Battery module and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery module and a manufacturing method thereof, the manufacturing method of the battery module including: stacking a plurality of battery cells; applying a heat conducting member on at least a portion of one side surface of the plurality of battery cells; and after the application of the heat conducting member, a cooling plate is brought into contact with the one side surface of the stacked plurality of battery cells, wherein the one side surface of the plurality of battery cells is an abutting portion formed by the outer packaging material abutting to an electrode assembly on one surface remaining except for a sealing portion of three surfaces formed by the outer packaging material joint in a peripheral surface in a length direction of the battery cell.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 201910167935.1, filed on March 6, 2019, entitled "Battery Module and Manufacturing Method Thereof". Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of high-tech fields such as digital cameras, mobile phones, laptops, and hybrid vehicles, there is active research into rechargeable and dischargeable secondary batteries. In particular, these secondary batteries are used in high-power hybrid vehicles in the form of battery modules, which are formed by connecting multiple secondary batteries in series and / or in parallel.

[0004] On the other hand, during the charging or discharging process of a secondary battery, heat is generated due to electrochemical reactions. If the heat of the battery module cannot be effectively removed, it will promote the deterioration of the battery module or cause safety problems such as fire or explosion.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a structure that can cool the battery module, and as one of the methods for cooling the battery module, the method of setting a heat sink on one side of the battery module housing to dissipate heat from the high temperature of the battery module is widely used.

[0006] On the other hand, as a method to improve the cooling efficiency of the battery module, in order to increase the contact force between the battery cell and the housing, a method of arranging a heat-conducting sheet or heat-conducting plate between the battery cell and the cooling plate (housing) as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0098612 is used. However, in this case, it is not possible to flexibly adapt to the bottom shape of the battery cell, and therefore there is a problem of reduced cooling efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, when using thermally conductive adhesives or other thermally conductive components instead of the aforementioned thermally conductive sheets, conventional methods have involved first coating the thermally conductive component onto a cooling plate (casing) or similar object opposite to the battery cell before mounting the battery cell, or forming a predetermined injection port between the battery cell and the cooling plate (casing) to inject the thermally conductive component. However, in this case, the coating status of the thermally conductive component on one side of the battery cell cannot be visually inspected, making it impossible to confirm whether the thermally conductive component is coated in the appropriate amount or in a fixed position, and also limiting flexibility in adapting to the bottom shape of the battery cell.

[0008] Furthermore, when there are grooves or other shapes in one side of the battery cell where the heat-conducting component is located, air pockets are generated, which reduces the heat conduction efficiency.

[0009] Existing technical documents

[0010] (Patent Document 1)

[0011] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0098612 (August 30, 2017) Summary of the Invention

[0012] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0013] The purpose of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein a heat-conducting component is provided between one side of a plurality of battery cells and a cooling plate attached to one side of the plurality of battery cells without gaps, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0014] In addition, the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein when a heat-conducting component is coated between one side of a plurality of battery cells and a cooling plate, the coated heat-conducting component can be configured to correspond to the shape of one side of the battery cell.

[0015] In addition, the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a battery module, which allows the operator to visually confirm the coating area when coating the thermally conductive components.

[0016] In addition, the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, which can determine the coating amount and coating position when coating thermally conductive components, so that an appropriate amount of thermally conductive components can be coated.

[0017] Furthermore, the purpose of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a battery module and a method for manufacturing the same, which can prevent the possibility of air pockets forming in recesses or the like on one side of the battery cell after the thermal conductive component is coated.

[0018] (II) Technical Solution

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a battery module can be provided, comprising: stacking a plurality of battery cells; coating a thermally conductive component on at least a portion of one side of the plurality of battery cells; and after coating the thermally conductive component, contacting a cooling plate with one side of the stacked plurality of battery cells, wherein the one side of the plurality of battery cells is a contact portion, the contact portion being formed by the outer material being in close contact with an electrode assembly on the remaining one side except for a sealing portion formed by the outer material joining the three sides in the peripheral surface of the battery cell in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] In the battery cell, at least a portion of the contact portion may be formed into a recess that bends inward toward the inside of the battery cell, and the heat-conducting component may be coated in the recess.

