Patent Description:
Currently, commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries and the like, and among them, lithium secondary batteries have little or no memory effect, and thus they are gaining more attention than nickel-based secondary batteries for their advantages that recharging can be done whenever it is convenient, the self-discharge rate is very low and the energy density is high. Recently, secondary batteries are not only commonly applied to small devices such as mobile electronic devices, but universally applied to medium- and large-sized devices including electric vehicles (EVs) that are driven by an electrical driving source such as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and energy storage systems (ESSs).

A unit secondary battery cell, or a unit battery cell usually has the working voltage of about <NUM>. 5V ~ <NUM>. Accordingly, in case that higher output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series to form a battery pack. A battery pack may be formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel according to the charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack may be variously set depending on the output voltage or the charge/discharge capacity required. Particularly, pouch-type battery cells are commonly used in battery packs of medium- and large-sized devices due to their advantage of being easy to stack and lightweight.

<FIG> shows a general pouch-type battery cell.

The battery cell <NUM> shown in <FIG> has a structure in which an electrode assembly <NUM> having an electrode lead <NUM> connected thereto is received in a pouch case <NUM> together with an electrolyte solution, and the pouch case <NUM> is sealed through a sealing part S. Part of the electrode lead <NUM> is exposed through the pouch case <NUM>, and the exposed electrode lead <NUM> is electrically connected to a device in which the battery cell <NUM> is mounted, or is used to electrically connect the battery cells <NUM>.

To form a battery pack by connecting the battery cells <NUM> in series/in parallel, generally, a battery cell assembly including at least one battery cell <NUM> is made and used to form a battery module, and then other components are added to at least one battery module.

In the battery module, with the increasing battery capacity required, the importance of technology for efficiently cooling heat generated from the battery cells <NUM> is gradually increasing, and there is a tendency to prefer an edge cooling method using a heat sink mounted on the bottom of the module case of the battery module.

The edge cooling type battery module is cooled by transferring heat generated from the battery cells to the heat sink on the bottom of the module case, but does not have a heat transfer pathway to the top of the module case. Accordingly, the conventional battery module has a large temperature difference between top and bottom of the battery cell assembly.

Particularly, recently, the development trend of the battery module for electric vehicles moves toward increasing the length L of the battery cell <NUM>. When only the lower part LP of the battery cell <NUM> is cooled through an edge cooling method, as the electric current becomes concentrated near the electrode lead <NUM>, the long battery cell <NUM> has a temperature increase at the top left/right ends UP of the battery cell <NUM>, and as a consequence, there is a large temperature difference between different locations in the same battery cell <NUM>. Accordingly, there are safety and durability problems of the battery module including the same, and their solutions are necessary.

Further prior art is described in <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Accordingly, the present invention is designed to solve the above-described problem, and the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery module with a reduced temperature difference between top and bottom of a battery cell assembly, a battery pack comprising the battery module and a vehicle comprising the battery pack.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood by the following description and will be apparent from the embodiments of the present invention.

Further, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of the present invention are realized by the means set forth in the appended claims and combinations thereof.

The invention is as defined in independent claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments are as defined in the dependent claims. To achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a battery module including a module case, a battery cell assembly that is received in the module case, the battery cell assembly including battery cells, wherein each of the battery cells has an electrode lead drawn to one or two sides, the battery cells are stacked along a horizontal direction of the module case such that an edge where the electrode lead is not drawn is placed down, a heat sink mounted below the module case, facing the edges of the battery cells, and a heat pipe member mounted inside an upper side of the module case, wherein the heat pipe member includes an evaporator and a condenser, wherein a top cover is provided between the upper side of the module case and the battery cell assembly, wherein the heat pipe member is mounted in the top cover, and the evaporator is formed on a side of the electrode leads of the battery cells, and the condenser is in contact with an inner surface of the module case, wherein the evaporator is formed on the side of the electrode leads of the battery cells and the condenser is seated between the top cover and the module case to form a heat transfer pathway to the top.

The battery module may further include a thermally conductive adhesive interposed between an inner lower surface of the module case and a lower side of the battery cell assembly.

The module case may further include a top plate that covers an upper side of the battery cell assembly, a bottom plate that is disposed opposite the top plate and covers a lower side of the battery cell assembly, a pair of side plates that are coupled to the top plate and the bottom plate and disposed on two sides of the battery cell assembly, a first opening and a second opening that are open to two sides of lengthwise direction of the battery cells, a front cover that is coupled to the first opening of the module case and covers a front side of the battery cell assembly, and a rear cover that is coupled to the second opening of the module case and covers a rear side of the battery cell assembly.

