Patent Publication Number: US-2022223957-A1

Title: Apparatus and method of manufacturing battery module

Description:
CROSS CITATION WITH RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0148013 filed on Nov. 18, 2019 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a battery module, and more particularly to an apparatus for manufacturing a battery module, which inserts a battery cell stack into a module frame, and a method for manufacturing the same. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Secondary batteries, which are easily applicable to various product groups and has electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are universally applied not only for a portable device but also for an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, an energy storage system or the like, which is driven by an electric driving source. Such secondary battery is attracting attention as a new environment-friendly energy source for improving energy efficiency since it gives a primary advantage of remarkably reducing the use of fossil fuels and also does not generate by-products from the use of energy at all. 
     Small-sized mobile devices use one or several battery cells for each device, whereas middle or large-sized devices such as vehicles require high power and large capacity. Therefore, a middle or large-sized battery module having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to one another is used. 
     The middle or large-sized battery module is preferably manufactured so as to have as small a size and weight as possible. Consequently, a prismatic battery, a pouch-shaped battery or the like, which can be stacked with high integration and has a small weight relative to capacity, is usually used as a battery cell of the middle or large-sized battery module. Meanwhile, in order to protect the cell stack from external impact, heat or vibration, the battery module may include a frame member of which a front surface and a rear surface are opened so as to house the battery cell stack in an internal space. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a battery module having a mono frame according to the related art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the battery module may include a battery cell stack  12  configured to stack a plurality of the battery cells  11 , a mono frame  20  of which a front surface and a rear surface are opened so as to cover the battery cell stack  12 , and end plates  60  for covering the front surface and the rear surface of the mono frame  20 . In order to form such a battery module, it is necessary to horizontally assemble the battery module such that the battery cell stack  12  is inserted into the opened front surface or rear surface of the mono frame  20  along the X-axis direction as illustrated by the arrow in  FIG. 1 . However, in order to stably perform such a horizontal assembly, a sufficient clearance has to be secured between the battery cell stack  12  and the mono frame  20 . Here, the clearance refers to a gap generated by press-fitting and the like. When the tolerance is small, components may be damaged in a process of horizontally assembling the battery module. Accordingly, the height of the mono frame  20  has to be largely designed in consideration of the maximum height of the battery cell stack  12  and an assembly tolerance in the insertion process, and thus an unnecessarily wasted space may be caused. In order to minimize the assembly tolerance, a guide film may be used, but there is a problem that the guide film is cut off during the insertion process or costs due to replacement increase. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a battery module, which improves the speed of inserting a battery cell stack into a module frame and reduces costs, and a method for manufacturing the battery module. 
     However, the problem to be solved by embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described problems, and can be variously expanded within the scope of the technical idea included in the present disclosure. 
     Technical Solution 
     An apparatus for manufacturing a battery module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support member for supporting a module frame including a bottom part and two side surface parts facing each other, a side surface guide member configured to align the side surface part of the module frame, and a spreading jig located at the end of the side surface guide member and configured to spread both ends of the side surface parts of the module frame, and a battery cell stack is inserted into the interior of the module frame by the spreading jigs. 
     The apparatus for manufacturing a battery module may further include an auxiliary guide member located on the support member and configured to align the bottom part of the module frame. 
     The auxiliary guide member may be located on both sides that are adjacent to the side surface parts of the module frame, respectively. 
     The apparatus for manufacturing a battery module may further include at least one checking pin formed on the support member, and the checking pin may be inserted into a checking hole of a busbar frame connected to the battery cell stack. 
     The apparatus for manufacturing a battery module may further include an upper surface pressing jig configured to insert the battery cell stack into the interior of the module frame. 
     The upper surface pressing jig may include an elastic member configured to press an upper part of the battery cell stack. 
     The apparatus for manufacturing a battery module may further include a side surface pressing jig configured to press the side surface of the battery cell stack. 
     The side surface pressing jig may press the battery cell stack along a stacking direction of the battery cells included in the battery cell stack. 
