut patterns 380 may be arranged alternately with the plurality of first cut patterns 370 along the longitudinal direction of the pad body 310, that is, the horizontal direction.

Below, we will look at the assembly process of the leakage-prevention pad 300 of the battery module 10 according to this embodiment in more detail.

Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the assembly process of the battery module of Figure 1.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, during the assembly process of the leak-proof pad 300 of the battery module 10, first, the leak-proof pad ( 300) can be placed.

Thereafter, the plurality of battery cells 100 and the leak-proof pad 300 are mounted in the module case 200 while pressing the plurality of battery cells 100 downward from the upper side of the leak-proof pad 300. You can.

Here, the contact guide patterns 370 and 380 of the leakage prevention pad 300 are at least partially deformed according to the downward pressure and are used to form the battery cases 150 and the module case of the plurality of battery cells 100. As the contact area of 200 with the cell supports 250 is maximized, the creation of gaps between them can be prevented.

Specifically, the plurality of first cut patterns 370 are at least partially deformed when the downward pressure is applied, thereby maximizing contact with the case terrace 154 of the battery case 150 and preventing a gap between the two. You can.

At this time, the portion of the pad body 310 disposed below the plurality of first cut patterns 370 is pressed downward and the case terrace supports of the cell support portion 250 of the module case 200 It can be in close contact with (254).

The plurality of second cut patterns 380 may be at least partially deformed when the downward pressure is applied and may come into close contact with the case body supports 252 of the cell support part 250.

In addition, the plurality of second cut patterns 380 are formed on the case terrace supports of the pad body 310 disposed below the plurality of first cut patterns 370 according to the partial deformation ( 254) can guide close contact.

In this way, in this embodiment, the amount of deformation of the pad body 310 is improved when the module case 200 of the leakage prevention pad 300 is mounted through the contact guide patterns 370 and 380, thereby improving the amount of deformation of the pad body 310. Adhesion between the main body 310 and the plurality of battery cells 100 and the cell support part 250 of the module case 200 of the pad main body 310 can be strengthened.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, the creation of a gap space can be prevented when the leakage prevention pad 300 is mounted in the module case 200, thereby solving leakage issue problems such as leakage defects in the thermal interface material. .

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the battery pack 1 may include at least one battery module 10 according to the previous embodiment and a pack case 50 packaging the at least one battery module 10.

The battery pack 1 can be installed in a vehicle as a fuel source for the vehicle. For example, the battery pack 1 may be installed in an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and other vehicles that can use the battery pack 1 as a fuel source.

In addition, of course, the battery pack 1 may be installed in other devices, instruments, and facilities, such as an energy storage system using secondary batteries, in addition to the vehicle.

In this way, the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment and devices, instruments, and equipment equipped with the battery pack 1, such as the automobile, include the battery module 10 described above, and the battery module 10 described above. It is possible to implement a battery pack 1 that has all the advantages due to (10) and devices, mechanisms, and equipment such as automobiles equipped with this battery pack 1.

According to the various embodiments described above, a battery module 10 capable of preventing the creation of a gap space when the leakage prevention pad 300 is mounted in the module case 200, and a battery pack including the battery module 10 (1) and a vehicle including this battery pack (1) can be provided.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and may be used in the technical field to which the invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those with the knowledge, and these modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or perspective of the present invention.

1: Battery pack 10: Battery module
50: pack case 100: battery cell
150: battery case 152: case body
154: case terrace 200: module case
250: Cell support 252: Case body support
254: Case terrace support 300: Leakage prevention pad
310: Pad body 330: Adhesive tape
350: Release paper 370: First incision pattern
380: second incision pattern

Claims (12)

In the battery module,
a plurality of battery cells;
a module case that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and is provided with a cell support portion that supports the plurality of battery cells; and
It includes a leakage prevention pad disposed between the cell support part of the module case and the plurality of battery cells, and preventing the creation of a gap between the plurality of battery cells and the cell support part,
The leak-proof pad is,
a pad body disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion; and
A battery module comprising: a contact guide pattern provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body and deformed when the anti-leakage pad is installed and disposed in contact with the plurality of battery cells and the cell support portion. delete According to paragraph 1,
The leak-proof pad is,
A battery module comprising: at least one adhesive tape provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the pad body and the contact guide pattern. According to paragraph 3,
The leak-proof pad is,
A battery module comprising: at least one release paper detachably mounted on the at least one adhesive tape. According to paragraph 1,
The contact guide pattern is,
a plurality of first cut patterns provided on the upper surface of the pad body and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; and
A battery module comprising: a plurality of second cut patterns provided on a lower surface of the pad body and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. According to clause 5,
Each of the plurality of battery cells,
electrode assembly; and
It includes a battery case packaging the electrode assembly,
The battery case is,
a case body accommodating the electrode assembly; and
It includes a case terrace protruding from the case body,
In the plurality of first cut patterns,
A battery module, characterized in that case terraces of the plurality of battery cells are inserted. According to clause 6,
The cell support part,
a plurality of case body supports provided on an upper side of the bottom of the module case to support the case body; and
A battery module comprising: a plurality of case terrace supports arranged alternately with the plurality of case body supports and supporting the case terrace. In clause 7,
The plurality of second cut patterns are,
A battery module is provided on the upper side of the plurality of case body supports, and is deformed when the leakage prevention pad is installed and comes into contact with the upper surfaces of the plurality of case body supports. According to clause 5,
The plurality of first cut patterns and the plurality of second cut patterns are,
Battery modules arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the pad body. According to clause 5,
The plurality of first cut patterns and the plurality of second cut patterns are,
A battery module characterized in that it has a groove shape having a predetermined depth from the pad body. At least one battery module according to claim 1; and
A battery pack comprising a pack case packaging the at least one battery module. A vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to claim 11.

Images