The heat pipe member may be assembled into the top cover by an interference fit structure.

The heat pipe member may include a plurality of strip-shaped heat pipes. In the heat pipe member, the evaporator may be in a shape of a plurality of strips, and the condenser may use an integrated heat pipe module.

The present invention further provides a battery pack including at least one battery module according to the present invention, and a pack case that packages the at least one battery module.

The present invention further provides a vehicle including at least one battery pack according to the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to effectively transfer heat from the upper side of the battery cell assembly to the module case. Accordingly, a structure that cools the lower side of the battery cell assembly through a thermally conductive adhesive or a heat sink can also achieve cooling through the upper side of the battery cell assembly. According to the present invention, since cooling through the upper side of the battery cell assembly is possible, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a temperature difference between top and bottom of the battery cell. Even when the cooling performance through the lower side of the battery cell assembly is insufficient, it is possible to prevent the heat accumulation in the battery module through improved cooling performance through the upper side of the battery cell assembly.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the heat pipe member is mounted on the top cover, thereby firmly fixing the heat pipe member, preventing the movement to the incorrect location caused by impacts and maintaining the battery module more firmly.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module using a tubular rectangular monoframe type module case, not a cell cartridge as conventionally. Due to not using the cell cartridge to which the edge of the battery cell is inserted and fixed by press-fit as conventionally, the allowance in the design of the entire battery module increases, and it is possible to solve the conventional problem with the transmission, to the edge of the battery cell, of impacts or vibration that may occur during mounting when the edge of the battery cell is inserted into the cell cartridge. The battery module and the battery pack can protect the battery cell from external vibration very well, and thus they are advantageous in the application of vehicles that are frequently exposed to external vibration.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, assembly of the battery module can be easily performed, resulting in high process efficiency. Additionally, the battery module may not include a sealing component such as an O-ring, a cooling component such as a cooling fin, or a reinforcing or fixing component such as a cartridge, reducing the number of components of the battery module. Accordingly, according to this aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the production cost and time and the weight, thereby improving productivity of the battery module.

As described above, the present disclosure can provide a simple and compact battery module that does not make the entire structure complex, does not occupy a large space and reduces a temperature difference between the top and bottom of the battery cell assembly. Further, the present disclosure can provide a battery pack including the battery module and a vehicle including the battery pack.

Particularly, according to the present disclosure, the battery module configured to cool the bottom of the battery cell through an edge cooling method can reduce a temperature difference between different locations in the same battery cell caused by the increasing length of the battery cell in the battery module. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the safety and durability of the battery module, the battery pack and the vehicle including the same.

<FIG> is a partial cutaway perspective view illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is an enlarged view of section A of <FIG>. <FIG> is a front view of the partially cutaway battery module shown in <FIG>.

First, referring to <FIG>, the battery module <NUM> includes a module case <NUM>, a battery cell assembly <NUM>, a heat sink <NUM> and a heat pipe member <NUM>.

The module case <NUM> forms an external appearance of the battery module <NUM>, and may receive the battery cell assembly <NUM>. To this end, the module case <NUM> may have a space for receiving the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The module case <NUM> may come in various types and shapes, and in this embodiment, the module case <NUM> may include a top plate <NUM>, a bottom plate <NUM> and a pair of side plates <NUM>. This embodiment shows that the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> and the side plates <NUM> are integrally formed, and is described taking it as an example.

Further referring to <FIG>, in this embodiment, a bump pad <NUM> may be further provided between the side of the battery cell assembly <NUM> and the inner side surface of the module case <NUM>, and a top cover <NUM> may be further provided between the upper surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM> and the inner upper surface of the module case <NUM>. In <FIG>, one front side of the module case <NUM> is cut away to show the battery cell assembly <NUM>, the bump pad <NUM> and the top cover <NUM> within the battery module <NUM> more clearly.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the battery cell assembly <NUM> includes two or more battery cells <NUM>. Each battery cell <NUM> may be a plate-shaped secondary battery. Each battery cell <NUM> may have an electrode lead <NUM> drawn to one or two sides. Although this embodiment takes a bidirectional battery having the electrode lead <NUM> drawn to two sides, i.e., in the opposite directions as an example, the battery cell may be a unidirectional battery having the electrode lead drawn to only one side.