     A method for manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of: mounting a battery cell stack on a bottom part of a module frame, of which an upper part is opened, mounting an upper plate such that the upper plate covers the battery cell stack on the opened upper part of module frame, coupling the upper plate and the module frame, and coupling end plates to opened both sides of the module frame, respectively, and the battery cell stack is mounted on the bottom part of the module frame by using spreading jigs configured to spread both ends of side surface parts of the module frame while being moved along a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part of the module frame by side surface pressing jigs. 
     The step of mounting the battery cell stack on the bottom part of the module frame may include steps of, spreading both side surfaces of the opened upper part of the module frame by using the spreading jigs, inserting a lower end of the battery cell stack into the interior of the module frame in a state in which both side surfaces of the module frame are spread by the spreading jigs, and disassembling the spreading jigs from the module frame and mounting the battery cell stack on the module frame. 
     The step of mounting the battery cell stack on the module frame may further include pressing the battery cell stack by using upper surface pressing jig. 
     The upper surface pressing jig may include an elastic member configured to press an upper part of the battery cell stack. 
     The method for manufacturing the battery module may further include the step of connecting the battery cell stack and the busbar frame while moving the busbar frame toward an opposite direction to a direction in which electrode leads of battery cells included in the battery cell stack protrude before mounting the battery cell stack on the bottom part of the module frame. 
     The method for manufacturing a battery module may further include the step of applying a thermally conductive resin on the bottom part of the module frame before mounting the battery cell stack on the bottom part of the module frame. 
     The battery cell stack may be inserted into the bottom part of the module frame in a direction that is perpendicular to a stacking direction of a plurality of battery cells included in the battery cell stack. 
     The battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a module frame housing the battery cell stack and of which the upper part is opened, an upper plate for covering the battery cell stack on the upper side of the opened module frame, and a busbar frame connected to the battery cell stack, and the busbar frame includes a first busbar frame and a second busbar frame disposed respectively at both ends of a lengthwise direction of the battery cell stack, and a checking hole is formed at one or more of a lower end of the first busbar frame and a lower end of the second busbar frame. 
     The checking hole may be formed of a plurality of holes along a parallel direction to the busbar frame. 
     The module frame may include a bottom part and two side surface parts facing each other, and the bottom part may include a first part and a second part, and the first part is located on a peripheral side with respect to a lengthwise direction of the battery cell, and the second part is located on an inside of the first part, and the thickness of the first part may be smaller than the thickness of the second part. 
     The battery module may further include a pad part located between the second part and the battery cell stack. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the insertion speed can be improved by stacking the battery cell stack in a vertical direction, and the costs can be reduced by omitting the existing guide film. 
     Further, the battery cell stack can be stably mounted in the module frame by using a position-aligning member along each direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a battery module having a mono frame according to the related art; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating the battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial front view of the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating along the Y-axis direction of the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partially enlarged view the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 7 to 10  are views illustrating a method of manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which elements of the battery module of  FIG. 11  are coupled to each other; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view illustrating one battery cell included in a battery cell stack of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a module frame in the battery module of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating a busbar frame included in the battery module of  FIG. 11 ; and 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view taken along plane XZ in a lengthwise direction of a battery cell stack in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. 
     The present disclosure may be modified in various different ways, and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. 
     Portions that are irrelevant to the description will be omitted to clearly describe the present disclosure, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. 
     Further, in the figures, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those illustrated in the figures. In the figures, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the figures, for convenience of description, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are shown to be exaggerated. 
     In addition, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or plate is referred to as being “on” or “above” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, it means that other intervening elements are not present. Further, the word “on” or “above” means disposed on or below a reference portion, and does not necessarily mean being disposed on the upper end of the reference portion toward the opposite direction of gravity. 
     Further, throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as “including” a certain component, it means that the portion can further include other components, without excluding the other components, unless otherwise stated. 
