Patent ID: 12230839

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.2is a perspective view illustrating a battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG.3is a side view illustrating the battery module manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG.4is a partial front view of the battery module manufacturing apparatus ofFIG.3.FIG.5is a cross-sectional view illustrating along the Y-axis direction of the battery module manufacturing apparatus ofFIG.4.FIG.6is a partially enlarged view of the battery module manufacturing apparatus ofFIG.3.

Referring toFIGS.2to5, the battery module manufacturing apparatus1000according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support member290for supporting a module frame300, a side surface guide member295configured to align the side surface part of the module frame300, and spreading jigs325located at the ends of the side surface guide members295and configured to spread both (or opposite) ends of the side surface parts of the module frame300. The module frame300according to the present embodiment may have a U shape.

The side surface guide member295may include a plate296facing the side surface part of the module frame300, and a support part297erecting in a wing shape in a direction that is perpendicular to the plate296. The side surface guide member295according to the present embodiment can prevent a battery cell stack120mounted in the module frame300from moving in the Y-axis direction, thus securing the mounting position of the battery cell stack120.

The spreading jig325can spread both ends of the side surface parts of the module frame300towards a direction that is far away from each other along the Y-axis direction such that the battery cell stack120is inserted into the interior of the module frame300. The spreading jig325may be formed so as to extend along the X-axis direction as illustrated inFIG.2. When the both ends of side surface parts of the module frame300are spread towards a direction that is far away from each other along the Y-axis direction by the spreading jig325having a structure extending long in the X-axis direction, spreading power may be uniformly transferred to the side surface part of the module frame300. Accordingly, in the process of inserting the battery cell stack120into the module frame300, the battery cell stack120can be more stably mounted on the bottom part of the module frame300.

Referring toFIGS.2and5, the battery module manufacturing apparatus1000according to the present embodiment may further include an auxiliary guide member315located on the support member290and configured to align the bottom part of the module frame300. The auxiliary guide member315may support a border part in which the bottom part and the side surface parts of the module frame300meet each other. It is preferable that the auxiliary guide members315are located on both (or opposite) sides that are adjacent to the side surface parts of the module frame300, respectively. In addition, the auxiliary guide members315may be formed at both ends of the side surface parts of the module frame300.

As illustrated inFIG.5, the battery module manufacturing apparatus1000according to the present embodiment may further include side surface pressing jigs350configured to press the side surfaces of the battery cell stack120. The side surface pressing jigs350may allow the battery cell stack120to be stably moved and to be located at the upper part of the module frame300in a process of preparing for a step of mounting the battery cell stack120in the interior of the module frame300. The side surface pressing jigs350may press the battery cell stack120along the stacking direction of the battery cells included in the battery cell stack120.

Referring toFIG.4, the battery module manufacturing apparatus1000according to the present embodiment may further include at least one checking pin132formed on the support member290. The checking pin132may be inserted into a checking hole135of the busbar frame130connected to the battery cell stack120. According to the present disclosure, because the checking pin132has a structure of being inserted into the checking hole135, a battery cell stack120mounted in the module frame300can be prevented from moving in the X-axis direction and/or Y-axis direction, thereby securing a mounted position.

Referring toFIGS.3and6, the battery module manufacturing apparatus1000according to the present embodiment may further include an upper surface pressing jig330configured to insert the battery cell stack into the interior of the module frame300. The upper surface pressing jig330may include an elastic member335and the elastic member335may 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 member335included in the upper surface pressing jig330. 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 toFIGS.7to10.

FIGS.7to10are 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 toFIGS.7to10, the battery cell stack120is moved along a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part of module frame300in 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 stack120may be mounted on the bottom part of the module frame300by using spreading jigs325configured to spread both ends of side surface parts of the module frame300.

In detail, as illustrated inFIG.7, the step of mounting the battery cell stack120on the bottom part of the module frame300may include a step of spreading both side surfaces of the opened upper part of the module frame300by using the spreading jigs325, a step of inserting a lower end of the battery cell stack120into the interior of the module frame300in a state in which the both side surfaces of the module frame300are spread by the spreading jigs325, as illustrated inFIG.8, a step of disassembling the spreading jigs325from the module frame300and mounting the battery cell stack120on the module frame300, as illustrated inFIG.9.