The battery cells <NUM> may be electrically connected to one another and stacked in the module case <NUM>. In detail, each of the battery cells <NUM> may be stacked along the horizontal direction of the module case <NUM> such that the edge where the electrode lead <NUM> is not drawn is placed down. That is, the battery cells <NUM> may stand vertically such that the wide surface is not placed on the bottom and be stacked side by side to form the battery cell assembly <NUM>. In this instance, the electrode lead <NUM> may be placed on the left side and the right side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the bump pad <NUM> can support the battery cell assembly <NUM> within the module case <NUM> more stably. At least one pair of bump pads <NUM> may be provided. The bump pad <NUM> may be made of an elastic material such as silicone pad. The pair of bump pads <NUM> are each disposed on two sides of the inner wall of the module case <NUM>, i.e., inside of the side plates <NUM>, to support two outermost sides of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The bump pad <NUM> may be further provided at each predetermined number of battery cells <NUM>. The bump pad <NUM> plays a role in responding to swelling of the battery cells <NUM> and preventing the battery cell <NUM> from being damaged by external impacts.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG> together, the heat sink <NUM> is configured to cool the battery cells <NUM>, and may be mounted on one side of the module case <NUM>. The heat sink <NUM> uses an edge cooling method and may be mounted below the module case <NUM> facing to the edges of the battery cells <NUM>. The heat sink <NUM> may have a space in which a vapor or liquid refrigerant may flow, and have a metal outer wall that defines the space.

The heat sink <NUM> is configured to cool the edge of each battery cell <NUM> where the electrode lead <NUM> is not drawn, in this embodiment, the bottom edge of each battery cell <NUM>, and cools the side of each battery cell <NUM>, not a wide surface, and by this reason, may be called a side cooling type structure. The heat sink <NUM> is mounted on one side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, in this embodiment, the bottom of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, to cool one surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, i.e., the bottom surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> may be further included between the inner lower surface of the module case <NUM> and the lower side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> may fix the edges of the battery cells <NUM> to the inner lower surface of the module case <NUM> more stably.

The thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> is interposed between the inner lower surface of the module case <NUM>, i.e., the upper surface of the bottom plate <NUM> and the lower side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> is an adhesive for cooling that can conduct heat, and may include thermal resin. There is no limitation on the type of the thermal resin, and for example, may be one of a thermally conductive silicone-based bond, a thermally conductive acrylic bond or a thermally conductive polyurethane bond.

The thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> may be applied onto the inner lower surface of the module case <NUM> to stably fix the battery cell assembly <NUM> onto the inner lower surface of the module case <NUM> and improve thermal conductivity. The thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> and the heat sink <NUM> form a surface cooling structure having a sufficient contact area on the surface where the thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> and the heat sink <NUM> are in contact with the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The bottom surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is cooled earlier by the heat sink <NUM>. As described above, the battery module <NUM> basically has the heat sink <NUM> below the battery module <NUM> to cool the lower part of the battery cell assembly <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the heat pipe member <NUM> is mounted inside the upper side of the module case <NUM>. That is, the heat pipe member <NUM> is mounted above the battery cell assembly <NUM>, in this embodiment, on top of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, opposite the heat sink <NUM> mounted below the module case <NUM>. Preferably, the heat pipe member <NUM> thermally contacts the inner upper side of the module case <NUM>, i.e., the top plate <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the battery cells and the heat pipe member of <FIG>. <FIG> is an enlarged side view of the heat pipe member of <FIG>.

In <FIG>, the heat pipe member <NUM> uses a "thin fluid - filled heat pipe loop", and has a structure that causes a phase change of the refrigerant and spontaneous circulation of the refrigerant. The heat pipe member <NUM> may include a plurality of strip-shaped heat pipes <NUM>.

The heat pipe <NUM> includes the refrigerant in a case of sealed structure. The refrigerant is not forcibly circulated by a pump, and the refrigerant is spontaneously vaporized by heat generated from the battery cell <NUM> and condenses and circulates there. The refrigerant includes any type of refrigerant used in a cooler without limitation. The refrigerant may include, for example, ammonia, acetone, methanol and ethanol, and water may be used. Additionally, the heat pipe <NUM> may further include therein a structure such as a wick to provide a movement path of the refrigerant. As clearly shown in <FIG>, in each heat pipe <NUM>, one side of the heat pipe <NUM>, preferably an evaporator 141a is formed on the side of the electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cell <NUM>, and the other side of the heat pipe <NUM>, preferably a condenser 141b is applied to the side of the top of the battery cell <NUM>. In particular, the heat pipe <NUM> may be in contact with the inner surface of the module case <NUM> on the upper side of the battery module <NUM>, i.e., the top plate <NUM>, to form a heat transfer pathway to the top of the module case <NUM>. For this configuration, each heat pipe <NUM> may be bent, for example, in the shape of <IMG>.