[0021] The recessed portion can be formed along the length of the contact portion, and the heat-conducting component can be coated along the recessed portion.

[0022] The thermally conductive component can be coated after the stacked battery cells are located inside the housing, wherein the housing protects the sides of the stacked battery cells except for the side with the contact portion.

[0023] The heat-conducting component can be coated on the side of the close contact portion above the stacked plurality of battery cells.

[0024] When the cooling plate comes into contact with the contact portion, the coated heat-conducting component can diffuse thinly.

[0025] The plurality of battery cells and the cooling plate can be bonded together by the thermally conductive component.

[0026] Additionally, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a battery module can be provided, comprising: a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell including an electrode sheet; a cooling plate disposed corresponding to one side of the plurality of battery cells; and a heat-conducting component located between one side of the plurality of battery cells and the cooling plate, wherein the one side of the plurality of battery cells is a contact portion, the contact portion being formed by the outer material being in close contact with the electrode assembly on the remaining surface other than the sealing portion of the three surfaces formed by the outer material being joined in the peripheral surface of the battery cell in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] Each of the plurality of battery cells may include a recessed portion that bends inward toward the inside of the battery cell, at least a portion of the contact portion.

[0028] The heat-conducting component may have adhesive and thermal conductivity properties.

[0029] The heat-conducting component can bond the plurality of battery cells to the cooling plate.

[0030] The heat-conducting component is provided to fill the space between the contact portion and the cooling plate.

[0031] The heat-conducting component can be located in the form of a thin film between the plurality of battery cells and the cooling plate.

[0032] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat-conducting component is provided between one side of a plurality of battery cells and a cooling plate attached to one side of the plurality of battery cells without gaps, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0034] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a heat-conducting component is coated between one side of a plurality of battery cells and a cooling plate, the coated heat-conducting component can be provided in accordance with the shape of one side of the battery cell.

[0035] In addition, according to embodiments of the present invention, operators can visually confirm the coating area when coating thermally conductive components.

[0036] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, the coating amount and coating position can be determined when coating the thermally conductive component, so that an appropriate amount of thermally conductive component can be coated.

[0037] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, the possibility of air pockets being generated in recesses or the like formed on one side of the battery cell after the thermally conductive components are coated can be prevented. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1a This diagram illustrates a configuration where one side of one of the plurality of battery cells located within the housing is positioned upwards, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1b This diagram illustrates a state in which a heat-conducting component is coated on one side of a plurality of battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1c This is a diagram showing the state in which one side of a plurality of battery cells coated with a thermally conductive component is in contact with a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a battery module manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 (a) is a diagram illustrating the battery cells included in a battery module manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (b) is shown Figure 2 A diagram of the A-A' section of the battery cell shown in (a).

[0041] Figure 4 (a) is a schematic enlarged view illustrating, omitting the internal state of, a plurality of stacked battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 (b) is an enlarged view of a state in which a heat-conducting component is coated on the recesses of a plurality of stacked battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 (a) is an enlarged view of a state in which heat-conducting components are coated on the recesses of multiple stacked battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (b) is an enlarged view of a battery cell coated with a thermally conductive component according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing one side of the battery cell in contact with a cooling plate.

[0043] Figure 6 (a) is an enlarged view showing one side of one of the plurality of battery cells in contact with a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 (b) is an enlarged view of a configuration in which multiple battery cells in contact with a cooling plate are rotated 180° according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0045] 1: Battery Module

[0046] 10: Battery Unit

[0047] 11: Electrode Assembly

[0048] 12: Electrode sheet

[0049] 13: Exterior materials

[0050] 131: Sealing part

[0051] 132: Close-fitting part

[0052] 133: Depression

[0053] 20: Cooling plate

[0054] 30: Thermal conductive components

[0055] 31: Nozzle component

[0056] 40: Shell

[0057] 41a: Front cover

[0058] 41b: Rear cover

[0059] 42: Top cover

[0060] 43: Side cover

[0061] 50: Elastic component

[0062] d1: Length direction of the battery cell Detailed Implementation

[0063] Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0064] In describing this invention, detailed descriptions of prior art related to this invention are omitted if it is believed that such descriptions might unnecessarily obscure the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the terminology described below is defined in consideration of the functionality within this invention and may be modified according to the intentions or conventions of the operator. Therefore, the terminology should be defined based on the overall content of this specification.

