Patent ID: 7794868

Claim:
A battery module comprising: one or more unit cells are mounted in a cartridge such that at least a portion of the outer surfaces of the unit cells are exposed to an outside region; the cartridge having an upper rectangular frame member and a lower rectangular frame member for engaging edges of the unit cells such that upper and lower surfaces of the unit cells are exposed to the outside region when the upper and lower rectangular frame members are coupled to each other, the one or more unit cells being mounted between the upper and lower frame members while the unit cells are arranged in a lateral direction; the upper rectangular frame member having a first upper frame portion, a first side frame portion, and a first lower frame portion, the first upper frame portion and the first lower frame portion being disposed substantially parallel to one another, the first side frame portion being coupled between the first upper frame portion and the first lower frame portion and being disposed at an angle of 3 to 15 degrees relative to the first upper frame portion; the lower rectangular frame member having a second upper frame portion, a second side frame portion, and a second lower frame portion, the second upper frame portion and the second lower frame portion being disposed substantially parallel to one another, the second side frame portion being coupled between the second upper frame portion and the second lower frame portion and being disposed at an angle of 3 to 15 degrees relative to the second upper frame portion, and a combined height of the first and second side frame portions is greater than that of a combined thickness of the first and second upper frame portions and the unit cells when the unit cells are mounted in the cartridge; a plurality of the cartridges, in which the unit cells are mounted, are sequentially stacked one on another to construct the battery module, wherein continuous respective flow channels are formed between each respective upper rectangular frame member and lower rectangular frame member such that a coolant flowing through the respective flow channels has a turbulent flow motion and contacts the unit cells to cool the unit cells, one of the unit cells being longitudinally positioned at an angle between 3 and 15 degrees relative to a first wall of the upper frame portion defining a portion of an input port for one of the respective flow channels, and the one of the unit cells being further longitudinally positioned at an angle between 3 and 15 degrees relative to a second wall of the first lower frame portion defining a portion of an outlet port for the one of the respective flow channels, the first and the second walls being parallel to one another.