Referring toFIG.10, the step of mounting the battery cell stack120on the module frame300may further include a step of pressing the battery cell stack120by using an upper surface pressing jig330. Side surface pressing jigs350that are pressing the battery cell stack120before pressing the battery cell stack120by the upper surface pressing jig330may be disassembled from the battery cell stack120. As mentioned above, although not illustrated inFIG.10, the upper surface pressing jig330may include an elastic member configured to press the battery cell stack120. At least one end of the battery cell stack120mounted on the module frame300is connected to a busbar frame130, and as illustrated inFIG.4, checking holes135formed at lower ends of the busbar frame130may be mounted on checking pins included in the apparatus for manufacturing the battery module. Here, the busbar frame130may be protruded from opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame300to couple the checking pins132and the checking holes135.

Hereinafter, the battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS.11to16.

FIG.11is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG.12is a perspective view illustrating a state in which elements of the battery module ofFIG.11are coupled to each other.FIG.13is a perspective view illustrating one battery cell included in a battery cell stack ofFIG.11.

Referring toFIGS.11and12, a battery module100according to the present embodiment includes a battery cell stack120including a plurality of battery cells110, a module frame300, of which an upper surface, a front surface, and a rear surface are opened, an upper plate400for covering an upper part of the battery cell stack120, end plates150located on a front surface and a rear surface of the battery cell stack120, respectively, and busbar frames130located between the battery cell stack120and the end plates150.

When it is assumed that both opened sides of the module frame300are a first side and a second side, respectively, the module frame300has 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 stack120corresponding to the first side and the second side. The upper surface of the module frame300, which corresponds to the lower surface thereof, is opened.

The upper plate400has 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 frame300. The module frame300and the upper plate400are 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 stack120. That is, a coupling part CP may be formed at the corresponding edge parts of the module frame300and the upper plate400through a coupling method such as welding or the like.

The battery cell stack120includes a plurality of battery cells110stacked in one direction thereof, and the plurality of the battery cells110may be stacked in the Y-axis direction as illustrated inFIG.11. It is preferable that the battery cells110is pouch type battery cells. For example, referring toFIG.13, the battery cell110according to the present embodiment has a structure in which two opposite electrode leads111and112are protruded from one end part114aand another one end part114bof a battery body113, respectively while being opposite to each other. The battery cell110may be manufactured by joining both end parts114aand114bof a battery case and both side surfaces114cconnecting them while a battery assembly (not illustrated) is housed in the battery case114. That is, the battery cell110according to the present embodiment includes a total of three places of sealing parts114sa,114sb, and114sc, the sealing parts114sa,114sb, and114scare sealed in a method such as thermal fusion, and another remaining side part may have a connector115. A section between both end parts114aand114bof the battery case114may be defined as a lengthwise direction of the battery cell110, and a section between one side part114cand the connector115connecting both end parts of the battery case114may be defined as a widthwise direction of the battery cell110.

The connector115is an area extending along one periphery of the battery cell110, and a protrusion110pof the battery cell110may be formed at the end of the connector115. The protrusion110pmay be formed at one or more of both ends of the connector115, and may protrude in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the connector115extends. The protrusion110pmay be located between one of sealing parts114saand114sbof both end parts114aand114bof the battery case114, and the connector115.

The battery case114is 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 stack120. In the present embodiment, the battery cell stack120is stacked in the Y-axis direction, and is housed in the interior of the module frame300in the Z-axis direction, so that the battery cell stack120may 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.14is a perspective view illustrating a module frame in the battery module ofFIG.12.

Referring toFIG.14, the module frame300according to the present embodiment includes a bottom part300aand two side surface parts300bfacing each other. Before the battery cell stack120described inFIG.11is mounted on the bottom part300aof the module frame300, the thermally conductive resin layer310can be formed by applying a thermally conductive resin onto the bottom part300aof the module frame300and curing the thermally conductive resin.

Before the thermally conductive resin layer310is formed, that is, before the applied thermally conductive resin is cured, the battery cell stack120may be mounted on the bottom part300aof the module frame300while moving along in a direction that is perpendicular to the bottom part300aof the module frame300. Thereafter, the thermally conductive resin layer310that is formed by the curing of the thermally conductive resin is located between the bottom part300aof the module frame300and the battery cell stack120. The thermally conductive resin layer310can function to transfer heat generated from the battery cells110to a bottom of the battery module100, and fix the battery cell stack120.