[0065] The technical concept of this invention is defined by the claims. The following embodiments are merely a way to effectively illustrate the technical concept of this invention to those skilled in the art.

[0066] Figure 1a This is a diagram showing a state in which one side of one of the plurality of battery cells 10 located within the housing 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention is on the upper side. Figure 1b This diagram illustrates a state in which a heat-conducting component 30 is coated on one side of a plurality of battery cells 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1c This diagram illustrates the state in which one side of a plurality of battery cells 10 coated with a thermally conductive component 30, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is in contact with a cooling plate 20. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a battery module 1 manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Reference Figures 1a to 1c as well as Figure 2 According to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of battery cells 10 may first be stacked, and a heat-conducting component 30 may be coated on at least a portion of one side of the stacked plurality of battery cells 10. Then, one side of the plurality of battery cells 10 coated with the heat-conducting component 30 may be brought into contact with a cooling plate 20 to manufacture a battery module 1.

[0068] At this time, one side of the battery cell 10 can be a close-fitting portion 132, the close-fitting portion 132 being located in a direction other than the length of the battery cell 10 ( Figure 3 The outer material 13 is formed on the remaining surface of the electrode assembly 11, except for the sealing portion 131 formed by the outer material 13 joining the three surfaces of the surrounding surface (shown in the diagram). The outer material 13 is then tightly attached to the electrode assembly 11, and the cooling plate 20 contacts the tight-fitting portion 132 after at least a portion of the tight-fitting portion 132 is coated with the heat-conducting component 30. At this time, as shown in the diagram... Figure 1a As shown, the length direction d1 of the battery cell 10 can represent the direction in which the electrode sheet 12 of the battery cell 10 protrudes.

[0069] Furthermore, a recessed portion 133, in which at least a portion of the contact portion 132 bends inward toward the inside of the battery cell 10, can be formed on one side of the battery cell 10, and the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated on the recessed portion 133 of the stacked battery cells 10.

[0070] Therefore, unlike the case where multiple stacked battery cells 10 are mounted on the cooling plate 20 after the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the cooling plate 20, the battery module 1 manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention first coats the recess 133 formed on one side of the multiple battery cells 10 with the heat-conducting component 30, and then contacts one side of the battery cells 10 with the cooling plate 20. Thus, the possibility of cavitation forming in the space between the recess 133 and the cooling plate 20 after contact with the cooling plate 20 can be prevented in advance. As a result, the contact force between the battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 can be increased, and the heat conduction efficiency from the battery cells 10 to the cooling plate 20 can be maximized.

[0071] More specifically, the aforementioned recess 133 can be formed on one side of the battery cell 10 along the length direction d1 of the close-fitting portion 132, and the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated along the longer recess 133. In this case, the aforementioned heat-conducting component 30 can be coated along the recess 133 in a long straight line shape.

[0072] That is, when coating the heat-conducting component 30, the heat-conducting component 30 is not coated on the entire surface of the contact portion 132 in a wide manner, but is coated along the recess 133 in a way that forms a long straight line shape. Therefore, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated only on the required portion of the contact portion 132 on one side of the battery cell 10, thereby coating an appropriate amount of heat-conducting component 30.

[0073] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned heat-conducting component 30 may be coated after the battery module 1 is located inside the housing 40. The housing 40 may include: a front cover portion 41a and a rear cover portion 41b located on the side of the battery cell 10 along the longitudinal direction d1; side cover portions 43 located on both sides of the battery cells 10 in the stacking direction; and an upper cover portion 42 located on the opposite side of the side in which the contact portion 132 is formed in the battery cells 10.