In this embodiment, the heat pipe <NUM> uses a "liquid-cooling system" of closed structure, thereby eliminating the need to add a separate refrigerant pump to the battery module <NUM>. Accordingly, this cooling method does not need for mechanical operation as opposed to the forcible circulation method. The refrigerant is continuously provided from the condenser 141b to the evaporator 141a by the capillary force while circulating between the evaporator 141a and the condenser 141b, and vapor generated by a heat source of the evaporator 141a (the electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cell <NUM>) moves to the condenser 141b and return to a liquid.

The heat pipe <NUM> may be manufactured with a very small thickness, its structure may be designed to fit to a target application, and thus it is easy to be mounted in the battery module <NUM>. In <FIG>, it is possible to form a structure that is thin, and for example, the heat pipe <NUM> may be a minimum of <NUM> in thickness d1 at the evaporator 141a, and may be a minimum of <NUM> in thickness d2 at the condenser 141b, and it may be formed with a structure that is lightweight and has a high degree of freedom of design. The heat pipe <NUM> may be, for example, <NUM> in length l1 at the evaporator 141a, and may be, for example, <NUM> in length l2 at the condenser 141b. The heat pipe <NUM> is small and has good cooling effect. As the refrigerant goes through evaporation and condensation while moving in the closed circuit within the heat pipe <NUM>, the heat pipe <NUM> effectively dissipates heat concentrated on the top left/right ends of the battery cell <NUM> through the module case <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, a pathway (bridge), i.e., an additional heat transfer pathway SF through which heat goes away from the top left/right ends of the battery cell <NUM> through the upper side of the module case <NUM> is formed to reduce safety and durability risks caused by the increasing temperature difference in the battery cell <NUM>.

Various embodiments are possible to facilitate the application of the heat pipe member <NUM> to the battery module <NUM>. In particular, in this embodiment, the heat pipe member <NUM> is assembled into the top cover <NUM> and mounted in the battery module <NUM> to form a heat transfer pathway from the heat pipe member <NUM> to the module case <NUM>. <FIG> shows the top cover of <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the top cover <NUM> has an insertion hole <NUM> for inserting the heat pipe <NUM> and a seating groove <NUM> for seating the condenser 141b of the heat pipe <NUM>. In the assembling, when the heat pipe <NUM> is inserted into the insertion hole <NUM> in the direction of the arrow and the condenser 141b is positioned in the seating groove <NUM>, the heat pipe <NUM> is assembled into the top cover <NUM>. <FIG> is a top view of the heat pipe <NUM> of the heat pipe member <NUM>, in particular, the condenser 141b, assembled into the top cover of <FIG>.

In this instance, an interference fit structure may be used. Additionally, a protrusion <NUM> is formed on two sides of the insertion hole <NUM> at the location where the heat pipe <NUM> is bent in the shape of <IMG>, to form a structure for firmly fixing the heat pipe <NUM>. As can be seen in <FIG>, the protrusion <NUM> and the seating groove <NUM> may be spaced apart from each other to form a space for assembling the heat pipe member <NUM>. When the heat pipe member <NUM> is assembled thereon, as shown in <FIG>, the heat pipe <NUM> of the heat pipe member <NUM>, in particular, the condenser 141b, may be in contact with the protrusion <NUM>, and the evaporator 141a may be formed on the side of the electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cell <NUM>.

As described above, when the heat pipe member <NUM> including the heat pipe <NUM> is assembled and mounted in the top cover <NUM>, it is possible to firmly fix the heat pipe member <NUM>, prevent the movement to the incorrect location caused by impacts and maintain the battery module <NUM> more firmly.

As described above, in this embodiment, the heat pipe member <NUM> is assembled on the side of the top cover <NUM>, and in this instance, the condenser 141b is seated between the top cover <NUM> and the module case <NUM> to form a heat transfer pathway to the top.