The battery module according to the present embodiment may further include a pad part320formed on the bottom part300aof the module frame300. The pad part320may guide an application location of the thermally conductive resin or prevent the thermally conductive resin from overflowing to the outside of the bottom part300a, and at least one pad part may be formed.FIG.14illustrates that one pad part is formed in the center of the bottom part300a, and pad parts320are formed respectively at both ends of the bottom part300awith respect to the X-axis direction, but the size, the location, the number, and the like of pad parts320may be modified and designed in consideration of an application amount or the like of the thermally conductive resin. The pad part320may be formed of an insulation film. At this time, the pad part320may be formed of a material such as polyurethane (PU) foam or rubber such that the battery cell110makes contacts with an upper part of the bottom part300aand thus the thermally conductive resin can be compressed.

Referring toFIGS.11and12again, widths of the side surface part300band the upper plate400of the module frame300according to the present embodiment may be identical to each other. That is, an edge portion of the upper plate400along the X-axis direction and an edge portion of the side surface part300bof the module frame300along 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.15is a perspective view illustrating a busbar frame in the battery module ofFIG.11.

Referring toFIG.15, the busbar frame130according to the present embodiment includes a main frame130adisposed to be perpendicular to a direction in which the electrode leads111and112described inFIG.13protrude, and a bending part130bextending from a lower part of the main frame130a. According to the present embodiment, the checking holes135are formed in the bottom part of the busbar frame130. In the above-mentioned process of manufacturing the battery module, the checking holes135are coupled to the checking pins132illustrated inFIG.4when the battery cell stack120is mounted on the module frame300, and subsequently, the checking holes135are continuously left in the battery module manufactured by an additional process.

The busbar frame130is connected to the battery cell stack120as described inFIGS.11and12. A structure in which the electrode leads pass through slots and couple to the busbars may be formed in the main frame130a. The bending part130bmay be bent by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the main frame130ato be located on the bottom part300aof the module frame300. The bending part130band peripheral configurations will be additionally described with reference toFIG.16.

FIG.16is a cross-sectional view taken along plane XZ in a lengthwise direction of a battery cell stack inFIG.11.

Referring toFIG.16, the battery cell110according to the present embodiment may include a protrusion110pformed in a widthwise direction thereof and the protrusion110pmay be located on the bending part130b. Here, a widthwise direction of the battery cell110may be a Z-axis direction ofFIG.16. The bottom part300aof the module frame according to the present embodiment includes a first part300a1and a second part300a2, the first part300a1is located at a periphery thereof with respect to a lengthwise direction of the battery cell110, and the second part300a2is located inside the first part300a1. At this time, it is preferable that the thickness of the first part300a1is smaller than the thickness of the second part300a2. Here, a lengthwise direction of the battery cell110may be an X-axis direction ofFIG.16.

Referring toFIGS.15and16, the bending part130bof the busbar frame130in the present embodiment is located on the first part300a1of the bottom part300aof the module frame. Here, it is preferable that the total thickness of the thickness of the bending part130band the thickness of the first part300a1is smaller than the thickness of the second part300a2. This is because the protrusion110pof the battery cell110is caught by the level difference of the first part300a1and the second part300a2to be prevented from moving due to an external impact. In addition, a gap between the battery cell110and a frame may be reduced through machining of the bottom part300aof 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 part300aof the module frame, a level difference of the bottom part300acan 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 part320is located between the second part300a2of the bottom part300aand the battery cell110, and the thermally conductive resin layer310is located on an inside of the pad part320. That is, the pad part320may be located between the thermally conductive resin layer310and the first part300a1of the bottom part300ato define a location at which the thermally conductive resin layer310is formed.

In the present embodiment, the busbar frame130may be protruded from the bottom part300aof the module frame300. That is, as mentioned above, the structure may secure a space such that the checking holes135are coupled to the checking pins132inFIG.4in the process of manufacturing the battery module. The X-axis direction ofFIG.16coincides with a direction protruding from the opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame300, and the busbar frame130may be protruded from the opened front and rear surfaces of the module frame300to couple the checking pins132and the checking holes135.

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 stack130: busbar frame290: support member295: side surface guide member315: auxiliary guide member325: spreading jig330: upper surface pressing jig