Patent ID: 12255355

MODE FOR INVENTION

Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth here.

Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

Because the size and thickness of each configuration shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for better understanding and ease of description, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the thicknesses of portions and regions are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. In addition, in the drawings, for convenience of explanation, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated.

It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” 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, there are no intervening elements present. In addition, when an element is referred to as being “on” a reference element, it can be positioned on or beneath the reference element, and is not necessarily positioned on the reference element in an opposite direction to gravity.

Further, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

In addition, in this specification, the phrase “on a plane” means viewing a target portion from the top, and the phrase “on a cross-section” means viewing a cross-section formed by vertically cutting a target portion from the side.

Hereinafter, referring toFIG.1toFIG.3, a battery module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG.1is a front view of a battery module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,FIG.2is a cross-section ofFIG.1, taken along the line II-II′, andFIG.3is a perspective view of a battery cell ofFIG.1.

Referring toFIG.1andFIG.2, a battery module100according to the present exemplary embodiment may include a battery cell stacked body120where a plurality of battery cells110are stacked, electrode leads150respectively protruded from opposite ends of the battery cell stacked body120, a bus bar frame200, and a bus bar250. The plurality of battery cells110may be stacked along x-axis direction. The bus bar frame200includes a lead slit, the lead slit is aligned to correspond to a slit251formed in the bus bar250, and the electrode lead150may be electrically connected to the bus bar250. The bus bar250according to the present exemplary embodiment may be formed of a metal material.

Hereinafter, referring toFIG.3, a configuration of a single battery cell110will be described.

The battery cell110is a secondary battery, and may be formed as a pouch-type secondary battery. The battery cell110may be provided in plural, and a plurality of battery cells110may be stacked together so as to be electrically connected to each other thereby forming a battery cell stack120. Each of the plurality of battery cells110may include an electrode assembly125, a cell case133, and an electrode lead150protruded from the electrode assembly125.

The electrode assembly125may be formed of a positive plate, a negative plate, and a separator. The cell case133is provided to package the electrode assembly125, and may be formed of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer. Such a cell case133may include a case body132and a cell terrace130. The case body132may accommodate the electrode assembly125. For this, the case body132may be provided with an accommodating space for accommodating the electrode assembly125. The cell terrace130extends from the case body132, and is sealed to encapsulate the electrode assembly125. The electrode lead150may be partially provided from one side of the cell terrace130, specifically, a front side (i.e., y-axis direction) of the cell terrace130.

The electrode lead150may be electrically connected with the electrode assembly125. Such an electrode lead150may be provided as a pair. Some of the pair of electrode leads150may respectively protrude to the outside from the front side and a rear side (i.e., y-axis direction) of the cell case133. The configuration of the battery cell110described above is an example, and the shape of the battery cell110for forming the battery cell stack120may be variously modified.

Referring toFIG.1, the bus bar250according to the present exemplary embodiment includes the slit251through which the electrode lead150can pass. In this case, the slit251is opened at one end of the bus bar250. That is, the bus bar250may have a flat plate shape including the slit251with one end open. Due to such a structure, it is possible to assemble the electrode lead150without interference according to the size of the slit251in the process of making the electrode lead150pass through the slit251and overlap one side of the bus bar250. A width (i.e., in the z-axis direction) of the electrode lead150may be equal to or smaller than a length of the slit251.

Meanwhile, by adopting the bus bar250that includes the slit251having one end open, even if the number of battery cells110included in the battery cell stacked body120is changed, the bus bar250can be easily combined without excessively extending the length (y-axis direction) of the electrode lead150.

For example, in the case ofFIG.2, the battery cell stacked body120includes two sets of eight battery cells110, and in case ofFIG.4, the battery cell stacked body120includes two sets of ten battery cells110. In case of applying a conventional flat type of bus bar (a bus bar not including a slit) as shown inFIG.2, a pair of electrode leads150adjacent to each other are inserted to pass between the bus bars, and the bus bar and the electrode lead150are welded, and in this case, are applied in a case of increasing the number of battery cells110as shown inFIG.4, since the electrode leads150still pass only between the bus bars, a length of the electrode leads150has to be extended in order to reach the electrode leads150between the bus bars.

Meanwhile, as in the present exemplary embodiment, when the bus bar250including the slit251with one end open is used, as shown in (b) ofFIG.4, a pair of neighboring electrode leads150can pass not only between the bus bars250but also through the slits251formed in the bus bars250, and thus the electrode leads150can pass anywhere close to the position of a pair of neighboring electrode leads150, thereby combining the electrode leads150with the bus bar250without excessive extension of the electrode leads150. Part (b) ofFIG.4is a cross-section of (a) ofFIG.4, taken along the line IV-IV. The pair of neighboring electrode leads150pass through the space between the slits251of the bus bars250or between the neighboring bus bars250and thus overlap on one side of bus bar250, and the electrode leads150and the bus bar250can be electrically connected by forming a welding portion in the overlapping portion of the electrode leads150and the bus bar250.