[0074] That is, after the stacked battery cells 10 are located inside the housing 40, a heat-conducting component 30 can be coated, wherein the housing 40 protects the remaining sides of the stacked battery cells 10 except for the side of the close contact portion 132.

[0075] On the other hand, the aforementioned front cover 41a, rear cover 41b, side cover 43 and top cover 42 can be joined together by welding or the like, and can be located on the outside of the stacked battery cells 10 to support the stacked structure of the battery cells 10 and protect the battery cells 10 from external impurities or impacts.

[0076] However, the manufacturing method of the battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to coating the heat-conducting component after combining all the front cover 41a, rear cover 41b, upper cover 42 and side cover 43 as described above. It is possible as long as the stacked battery cells 10 can be supported by at least one of the cover 41a, 41b, 42 and 43. For example, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated on the upper surface of the battery cell 10 with only the side cover 43 and the upper cover 42 combined.

[0077] Furthermore, the heat-conducting component 30 can be applied with the contact portion 132 side of the stacked battery cells 10 located on top of the stacked battery cells 10. That is, after stacking multiple battery cells 10 and positioning the contact portion 132 of the stacked battery cells 10 on the top, the heat-conducting component 30 can be applied to the recess 133 on the contact portion 132.

[0078] As described above, the recessed portion 133 of the heat-conducting component 30 is located on the upper side of the stacked battery cells 10, and the side of the battery cell 10 forming the close-fitting portion 132 is arranged parallel to the ground. This allows the operator to easily confirm the coating position and coating status with the naked eye when coating the heat-conducting component 30. In addition, it can prevent problems such as the heat-conducting component 30 flowing downward or concentrating to one side due to gravity during the coating process.

[0079] On the other hand, when the cooling plate 20 contacts the contact portion 132, the heat-conducting component 30 coated as described above can be thinly diffused between the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20. Specifically, when the contact portion 132 of the plurality of battery cells 10 contacts the cooling plate 20, the heat-conducting component 30 coated on the recess 133 is pressurized and can be thinly diffused, and the heat-conducting component 30 diffuses in accordance with the shape of the contact portion 132, so that the gap between the contact portion 132 of the battery cell 10 and the cooling plate 20 can be minimized.

[0080] At this time, as described above, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated after the stacked battery cells 10 are located inside the housing 40. In this case, the cooling plate 20 can be bonded to at least a portion of the housing 40 by welding or the like while in contact with the contact portion 132. That is, the cooling plate 20 can be bonded to at least one of the side cover portion 43, the front cover portion 41a, and the rear cover portion 41b, thereby enabling the manufacture of the battery module 1.

[0081] And, as Figure 2As shown, after the battery module 1 is manufactured, it can be rotated 180° for use. Specifically, after the battery module 1 is configured such that the upper cover 42 is on the upper side and the cooling plate 20 is on the lower side, the cooling plate 20 side can be used to contact the heat sink (not shown) on the lower side of the battery module 1.

[0082] As described above, in the manufacturing method of battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, after the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the recess 133, pressure is applied, so that the possibility of cavitation being formed due to the shape of the recess 133 when the cooling plate 20 is in contact can be prevented.

[0083] On the other hand, the aforementioned heat-conducting component 30 may possess both adhesive strength and thermal conductivity. Preferably, the heat-conducting component 30 has a thermal conductivity of 1 to 3 W / mK to improve the cooling efficiency of the cooling plate 20 for the battery cell 10. The heat-conducting component 30 may include a resin layer, for example, a thermal adhesive comprising a filler with thermally conductive properties.

[0084] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery module 1 may not require additional adhesives or the like for bonding the multiple battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20. Specifically, the aforementioned heat-conducting component 20 may have an adhesive force with a tensile strength of 5 to 10 MPa, a shear strength of 6 to 15 MPa, and a peel strength of 500 to 1000 kgf. Therefore, even in the event of external impacts, the adhesive state between the battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 will not be easily damaged, and the bonding state between them can be easily maintained.

[0085] Specifically, the heat-conducting component 30 may be formed of a material that can increase the adhesion between the multiple battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 and improve the heat dissipation effect of the battery cells 10. Preferably, the heat-conducting component 30 may be formed of a thermally conductive adhesive, etc., which is based on a material selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy and silicon.