     Further, throughout the specification, when referred to as “planar”, it means when a target portion is viewed from the upper side, and when referred to as “cross-sectional”, it means when a target portion is viewed from the side of a cross section cut vertically. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 3  is a side view illustrating the battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 4  is a partial front view of the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating along the Y-axis direction of the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a partially enlarged view of the battery module manufacturing apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the battery module manufacturing apparatus  1000  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support member  290  for supporting a module frame  300 , a side surface guide member  295  configured to align the side surface part of the module frame  300 , and spreading jigs  325  located at the ends of the side surface guide members  295  and configured to spread both (or opposite) ends of the side surface parts of the module frame  300 . The module frame  300  according to the present embodiment may have a U shape. 
     The side surface guide member  295  may include a plate  296  facing the side surface part of the module frame  300 , and a support part  297  erecting in a wing shape in a direction that is perpendicular to the plate  296 . The side surface guide member  295  according to the present embodiment can prevent a battery cell stack  120  mounted in the module frame  300  from moving in the Y-axis direction, thus securing the mounting position of the battery cell stack  120 . 
     The spreading jig  325  can spread both ends of the side surface parts of the module frame  300  towards a direction that is far away from each other along the Y-axis direction such that the battery cell stack  120  is inserted into the interior of the module frame  300 . The spreading jig  325  may be formed so as to extend along the X-axis direction as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . When the both ends of side surface parts of the module frame  300  are spread towards a direction that is far away from each other along the Y-axis direction by the spreading jig  325  having a structure extending long in the X-axis direction, spreading power may be uniformly transferred to the side surface part of the module frame  300 . Accordingly, in the process of inserting the battery cell stack  120  into the module frame  300 , the battery cell stack  120  can be more stably mounted on the bottom part of the module frame  300 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the battery module manufacturing apparatus  1000  according to the present embodiment may further include an auxiliary guide member  315  located on the support member  290  and configured to align the bottom part of the module frame  300 . The auxiliary guide member  315  may support a border part in which the bottom part and the side surface parts of the module frame  300  meet each other. It is preferable that the auxiliary guide members  315  are located on both (or opposite) sides that are adjacent to the side surface parts of the module frame  300 , respectively. In addition, the auxiliary guide members  315  may be formed at both ends of the side surface parts of the module frame  300 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the battery module manufacturing apparatus  1000  according to the present embodiment may further include side surface pressing jigs  350  configured to press the side surfaces of the battery cell stack  120 . The side surface pressing jigs  350  may allow the battery cell stack  120  to be stably moved and to be located at the upper part of the module frame  300  in a process of preparing for a step of mounting the battery cell stack  120  in the interior of the module frame  300 . The side surface pressing jigs  350  may press the battery cell stack  120  along the stacking direction of the battery cells included in the battery cell stack  120 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the battery module manufacturing apparatus  1000  according to the present embodiment may further include at least one checking pin  132  formed on the support member  290 . The checking pin  132  may be inserted into a checking hole  135  of the busbar frame  130  connected to the battery cell stack  120 . According to the present disclosure, because the checking pin  132  has a structure of being inserted into the checking hole  135 , a battery cell stack  120  mounted in the module frame  300  can be prevented from moving in the X-axis direction and/or Y-axis direction, thereby securing a mounted position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the battery module manufacturing apparatus  1000  according to the present embodiment may further include an upper surface pressing jig  330  configured to insert the battery cell stack into the interior of the module frame  300 . The upper surface pressing jig  330  may include an elastic member  335  and the elastic member  335  may have a structure including a spring. According to the present embodiment, the battery cell stack may be prevented from protruding in a direction that is opposite to a direction in which the battery cell stack is inserted due to a repulsive force of the elastic member  335  included in the upper surface pressing jig  330 . Further, the upper surface pressing member may absorb a clearance of the battery cell stack to allow the battery cell stack to be inserted. Here, a width of the battery cell stack may mean a thickness of the battery cell stack in the Z-axis direction. 
     In the following, an example of manufacturing a battery module will be described by using the above-mentioned battery module manufacturing apparatus with reference to  FIGS. 7 to 10 . 
