Battery module and battery pack including the same
11817602 · 2023-11-14
Assignee
Inventors
- Yun Ho KIM (Suwon-si, KR)
- In Gook SON (Hwaseong-si, KR)
- Jong Wook LEE (Hwaseong-si, KR)
- Yeon Man Jeong (Yongin-si, KR)
- Tae Hyuck KIM (Asan-si, KR)
Cpc classification
H01M50/514
ELECTRICITY
H01M10/48
ELECTRICITY
H01M2010/4271
ELECTRICITY
Y02E60/10
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
H01M50/507
ELECTRICITY
H01M2220/20
ELECTRICITY
H01M10/425
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01M50/514
ELECTRICITY
H01M10/42
ELECTRICITY
H01M10/48
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
A battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells mutually laminated in a first direction and forming a laminated structure; a pair of end plates being in surface contact with a first and a second ends of the laminated structure in the first direction; and a pair of busbar assemblies disposed at the first and the second ends of the laminated assembly in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each bus bar assembly of the pair of bus bar assemblies including a busbar configured to mutually join electrodes of the plurality of battery cells located at the first and the second ends of the laminated structure in the second direction, a circuit board on which an electrical connection to the busbar is formed, and a connector installed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the busbar assembly through the circuit board.
Claims
1. A battery module comprising: a plurality of battery cells mutually laminated in a first direction and forming a laminated structure; a pair of end plates, each end plate of the pair of end plates being in surface contact with a first end and a second end of the laminated structure, respectively, in the first direction; and a pair of busbar assemblies, each bus bar assembly of the pair of bus bar assemblies disposed at the first and the second ends of the laminated structure, respectively, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and each bus bar assembly including: a busbar configured to mutually join electrodes of the plurality of battery cells located at the first and the second ends of the laminated structure in the second direction, a circuit board on which an electrical connection to the busbar is formed, and a connector installed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the busbar assembly through the circuit board, wherein one busbar assembly of the pair of busbar assemblies include mutually insulated busbars that are electrically connected to different pins of the connector in a mutually insulated state through a circuit pattern formed on the circuit board.
2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the busbar comprises a plurality of slits, and each electrode of the electrodes of the plurality of battery cells includes a bent portion penetrating a slit of the plurality of slits and joined to the busbar.
3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the busbar includes a first side end and a second side end that are bent, and a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells disposed at an outermost side in the laminated structure includes an electrode that is not bent and is joined to the first and second side ends of the busbar.
4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the busbar is screw-fastened to the circuit board.
5. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: a first cover configured to cover a first side of the laminated structure in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a first clamp including a first end and a second end, each joined to the pair of end plates across an outer surface of the first cover; and a second clamp having a first end and a second end, each joined to the pair of end plates across a surface of the laminated structure facing a surface on which the first cover is disposed.
6. The battery module according to claim 5, further comprising a second cover and a third cover configured to cover the laminated structure in the second direction from outsides of the pair of busbar assemblies.
7. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the first clamp is attached to the first cover, and the first and the second ends of the first clamp are bent and face the pair of end plates, and are joined to outer surfaces of the pair of end plates.
8. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein the first and the second ends of the second clamp are bent and face the pair of end plates, and are joined to the outer surfaces of the pair of end plates.
9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the laminated structure comprises a plurality of cell assemblies, each cell assembly of the plurality of cell assemblies including a pair of battery cells laminated with a surface pressure pad interposed therebetween, and the plurality of cell assemblies are laminated in the first direction.
10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein the pair of battery cell disposed adjacently include electrodes having a same polarity.
11. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein the pair of battery cells disposed adjacently include electrodes having different polarities.
12. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of cell assemblies are laminated with a hot-melt interposed therebetween.
13. A battery module comprising: a plurality of battery cells mutually laminated in a first direction and forming a laminated structure; a pair of end plates, each end plate of the pair of end plates being in surface contact with a first end and a second end of the laminated structure, respectively, in the first direction; and a pair of busbar assemblies, each bus bar assembly of the pair of bus bar assemblies disposed at the first and the second ends of the laminated structure, respectively, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and each bus bar assembly including: a busbar configured to mutually join electrodes of the plurality of battery cells located at the first and the second ends of the laminated structure in the second direction, a circuit board on which an electrical connection to the busbar is formed, and a connector installed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the busbar assembly through the circuit board, wherein each end plate of the pair of end plates comprises: an inner plate formed of an insulation material and being in surface contact with the laminated structure; and an outer plate configured to cover the inner plate and having stiffness higher than that of the inner plate.
14. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein the outer plate is molded on an end portion adjacent to the first cover, is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the laminated structure, and forms an insertion space configured to receive a temperature sensor therein.
Description
DRAWINGS
(1) In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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(23) The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(24) The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
(25) Hereinafter, a battery module and a battery pack including the battery module according to various forms will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(26)
(27) Referring to
(28) In addition, the battery module according to one form of the present disclosure may further include a second cover and a third cover 60 configured to cover the laminated structure 100, in which the battery cells 110 are laminated, in the second direction from outsides of the busbar assemblies 30, respectively.
(29)
(30) As illustrated in
(31) In one battery cell assembly 11, the respective battery cells 110 may be disposed so that electrodes (e.g., cathode electrodes 111a or anode electrodes 111b) having the same polarity are adjacent to each other.
(32) The surface pressure pad 120 is an element that provides, when the battery cell 100 is swelled, elasticity thereto and inhibits the module structure from being deformed.
(33) The plurality of cell assemblies 11 may be mutually laminated with a hot-melt H interposed therebetween. The hot-melt H is a kind of liquid joining agent whose adhesiveness is manifested in case that heat is applied thereto, and may be applied onto the surface of the battery cell 110 in a predetermined pattern before the mutual lamination of the plurality of cell assemblies 11. The location relationship between the battery cells can be implemented as desired by aligning the laminated battery cells after the lamination of the cell assemblies 11 and applying heat thereto at once.
(34) In the laminated structure, the respective cell assemblies 11 may be laminated so that the electrodes having different polarities are adjacent to each other. This is to establish an electrically serial connection relationship between the cell assemblies in case that the busbars of the busbar assemblies 30 to be described later and the battery cell electrodes are connected to one another. That is, the battery cells in the cell assemblies 11 may mutually form the electrically serial connection relationship with one another, and the electrically serial connection relationship may be formed between the cell assemblies 11.
(35) Hereinafter, for convenience in explanation, it is assumed that a direction in which the battery cells 110 are laminated is a first direction (x-axis direction), and a direction vertical to the first direction, in which the electrodes of the battery cells 110 are connected to one another, is a second direction (y-axis direction). Further, it is assumed that a direction vertical to the first direction and the second direction, that is, a direction where sides of the battery cells 110, on which the electrodes of the battery cells 110 are not formed, are connected together is a third direction (z-axis direction).
(36)
(37) As illustrated in
(38) The pair of end plates 20 are elements that are mutually maintained at a constant interval, and if the battery cells 110 swell, inhibit, using their own stiffness, the battery module from being deformed, and uniformly maintain the surface pressure between the laminated battery cells 110. Accordingly, the end plates 20 should have stiffness enough to inhibit the deformation in the battery module while maintaining the surface contact with the battery cells 110, and may also include an additional means for uniform surface pressure.
(39)
(40) As illustrated in
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(42) In one form of the present disclosure, on a side located in the second direction of the outer plate 201 of the end plate 20, an insertion space T may be formed, into which a temperature sensor 80 that is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the laminated structure 100 can be inserted by applying various metal forming technologies. An area in which the insertion space T is formed corresponds to a portion indicated by reference numeral “A” in
(43) According to one form of the present disclosure, one battery pack may be implemented by disposing the plurality of battery modules 10 in a case designed to suit the vehicle type. In order to manage the battery pack, it is very important to grasp an internal temperature thereof, and the battery modules are produced typically in the form in which temperature sensors are built therein. According to one form of the present disclosure, the temperature sensor is not built in the battery module itself, but the space T in which the temperature sensor can be installed may be provided after the plurality of battery modules are disposed in the case.
(44) In particular, according to the battery module 10 according to one form of the present disclosure, the battery cells are exposed without providing a separate covering means on an opposite surface facing the surface on which the first cover 40 is installed, and the surface from which the battery cells are exposed is disposed toward a bottom surface of the case. Accordingly, the temperature sensor insertion space T may be formed at an end portion of the outer plate 201, adjacent to the first cover 40, so as to provide a predetermined space between the battery cell laminated structure and the outer plate 201.
(45)
(46) As illustrated in
(47) The busbar assemblies 30 are elements that are provided with busbars for forming electrical connection between the electrodes 111a, 111b of the battery cells 110 in the laminated structure 100.
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(49) As illustrated in
(50) The busbar assembly 30 may include a circuit board 34 for monitoring voltages of the battery cells 110 belonging to the battery module. Here, the circuit board 34 may include a board, such as a PCB, on which a circuit pattern is printed, and electric devices mounted on the board as necessary.
