Patent Description:
A bus bar frame <NUM> including a bus <NUM> is generally used to electrically connect a plurality of pouch-type battery cells constituting a cell stack. In this case, an electrode lead <NUM> of each of adjacent pouch-type battery cells passes through a lead slit 2a formed in the bus bar frame <NUM>, and a pair of electrode leads <NUM> passing through the lead slits 2a are welded to the bus bar <NUM> formed of a conductive material and fixed to the bus bar frame <NUM>. Accordingly, the adjacent battery cells are electrically connected to each other.

A plurality of bus bars <NUM> may be provided on the bus bar frame <NUM>, and a pair of electrode leads <NUM> may be coupled to each of the bus bars <NUM>. According to an electrical connection type, three or more electrode leads <NUM> may be coupled to one bus bar <NUM>.

As such, according to a conventional battery module structure for electrically connecting battery cells by using the bus bar <NUM> formed of a conductive material, a structure capable of fixing the bus <NUM> should be provided on the bus bar frame <NUM>. Also, according to the conventional battery module structure, an additional process of welding the electrode lead <NUM> to the bus bar <NUM> is required.

Accordingly, it is necessary to reduce costs by omitting the bus bar <NUM> formed of an expensive metal material and directly connecting the electrode leads <NUM> to each other. Also, it is necessary to pursue equipment investment reduction through omission of welding equipment by making stable electrical connection even when welding is not used in direct connection between the electrode leads <NUM>.

<CIT> relates to a battery pack, including a battery cell including an electrode tab, a cell holder through which the electrode tab is inserted, and a connection tab including a first connection tab portion and a second connection tab portion facing each other and coupled to the electrode tab with the electrode tab being therebetween.

The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to reducing costs by omitting a bus bar formed of a metal material and directly connecting electrode leads to each other, in electrical connection between battery cells.

The present disclosure is also directed to achieving equipment investment reduction through omission of welding equipment by applying a battery module structure capable of making stable electrical connection even without applying welding, in direct connection between electrode leads.

However, technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described technical problems and one of ordinary skill in the art will understand other technical problems from the following description.

A battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cell stack including a plurality of battery cells each including a pair of electrode leads; a fastening bar frame including a pair of lead slits through which electrode leads of adjacent battery cells are drawn out; and a fastening bar including an insertion slit through which a pair of electrode leads passing through the pair of adjacent lead slits pass, the fastening bar being coupled to the fastening bar frame.

The fastening bar may be coupled to the fastening bar frame in a state where the pair of electrode leads passing through the insertion slit are wound.

A lead assembly including the pair of electrode leads may be in close contact with the fastening bar frame by winding using the fastening bar.

The fastening bar frame may include a pair of first fixed portions provided on both sides in a width direction, and the fastening bar may include second fixed portions provided on both end portions in a longitudinal direction and respectively coupled to the pair of first fixed portions.

The pair of first fixed portions may be respectively located on both sides in an extending direction of the pair of lead slits.

The pair of second fixed portions may be respectively located on both sides in an extending direction of the insertion slit.

Each of the pair of first fixed portions may include a first fastening hole, and each of the pair of second fixed portions may include a second fastening hole formed to have a shape and a position corresponding to the first fastening hole.

The fastening bar may be fixed to the fastening bar frame by a fixing member passing through both the first fastening hole and the second fastening hole.

Each of the pair of first fixed portions may include a first fastening hole, and each of the pair of second fixed portions may include a snap-fit protrusion formed to have a position and a shape corresponding to the first fastening hole.

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a bus bar formed of a metal material may be omitted and electrode leads may be directly connected to each other, in electrical connection between battery cells, thereby reducing manufacturing costs of a battery module.

Also, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, equipment investment reduction may be achieved through omission of welding equipment by applying a battery module structure capable of making stable electrical connection even without applying welding, in direct connection between electrode leads.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, because welding is not used to electrically connect electrode leads, when abnormality occurs in some battery cells, the battery cells may be simply replaced by separating a fastening bar from a fastening bar frame.

Referring to <FIG>, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cell stack <NUM>, a fastening bar frame <NUM>, and a fastening bar <NUM>.

The cell stack <NUM> includes a plurality of battery cells <NUM> each including a pair of electrode leads 11a. The battery cell <NUM> may be, for example, a pouch-type battery cell, and in this case, a pair of electrode leads 11a having different polarities are drawn out in opposite directions. The plurality of battery cells <NUM> constituting the cell stack <NUM> are stacked so that a first electrode lead 11a provided in a first battery cell <NUM> and a second electrode lead 11a provided in a second battery cell <NUM> adjacent to the first battery cell <NUM> and drawn out in the same direction as the first electrode lead 11a of the first battery cell <NUM> have different polarities.

Such a stacked arrangement of the cell stack <NUM> is to connect the plurality of battery cells <NUM> in series. That is, the first electrode lead 11a and the second electrode lead 11a having different polarities are electrically connected to each other, so that adjacent battery cells <NUM> are connected in series.

The fastening bar frame <NUM> has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is located on one side and the other side in a longitudinal direction (direction parallel to a Y-axis) of the cell stack <NUM>. It is preferable that the fastening bar frame <NUM> is formed of a non-conductive material. A pair of fastening bar frames <NUM> are provided to connect the plurality of battery cells <NUM> constituting the cell stack <NUM> in series.