       FIGS. 7 to 10  are views illustrating a method for manufacturing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The method for manufacturing a battery module according to the present embodiment includes a step of mounting a battery cell stack on a bottom part of a module frame, of which an upper part is opened, a step of mounting an upper plate such that the upper plate covers the battery cell stack on the opened upper part of module frame, a step of coupling the upper plate and the module frame, and a step of coupling end plates to both the opened sides of the module frame, respectively. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , the battery cell stack  120  is moved along a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part of module frame  300  in the step of mounting the battery cell stack on the bottom part of the module frame, of which the upper part is opened. Here, the battery cell stack  120  may be mounted on the bottom part of the module frame  300  by using spreading jigs  325  configured to spread both ends of side surface parts of the module frame  300 . 
     In detail, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the step of mounting the battery cell stack  120  on the bottom part of the module frame  300  may include a step of spreading both side surfaces of the opened upper part of the module frame  300  by using the spreading jigs  325 , a step of inserting a lower end of the battery cell stack  120  into the interior of the module frame  300  in a state in which the both side surfaces of the module frame  300  are spread by the spreading jigs  325 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a step of disassembling the spreading jigs  325  from the module frame  300  and mounting the battery cell stack  120  on the module frame  300 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the step of mounting the battery cell stack  120  on the module frame  300  may further include a step of pressing the battery cell stack  120  by using an upper surface pressing jig  330 . Side surface pressing jigs  350  that are pressing the battery cell stack  120  before pressing the battery cell stack  120  by the upper surface pressing jig  330  may be disassembled from the battery cell stack  120 . As mentioned above, although not illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the upper surface pressing jig  330  may include an elastic member configured to press the battery cell stack  120 . At least one end of the battery cell stack  120  mounted on the module frame  300  is connected to a busbar frame  130 , and as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , checking holes  135  formed at lower ends of the busbar frame  130  may be mounted on checking pins included in the apparatus for manufacturing the battery module. Here, the busbar frame  130  may be protruded from opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame  300  to couple the checking pins  132  and the checking holes  135 . 
     Hereinafter, the battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIGS. 11 to 16 . 
       FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which elements of the battery module of  FIG. 11  are coupled to each other.  FIG. 13  is a perspective view illustrating one battery cell included in a battery cell stack of  FIG. 11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , a battery module  100  according to the present embodiment includes a battery cell stack  120  including a plurality of battery cells  110 , a module frame  300 , of which an upper surface, a front surface, and a rear surface are opened, an upper plate  400  for covering an upper part of the battery cell stack  120 , end plates  150  located on a front surface and a rear surface of the battery cell stack  120 , respectively, and busbar frames  130  located between the battery cell stack  120  and the end plates  150 . 
     When it is assumed that both opened sides of the module frame  300  are a first side and a second side, respectively, the module frame  300  has a plate-shaped structure bent so as to continuously cover the front surface, the lower surface and the rear surface, which are adjacent to each other, of the remaining outer surfaces excluding surfaces of the battery cell stack  120  corresponding to the first side and the second side. The upper surface of the module frame  300 , which corresponds to the lower surface thereof, is opened. 
     The upper plate  400  has a plate-shaped structure surrounding the remaining upper surface excluding the front surface, the lower surface, and the rear surface, which are surrounded by the module frame  300 . The module frame  300  and the upper plate  400  are coupled to each other through welding and the like in a state in which corresponding edge parts thereof contact each other to form a structure covering the battery cell stack  120 . That is, a coupling part CP may be formed at the corresponding edge parts of the module frame  300  and the upper plate  400  through a coupling method such as welding or the like. 