In this process, it is necessary to adjust the number of bus bars250as needed, and according to the present exemplary embodiment, even if the number of bus bars250is adjusted, the configuration of the bus bar frame200to which the bus bar250is fixed is not changed and it is possible to adjust the number of the bus bars250.

That is, according to the present exemplary embodiment, as shown inFIG.1, the bus bar frame200includes a plurality of fixing portions210, which protrude from the bus bar frame200and cover ends of the bus bars250. The fixing portion210extends from a portion protruded to the outside from a lower end or an upper end (in the z-axis direction) of the bus bar frame200and covers the end portion of the bus bar250. The fixing portion210that covers the lower end of the bus bar250covers the lower end of the bus bar250by protruding upward toward the bus bar250from a portion protruded to the outside from the lower end of the bus bar frame200. The fixing portion210that covers the upper end of the bus bar250by being protruded downward (z-axis direction) toward the bus bar250from a portion protruded to the outside from the upper end of the bus bar frame200.

Thus, due to such a fixing portion210, although the number of bus bars250is changed, it is possible to apply it by changing only the mounting position of the bus bar250without changing the fixing portion210formed on the bus bar frame200. Conventionally, the bus bar250is fixed to the bus bar frame200by forming a hole in the bus bar250and filling the hole with an injection product of the bus bar frame200. In such a configuration, since a position where the injection product of the bus bar frame200is protruded is pre-determined, the bus bar250can be mounted only at the specified position, and accordingly, the shape of the bus bar frame200needs to be changed to change the number of bus bars250and the mounting position of the bus bar250.

On the other hand, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the bus bar250is fixed by the plurality of fixing portions210, and thus it is easy to remove and install the bus bar250, and the number and position of the bus bar250can be easily changed as necessary. For example, comparingFIG.1and (a) ofFIG.4, each adopting the bus bar frame200of the same configuration, it is possible to change the mounting portion of the bus bar250with respect to the fixing portion210in a fixed state, and thus four bus bars250can be mounted as shown inFIG.1, or five bus bars250also can be mounted by reducing a gap between the bus bars250as shown in (a) ofFIG.4.

In such a configuration, a gap between neighboring fixing portions210may be larger than a width of the slit251included in the bus bar250or smaller than a width of the bus bar250. By adjusting the spacing of the fixing portion210in this way, the bus bar250can be easily mounted on the bus bar frame200using the fixing portion210regardless of the number and position of the bus bar250.

Referring toFIG.5andFIG.6, a detailed configuration of a fixing portion210according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG.5andFIG.6are enlarged cross-sectional views of the portion A ofFIG.1, and respectively illustrate configurations of fixing portions210and bus bars250combined to the fixing portions210according to an exemplary embodiment, and according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown inFIG.5, a fixing portion210according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a hook211protruding toward a bus bar250. That is, in the present exemplary embodiment, the fixing part210and the bus bar250are combined by means of snap-fit coupling. For this, the bus bar250includes a groove portion252that is recessed inward in a position corresponding to the hook211so that the hook211can be coupled. In the present exemplary embodiment, the groove portion252is illustrated as a configuration for coupling with the hook211, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a hole capable of coupling with the hook211. Thus, the bus bar250can be easily mounted and removed from the bus bar frame200by coupling and detaching the hook211included in the fixing portion210and the groove portion252included in the bus bar250.

In addition, as shown inFIG.6, a fixing portion210according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be a holder that is formed of a pair of clamp portions212that protrude toward a bus bar250from a bus bar frame200. Ends of the clamp portions212may include inclined surfaces2121formed to face each other. When the bus bar250is not mounted, a distance between the inclined surfaces2121facing each other is narrowed, and when the bus bar250is mounted by inserting the bus bar250between the inclined surfaces2121, the space between the clamp portions212becomes wider such that the bus bar250can be inserted and fixed. The bus bar frame200is formed of an injection product, and the clamp portion212is formed as a part of the injection product, and thus a gap between clamp portions212is opened by an external force generated by inserting the bus bar250, and the bus bar250can be fixed by an elastic force to return to its original state from the state that the gap between the clamp portions212is opened. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to mount on the bus bar frame200without further forming a separate configuration for fixing to the bus bar250, and thus more various types of bus bars250can be mounted without limiting the position, size, and number.

Meanwhile, one or more battery modules according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be packaged in a pack case to form a battery pack.

The battery module described above and the battery pack including the same can be applied to various devices. Such a device may be applied to transportation means such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention is also applicable to various devices that can use a battery module and a battery pack including the same, and this also belongs to the scope of the present invention.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

100: battery module150: electrode lead200: bus bar frame210: fixing portion250: bus bar251: slit