(51) As illustrated in
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(53) As illustrated in
(54) In
(55) In case of the battery module in the related art, an electrode of a unit battery cell is bent in advance, primary welding is performed, a plurality of unit battery cells are re-laminated, and then secondary welding is re-performed, thereby implementing an electrical connection of the battery cell laminated structure. Such a battery module in the related art may have disadvantages in that a large number of bending and welding processes is performed, and a step height occurs on a welding target during the secondary welding since it is difficult to provide uniformity.
(56) However, according to one form of the present disclosure, it is possible to form an electrical connection between all the battery cells in the battery module through one bending process and one welding process by applying the busbar assembly 30, thereby simplifying the processes and improving the manufacturing quality.
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(58) As illustrated in
(59) In case that a plurality of battery modules are disposed in a battery pack, electrical connections may be formed on the connector 341 provided in the front and rear busbar assemblies 30-1, 30-2 of each battery module, and voltages of the battery cells in the battery module can be detected and monitored. The voltage of the battery cell may be managed through a cell management unit (CMU) installed in the battery pack.
(60)
(61) As illustrated in
(62) Further, the first clamp 51 having a bar structure and extending along the first direction outside the first cover 40 may be disposed across the laminated structure 100, and both ends of the first clamp 51 may be joined to the pair of end plates 20, respectively.
(63) Further, in the vicinity of the other surface facing one surface of the laminated structure 100 on which the first cover 40 is disposed, the second clamp 52 having a bar structure and extending along the first direction may be disposed across the laminated structure 100, and both ends of the second clamp 52 may be joined to the pair of end plates 20, respectively.
(64) The first clamp 51 may be fixed to the first cover 40 through heat fusion, and since the both ends of the first clamp 51 are joined to the two end plates 20, respectively, the first clamp 51 may constantly maintain the distance between the two end plates 20 even during the swelling of the battery cell 110. Further, the second clamp 52 may be disposed to be spaced apart from and adjacent to the exposed surface (lower surface in the drawing) of the laminated structure 100, and in the same manner as the first clamp 51, the second clamp 52 may constantly maintain the distance between the two end plates 20 even during the swelling of the battery cell.
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(66) As illustrated in
(67) As described above, the first clamp 51 is joined to each side (upper side in the drawing) of the two end plates, and the second clamp 52 is joined to each long side (lower side in the drawing) of the two end plates 20 to which the first clamp 51 is joined, so that the interval between the two end plates is constantly maintained in the center portion in the second direction of the end plates, and thus stiffness by the end plates can act on the internal battery cells.
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(69) As illustrated in
(70) By installing the second cover 60 and the third cover 60, the busbar assemblies 30 are covered to finally complete the battery module 10. The second cover 60 and the third cover 60 may include through-holes for exposing elements that should be exposed to an outside of the battery module (e.g., a part of the busbar to be exposed for external electrical connection, connector for providing information on cell voltage detection, and the like) among the elements provided in the busbar assemblies 30.
(71)
(72) As illustrated in
(73) In addition, on the side portions of the second cover 60 and the third cover 60, a catching projection 61 projecting in the first direction may be formed, and an edge of the end plate 20 may get caught by the catching projection 61 to form mutual assembly regulations.
(74)
(75) As illustrated in
(76) In particular, as illustrated in
(77) A plurality of cell management units may be installed in the battery pack 900, and may transmit, to an upper level controller using the electric wiring 80, information on the results of battery cell voltage detection with respect to the plurality of battery modules 10 connected to the cell management units.
(78) As described above, according to the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to various forms of the present disclosure, since the clamps are welded to both the end plates in the center portions of the battery module in the direction in which the battery cells are laminated, and the end plates are bolt-joined to the covers in the both end portions of the battery module, sufficient stiffness can be provided.
(79) Further, according to the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to various forms of the present disclosure, since the busbar assemblies are adopted and the electrical connection between the electrodes of the plurality of laminated battery cells can be formed through one bending process and one welding process, the processes can be simplified, and the manufacturing quality can be improved through removal of the result deviation between the battery cells.
(80) Further, according to the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to various forms of the present disclosure, since the battery cells forming the battery pack are produced in the form of a module, the standardized battery cells can be applied to the batter pack having various specifications even if the specification of the battery pack is changed in accordance with the vehicle type. Therefore, a separate design process for disposal of the battery cells in the battery pack can be omitted, and thus the development period and the development costs can be reduced.
(81) Further, According to the battery module and the battery pack including the same according to various forms of the present disclosure, since the battery cells in the battery module can come in contact with the seating surface of the battery pack case through the gap filler without any other interference element, the heat generated from the battery cells can be discharged more effectively.
(82) Although the specific forms of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described for illustrative purposes, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.