The top cover <NUM> may be a general plastic material or an engineering plastic material with higher thermal conductivity than the general plastic material, and thermal conductivity may be lower than the module case <NUM> of a metal material. As clearly shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a gap G may be formed between the upper surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM> and the top cover <NUM>. Since a separate component (not shown) such as a voltage sensing line is disposed above the battery cell assembly <NUM>, a space for the component is necessary, and it is desirable to form the gap G so as to cope with swelling of the battery cell <NUM> while the battery module <NUM> is in use. However, an air gap present in the gap G may provide a thermal insulation effect.

Since the electric current becomes concentrated near the electrode lead <NUM>, much heat is generated from the battery cell <NUM>. The heat generated from the battery cell <NUM> tends to be dissipated in all direction, but the air gap present in the gap G and the top cover <NUM> block the heat, and thus heat dissipation to the top of the battery cell assembly <NUM> may be difficult. Accordingly, a heat transfer pathway MF is formed toward the bottom of the battery cell assembly <NUM> by the heat sink <NUM> as indicated by the arrow in <FIG>, and tendency toward dissipation through the bottom of the module case <NUM> via the thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> is dominant. The present disclosure further includes the heat pipe member <NUM>. When there is no heat pipe member <NUM>, the heat transfer pathway MF of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is only formed toward the bottom of the battery module <NUM>, but the present disclosure includes the heat pipe member <NUM> on top of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG>, the heat transfer pathway SF of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is also formed toward the top of the battery module <NUM>. The present disclosure introduces the heat pipe member <NUM> on top of the battery cell assembly <NUM> and connects the heat pipe member <NUM> to the module case <NUM>, and thus has a good effect of heat transfer from the battery cell assembly <NUM> to the module case <NUM> across the air gap having the thermal insulation effect. In the battery module <NUM> of the present disclosure, the heat pipe member <NUM> connected to the module case serves as a heat transfer bridge.

If there is no heat pipe member <NUM>, only the lower part of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is cooled by the heat sink <NUM>, and thus a temperature difference between top and bottom of the battery cell assembly <NUM> will increase. The present disclosure further includes the heat pipe member <NUM> to reduce a temperature difference between one surface and the other surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, i.e., a temperature difference between bottom and top, or a temperature difference between the lower surface and the upper surface.

The heat pipe member <NUM> may be applied to an area that is difficult to be cooled by the heat sink <NUM>, i.e., the upper surface of the battery cell assembly <NUM>, in particular, a central part C where heat generation is severe. The heat pipe member <NUM> may be a single integrated plane-type heat pipe without including the plurality of strip-shaped heat pipes <NUM> as shown. Various embodiments of the heat pipe member <NUM> will be described below. In addition to assembly used in this embodiment, various embodiments are possible to facilitate the application of the heat pipe member <NUM> to the battery module <NUM>, and its description will be provided below.

The present disclosure is not limited to the type of the battery cell <NUM> included in the battery cell assembly <NUM>, the number of battery cells <NUM> and the connection method, and the type of the module case <NUM> and its assembly method, but the battery cell <NUM>, may be, in particular, a pouch-type battery cell as shown in <FIG>, and the module case <NUM> may include a tubular rectangular monoframe. Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in more detail by describing the module case <NUM> and the assembly method of the battery module <NUM>.

Referring back to <FIG>, the module case <NUM> has at least one open surface, through which the battery cell assembly <NUM> is inserted in. The module case <NUM> may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. For example, the module case <NUM> may be provided in a tubular rectangular shape with two opposing open sides. The module case <NUM> is made of a thermally conductive material to absorb heat of the battery cell assembly <NUM> and dissipate the heat. The module case <NUM> may be made of a metal material. Because the metal material has good thermal conductivity, it is possible to perform the heat radiation function as a whole. For the material of the module case <NUM>, all metal materials may be used, and when considering thermal conductivity, processing and cost, it is desirable to use SUS- or aluminum-based materials. The use of aluminum-based materials is more advantageous for light weight.

The module case <NUM> may include the top plate <NUM> to cover the top of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. To this end, the top plate <NUM> may have a sufficient size and shape to the top of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The module case <NUM> may include the bottom plate <NUM> opposite the top plate <NUM> to cover the bottom of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The bottom plate <NUM> is provided with generally the same shape as the top plate <NUM>, and can stably support the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The module case <NUM> may include the pair of side plates <NUM> coupled with the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> and disposed on two sides of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The pair of side plates <NUM> may have the same shape and size, facing each other.