     The battery cell stack  120  includes a plurality of battery cells  110  stacked in one direction thereof, and the plurality of the battery cells  110  may be stacked in the Y-axis direction as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . It is preferable that the battery cells  110  is pouch type battery cells. For example, referring to  FIG. 13 , the battery cell  110  according to the present embodiment has a structure in which two opposite electrode leads  111  and  112  are protruded from one end part  114   a  and another one end part  114   b  of a battery body  113 , respectively while being opposite to each other. The battery cell  110  may be manufactured by joining both end parts  114   a  and  114   b  of a battery case and both side surfaces  114   c  connecting them while a battery assembly (not illustrated) is housed in the battery case  114 . That is, the battery cell  110  according to the present embodiment includes a total of three places of sealing parts  114   sa ,  114   sb , and  114   sc , the sealing parts  114   sa ,  114   sb , and  114   sc  are sealed in a method such as thermal fusion, and another remaining side part may have a connector  115 . A section between both end parts  114   a  and  114   b  of the battery case  114  may be defined as a lengthwise direction of the battery cell  110 , and a section between one side part  114   c  and the connector  115  connecting both end parts of the battery case  114  may be defined as a widthwise direction of the battery cell  110 . 
     The connector  115  is an area extending along one periphery of the battery cell  110 , and a protrusion  110   p  of the battery cell  110  may be formed at the end of the connector  115 . The protrusion  110   p  may be formed at one or more of both ends of the connector  115 , and may protrude in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the connector  115  extends. The protrusion  110   p  may be located between one of sealing parts  114   sa  and  114   sb  of both end parts  114   a  and  114   b  of the battery case  114 , and the connector  115 . 
     The battery case  114  is generally formed of a laminate structure of a resin layer/a metal thin film layer/a resin layer. For example, when a surface of the battery case formed of an oriented (O) nylon layer, a surface of the battery case tends to easily slip due to an external impact at the time of stacking a plurality of battery cells to form a middle or large-sized battery module. Accordingly, in order to prevent this and maintain a stable stacked structure of the battery cells, an adhesive member such as a viscous adhesive of a double sided paper or a chemical adhesive coupled due to a chemical reaction can be attached to a surface of the battery case, thereby forming the battery cell stack  120 . In the present embodiment, the battery cell stack  120  is stacked in the Y-axis direction, and is housed in the interior of the module frame  300  in the Z-axis direction, so that the battery cell stack  120  may be cooled by a thermally conductive resin layer which will be described below. In a comparative example, the battery cell is formed of cartridge type components, so that the fixing between the battery cells may be made by assembling a frame of the battery module. In the comparative example, a cooling operation does not almost occur or may progress in a surface direction of the battery cell due to existence of the cartridge type components and may not progress in a height direction of the battery module. 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a module frame in the battery module of  FIG. 12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the module frame  300  according to the present embodiment includes a bottom part  300   a  and two side surface parts  300   b  facing each other. Before the battery cell stack  120  described in  FIG. 11  is mounted on the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300 , the thermally conductive resin layer  310  can be formed by applying a thermally conductive resin onto the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300  and curing the thermally conductive resin. 
     Before the thermally conductive resin layer  310  is formed, that is, before the applied thermally conductive resin is cured, the battery cell stack  120  may be mounted on the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300  while moving along in a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300 . Thereafter, the thermally conductive resin layer  310  that is formed by the curing of the thermally conductive resin is located between the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300  and the battery cell stack  120 . The thermally conductive resin layer  310  can function to transfer heat generated from the battery cells  110  to a bottom of the battery module  100 , and fix the battery cell stack  120 . 
     The battery module according to the present embodiment may further include a pad part  320  formed on the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300 . The pad part  320  may guide an application location of the thermally conductive resin or prevent the thermally conductive resin from overflowing to the outside of the bottom part  300   a , and at least one pad part may be formed.  FIG. 14  illustrates that one pad part is formed in the center of the bottom part  300   a , and pad parts  320  are formed respectively at both ends of the bottom part  300   a  with respect to the X-axis direction, but the size, the location, the number, and the like of pad parts  320  may be modified and designed in consideration of an application amount or the like of the thermally conductive resin. The pad part  320  may be formed of an insulation film. At this time, the pad part  320  may be formed of a material such as polyurethane (PU) foam or rubber such that the battery cell  110  makes contacts with an upper part of the bottom part  300   a  and thus the thermally conductive resin can be compressed. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12  again, widths of the side surface part  300   b  and the upper plate  400  of the module frame  300  according to the present embodiment may be identical to each other. That is, an edge portion of the upper plate  400  along the X-axis direction and an edge portion of the side surface part  300   b  of the module frame  300  along the X-axis direction may make direct contact with each other to be coupled to each other through a method such as welding and the like. 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating a busbar frame in the battery module of  FIG. 11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , the busbar frame  130  according to the present embodiment includes a main frame  130   a  disposed to be perpendicular to a direction in which the electrode leads  111  and  112  described in  FIG. 13  protrude, and a bending part  130   b  extending from a lower part of the main frame  130   a . According to the present embodiment, the checking holes  135  are formed in the bottom part of the busbar frame  130 . In the above-mentioned process of manufacturing the battery module, the checking holes  135  are coupled to the checking pins  132  illustrated in  FIG. 4  when the battery cell stack  120  is mounted on the module frame  300 , and subsequently, the checking holes  135  are continuously left in the battery module manufactured by an additional process. 