[0086] On the other hand, the aforementioned heat-conducting component 30 can be formed of a flame-retardant material with a flame-retardant rating of V0, so that even in the event of a fire in the battery cell 10, the losses caused by the fire can be minimized.

[0087] Furthermore, the heat-conducting component 30 can be formed of an insulating material, preferably with an insulation strength of 10–25 kV / mm. This effectively blocks the possibility of electrical flow between the multiple battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20.

[0088] Furthermore, the heat-conducting component 30 has a sufficient usable time of 10 to 100 minutes, so the user can easily coat the heat-conducting component 30.

[0089] In addition, as described above, in the manufacturing method of battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, after the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on one side of a plurality of battery cells 10, the cooling plate 20 contacts one side of the plurality of battery cells 10. Therefore, when the heat-conducting component 30 is coated, the operator can visually identify the coating area.

[0090] Furthermore, the amount of heat-conducting component 30 applied and the area of ​​application of the heat-conducting component 30 can be easily controlled. Therefore, the heat-conducting component 30 can be applied only to the areas where it is needed, and thus, an appropriate amount of heat-conducting component 30 can be applied. That is, a minimum amount of heat-conducting component 30 can be applied to a degree that spreads widely across one side of the battery cell 10 through the contact between the multiple battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20.

[0091] Figure 3 Figure (a) is a diagram showing the battery cell 10 of a battery module 1 manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (b) is shown Figure 3 A diagram of cross section A-A' of battery cell 10 shown in (a).

[0092] To illustrate the specific details of the aforementioned battery cell 10, refer to... Figure 3 In (a) and (b), the battery cell 10 may first include: an electrode assembly 11 with electrode plates 12 extending out; and an outer casing 13 surrounding the electrode assembly 11, wherein the outer casing 13 may include: a sealing portion 131, formed by engaging three of the four sides of the battery cell 10 along its length direction d1; and a bonding portion 132, formed by bonding the remaining side tightly to the electrode assembly 11. The outer casing 13 may include a bag comprising an insulating aluminum layer.

[0093] Specifically, the sealing portion 131 can be formed by joining the outer material 13 along the periphery of the electrode assembly 11. The sealing portion 131 is formed by joining the outer material 13 and can be formed along the remaining three surfaces of the outer material 13, excluding the contact portion 132. The electrode plates 12 can be extended from both ends of the electrode assembly 11 to the outside of the sealing portion 131.

[0094] Additionally, a recess 133 may be formed on one side of the battery cell 10, where at least a portion of the contact portion 132 bends inward toward the inside of the battery cell 10. In the recess 133, the electrode assembly 11 is in closer contact with the outer material 13, thus allowing for more efficient heat conduction between the electrode assembly 11 and the outer material 13, thereby enabling more effective cooling of the battery cell 10.

[0095] Figures 4 to 6 This is an enlarged view of the process of manufacturing battery module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown for ease of explanation.

[0096] Specifically, Figure 4 (a) is a schematic enlarged view showing the internal state of a plurality of stacked battery cells 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, omitting their interior states. Figure 4 (b) is an enlarged view of a state in which a heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the recesses 133 of a plurality of stacked battery cells 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (a) is an enlarged view of a plurality of stacked battery cells 10, wherein the recesses 133 are coated with heat-conducting components 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 (b) is an enlarged view of a battery cell 10 coated with a heat-conducting component 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing one side of the battery cell 10 in contact with the cooling plate 20. Figure 6 (a) is an enlarged view showing the state in which one side of one or more battery cells 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is in contact with the cooling plate 20. Figure 6 (b) is an enlarged view of a plurality of battery cells 10 in contact with the cooling plate 20, arranged with their rotation 180°, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] Reference Figures 4 to 6 First, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), multiple battery cells 10 are stacked, and the stacked battery cells 10 can be configured such that the contact portion 132 is located on the upper side. At this time, a recess 133 can be formed in the battery cell 10, in which at least a portion of the contact portion 132 bends inward toward the inside of the battery cell 10.