As described above, the module case <NUM> includes the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> and the side plates <NUM>, and has a first opening OA and a second opening OB on two sides of the lengthwise (L in <FIG>) direction of the battery cell <NUM>. The top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> and the side plates <NUM> may be connected to one another by welding. In an example, the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> and the side plates <NUM> may be welded on the sides by friction stir welding such that their ends do not overlap and their edges come into contact with one another. In another example, the top plate <NUM>, the bottom plate <NUM> and the side plates <NUM> may be bonded to one another, may be integrally formed, or may be coupled together with a hinge structure. As described above, the module case <NUM> may be a monoframe.

A guide structure may be further formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate <NUM> to insert and fix the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The guide structure and the battery cell assembly <NUM> may be coupled by a sliding method. That is, part of the battery cell assembly <NUM> may be inserted and coupled to the guide structure. For example, the edge of the battery cell <NUM> may be inserted into the guide structure. The guide structure may be provided in the shape of a groove in multiple numbers. The guide structure may be provided in the corresponding number to the number of battery cells <NUM>. When the battery cell <NUM> is inserted into the guide structure, it is possible to support the battery cell <NUM> more stably.

In the assembly process, the battery cell assembly <NUM> is received in the module case <NUM> through the first opening OA of the module case <NUM>. In this instance, the battery cell assembly <NUM> may be received in the module case <NUM> with the thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> described with reference to <FIG> being applied below the battery cell assembly <NUM>, and after the assembly process is completed, the thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> may be injected into the module case <NUM>.

The battery module <NUM> may further include other additional components of the battery module, for example, a sensing assembly. The electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cells <NUM> may be electrically connected to the sensing assembly. The sensing assembly may cover the front and rear sides of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The sensing assembly may be electrically connected to the battery cell assembly <NUM> to sense the voltage or temperature of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. Additionally, the sensing assembly may be connected to an external power source. The sensing assembly plays a role in transmitting sensing information about the electrical properties of the battery cell assembly <NUM> such as voltage to other devices (not shown) outside of the battery module <NUM>. For example, a Battery Management System (BMS) may be connected to the battery module <NUM> to control the operation of the battery module <NUM> such as charging or discharging. In this instance, the sensing assembly may be connected to the BMS to provide the sensed voltage information of the battery cell assembly <NUM> to the BMS, and the BMS may control the battery module <NUM> based on the information.

After the battery cell assembly <NUM> is received in the module case <NUM>, a front cover (not shown) is coupled to the first opening OA of the module case <NUM> and covers the front side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The front cover may form a front side of the battery module <NUM>. After the battery cell assembly <NUM> is received in the module case <NUM>, a rear cover (not shown) is coupled to the second opening OB of the module case <NUM> and covers the rear side of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The rear cover may form a rear side of the battery module <NUM>.

As described above, the front cover and the rear cover are placed on the front and rear sides of the top plate <NUM> and the bottom plate <NUM> to cover the front and rear sides of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The front cover and the rear cover may be welded or bonded to the module case <NUM>. Alternatively, the front cover and the rear cover may be detachably coupled to the module case <NUM>.

As described above, the battery module <NUM> may use the tubular rectangular monoframe type module case <NUM>, not the conventional cell cartridge. Due to not using the cell cartridge to which the edge of the battery cell is inserted and fixed by press-fit as conventionally, the allowance in the design of the entire battery module <NUM> increases, and it is possible to solve the conventional problem with the transmission, to the edge of the battery cell, of impacts or vibration which may occur during mounting when the edge of the battery cell is inserted into the cell cartridge. The battery module <NUM> and the battery pack including the same can protect the battery cell from external vibration very well, and thus they are advantageous in the application of vehicles that are frequently exposed to external vibration.

Additionally, the battery module <NUM> is completed by receiving the battery cell assembly <NUM> through the opening of the module case <NUM>, followed by a simple operation of closing the openings on two sides. As described above, assembly of the battery module <NUM> can be easily performed, resulting in high process efficiency. Additionally, the battery module <NUM> may not include a sealing component such as an O-ring, a cooling component such as a cooling fin, or a reinforcing or fixing component such as a cartridge, reducing the number of components of the battery module <NUM>. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the production cost and time and the weight, thereby improving productivity of the battery module <NUM>.