The fastening bar frame <NUM> includes at least one lead connection area S, and when a plurality of lead connection areas S are provided, the plurality of lead connection areas S are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction (direction parallel to an X-axis) of the fastening bar frame <NUM>.

Each of the lead connection areas S includes a pair of lead slits <NUM> and a pair of first fixed portions <NUM>. The pair of lead slits <NUM> extend in a width direction (direction parallel to a Z-axis) of the fastening bar frame <NUM>, and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the X-axis) of the fastening bar frame <NUM>.

The electrode lead 11a passes through the lead slit <NUM>. The first electrode lead 11a of the first battery cell <NUM> is drawn out through any one of the pair of lead slits <NUM>, and the second electrode lead 11a of the second battery cell <NUM> is drawn out through the remaining one lead slit <NUM>. The first electrode lead 11a and the second electrode lead 11a have different polarities, and are in close contact with each other by the fastening bar <NUM> described below, to connect adjacent first battery cell <NUM> and second battery cell <NUM> in series.

The pair of first fixed portions <NUM> may be provided on both sides in the width direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis) of the fastening bar frame <NUM>, and may protrude from a surface of the fastening bar frame <NUM>. The pair of first fixed portions <NUM> are respectively located on both sides in an extending direction of the lead slits <NUM>. The first fixed portion <NUM> may have a first fastening hole 22a.

The fastening bar <NUM> includes an insertion slit <NUM> extending in a longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis) and a pair of second fixed portions <NUM> respectively located on both sides in an extending direction of the insertion slit <NUM>. The fastening bar <NUM> is fastened to the fastening bar frame <NUM> in a state where the pair of electrode leads 11a passing through the insertion slit <NUM> are wound.

In detail, in a state where the pair of electrode leads 11a respectively passing through the pair of adjacent lead slits <NUM> pass through the insertion slit <NUM> at once, the fastening bar <NUM> rotates in a direction marked by an arrow in <FIG> or in the opposite direction about a central axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the Z-axis) to wind the pair of electrode leads 11a. This winding process is performed until a lead assembly including the pair of electrode leads 11a is in close contact with the fastening bar frame <NUM>. Because the fastening bar <NUM> is fastened to the fastening bar frame <NUM> in a state where the lead assembly is pressed onto the fastening bar frame <NUM>, the pair of electrode leads 11a may be in close contact with each other, thereby maintaining a stable electrical connection state. That is, because the fastening bar <NUM> enables the pair of electrode leads 11a to be in close contact with each other by using a winding method, stable electrical connection between the pair of electrode leads 11a may be made even without welding.

The pair of second fixed portions <NUM> are respectively provided on both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the fastening bar <NUM> (direction parallel to the Z-axis), and each second fixed portion <NUM> is coupled to the first fixed portion <NUM>. The second fixed portion <NUM> may have a second fastening hole 32a formed to have a position and a shape corresponding to the first fastening hole 22a. In this case, the fastening bar <NUM> may be fixed to the fastening bar frame <NUM> by a fixing member B passing through both the first fastening hole 22a and the second fastening hole 32a. The fixing member B may be a bolt.

As described above, the fastening bar <NUM> may be a tool for performing winding to make the pair of electrode leads 11a constituting the lead assembly in close contact with each other, and does not function as an electrical medium for electrically connecting the electrode leads 11a. Accordingly, the fastening bar <NUM> may be formed of a non-conductive material.

A method of fastening the fastening bar <NUM> to the fastening bar frame <NUM> of the present disclosure may be different from a method of inserting the fixing member B into the first and second fastening holes 22a and 32a described above.

Referring to <FIG>, the first fastening hole 22a may be formed in the first fixed portion <NUM> of the fastening bar frame <NUM> as in the above embodiment, and a snap-fit protrusion 32b may be provided on the second fixed portion <NUM> of the fastening bar <NUM> unlike in the above embodiment.

The snap-fit protrusion 32b is formed to have a position and a size corresponding to the first fastening hole 22a. In order for the snap first protrusion <NUM> to be inserted into the first fastening hole 22a and naturally fixed, a cross-sectional area of an end portion in an extending direction is greater than a cross-sectional area of the remaining portion. Accordingly, the snap-fit protrusion 32b is inserted into the first fastening hole 22a by using an interference-fitting method, and then is fixed to the fastening bar frame <NUM> due to the shape of the end portion having a large cross-sectional area.

According to the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above, electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be made without welding, and a component such as a bus bar formed of a conductive material may be omitted. That is, electrical connection between the battery cells <NUM> may be made simply by using a process of winding the pair of electrode leads <NUM> by using the fastening bar <NUM> and fixing the fastening bar <NUM> to the fastening bar frame <NUM> in a state where the winding is tightly maintained.

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one battery module according to the present disclosure. Also, a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one battery module according to the present disclosure or at least one battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
A battery module comprising: a cell stack (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of battery cells (<NUM>) each comprising a pair of electrode leads; (11a) <NUM> a fastening bar frame (<NUM>) comprising a pair of lead slits through which electrode leads of adjacent battery cells are drawn out; and characterised in that,
a fastening bar (<NUM>) comprising an insertion slit through which a pair of electrode leads passing through the pair of adjacent lead slits pass, the fastening bar being coupled to the fastening bar frame.