[0098] Additionally, elastic members 50 can be inserted between the battery cells 10 in the stacked battery cells 10. The elastic members 50 can buffer the expansion of the battery cells 10 due to swelling and prevent external impacts and vibrations from being transmitted to the battery cells 10. However, the elastic members 50 are not limited to... Figures 4 to 6The configuration shown is between each battery cell 10. It can be selected to be configured between groups of battery cells 10 consisting of two battery cells 10 or groups of battery cells 10 consisting of three battery cells 10, etc., as needed.

[0099] On the other hand, after stacking multiple battery cells 10, such as Figure 4 As shown in (b), the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated on the recess 133 on the upper side of the battery cell 10. At this time, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated by the nozzle component 31 or the like, so as to coat a specific area and adjust the coating amount. Furthermore, the heat-conducting component 30 is coated with the close-fitting portion 132 disposed on the upper side of the battery cell 10. Therefore, the coating process can be visually confirmed, and the coating amount and coating area of ​​the heat-conducting component 30 can be easily controlled.

[0100] The heat-conducting component 30 can be coated on the contact portion 132 to reduce the weight per unit area (g / cm²). 2 The heat-conducting component 30 is 0.15 to 0.25. It can be thinly and uniformly diffused in the contact portion 132, centered on the recess 133. Furthermore, as described above, the heat-conducting component 30 can have a predetermined tensile strength, shear strength, and peel strength adhesive force. Therefore, considering the adhesiveness of the heat-conducting component 30, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated such that the weight per unit area (g / cm²) is 0.15 to 0.25. 2 The content of the thermal conductive component 30 is 0.15 to 0.25. More preferably, the thermal conductive component 30 can be coated such that the weight per unit area (g / cm²) is 0.15 to 0.25. 2 The value ranges from 0.19 to 0.21.

[0101] When the weight per unit area of ​​the heat-conducting component 30 (g / cm²) 2 When the value is greater than 0.25, the adhesive layer becomes thicker, making it difficult to precisely bond the cooling plate 20 to the contact part 132. When the weight per unit area of ​​the heat-conducting component 30 (g / cm²) is greater than 0.25, the adhesive layer becomes thicker, making it difficult to precisely bond the cooling plate 20 to the contact part 132. 2 When the value is less than 0.15, the adhesive force between the two structures may decrease.

[0102] When the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the recess 133, the heat-conducting component 30 can be coated with a circular or elliptical shape on its upper surface. That is, the upper surface of the heat-conducting component 30 coated on the recess 133, protruding from the contact portion 132, can be formed as a curved surface. The curved surface can include a circular curved surface and an elliptical curved surface. With such a structure, in subsequent processes, when the cooling plate 20 contacts and pressurizes the heat-conducting component 30, no air pockets will be generated between the cooling plate 20 and the heat-conducting component 30, and the heat-conducting component 30 can diffuse evenly.

[0103] On the other hand, such as Figure 5As shown, after the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the recessed portion, the cooling plate 20 can contact the mating portion 132 side of the stacked battery cells 10. Then, as... Figure 6 As shown in (a), when the cooling plate 20 contacts the contact portion 132, the heat-conducting component 30 coated on the recess 133 is pressurized and can diffuse thinly between the cooling plate 20 and the contact portion 132, specifically, it can be formed in the form of a thin film. That is, when the heat-conducting component 30 coated on the recess 133 is pressed by the cooling plate 20, it diffuses uniformly on the contact portion 132 in the form of a thin film.

[0104] In addition, as described above, after the heat-conducting component 30 is coated on the recess 133, it comes into contact with the cooling plate 20. Therefore, the possibility of cavitation or the like due to the shape of the recess 133 can be prevented in advance, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the battery module 1.

[0105] Finally, after the cooling plate 20 comes into contact with the battery unit 10, the battery module 1 can be set to a state of being rotated 180°. Multiple battery units 10 are located on the upper side of the cooling plate 20. Due to gravity, the contact force between the battery unit 10 and the cooling plate 20 increases, and the battery module 1 can be cooled by the external heat sink located on the lower side of the cooling plate 20.