The second embodiment of the method of introducing the heat pipe <NUM> into the battery module <NUM> proposes a structure in which a plurality of heat pipes <NUM> is inserted into the top cover <NUM>. <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of inserting the heat pipe member. When manufacturing the top cover <NUM>, the heat pipe <NUM> may be inserted into the top cover <NUM> through a method such as insert molding to manufacture an integrated structure, and this may be used when assembling the battery module <NUM>. Also in this embodiment, the heat pipe <NUM> is bent in the shape of <IMG>, and a portion of the bent part is placed on the top cover <NUM> and contacts the module case <NUM>, and other portion is placed on the side of the electrode leads of the battery cells within the battery cell assembly <NUM>.

The third embodiment proposes a structure in which the heat pipe is modularized (as a block) and assembled into the top cover <NUM>. <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment in which the heat pipe member is formed as one block. <FIG> is a front view of the battery module to which the embodiment of <FIG> is applied. <FIG> is a perspective view showing the top cover including the heat pipe member of <FIG>. <FIG> is a top view showing the top cover including the heat pipe member of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, the heat pipe member <NUM> includes the evaporator 141a in the shape of strips, and the condenser 141b' of an integrated heat pipe module. The heat pipe member <NUM> may be, for example, <NUM> in width w at the evaporator 141a. A distance p between the evaporators 141a may be, for example, <NUM>. The heat pipe member <NUM> may be a minimum of <NUM> in thickness d2 at the condenser 141b'.

As shown in <FIG>, the top cover <NUM> has the insertion hole <NUM> for inserting the heat pipe condenser 141b' and the seating groove for seating the heat pipe condenser 141b' (in the same way as <NUM> in <FIG>). In the assembling, when the heat pipe condenser 141b' is inserted into the insertion hole <NUM> in the direction of the arrow and the condenser 141b' is positioned in the seating groove, the heat pipe member <NUM> is assembled into the top cover <NUM>. In this instance, an interference fit structure may be used. Additionally, the protrusion <NUM> is formed on two sides of the insertion hole <NUM> at the location where the heat pipe member <NUM> is bent in the shape of <IMG>, to form a structure for firmly fixing the heat pipe member <NUM>.

As in the embodiments described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, an example is shown in which the heat pipe member <NUM> is assembled into the top cover <NUM>, but also as in the embodiment described with reference to <FIG>, the heat pipe member <NUM> may be inserted into the top cover <NUM>.

In the embodiments described hereinabove, the basic structure of cooling the lower side of the battery cell assembly <NUM> through the thermally conductive adhesive <NUM> or the heat sink <NUM> can also achieve cooling of the upper side through the heat pipe member <NUM>. According to the present disclosure, cooling through the upper side of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is possible, and thus it is easy to design devices using the battery module <NUM> or respond to design changes, and when cooling performance through the lower side of the battery cell assembly <NUM> is insufficient, it is possible to improve the cooling performance.

In particular, as mentioned in <FIG>, the present disclosure can solve the problem with a temperature increase at the top left/right ends of the battery cell with the increasing length of the battery cell and its consequential large temperature difference between different locations in the battery cell. Since the temperature difference increase problem is prevented, it is possible to improve the safety and durability of the battery module <NUM> including the same.

As described above, the present disclosure provides the battery module <NUM> of simple and compact design that does not make the entire structure complex and does not occupy a large space, and prevents a temperature difference from occurring between top and bottom of the battery cell assembly <NUM>. The present disclosure further provides a battery pack including the battery module <NUM> and a vehicle including the battery pack.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the battery pack <NUM> may include at least one battery module <NUM> according to the previous embodiment and a pack case <NUM> to package the at least one battery module <NUM>. Additionally, in addition to the battery module <NUM> and the pack case <NUM>, the battery pack <NUM> according to the present disclosure may further include various types of devices for controlling the charge/discharge of the battery module <NUM>, for example, a BMS, a current sensor and a fuse.

The battery pack <NUM> may be provided in the vehicle <NUM> as a fuel source of the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery pack <NUM> may be provided in the vehicle <NUM> such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle and other applications using the battery pack <NUM> as a fuel source.

Preferably, the vehicle <NUM> may be an electric vehicle. The battery pack <NUM> may be used as an electrical energy source to supply power to a motor of the electric vehicle <NUM> to drive the vehicle. In this case, the battery pack <NUM> has high nominal voltage of 100V or more.