     The busbar frame  130  is connected to the battery cell stack  120  as described in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . A structure in which the electrode leads pass through slots and couple to the busbars may be formed in the main frame  130   a . The bending part  130   b  may be bent by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main frame  130   a  to be located on the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300 . The bending part  130   b  and peripheral configurations will be additionally described with reference to  FIG. 16 . 
       FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view taken along plane XZ in a lengthwise direction of a battery cell stack in  FIG. 11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 16 , the battery cell  110  according to the present embodiment may include a protrusion  110   p  formed in a widthwise direction thereof and the protrusion  110   p  may be located on the bending part  130   b . Here, a widthwise direction of the battery cell  110  may be a Z-axis direction of  FIG. 16 . The bottom part  300   a  of the module frame according to the present embodiment includes a first part  300   a   1  and a second part  300   a   2 , the first part  300   a   1  is located at a periphery thereof with respect to a lengthwise direction of the battery cell  110 , and the second part  300   a   2  is located inside the first part  300   a   1 . At this time, it is preferable that the thickness of the first part  300   a   1  is smaller than the thickness of the second part  300   a   2 . Here, a lengthwise direction of the battery cell  110  may be an X-axis direction of  FIG. 16 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the bending part  130   b  of the busbar frame  130  in the present embodiment is located on the first part  300   a   1  of the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame. Here, it is preferable that the total thickness of the thickness of the bending part  130   b  and the thickness of the first part  300   a   1  is smaller than the thickness of the second part  300   a   2 . This is because the protrusion  110   p  of the battery cell  110  is caught by the level difference of the first part  300   a   1  and the second part  300   a   2  to be prevented from moving due to an external impact. In addition, a gap between the battery cell  110  and a frame may be reduced through machining of the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame, and such a gap reducing effect can cause the gap reducing effect obtained by assembling the battery module in a height direction together with a synergy effect, thereby maximizing overall space efficiency. Due to the machining of the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame, a level difference of the bottom part  300   a  can also be simultaneously formed while forming a module frame structure. The pressing, numerical control work (NC) processing, or the like may be used for forming the step. 
     The pad part  320  is located between the second part  300   a   2  of the bottom part  300   a  and the battery cell  110 , and the thermally conductive resin layer  310  is located on an inside of the pad part  320 . That is, the pad part  320  may be located between the thermally conductive resin layer  310  and the first part  300   a   1  of the bottom part  300   a  to define a location at which the thermally conductive resin layer  310  is formed. 
     In the present embodiment, the busbar frame  130  may be protruded from the bottom part  300   a  of the module frame  300 . That is, as mentioned above, the structure may secure a space such that the checking holes  135  are coupled to the checking pins  132  in  FIG. 4  in the process of manufacturing the battery module. The X-axis direction of  FIG. 16  coincides with a direction protruding from the opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame  300 , and the busbar frame  130  may be protruded from the opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame  300  to couple the checking pins  132  and the checking holes  135 . 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present disclosure defined in the following claims also belong to the scope of rights. 
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               120 : battery cell stack 
               130 : busbar frame 
               290 : support member 
               295 : side surface guide member 
               315 : auxiliary guide member 
               325 : spreading jig 
               330 : upper surface pressing jig