[0106] On the other hand, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the battery module 1 may include: a plurality of battery cells 10, each battery cell including an electrode sheet 12; a cooling plate 20 disposed corresponding to one side of the plurality of battery cells 10; and a heat-conducting component 30 located between one side of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20.

[0107] One side of the plurality of battery cells 10 may be a close-fitting portion 132, which is formed by the outer material 13 being closely attached to the electrode assembly 11 on the remaining side, except for the sealing portion 131 formed by the outer material 13 joining the outer material 13 on the periphery of the battery cell 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0108] In addition, each of the plurality of battery cells 10 may include a recess 133 formed by bending at least a portion of the contact portion 132 toward the inside of the battery cell 10, and the heat-conducting component 30 may be provided to fill the entire space between the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20.

[0109] That is, the heat-conducting component 30 can fill the space between the close-fitting portion 132 of the multiple battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20, without creating gaps such as cavitation that may form in the recessed portion 133 of the battery cells 10. Therefore, the blank space can be minimized, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the cooling plate 20 for the battery cells 10.

[0110] On the other hand, as described above, the heat-conducting component 30 between the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 can have adhesive and thermal conductivity, and the heat-conducting component 30 can bond the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 together. In addition, the heat-conducting component 30 is located between the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20 in the form of a thin film, thereby maximizing the contact surface between the plurality of battery cells 10 and the cooling plate 20.

[0111] The present invention has been described in detail above through representative embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, but should be determined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a battery module, comprising: Multiple battery cells are stacked, each battery cell including an outer material surrounding an electrode assembly and having a fastening portion formed on one side of the peripheral surface of the battery cell in the longitudinal direction, in addition to the three sides having a sealing portion that engages the outer material; A heat-conducting component is coated on the contact area of ​​each battery cell; as well as A cooling plate is provided on one side of the plurality of battery cells. The contact portion faces and contacts the electrode assembly. The battery cell includes a recess formed on the contact portion, the recess being recessed inwards towards the battery cell. The heat-conducting component is coated on the recess and disposed between the battery cell and the cooling plate.

2. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 1 further includes: The stacked battery cells are disposed inside the housing before the thermally conductive component is coated onto the plurality of battery cells.

3. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 2, wherein, The heat-conducting component is coated with the adhesive portion located on the upper side of the plurality of battery cells.

4. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 1, wherein, When the cooling plate comes into contact with the contact portion, the coated heat-conducting component diffuses between the cooling plate and the battery cell.

5. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of battery cells and the cooling plate are bonded together by the thermally conductive component.

6. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: An elastic member is provided between two adjacent battery cells in the plurality of battery cells.

7. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 6, wherein, The elastic component, the two adjacent battery cells, and the cooling plate form a space.

8. The method for manufacturing a battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The contact portion is located between the electrode assembly and the cooling plate.

9. A battery module, comprising: Multiple battery cells, each of the battery cells including an outer casing material surrounding an electrode assembly and having a fastening portion formed on one side of the peripheral surface of the battery cell in the longitudinal direction, in addition to the three sides having a sealing portion that engages the outer casing material; A cooling plate is disposed on one side of the plurality of battery cells; as well as A heat-conducting component is disposed between the cooling plate and one side of the plurality of battery cells. The contact portion faces and contacts the electrode assembly. The battery cell includes a recess formed on the contact portion, the recess being recessed inwards towards the battery cell. The heat-conducting component is coated on the recess and disposed between the battery cell and the cooling plate.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein, The heat-conducting component has both adhesive and thermal conductivity properties.

11. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein, The thermally conductive component is configured as a thin film.

12. The battery module according to claim 9, wherein, The battery cell includes electrode plates. The contact portion extends along the length of the battery cell. The electrode sheet protrudes from the electrode assembly in the length direction.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein, The electrode sheet is led out to the outside of the sealing portion.

14. The battery module according to claim 12, further comprising: An elastic member is disposed between two adjacent battery cells in the plurality of battery cells.

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