The battery pack <NUM> may be charged or discharged by the inverter by the operation of the motor and/or the internal combustion engine. The battery pack <NUM> may be charged by the regenerative charger coupled to the brake. The battery pack <NUM> may be electrically connected to the motor of the vehicle <NUM> through the inverter.

As described above, the battery pack <NUM> includes a BMS. The BMS predicts the state of the battery cells in the battery pack <NUM>, and manages the battery pack <NUM> using the predicted state information. For example, the BMS predicts and manages the state information of the battery pack <NUM> such as State Of Charge (SOC), State Of Health (SOH), maximum allowable input/output power and output voltage of the battery pack <NUM>. Additionally, the BMS controls the charge or discharge of the battery pack <NUM> using the state information, and besides, may estimate when to replace the battery pack <NUM>.

The ECU is an electronic control device to control the state of the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the ECU determines torque information based on information of the accelerator, the brake and the speed, and controls the output of the motor according to the torque information. Additionally, the ECU transmits a control signal to the inverter to allow the battery pack <NUM> to be charged or discharged based on the state information of the battery pack <NUM> including SOC and SOH received by the BMS. The inverter allows the battery pack <NUM> to be charged or discharged based on the control signal of the ECU. The motor drives the vehicle <NUM> based on the control information (for example, torque information) received from the ECU using electrical energy of the battery pack <NUM>.

The vehicle <NUM> includes the battery pack <NUM> according to the present disclosure, and as described above, the battery pack <NUM> may prevent the problem with a temperature increase at the top left/right ends of the battery cell with the increasing length of the battery cell and its consequential temperature difference between different locations in the battery cell. Accordingly, the battery pack <NUM> and the vehicle <NUM> including the same have improved safety and durability. Additionally, since the top cover is used to fix the heat pipe member, there is no likelihood that the fixed location is moved by external impacts. Accordingly, the structural stability of the battery pack <NUM> is maintained against vibrations applied to the battery pack <NUM> during driving of the vehicle <NUM>, or impacts applied to the battery pack <NUM> in the event of collision of the vehicle <NUM>, and external forces during the use of the vehicle <NUM> including the battery pack <NUM>. Additionally, the battery pack <NUM> has good safety and long-term use, and thus the vehicle <NUM> including the same is safe and easy to operate.

Additionally, it is obvious that the battery pack <NUM> may be provided in any other device, apparatus and equipment such as Energy Storage Systems using secondary batteries other than the vehicle <NUM>.

The battery pack <NUM> according to this embodiment and the device, apparatus and equipment including the battery pack <NUM> such as the vehicle <NUM> include the above-described battery module <NUM>, and thus it is possible to implement the battery pack <NUM> having all the above-described advantages of the battery module <NUM> and the device, apparatus and equipment such as the vehicle <NUM> including the battery pack <NUM>.

According to various embodiments as described above, it is possible to provide the battery module <NUM> with larger volume of the battery cells and more compact size and reduce a temperature difference between top and bottom of the battery cell assembly, the battery pack <NUM> including the battery module <NUM> and the vehicle <NUM> including the battery pack <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A battery module (<NUM>) comprising:
a module case (<NUM>);
a battery cell assembly (<NUM>) that is received in the module case (<NUM>), the battery cell assembly (<NUM>) including battery cells (<NUM>), wherein each of the battery cells (<NUM>) has an electrode lead (<NUM>) drawn to one or two sides, the battery cells (<NUM>) are stacked along a horizontal direction of the module case (<NUM>) such that an edge where the electrode lead (<NUM>) is not drawn is placed down;
a heat sink (<NUM>) mounted below the module case (<NUM>), facing the edges of the battery cells (<NUM>); and
a heat pipe member (<NUM>) mounted inside an upper side of the module case (<NUM>),
wherein the heat pipe member (<NUM>) includes an evaporator (141a) and a condenser (141b), characterized in that
a top cover (<NUM>) is provided between the upper side of the module case (<NUM>) and the battery cell assembly (<NUM>),
wherein the heat pipe member (<NUM>) is mounted in the top cover (<NUM>),
the evaporator (141a) is formed on a side of the electrode leads (<NUM>) of the battery cells (<NUM>), and the condenser (141b) is in contact with an inner surface of the module case (<NUM>),
wherein the evaporator (141a) is formed on the side of the electrode leads (<NUM>) of the battery cells (<NUM>) and the condenser (141b) is seated between the top cover (<NUM>) and the module case (<NUM>) to form a heat transfer pathway to the top.